Having been on a 294-day journey to all 72 Commonwealth countries, the Commonwealth Games baton returned to England on Monday 4th July 2022 for a 25-day tour of the regions. After visiting Sandwell on 25th July, the baton officially arrived in the Solihull Borough at 8am on Tuesday 26th July 2022, when the day’s first Batonbearer, Wayne Elcock (BB001), carried the baton into the grounds of Castle Bromwich Hall Hotel.
After a more than 40-mile tour of most corners of the borough, Solihull’s leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) finished just over 12 hours later at Golden Jubilee Gardens in Solihull Town Centre. The day’s final Batonbearer, Andrew Lucas (BB140), carried the baton from the temporary stage shortly after 8pm, following an unforgettable performance by the Band of the Grenadier Guards.
Most of the batonbearers on 26th July were from Solihull and Birmingham, but there were also batonbearers from Aylesbury, Binfield, Bracknell, Bromsgrove, Buckingham, Harefield, High Wycombe, Kirkby Lonsdale, London, Maidenhead , Middlesex, Oldbury, Redditch, Shifnal, Warwick and Windsor.
Castle Bromwich to North Solihull Sports Centre
The QBR Convoy left its overnight accommodation in Dudley at 6:18am for the journey to Castle Bromwich, where at 8am, Batonbearer 001, Wayne Elcock, British, European, and WBU World Middleweight Boxing champion, carried the baton through the main gates of Castle Bromwich Hall and around the driveway.
Wayne said:
A day I will never ever forget and a surreal moment, as I was surrounded by many of my friends and family as I proudly received the baton, which was an unbelievable experience and an even bigger honour to have been selected to start off the Solihull baton bearer run from the beautiful grounds of Castle Bromwich Hall Hotel.
The baton was placed on a plinth and an invited audience witnessed a 30-minute civic ceremony to welcome the baton to the Borough of Solihull before BB001 carried the baton back out through the gates to hand over to BB002 from the Real Estate Team at Gowling (one of the Commonwealth Games official partners) to begin the relay.
Batonbearers had all been told details of their collection point, and what time to arrive there. From the collection point they were taken by minibus and dropped off at their respective starting points. Stickers denoting the relevant batonbearer’s number had been placed along the route on the previous day. Batonbearers were accompanied by police officers, wearing orange and white tops.
Following the handover from BB001, batonbearers 002-024 carried the baton from Castle Bromwich to Kingshurst via Hall Road, Bradford Road, Chester Road, Overgreen Drive, Marston Drive, Gilson Way and Fordbridge Road.
BB005, Tim Phillips, told us:
If anyone had told my parents and me when I was 17 years of age coming to terms with sudden disability that sometime in the future I’d be involved in such an auspicious and once in a lifetime opportunity to represent this great city, we wouldn’t have believed it. My parents are no longer with us, but I know they would be proud.
At Fordbridge Road, Kingshurst, the convoy split from the baton, which was carried into Babbs Mill Park by BB025 Sharon Lee – a double-gold medallist from the Commonwealth Games 1990 and a local Education Support Worker. The scheduled arrival into the park was 9:22am but the relay was running about 15 minutes late.
Babbs Mill Park was one of the community celebration venues, where crowds were entertained from 8.30am until 12pm by “Treemendous” nine-foot-tall treants, stilt-walkers John Godbolt and James Guiver from Megabeast Productions. There were also sporting activities, refreshments and taster sessions at the family-friendly event.
At Cooks Lane, the baton was reunited with the convoy and travelled via Chelmsley Road to North Solihull Sports Centre.
North Solihull Sports Centre to Marston Green
Around 20 minutes later than its scheduled arrival time of 9:52am, the baton entered North Solihull Sports Centre car park carried by Second World War RAF veteran, Albert Jarrett (BB037), aged 98. The second-oldest of the 2,000 people who carried the Queen’s baton across England, he was pushed in his wheelchair by his friend, former Warrant Officer Donald Campbell. They were accompanied by a song written in honour of Mr Jarrett by Birmingham reggae artist Ras Negus. Supporters came from as far away as Manchester and Buckinghamshire to watch Mr Jarrett carry the baton.
Mr Jarrett, who lived in Shard End, told the Birmingham Mail of his delight at being nominated as a batonbearer. Sadly, he was admitted to hospital two days after the Queen’s Baton Relay in Solihull and died on 2nd August 2023, just a week after carrying the baton.
