At precisely the same moment that London Mayor Boris Johnson accepted the Olympic flag from the city of Beijing, Wansbeck Council's vice-civic head Coun Stephen Armstrong raised a replica flag at the Woodhorn Museum and Archives Centre on the outskirts of Ashington.

Woodhorn was one of the elite locations chosen to join the celebrations thousands of miles away in China, as London officially became the host city of the Games in four years time.

"It was a great honour for Wansbeck and Woodhorn to be invited to share in the nation-wide celebrations of the fact that the next Olympic Games will be held in Great Britain," said Coun Armstrong.

"Team GB has done fantastically well in Beijing and I am sure everyone will now be focused on repeating that success at London in 2012."

One budding young local athlete was present at Woodhorn to help raise the Olympic flag and strengthen his own resolve to be part of Team GB at the London Games.

Eighteen-year-old Jamie Kirkwood, from Cresswell, is a promising young rower and already he is the holder of a gold medal from his sport.

Jamie, who learned his rowing at Cambois Rowing Club before moving on to the Durham School club, recently struck gold at a home international regatta in Cardiff in the lightweight sculls.

British competitors, of course, dominated the rowing events at the Beijing Games.

Along with their swimming and cycling colleagues they contributed significantly to Team GB's final tally of 19 gold medals, making Beijing the most successful Games for a British team for 100 years.

Jamie now says he has his sights firmly set on a place in Team GB for 2012, training every day to fulfil his goal of being an Olympian rower.

"It is going to be amazing for anyone from any sport to be in the 2012 team and I would love to be part of it," he said.