Episode 1 Queen's Baton Relay

In less than a year's time, the 20th Commonwealth Games

will be staged in Glasgow. As part of the build-up to that great

sporting event, the Queen's Baton, carrying a message from

Her Majesty, is visiting every nation and territory of the Commonwealth.

This is the story of the baton

and the build-up to the games so far.

Hello and welcome to a special programme marking the start

of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay.

The baton began its 288-day journey at a special ceremony

at Buckingham Palace earlier this month.

Coming up, we have highlights of that ceremony and a special update

from Mark Beaumont as he travels around the globe with the baton.

But first, let's have a look at what's in store for Glasgow

next summer.

It's August, 1930 and the Canadian city of Hamilton is

the scene of the British Empire Games.

It was a small affair - only six sports and just 11 teams -

but it was the start of what is now the third-largest multisport event

in the world and next year, it's coming to Scotland.

Athletes from 70 nations

and territories will arrive in Glasgow, battling for 216 medals

in 17 sporting events, including a record 22 Para sport events.

Some of the biggest names in the world of sport will be there -

Jessica Ennis, Tom Daley in the pool,

as many of Team GB's medal-winning cycling, swimming

and gymnastics teams now compete for their home nations.

Over ten days, Glasgow will be at the heart of the games,

with events at four major sites in the city.

But some events will be staged further afield,

including Edinburgh and Dundee.

And the triathlon, rather fittingly, will be

held at the Strathclyde Country Park near Hamilton,

whose namesake is where it all began 83 years ago.

At the beginning of October,

it was one of Scotland's most successful sportsmen, Sir Chris Hoy,

who had the honour of taking the baton to Buckingham Palace.

There, the Queen would place inside it a message to be

carried around the Commonwealth.

The baton incorporates modern technology

and traditional Scottish craftsmanship.

Here's BBC Scotland's Commonwealth Games reporter

Jane Lewis on how the Glasgow 2014 baton was created.

We took culture, message and sport and we brainstormed

and what I was trying to get was a link between these three words.

We've kind of broken the design down into various elements, so

you've got the puzzle box mechanism,

you've got the way the message is housed,

the latticework and the woodwork - and the electronics, of course.

The handle of the baton is made from elm wood,

sourced from the Isle of Cumbrae, an island off Western Scotland,

and in tribute to Scotland's shipbuilding heritage,

it was crafted using a special technique employed by boatyards.

The bird's mouth technique is a technique for making masts.

You make eight identical slats with a "V" groove in them

and glue the whole lot together

and it gives you a very strong, very stable round shape.

It creates a hollow space inside

that we can use for running electronics down inside the space.

From the baton's handle to its lattice frame.

Look around Glasgow at some of the construction and architecture -

there's a lot of lattice work, especially with the Clyde, you know - the cranes.

Glasgow again providing the inspiration as multi-layers of pure

titanium powder fused together by a laser produced a stunning effect.

It's inside this frame where the Queen's games message will be

carried around the Commonwealth -

a central feature lit up by LED lighting. Quite a bright light.

So to the top of the baton and a granite gemstone,

unique to Scotland.

That gap doesn't have to be there, I could move all of this up... Yes.

..and...have this lower. Yes.

The stone, from the uninhabited island of Ailsa Craig will be

released by a puzzle mechanism,

adding a quirky twist to the tale of the making of the baton.

We've achieved something which is truly great - I love it.

I absolutely love it and I think a credit to the team

that pulled it together.

BAGPIPES PLAY

So that's the story of the baton

and who better to deliver that creation,

than Sir Chris Hoy himself.

BAGPIPES PLAY

He was the one chosen to march down the Mall

and take the baton to Buckingham Palace.

There, the Queen will place her message to the Commonwealth

inside the baton.

That message will remain sealed in there until it's read out

at the opening ceremony of the games in Glasgow next July.

Sir Chris, 11-time world champion winner,

six-time Olympic champion

and two-time Commonwealth champion was accompanied by the stirring

sound of the Pipes and Drums 1st Battalion Scots Guards

and the Pipes and Drums 1st Battalion

the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

The Queen's Baton Relay will travel a staggering 118,000 miles

on its journey to 70 nations and regions of the Commonwealth -

that's a distance equivalent

to almost five times around the Equator.

