Santas and elves ride out in Stourbridge charity bike ride
Scores of Santas and elves were on the move – but there was not a reindeer in sight.
Father Christmas and his helpers decided to get on their bikes to raise cash for charity on Saturday.
Around 60 enthusiasts, belonging to a group called Stourbug, donned festive gear for the mass cycle ride from Mary Stevens Park in Heath Lane, Stourbridge at the weekend. Some even decorated their machines.
They split into groups based on ability and headed for The Island Pool pub in Cookley by a variety of different routes and sat down for lunch. The riders had worked up an appetite by covering between 20 and 15 miles depending on which route they had joined. Then they all rode the five miles back to the park where it had started from.
Each rider paid a £2 subscription to take part and took collection tins with them to raise funds for their chosen charity, the Samaritans. BT phone engineer Andy Glazzard, aged 52, reckons he has ridden 15,000 miles since joining the group three years ago and has shed 3st in the process.
"We try to put something back into the community at the same time as we are enjoying ourselves," he said. "For instance we had 350 cyclists join us on a ride earlier this year that raised £4,000 for Diabetes UK."
Meanwhile, more than 120 people took part in a mile-long Santa Run through the grounds of Tettenhall College on Saturday. Pupils, friends and residents took part in the annual event that was started by Wolves legend Steve Bull.
