Alcester 2015 Day 3 - Worcester

Sunday 17^th May. This is the last morning of General Council, which will finish around 2 p.m.  Whilst the DGs and DGEs are hard at work legislating, the Consortium is going out for the morning. Di King has organised a coach, and 21 of us (two men and 19 women) are heading off to Worcester for a few hours, and then on to the birthplace of one of our greatest composers, Edward Elgar, who is probably most famous for writing Land of Hope and Glory.

                                          Worcester

Immediately after breakfast, and having checked out of the Hotel and dispatched the DG off to Kinwarton Road, I clambered aboard the bus, and took my rightful seat at the front, where I would be sitting next to Di for the journey. We were a mixture of Consorts to DGs, and Consorts to DGEs, and consequently I didn’t know a lot of the DGE Consorts, apart from Pat O’Keeffe of course. It was only about 40 minutes to Worcester, avoiding Motorways, and I was very impressed with the rolling countryside and neat villages we passed along the way. Normally I am driving so I don’t really have time to look at the countryside, being too busy trying to get past caravans and tractors, so I appreciated the opportunity to look around.

                                              The verdant Worcestershire countryside

It was interesting talking to Di about subjects other than Rotary, or more specifically, Youth Exchange. Anyone who spends time with Di will soon learn that she is passionate about Youth Exchange. However, I hadn’t known that she has many other interests. For instance she is a chorister, and is a member of a church choir. One of the sacrifices she has made during Peter’s year as RIBI President is that she has been unable to practice with her choir, and I sensed she was looking  forward to getting back to that side of her life. I could identify with that, because I have also had to make sacrifices during my career as Consort to the District Governor.  Even this weekend, I have had to miss out on Match of the Day due to a dinner engagement.

                                          Worcester Cathedral

Traffic seemed remarkably light as we drove into Worcester, a city I have never been to before. The coach driver dropped us off at the magnificent Worcester Cathedral, and we were left to our own devices for a couple of hours. Being a Sunday morning, the cathedral bells were ringing out, creating a great atmosphere in the surrounding area. We all thought we would start off in the Cathedral, but were disappointed when we got to the entrance, to find a notice saying that it would not be open to visitors until midday, which was the time we would be leaving Worcester. Most of the consortium turned away at this point, but I was made of sterner stuff. Having come all this way on my first visit to Worcester, I wasn’t going to be turned away lightly. I had seen someone go in, so I knew the door was open and  just walked in, expecting my colleagues to follow me.

                                          First off the bus, Rosemary and Sheila

                                               The consortium have arrived in town

It is a beautiful Cathedral inside, and I was drawn to the incredible vaulted ceiling, and the most ornate pulpit I have ever seen.  There were a few other people wandering around, who looked like visitors, and nobody challenged me, so I carried on exploring the interior. I noticed a Magna Carta exhibition in the Cathedral, no doubt due to this year being the 800^th anniversary of its’ signing, and I was surprised to learn that King John himself was buried here. You would think it would be easy to locate the tomb of one of the most famous kings this country has ever had, but no, I couldn’t find it anywhere.  Obviously if I was on a guided tour it would be pointed out, but I didn’t feel inclined to ask anyone for its whereabouts in case I was turfed out.  I had also become aware that the rest of the consortium hadn’t in fact followed me in, so I thought I had better rejoin them.

                                            King John's tomb (picture from web).  How did I manage to miss this?

When I emerged from the Cathedral, only about fifteen minutes later, I was surprised to find they had all gone off and left me. Oh well, I thought, at least I won’t have to go shopping. The river Severn flows past the cathedral, so I went for a stroll alongside whilst I got my bearings. Nearby, I discovered, was the Museum of Royal Worcester, so I thought it would be pleasant to stroll around its collection of ceramics for which Royal Worcester was famous. I also needed to find a toilet, and the museum would be bound to have one. When I got there I was astonished to find it was closed on Sundays. How can that be? There must be hundreds, if not thousands of visitors in Worcester at weekends, why close the museum on what could arguably be its busiest day? If it was necessary to close for a day, why not do so on a Monday? Maybe I was being unfair, perhaps there is a local law about Sunday trading which prevents the museum from opening.

