:00:00. > :00:00.German magazine Der Speigel. It is time now to catch up with the
:00:00. > :00:07.story of the Queen's Baton Relay ahead of next year's commonwealth
:00:08. > :00:12.games. In yes `` less than a year, the
:00:13. > :00:24.Commonwealth Games will be staged in Glasgow. The Queens at and, ``
:00:25. > :00:27.Batten `` baton is visiting every nation in the Commonwealth as part
:00:28. > :00:31.of the build up to the Commonwealth games. This is the story of that
:00:32. > :00:54.event. Welcome to a special programme
:00:55. > :01:02.marking the start of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Queen's
:01:03. > :01:05.Baton Relay. The Batten `` baton began its journey at a special
:01:06. > :01:10.ceremony at Buckingham Palace earlier this month. Coming up, we
:01:11. > :01:14.have highlights of that ceremony and a special update from Mark Beaumont
:01:15. > :01:19.as he travels around the globe with the baton. But first, let's look at
:01:20. > :01:24.what is in store for Glasgow next summer.
:01:25. > :01:31.It is August 1930, and the Canadian city of Hamilton is the scene of the
:01:32. > :01:36.British Empire games. It is a small affair, only six sports and 11
:01:37. > :01:39.teams, but it is the start of the third largest multisport event in
:01:40. > :01:46.the world, and next year it is coming to Scotland. Athletes from 70
:01:47. > :01:54.nations and territories will arrive in Glasgow, battling for 216 medals
:01:55. > :01:59.in 17 sporting events, including a record 22 Para sport events. Some of
:02:00. > :02:05.the biggest names in the world of sport will be there, including Tom
:02:06. > :02:14.Daley and Jessica Ellis `` Jessica Ennis. Over ten days, Glasgow will
:02:15. > :02:19.be at the heart of the Commonwealth games, with events at four major
:02:20. > :02:22.sites in the city, but some events will be staged in Edinburgh and
:02:23. > :02:27.Dundee, and the triathlon, fittingly, will be held at the
:02:28. > :02:33.Strathclyde country Park the Hamilton, whose namesake is where it
:02:34. > :02:38.all began 83 years ago. At the beginning of October, it was
:02:39. > :02:43.one of Scotland's's most successful sportsman, Sir Chris Hoy, who had
:02:44. > :02:46.the honour of taking the baton to Buckingham Palace. They're the Queen
:02:47. > :02:53.replace inside it a message to be carried around the Commonwealth. The
:02:54. > :03:01.bashed `` the baton incorporates traditional Scottish craftsmanship
:03:02. > :03:18.and modern technology. Here we look at how the baton was created.
:03:19. > :03:25.We took culture, message and sport and we brainstormed, and what I was
:03:26. > :03:29.trying to get was a link between these three words. We have broken
:03:30. > :03:35.the design down into various elements. We have the puzzle box
:03:36. > :03:38.mechanism and the way the message is harassed, the latticework and the
:03:39. > :03:43.woodwork, and the actress, of course. The handle of the baton is
:03:44. > :03:51.made from Elmwood, sourced from the Isle of Cumbrae, an island off
:03:52. > :03:59.western Scotland. It was crafted using a special technique employed
:04:00. > :04:07.by boat yards. It is a technique for making maths, making eight identical
:04:08. > :04:12.slats with AV grooving on, sock them together and it gives you a strong
:04:13. > :04:19.on a stable and round shape. We can run electricity down inside the
:04:20. > :04:23.central gap. From the baton's handled to its lattice frame.
