Crowds cheer to welcome St John Ambulance cycle responders into York after their 248-mile ride from Edinburgh
The team, Sophie Dey, Oscar Barter, Dario Ferrazzi, Darin Gray, David O'Hara, Matthew Palframan, Nick Pearce, Jo Bell and Andy Cooper, cycled along with a loaded St John Ambulance Response Bike from Edinburgh to York, to highlight the role of cycle response and raise funds to help continue to equip and train St John volunteers.
Cycle responders are highly trained, both in first aid and in advanced cycling skills, enabling them to cross crowded spaces or large distances to assist a patient. The bikes used by the charity carry a comprehensive first aid kit including a specially designed defibrillator, oxygen and pain-relieving medication and weigh approximately 45kg. Each fully equipped bike costs in the region of £4,000.
Darin Gray, organiser and participant said, 'What an unforgettable journey! Cycling from Edinburgh to York on our CRU bike was one of the toughest physical challenges I've ever faced. Long hours in the saddle, countless hills, and relentless headwinds that felt like I was pedalling through treacle—but every mile was worth it. Knowing I was raising money for St John Ambulance kept me going when the wind was pushing back harder than I expected. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported, donated, and cheered us on—this wasn't just a ride, it was a mission. Onwards to the next challenge!'
St John's Cycle Response Unit is a key part of the charity's approach to delivering first aid to people wherever and whenever they need it, but they can't carry out their life saving work without vital funds. If readers would like to help support cycle responders and volunteers with a donation they can do so at JustGiving link here:
https://www.justgiving.com/team/edinburgh2york?utm_medium=team&utm_content=edinburgh2york&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share
We are immensely grateful, no matter the size of the donation. For further information about our charity, to volunteer with us and to find a large resource of free first aid advice and videos, please visit www.sja.org.uk.
1 . Contributed
The Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mrs Joanna Ropner, discussing the bike Photo: Submitted Photo Sales
2 . Contributed
Middlesbrough St John Ambulance Headquarters and training centre Photo: Submitted Photo Sales
3 . Contributed
The Town Crier and crowds welcome the team Photo: Submitted Photo Sales
4 . Contributed
The team at the Milner Hotel York. Photo: Submitted Photo Sales
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
4 days ago
- North Wales Live
North Wales 'slum by the sea' where Mancunians lived in 'rotting' buses
A North Wales seaside resort was once branded a "shanty town" with families taking shelter in the rotting shells of buses and trains - for a holiday. Dubbed by one publication as the "slum by the sea", this North Wales seaside destination was extremely popular with holidaymakers from Greater Manchester. Even today, Talacre beach remains a beloved location with its golden sands and holiday park for many across the border. Now, its dunes and shoreline are recognised as globally important wildlife habitats and classified as a special area of scientific interest. The original holiday chalets at Talacre were constructed on The Warren – a section of rough terrain beside the beach – during the 1930s. The outbreak of war in 1939 witnessed The Warren's chalets packed with evacuees fleeing the bombing campaigns on neighbouring major cities like Manchester and Liverpool. As the Blitz escalated, the flow of displaced families into the village increased. With chalets scarce for the evacuees, temporary shelters emerged, whilst some converted old caravans, railway carriages, and buses into dwellings. Despite missing essential amenities like electricity and running water, The Warren was formally acknowledged as a camp during World War Two, reports the Manchester Evening News. Many were lone mothers with their youngsters, attempting to establish a new existence away from the target cities of Manchester and Liverpool – their spouses away at war or remaining in the city for employment. However, despite escaping the bombardment of their home cities, the conflict remained a constant presence even in Talacre. During daylight hours, RAF airmen utilised the sand dunes for training exercises, shooting at wooden targets positioned close to the shoreline. Following the war's conclusion, several of the chalets transformed into permanent residences for the camp's inhabitants. Holidaymakers also flocked back to The Warren, which evolved into an enchanting escape from urban life for countless generations of youngsters. By the close of the 1950s, the absence of adequate facilities and what were perceived as substandard conditions at the site had become a source of mockery amongst contemporary comedians, beginning to draw unfavourable media attention. In June 1959, the Daily Herald newspaper published an article cautioning potential visitors against being misled into reserving accommodation at the North Wales "shanty town". The reporter warned that unwary tourists "won't know until they arrive that they've booked for a slum by the sea," describing The Warren as a "shanty town in which sheds, shacks and bus bodies predominate." The article went on to state that the entire stretch of coastline had been deemed "unsafe for bathing" and lacked proper sanitation, electricity, or sufficient water provision. One complaint letter regarding the seaside destination, featured in the Manchester Evening News in July 1953 from a frustrated visitor, was particularly scathing. A Mrs GM Chorlton from Wilmslow wrote: "Can anything be done about a scandalous state of affairs at Talacre Beach, about four miles this side of Prestatyn? We were there from June 20 to 27 and there was a dead porpoise on the beach, stinking to high heaven and smothered in blow-flies. "To my disgust it is still there - my son-in-law has just returned. Can you imagine the stench?". Mrs Chorlton continued: "For the sake of the children who are there on holiday something should be done. Moreover, there are thousands of broken bottles and rusty, empty tins on the beach - a lovely beach - ruined, too." Adding: "There is no sanitation as I understand it. All filth is buried in a hole in the ground." The press's frequent use of the phrase "shanty town" to describe the seaside spot didn't sit well with everyone. In 1964, one councillor furiously told Llanasa Parish Council they should protest against such language, declaring: "Talacre is now a modern village with lighting and running water. The shanty town – The Warren – belongs to a private owner." Talacre Beach Resort initially opened during the 1960s under the name Morfa Holiday Camp, with some of the earliest holidaymakers still occupying basic huts dotted along the shore. As the decade wore on, numerous temporary structures including converted buses were demolished to make way for caravan developments. By 1973, the final remnants of the old beach huts had been cleared from the sand dunes as the destination's appeal continued to flourish.
