The News From Laura in Stalling Busk - See The Wonderful Hawes Bunting!

On sunny days and days with cloud and rain, you'll find me barnstorming the Surrey, Hampshire and Sussex Downs with Richard on our mountain bikes. We feel like Kings of the Mountain, but really we wouldn't stand a chance in a race against anyone, except each other. So we won't be cycling in this year's Tour de France which starts in our home county of Yorkshire. But it will be leaving Leeds and the peloton will be hurtling across our favourite countryside on Saturday 5 July. And the people in the Yorkshire Dales and Stalling Busk are getting ready to hang out a welcome for the cyclists. Laura tells me that there are hanging basket committees and bunting committees etc. The Bunting Brigade have made about 6000 fabric triangles that now need attaching to tape to make 2km of bunting. This great endeavour is the work of just 25 stitchers and cutters and so far it has consumed 2 full bolts of red fabric; 2 full bolts of spotted & lots of donated white sheets; 36 reels of cotton; 44 reels of 50 metre tape. After the great day the intention is that the bunting will be reused in other town festivities in subsequent years (NOT as bikinis – it’s never that warm in Hawes). Laura says, If you see this Tour de France thingy on TV and see it go through Hawes, please admire the bunting! We'll certainly do that - and all thanks to Laura and the other Bunting stitchers for flying 6000 flags during this world famous event. Quel Tour de Force!