:04:24. > :04:27.Looking around Glasgow, there is a lot of latticework, especially on
:04:28. > :04:33.the River Clyde with the cranes and things like that. Glasgow again
:04:34. > :04:38.provided inspiration has layers of pure titanium powder were fused
:04:39. > :04:44.together by a laser to produce a stunning effect. It is inside this
:04:45. > :04:47.frame where the Queen's message will be carried around the Commonwealth,
:04:48. > :04:55.a central feature lit up by LED lighting. Quite a bright light. And
:04:56. > :05:02.on the top of the baton, a granite gemstone, you need to Scotland. That
:05:03. > :05:05.doesn't have to be there. I could move all of this up and have this
:05:06. > :05:11.lower... The stone from the uninhabited island of Ailsa Craig
:05:12. > :05:17.will be released by a puzzle mechanism, adding a quirky twist to
:05:18. > :05:21.the tale of the making of the baton. We have achieved something truly
:05:22. > :05:22.great. I absolutely love it and I think it is a credit to the team
:05:23. > :05:33.that we put it together. So that is the story of the baton,
:05:34. > :05:39.and who better to deliver that creation and Sir Chris Hoy himself?
:05:40. > :05:49.He was the one chosen to march down the Mall and take the pasta `` the
:05:50. > :05:50.ten? To Buckingham Palace. Now the Queen will place her message to the
:05:51. > :06:03.Commonwealth inside the baton. That message will remain sealed in
:06:04. > :06:11.their and feel it is read out at the opening ceremony at the Commonwealth
:06:12. > :06:16.games in jars go next July. `` in Glasgow next July. Sir Chris Hoy,
:06:17. > :06:20.six time Olympic champion and two time Commonwealth champion, was
:06:21. > :06:25.accompanied by the steering sound of the pipes and drums first Battalion
:06:26. > :06:26.Scots Guards. And the pipes and drums first Italian the Royal
:06:27. > :06:39.Regiment of Scotland. The Queen's Baton Relay will travel
:06:40. > :06:45.a staggering 180,000 miles on its journey to 70 nations and regions of
:06:46. > :06:46.the Commonwealth, a distance equivalent to almost five times
:06:47. > :06:56.around the equator. It will touch the lives of thousands
:06:57. > :07:03.as it visits some of the largest countries and some of the smallest
:07:04. > :07:07.islands in the world. It is, of course, all part of the build`up to
:07:08. > :07:13.the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next summer. Before we see the Queen
:07:14. > :07:20.launched the baton, here is a look ahead to one of the highlights of
:07:21. > :07:27.the great sporting event. Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city. In
:07:28. > :07:32.2014, it will be home to the 20th Commonwealth Games. From the opening
:07:33. > :07:35.ceremony at Celtic Park, the rugby sevens at Ibrox Stadium, and the
:07:36. > :07:40.athletics and closing ceremony at Hampden Park, Glasgow will make the
:07:41. > :07:44.best use of the old but combine it with the new. Venues are being
:07:45. > :07:50.rebuilt, revamped and rejuvenated with the Commonwealth Games in mind.
:07:51. > :07:54.This is a Scotland's National Stadium, the home of Scottish
:07:55. > :07:59.football, Hampden Park. Next summer, it will welcome some of the true
:08:00. > :08:06.track and field gates `` greats like Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis and
:08:07. > :08:12.home`grown Scottish talents including a child and Eilish
:08:13. > :08:18.McColgan. The Sir Chris Hoy velodrome is the jewel in Glasgow's
:08:19. > :08:21.Commonwealth crown. It is already hosted World Cup and championship
:08:22. > :08:27.events. It has been opened a year and is already the world's busiest
:08:28. > :08:31.velodrome. Chris Hoy will not be competing here, with likes of the
:08:32. > :08:34.key chains and Jason Kenney desperate to get their wheels on
:08:35. > :08:41.this very steep sided and very fast`track. Elsewhere in the city,
:08:42. > :08:47.Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins and David Millar hope to race on the
:08:48. > :08:55.roads. Tom Daley will make a splash at the Edinburgh Royal Commonwealth
:08:56. > :09:03.pool. Scotland's Michael Jennison `` Jamieson and highly valuable swim.
:09:04. > :09:07.There has been unprecedented demand for tickets, 2.3 million
:09:08. > :09:14.applications for the 1 million tickets available. Over 50,000
:09:15. > :09:22.people, a record, stepped forward to become one of the 15,000 volunteers.
:09:23. > :09:26.And next July, 4005 the athletes from 70 nations around the globe
:09:27. > :09:29.will make their way to this city, with an estimated 1 billion people
:09:30. > :09:34.glued to their television sets. Glasgow is gearing up to be the
:09:35. > :09:38.centre of attention next summer, and no matter what the weather throws at
:09:39. > :09:43.us, this great city will put on a great show.
