The Queen's Baton Relay

German magazine Der Speigel. It is time now to catch up with the

story of the Queen's Baton Relay ahead of next year's commonwealth

games. In yes `` less than a year, the

Commonwealth Games will be staged in Glasgow. The Queens at and, ``

Batten `` baton is visiting every nation in the Commonwealth as part

of the build up to the Commonwealth games. This is the story of that

event. Welcome to a special programme

marking the start of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Queen's

Baton Relay. The Batten `` baton began its 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 look at

what is in store for Glasgow next summer.

It is August 1930, and the Canadian city of Hamilton is the scene of the

British Empire games. It is a small affair, only six sports and 11

teams, but it is the start of the third largest multisport event in

the world, and next year it is 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, including Tom

Daley and Jessica Ellis `` Jessica Ennis. Over ten days, Glasgow will

be at the heart of the Commonwealth games, with events at four major

sites in the city, but some events will be staged in Edinburgh and

Dundee, and the triathlon, fittingly, will be held at the

Strathclyde country Park the Hamilton, whose namesake is where it

all began 83 years ago. At the beginning of October, it was

one of Scotland's's most successful sportsman, Sir Chris Hoy, who had

the honour of taking the baton to Buckingham Palace. They're the Queen

replace inside it a message to be carried around the Commonwealth. The

bashed `` the baton incorporates traditional Scottish craftsmanship

and modern technology. Here we look at how the 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 have broken

the design down into various elements. We have the puzzle box

mechanism and the way the message is harassed, the latticework and the

woodwork, and the actress, of course. The handle of the baton is

made from Elmwood, sourced from the Isle of Cumbrae, an island off

western Scotland. It was crafted using a special technique employed

by boat yards. It is a technique for making maths, making eight identical

slats with AV grooving on, sock them together and it gives you a strong

on a stable and round shape. We can run electricity down inside the

central gap. From the baton's handled to its lattice frame.

Looking around Glasgow, there is a lot of latticework, especially on

the River Clyde with the cranes and things like that. Glasgow again

provided inspiration has layers of pure titanium powder were fused

together by a laser to produce a stunning effect. It is inside this

frame where the Queen's message will be carried around the Commonwealth,

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

on the top of the baton, a granite gemstone, you need to Scotland. That

doesn't have to be there. I could move all of this up and have this

lower... 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 have achieved something truly

great. I absolutely love it and I think it is a credit to the team

that we put it together. So that is the story of the baton,

and who better to deliver that creation and Sir Chris Hoy himself?

He was the one chosen to march down the Mall and take the pasta `` the

ten? To Buckingham Palace. Now the Queen will place her message to the

Commonwealth inside the baton. That message will remain sealed in

their and feel it is read out at the opening ceremony at the Commonwealth

games in jars go next July. `` in Glasgow next July. Sir Chris Hoy,

six time Olympic champion and two time Commonwealth champion, was

accompanied by the steering sound of the pipes and drums first Battalion

Scots Guards. And the pipes and drums first Italian the Royal

Regiment of Scotland. The Queen's Baton Relay will travel

a staggering 180,000 miles on its journey to 70 nations and regions of

the Commonwealth, 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

launched the baton, here is a look ahead to one of the highlights of

the great sporting event. Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city. In

2014, it will be home to 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 are being

rebuilt, revamped and rejuvenated with the Commonwealth Games in mind.

This is a Scotland's National Stadium, the home of Scottish

football, Hampden Park. Next summer, it will welcome some of the true

track and field gates `` greats like Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis and

home`grown Scottish talents including a child and Eilish

McColgan. The Sir Chris Hoy velodrome is the jewel in Glasgow's

Commonwealth crown. It is already hosted World Cup and championship

events. It has been opened a year and is already the world's busiest

velodrome. Chris Hoy will not be competing here, with likes of the

key chains and Jason Kenney desperate to get their wheels on

this very steep sided and very fast`track. Elsewhere in the city,

Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins and David Millar hope to race on the

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

pool. Scotland's Michael Jennison `` Jamieson and highly valuable swim.

There has been unprecedented demand for tickets, 2.3 million

applications for the 1 million tickets available. Over 50,000

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

And next July, 4005 the 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. 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, one of the venues in Glasgow will be the Sir Chris Hoy

velodrome. Here is speaking to Gabby Logan at Buckingham Palace after

safely delivering the baton. What does it mean to you to bring up

baton in here and deliver it to the Queen? It is a massive honour and it

brings it home just as soon the Commonwealth Games will be arriving,

and this is the start of the final leg of the journey. It is an

exciting moment and I'm very proud. White is the Queen's Baton Relay

capture the imagination so much? It is going to travel around the

Commonwealth and ignited EDS and excitement for the Commonwealth

Games. This is to get the general public aware of this huge event

taking place 60. And what are you most looking forward to? I am

looking forward to experiencing the games from the other side of things,

I am no longer competing so I will be able to enjoy them without

focusing on performance, but also, beyond that, it is the legacy and

the fact that it will inspire a whole new generation, not just in

Scotland and Glasgow, but wider than that. So many positive things will

come out of these Commonwealth Games. The culture is another thing

in addition to the sport. Glasgow offers a whole range of activities,

both cultural and sporting, that people coming to the city next year

will enjoy will stop Glasgow is famous for being friendly, and these

are the friendly games, so... It is grateful stop is our chance to put

on a party and a show to the rest of the Commonwealth and read to inspire

a future generation. And you know from the London Olympics how home

support can really bring out great performances. The Scottish athletes

must be very excited. They are. I competed in Manchester in 2002, and

we have many Scottish and their supporting Scottish teams. But there

is nothing like a home game this. I am looking forward to it. I cannot

think of anybody better than you to deliver the baton here today. Thank

you very much. My pleasure. Thank you very much.

