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Towns and cities across the UK raised their Handover Flags at the same time on Sunday afternoon to coincide with the Handover ceremony in Beijing.Μύ It marked the firing of the symbolic starting pistol for the countdown to the London games in 2012.Μύ

Southampton

Southampton looked back a hundred years for inspiration for its Handover ceremony.Μύ Southampton Water was the venue for the 'motor boating' events during the 1908 London games.

Shelley Jory hands over the flag on the Itchen

A relay of Olympic sports - motor boats, rowers, cyclists and runners - delivered the flag to the Civic Centre where a big screen showed the closing ceremony in Beijing.

Local powerboating star Shelly Jory took the flag on the first leg of its journey up the Itchen.Μύ "I got really emotional, I felt very veryΜύ proud to be part of the handover and the Olympics and to carry the flag in my city of Southampton."

The event was given extra poignancy as over 40 cyclists took part as a mark of respect for Derek Witt, a leading member of the local cycling community who was killed after a collision with a car on Itchen Bridge the previous Wednesday night.

Winchester

In Winchester a big family 'picnic in the park' day had numerous sports and arts taster sessions and a large screen to view the Olympic closing ceremony.ΜύIt included a sport which has not yet graced the Olympics - Trainer 'Wanging', plus the longest inflatable obstacle course in the UK.

A specially formed community drumming group of up to 200 local people came together for Samba-style procession to the Broadway where the Handover Flag was hoisted on the front of Winchester Guildhall.

Isle of Wight

On the Isle of Wight, a 32ft Seaquest yacht Paddiywack sailed round the Island with a teenage crew and hoisted the Handover Flag on the spinnaker alongside the Needles.Μύ

Paddiywack sailing off The Needles

The young crew members are all active sailors on the Isle of Wight - Bradley McLaughlin, Emma Gillett, Emma Baker, John Hathaway and Josh Robbins.

They sailed on to Cowes where they were met by a Carnival band for a procession to the town hall to hoist the flag.

New Forest

Lymington had special reason to celebrate following the achievements of local sailors in Qingdao.

Celebrations in Lymington

The New Forest flag travelled by boat up the Lymington River to Lymington Health and Leisure Centre.

Local dignitaries joined members of New Milton hockey club, Lymington netball club and Lymington sailors Henry Lloyd-Williams and Ben Paton to raise the flag.

Portsmouth

Pompey's Live Site big screen in Guildhall Square showed the Handover ceremony live on Sunday.Μύ It was accompanied by a community arts event based on a street party and dance class theme.Μύ

The 2012 Handover Flag arrived out of a Chinese dragon dance and was raised by the Mayor of Portsmouth.

At the end of the event saw hundreds of paper doves were launched from a cannon - each had a 'dream' of a Portsmouth resident written on it.

Gymnastics displays in Fareham.

Fareham

Fareham's flag was raised at the town centre at 2.30pm following a sports display and a walk through the town by various sportsmen and women.

Emsworth

Members of Havant Athletic Club ran with the flag through the streets of Emsworth before it was raised at Emsworth Museum by Chris Wilkinson, tennis player in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

They also carried a torch which was used at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and had been given to Southsea Fire Brigade by a German fire brigade, before being donated to Havant Athletic Club.

Petersfield

In Petersfield the Handover Flag was passed down a chain of young people from the youth theatre, dance schools, and the local football and rugby clubs before being raised above the church.

Havant

Havant marked the Handover in musical style with an outdoor family concert at Staunton Country Park near Havant.Μύ Artists include Indigo Pilots, Saturday Night Beaver and headline act Chinese Elvis to celebrate the Olympic handover from Beijing.

Romsey

Romsey Sports Centre flew the Handover Flag as well as hosting free taster sessions including dance workshops, football, rugby, squash, tennis and cricket sessions, arts and crafts activities, and professional skateboarding coaching.