                                            Museum of Royal Worcester (closed today)

So I headed into the town centre, less interested in tourist attractions than in finding a toilet. Public Conveniences seem to be non-existent here, but thank goodness for  McDonalds (they seem happy to open on a Sunday) and was able to use their facilities. Thus refreshed, I continued on my sightseeing tour. I had just arrived at the Guildhall, and was taking the photograph below of the ornate exterior, when there was a tap on my shoulder. It was Rosemary Price. She and Sheila Keller were having a coffee in a café nearby and saw me walk past. I was happy to join them, and it wasn’t long before Janice Sawle and Linda Cowling also walked in.

                                        The Guildhall

It was nearly time to rejoin the coach, and we headed off towards the Cathedral, passing a small street market. I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I did some shopping!  My ladies were browsing shops as we walked down the street, and even Di King was spotted looking for a hat for a wedding she was going to. Then I saw it. A brown cord jacket which fitted me perfectly, for just £10. The DG would be proud of me. One of my companions suggested the cord was upside down, explaining why it was being sold so cheaply. I hadn’t noticed that, and I don’t think many would.

                                                        Copenhagen Street, named after a famous Nelson sea battle

Back on the coach, I emphasised what everybody had missed in not going into the Cathedral, but I don’t think they were all that bothered. Most seemed to have enjoyed their visit, and we were all looking forward to our next stop, at Edward Elgar’s birthplace. It was only about 10 minutes drive to the small rural cottage where he was born and spent much of the early part of his life. A pleasant small visitor centre has been created there, but the staff seemed a little overwhelmed at 21 people arriving together. We negotiated a group seniors price of £5 per head and in we went.

                                             Edward Elgar's birthplace

The cottage itself was opened to the public by Elgar’s daughter after his death in 1934. Every room contains memorabilia from his life, including his actual desk, laid out as it was when he was composing. Walls are covered in family photographs, concert programmes and letters. I always find it interesting to study the minutiae of the lives of great people, their interests and hobbies. Although he received no formal training he rose from humble beginnings to international fame, becoming a knight of the realm. Outside the house is a beautifully tended cottage garden, at the bottom of which is a bench where a life size sculpture of Elgar sits. The tour finished with a film of Elgar’s life. It had been a good way to spend an hour or so, before we headed back.

                                               I share a bench with Edward Elgar

When we got back to Alcester, our young coach driver had a problem. The main streets were still closed for the Food Festival, so he had to do a wide detour. This gave him the opportunity to extend our tour by showing us his own birthplace, the school he went to, and the home he grew up in. Apparently he had been to University but was enjoying coach driving, which has taken him to destinations around Europe.  Despite the detour, we were still back before the General Council had finished their deliberations, but by 2.30 we were on our way. The DG slept most of the way home.

Alcester 2015 Day 2 - Food Festival

Saturday 16^th May. Today the DG’s general Council meeting gets under way at RIBI Headquarters in Kinwarton Road. It starts at 12.30 and in the intervening time this morning the DG wanted to visit the Food Festival in Alcester town centre. The Food Festival is a twice-yearly event in this old market town, and is held in the main streets of the town centre, which are closed to traffic on Saturday and Sunday.

                                                    Alcester has many delightful Tudor buildings, like this one

We were accordingly down to breakfast at the Hotel early, so we could make the most of the rest of the day. So at 10 o’clock the DG and I parked up at Kinwarton Road and walked the couple of hundred yards back to the town centre, which was a bustling hive of activity as stallholders put the finishing touches to their stalls, although there were not many visitors at this time of day.

