Press Releases

Big Pit welcomes Queen's Baton for Delhi 2010

Big Pit will be hosting a leg of the Welsh section of the Queens Baton Relay for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi on Wednesday 11 November.

School children from Gilwern Primary School and Malpas Court School will be accompanying elite athletes Matt Elias, Lee Beach and Simon Lawson, all of whom hope to represent their country at the 2010 Delhi Games as well as Commonwealth veteran Jamie Baulch on an underground relay which will see the Baton travelling through some of the underground tunnels which form part of the last remaining deep mine in Wales.  The relay will be started by His Worship, the Mayor of Torfaen, Cllr Bob Jones.

Full details and timings are outlined below:

9.00am All Media arrive – any underground crews to have kit checked
9.30am Mayor hand baton to first group to take underground
9.30am – 10.30am Baton Relay to be run underground (two stops underground to pass baton)
10.40am Baton Relay to be run by whole group to Pithead Baths
10.50am Congregate in Pithead Baths
11.00am Observe two-minute silence for Remembrance Day
11.10am Opportunity for interviews with athletes and set-up photos with schools, athletes and Baton
12.00pm Baton leave for Cardiff

Peter Walker, Mine Manager said:  "It is a privilege to be part of this global event, and we are very happy to host a leg of the Relay at Big Pit.  The coalfield communities of Wales have a great sporting tradition and it seems fitting that the Queens Baton Relay should be run underground at the museum which is dedicated to telling the stories of these communities."

His Worship, the Mayor of Torfaen, Cllr Bob Jones added "As a boy born and bred in the valley that also travelled the world this is a great honour for me to be involved in this important event which reflects the common interests and values of the community.  The arrival of the Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi is an opportunity for Big Pit and Blaenafon to take centre-stage as the world's attention is turned to Wales.  With the eyes of the world looking on via the internet and the international news media, Wales has a chance to showcase its unique culture and geographic attributes to the world."

Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales operates seven national museums across Wales.  These are National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

Entry to each museum is free thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.