It will touch the lives of thousands as it visits some

of the largest countries and some of the smallest islands in the world.

It is of course all part of the build-up to the

Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next summer.

Before we see the Queen launch the baton on its international

journey, here's Hazel Irvine with a look ahead to the highlights

of one of the world's great sporting events.

Glasgow - Scotland's biggest city.

In 2014, it will be home of the 20th Commonwealth Games.

From the opening ceremony at Celtic Park,

the rugby sevens at Ibrox Stadium and the athletics

and closing ceremony at Hampden Park, Glasgow will make the best

use of the old, but combine it with the new - venues rebuilt,

revamped and rejuvenated with the games in mind.

This is Scotland's national stadium, the home of Scottish football,

Hampden Park. But next summer,

the famous Hampden roar will welcome some of the true track

and field greats like Usain Bolt, Jess Ennis-Hill

and Sally Pearson, as well as home-grown Scottish

talents like a Eilish McColgan and Commonwealth medallist Eilidh Child.

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is the jewel in Glasgow's Commonwealth

crown and it's already hosted World Cup and World Championship events.

It's been open a year

and it's already officially the world's busiest velodrome.

Now, albeit that Sir Chris himself will not be competing here,

the likes of Ed Clancy, Laura Trott, Jason Kenny and Becky James are all

desperate to get their wheels on this very steep-sided and VERY fast track.

Elsewhere in the city, Mark Cavendish,

Sir Bradley Wiggins and David Miller hope to race on the roads...

Tom Daley will make a splash at the Edinburgh Royal Commonwealth Pool...

Scotland's own Michael Jamieson

and Hannah Miley will swim at the Tollcross Pool

and Louis Smith in gymnastics will feature at the brand-new Hydro Arena.

There's been unprecedented demand for tickets -

2.3 million applications for the 1 million tickets available.

Over 50,000 people - a record for any previous Commonwealth Games -

stepped forward to become one of the 15,000 volunteers.

Next July, 4,500 athletes from 70 nations around the globe

will make their way to this city with an estimated 1 billion people

glued to their television sets during the 20th Commonwealth Games.

Glasgow is gearing up to be the centre of attention next summer

and no matter what the weather throws at us,

this great city will put on a great show.

As we saw there, one of the venues in Glasgow next year will be

the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

Here he is, speaking to Gabby Logan at Buckingham Palace after

safely delivering the baton.

What does it mean to you to bring the baton in here

and deliver it to Her Majesty the Queen?

It's a massive honour

and it brings it home just how soon these games are going to be arriving.

This is the kind of start of the final leg of the journey,

so it's a very exciting moment and I'm very, very proud.

Why do you think it is that the Baton Relay captures

the imagination so much?

Well, it's going to go round the whole Commonwealth,

touch all the different nations, it's going to ignite that enthusiasm

and that excitement for these games

and the athletes are already training hard,

they're all ready for the games, but it's to get the general public

aware of this huge event that is going to be taking place next year.

And what are you most looking forward to? Well, personally,

I'm looking forward to experiencing the games

from the other side of the fence, you know!

I'm no longer competing, so I'll be able to actually enjoy them

without being so focused on performance.

But also, beyond that, it's the kind of legacy - the fact that

it's going to inspire a whole new generation

and not just in Scotland and Glasgow, but wider than that.

So many positive things are going to come out of these games.

Well, Sir Chris, the sport is one thing,

the culture is another as well.

Glasgow offers a whole range of activities, both cultural

and sporting, that people who are going to come to the city

next year are going to enjoy and see the city at its very best.

They will, and Glasgow is famous for being friendly

and these are the "friendly games", so it's the perfect partnership.

Yes, the hospitality I think will probably shock visitors

from around the world, because Glaswegians

are notoriously brilliant at extending their hospitality.

It's great, and it's our chance to put on a party,

put on a show to the rest of the Commonwealth and to really,

you know, inspire a future generation, too.

And you know, from the London Olympics,

how home support can really bring out great performances.

The Scottish athletes must be so excited. Oh, they are.

I competed in Manchester in 2002 and we had a lot of Scottish

fans down there supporting the Scottish team,

but you can see how the home nation is lifted

and there's nothing like a home games and that's why I'm sad

I'm not competing myself, but I will be there cheering the teams on

and enjoying the atmosphere and sampling it myself.

