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August 2018
Showpiece cycling event to return for second year MANSFIELD is to play a major part in the country’s biggest cycling event for a second successive year.
The town will be the finish point for the seventh stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain cycle race on Saturday, 8th September. The biggest free-to-attend sporting event will see cyclists start in West Bridgford and pass through Southwell, Retford, Worksop and Hucknall before riding into Mansfield. The route this year will take in key Nottinghamshire landmarks such as the new Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre at Edwinstowe, Newstead Abbey, Clumber Park and Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. Last year Mansfield was the starting point for a stage, bringing thousands of people into the town and showcasing the area to a global television audience of millions. The Mayor of Mansfield, Kate Allsop, said: “We are very pleased and proud that Mansfield has been chosen as a host for the second year in a row — this time for the exciting finish. “As it is on a Saturday, we hope this will enable even more people than last year to line the streets and provide a huge welcome for the cyclists as they make their way to the finish line. “There will be plenty of ways you can get involved — from decorating your home or business and entering competitions, to enjoying the cycling-themed entertainment at our summer festivals — so keep an eye out for more information nearer the time. “We hope you will join us to show the world the very best that Mansfield has to offer.”
Last year’s successful event attracted 210,000 supporters across Nottinghamshire on the day — one of the biggest turn-outs on the eight-stage race across the UK. The race boosted the Notting-hamshire economy by more than £3.4m. Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, added: “The turnout for the Nottinghamshire stage last year was incredible. “We are taking in a lot of new areas, approaching a significant part of 2017’s route from the opposite direction as well as having hillier sections this time.” lBRITISH Bike Hire is getting into gear to help ‘upcycle’ old bicycles for displays across the district to mark the event. The sales and hire company, based on Hermitage Lane Industrial Estate, Mansfield, has partnered with the council’s Tour of Britain event team to recycle donated bikes, frames and spares. Wheels and frames are particularly wanted to create art displays in public spaces. Yellow bikes will be placed along the route. Donations can be taken to British Bike Hire, 12 Maun Close, Hermitage Lane Mansfield. The council will also be using bikes taken to waste and recycling centres. lUP to 100 volunteer Tour Makers are needed to give information, direct spectators to viewing and crossing points, as well as supervise road closures. Volunteers must be aged 16 or over and be available to help, from 10am to 5pm. People can sign up at www.mansfield.gov. uk/TOB Stewards will be given training and a free T-shirt.
AT the competition launch are, from left, ToBi, Tour of Britain mascot; Aaron Simms, Mansfield District Council Tour of Britain project manager; Coun Mick Barton, deputy mayor of Mansfield; Hayley Barsby, chief executive of the council; Mike Robinson, director of economic growth; and Nuts the Squirrel, Nottinghamshire CCC mascot. ORGANISERS of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain have called on Nottinghamshire to bowl them over with eye-catching land and water art alongside the route of this year’s event. For the first time, it is holding a competition to find the best piece of land art. Community groups, schools, businesses and land owners have been encouraged to take part in the competition, which was launched at Trent Bridge cricket ground, West Bridgford. Last year’s race saw a much-talked about sheep creation by Coddington farmer Des Allen.
Coun Mick Barton, deputy mayor of Mansfield, said: “We hope residents and businesses along the five-mile route through Mansfield district will get creative and produce land art that can be seen from the sky. “We want to encourage anything that will help us showcase the best of Mansfield, not only to the thousands of visitors expected on the day but also to the millions watching on television around the world.” To find out more and how to register planned land art, go to www.tourofbritain.co.uk/land-art
Double award celebration for town’s museum MANSFIELD Museum has added to its list of accolades with a double success at the Nottinghamshire Heritage Forum Awards. The museum, on Leeming Street, received awards for best exhibition and best event. The best exhibition award was for Like Of A Coalminer, which aimed to show the dangers that so many local men faced when working
underground. The exhibition also highlighted the tight-knit communities that surrounded so many collieries in the area and how so many lives revolved around the pits. The best event award was for the museum’s now annual health and wellbeing festival. It runs every April in the museum and aims to help families make healthy living choices.
This year’s events linked with the festival included a picnic in the park, family yoga, and a workshop to learn how to grow vegetables. Museum development officer Jodie Henshaw said it was a team effort by all the staff. “We are proud of this achievement and excited to win,” she said. Bilsthorpe Heritage Museum and Clumber
Park received judges’ special awards at the ceremony at Nottingham Trent University. The museum received the accolade for achieving Arts Council England accreditation, and Clumber Park and the National Trust for creative volunteer engagement. Judges said they were impressed by the variety of entries.
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