New Corporate Trophy for 2009

The Patrick Bickers Memorial Trophy for the top corporate fund raising team has now been kindly engraved by Martin Newton of Trophies & Engraving of Cold Bath Road, Harrogate, ready for presentation to the winning team later this year.

Patrick was one of the founding committee members of The Great Milk (stout) Ride, run in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Patrick, of Glasshouses, died from cancer, on Friday 3rd October 2008 in Harrogate District Hospital, surrounded by his family. A tireless worker for this annual Nidderdale event, Patrick devised and looked after the complex registration system and was instrumental in steering the process through to an automatic on-line procedure, when the new website was introduced in 2007.
The trophy (pictured) takes the form of a silver plated Celtic Quaich Bowl, mounted on a mahogany plinth around which are four panels, three for winners names. A Quaich (pronounced ‘kweix’), is a special kind of shallow two-handled drinking cup or bowl in Scotland deriving from the Gaelic cuach meaning cup. It was a family choice felt appropriate, because Patrick was very fond of Scotland and was a keen collector of Highland malt whiskies.
Spokesman for the Ride, Cliff Barton says that there has been an increase in teams entered by companies both from Harrogate and as far afield as Doncaster, Bingley, Huddersfield and beyond. The organising committee felt that it was time to provide a special trophy to be competed for exclusively by the corporate sector, at the same time they wanted to commemorate a long time friend and fellow committee member, who is sadly missed.
To register on line go to www.gmsr.co.uk where from teams and/or individual riders can register and download all the information they need to take part in the event, including sponsorship forms, route maps, information letter, posters and team sheets, car window stickers.

Fresh Radio promoting Great Milk (stout) Ride

An invitation to appear live on this morning's Breakfast Show and visit the brand new studios of Fresh Radio at The Watermill Site, Broughton Hall, on the A59 south of Skipton, was an opportunity to meet joint owner and Managing Director Julian Hotchkiss and old friend of GMsR Head of News, James Wilson.

The interview, which took the form of a three way conversation, went out live over two parts and discussed the origins of the Ride in 1993, when 29 riders raised £1350 and its steady rise in numbers and sponsorship donations to Macmillan, when last year 386 riders produced £40,000. The total so far handed to Macmillan is over £371,000 and this year should see us pass £400,000.

James Wilson, who was born and raised in Nidderdale, commented that he had interviewed 79 year old Sid Brayshaw, who will be riding in his 14th ride since 1995. Sid is seen in a previous blog finishing in 2005.

Fresh Radio, now a truly independent radio station owned jointly by Roger Tempest of Broughton Hall and Julian Hotchkiss, is moving with confidence into becoming a local broadcasting force to be reckoned with.

Pictured above are (l to r) James, Julian and Cliff Barton during the broadcast.

Strawberry Teas at Birstwith to support 2009 Ride

This year's event will be again held at Marion Stockdale's home, The Paddock, Clapham Green, High Birstwith, Harrogate, on Saturday 11th July, between 2 and 4pm. Beside strawberry teas, stalls of cakes, tombola, raffle, books, guess the weight of the cake and name the teddy, visitors will be able to eat, drink tea and enjoy a chat, in either the garden, or the comfort of her home. Marion tells us that she has been staging the Strawberry Fayre event for the last 24 years in support of Macmillan and has kindly donated her proceeds to the Great Milk (stout) Ride for the last five years.

Donations of prizes, cakes, read books were greatly appreciated to make last year's, at £827.27, another great contribution to GMsR and Macmillan.

Marion has asked us to express a big, big thank you to all the members of her team and her generous donors, without whom she couldn't keep producing these amazing results.

80 next and still pedalling for Macmillan

Sid Brayshaw will be eighty on 23rd December, but he will be joining the hundreds of younger riders to support the 17th annual Great Milk (stout) Ride on Sunday 6th September.

Sid and his wife Marie, who live near the Birchtree Inn, Wilsill, from where the event began in 1993, has taken part in every ride since 1995 are seen here proudly surveying every medal and certificate he has won since then.

Sid, seen finishing in 2005, will again be riding for Ye Olde Oak team in Low Laithe, where his son Geoff and partner Debbie Marshall, landlady are currently recruiting more members, with a view to challenging the team from The Crown Inn, Middlesmoor, who have won the Pub Team trophy for the last seven years.

The Great Milk (stout) Ride has an interesting and active website at http://www.gmsr.co.uk/ where teams and/or individual riders can register and download all the information they need to take part in the event, including posters team sheets and where to send donations

September date for annual Great Milk (stout) Ride

It has just been confirmed that the 17th annual Great Milk (stout) Ride supporting Macmillan Cancer Support will be held on Sunday 6th September 2009 at the Nidderdale Agricultural Society’s show ground in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire.

The established date of the second Sunday in September would again see the running of this annual event, which has raised over £371,000 for Macmillan, since its inception in 1993.

That year 29 riders raised £1350, an apparently staggering amount from what was a motley collection of regulars at the Birch Tree Inn, Wilsill, near Pateley Bridge to commemorate the recent death of a domino playing friend, John Woodhouse of Glasshouses, whose family had been greatly supported by Macmillan.

Last year (2008) 381 riders were able to hand over £40,000 to the Macmillan segment of mega fundraiser Mike Tomlinson, to help Jane’s Fund achieve their target of £2,000,000 at the annual Presentation Night in Ye Olde Oak Inn, Low Laithe, near Summerbridge. The Great Milk (stout) Ride is the principal donor to Macmillan in the Harrogate area and is, this year, looking forward to passing the £400,000 total since inception. Their best ever year was 2006 when a record 500 riders raised a record £45,000.