With the baton delivered, it is ready to receive the message from

Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness the Duke of

Edinburgh, His Royal Highness Imran of Malaysia, and Lord Robert Smith

of Kelvin. This morning, we launched the

Queen's Baton Relay. The significance of this event in the

Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games should not be underestimated. Years

of planning and preparation has gone into putting on the Commonwealth

Games and we have 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 will 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 prints Imran. The Queens pattern relay is the

world 's most engaging relay, it has power and it has meaning. The relay

unites 2 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 pattern 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

Queens batton relay brings the Commonwealth to life. On behalf of

the Commonwealth Games Federation, it gives me great pleasure to invite

her Majesty the Queen to place her message to the Commonwealth inside

this batton. And with the batton now carrying the

message from her Majesty, it felt to Alan Wells. `` to become the first

batton bearer on its journey around the Commonwealth. The batton was

carried by a series of bearers, all with a close connection to the

common of games. `` Commonwealth Games.

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

journey was India, host of the last Commonwealth games.

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

instead, it is for a batton. 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. It is brilliant to see

there is loads of excitement. Look at this, everyone wants to see the

batton. At the Taj Mahal, it was an Indian steeplechaser carrying the

batton. Over the next three months `` 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. It marks the start of a count down for medal

hopefuls. India has been one of the most successful nations. Much of

that success is thanks to its wrestlers. Downtown wrestling houses

like this train students in the ancient tradition of mud wrestling

and it is that heritage that produces some of the most successful

athletes. They start from the age of nine. I was maybe 11 when I started.

And he went on to become one of the best. I can see why. Look at the

size of him. This ancient low`tech wrestling ring is at the centre of

the house. Everyday, the preparation doubles as a heavy warm up. Every

morning, they are literally against the ropes. This is a monastic way of

life. It consists of eating, sleeping and wrestling. Right away,

I sense there is a real feeling of brotherhood. Because of the

lifestyle and the squad is everything these young men do, they

have to leave the sport behind to have a family life? When you get

married, your power fails. You have to stop. Generally, they are not

likely to go into professional mud wrestling. There was no escaping, it

was time for me to take on the expert. I am 63 but suddenly I felt

very small. I felt like David trying to beat Goliath.

My mouth is filled with mud. I've not even had the actress Jed. It is

a tough way to start the day. `` breakfast yet.

He can go on fighting for three hours like this. Me too. Later on, I

watched wrestling houses competing against each other. I cannot compare

it to any sporting event I have ever been to. I imagine that is what it

would have looked hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Mud

wrestling unchanged, it is a lifestyle, even more than a sport.

It is brilliant that also brings some of India's best hopes at the

Commonwealth Games. It is a long way from the mud filled arena to the

Commonwealth Games next year but the batton is the vital connection

between the sportsman 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

batton. And it is great. From the music to the rolling escort all the

way into the centre of town. We have clear roads and I do not think that

often happens here. The batton is getting a helping hand to the city

streets but with a staggering amount of traffic, it is a huge problem.

These cyclists 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 users in Bangladesh another choice. We hope

it will improve the overall traffic situation. It will improve the

health situation. And also build a community around cycling. They use

social media to recruit cyclists. A way of getting people back to

old`fashioned transport. Let me stay in the front. 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. You need eyes on the back of your head to know what

to do. When they had their horns, it means get out of my way. I do not

know which way we are going here. I thought it was all going well, until

I got told off for speeding. 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

easier. Yes, I feel like I am flying like this. Do either of you cycled

to work? Is it just with the group? I go to the office with my cycle. I

never heard anything from my female colleagues. But my male colleagues

to ask me, how can you write, you are female? I grew up with Mail on

Sunday mail cycling together but in the office people are not taking it

easy so much. `` male and female. I can see how empowering the bicycle

is. That move from cars onto bikes has been led by students. They were

all ages in the group. But you could see the passion and the interest.

And the more people that do it, the safer it gets. This is a story of

people taking control and taking the initiative to make their lives

better. I love the solidarity that these cyclists has shown and as the

batton travels the Commonwealth, I get a feeling we will get a lot more

stories like this. And you can keep up`to`date with the progress and the

stories on our website. The journey has only just begun but

already the batton has crossed borders, continents and cultural

divides. By the time it reaches Glasgow for the common wealth games

next summer, it will have touched many of the lives of the 2 billion

people who live in the Commonwealth. A symbol of what

connects them all. Good morning. The main message is be

prepared to change your travel plans tomorrow morning. We still have

those amber warnings in place, potential for some travel

disruption, power disruption, even some minor damage as well. The

reason is this developing storm