                                                          I can't keep up with the DG

We bought some beautiful-looking asparagus from a local farmer’s stall, and then walked past a stall selling Pimms, as we had no need for alcoholic beverages at this time of day. We walked on and had just stopped at a butchers stall, when a lady came over and said she had recognised the DG’s distinctive wheels as we walked past. She was from the Rotary Club of Alcester Alauna, who are a breakfast meeting club, and it was their club running the Pimms stall. We went over for a chat, and it transpires that DG John Crawford is a member of Alcester Alauna, and he was there. The DG reprimanded John for not having any Rotary signage on the stall, and he went off to Kinwarton Road to find something at HQ. Other club members explained that one of their number was a funeral director, and was away for the weekend. Unfortunately their banner was in his shop and nobody else had a key. They were a friendly group and I’m sure their meetings are very lively.

                                           With members of Alcester Alauna Rotary Club

There were some excellent food stalls at the festival, and we spent the rest of the morning grazing on all the samples on offer. Offering a taster to passers-by is always a good marketing ploy, I think. We bought cheeses, beers, honey, sauces and snacks that we would never have considered if we hadn’t first had a taste. I had a long chat with a young farmer who was promoting a citrus salad dressing (called Granny Tiggs) that he and his brother made from an original recipe of their grandmothers. We spoke about various rural matters, including the price of milk and the fact that he saw himself, being a farmer, as a guardian of the land, which I though was a refreshing approach. I think I managed to hold my own in the conversation by trying to sound knowledgeable about the countryside. The secret in these conversations is to do a lot of nodding and agreeing, without volunteering too much information yourself, which could expose your ignorance.

                                            We bought some of his cheese

As we progressed around the Food Festival, we came across a group of gentlemen wearing medieval-looking red and black costumes. It transpired that they were members of the Alcester Court  Leet. My understanding is that a Court Leet was once part of a powerful feudal court system whereby Lords of the Manor could take the law into their own hands within their estates. Among other duties, they ensured standards were met in such matters as food, drink and agriculture. The Alcester Court Leet is one of only 30 in the country.

The Alcester town crier has a quick fag before doing his job

At first I thought they were all town criers, until I realised that only one had a bell. One of them was  a town crier, and there were also Ale Tasters, a Bread Weigher, an Affearor (who apparently sets the level of fines) among others. It’s all a bit archaic, but seems good fun, and I started wondering, what qualifications you need to get the job of Ale Taster.

Members of the Court leet meet the public

As 12.30 approached, I needed  to get the DG back to Kinwarton Road for a sandwich lunch before the General Council got under way. Having dropped her off, I headed back to the Kings Court Hotel, where I had promised to meet up with Linda Cowling and transport her to the Food Festival. She and Tim arrived at the Hotel quite late in the day, and Tim had to drop Linda off, leaving her to check in whilst he continued to the General Council meeting.

                         The DG meets the Court Leet

When I got back to the Hotel I found not only Linda, but also Rosemary, Sheila and Jan, who were all looking for a lift in to Alcester. Some wanted to go to the Food Festival, some wanted to go to the nearby national Trust Property at Coughton Court. We decided that we would all go to the Food festival, and then those that wanted to could go to Coughton Court.  It was a particularly selfless act on my part, as I had already been to the Food Festival that day, as I was careful to point out once or 

twice.

Not many customers yet

So off we went, parking again at RIBI headquarters in Kinwarton Road. However, as the Consortium headed out of the car park towards the High Street, a young lady came out of the building and challenged us, fearing that we were members of the public taking advantage of the parking opportunities at Kinwartion Road to go shopping. With all the dignity I could muster, I confirmed that we were indeed Consorts, at which point she said she recognised us. She explained that they are normally quite happy for people to use their car park, but on this weekend it was full up because of General council attendees. I congratulated her for doing her job diligently and politely.

The car park at RIBI HQ

The Food Festival was now in full swing, and every stall was crowded, unlike my earlier visit. I found that this presented more grazing opportunities, as I could help myself to samples being offered and disappear without engaging in conversation with the stallholders unless I wanted to. I was pleased to see that the Rotary stall now had a pop-up banner advertising the fact that it was being run by Rotary. Whilst at the stall we bumped into two other Consorts , Ron Marshall and Philip Watson, who were enjoying a Pimms. We all had lunch in the shape of a burger from a stall that I had identified earlier, and what a fine beefburger it was, nearly all meat. After an ice cream for dessert, it was time to move on. We dropped Jan and Linda back at the Hotel, then myself, Rosemary and Sheila headed off to Coughton Court.  Fortunately all three of us are National Trust members, and had our cards with us, so paid nothing to go in.

