I’ve ridden through Ulverston a few times, and always found it a friendly sort of place. It’s mainly known as the birthplace of Stan Laurel, who stands alongside Ollie in an irresistibly photographable town centre sculpture. (It’s yet another piece by the excellent Graham Ibbeson, whose popular figures I seem to cycle past a lot: Dickie Bird, Fred Trueman, Eric Morecambe…) It has an amiable cobbled centre full of indie shops, one of which is a flower boutique called Floral & Hardy.
And so – especially sitting as it does, on the edge of the south Lakes, a few miles’ scenic ride from Coniston and Windermere – it’s an ideal venue for the ‘Friendly Festival’ Velo Retro, an annual rally for vintage bikes.
I came here for an article for Cycling Plus (which is now up on their website at https://www.bikeradar.com/features/routes-and-rides/velo-retro-past-masters) with my 1979 Claud Butler, the bike I rode for the Way of the Roses 1970s-style, earlier this year.
Velo Retro proved a delightful celebration of classic old creations, perhaps creaking and clanking a bit, but essentially still going reliably decades on. And the bikes too. Yes, many of the participants were, like me, white blokes old enough to remember that distant era when Britain wanted to join the EU but was rejected.
Saturday was a sort of party day, with live music and lots of classic bikes being ridden, wheeled and parked. Every bike has a story, and the owners are happy to tell you it.
A few highlights: Pete, who owns thirty vintage bikes, stored in one bedroom of his two-up two-down terrace house; David and Lesley, who have 17 MKMs between them; Richard, whose everyday commuting, pub and touring is the same sort of Raleigh Record Ace that I rode from London to Athens in 1996; Ian, on the meticulously refurbed machine his racer dad took up a snowy Stelvio six decades ago.
All the bikes were pre-1990, which means steel frame, downtube shifters, lugwork and toeclips. Many frames bore English-name makers and brands that sounded like the chorus to a cycle version of Widecombe Fair: Bob Jackson, Bob Griffin, Ken Ryall, Hugh Porter, Dave Marsh, Johnny Berry, Harry Quinn, Harry Hall… and Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all. Well, that’s my next comedy song for the Cycle Touring Festival sorted out.
Sunday was rides day, with options from 15 to 50-plus miles. I nominally went on the long one, the Grand Fromage, though in fact I did some of it in the car of snapper Henry: we were doing a photoshoot for the article. Though I did also ride the full course over the weekend: half on Friday getting from Ulverston train station to my cottage in Coniston, and the other half on the way back on Monday.
The weather was perfect, it was great fun, and I loved being part of this celebration of good bikes and good people.
I highly recommend the Velo Retro; I’ll no doubt be back next year as a civilian, again on my Claud. Or maybe a different vintage bike? They are a bit addictive, you know…