The Tour..at the Seaside

In the sunshine last week, I had decided to have a trip to Blackpool, for the day’s finish of the Tour of Britain http://www.tourofbritain.com/_ns_race/default.asp?section=stage4_route …thinking ‘it’ll be nice at the seaside, with all this sunshine…!’ – what a difference a week makes…

So, as I left Blackpool railway station just after 11 a.m., into the torrential rain…I wondered…British weather !

Undeterred I set off for the finish line, beneath the famous Blackpool Tower http://www.theblackpooltower.com/ ….into the rain,wind…and no sunshine ! and having located it, wandered round the merchandising stands (both of them) with rain sodden items…so, no purchases being made, I walked along the ‘prom’ along the sprint finish area, and back down to a conveniently located Weatherspoons pub, named after that famous Blackpool Poem …http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-albert-and-the-lion  where I managed to shelter and dry out for a while, before once more braving the elements with thousands of others, lining the finishing straight, and hoping for a Cavendish victory

The crowd was whipped into a (damp) frenzy by the commentator, as the live race pictures were eventually beamed into Blackpool, although I couldn’t see it, having claimed a place almost at the finish line..ready for the sprint finish..the crowd got louder, and the sky started to clear, even pockets of blue appeared in the sky, as closer and closer the race got to Blackpool, then the first of the cars started thundering down and off the circuit, the roars got louder….Cavendish was ready to pounce – I was in the perfect position, and then…

Whoosh…they’d all flashed by and Cavendish had won the stage, although I had seen little, and captured on film…even less !

The cheers were loud and long, as Cavendish was confirmed as stage winner, and now also  Tour Leader, being presented with his prizes , and new Gold shirt as lots of other prizes were awarded under the now, blue skies and sunshine of Blackpool !

The crowd (and me!) then moved on to surround the Team Sky Bus, where Bradley Wiggins, and eventually Mark Cavendish were joking with people, and signing autographs, as I managed to almost get on the bus !

Then it was time to return home, having another ‘refresher’ in the Albert and Lion – a tasty summer ale –Raspberry bitter , lovely – and onward to the trains…and home

Yes, it was a great day…at the seaside !