We had great excitement here today for about 2 mins! The Tour of Britain cycle race came right past our door. There have been notices up warning about it for a few weeks. I had read about it being the UK answer to The Tour de France so I was well looking forward to it. I made sure I would not be going out because I knew the roads would be chaos and also because I wanted to see it go past. The signs said 2pm - 4pm.
While I was waiting I made some Plum jam and Green Tomato Chutney to while away the time. From 2pm onwards I kept looking out for signs of cyclists. The Hairy Hubby told me there were crowds on Rollesby bridge so I was getting pretty excited. The traffic seemed to be moving as usual outside so all seemed fine.
Just after 3pm just as my jam was ready to bottle there was a massive commotion outside. Horns blowing, police sirens, you name it. I looked out to see streams of police bikes going past the house at speed with sirens blaring. I have to say I am not sure I have heard a motorcycle siren before, it's a funny noise. There was so much racket we thought there had been a major accident!
I ran to the top of the drive and looked down the road, all I could see coming were more streams of police bikes with lights flashing. This must be it I thought. "Oh hell, my jam...oh lord where is my camera?" I ran back in to grab my camera yelling to the hairy one that if he was not interested would he take care of the jam please? He is a very versatile hairy man I have to say and did manage to save the jam. I legged it back to the road took about two photos and the camera went flat! Grrrr why does that always happen!!! Then I had to sprint back in to find my little camera (yes, I ran, it really was a special event!) Luckily that one had some charge and I was able to get back to the road just before the cyclists arrived.
First there was some sort of support car, a bit like they have on the F1 after a crash, followed closely by two cyclists pedalling like fury and having a chat, well more like a shout, with each other. Then some more police bikes. I hope there were no criminals in Norfolk today because every police bike owned by the Norfolk Constabulary was on the A149! Then in the distance I could see a crowd (flock, gaggle, bunch???) of cyclists streaming down the road. I have to say it was very impressive, the noise their wheels made was incredible and they whoooshed past me so fast I felt the need to step back a pace even though I was on the pavement. There must have been about 50 of them, all bunched up. They were past in about 2 seconds, I was barely able to get any photos because the camera I used takes ages to reset after each shot. Following on from them was a fleet of cars, all with bikes on top. I am assuming they were the riders support teams. They streamed past.
After they had gone it was straight back to business as usual on the road, not a police bike in sight. I had imagined streams of bikes going past for ages, a bit like you see when the London Marathon runners go past. It was all over in seconds, I was a bit disappointed really. The whole thing must have cost a fortune with all that police presence. I am sure four bikes would have been all that was needed really.
PS There are THREE Butterfly squirrels in the garden tonight, I bet the little rotters are all flushed with excitement over yesterdays spilled seed and are planning an fresh attack on my feeders!T
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