bilboburgler

You can say this beats making your own entertainment

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-27454108

annhig

they must be short of things to do in Leeds on a Saturday night.

fatamagistra

Morgana et al, we'll be staying in the Masham area in the week leading up to Stage One. We plan to join the festivities either in Masham or Leyburn on the day itself since we'll be there, and have already looked up the road closure maps and so on; we're just wondering what you folks as locals/residents think the Wensleydale/Nidderdale area will be like in terms of things like crowds at the more popular walks and traffic conditions on the main roads linking the towns/villages. We're assuming crowded (maybe that should be VERY crowded, especially in the two or three days leading up to Stage One) ... short of embarking on a strenuous multiple-mile hike, are there any reasonably easy-to-access spots at all that you think less likely to be insanely hectic? Thanks much!

bilboburgler

Sorry I know nothing, I live within 800m of the route and I'm trying to work where the pressure will be lowest and am sruggling. The good news is Masham and Leyburn are in the back of the beyond as far as most people are concerned (so most people on the streets will be local) so 1) if the road is closed it will be closed, 2) between the towns/villages there will be low pressure on space, 3) so if there is a walk to a part of the road take it.

Good luck

Morgana

I normally agree with Bilbo but not on this one. West Tanfield for instance, a very small village which is close to me and a fraction of the size of Masham (our local 'big town) is expecting -
1) 12,000 to 30,000 people
2) Has provided car parking for EIGHT THOUSAND cars.
That is most definitely not local people - driving to Masham this week I lost count of the amount of camp sites being advertised for visitors. Masham itself has 200 race stewards in the town. Both Masham and Leyburn will be absolutely heaving.
For the days leading up to the race, there will be an influx of visitors but whether they are going out walking in the area or not is impossible to say. Nidderdale is always fairly quiet, and if you head towards Scarhouse, Middlesmoor, Pateley etc I'd have thought you'll be ok for walks.
I would personally make advance bookings in restaurants if eating out is important to you. Some favourites of ours - Vennels in Masham itself, Blue Lion at East Witton and the Wensleydale Heifer at West Witton.

Rubicund

My office is in the Holme Valley, between Huddersfield and Holmfirth and we were told to expect all sorts of traffic and people congestion. Our local roads will close from 7am on the Sunday morning until after the tour and its assorted entourage have swept through. You can't park on the route from 7pm Saturday evening.

However, in the last week or so, there are worrying (for the organisers) stories of few campsite bookings, low B&B and hotel bookings and the festival at Huddersfield Rugby Club, quite a large "do" by all accounts, has been cancelled altogether due to low bookings. Losses here in money already paid out have topped £12000. Camping provisions have been cancelled too.

Campsite operators, mainly farmers, have been pulling out of offering space and those that persevere are ringing the ones who are backing out to try and get their bookings transferred to them.

Maybe the UK isn't that interested in people riding bikes?

Tulips

The tour came through Antwerp a year or two ago, and didn't attract nearly as much visitors as they seem to expect in Yorkshire. And Belgians are huge cycling fans. The tour passed not far from where we lived. Unless you actually went to the route, you wouldn't have noticed.

bilboburgler

Crikey Morgana, Otley is certainly planning to be buried but if West Tanfield is as well it will be hard to drive anywhere.

Absolutely book restaurants.

fatamagistra

Thanks, Morgana, Rubicund, Bilboburgler and everyone. I really hope the local businesses, landowners and residents do well from the Tour's passing through, given all the upheaval, planning and investments made (of course, I also hope that while there will be good crowds to justify it all it won't be so insane as to drive us all crazy

Accommodations - done. Restaurants (Vennells, Yorke Arms, Wensleydale Heifer etc.) - done. Maps/walking guide - done. Can't wait!

flanneruk

"The tour came through Antwerp a year or two ago, and didn't attract nearly as much visitors as they seem to expect in Yorkshire"

The population of Belgium is rather fewer than the number of people living within 100 miles of Leeds. And Britain's won more Tours de France in the past two years than Belgium has in the past 40. Unless Belgium's now claiming Sir Bradley Wiggins as its own (which it's conspicuously avoided doing for years)

Belgium's insularity isn't quite the approach the people of Northern England take for viewing what goes on in the rest of the world.

bilboburgler

Just been to Bergerac (the last bit of the route this year), very little happening there just a few cycles hung uplamp posts

PatrickLondon

FWIW I've just been watching some segments on the Countryfile programme about the various landscape art and similar projects in the Dales. It all looks very enterprising, and rather fun.

bilboburgler

Mrs Bilbo out "knit bombing" aother bit of Otley last night wearing yellow balaclavas, all getting a bit silly. Has anyone seen the crisis at Masham where the (not very) local council have taken down the acrylic bunting in case the "wet wool" pulled the lamp posts over if it rains? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-27919262

Morgana

I live very close to Masham and it's health and safety gone mad. Plus, I knitted a whole load of those tiny little jumpers too!
There's a sweetshop in Masham called Bah Humbugs - the TV reporting of the incident did a lovely long shot of this place!

annhig

got to love those tiny jumpers.

bilboburgler

Otley has a local cycle race in the next few days and the knit bombers have agreed to stop after that. Yeha.

bilboburgler

Just a few days to go and emotions in town are at fever pitch, men in flat hats are even smiling. Yellow signs everywhere (Park here, Don't park here, and give us £5 to park here)

Only one road has not been re-tarmaced and is still in a poor state (for those who are betting take a punt on crashes on Old Ilkley Road)

sofarsogood

<<Park here, Don't park here, and give us £5 to park here>>

Would be interested to know if the notorious Changegate car park in Haworth still operates or if the owner has changed his ways.

Dickie_Gr

Morgana

What the hell where the numpty council people doing when they took down the knitted yellow shirts?

It was reported that they considered them to be too heavy and had started to bend the lamp posts.

We have a huge headache.

We are due to visit our friends from Perth, WA on Sunday as they are over in Wakefield to see family. We also have to schedule in a TDF stop for our cycling mad son. I have the feeling that Sunday will be long and stressful!!!

Morgana

Dickie, I'm really looking forward to this weekend and yet at the same time I will be glad when it is over. Mind you, everything around me looks amazing, very, very proud of Yorkshire and all they have done for the Tour. We've got bunting flying outside our cottage.
My husband is a volunteer Tour Maker Supervisor and has to get up at 4am on Sunday to get into position. I'm proud of him for volunteering and he just says it is a once in a lifetime experience, bless him.
Masham got a lot of publicity around the absurdity of the little jumpers (I knitted loads) bending the metal lampposts. They are still hanging in Masham (which looks amazing) but not from the metal posts.
Try and enjoy the weekend!