JustBeingCP

Today (Wednesday the 5th of July,2023) marks one year since I carried the final Queens baton around Hereford in a relay with 8 other baton-bearers as it made it’s way to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

I carried the baton from 13 King Street to 23 Bridge Street with my leg of the relay starting at 15:09pm.

The team at ITV News Central attached a camera to the side of my wheelchair so that we could capture a unique view of my leg of the relay.

I was incredibly disappointed that the spectators who had waved the baton off didn’t head down King Street to cheer me on.

I was however delighted to see that my neighbours were in a prime position to watch my leg of the relay along with my friends and family.

Once I had handed the baton over to the third member of our relay team I made my way with friends and family back up to Cathedral Square where the relay had started.

I was then asked if I could be interviewed live on ITV News Central’s 6pm programme about what it was like carrying the baton though my hometown of Hereford along with 8 other Herefordian’s.

I also recalled carrying the Paralympic Flame into Hereford on horseback as a 16 year old back in 2012 during the interview on ITV Central.

I have been very busy since July last year engaging with Herefordshire Council and the Department for Transport about the need for more drop kerbs across England.

As many of you will know I successful beat Herefordshire Council in my fight for drop kerbs to be installed on Harrow Road and Plough Lane in Hereford with work starting on the 30th of August last year.

It took Herefordshire Council’s contractor, Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP) 7 days to carry out the work of installing 16 pairs of dropped kerbs on the 2 roads that I have mentioned above.

I have spent the last few months campaigning for an apology from Herefordshire Council about the length of time that it took them to complete this work and make these roads accessible to all.

I am also waiting for a response to the letter that I wrote to the Department for Transport in April in relation to the passenger assistance provision that is offered to the disabled community across England who use the rail network.

I know that this is another very short and boring blog but I wanted to update you, my readers and followers on what I have been up to since carrying the Queen baton on its journey to Birmingham last summer.

I would like to end by taking the opportunity to thank each and everyone of you, my readers and followers for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read my blogs every week.

Cam