New Trophy for 2009

The Patrick Bickers Memorial Trophy for the top corporate fund raising team will be presented this year.

Patrick was one of the founding committee members of The Great Milk (stout) Ride, run in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Patrick, of Glasshouses, died from cancer, on Friday 3rd October 2008 in Harrogate District Hospital, surrounded by his family. A tireless worker for this annual Nidderdale event, Patrick devised and looked after the complex registration system and was instrumental in steering the process through to an automatic on-line procedure, when the new website was introduced in 2007.

Last year saw increased sponsorship from both local and national businesses and charitable organisations who wish to be associated with this well established event and more are welcome further enquiries. Contact Cliff Barton on 01423-780389, or email at bartoncliff@btopenworld.com or visit the website and follow the links.

The Ride has an interesting and active website at http://www.gmsr.co.uk/ where from teams and/or individual riders can register and download all the information they need to take part in the event, including posters and team sheets.

Stout Riders benefit Jane’s Fund and Macmillan Cancer Support

Sharelle Henderson can’t believe her luck in
winning the first prize of a TREK Mountain Bike.

Mike Tomlinson thanks everyone for their efforts,

while Mike Holt, Bob Drake and Cliff Barton

hold the cheque for £40,000

Harold Turner takes the Individual Challenge

Trophy again from Mike Tomlinson, while

Cliff Barton looks on.

John Whitaker accepts the Pub

Challenge Shield for the sixth

year in succession, since his father,

Malcolm, took over as landlord.

Gaby Schwabline receives the

Team Challenge Trophy on

behalf of Practice-makes-Perfect

Ye Olde Oak Inn, Low Laithe near Pateley Bridge was the venue for the Presentation Night for the 16th annual Great Milk (stout) Ride, when Leeds fundraiser Mike Tomlinson accepted a cheque for £40,000, on behalf of Jane’s Fund; this will help them achieve their target of two million pounds by the end of the year.

The evening began with chairman Mike Holt’s moving tribute to the late Patrick Bickers of Glasshouses, a founding committee member, who died of cancer on October 3rd. He said that he was a true friend, who had toiled tirelessly alongside his colleagues to help raise over £371, 220 for Macmillan since 1993 and he would be sadly missed by all. Then, on behalf of the committee and everyone associated with the Great Milk (stout) Ride, he welcomed Patrick’s eldest son Luke, who has recently joined the committee to carry on his father’s role of registration officer.

Mike Tomlinson was then invited to present the trophies to the leading fundraisers in the following categories:
The Rob Smith Memorial Team Challenge Trophy, for any non-pub team was won again by Practice-Makes-Perfect, alias the Nidderdale Group Practice, from Feastfield Surgery, Pateley Bridge, Grange Medical Centre, Dacre Banks and Spring Gables Surgery, Birstwith, with a winning total of £1825.
The Pub Challenge Shield was won for the seventh time in the last eight years, by the team from the Crown Hotel Middlesmoor with a total of £1526.
The Fancy Dress Trophy was won this year by the Kirkburton “Ladies”, who could also be seen making fine adjustments to the marquee on the day of the ride.
The Rob Smith Memorial Trophy for the Individual Challenge was again won by Harold Turner of Rothwell, near Leeds, with a total of £4001. Harold has completed every ride since 1994 and has won the trophy every year, but one since then. He has raised over £60,000 during this time.

Mike Tomlinson was kept fully employed, assisting with drawing the raffle, where the first prize of a TREK Mountain Bike was won by committee member, Sharelle Henderson; great fun was had at her expense, as she organized the tombola and raffle!

Next came the climax of the evening and the year, when Chairman Mike Holt and Treasurer Bob Drake handed over the cheque for £40,000 to Mike Tomlinson, who thanked everyone involved in the organisation and those taking part in another GMsR. He promised that he would ensure that the money raised would be paid on to Macmillan in the very near future.


The excellent DVD, made by Nobody Films of Harrogate, of this year’s Great Milk (stout) Ride, was premiered at this annual event celebrating the conclusion to this year’s efforts supporting Macmillan and over 30 copies were sold on the night. For a sneak preview visit http://www.gmsr.co.uk/ and click on the Nobody Films logo.

Copies are still available for purchase at a cost of £9.00 (inc p&p), from GMsR c/o Thimble Cottage, Dacre Banks, Harrogate. HG3 4EL. Cheques should be made payable to “The Great Milk (stout) Ride”. Allow 14 days; all profits go to Macmillan.

New Sponsor for GMsR ensures vital water supply for riders

Yorkshire Water will be supplying riders with 500ml sports type bottles after the ride as well as providing water for the drinks stops around the routes.

Yorkshire Water manage the collection, treatment and distribution of water, supplying around 1.24 billion litres of drinking water each day - that's the equivalent of a glass of water for every person on the planet!
They also collect, treat and dispose of about one billion litres of waste water safely back into the environment each day.
Through their grid system they operate more than 700 water and sewage treatment works and 120 reservoirs. They operate 40,000 miles of water and sewerage mains - enough pipework to circulate the earth! Many of these pipes were constructed back in the 19th century and are still in use today. Their job is to maintain these in good working order and continually improve them for future generations to protect public health, the environment and public water supply.