It is hugely fitting that our region today hosted one stage of a major national cycling event.
The area has long had very close associations with the sport - Wolverhampton especially - through ambassadors like Hugh Porter, the four times world pursuit champion.
The Tour of Britain set out from the city this morning with cyclists pedalling a route that took them through the Black Country, out into Staffordshire and back into the West Midlands conurbation to finish in Birmingham.
And with such a prestigious national event restored to the British sporting calendar, it is only right that this part of the country that has such well established sporting connections should stake its place on the tour’s map.
For local authorities in Wolverhampton, Stafford, Lichfield and Birmingham hosting something of the magnitude of the Tour of Britain represents a major commitment and a huge organisational challenge - no matter how fleeting the visit seems.
They should be congratulated for their courage in taking on that challenge and it is to be hoped their efforts will be rewarded by a brilliant sporting showcase.
Such events don’t happen without a huge financial commitment too. Major sponsors Birmingham Midshires must believe their money has been well spent and that the route of today’s stage was a neat national fit for their regional profile.
They may be weighing the success or otherwise of the venture in terms of hard cash, but for the spectators in the cities, towns and villages along the route the rewards were probably measured more in the thrill and the spectacle that has added so much colour to the region’s late summer.
And, while the Tour of Britain may have been here today, gone tomorrow, there’s always the day after that to look forward to, when Wolverhampton hosts its annual marathon.
There are model aircraft kits and then there are really big model aircraft kits. You wouldn’t expect anyone other than patriot and benefactor Sir Jack Hayward to have one of the biggest.
At a time when one of the nation’s favourite model makers, Airfix, has hit hard times and gone into administration, Sir Jack has a plane of his own to play with.
He has donated a huge amount of money to help restore a Vulcan bomber just when it looked as though eight years’ hard work by a group of enthusiasts was about to fail through a lack of cash.
The Vulcan has heroism and history built into its very fabric - and you can bet it won’t have a gluey fingerprint in sight.
This article posted on September 1, 2006 at 6:00 pm.
Proud days in sporty city
It is hugely fitting that our region today hosted one stage of a major national cycling event.
The area has long had very close associations with the sport - Wolverhampton especially - through ambassadors like Hugh Porter, the four times world pursuit champion.
The Tour of Britain set out from the city this morning with cyclists pedalling a route that took them through the Black Country, out into Staffordshire and back into the West Midlands conurbation to finish in Birmingham.
And with such a prestigious national event restored to the British sporting calendar, it is only right that this part of the country that has such well established sporting connections should stake its place on the tour’s map.
For local authorities in Wolverhampton, Stafford, Lichfield and Birmingham hosting something of the magnitude of the Tour of Britain represents a major commitment and a huge organisational challenge - no matter how fleeting the visit seems.
They should be congratulated for their courage in taking on that challenge and it is to be hoped their efforts will be rewarded by a brilliant sporting showcase.
Such events don’t happen without a huge financial commitment too. Major sponsors Birmingham Midshires must believe their money has been well spent and that the route of today’s stage was a neat national fit for their regional profile.
They may be weighing the success or otherwise of the venture in terms of hard cash, but for the spectators in the cities, towns and villages along the route the rewards were probably measured more in the thrill and the spectacle that has added so much colour to the region’s late summer.
And, while the Tour of Britain may have been here today, gone tomorrow, there’s always the day after that to look forward to, when Wolverhampton hosts its annual marathon.
Heady days in a sporting city.
See also: Our Tour of Britain video
Bomber’s valour will always stick:
There are model aircraft kits and then there are really big model aircraft kits. You wouldn’t expect anyone other than patriot and benefactor Sir Jack Hayward to have one of the biggest.
At a time when one of the nation’s favourite model makers, Airfix, has hit hard times and gone into administration, Sir Jack has a plane of his own to play with.
He has donated a huge amount of money to help restore a Vulcan bomber just when it looked as though eight years’ hard work by a group of enthusiasts was about to fail through a lack of cash.
The Vulcan has heroism and history built into its very fabric - and you can bet it won’t have a gluey fingerprint in sight.
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