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Monday, 17 June, 2002, 10:26 GMT 11:26 UK
Queen's baton comes to England
Sir Geoff Hurst with Kings Junior School pupils in Gloucester
Sir Geoff Hurst and his classroom helpers
The Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay comes to England on Monday - led by football legend Sir Geoff Hurst.

The hat trick-scoring hero of England's 1966 World Cup victory carries the baton through Gloucestershire as the relay crosses the border from Wales.

The baton began its journey to the Commonwealth Games back in March.

It has toured 23 Commonwealth countries and, for the next 38 days, will visit cities, towns and villages across England.

The Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay
The baton has travelled 60,000 miles
It started at Buckingham Palace on 11 March
The relay has travelled through Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, Australasia, Asia and Europe
The baton will travel 5,000 miles by road through the UK
It will be carried by 5,000 runners
It will travel on steam train, double-decker bus and a ferry across the Mersey

In 50 days, it will have been carried by 5,000 runners through 500 towns and cities in the UK.

On Monday, the two-foot tall baton - which pulses in time with the runner's heartbeat - arrives from Newport.

Sir Geoff will receive it and then hand it over to Francis Done, the chief executive of the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

It will pass through Gloucestershire - visiting Cheltenham and Cirencester - and on to Swindon, Bath and Keynsham, arriving in Bristol on Monday night.

Sir Geoff, who was born outside Manchester, said the games would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"We don't often have these massive sporting events in our country, on our own doorstep," he said.

"For many people, the Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay is their chance to be part of the Commonwealth Games and support their local and national athletes," he said.

He is the latest in a long line of sporting heroes - including Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, Denise Lewis, Sir Roger Bannister, Seb Coe and Steve Cram - who have carried the baton.

It will end up at the opening ceremony of the XVII Commonwealth Games on 25 July.

The message inside will be read by the Queen at the opening ceremony.


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