Sir Chris Hoy, thank you so much.

I can't think of anyone better, can you, to deliver

the baton here today. Thank you so much. Thank you, my pleasure. Thank you.

APPLAUSE

With the baton delivered, it is

now ready to receive the message from Her Majesty the Queen...

Accompanied by his Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh...

His Royal Highness, Prince Imran of Malaysia...

And The Right Honourable Lord Robert Smith of Kelvin.

DRUMROLL

BAND PLAYS NATIONAL ANTHEM

This morning, we launch the Queen's Baton Relay.

The significance of this event to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

should not be underestimated.

Years of planning and preparation has gone into putting on the games

and we've now reached the moment when the countdown really begins.

The baton is a tangible object.

Thousands of people will carry it

and they will bring the Commonwealth to life in front of our eyes.

As the journey unfolds, we'll see a vast diversity of people,

of landscapes and of cultures.

The spirit of friendship that will be displayed as the baton is

passed from hand to hand, reflects the warm welcome that nations

and territories of the Commonwealth can expect

when they come to Glasgow and to Scotland next summer.

This is a historic moment for Glasgow 2014.

We will treasure it and we look forward to following closely

the Queen's Baton Relay on its momentous journey.

On behalf of Glasgow 2014,

I would now like to pass the baton to the president

of the Commonwealth Games Federation, his Royal Highness, Prince Imran.

The Queen's Baton Relay is the world's most engaging relay.

It has power and it has meaning.

The relay unites two billion citizens of the Commonwealth

in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace.

It will also bring the 70 nations

and territories of the Commonwealth together.

Every time the baton is passed, it will cement the Commonwealth

friendship and reinforce the ways in which we are connected.

We share history, values and goals,

while recognising and appreciating our diversity.

The Queen's Baton Relay brings the Commonwealth to life

in all its glory for the world to see.

On behalf of the Commonwealth Games Federation, it now gives me

great pleasure to invite Her Majesty the Queen

to place her message to the Commonwealth inside this baton.

And with the baton now carrying its message from Her Majesty,

it fell to Scottish sprinting hero Alan Wells, accompanied

by Monica Dzonzi, representing UNICEF, to become the first

baton-bearer at the start of its journey around the Commonwealth.

APPLAUSE

The baton was carried down the Mall by a series of bearers all

with a close connection to the games.

After a brief return to Glasgow, the first country on its

international journey was India, host to the last Commonwealth Games.

The adventurer Mark Beaumont is travelling

around the world with the baton and was there when it landed in Delhi.

You might expect this kind of welcome for a Bollywood star,

but instead, it's for a baton.

This symbol of Commonwealth friendship touched down in India

after being sent on its journey by Her Majesty the Queen.

This is quite a reception in New Delhi.

I've no idea what to expect,

but it's brilliant to see there is actually loads of excitement.

Look at this, everyone wants to see the baton!

At the Taj Mahal,

it was down to Indian steeplechaser Sudha Singh to carry the baton.

Over the next seven months,

it will be carried by thousands of people on its way back to Glasgow.

With each new location, its fame seemed to grow.

Athletes from across India came out to add to the welcome.

The baton marks the start of a countdown for medal hopefuls.

India has been one of the most successful nations of the previous

games and much of that medal success is thanks to its wrestlers.

Hello, Mark. Morning! Deepak, yes? I'm Deepak.

'Downtown wrestling houses like this train students in the ancient

'tradition of mud wrestling and it's that heritage that produces

'some of the country's most successful international athletes.'

Everywhere in India, you see people, children, learning wrestling.

What age do you start? They start...

From the age of nine, ten.

How old were you when you started? Maybe 11.

And he went on to become one of the best wrestlers of India.

I can see why! Look at the size of him!

'This ancient, low-tech wrestling ring is at the centre of the house.

'Every day, young athletes make it their own.

'The preparation doubles as a heavy warm-up.

'Every morning, they are literally against the ropes.

'This is a monastic way of life which consists of eating,

'sleeping and wrestling.

'Right away, I sense there is a real feeling of brotherhood.'

Because the lifestyle,

because the sport is everything these young men do,

do they have to leave the sport behind before they have family life?

