Tour de Yorkshire - 2 stages on Day and Day 2 only 14 miles from us

ITV REPORT 21 January 2015 at 11:20am Tour de Yorkshire route announced Nearest place to us is PICKERING DAY 1 The route of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire has been unveiled. The race will take place in 100 days time on 1st, 2nd and 3rd May. It has three stages and includes a women's event and a cultural festival. Stage one Stage one on Friday 1st May will start in seaside town of Bridlington and 174km later finish further up the coast in Scarborough. The riders, from all over the world, will pass through spectacular coastal scenery and the iconic North York Moors landscapes. From the start line in Bridlington the riders will head along the Flamborough Head Heritage Coast before turning away from the coast into the North York Moors National Park, through Dalby Forest and towards Pickering. They’ll then take a spectacular journey back to the coast at Whitby, and then south to Robin Hood’s Bay with the ultimate race to the finish line on the seafront at Scarborough. The last section of this stage will be particularly tough, especially the climb out of Robin Hood’s Bay, which is 1.5km long and has an average gradient of 10.3%. NEAREST PLACE TO US _ MALTON/NORTON DAY 2 Stage two Stage two on Saturday 2nd May is one for the sprinters, and will see the race start outside the imposing Selby Abbey. The route takes in much of the Wolds, and from Selby will take the peloton towards Market Weighton, through North Newbald and on to Beverley, where they will turn north to Malton, then on to Stamford Bridge. Spectators will have the chance to see a circuit of York and organisers are hoping for a dramatic finish in the town, which of course witnessed incredible scenes during the 2014 Grand Depart. As part of the legacy of the Tour de France to get more women cycling there will also be a dedicated women’s event on a circuit through York. Stage three Stage three Stage three will see the peloton make a return to some of the roads raced in the 2014 Yorkshire Grand Départ of the Tour de France, only with a twist; starting in Wakefield, riders will travel south to Barnsley before heading to Holmfirth where they pick up the Grand Départ route in reverse, racing to Ripponden before riding the iconic Cragg Vale – which in the Tour de France was the country’s longest continual climb and now becomes the longest continual descent. The riders will then make their way to Hebden Bridge, Oxenhope and through the famous cobbled streets of Haworth, one of the most iconic images of the Tour de France in Yorkshire. This is definitely a stage for puncheurs and climbers and a series of short, sharp climbs punctuate the entire route; riders should expect a similar race to the second stage of the 2014 Tour de France. After a steep climb at Goose Eye the riders will once again see Ilkley, with the famous climb up the Cow & Calf before a sprint point at Arthington and then what is expected to be a hugely popular finish line in Roundhay Park in Leeds. Riders race up Main Street in Haworth during the Tour de France Grand Depart Riders race up Main Street in Haworth during the Tour de France Grand Depart The race is being organised by Welcome to Yorkshire and Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.), with support from British Cycling and local authorities throughout the county. Friday 1st May, stage 1 : Bridlington - Scarborough, 174 km Saturday 2nd May, stage 2 : Selby - York, 174 km Sunday 3rd May, stage 3 : Wakefield - Leeds, 167 km The Tour de Yorkshire will be annual event and the organisers hope it will grow year on year to be one of the biggest events in the cycling calendar. Before the Grand Départ had even finished people all across Yorkshire were asking when we can have more cycling! The Tour de Yorkshire will bring back many of the world’s top cycling teams and there will be an opportunity for ordinary people to ride the same roads on the same day in the sportive. And this is a free event to watch so there is an opportunity for everyone in the county to be part of Tour de Yorkshire in one way or another. – GARY VERITY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF WELCOME TO YORKSHIRE After the grandest of Grand Départs of the Tour de France, we were keen to return to Yorkshire. With its stunning landscapes, iconic cities and tough climbs, Yorkshire offers all the ingredients needed for a great cycling race. The welcome we received in Yorkshire in July 2014 was simply spectacular and I am very much looking forward to returning there in May for the Tour de Yorkshire – CHRISTIAN PRUDHOMME, DIRECTOR OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE Last updated Wed 21 Jan 2015

Roses at Rogers

Last weekend was the British Isles Breeders and Growers Rose Festival in Ryedale held at RV Rogers just outside Pickering. It was a lovely summer's day and the roses all looked a picture. I took my Dad along to see the 150 or so roses which were on offer. The Calender Girls were there too as they had a rose named after them. The Ryedale Rose was given by a kind couple from Sheffield and there was a prize giving. All a lot of work for David Wilce the Chairman. The presenttaion lasted around 90 minutes.The champion winner had come all the way from Andover and was quite a young chap. Along with a magnificent cup I had given a prize of a free 2 night stay here with us .No doubt I will be hearing from him shortly. He said it would make a nice change as he usually attended these shows and slept in his camper van. My Dad got talking to Ryedale's youngest Chairman of the Council Luke Ives.My Dad's maternal side of the family were from Norton so Luke would get quite a history lesson I think We had a lovely lunch and Jonathan who is always a obliging member of staff was on hand.My Dad really enjoyed his chat with him. We had a lovely lunch whilst the jazz band played in the background. Oh so English country garden with lady artists donning their straw hats to paint their corner of the day. This is the second year that it has been held.It will continue -so a date for your diary next year.

Out to lunch

After we picked the apple trees up my Dad and I went to lunch at the White Swan in Pickering.The owners had kindly offered us a free main course lunch for 2 if I have their menus on show to my guests. I recommend that if guests are going on the North Yorkshire Moors railway and get off feeling hungry that the White Swan is only a couple of hundred yards away. We were welcomed by Catherine Feather who I have know for many years. Her husbands family ran the Feathers in Helmsley for donkey's years and her brother Simon used to ride jack's point to point horses when jack got too old or should I say wise to ride in races any more. Lunch was delicious. My Dad had a huge great plate of fish and chips and mushy peas which he polished off. I had their special ploughman's platter which was so big I took some home for my mum for her tea. The bread was gorgeous too. I looked at the price and thought for what they charged it was very good value. An ideal place halfway between our house and my friends to meet up again for lunch. Certainly didn't need to eat for the rest of the day. So saves on the washing up too. The son of the owners started off the Ginger Pig Meat Co and they have cookery books on sale too as well as having the produce on the menu

Birdgate Chocolatiers of Pickering.....

Easter is just around the corner and as I was on my way to Scarborough I thougth I would pop into Chocolart . Chocolart has not only moved to bigger premises around the corner and is now at the top end of the market place in Pickering. It in a street called Bordgate and the man who owns it is called Mr Peacock.I am not one for change and was disappointed that they had left their quirky little shop on Smiddy Hill.This one is very smart and has some of the nicest wallpaper I have ever seen -with birds on it of course. These premises are bigger enough that customers will now be able to see chocolates made and their wonderful cakes been decorated. Here ou see Dawn the friendly assistant who came up with a cracking idea for an Easter egg -The goose that laid the golden egg. of which I got one for my Dad A chocolate goose on a chocolate stand with a small egg painted with gold at its feet. What a great idea. To place your order you need to ring -01751 477755. Around the corner from Mr Peacock is Cafe Cocoa, with other chocolate creations in the shape of a cafe serving delicious coffee and unrivalled Hot Chocolate besides cakes as delicious as lemon and pistachio battenburg or a more traditional Victoria sponge.