The baton was scheduled to be on site at North Solihull Sports Centre, Conway Road from 9:52am-10:22am. Whilst at the sports centre, the baton joined in with HAF athletics in the sports hall and some free community exercise sessions. Teenage baton bearers Jason (BB038), Lewis (BB039), Sepher (BB040) and Mason (BB041) also took it on a relay on the outdoor running track. Perry, the Birmingham 2022 mascot dropped in to take part in the celebrations.
The baton was then carried by batonbearers 042-044 along Conway Road, Chelmsley Road, Ceolmund Crescent, Chelmsley Circle and Stephenson Drive.
Batonbearers 044 and 046 took the baton around Chelmsley Wood shopping centre where family sports activities and competitions, including table tennis and basketball, went on until 3pm.
Leaving the shopping centre, the baton then travelled along Chelmsley Road, Moorend Avenue, Chelmsley Lane, Alcott Lane, and Station Road, Marston Green, where around 400 people welcomed the baton, running slightly behind its scheduled arrival time of 11:03am.
BB048, Sally Bynoe, who was nominated as a batonbearer for organising walking and running groups for women, told us that she had family and friends to support her and said:
It felt quite emotional but in a good way. Very odd having other members of the public wanting to have photos with me though when I was in my uniform. I’m just me, a regular person.
One of the batonbearers was local resident, Adam Ruckwood (BB051). A swimmer, he represented Team England at the Commonwealth Games in 1994, 1998 and 2002, winning a Gold medal in 1994. He was also a batonbearer for the Queen’s Baton Relay in 2014 during the baton’s visit to Birmingham en route to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
BB059, Sajida Golby, who carried the baton on its last leg along Station Road to the crossroads with Bickenhill Road, Coleshill Road and Land Lane, said:
The whole experience was such a honour and privilege. Seeing all the families the North Solihull Additional Needs Support Group has supported over the years made it extra special. It was such a amazing unforgettable experience start to finish.
An inclusive family event with sensory play, organised by North Solihull Additional Needs Support Group, was held at the Memory Garden from 10am. Entertainment was provided by the Bread and Butter Theatre Company’s Greenfinger Folk, and juggling magician Will E Droppit.
Damson Parkway to Catherine-de-Barnes by barge
After leaving Marston Green, the baton travelled by narrowboat along the Grand Union Canal, with the boat “Shanti” being pulled by shire horse, Ebony. The baton was carried by BB060, Aaron Ciesar, as the boat travelled from Damson Parkway to Solihull Canoe Club.
NEC to Hampton-in-Arden
After its trip by narrowboat, the baton travelled from Catherine-de-Barnes by vehicle to the National Exhibition Centre, where it was carried by BB061, Heidi Rhodes James, and taken on board an autonomous vehicle. The self-driving bus took the baton and QBR crew from the corner of Resorts World to the main entrance of the NEC.
BB061 took the baton into the Fan Zone, next to the Moxy Hotel, where the baton was placed on a plinth.
A 30-minute celebration event was held with an invited audience of NEC and Commonwealth Games staff, as well as volunteers and athletes staying/training at the site.
Batonbearer 061 took the baton to rejoin the convoy, and it then travelled by vehicle to Hampton-in-Arden, where a community celebration was held at the sports club in Shadowbrook Lane from 10am-6pm.
Hampton-in-Arden to Meriden
The baton was scheduled to arrive at 1pm and be on public display until 1:50pm, departing Hampton at 2:05pm. The lunch break enabled the baton relay to start the afternoon back on schedule.
BB062, former Warwickshire and England cricketer, Darren Maddy, carried the baton into the sports ground and placed it on a plinth on the stage. Since retiring in 2013, the cricketer has joined the staff of Solihull School and been appointed as the Head of Technical Player Development at Knowle & Dorridge Cricket Club.
Hampton-in-Arden’s community celebration lasted all day and included drop-in sessions of tennis, cricket, boules, hockey, and squash. There was food and drink as well as live music, and an appearance by Commonwealth Games mascot, Perry.
BB062 carried the baton from its plinth on the stage out to the car park, where batonbearers 063-066 took the baton from Shadowbrook Lane into the High Street and onto Meriden Road to the junction with Diddington Lane.
