Tour de Yorkshire in Leeds

On 5th July 2014 198 professional bike riders lined up on The Headrow ,close to Leeds Town Hall, for the start of stage 1 0f the Tour de France. So began Yorkshires love affair with cycling. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the roads for the two days the event was in Gods own country and their enthusiasm and support surprised both organisers and riders alike.  Villages and town en route had spent weeks preparing, yellow painted bikes were everywhere, the bunting was out and cycling related art installations were in the fields. Travelling the route today some of the yellow bikes are still there. It led to the race director Christian Prudhomme describing it as “the grandest of Grand Departs.”

The following year The Tour de Yorkshire began as a three day legacy event and attracted some of the top world professional teams and the support from the people of the county was no less enthusiastic. Now in its fourth year it has been extended to a four day stage race for men and a two day race for women. The final stage of the mens raced finished back in Leeds, only a few metres from the start line of the 2014 Tour. In many ways cycling in Yorkshire has come full circle.

It has been estimated that over 2.5 million people watched the 2018 race during its four day duration. The crowds at the finish were loud and vocal hours before the riders arrived as they gave support to the hundreds of amateur cyclists that had completed the  Maserati Tour De Yorkshire sportive.

Huge screens enabled spectators to watch the race as it developed over the roads of west Yorkshire. The arrival of the publicity caravan an hour before the riders added to the already great atmosphere on the finish line.

 

The final stage was won by Stephane Rossetto who broke away from the main peloton early in the stage and rode for 120Km on his own to claim victory. He had built up a lead of over nine minutes during the stage but this as gradually whittled down and he crossed the finish line with only 34 seconds to spare.

The overall race was one by Greg Van Avermaet who finished second on the stage

As the 2018 tour comes to an end we hear that discussions are underway to bring the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) to Yorkshire. I am sure that this is an excellent move for both parties. Fingers crossed and lets hope that it happens soon.

A Fine Walk in the English Lake District

What constitutes a good walk? Stunning scenery, a not too difficult ascent to a good view, a waterfall, shaded woodland? Sometimes a compromise has to be made but on this particular walk you get the whole lot in a not too difficult 41/2 mile (7Km) walk near Lake Ullswater on the eastern edge of the Lake District. Even better there is a pub at the end of it.

Detailed easy to follow, instructions can be found in the book Pocket Pub Walks by Jean Patefield.  The walk has a climb up Gowbarrow fell followed by a gentle descent with some stunning views of Ullswater Lake and a visit to Aira Force waterfall.

There are two possible starts to the walk. The first is from the carpark at Aira Force but prefering to keep the waterfall until the end of the walk it is also possible to start from the village of Dockray on the A5091 where there is limited parking by the bridge in the centre of the village.

The walk to the summit of Gowbarrow Fell follows a wall for most of the way and can be rather muddy in places. It is not too steep and a stop to rest gives great views behind you as you gain height. A trig point marks the summit and on a clear day you can see for miles around.

After retracing steps a short way from the summit the path continues to the right and eventually will give some superb views of Ullswater. On a clear, blue sky, day it is simply stunning and you are largely able to enjoy it on your own give or take the occasional walker.

Aira Force is the 66 foot drop created by the Aria Beck as falls down a steep ravine on the final stage of its route to Lake Ullswater.

The car park for the waterfall has a cafe and toilets. The car park is a blessing and a curse as it means that the area around the falls are very busy and noisy. From the falls it is a short walk, first through woodland and then open country, back to Dockray village. As most people only visit the falls from the nearby carpark the route is very quiet.

Chester Craft Beer Festival

The Chester Craft Beer Festival organised by Helsby based Beer Heroes was held at the Carriage Shed, adjacent to Chester railway station. A semi covered venue and a gloriously warm April day provided the perfect environment in which to sample some of the 60 or so beers available on offer. As with such events the festival presents the opportunity to try something new/different and with pours available as 1/3, 1/2 or 2/3 that’s all the encouragement you need.

Top Rope – Liverpool

Overkill IPA 5.5%  – An American west coast style IPA first brewed as a tribute to Motorhead’s Lemmy who died in 2016. Light amber, hazy with a light head. Citrus with hints of nutty caramel the develops as it warms. Low bitterness.

Papa Mango Pale Ale with mango 5.1% – Yellow, cloudy with little head to the beer. Pronounced mango on both the nose and palate. Quite sweet, low bitterness.

Gibberish – Liverpool

Custard Cream New England Pale 5.2% – Pale amber/yellow, opaque, gives the appearance of being much thicker than it really is. Very pronounced aromas of grapefruit and lemon, high bitterness, creamy with a developing smokey note. Finish is grapefruit pith and a little aggressive. An interesting beer in a style which may well be an acquired taste.

Vibrant Forest – Hampshire

Dunkelunch Dunkel Weisse 5.6% – A dark style of wheatbeer. Light brown, hazy, light head. Flavours of treacle, nutty, smokey. Quite full flavoured and creamy with a nice lingering finish.

Runaway – Manchester

NZ Pale 4.2% – a light pale ale brewed with New Zealand hops. Amber with a slight haze and a light head. Low bitterness, malty, caramel, slight crispness. Good flavour, very drinkable.

Marzen Lager 5.4% – Yellow/gold, slight haze and little head. Malty with. slight touch of sweetness, clean ,dry. Very drinkable.

Chapter Brewing – Cheshire 

Parabola Pale Ale 4.7% – Light amber, slight haze, light head. Lemon citrus with grapefruit notes, floral,low bitterness, some caramel, quite full flavoured. Very drinkable and a reasonably low ABV.

Steadfast Companions 6.6% – A collaboration with Beer Heroes a New England IPA. Light amber, hazy no head. Grapefruit is the dominant flavour, nice  creamy texture which makes it very appealing. Has a good rounded slight bitter finish. Very nice indeed.

Stone – California

Go to IPA 4.8% – Light gold, clear, no head, lemon citrus, fruity. Medium bitterness. Lingering flavour of citrus on the finish. A very drinkable session beer.

Exhalted IPA 7.0% = Gold in appearance, clear and bright, no head as such. Rich, savoury and complex with a nice citrus finish. Medium bitterness.