This is a one off event, round about the usual date of the Bob Rawlings Run (slightly changed to avoid a clash with another local event), using a route originally devised for the 2020 Rookhope Ryde!
It starts at 10.00 a.m. from the Wylam Riverside Car Park, heads to Alston for lunch then wends it’s way back to Wylam. Date is Sunday 12th of September.
It will be a purely social run. No questions, no checkpoints and no cost.
It will be run under the New VMCC rules which means a new signing on procedure and VMCC membership cards will need to be shown.
Good weather has been requested from the appropriate authorities.
Hope to see you there!
P.S any updates will be posted here, on the main VMCC Website and the Section Facebook Page.
As no-one has expressed an interest in the Cumberland Hotel menu, I'll be cancelling the reservation.
As has been suggested by a few people, there is the The Nook Farm Shop and Café, just to the North of Alston. I'll put directions on the route sheet if it takes your fancy, but please be back at the Texaco garage in Alston by 1.30 for the handing out of afternoon routes.
THE NOOK FARM SHOP & CAFE, Alston - Updated 2021 Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor
Martin Vincent has passed on this information about the lunch stop at Alston:-
You may want to consider a half hour at the Hub Museum. The museum (£2 entry) has a very interesting collection of classic motorcycles and cars, including Velo KSS, Rudge, Douglas,, early Triumph, even an AA BSA M21 combination. There is a good cafe 50yds away at the old railway station where you will find narrow gauge steam trains. There is ample parking at the museum and station. It's at the bottom end of town where you will also find The Cumberland Inn, Alston House and other hostelries close by.
We’ll be handing out the return routes at 1.30 next to the Texaco garage so don’t get carried away!
We have checked the route out for this run and this is just some information about the Lunch Stop, which is basically Alston.
For the next few months, the main hill in Alston (which is on the route to Teesdale and Weardale) is closed for repair. Apart from anything else, this has had an effect upon the small businesses in the town. Specifically for us, quite a few of the small cafes are shut.
Therefore for lunch we would suggest the following alternatives:-
Take your own bait
Get some food from the garage next to where we suggest parking. They do hot stuff, cold sandwiches and coffee/tea.
We have tentatively booked a table at the Cumberland Inn (right next to the garage). They offer Sunday Lunches but they will be busy so they have asked that we tell them beforehand if we need the table. It has to be said that prices reflect the post-Brexit, post-Covid reality. Here is a specimen menu,
They also do sandwiches. If you want to partake of lunch at the Cumberland Arms, please let me know ASAP