:09:44. > :09:49.As we saw, one of the venues in Glasgow will be the Sir Chris Hoy
:09:50. > :09:54.velodrome. Here is speaking to Gabby Logan at Buckingham Palace after
:09:55. > :09:59.safely delivering the baton. What does it mean to you to bring up
:10:00. > :10:04.baton in here and deliver it to the Queen? It is a massive honour and it
:10:05. > :10:08.brings it home just as soon the Commonwealth Games will be arriving,
:10:09. > :10:14.and this is the start of the final leg of the journey. It is an
:10:15. > :10:17.exciting moment and I'm very proud. White is the Queen's Baton Relay
:10:18. > :10:23.capture the imagination so much? It is going to travel around the
:10:24. > :10:29.Commonwealth and ignited EDS and excitement for the Commonwealth
:10:30. > :10:34.Games. This is to get the general public aware of this huge event
:10:35. > :10:38.taking place 60. And what are you most looking forward to? I am
:10:39. > :10:41.looking forward to experiencing the games from the other side of things,
:10:42. > :10:44.I am no longer competing so I will be able to enjoy them without
:10:45. > :10:49.focusing on performance, but also, beyond that, it is the legacy and
:10:50. > :10:53.the fact that it will inspire a whole new generation, not just in
:10:54. > :10:56.Scotland and Glasgow, but wider than that. So many positive things will
:10:57. > :11:03.come out of these Commonwealth Games. The culture is another thing
:11:04. > :11:07.in addition to the sport. Glasgow offers a whole range of activities,
:11:08. > :11:13.both cultural and sporting, that people coming to the city next year
:11:14. > :11:25.will enjoy will stop Glasgow is famous for being friendly, and these
:11:26. > :11:28.are the friendly games, so... It is grateful stop is our chance to put
:11:29. > :11:34.on a party and a show to the rest of the Commonwealth and read to inspire
:11:35. > :11:38.a future generation. And you know from the London Olympics how home
:11:39. > :11:43.support can really bring out great performances. The Scottish athletes
:11:44. > :11:46.must be very excited. They are. I competed in Manchester in 2002, and
:11:47. > :11:58.we have many Scottish and their supporting Scottish teams. But there
:11:59. > :12:03.is nothing like a home game this. I am looking forward to it. I cannot
:12:04. > :12:06.think of anybody better than you to deliver the baton here today. Thank
:12:07. > :12:13.you very much. My pleasure. Thank you very much.
:12:14. > :12:17.With the baton delivered, it is ready to receive the message from
:12:18. > :12:20.Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness the Duke of
:12:21. > :12:26.Edinburgh, His Royal Highness Imran of Malaysia, and Lord Robert Smith
:12:27. > :13:20.of Kelvin. This morning, we launched the
:13:21. > :13:25.Queen's Baton Relay. The significance of this event in the
:13:26. > :13:28.Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games should not be underestimated. Years
:13:29. > :13:31.of planning and preparation has gone into putting on the Commonwealth
:13:32. > :13:32.Games and we have now reached the moment when the countdown really
:13:33. > :13:45.begins. The baton is a tangible object.
