The Olympic flag was raised at North Bridge Leisure Centre during the Beijing closing ceremony.

The handover to London 2012 was celebrated in hundreds of towns and cities across the UK and young people from Calderdale sports clubs marked the occasion with trampoline and gymnastics displays.

The British team's successes in China have created a tremendous buzz and their crop of gold medals are the perfect launching pad for what we hope will be a memorable summer in four years time.

Already, North Bridge and Spring Hall athletics track have been chosen as official training sites for the Olympics 2012. They are among 600 UK sporting venues listed in the official games guide.

And the council has set up a Calderdale Olympics Board to ensure the borough gets the most from the run-up to 2012.

These are all clear signs that we are on the ball when it comes to the next Olympics.

For although it will be known as London 2012, it is an event which can be shared by Calderdale, England, Britain and Europe.

These are our Games and we should make the most of them and turn 2012 into something to be proud of.