Le Grand Depart

No sooner were we home than it was time to throw a few things in a bag and go up north to join in all the fun of the Tour de France. It was coming to Yorkshire and starting with a run all around us in the Yorkshire Dales. Yellow bicycles and bunting were everywhere!

The big decision was at what place on the route should we position ourselves. I'd favoured the Buttertubs, one of the steep uphill stretches, but realised that we would have to be in position very early in the day before the road was closed and then would be locked in place for hours. In the end we put on our walking boots and went to Middleham, our nearest point. 

The good ladies of Middleham, possibly the W.I. had knitted their own bunting!

Even the dogs were wearing yellow jerseys!

The walk into town was quiet - 

that's because everyone had got there before us!

The atmosphere was great.

First came the sponsors.

Then a whole load of other stuff,

 including Miffy!

We knew that the race was near when the helicopter flew overhead.

And here they are!

It was over in a flash

just a few strugglers pushing up the hill.

We could watch the race on the big screen in the marketplace

and admire the latest fashion in cycling outfits!

After all the excitement and noise it was good to sit down for a while beyond the gallops before our walk back home.

All around the dales the partying continued.

Ee, it wor grand!

And the Wensleydale Creamery did some terrific advertising throughout the dales with bales wrapped to resemble giant versions of their Wensleydale cheese. (Beats the usual hay bale wrappings of black plastic.)

I went to the shops to buy a small version of this cheese but they'd sold out!