:13:46. > :13:50.Thousands of people will carry it and they will bring the Commonwealth
:13:51. > :13:54.to life in front of our eyes. As the journey unfolds, we will see a vast
:13:55. > :14:00.diversity of people, of landscapes and of cultures. The spirit of
:14:01. > :14:04.friendship that will be displayed as the baton is passed from hand to
:14:05. > :14:07.hand reflects the warm welcome that nations and territories of the
:14:08. > :14:14.Commonwealth can expect when they come to Glasgow and to Scotland next
:14:15. > :14:17.summer. This is a historic moment for Glasgow 2014. We will treasure
:14:18. > :14:24.it and we look forward to following closely the Queen's Baton Relay on
:14:25. > :14:29.its momentous journey. On behalf of Glasgow 2014, I would now like to
:14:30. > :14:30.pass the baton to the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation,
:14:31. > :14:43.His Royal Highness prints Imran. The Queens pattern relay is the
:14:44. > :14:51.world 's most engaging relay, it has power and it has meaning. The relay
:14:52. > :14:58.unites 2 billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of
:14:59. > :15:06.sport, diversity and peace. It will also bring the 70 nations and
:15:07. > :15:11.territories of the Commonwealth together. Every time the pattern is
:15:12. > :15:14.passed, it will cement the Commonwealth friendship and
:15:15. > :15:24.reinforce the ways in which we are connected. We share history, values
:15:25. > :15:35.and goals, while recognising and appreciating our diversity. The
:15:36. > :15:41.Queens batton relay brings the Commonwealth to life. On behalf of
:15:42. > :15:47.the Commonwealth Games Federation, it gives me great pleasure to invite
:15:48. > :15:49.her Majesty the Queen to place her message to the Commonwealth inside
:15:50. > :16:25.this batton. And with the batton now carrying the
:16:26. > :16:37.message from her Majesty, it felt to Alan Wells. `` to become the first
:16:38. > :16:48.batton bearer on its journey around the Commonwealth. The batton was
:16:49. > :16:53.carried by a series of bearers, all with a close connection to the
:16:54. > :17:08.common of games. `` Commonwealth Games.
:17:09. > :17:18.After a brief return to Glasgow, the first country on its international
:17:19. > :17:27.journey was India, host of the last Commonwealth games.
:17:28. > :17:31.You might expect this kind of welcome for a Bollywood star but
:17:32. > :17:36.instead, it is for a batton. This symbol of Commonwealth friendship
:17:37. > :17:39.touched down in India after being sent on its journey by her Majesty
:17:40. > :17:47.the Queen. This is quite a reception. It is brilliant to see
:17:48. > :17:55.there is loads of excitement. Look at this, everyone wants to see the
:17:56. > :17:59.batton. At the Taj Mahal, it was an Indian steeplechaser carrying the
:18:00. > :18:01.batton. Over the next three months `` seven months, it will be carried
:18:02. > :18:07.by thousands of people on its way back to Glasgow. With each new
:18:08. > :18:12.location, its fame seemed to grow. Athletes from across India came out
:18:13. > :18:19.to add to the welcome. It marks the start of a count down for medal
:18:20. > :18:24.hopefuls. India has been one of the most successful nations. Much of
:18:25. > :18:31.that success is thanks to its wrestlers. Downtown wrestling houses
:18:32. > :18:35.like this train students in the ancient tradition of mud wrestling
:18:36. > :18:48.and it is that heritage that produces some of the most successful
:18:49. > :18:57.athletes. They start from the age of nine. I was maybe 11 when I started.
:18:58. > :19:04.And he went on to become one of the best. I can see why. Look at the
:19:05. > :19:08.size of him. This ancient low`tech wrestling ring is at the centre of
:19:09. > :19:13.the house. Everyday, the preparation doubles as a heavy warm up. Every
:19:14. > :19:19.morning, they are literally against the ropes. This is a monastic way of
:19:20. > :19:25.life. It consists of eating, sleeping and wrestling. Right away,
:19:26. > :19:29.I sense there is a real feeling of brotherhood. Because of the
:19:30. > :19:33.lifestyle and the squad is everything these young men do, they
:19:34. > :19:39.have to leave the sport behind to have a family life? When you get
:19:40. > :19:47.married, your power fails. You have to stop. Generally, they are not
:19:48. > :19:52.likely to go into professional mud wrestling. There was no escaping, it
:19:53. > :20:00.was time for me to take on the expert. I am 63 but suddenly I felt
:20:01. > :20:12.very small. I felt like David trying to beat Goliath.
:20:13. > :20:19.My mouth is filled with mud. I've not even had the actress Jed. It is
:20:20. > :20:25.a tough way to start the day. `` breakfast yet.
