Baton twirling stars celebrate 40 years with Paignton championships

The National Baton Twirling Association is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the very first England competition - with 39 years of those at the Torbay Leisure Centre.
The Paignton venue hosted the national finals for the first time in 1984. The European championships were also held there in 1985 and 1989.
Denise Pearse, NBTA secretary and who lives in Torquay, said: "Covid hit the sport quite hard as so many were unable to practice for a long time. It’s taken a while to build up numbers again but this year there has been good attendance at all five of our regional competitions.
"Earlier this year, NBTA joined forces with the British Baton Twirling Sport Association to form United Twirl England and hosted the first-ever International Baton Twirling Federation World Championships in Liverpool. The Liverpool competition was a massive success, so the UTE hope is that we can build on this, increasing our numbers and providing world-class training for our athletes.
"NBTA England put on a great week of competition at the leisure centre. with some ex-members visiting Torbay on the Friday for a bit of nostalgia, looking back on 40 years of sport, fun and friendships. NBTA welcomed Stephane Thomas, from France, to the judging panel for the week and was delighted to have Savannah Miller, Freestyle World Champion, coaching for two days. Savannah also gave a demonstration during the closing ceremony, which delighted all her many young fans."
Local Paignton team, Destiny Twirling Team, competed throughout the week.
NBTA will return to Torbay Leisure Centre next year for what is likely to be the last time to celebrate 40 years of holding the national championships there.