Tour de Yorkshire, the Clarion and Me.

Tour de Yorkshire, the Clarion and Me.

I have recently watched the Tour de Yorkshire and was amazed at the amount of memories my old grey cells have retained nearly all connected with the National Clarion and Bolton Clarion.

The first stage took me down a memory lane of National Clarion Easter Meets.

Scarborough, twice, Whitby, Beverly, Bridlington.

Scarborough 2004 may evoke memories some members would prefer to forget but this particular meet for me was a reminder of just how important friendship and fellowship is within the cycling and clarion world. It was the year Amy was treated for breast cancer and while recovering we attended the Scarborough meet, where, the messages and goodwill extended to Amy will stay with me forever.

The later Scarborough meet and the Whitby meet were brought to mind as the Tour riders criss crossed the steep climbs and lanes so well known to cycle tourists and quite legendary.

Rosedale Chimney and Grosmont, the former being the most famous, while the latter reminded me graphically of the time we climbed it on the tandem. As we started the climb the local bus passed us, slowly, and the sight of the passengers coming to the back of the bus to watch us tackle the steep obstacle was a bit more than surprising. On the way up we passed a gent with sense enough to walk the hill while at the top we were greeted by a young lady, also on a bike, who greeted us with, ‘yeah ok, say you have ridden all the way up’. Despite Amy’s protest that we had indeed ridden, the young lady was unconvinced.

Whitby, I can’t forget the dismay of the Stockport clarion lads, who had ridden over, waking on the first morning to find a busted soil pipe had been spraying their bikes locked up in the rear yard during the night, yuk!

The meet began with an official welcome by the official Dracula, who of course landed on our shores and began a dark legend. A secondary attack of painful shingles had me wondering if Dracula had paid me a visit during the night.

The tv coverage of the route was superb, both air and ground camera work had me re-living the rides I have taken over the years of discovering Yorkshire both with the National and Bolton clarion. The Yorkshire Dales have always featured on the hostel weekends of Bolton section, so many of them using the Yorkshire clarion club house as HQ. I must mention here we once had the company of Legendary National secretary Marion Lamb and husband Harold.

So, for three days I was transfixed not only watching and admiring the professional cyclists but reliving  and accompanying them swooping down hill and climbing the other side, sharing the grovel and pain plus the ecstasy on reaching the top.

Never have I enjoyed bike racing so much as the Tour de Yorkshire, sheer magic and for me sheer nostalgia.