:20:26. > :20:33.He can go on fighting for three hours like this. Me too. Later on, I
:20:34. > :20:38.watched wrestling houses competing against each other. I cannot compare
:20:39. > :20:44.it to any sporting event I have ever been to. I imagine that is what it
:20:45. > :20:47.would have looked hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Mud
:20:48. > :20:51.wrestling unchanged, it is a lifestyle, even more than a sport.
:20:52. > :21:00.It is brilliant that also brings some of India's best hopes at the
:21:01. > :21:05.Commonwealth Games. It is a long way from the mud filled arena to the
:21:06. > :21:07.Commonwealth Games next year but the batton is the vital connection
:21:08. > :21:11.between the sportsman and the Commonwealth games in Glasgow. And
:21:12. > :21:24.that connection continues when it arrives on the next leg of the
:21:25. > :21:28.trip. This is how Bangladesh welcomes the
:21:29. > :21:33.batton. And it is great. From the music to the rolling escort all the
:21:34. > :21:41.way into the centre of town. We have clear roads and I do not think that
:21:42. > :21:47.often happens here. The batton is getting a helping hand to the city
:21:48. > :21:56.streets but with a staggering amount of traffic, it is a huge problem.
:21:57. > :21:59.These cyclists are trying to find a local solution. Fed up of never
:22:00. > :22:04.knowing when he was going to get to the end of his journeys, this
:22:05. > :22:19.organiser wants to show car users in Bangladesh another choice. We hope
:22:20. > :22:23.it will improve the overall traffic situation. It will improve the
:22:24. > :22:32.health situation. And also build a community around cycling. They use
:22:33. > :22:37.social media to recruit cyclists. A way of getting people back to
:22:38. > :22:44.old`fashioned transport. Let me stay in the front. Don't pick up too much
:22:45. > :22:50.speed. I feel like a beginner again. One thing you have to be certain of
:22:51. > :22:54.is keeping a safe distance and predicting how the other guy is
:22:55. > :23:01.going to behave. You need eyes on the back of your head to know what
:23:02. > :23:12.to do. When they had their horns, it means get out of my way. I do not
:23:13. > :23:18.know which way we are going here. I thought it was all going well, until
:23:19. > :23:24.I got told off for speeding. Old habits die hard. There are a lot
:23:25. > :23:28.more women joining the group and that shows a real change in
:23:29. > :23:35.attitude. I guess it gives you a lot more freedom. You can get around
:23:36. > :23:43.easier. Yes, I feel like I am flying like this. Do either of you cycled
:23:44. > :23:50.to work? Is it just with the group? I go to the office with my cycle. I
:23:51. > :24:01.never heard anything from my female colleagues. But my male colleagues
:24:02. > :24:10.to ask me, how can you write, you are female? I grew up with Mail on
:24:11. > :24:26.Sunday mail cycling together but in the office people are not taking it
:24:27. > :24:29.easy so much. `` male and female. I can see how empowering the bicycle
:24:30. > :24:37.is. That move from cars onto bikes has been led by students. They were
:24:38. > :24:44.all ages in the group. But you could see the passion and the interest.
:24:45. > :24:48.And the more people that do it, the safer it gets. This is a story of
:24:49. > :24:52.people taking control and taking the initiative to make their lives
:24:53. > :24:56.better. I love the solidarity that these cyclists has shown and as the
:24:57. > :25:04.batton travels the Commonwealth, I get a feeling we will get a lot more
:25:05. > :25:12.stories like this. And you can keep up`to`date with the progress and the
:25:13. > :25:16.stories on our website. The journey has only just begun but
:25:17. > :25:19.already the batton has crossed borders, continents and cultural
:25:20. > :25:24.divides. By the time it reaches Glasgow for the common wealth games
:25:25. > :25:28.next summer, it will have touched many of the lives of the 2 billion
:25:29. > :25:29.people who live in the Commonwealth. A symbol of what
:25:30. > :26:11.connects them all. Good morning. The main message is be
:26:12. > :26:16.prepared to change your travel plans tomorrow morning. We still have
:26:17. > :26:18.those amber warnings in place, potential for some travel
:26:19. > :26:22.disruption, power disruption, even some minor damage as well. The
:26:23. > :26:24.reason is this developing storm