The Hadrian’s Wall Coast to Coast Cycle Event - In Aid of the Masonic Charitable Foundation
It may have taken almost 12 months to organise but the latest Durham Masonic Cycling Club sponsored fundraiser has finally been completed.
The Team met bright and early on the morning of Friday 20th September 2024. Bikes had been loaded onto the 2 support vans, kindly supplied free for the event by Westfield Motor Group, on the evening before and, as a result, after a quick visit to McDonalds for breakfast, the Team were on their way to the start line in Whitehaven, our very own Provincial Communications Officer, Arron Gilbraith, supplying and driving the coach.
By around 9.30am the Team were at the start and raring to go. There was however a brief delay as the support vans containing all of the bikes had had to refuel and were some way behind the riders.
By 10am however the Team were ready for the off and lined up on the slip way in Whitehaven with the rear wheels of their bikes in the Irish Sea. This did however see the first fall of the event, with John Henry not managing to successfully unclip from his pedals and toppling over in front of the assembled team, thankfully with no more than his wounded pride.
The first morning saw our 30 riders heading up the coast towards Silloth. Unfortunately, whilst it was sunny and warm, they were also faced with a stiff headwind which marred their progress.
By around 1pm the team reached Silloth Masonic Hall where our friends, the Cumbria Freemasons and particularly Miramar Lodge, had arranged a much needed lunch to support the team.
By 2pm the riders were off again, this time heading East along the Solway Firth before turning inland towards Carlisle, their first evenings stop. Other than the continuing headwind and one of the organisers, Steve Piercy, taking a tumble off his bike whilst trying to help another rider (more bruised pride only thankfully) the afternoon was relatively uneventful with our riders reaching their overnight stop in Carlisle by around 6pm after some 63 miles and over 5 ½ hours in the saddle.
A shower and a couple of medicinal libations later the Team enjoyed a relatively healthy Italian meal before most retired for an earlyish night and the delights of their roommates snoring.
Breakfast on day 2 was at 8am and by 9am the team were lowering themselves gingerly back on to their saddles and heading west.
The first 7 or 8 miles out of Carlisle were lovely. The route here was along a sheltered cycle way leading out of Carlisle and towards Warwick Bridge and the collective mood of the riders was great.
Unfortunately, this was just the calm before the storm or, more accurately, the flat before the mountains, as it wasn’t too long before the team started their relentless and seemingly endless climb into the Pennines. It was here that the team first encountered the remains of Hadrian’s Wall proper and most of the riders took the opportunity for a well needed rest and a photograph to mark the occasion.
By around 1pm our riders had reached Haltwhistle Masonic Hall where the Northumberland Freemasons had also agreed to help our Team and a wonderful lunch of soup and sandwiches was laid on by Haltwhistle Lodge and specifically by WBro Alan Pape and his wife.
Sadly, the respite was only brief and by 2pm the team were again climbing hills and swearing at the organisers.
A wise man once said - there is no hill you can’t push your bike up - but there were a couple that afternoon that came very close - with almost all of the team having to climb off their bikes and take to shanks pony to make the steepest ascents.
After around 55 miles, over 3200ft of climbing, one snapped chain, a coffee and an ice cream stop for some, the riders finally enjoyed a down hill ride into Hexham where they were due to stop on the 2nd night.
Once again, medicinal alcohol was the order of the day before an Indian meal and a collapse into bed.
Day 3 dawned and if the team had been suffering some saddle sores after day 1, the issue by day 3 was significantly more pronounced, with most, if not all, walking like a bowlegged John Wayne.
Thankfully the weather remained dry and as the Team set off after breakfast, they also found that they had largely left the hills behind.
The plan for the day was to try to make it to the finish line in Sunderland with only a brief coffee stop. The team set off riding down the beautiful Tyne Valley towards Corbridge, Wylam and Newburn on the outskirts of Newcastle.
Other than a couple of punctures and wrong turns, the mood on this last morning was excellent as the finishing line got closer.
The Team wound their way through Newcastle before taking on light refreshments at the Cycle Hub in Ouseburn. They stopped for photographs at the end of Hadrian’s Wall at Segedunum Roman Fort in Wallsend (yes RW Provincial Grand Master - that is where the name comes from) and then they crossed beneath the Tyne in the wonderful Victorian pedestrian tunnel from North Shields to Jarrow.
Returning to their home Province, the team rode along the Coast to Roker where they symbolically dipped their front wheels into the North Sea to complete their Sea to Sea adventure. They finished the ride with one final hill (and 1 more snapped chain), riding to Queen Street Masonic Hall where the Sunderland Freemasons had laid on a celebratory meal and where they were met by their cheering friends and family.
The ride concluded with the presentation of a symbolic cheque marking the in excess of £21,000 raised by the 30 riders, all of which will go to very worthy causes.
This was the 6th ride event organised by the Durham Masonic Cycling Club and in total those that have taken part have raised over £130,000 for those in need.
Our very grateful thanks go out to:
- The Cumbria Freemasons
- Westfield Motor Group
- The Northumberland Freemasons
- The Sunderland Freemasons
- The Coach supplier and driver - Arron Gilbraith
- Our wonderful support drivers - Craig Pattison, Harry Prince, Graham Clark & Stephen Willis
- The ride organisers Gavin Rowell & Steve Piercy
- To all of the riders
- And above all to all of those who sponsored and supported them.
Look out for the announcement of next years ride in the next couple of months! (or when the saddle sores have subsided - whichever is sooner)
Photos of the day are available on the Provincial Flickr Feed https://www.flickr.com/photos/92541702@N07/albums/
