Women's Tour, GinFest Profit, Melina's Funeral
Author: John Riches | Published: 18th June 2018 09:07 |
The Women’s Tour of Britain passes through Abthorpe. (Photograph courtesy of Louise Gough).
Melanina’s funeral will be on Monday 2nd July 2018 at 12.30 in St Thomas More church in Towcester. After the service, she will be taken to be buried close to Alberto in the Abthorpe cemetery. The wake will be at the New Inn.
GinFest profit. Lynn Neasham treasurer of the Old School reported, “We have made an amazing £2040.98. we are delighted.”
Women’s Tour of Britain Cycle Race.
Three weeks ago some posters appeared round our village.”Advance Warning. Cycle Event. Thursday 14th June. Expect Delays.” What is that all about? A quick look on the Internet revealed that the OVO Energy Women’s Tour of Britain cycle race would pass through our village as the riders travelled the 145km route between Rushden and Daventry.
The big day came and there was an excited straggle of locals standing at the kerbside right through the village waiting for something to happen. The road went quiet. About ten minutes before the riders arrived a large number of police motorcyclists; mostly riding BMW’s; shut the road and ensured that no-one was able to come out of the side turnings. One unfortunate driver was towing his caravan through the village when the road closed. Police asked him to drive his vehicle into School Lane but he couldn’t manage it in the short time available so was given permission to park-up in the acceleration lane.
A phalanx of cars and motorbikes – lights flashing – and plastered with advertisements drove into sight. There were police cars, marshals’ cars, photographers’ cars as well as those for officials and race organisers. Riding in their midst was a lone cyclist. Was she part of the race and had broken away from the peloton? Who knows? Within seconds the brightly coloured peloton of more than 100 cyclists whizzed down the Silverstone Road, through the crossroads and entered the village. There were cheers and shouts from onlookers but they all sped by so quickly and disappeared over the brow of the hill towards Wappenham.
Team cars with spare bikes and wheels on their roofs, medical cars, ambulances and other support vehicles followed. They’d gone! Within minutes normal life resumed. It’s not often a major sporting event comes to our village. We’ll certainly remember it but will have absolutely no idea who won.
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