Posted by Stella Gooch
With just days to go until Stage Six of the Tour of Britain sets off from King’s Lynn for its 117-mile route across Norfolk, the final arrangements have been put in place for the day’s activities.
Stage 6 is the longest stage in the Tour of Britain and Hunstanton has an exciting programme of celebrations to mark the event. On 16 September there will be live music by groups from Smithdon and Redgate Schools, a picnic on Hunstanton Green, a balloon race, a giant “sun”, bouncy castle and fiant slide, clown and live entertainment, Punch & Judy show, human letters and much more. So why not enjoy the festivities in Hunstanton. If you find yourself nearer Kings Lynn then you find a lot going on there too.
At 9am in the Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, 72 year-six pupils from local primary schools take part in three different cycling-related activities. British Cycling have organised Go Ride racing, Active Norfolk have organised a Watt Bike Challenge and Halfords, King’s Lynn are running a bike maintenance workshop. Twenty-four of the Go Ride racers will be lucky enough to join the customised bikes as they lead off the race from the Tuesday Market Place at 11am.
King’s Lynn’s Tuesday Market Place will be buzzing with a variety of stalls to visit, featuring information from local cycling organisations, NHS health trainers, and the Borough Council and Norfolk County Council’s recycling teams. Bodyworks Fitness suites will be encouraging people to have a go on their fitness bike, whilst King’s Lynn Cycling Club will have two static touring bikes to have a go on.
Unusual percussion band ‘Scrap Beat’ will be in the Market Place creating a Tour of Britain inspired sound by playing their music on bicycle parts! At 10am the Mayor of the Borough of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, Cllr Zipha Christopher, will present yellow jerseys to winners from Stage Five.
The March Veteran and Vintage Bike Club will be displaying their collection of bikes before preparing to lead the neutral lap around the town at 10.45am and the winners of the Customise Your Bike Competition will be proudly displaying their creations at the start line as they prepare to lead off the race with the Go Rider Racers at 11am.
Cllr Elizabeth Nockolds, Cabinet Member for Sports, Arts and Open Space, said: “We are thrilled that the Tour of Britain is setting off on Stage Six from King’s Lynn, we hope that people will come in their thousands to support the cyclists along the route and that many will take the opportunity to enjoy the activities we’ve organised in King’s Lynn. As a keen cyclist myself, I know only too well the benefits that cycling can bring and I hope that this event really inspires people to take up the activity.”
Once the race has headed out of town towards the racing start at King’s Lynn Golf Club, the schools activities sessions will continue, with presentations to schools taking place at 12.45pm outside the Corn Exchange.
At 1pm the King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Bike Users’ Group (BUG) will be heading up a led bike ride around King’s Lynn lasting around 40 minutes – an ideal lunch-hour activity. To take part, simply get on your bike and head to the Globe, in the Tuesday Market Place. Alternatively, on Sunday, 19 September, BUG will be leading a family cycle ride, exploring the town’s network of cycle paths. Meet at Lynnsport at 10am.
The Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest professional bicycle race and the biggest free-to-spectate sporting event in the UK. It will cover a 117-mile route from King’s Lynn, via Sandringham and Hunstanton, to Great Yarmouth, with iconic destinations along the route televised in more than 100 countries.
To celebrate the arrival of the Tour of Britain in Norfolk, Festival Too! and the Borough Council and King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, with generous sponsorship from The Bank House Hotel and Restaurant, have organised a concert featuring KLFM, Jimmy Rockitt and tribute Band Queen II. The event starts at 7pm in King’s Staithe Square. Family activities and stalls will be available along the Quayside. Join in the celebrations at the Tour of Britain Concert by the Quayside in Kings Lynn.
Many small businesses are set to benefit from an increase in the level of Small Business Rate Relief with effect from 1 October 2010. The government announced the change on 22 June this year, stating that it would make Small Business Rate Relief more generous for one year.