What a weekend for Yorkshire. If you weren’t lucky enough to be in this part of the country over the Bank Holiday weekend for the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, it was quite a spectacle.

On Saturday it was the Yorkshire Wolds’ time to shine. With the stage two route passing close to our farm, I drove down with two of my grandchildren to watch the fast-approaching peloton.

Despite it being a bitterly cold day, the crowds were out in force with cars parked up on the road side and people filling the grass verges.

Anticipation grew as the police and tour marshals sped by on their motorbikes. Just as we thought we were about to witness the professional cyclists we were greeted by the unexpected sight of a man riding a penny farthing (see the main picture taken by my eldest grandaughter). What he lacked in speed he certainly made up for in style as he headed up hill towards nearby Norton.

The Yorkshire Wolds Railway train kept hooting its horn, which really added to the atmosphere – it gave us a bit of start the first time we heard it too!

Finally, the break-away group zoomed past followed a few minutes later by the main peloton. The sound was incredible and quite took the three of us by surprise! The peloton was quickly followed by an array of back-up cars and an ambulance, then it was all over.

As we headed back to the car for our picnic there was a definite buzz of excitement in the air. What a thrill to see such a spectacle practically on your doorstep!

Hilary