Le Grand Depart and Yorkshire Festival
 

It doesn't seem like 18 months since we heard that le Tour de France was coming to Yorkshire and yet it is even is only 4 months away now. Like all good event "Le Tour" (think strong Yorkshire accent) is linking up with 3 months of events across the greater county and I thought I should just brief you with a few links.

The festival's main website is http://festival.yorkshire.com/ and that describes the 47 projects from 27 March to 6 July
The main tourist site is www.yorkshire.com
The main site for Le Tour is www.letouryorkshire.com

As you can imagine there are lots of bicycle based artistic events (including a night show of bicycles with LED lights in Leeds) and also, brass bands, sheep, steel, Indian dance, Opera, singing and sculpture. No whippets were hurt in developing these programmes.

I'm so glad my nephew is waiting until August to get married.

The whole shooting match is in Utrecht next year. We've had the Giro, and now the Tour. I don't think they will be making it a months long project though. I hope not, or I shall be looking for somewhere to go for three months next year.

On the day the local authorities are closing the roads for 8 hours+ (unlike in France when it is 1.5 hours) still we are getting a whole load of roads re-surfaced and all the potholes removed so the tough riders don't have any nasty bumps to go over. :-)

Phil Liggett will feel at home! (Can't he do something for that nasal sound?

The stuff bilbo's touting is just the tip of the iceberg.

Traditionally sensible events like the Grassington Festival (this year including the Boomtown Rats, Bill Wyman and the Troggs, as well as the normal drystone walling lessons) have been thoroughly Grand Departed. Scarcely a session lacks some French or cycling reference

http://www.grassington-festival.org....ull-programme/

We'll be in York after the tour departs, luckily.

Bilbo and other Yorkshire experts; I cannot decide on a restaurant for celebrating a graduation in York. There will be about 10 of us. In York, not the countryside. Any ideas?

Was staying in Hawes last week, and everywhere is Tour crazy. Many more cyclists than usual huffing and puffing up Buttertubs. There's a great bench perched above the road looking down towards Thwaite from which to observe them, fortified by a sausage roll and cup of tea. Their arteries are undoubtedly in better shape than mine, but I bet my knees hurt less.

One wonders how bike riders will adapt to biking on the 'wrong side of the road'!

Tulips, I like http://www.lochfyneseafoodandgrill.co.uk/locations/york but trip advisor is not so impressed.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...e_England.html

600 plus places, take your pick

"how bike riders will adapt to biking on the 'wrong side of the road'!"

These days in the Tour de France?

By winning.

<< how bike riders will adapt to riding on the ' wrong' side of the road'! >>

Have you not seen a bike race?

Thanks bilbo, that looks nice.

For various reasons the only week we've got for the Dales is the week leading up to the Grand Depart :( We already know to expect crowds on the popular walks and the roads (sigh) and yes, we've booked our accommodation. Just curious, bilboburgler, morgana and other locals - how bad do you expect it to be in the days leading up to Stage One? Have we any hope of finding at least some respite from the insanity?

Can't comment in any meaningful way unless you tell us where you are staying?
The Dales cover a large area and I am sure you can escape if you plan carefully.

The issue will be with the police who have not had to manage one of these things before. I understand the actual route will be closed for 8 to 10 hours, if so you need to plan to one side or the other. In France they close the road for a couple of hours but this is a new thing

We bought a car from Harrogate and went to pick it up on Yorkshire Show day. The traffic was the most horrific I have experienced in 44 years of trailing the world. We gave up and turned back.

If you are going to see the race, then either :

1. Set off in a car now

Or

2. Cycle there.

Everyone is talking about going, the North of England will be a car park.

Well the Great Yorkshire show is a serious festival :-)

Great and Yorkshire are an adjective and noun I rarely link.

I understand the actual route will be closed for 8 to 10 hours, if so you need to plan to one side or the other. In France they close the road for a couple of hours but this is a new thing>>

au contraire, bilbo - Le Tour came to Kent about 20 years ago when we were living there; we didn't go as we too were put off by the crowds, so i don't know how they managed them.

Yorkshire and great I would always put together, and that comes from the mouth of a Lancastrian (I should wash my mouth out). If I hadn't so many ties over here I would be over there. I work in Yorkshire and the people are definitely great.