All our pictures from a scorching Reach Fair and a record-breaking Reach Ride

adrian.peel@iliffemedia.co.uk

Published: 13:27, 11 May 2018

All the fun of Reach Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell

The historic fair has taken place since 1201

The riders set off for Reach. Picture: Keith Heppell

The historic Reach Fair has taken place in the village since 1201 – and it may not have enjoyed many hotter days than this year’s event.

On Monday (May 7), hundreds joined in the festivities and they were joined by participants in the Reach Ride, in which cyclists have made their way from Cambridge to Reach every year for the past 12 years.

Roxanne DeBeaux, executive director of Cam Cycle, whose volunteers organise the free ride, told the Cambridge Independent: “This year was a record-breaking year for CamCycle’s Reach Ride.

“We counted about 850 cycles passing our checkpoint during the ride, and at the fair we counted nearly 1,100 cycle seats. The reason we count the seats is because many of the bikes had more than one person on them.”

All the fun of the fair at Reach Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell

All the fun of the fair at Reach Fair, the Procession of Dignartaries. Picture: Keith Heppell

All the fun of the fair at Reach Fair, Mayor and Mayoress of Cambridge with the girls who restarted the tradition of presenting poses to the ladies in the official party. Picture: Keith Heppell

All the fun of the fair at Reach Fair, coins are tossed into the crowd after the official start of the fair. Picture: Keith Heppell

Cambridge to Reach Fair tradtional cycle ride in its 12th year organised by Camcycle . Picture: Keith Heppell

Of the fair itself, Roxanne said: “We arrived at the fair at 12, in time for the children to participate in the annual throwing of the pennies that the mayor does for the children.

“So they got to enjoy that, the morris dancing, the maypole dancing – there’s a dog show, there’s plenty of food and other activities. And the line for the ice-cream queue was very long.”

Roxanne noted that Outspoken Cycles provided two mechanics to support the ride, saying that they were “worth their weight in gold,” adding: “This year we also improved our signage for the event.

“We printed up some bright orange signs with the Reach Ride on them and we had quite a few people say how much they enjoyed seeing those signs marking the way.”

Cycling Family South Cambridgeshire Adrian Peel