A huge congratulations to all the winners at the Beacon Awards Dinner on Saturday evening...I don't know about you, but a more deserving bunch of winners would be difficult to find again... truly fabulous, and wasn't is great that we embraced the Academy winners and achievements alongside the adult winners. Hats off particularly to Freddie Elmore, who took home two trophies and a signed programme by all the other winners....well done Freddie.
...and wasn't it fab to have this event at the Beacon spiritual home, i.e. the Black Horse, a Wetherspoons pub, so not only does it shout Beacon as its normal Sunday start location, but it specialises in cheap beer and bad language...how very Beacon
.So many things to say about it, but most has been said elsewhere, so take a look at George's photos and inwardly smile. I really enjoyed Pete's talk on the Tour Aorta, err, Aeort, err Aotr...New Zealand, with great photos and a cafe venue I simply must visit someday, the Cheese Barn and Coffee Shop...never two words more welcome on a bike ride. Fantastic stuff, Pete!
...but the best bits for me is not the formal stuff, but just to chat to loads of fellow Beacon guys over a pint, both reminiscing on the year just gone, and looking forward to 2025 and the creation of new adventures. Anyway, that's that for another year, so what else has been happening.
Kudos of the week goes to Carina McGovern, who didn't make the Christmas dinner as she was just finishing the Moonrakers and Sunseekers 310kms Audax, which started at 10pm on Friday night in Bristol...Her first 300kms ride for quite a while and to choose an overnight 300 in November is quite a choice!
Hats off to the two leaders of club runs on Sunday, Mick Stanford and Andy Wrightson...both were at the dinner so kudos for both for getting up and riding the morning after...I left around 23:30 on Saturday night and Mick was still bopping away with anyone vaguely human within 20metres, so a great effort to lead a ride some 9hours later...
That's it for now, the next Beacon event is the Cross League Sunday on the 9th of December...no club runs that day, so come along and race, help out or watch, it's always a fun day. More info on that in the week....
See you soon and keep off the ice this week!
Phil