Hampton-in-Arden to Meriden
Leaving Hampton, the baton then travelled by vehicle to Meriden, where a cycling-themed community celebration at Meriden Sports Park included craft activities and a cycling display. The baton was scheduled to pass through at 2:20pm.
The convoy parked on Hampton Lane, Meriden, whilst the baton was transferred to a bracket for installation on an electric bicycle, which was ridden along Main Road and past the National Cyclists’ Memorial.
Batonbearers 068-071 then carried the baton along Main Road and into Berkswell Road, where it rejoined the convoy for a 2.5km road trip to Berkswell.
Berkswell to Balsall Common
The convoy arrived in Meriden Road, Berkswell and the baton was carried along the road and into Lavender Hall Lane by batonbearers 072 and 073.
Balsall Common to Temple Balsall
The baton travelled by vehicle along the rest of Lavender Hall Lane to the junction with Hallmeadow Road. Batonbearers 073-077 carried the baton through Lavender Hall Park, where another community celebration took place 2-4pm.
In partnership with Hornets Football Club there were sporting activities, as well as cultural events and refreshments.
Australian puppet theatre company, Terrapin, brought table tennis, music and robots to Balsall Common with Anthem Anthem Revolution, which was in the park 10am-4pm. This saw participants battle a table tennis robot, with each return of the ball accompanied by a child’s voice and a musical accompaniment, building into a new national song reflecting the children’s hopes and dreams for their country.
BB078 took the baton out of the park and onto Station Road, where it rejoined the convoy for a journey by vehicle via Kenilworth Road and Balsall Street to Lady Katharine Leveson Primary School, Temple Balsall.
Knowle Locks
Whilst most of the convoy rested at the school, the baton was taken to Knowle Locks where it was pictured with BB079, Ollie Russell and members of Knowle and Dorridge Racquets Club, as well as Canals and River Trust volunteers.
Ollie said:
Being picked to be apart of this occasion was a great honour and a day I will never forget.
Knowle to Dorridge
Heading into Knowle, the baton rejoined the convoy with batonbearers 080-090 carrying the baton through the centre of the village along Kenilworth Road, High Street, past Knowle Parish Church, around St John’s Close and into Station Road.
In St John’s Close, the community celebration event from 3-4:15pm included entertainment by the Giant Balloon Show. The baton was scheduled to pass through the village at 3:50pm but was running around 10 minutes late.
Batonbearers 091-096 then carried the baton along Station Road and into the centre of Dorridge.
Dorridge to Hockley Heath
Rejoining the convoy in Dorridge, the baton travelled by vehicle along Grange Road, Earlswood Road, Box Trees Road and onto the A3400 Stratford Road.
Batonbearers 097-101 carried the baton into Hockley Heath.
Angela Jeffery (BB100) said that the relay team were quite excited by the fact that Solihull was host to the first UK day with more than 99 batonbearers. She told us:
It was fantastic to be part of the event and to hold the baton. It felt really special to have been nominated and to be in great company of people who had done so much for the community.
Hockley Heath to Cheswick Green
From Hockley Heath, the baton travelled by vehicle along School Road and Illshaw Heath Road to Creynolds Lane, Cheswick Green. Community activities took place on the village green 3:30-5:30pm, with the baton scheduled to pass through at 4:50pm.
Batonbearers 102-105 carried the baton along Creynolds Lane, Cheswick Way, Coppice Walk and into Watery Lane.
Cheswick Green to Dickens Heath
The baton rejoined the vehicle convoy to travel to Dickens Heath along Tanworth Lane, Lady Lane, Braggs Farm Lane and Rumbush Lane.
A range of activities, events and competitions took place on Dickens Heath Village Green and in the village hall from 2:30-5pm, with the baton scheduled to pass through the village at 5pm. Street theatre performers Big Mob gave a human Slinky performance on the village green.
Batonbearers 106-111 carried the baton through the village centre, along Rumbush Lane, Gorcott Lane, Main Street, Hensborough, and Dickens Heath Road.
BB111 was veteran Solihull cyclist, Harry Reynolds, pictured below, who won a Silver medal at the 1956 Olympics and rode in the 1960 Tour de France – one of the first UK cyclists to compete in the race. He told us that he was cheered on during his baton relay by about 50 members of Solihull Cycling Club.
