Tour De Yorkshire 2016 Art Exhibition

Tour de Yorkshire Art Exhibition

Monk Fryston

Saturday 30 April

The Tour de Yorkshire cycle race passes through Monk Fryston on Saturday 30 April, en route between Otley and Doncaster. Both the villages of Monk Fryston and Hillam are hosting lots of entertainment on the day; a beer festival, craft fair, family cycle races and more, with both villages decorated for the event. The local WI has produced 2.6km of blue and yellow bunting, and blue or yellow bicycles are springing up all through the villages. In addition folk have plans for elaborate decorative schemes for their house frontages.

Our Club's contribution is an art exhibition and sale, to be held in the driveway of the Manor House on Main Street (the A63), where El Presidente of Monk Fryston Art Club Jean Dearn lives with her husband Ian. It will be an outdoor exhibition, weather permitting, but we will have covered accommodation available if needed. 

Art Club member Malcolm Pexton is currently painting two huge poster boards to help decorate the route, and he is also advising on the large scale 'field art' which we hope will be visible from the helicopters sending images to television viewers around the world. 

How to label your pictures

You can exhibit any subject you wish - it needn't be cycle-related, though if you have anything relevant to the day,  that will be a bonus. There is no limit on the number of pictures you can show. All pictures must be properly mounted and strung ready for hanging. Please securely attach a label (either a sticky label or a hanging label tied to the string) clearly stating your name, the title of the picture, and the price, if it is for sale (if not, just put 'NFS' on the label). 

Delivery of pictures

Ideally, please bring pictures to the Art Club meeting on Monday 25 April - or drop them in at Jean's house (the Manor House) during the week. Failing that, just bring them along on Saturday morning; see the race schedule set out below. 

Car parking on the day

There will be free car parking at the Selby end of the village. Turn up Austfield Lane (next to the disused Thrust petrol station, currently used as a car wash) to reach the parking site, about five minutes walk along the A63 from Jean's house. 

Please come along on the day

It promises to be be a fun day out in the villages, and well worth your visit, but we will also be pleased if you can spend a little time in attendance at our little exhibition. Jean proposes to offer a bite of lunch to anyone who is there, and we will be selling tea or coffee to visitors (the beer festival doesn't open until 12:00 noon). If you can let us know in advance that you hope to attend, that will be help Jean to work out how many mouths to feed.  

The race schedule on the day

We are advised that the following is likely to happen on Saturday 30 April:

• The cycle race route will come southwards from South Milford, through Monk Fryston and Hillam, then on to Birkin and Beal. 

• Lumby Hill will be totally closed all day - that is the road between Monk Fryston and Hillam, which leaves the A63 at Monk Fryston Square opposite the gates to Monk Fryston Hall.

• There will be a 45 minute 'rolling closure' of the A63 when each of the two cycle races passes through. The ladies' cycle race is expected between 9:00am and 10:00am. The men's race will pass through between 3:00pm and 4:00pm. In both cases the A63 will be closed, and tailbacks can be expected in both directions, which will take a long time to clear.

In between the two races the 'Caravane' of support and promotional vehicles will pass through, at around 1:00pm, but it is not expected that there will be any road closure for this, though traffic is likely to be slow moving.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday 30 April - please let us know if you will be there!

Rod Ward

Chairman, Monk Fryston Art Club