The consortium mingle at the Pimm's stall

This  property is only a mile down the road from the Hotel and is a beautiful Tudor mansion with extensive landscaped grounds. It has been owned by the catholic Throckmorton family for 600 years, and they still live there today. The family were linked to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, as fleeing plotters hid for a while at the House. Entry to the actual house was by a timed ticket, and we had an hour to spare before our allotted time to view the house, and spent it wandering in the gardens, where there are some ancient looking yew hedges, beautifully pruned to create ‘rooms’ within the grounds.  When we got into the house, a couple of particularly amazing things caught my eye.

Coughton Court

Firstly, at the top of the house there was a ‘Priest Hole’. This was a hiding place  created to conceal priests during a time when Catholics were persecuted. Under Queen Elizabeth I, priests were often imprisoned, tortured and even killed. Priest holes were specially disguised within a house to baffle search-parties. At Coughton House the priest would hide in a claustrophobic little space, ingeniously hidden  beneath two lots of floor boards, until the coast was clear.

Beautifully trimmed yew trees

The second extraordinary thing I saw at Coughton House was an embroidered white garment (called a chemise), which was allegedly worn by Mary, Queen of Scots when she was beheaded. I say ‘allegedly’, as it has not been proved, but there is a brown stain on the shoulder of the garment which could be blood. If the story is true, it is a fascinating historic relic.

Worn by Mary Queen of Scots?

After a cup of tea in the café, it was time for us to leave. I dropped off my companions at the Hotel, and drove back to RIBI Headquarters to fetch the DG, who should have finished by now (it was gone 5.30). As often happens, the General Council meeting was over-running, so I retired to the Harris Room, joining about 20 other Consorts waiting for their respective DGs. I had a chat with Joyce Waddell. It was driving her car the last time we came to Alcester (a Renault Grand Scenic) that helped me to decide that my next car would be a Grand Scenic, and in March I bought one. Since then I literally haven’t looked back (I have no need to, because I have rear parking sensors).

Renault Grand Scenic

I also spoke to Pat O’Keeffe. Her husband Peter will be the first DG of the new District 1145, which is being created through merging District 1140 (my District) with 1250. She and Peter are looking forward to his year as DG, which starts in July. He will have an enlarged District (103 clubs rather than the 47 in our District), but is planning to persuade neighbouring clubs to hold joint meetings, so that he can see more than one club in a visit. Apparently five clubs in Brighton are already planning a joint meeting, so that he can see them all in one go.

Brighton

Eventually the DGs emerged, looking tired after a tough afternoon legislating, and I whisked the DG off to the Hotel, to prepare for a big dinner this evening. There were 93 people sitting down to dine, and looking around the room, it was a ‘Who’s who’ of RIBI. There were this year’s President (Peter King), next year’s President, (Peter Davey) and the year after that (Eve Conway) For some reason I didn’t make it on to the top table tonight, but I enjoyed sitting next to Fred King, DGE for District 1090 (Tim Cowling’s District), a larger than life character who has some interesting ideas for his District in the coming year. Dinner was Smoked Mackerel, roast lamb and cheesecake. The DG didn’t fancy smoked mackerel, so I got two of them

.

Smoked Mackerel

Speeches were mercifully short, and one of the highlights was the presentation of a limited edition piece of pottery, made in Lyn Marshall’s District, to Peter and Di King. It was a gift from all this year’s DGs in recognition of the esteem in which Peter and Di are held. This was accompanied by a poem written and read by Stan Keller (I hadn’t realised he had a talent for poetry)  praising Peter for his year as RIBI President. Di gave an emotional speech of thanks, and that was it. We retired to the bar until rather late, in the company of Keith and Mary Hopkins, among others. It had been an enjoyable evening, and I was conscious that it was probably the last such evening I would attend in Alcester, as I probably won’t have reason to come here again from July 1^st.