When you marry, your power fails.

So you have to stop doing practice.

So generally, children who marry are considered not likely to

go into professional mud wrestling.

There was no escaping - it was time for me to take on the expert.

I'm 6'3", but suddenly I felt very small.

Mark, Mark - don't lose the fight, don't lose the fight!

I felt like David, trying to beat Goliath. Pull the leg, yes!

Don't fall down, don't fall down! Oh!

My mouth is full of dirt!

And I've not even had breakfast yet!

Quite a tough way to start the day.

You know, Naveen is one of the best wrestlers of India.

He can go on fighting some two or three hours like this. Me too(!)

DEEPAK LAUGHS

Later, I joined Deepak at a tournament where wrestling houses

compete against each other.

What's amazing about this,

I can't compare it to any other sporting event I've ever been to,

because I imagine that is what it would have looked like

hundreds, if not thousands of years ago.

Mud wrestling, unchanged. And it's a lifestyle, even more than a sport.

And it's brilliant that that also brings some of India's best hopes

at the Commonwealth Games.

It's a long way from the mud-filled arena to the games next year.

But the baton is that vital connection between these sportsmen

and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

And that connection continues

when it arrives on the next leg of the trip...

This is how Bangladesh welcomes the baton.

And it's great - from the music to the rolling escort all

the way into the centre of Dhaka where we're heading now -

we've got clear roads and I don't think that often happens here.

The Queen's baton is getting a helping hand through the city

streets, but with a staggering 13 million people in Dhaka,

traffic is a big problem.

It's a global issue,

but in Dhaka, a group called BDCyclists

are trying to find a local solution.

Fed up of never knowing

when he was going to get to the end of his journeys,

this organiser wants to show

car-using Bangladeshis an alternative.

There are a lot of people who cycle in Dhaka, for their livelihood.

But we are trying to encourage the car-owning population in Dhaka

to take up cycling.

We hope that it will improve the overall traffic situation here,

it will improve the health situation here

and also build a community around cycling.

They used social media to recruit over 25,000 cyclists,

a modern way of getting people back to old-fashioned transport.

But what's it like, dodging the traffic of Dhaka?

OK, let me stay in the front, huh?

And don't pick up too much speed.

I feel like a beginner again!

One thing you have to be certain of is keeping a safe distance

and predicting how the other guy is going to behave.

I sense you need eyes on the back of your head to know...

When they hit their horns, do you know what they mean?

Get out of my way!

It feels great to be back on a bicycle. I definitely feel at home.

I don't know which way we're going here, but...

HORNS HONK

'I THOUGHT it was all going well, until I got told off for speeding.'

Slow, slow! Mark, go slow! 'Old habits die hard.'

There are a lot more women joining the group

and that shows a real change in attitude.

I guess it gives you a lot more freedom -

you can get around the city easier?

Yes, I feel like a bird when I am cycling.

I feel like I am flying like this.

Do either of you cycle to your work, or is it just with the group?

I also go to office with my cycle,

but I never heard anything from my female colleagues.

The most thing I heard from my male colleagues,

they all astound me, that, "how can you ride, you are female".

Do you think that will change?

Do you think people will start to think it's absolutely normal

for men and women to cycle and also that they see it's a faster way...?

You know, our group, males and females are cycling together,

but in our office or other places of Bangladesh,

maybe people are not getting...

Taking it easily so much. But it will be normal, in future.

In one of the world's busiest cities,

I can see how empowering the bicycle is.

That move from cars back onto bikes has definitely been led by students.

In the group there, there were all ages,

but you can see the passion and the interest

and people saying, "Look, this is the fastest, quickest way

"to get around," and the more people that do it, the safer it gets, as well.

This is a story of people taking control

and taking the initiative to make their lives better.

I love the solidarity that these cyclists show

and as the Queen's baton travels the Commonwealth, I get

the feeling I'm going to find a lot more stories like this.

And you can keep up-to-date with the baton's progress

and the stories that Mark sends back on our website:

The journey has only just begun, but already the baton has

crossed borders, continents and cultural divides.

By the time it reaches Glasgow for the games next summer,

it will have touched many of the lives of the two billion people

who live in the Commonwealth - a symbol of what connects them all.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd