Heather Fell, Olympic modern pentathlete silver medalist, writes about her life 'on and off' the track.

I HAVE represented Great Britain for more than ten years in my sport so I'm quite accustomed to wearing a little red white and blue but never have I seen the whole country embrace our flag so wholeheartedly.

Some of the outfits I have witnessed and the patriotic decorations throughout the country are just proof of how the Diamond Jubilee celebrations are uniting our nation.

I was given the opportunity to do a little reporting in Plymouth for local radio where I discovered that to some people this was just a good excuse to have a street party and enjoy the extra bank holiday where as for others it was all about the monarchy and the significance of Queen Elizabeth's 60 year reign. Whatever the reason the common factor was the wonderful community spirit - let's hope this continues well beyond the end of the celebrations.

I was home in time to watch the end of the Jubilee pageant up the Thames. What an incredible display but what really amazed me was the sheer endurance shown by the Queen - she is a truly remarkable lady. During some of the BBC's coverage they touched on fashion and how the queen has not only followed it in her own style but also influenced many of the big fashion houses over the years. It just proves how fashion continues to be repeated which was reflected in the popularity of Tavistock Town Hall's vintage market. Yes, I was passing and couldn't leave empty handed; it still amazes me how beautifully made clothes were and it is just a shame that several seem to fit me so perfectly!