An example of Staffordshire Pottery (picture from web)

Alcester 2015 Day 1 - Poundland

Friday 15^th May. The time has arrived for the DG’s last General Council meeting at RIBI Headquarters in Alcester. Along with several other DGs and their Consorts, I am accompanying the DG to Alcester, although I will be having leisure time whilst she is engaged in the cut and thrust of Council debates. The General Council starts on Saturday afternoon and finishes at about 1.30 on Sunday afternoon, but as usual we are arriving a day early because the DG has a Friday afternoon commitment at the Kingfisher Shopping centre in Redditch.  Dedicated shoppers such as the DG will always build in extra time to undertake some retail therapy.

                                           The Kingfisher Shopping Centre Redditch

On the route to Redditch we stopped on the Motorway for a coffee at a service station, where there was a Starbucks. I queued patiently to order my latte and cappuccino, and as soon as I had placed my order with the young barista (I think that’s the right word for them) she asked me for my name. Well, you’re a bit forward, I thought, after all we’ve only just met, but I enjoyed the thought that I am still attractive to young ladies at my advanced age. I was, however, soon brought down to earth. When I had told her my name, in my best Leslie Phillips voice, she wrote it on the side of my takeaway cup, and said ‘wait over there until your name is called’.

Shortly after, we arrived at Redditch. This was my second ever visit to the fine town of Redditch, at least I presume it is a fine town, as the only view of it I have ever had is from the multi storey car park at the Kingfisher shopping centre. Incidentally, the car park is one of the strangest I have been in. The disabled users parking spaces were on the 7^th floor, so we had to go up a few levels to get there. Normally in a multi-storey car park, there is a pattern to the ramps taking you up and down between the levels, but not here.  They seemed to be spaced quite randomly, and on one occasion I almost found myself going up a ‘Down’ ramp, which could have had unfortunate consequences.

                                           View of Redditch from the car park

Once we had arrived and parked, the DG made a beeline for her favourite clothes shops, and also stopped in Poundland to make a few purchases. Shopping in Poundland is straightforward as everything costs £1, or at least so I thought. Near the checkout I saw a Special Offer for something which was being sold for £4. I was outraged. Is this the thin edge of the wedge? Will it soon become Five Poundland? Looking around the shop, I was placated, as the £4 item seemed to be a one-off. When we arrived at the checkout with our various £1 purchases, the assistant asked if we would like a bag to put the items in. I almost asked if she could put them in a Waitrose bag. After all, I didn’t think it would be very appropriate for the Consort to the District Governor to be seen carrying a Poundland bag.

After a couple of hours here, during which I re-acquainted myself with the shop that sells CDs for 20p each (I still couldn’t find anything I had heard of, or that I liked), we emerged with a volume of shopping bags which dwarfed the luggage we had brought for our weekend away. It is only a few miles from Redditch to Alcester, and we were soon checked into the Kings Court Hotel, and sitting down to a cup of tea in the lounge. It was going to be a busy weekend, as besides all this year’s DGs (29 of them) and many of their Consorts, there were going to be all the DGEs (i.e. next year’s DGs) and many of their Consorts. We met a couple of DGEs shortly after we arrived, Ray Dixon and his wife, from District 1120 (Martin Williams’ District) and Terry Long and his wife from District 1030 (Jean Thompson’s District). We also met RIBI President Peter King and his lovely wife Di in the Hotel car park, and I think I did my career prospects no harm by helping them carry their suitcases in.

                                          Scenic - The view from our room (Renault Scenic, I mean)

There were not actually very many of us staying at the Hotel tonight, as most were arriving tomorrow, but in the evening we met up for dinner in the Hotel with Alistair and Margaret Marquis, who had endured a 7-hour journey from central Scotland, and Peter and Di King, who had actually come directly from another engagement in Bradford. It was a convivial meal, and I thought my excellent  Irish stew was a very good choice. We chatted about a wide range of Rotary subjects, including the International Convention in Sao Paulo in June. The DG and I will not be attending the Convention on the grounds of cost (flights to Brazil are very expensive!) and also because we have concerns about accessibility but the other 4 confirmed that they will be going. Next year it will be in Seoul, South Korea. Maybe we’ll go to that one.

