Mother and son proud to be part of Baton relay
A mother and son are among the community champions having the honour of carrying the Queen's Baton around their home town.
Anne and Steve Glover will both carry the baton around Stafford when it comes to the town on Tuesday, July 19, joining former Olympians, community leaders and sports coaches.
The 81-year-old Anne has spent decades doing voluntary work in the community, spending more than 25 years leading a local guide group and teaching exercises classes for the retired for around 30 years.
Her 51-year-old son Steve previously carried the Olympic Torch on its relay through the county in 2012 and will hand the baton over to his mother during the relay.
Anne, the oldest of the local batonbearers, said: “I was overwhelmed to have been nominated and even more so when I found out I would be doing it.
"I’m really looking forward to the day and am thrilled to bits to find out it will be my son handing the baton to me.”
Anne and Steve will be part of a relay that carries the baton on a route which will include from the Castle to the town’s Victoria Park and from Westbridge Park through the town centre in Stone, including a slalom at the town’s Canoe Club.
It will arrive at the Castle before 2pm on Tuesday, July 19 and make its way along Newport Road on a 30-minute journey to Victoria Park before being driven to Stone Leisure Centre later that afternoon where it will be carried through the town and back to the Canoe Club in Westbridge Park.
They will be joined by an array of community heroes such as six-time Olympian archer, Alison Williamson; founder of bereavement charity, A Child of Mine, Gayle Routledge; and local sports pioneers, Sally Kendrick, Laura Colclough, Bob Hughes and Mike Barnard.
Councillor Carolyn Trowbridge, Cabinet Member for Leisure at the borough council, paid tribute to all the batonbearers.
She said: “It is wonderful that it was the community who nominated people they felt deserved the honour of carrying the baton.
"This will create so many memories from the day and I hope residents will come out and line the relay route to cheer them on.
“There has been a lot of work behind the scenes by the council, and our partners Freedom Leisure, with the QBR organisers to ensure Stafford and Stone were chosen as venues on the route of this fantastic journey of the baton - and now we can’t wait to see it arriving in our borough.”
