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.