THE Olympic Flame is on it way to Britain.

And that means it’s starters orders for the dozen or so Torchbearers from Huddersfield who will be making a little bit of history.

Click here to view animated route maps for our area.

They will be taking part in relays of the Olympic Torch run as it makes its away across Britain later this month and throughout June.

Yesterday the Torch began its route to the Games from Greece.

An actress, dressed in floor-length pleated robes, lifted the burning torch from a parabolic mirror as if the light had been beamed by the Gods directly from the sun’s rays.

Only a select group of dignitaries witnessed at first-hand the flame almost automatically burst in to life in front of the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, Greece.

They included a 15-strong delegation from London 2012, led by chairman Lord Coe.

Only birdsong could be heard as the ritual ceremony was played out in scorching sunlight and the ancient ruins.

A solo flautist played as the delegation returned to their seats in the Ancient Stadium to see the priestesses execute a graceful ritual dance.

The flame was placed in an urn, before the high priestess and priestesses gently carried it to the stadium where it was hit by a gust of wind. Then there was a puff of smoke.

It was re-lit from the mother flame.

The first torchbearer was Spyros Gianniotis, Greece’s England-born World champion swimmer.