On the afternoon of 24th August in China's Birds Nest Stadium, the Mayor of Beijing handed the Olympic flag to Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, and the UK officially became the host nation for the Olympic Games. 
 
The occasion was celebrated across the region from Portland to Plymouth, with everything from samba bands to town criers joining in two minutes of noise. The official London 2012 Olympic Flag was raised at venues across the South West. 
 
Below are just a few pictures of the celebrations, for more, visit the BBC and Wessex FM photo galleries using the links on the right.