FOLLOWING Kelly Holmes onto the celebratory bus in the hot afternoon sunshine, the enormity of the occasion was just starting to dawn on the assembled family, friends, dignitaries and journalists chosen to join her.

With early estimates of 10,000 people expected to line the streets from Hildenborough through to Tonbridge, it soon became clear that this was well wide of the mark.

The crowd who followed Kelly clapping and cheering her on the short walk from her family home in Mount Pleasant to the bus in Riding Lane easily fell into triple figures.

Then, as the bus pulled out of the lane and onto Tonbridge Road through the village, the crowds of well-wishers stood more than a dozen deep on the pavement.

And when the bus moved further along the route, the crowds began to multiply at a startling rate.

Friends and neighbours mingled with complete strangers to shout up their congratulations to a beaming Kelly, who waved her large Union flag and proudly held up her two gold medals to rapturous applause.

Flags and banners adorned houses and businesses along the route, messages of congratulations were attached to lamp posts and hung outside buildings as Hildenborough came out in force to recognise the stunning achievement of one of their own.

As echoes of "Go Kelly", "Congratulations" and "We Love You" resounded in the air amidst the cheering, clapping and whistle blowing, Kelly bent down and responded with hellos and thank yous as if she were greeting old friends.

After riding round the Brookmead estate where she spent much of her early years running round the streets of the village, the bus headed closer to Tonbridge.

The crowds multiplied even further and the cheers got louder. Those she had passed in Hildenborough just gathered behind the buses' entourage and followed the party into town.

A young boy sat on the side of the road and banged his drum, to be rewarded by his hero turning to look straight at him with a wave.

Bouquets of flowers were thrown up onto the bus as the bus passed yet more banners, one reading "She who dares, wins TWICE!"

Thousands and thousands of people had lined the streets of Hildenborough and it was slowly becoming clear that the best was yet to come.

As the bus rounded the corner at the top of Dry Hill Park road and started its descent down Shipbourne Road towards the High Street it all became too much for Kelly's mum.

Pam Thomson, 52, who had earlier admitted she was worried that not many people would turn out, finally lost her battle to fight back the tears. And as the bus got level with Tonbridge School, giving a clear view of the carpet of people filling the High Street, a bewildered Kelly momentarily stopped waving her flag and looked behind her at her family and friends mouthing "Oh My God!".

Stretched police officers were forced to part the crowds who had spilled out from the overloaded pavements onto the road to allow the bus to get through the throng.

With more than 30,000 joyful people in the High Street alone, the noise was deafening.

And Kelly was loving every minute of it all!