Dickens Heath to Hope Coppice
At the bridge on Dickens Heath Road, the baton rejoined the vehicle convoy and was taken by road to Stretton Road, Shirley. Whilst the convoy parked up, the baton split off and was carried by batonbearers 112-116 along Woodloes Road and through Hope Coppice, one of 72 Severn Trent and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Legacy Forests.
In February 2021, 19 cherry trees were planted at the entrance to Hope Coppice as a symbol of Covid remembrance. Phase 1 of Hope Coppice saw planting begin in September 2021, with just under 1,200 trees creating a community orchard and woodland. The first phase lasted for 10 weeks and included the creation of board walks, woodchip paths, a specially designed arched way and nature play. In March 2022, 9,400 trees were planted across the 15-acre site.
For the baton relay celebrations, tiny trees were given away during the Hope Coppice event, which started at 4pm. The baton itself was scheduled to arrive at 5:20pm but was running about 40 minutes late by this point. Stilt-walkers Treemendous helped to entertain the crowds whilst B2022 mascot, Perry, also made an appearance.
The baton then travelled by vehicle along Stretton Road, Shakespeare Drive, Queen’s Avenue and into Bills Lane, entering Shirley Park by the Hurdis Road entrance.
Shirley Park
An estimated 3,000 people were in Shirley Park to welcome the baton as part of an afternoon of community activities taking place 2-6pm. The baton was scheduled to arrive at the park at around 5:30pm but was running almost an hour late by this point.
Batonbearers 117-119 carried the baton along Hurdis Road. The vehicle convoy then travelled to Stratford Road to await the baton whilst batonbearers 120-122 carried it through Shirley Park. Soul and R&B legend Ruby Turner MBE (BB122), a local resident, carried the baton out of the park and onto the Stratford Road. Batonbearers 123 and 124 then took the baton along the Stratford Road towards Poppy island.
Shirley to Olton
The baton rejoined the QBR convoy to travel to Warwick Road, Olton via Olton Road, Streetsbrook Road, St Bernard’s Road and Grange Road. The convoy parked in formation whilst the baton was affixed to a bracket on an eBike for BB125 to cycle with it along Warwick Road.
Solihull Town Centre
BB125 dismounted the eBike at the junction of Wadleys Road and from here the baton was carried on foot into Solihull town centre for the finale of the day’s events.
Batonbearers 126-134 carried the baton along Warwick Road to the junction with Poplar Road. The Band of the Grenadier Guards (performing by kind permission of Major General C J Ghika CBE, Major General Commanding the Household Division) fell in behind the baton as it reached Poplar Road and split from the convoy.
The convoy drove to New Road to await the baton as it was carried through the pedestrianised High Street and Mell Square and emerged, carried by BB138, Joseph Atkins, for a photo opportunity with Solihull war memorial and St Alphege Church.
BB139, Dean Miller, carried the baton along Church Hill Road before handing over to the final batonbearer of the day, BB140, Andrew Lucas, near Rectory Gardens.
BB140, followed by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, took the baton along Homer Road, and into Golden Jubilee Gardens, where some 500 people had been patiently awaiting the baton’s arrival, which was around 80 minutes later than its scheduled arrival time.
A public ballot had been held for the 500 free tickets to watch the end of day celebrations, featuring Hannah Elsy Productions’ Shakespeare Review, Bread & Butter Theatre Company’s 1980s PE teachers, and a community musical.
The baton was escorted onto the stage by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, who played a short set of popular tunes, finishing with a rousing rendition of the National Anthem. This was one of the final times that the National Anthem was publicly performed in Solihull with the words “God Save the Queen” being sung. Just over six weeks later, “God Save the King” was sung in Solihull High Street following the Accession Proclamation of King Charles III on Sunday 11th September 2022.
The baton was carried off stage by BB140 at 8:10pm, 55 minutes after the scheduled departure. After leaving Solihull, the baton returned to its overnight accommodation in Dudley, before heading to Birmingham for the two relay days before the opening ceremony.
Although the baton had departed Solihull, the event in Golden Jubilee Gardens continued for a further hour with a performance of On Yer Bike! – a community musical produced by Parrabbola for Solihull Council Cultural Services.
The musical, written by Kevin Fegan, celebrates the history and future of cycling, and featured an unexpectedly mobile version of the National Cyclists’ Memorial at Meriden! Additional performances of On Yer Bike! were held at the The Core Theatre on Saturday 30th July 2023.
