When Daphne Steel carries the Queen's Jubilee Relay Baton through Shipley next week she will represent her community, her country and the Commonwealth country of her birth.

And that will triple her pride in the event.

She came over to Britain alone from the former British Guyana in South America in 1951 when she was 24 to continue her nursing training.

After working in London and North America, she became the UK's first black matron of a maternity hospital when she took up the post at Ilkley's St Winifred's in 1964 until it closed.

She then worked in Menston children's hospital and later in Bingley and Ilkley as a health visitor, before she began her retirement.

Miss Steele, 74, of Ilkley, who was the eldest of nine children said: "Since I retired I have been involved in a lot of voluntary work and in my church, Christchurch in Ilkley.

"I enjoy travelling and visiting my family in Florida, Canada, and London - we enjoy keeping in touch."

She has a son, Robert, 38, who is married and lives in Cheshire.

The baton - which travelled through 22 Commonwealth countries before arriving back in Britain on June 6 - will come to Bradford on Thursday, July 4.

After a party with music and dancing in Centenary Square that evening hosted by Bradford's Lord Mayor, Councillor Richard Wightman, the baton will stay overnight in the city and continue on its way to York the next morning.

It contains the Queen's Commonwealth message and will be part of the Manchester Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at the end of next month.

Miss Steele, one of about 70 baton runners for the Bradford area, said: "I was nominated by Ilkley Soroptimists and at first I took it in my stride, although I was chuffed.

"Now I am looking forward to it and I suppose I will be excited on the day. I am mainly doing it for my community, but the fact that I come from a Commonwealth country is good. It's a challenge and an honour."