                                         These must be Rotarians' cars

Youth matters are always high on the agenda with Di, as she is a great devotee of Youth Exchange, whereby youngsters from this country go abroad to stay with families in the host country, and similarly families in the UK host foreign students. Di is chair of the Youth Exchange committee and as such is organising a summer camp in a month or so for 12 young people from overseas, which is proving to be a lot of work for her. Peter, remarkably, is managing to continue working as a judge, despite being the head of Rotary in Britain and Ireland, although his judicial workload has needed to be reduced for this year.

                                                                The Hotel bar

We also talked about the Youth competitions that Rotary organises across the UK every year. Roger Mason, DG in Cumbria would not be arriving at Alcester until Saturday night as his District was hosting the Young Musician final. Alistair said that there was an excellent singer competing in the final who was from his District, and he may have gone along to the final to support her if the date hadn’t clashed with General Council. Dates for youth competition finals and General Council are arranged at the beginning of the year, so it should be possible to avoid them clashing.

Margaret, DG, Peter, Di, Alistair

Paying the bill for dinner was a little unusual. As everyone wanted the cost added to their room bill, the waitress had to separate the meals according to which room each of us was in. It was a throwback to the old days when  we would sit around a table in a Restaurant with family or friends, trying to work out who ordered the omelette, or who had an extra pint of beer (usually me) so that we could pay for just what we had.  In recent years  most people seem happy to simply divide the bill equally between those at the table, provided someone hasn’t ordered lobster thermidore or drunk half a bottle of whisky on their own. So it seemed kind of strange to be paying individual bills tonight. It had been a long day for us, so we didn’t stay up very late, and we were soon back to our room and its’ king-size bed.

Lobster Thermidor

Woking Bikeathon

Sunday 10^th May.  I grace the annual Woking Bikeathon with my presence, and  the DG comes along with me. Not having attended this event before, I wasn’t sure what to expect, in terms of numbers attending, or the extent of the organisation.  Since taking up office as Consort to the District Governor I have attended a number of events organised by clubs around the District, and have been surprised and impressed in equal measure at just what great events Rotary Clubs can organise. Highlights to date have been Kingston’s Dragon Boat Race and Chertsey’s Black Cherry Fair, so how would today’s event, organised by Woking Rotary Club, compare in such company?

My question was partly answered as we headed over to Woking. We aimed to arrive half an hour before the start of the Bikeathon, and as we drove along the road from Chertsey to Woking we passed increasing numbers of cyclists wearing orange hi-viz tabards with ‘Woking Bikeathon’ emblazoned across them. They were obviously heading for the start line and I couldn’t help thinking that they should be resting in the comfort of a car as they headed for the start, rather than tiring themselves before they even got there. Obviously cyclists are made of stern stuff.

As we arrived at Woking Park, I noticed good signage and several stewards directing traffic to the car park, a good indication of a well-organised event, I thought. We parked up and walked over to the start line. It was still over 20 minutes to the start, and there were cyclists already queueing up at the start line, with the line of riders going so far back I couldn’t see the end of the line. There was the answer to my question – this is a very big event indeed. We met Terry Smith the Rotary organiser, who said that over 900 riders had registered for the event, and £47,000 was being raised for the event’s preferred charities, which included Woking and Sam Beare Hospices and the Woking Mayor’s Charities.  They had road closures agreed, two checkpoints on the route, and stewards along the length of the course.

                                                        Ready to go

Clearly a lot of manpower was needed for the event and the Rotary club just doesn’t have enough members to do everything themselves. So, like other clubs which run successful large events, they enlisted help wherever they could find it. There were, for instance a group of youngsters helping to marshal riders at the start. I assumed, incorrectly as it turned out, that they were Rotaractors, but in fact the young lady I spoke to, was the daughter of a Woking Rotarian, and she had come along to help with some of her university friends.