Daily Record
12-08-2025
- Daily Record
'Ghost' village abandoned in 1943 as residents forced to flee
Tyneham village in Dorset was abandoned in 1943 when the British military requisitioned the village for training purposes during World War Two. An abandoned Dorset village stands as a unique relic in Britain, a forgotten piece of history that remains etched in memory. Tragic events forced residents to flee their cherished homes many decades past. Tucked away along Dorset's breathtaking Jurassic Coast, a visit to Tyneham village feels like travelling through time. Visitors can peer into the existence of locals who were compelled to desert the settlement during the Second World War. The year 1943 marked the moment when this thriving hamlet of Tyneham would witness their world transformed permanently, reports the Mirror. During the height of World War Two, the British military commandeered the village for training exercises. This resulted in heartbroken residents receiving just one month's warning to vacate properties where countless families had resided across generations. The authorities of that era seized Tyneham village and its surrounding territory to serve as a training facility for Allied troops, given its proximity to the Lulworth firing range. Locals were convinced they were sacrificing their dwellings for the nation's benefit and expected to return following the war's conclusion. A message was attached to the church entrance, which stated: "Please treat the church and houses with care. We have given up our homes where many of us have lived for generations, to help win the war to keep men free. We will return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly." Tragically though, the residents were never permitted to return to their dwellings in Tyneham as even after World War Two concluded, the settlement and its surrounding countryside remained a training facility for military operations. Today the settlement, still preserved in time after nearly 80 years, serves as a 'thought-provoking and interesting' visitor destination. It welcomes guests at specific periods throughout the year and tourists praise its 'fascinating insights into the lives of residents'. During periods when the settlement remains closed to visitors, the barriers preventing entry are secured at dusk each night. One guest's assessment on TripAdvisor states: "This deserted village has such an interesting history. The boards within the church detailing the villagers fight to be allowed to return to the village and the current position are very moving." A separate TripAdvisor assessment described 'a wonderful place - very atmospheric and sad but in a way that keeps drawing you back to visit'. Tyneham's final inhabitant, Peter Wellman passed away aged 100 in April this year - the centenarian made a farewell journey to the settlement in 2024, to witness the location where he was born and raised. During 2024, on his final journey to Tyneham, Peter recalled his youth, telling the Dorset Echo at the time: "We had no electricity, no mains gas and no running water – we had to pump that from near the church. I remember going to the beach and fishing and we often had mackerel. We were happy until we got moved out." Tyneham village is located within the Isle of Purbeck, which despite its name, is not an island but a peninsula bordered by the English Channel in the county of Dorset.
BBC News
20-07-2025
- BBC News
How a quiet Surrey woodland helped the Allies on D-Day
Just a short drive from the Surrey town of Farnham lies the Hankley Common woodland, which hides a fascinating piece of World War Two stroll past the huge wall that runs through the wood each day, but few will know of the key role it played in the D-Day the end of 1942, German-occupied Europe stretched from the Atlantic coast of France in the west to the Russian Ural Mountains in the Hitler felt the coastline to the west was vulnerable to invasion, so ordered forts be built on 2,000 miles (3,218km) of shoreline along France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and the northern tip of Norway. The defence system would inevitably fail, thanks in part to the tests carried out hundreds of miles away in Surrey in 1943. Royal Canadian Engineers based in the area built a replica section of wall in the woodland using plans smuggled from France, which showed how the real wall was Army then began blowing the wall to pieces using two new armoured test vehicles. One of the vehicles was the AVRE mortar-firing tank, which was then used to break through the real Atlantic Wall during the D-Day landings."It was about creating new armoured vehicles, vehicles that would be able to breach this wall," said military historian Paul McCue."The people who built this went ashore during the invasion of France and many lost their lives."There's a plaque on it but it's quite a modest one and it's tucked away, so people will walk past it and not see it."Today, it is clear to see the chasms that were blown out of the wall during tests, with metal rods still poking from moss-covered rubble.
