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Fuelling up...

On the Road Again…

On the Road Again…

Good morning all!

It’s finally here! The day I’ve been looking forward to for months, and the day our riders have no doubt been dreading for the last few weeks, as it slowly dawned on them that no matter how much training they have done, in their own minds it will never be enough!

Last night’s Pizza and Pasta has transformed into pure, unadulterated energy, Premier Inn’s top of the line mattresses have provided a superb nights sleep, and I can confirm that the ride is officially… ON!

It’s just before 6am as I write this and I can comprehensively say this is the earliest I’ve been up and about since last years ride, and the team have just departed the Towergate offices in Cheltenham.

Huge thanks to the local Samaritans team who also got out of bed at a ridiculously early time to come and wave them off, it’s support that was greatly appreciated!

With a few hours to kill before the riders make it to the first stop, let’s take a look at where they set off from.

Cheltenham

So I started the 2021 ride like this:

What is Doncaster famous for?

Primarily Horse Racing.

And I feel like history is repeating itself, because that’s what Cheltenham is best known for too. Hosting it’s first race in 1815, Cheltenham became famous for horse racing when Cheltenham Festival first took place in 1902.

Each year the festival draws in hundreds of thousands of punters each day from around the world.

Cheltenham was originally recorded as Celten hom in the year 803, and although there have been disputes as to what it actually means, the recent general consensus is that it is a conjunction of ‘Steep Hill’ and ‘Settlement’ or ‘Water Meadow’. Given the first section of the ride has by far the steepest climbs of the whole ride, it seems to check out.

But I know what you’re all wondering! You’re thinking to yourselves ‘Jay, for the love of god tell us, is Cheltenham in the Doomsday Book!?’

Well yes, it is. I’m yet to write about a location that isn’t on one of these things, but you never know we might get lucky later on in today’s route.

Spa Day

If you’ve ever visited Cheltenham you might have been curious as to why the train station is called Cheltenham Spa, I know I certainly was when we arrived yesterday after a delightful hours delay in Birmingham.

Well, although it may not be as apparent these days, Cheltenham was at one time as much of a spa town as the likes of Bath, Buxton or Harrogate (home of our Geo Agriculture offices) and technically still is.

Captain Henry Skillicorne was the first to capitalise on the health benefits mineral springs purport to have, inheriting the main spring in Cheltenham before building an elaborate pump house and ballroom around it. From there he built tree-lined promenades and gardens to attract wealthy visitors keen to investigate the healthy properties of spa water.

You can still get a taste of the spa water to this day by visiting the Pittville Pump Room, on the outskirts of Cheltenham.

Now far be it from me to try and put you off, but I had the misfortune of paying £8 for a glass of spa water from the Roman Baths in Bath, and the taste was quite possibly one of the most unpleasant I’ve ever experienced… so I wouldn’t be rushing to Pittville personally.

Big Names

So, who are the big names from Cheltenham?

Notably Louis Carroll spent a lot of time here, and the mirror said to be the inspiration for Alice Through the Looking Glass is located in a house in Cheltenham.

The city has a rich footballing history, with the likes of Eric Dyer, Mike Summerbee and the great Geoff Hurst all hailing from Chelts too.

But I’ve saved the proverbial cherries on the cake for last… Cheltenham gave us Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, and cult legend Richard O’Brien!

People may know him most for his part in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but for me he’ll always be the enigmatic host of The Crystal Maze!

Samaritans in Cheltenham

So at each stop I’ll be shining a light on the local Samaritans office and the great work that they do!

The Cheltenham office opened in 1963, here’s a quote from one of the volunteers:

Samaritans is so important. To give somebody time and hear what they are saying – just the act of doing that is giving someone validation. It’s the greatest gift, a very intimate thing. I was a volunteer for a number of years and now my son is a volunteer at the same branch, as well as my daughter-in-law. I know from being a volunteer and my family being current volunteers, that loneliness and isolation are key mental health issues.

– Pam

Pushing Onward

The next stop is Whitney, where the riders will be taking on copious amounts of caffeine at Un Coffee Roasterie!

Until the next update… Stay safe!