Nine days of pure Yorkshire started on Saturday 21 September with blue skies and baking sunshine for the Para Cycling International. We cooled off on Sunday 28th with a bit of a yorkshower for the Mens Race.
Middleham Bridge had caught my eye when scouting the Tour de France race route back in 2013. With my improvised handbell basket on my bike I had an idea…
But as I cycled through Middleham I heard some slightly larger bells ringing. Thank you to Middleham church bellringers for letting me join them out of the blue!
A fab local family leapt at the chance of ringing handbells for the peloton.
Click the film below for a short clip of us practicing for the police riders ahead of the race.
The police riders always give a warm greeting. We got a few hoots from the cars too.
The riders had other things on their minds. And rain in their shoes.
Maybe they should have visited the farrier in Middleham for some waterproof (horse) shoes,
Knitted jersey bunting was a hit at Le Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014. Here’s the World Championship variety and one of the smaller World Championship puddles on the approach to Ripon.
Now let me take you back a day and tell you about dinosaur taming in West Tanfield. I mean, we arrived to watch the Women’s World Championship Race, but before we could even have a pint, we were in a book photoshoot with a T-Rex outside The Bull Inn.
Annemiek van Vleuten had evidently got wind of what has happening and wanted to get in on the action. She broke from the peloton at Lofthouse and had a significant lead by The Bruce Arms, staying away for 106km to become World Champion.
The rest of the riders could have stopped for a pint. The Bull has a really nice beer garden by the River Ure.
But I guess they preferred listening to handbells and dinosaur roars.
Meanwhile up the road in Masham, St Mary’s church was in fine fettle for the World Championships.
Tomorrow we go to Grinton for the Mens World Championships. The weather forecast sounds awful so let me take you back a week to the Paracyling International where the bells of Beverley St Mary’s rang out over the start line and a lovely local family joined us to ring handbells on the Common.
Beverley Minster vied with St Mary’s for the flag with the finest flutter, and “Bells & Bikes” continued to take centre stage in the Minster Giftshop.
I couldn’t make the Team Time Trials on Sunday 22 Sept. I had a prior engagement ringing bells in Dore. Then a week of work. With the following tantalising prospects on the horizon for the next weekend.
West Tanfield. An idyllic village and home to one of Yorkshire’s favourite pubs. Current plan is to be there for the Women’s Elite Road Race on Saturday 28 Sept.
Grinton Moor looking towards Reeth. Planning to be at the foot of the climb near Grinton St Andrew’s church for the Mens Elite Road Race on Sunday 29 Sept.
Maybe see you out there…
Here’s a sample of what might happen. Click and enjoy…..
bells and bikes 