Queen's baton relay in Maldon batonbearer Alan Rustage

The Queen’s Baton Relay made its way through Maldon’s Promenade Park for the countdown to the Commonwealth Games being held in Birmingham.

There were 2,022 baton bearers selected from around England to have the honour of carrying the baton during the relay.

Alan Rustage, 83, from Colchester was selected to be a baton bearer after being nominated by his eldest daughter, Melita.

He had no idea his daughter was nominating him, so it was a huge surprise for him when she told him.

In the nomination, his daughter said: “Alan has nurtured thousands of young people through a lifetime in sports education and led UK-wide initiatives for university sport.

“He has run, cycled, walked, read and sung for charities. In retirement, he’s been fundraising for local causes, working with schools to set up choir festivals, and taking every opportunity to keep active, keep learning and keep supporting others.

“His dedication and kindness inspire all those that he meets.”

He found out he had been selected some weeks later, alongside just eight other people who were selected to carry the baton in Maldon.

Alan belongs to the Colchester Forum Rotary club and has done a lot of charity work helping young and old people and people with physical and mental disabilities.

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He is the chairman of the Colchester and district talking newspaper for the blind and partially sighted and has been doing recordings of local sport each week for over 40 years.

Alan said: “It was a great honour to be chosen as a baton bearer as everyone chosen had done some special things.

“It was a very unique experience, and it was incredible to have members of my family there, my family were absolutely delighted.

“A lot of us who do charity work aren’t looking to be rewarded so it was an honour to run with it along the seafront and seeing so many people cheering.

“I wish my legs were about 50 years younger, but it was a wonderful time.”