                                                       The DG and Daisy meet some stewards

Riders had a choice of a 28 mile course or a 13 mile course, and Terry was at pains to point out to all riders that it was not a race. All he wanted was for everyone to get around safely. He had enlisted some big name celebrities to help at the start, one of whom was the mayor of Woking, Tony Branagan, and then there was me. And of course the DG.  All riders were wearing the orange hi-viz tabards we had seen as we drove in. We were told that they all get one of these to keep. Every single one had ‘Rotary Club of Woking’ written across the back, with ‘Woking Bikeathon’ written below. What great marketing  that was, with 900 people cycling around the surrounding area for the next couple of hours, all advertising the Rotary Club! How impressive is that?

                                          The mayor helps organise riders

Before the ride got under way, I went for a stroll around the site with Daisy. There was an excellent steel band playing on a small bandstand, and I went over to get a better view. To my surprise the musicians were all youngsters, aged around 13 to 16 in my estimation. They were all from Bishop David Brown School in Woking, and seemed to have a teacher in evidence, probably needed to drive the minibus, which was parked nearby. I gritted my teeth and visited the portaloos, only to be amazed to find the cleanest portable toilets I have ever made use of. They were spotless, sweet-smelling and well supplied with soap and towels. Clearly they have a better class of portaloo in Woking.

                                                       The excellent steel band from Bishop David Brown school

                                               terrific toilets

I got back to the DG just in time for the grand start of the Bikeathon. Giving last minute instructions to the cyclists to keep in single file and watch out for horses and riders around Chobham was a gentleman whose name I didn’t get, but I understand he works for Honda, who sponsor the event, and he has done this for over twenty years. Obviously practice makes perfect, as he did a very good job. 

                                          The man from Honda gives final instructions

However, to my surprise, there wasn’t a mass start, with 900 cyclists sweeping across the start line on their way towards the leafy lanes of Surrey. In fact the cyclists went off in groups of 30, with about one minute between each group. On reflection, it is obviously sensible to avoid a quarter-mile long pelaton moving slowly away from Woking Park, causing disruption to local traffic. The man from Honda, therefore, had to repeat his pep talk about 30 times before everyone finally went on their way.

                                          The first group get under way, watched by the DG and Daisy

                                                     The DG applauds a group of riders as Terry Smith looks on

After the main Bikeathon were all off, it was time for the Kids Bikeathon, which also attracted 50 to 60 entries. This was for very small children and the event comprised laps of the track around the Park. The children could complete as many laps as they wanted before coming down the finishing straight and collecting their medals. It was quite fun to watch the varied cycling skills of the youngsters, some of whom had stabilisers and others just propelled themselves along using their feet on the ground. They wore small versions of the hi viz tabards that the adult riders had, but even these were too big for some kids, and were dragged along the ground.

                                          A tiny tot races along the finishing straight

The fun of the Kids Bikeathon was hardly over before riders in the main event started arriving back at the Finish line. Some were very competitive, and sprinted to the line, which proved a bit dangerous, as there were people standing there trying to hand out medals to everyone as they finished. The mayor of Woking had enlisted two of his grandchildren to help hand out medals, and they had a few near misses, as fast-finishing cyclists came past. The danger was alleviated when Terry walked a few yards down the road and exhorted riders to slow down. Terry has an imposing presence, and when he says ‘slow down’ you slow down.

                                          The DG chats to Rotarians at the Control Tent

The DG was called into action in handing out medals to the finishers, who soon started to arrive in large numbers. One chap caused a lot of amusement when he crossed the line with a tiny child on the back of his bike, who was fast asleep, entirely oblivious to all the commotion. So there you have it, the perfect way to get a child to sleep, put him on the back of your bike and ride 28 miles.

                                          Plenty of helpers to hand out medals

We had another engagement to attend in the afternoon, so took our leave of the organisers, whilst Terry was busy on his walkie-talkie sorting out problems along the route as they occurred. It had been another great example of how a single Rotary Club can run a major local event, not just once but year after year.

The DG is kept busy