“The whole borough was smiling!”
It was a tremendous effort of management, partnerships and co-ordination to make sure that the day was successful. In recognition of this, the Council’s Commonwealth Games Delivery Team won the Outstanding Team award in the Solihull BID Excellence Awards 2022.
Kate Bunting was Solihull Council’s Strategic Lead for Culture and led on the planning and delivery of the successful Queen’s Baton Relay. She told us:
I remember waking up on the morning of the QBR and looking up at the sky and thinking it was going to rain and praying that the clouds would hold off so that we could start the day without a shower at the opening event at Castle Bromwich Hall Hotel. All I wanted from the day was for all the baton bearers and communities that had put on events along the route to be able to have the best day possible and draw in as many members of the public as possible to see the relay and the showcase events and activities along the route.
Looking back, I think despite the damp and dull start at 8am we did manage to hold the rain off at most locations and as the relay made its way around the borough the photos showed more and more people engaging with the event as it moved around the 45 miles. Thank goodness for social media and in-time reporting as it was a real comfort to see that things were going well!!
As a local Government Officer it was a privilege and a career highlight to have been part of such an amazing event that now forms part of the borough’s local history.
Louise Baggott was Solihull Council’s Programme Manager for the Commonwealth Games and said:
You know when you have an early flight and you never sleep properly as you worry that your alarm will not go off – the night before 26th July 2022 was that kind of night for me. A mixture of nerves, excitement, anticipation and a lot of extremely long hours and hard work by a whole bunch of dedicated colleagues all coming together for one day for the residents of Solihull.
All the hard work and planning paid off, the weather got better as the day went on, the community events did them and their communities proud, with events happening across the Borough and the residents engaged and showing up, it felt like the whole borough was ‘smiling’. The culmination of the Grenadier Guards marching into Jubilee Gardens, actually took my breath away and it was at that point I knew we had achieved what we wanted to achieve for Solihull.
It was the most rewarding project I have ever worked on. It was a privilege to lead on, not just the QBR but the whole 11 days of sporting activity within Solihull, definitely a highlight of my career.
Film production company Method in Motion worked with Solihull Council and local people to try to capture something of the day’s experience for posterity in a three-minute video:
There are further photos of the Queen’s Baton Relay on Solihull Council’s Flickr channel.
Other batonbearers from Solihull
We also know of a couple of batonbearers with borough connections who carried the baton elsewhere.
Former Solihull College sports development officer, Rachel Pavlou, was due to carry the baton in Knowle. However, as she is now the Football Association’s development manager for diversity and inclusion in the women’s game, Rachel Pavlou’s batonbearing slot was moved to Cradley Heath because of a clash with the women’s Euro semi-final match between England and Sweden on 26th July.
Gabriella Drysdale-Reid, a student nurse who worked at Solihull Hospital, carried the baton in Market Bosworth.
If you know of any batonbearers with a Solihull connection who carried the baton elsewhere, please let us know.
We Do Things Well!
As well as hosting the Queen’s Baton Relay, the Borough provided a venue for the Commonwealth Games, with badminton, boxing, netball, para powerlifting, para table tennis, table tennis and weightlifting all taking place at the NEC. B2022 Festival Sites in Theatre Square and Mell Square had big screen viewing areas broadcasting live Commonwealth Games events 10am-6pm from 28th July until 8th August.
On 3rd August 2022, Poetry on Loan poet, Jonny Fluffypunk, roamed around the Core Library Solihull and crowdsourced a poem – “We Do Things Well” – capturing visitors’ reactions to the Commonwealth Games.
Unknown Batonbearers
We are trying to make sure that we have in our archives a complete list of all of the batonbearers who carried the baton in the Borough. However, we have a few names missing. If you were one of the following batonbears on 26th July 2022, please get in touch.
| 004 | 011 |
| 013 | 017 |
| 020 | 063 |
| 065 | 066 |
| 069 | 070 |
| 071 | 072 |
| 074 | 076 |
Tracey
Library Specialist: Heritage & Local Studies
The Core Library, Solihull
© Solihull Council, 2023.
You are welcome to link to this article, but if you wish to reproduce more than a short extract, please email: heritage@solihull.gov.uk
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