Cyclists raise £20,000 for homeless in Queen Eleanor ride
A group of cyclists has completed the annual Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride, passing through Grantham and
raising £20,000 for charity.
The cyclists took on the challenge over the bank holiday, the 10th Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride in aid of a London homeless person’s charity, The Connection at St Martin’s.
The cyclists visit every site of the Queen Eleanor crosses which mark the location where her funeral cou8rtege stopped overnight on its way to London.
The riders stayed overnight at Harrowby Lane Methodist Church and visited the Guildhall where a stone plaque commemorates the life of Eleanor of Castile (C. 1241-1290) and the nearby spot where the cross was placed on St Peter’s Hill.
Keith Busfield, of the charity ride, said: “In Grantham, lycra clad men and women rubbed shoulders with early morning dog walkers and had a warm welcome at Harrowby Lane Methodist Church, who kindly provided dinner and a floor to sleep on. After a visit to the new Queen Eleanor commemorative stone outside the town hall there was a quick visit to one of the local bike shops for running repairs.
He added: “The wind and the rain didn’t dampen their spirits. Nor did challenges like swallowing a wasp, breaking a collar bone avoiding a sleeping policeman, a broken axle, various punctures and the odd detour including to the local hospital. They have raised almost £20,000 towards a challenging target of
£25,000.”
Cycling 214 miles in a little over 3 days, the group first visited Harby, just outside Lincoln, where Queen Eleanor died in 1290, followed by the sites of all 12 Queen Eleanor Crosses finishing at Queen Eleanor’s Tomb in Westminster Abbey.
King Edward 1 arranged for his dead wife’s body to be carried to London with crosses bearing statues of the Queen - the Queen Eleanor Crosses - to be erected at places where the procession stopped overnight. Three of the original crosses remain, in Geddington, Hardingstone (on the outskirts of Northampton) and Waltham Cross.
For every £100 raised it gives someone homeless two nights in the warmth and safety of an emergency night centre, with showers, hot nutritious food, and a support session with a keyworker.
Anybody who would like to take part in next years’ cycle ride can register by visiting www.queeneleanorcycleride.org.uk You can donate at: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/keithbusfield1