Tour de Yorkshire!



I've loved seeing the town and surrounding areas getting ready for the Tour de Yorkshire. The yellow and blue bunting is out again! It's great seeing it lining the streets and blowing in the wind. It's a nostalgic reminder of the 70s and 80s and the street parties. I loved the coming together of the community and folk being proud of their area. The We Love Barnsley town centre Facebook page highlighted that Barnsley council were giving out free bunting at the Town Hall. I loved these pictures they posted:



The Town Hall always looks lovely but this photo my friend took, is gorgeous. The blue sky and the flowers are picture postcard.



All the businesses are decorating their shops and cafes up in town and I've lost count of how many yellow and blue bikes there are hung in windows!
The Cooper Gallery have been getting ready and have even painted their lovely cobbles at the back yellow. A proper yellow brick road!



Love this at the back of the gallery! You expect Toto to jump out at you!


The Cooper Gallery gift shop is always brimming with fab gifts and they have lovely displays of Tour de Yorkshire gifts in the window and in the shop. I love the key ring saying, On her bike! Terry Brookes has created amazing artwork with cards and prints of Barnsley.



The Barnsley museum shop have the same gorgeous gifts. Thet are fab!



Many of the cafes have got spruced up all Tour de Yorkshire style and are advertising on social media for folk to pop by and share a coffee and cake with them. The new Pour 22 cafe bar has even baked yellow and blue cake for the occasion! Also, the new Toasted down the Arcade has made yellow and blue buns. I love the TDY ones!



I plan to visit one of my faves, The Old George before I watch the race. I love the large bike in the window if their old Old George and their creative Facebook post. The problem is there are too many cafes doing something to visit them all in one day. Perhaps a new challenge?



There will be a brew testing at the Town Hall with the brilliant Barnsley Brew and the new Have-it cafe, showing demonstrations of their different coffees and teas. I live their Aeropress coffee!



I saw this on pinterest. How clever? I may get a bicycle themed coffee art today!



The Tipsy Cow have put a fantastic post on Facebook also which looks so inviting. I wonder if they have a blue and yellow gin for the occasion?



In addition to this, the Creation station for Barnsley West have set up in Barnhley Market for crafting for families who want to pop by. Lovely idea!


The We Love Barnsley town centre Facebook page says there is also Bicycle Bingo, in addition to the Creation Station. I love Bingo!


The Arcade always looks lovely and I'm hoping to see the bike crochet art again that was outside the lovely knitting shop last year.



I'm loving the hard work that has gone on in the outskirts of town and the surrounding villages. The aerial view of the bike in Wilthorpe Park is fab!



In Barugh Green, there are more bike themed decoarations and I love the BAPP sign with the bikes opposite.



I've seen Mapplewell being transformed and again, local businesses have trimmed up really well. My friend who owns the Stags and Angels salon has a little stall outside. These photos from Facebook look really good.



I love the little Cafe Marshalls and they will be opening tomorrow to celebrate. Their coffee and cakes are gorgeous here.
I enjoyed looking on Pinterest at past pictures of Tour de Yorkshires and Tour de France. I found lots of fab pictures but these were my fave!



I was reminded of the bicycle jewellery that Sorelle, the jewellery shop, were selling last year and I'm sure they will have this year. These are gorgeous.



I sound like I'm more interested in the coffee side drinking side of the race! I used to be a very keen cyclist in my teens with my yellow racer. My friends and I cycled all over. The best cycling trip though, was my sister in law and I in Austria as teens. The first few days had rained so, on the first sunny day, we all three bikes and biked around the flat, breath taking valley of the Tyrol. It was so beautiful. It was only when we got back to the little hotel, that we noticed how burnt our backs were. Fab day though!
I remember my first bike I got at Christmas and the overwhelming excitement I felt on receiving it. It was from John Brittain's toy shop and it was a red bike called Poppy. I loved how bikes had the names on. Again, my sister in law went on so many bike rides I couldn't count! We'd set off down the fields, me with my red Poppy and her with her blue Denim! Those were the carefree days! Our brothers would have their BMX, Grifters, Boxers and Choppers. My brother is as clumsy as me and had some right falls off that BMX! It always makes me think of The Goonies film when all the lads are pictures on their bikes, off on an adventure to who knows where? Wherever the mood took you! You'd stay out all day. Or until your bike got a puncture!



Cycling is for all ages. We have fold up bikes now to go in the boot. They just need to be unfolded and used! I love this poster showing the different cycles (good word pun!) of life and I can't wait for the eccentric stage!



The Cooper Gallery are selling these On Yer Bike keyrings which are fab. Actually, I'd best be on my bike or I'll miss the start of the Men's Race!



Just seen live videos of entertainment and music going off all around town. In the pouring rain! The fab pics of the Barnsley percussion group with their waterproofs on, battling the elements and The Bee Gees walking around the Arcade are ace! Brings to mind what could be the start of an excellent poem, A bike and a brolly or A brolly on a bike! Love song lyrics and it also brings to mind one of my fave Morrissey lines: Punctured bicycle on a hillside, desolate. Well, these bikes in Barnsley today aren't punctured and happily enjoying the throng of crowds coming to see them! Best go!








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