Get me to the church on time for Tour de Yorkshire, says bride-to-be
BRIDE-TO-BE JOANNE Ridley is determined to get to the church on time next weekend – ahead of the Tour de Yorkshire’s cavalcade of riders. Miss Ridley has changed the time of her big day so the wedding cars can get to Ainderby Steeple Church, near Northallerton, before stage three riders on the annual Tour arrive in her home village. And if this Saturday’s service goes to plan she and her new husband, Richard Fawcett, will be at the church gates in time to see the cyclists go past. “We have been planning our wedding for the last year so when we heard the Tour de Yorkshire was coming through our home community we were very excited – but also anxious as the timings clashed with our arrival at church,” said the 30-year-old bride-to-be. “However, we managed to move things around and are determined we will be there to cheer Mark Cavendish and the rest of the riders on. “It is certainly going to make our wedding day different – and give us something special to talk about for years to come!” Miss Ridley and Mr Fawcett, who live in Kirkby Fleetham and have been together for 11 years, are keen cyclists themselves – the couple regularly enjoy taking 40-mile rides around the Hambleton area. Meanwhile, schoolchildren in Richmond will see off the peloton on Saturday with a sea of specially made flags. The overall winner of a competition to design the flags will take part in the race start and receive a replica of the official flag of the Tour de Yorkshire, which is being staged across four days for the first time starting on Thursday. Poppy Rhodes, 11, from St Mary’s RC Primary School, Richmond, won the Richmondshire District Council competition judged by the race’s official artist Lucy Pittaway, with a design including Richmond Castle and the Yorkshire Rose. Ms Pittaway said: “It was an absolute pleasure to judge the flag designs. The overall standard was very high indeed.”