The 2020 renewal of the annual Melton International CiCle Classic, due to take place on Sunday 19th April, has been cancelled as a result of the restrictions caused by the Coronavirus.
The news was announced on the CiCLE Classic website:
It is with the utmost regret that we have to advise that owing to the extreme circumstances faced by us all in relation to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to cancel the 2020 edition of the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic set to take place on Sunday 26th April.
To all our Teams, riders, officials, sponsors and fans, take care, STAY HEALTHY and we look forward to welcoming you all back in 2021!!
CiCLE Classic Website
The widespread Coronavirus pandemic has hit many Rutland events which were due to take place in the coming weeks.
The UK Government imposed restrictions aimed at restricting the spread of the virus, including an effective ban on mass gatherings.
Although not implicitly forbidden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested that medical personnel, usually present at sports and cultural events in case of accidents, should instead be available to the NHS at this time of need.
Midlands Pointing announced on Tuesday 17th March that all the remaining point-to-point horse racing meetings due to take place in the Midlands were cancelled, including the four fixtures due to take place at Garthorpe Racecourse, just outside Wymondham.
The team behind the Rutland Bird Fair have announced that it is to return in a slightly different form.
The newly christened Global Bird Fair will now take place at Rutland Showground on the 15th, 16th and 17th July 2022.
Some users on social media responded to Tim Appleton's tweet announcing the dates of the new fair with questions about the carbon footprint and environmental concerns, pointing out that these were the reasons cited when the bird fair was cancelled late last year.
Author Kate Bradbury tweeted, "Weren't environmental concerns, both locally, and internationally, significant in the decision to cancel the original Birdfair? How will this new version be different in terms of carbon footprints of exhibitors and trampling of the nature reserve itself?"
One birder responded by saying that it would be bigger and generate even more carbon.
The Global Bird Fair website is addressing some of these concerns. On their home page they state that they aim to help worldwide nature conservation, adding that they are working closely with a carbon offsetting company in order to make "significant contributions to the scheme", and "we aim to make Global Bird Fair as carbon neutral as possible."
The Bird Fair will be open to the public from 9am to 5.30pm on Friday 15th, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th July, with last admission at 4pm.
Tickets and programmes will be available to book online from 14th February 2022 and visitors are requested to purchase online if at all possible. Exhibitors may book from the same date using a form on the website.
On foot:
Rutland Showgroud is a 25 minute walk from the centre of Oakham.
By Shuttle Bus:
There will be a shuttle bus available for routes between Oakham Railway Station & Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre at Egleton and the Global Birdfair site at Rutland Showground. Timetable to be confirmed.
By Bicycle:
Bicycles can be ridden to an allocated area near the Showground entrance where they can be left during your visit to Global Birdfair. Bicycles are not permitted on the event site.
By Car:
There is ample free car parking at Rutland Showground including forward parking for those with Disabled badges and those who require mobility assistance during the event. A BP petrol station is situated opposite the site.
By Train:
Oakham Railway Station is 1 mile from the Global Birdfair event site.
They hope to run a shuttle service between the station and the event.
By Bus:
There are several bus services running through Oakham. Please see the Rutland Council website and search for Oakham for details of services.
By Taxi:
There will be a taxi drop off and collection point near the main entrance to the Showground - a short walk to the Global Birdfair site.
By Plane:
Nearest Airport East Midlands - around a 1 hour drive from the site..
There are trains direct to Oakham from Stansted Airport and train transfers available from Birmingham Airport. London Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport are accessible by train via Peterborough and Leicester.
Visitors can book a camping spot on site, where showers and toilets are available. Oakham and Uppingham Schools have offered to provide some accommodation, which will be available to book soon.
Do you want to have your say about the proposals for mental health services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland?
We are consulting with people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland on proposals to change some of our adult mental health services.
Whether you have used our services or not, we are running this workshop session to hear what you think about the proposed changes, so come along to share your thoughts, suggestions and comments.
Visit www.greatmentalhealthllr.nhs.uk to read more.
The Good & New charity clothes sale, which has become a well-known and popular event every Spring, attracting up to 300 visitors over several days, is to take place at a new venue.
The sale, which raises funds for the For Rutland charity, has been hosted by the Barnsdale Lodge hotel for many years, but the hotel is due to undergo refurbishment in the new year and was not going to be available.
The quality pre-loved clothing and accessory sale will now take place at the Rutland Showground on 24th and 25th March 2023 and will raise fund for the For Rutland Charity to provide specialist advisers who will help anyone in need in the Rutland area.
Although technically not in Rutland, Garthorpe is only a few minutes drive up the road from Ashwell and is very easy to find if you are a new visitor.
it is considered to be one of the very best amateur racecourses in the UK and attracts the best horses and jockeys for each of its five annual meetings.
The first of these “point-to-point” race meetings is coming up soon at the course, just outside Melton Mowbray.
The first meeting will be held on Sunday 27th February with the first race starting at 12 noon. A preview will be published on the Tuesday/Wed before on Midlands Pointings’s website (www.midlandspointing.com) and also on Garthorpe’s own site (www.garthorpe.com), where you can also see details of the other meetings.
Tickets are available on both websites and are £12.50 in advance for adults, with children under 16 admitted free of charge. The price will rise to £15 in the last week and will be £20 on the day.
At the course you will find refreshments and some trade stands. There will be bookmakers there so you can have a bet too.
Dogs are very welcome but must be on a lead at all times.
There are seven races at this meeting.
The first race is a Conditions Race which gives weight penalties to horses which have previously won certain races as a form of handicap system.
The next is a Maiden Race over two and a half miles rather than the usual three at Garthorpe and is for horses which are yet to win their first race.
The Mixed Open race, next, is the feature race of the day, for the best horses and riders.
The Veterans Conditions race is for older horses.
The Novice Riders race is for jockeys who have not yet won five races.
Horses in the Restricted race have won no more than one race.
Finally, there is another Maiden race for horses yet to win. This time they must be six years old or more.
A Pop up Art Exhibition will be held throughout September at 16 Church Street, Oakham. (with a preview on August 31st 6 - 9pm. ).
Organiser Juliette Brasher is an artist herself and started the exhibition to present the work of Rutland Open Studios but has since invited other artists to join her. This year there will be 20 Artists represented, including full time professionals and amateurs.
All the artists are reasonably local to Rutland and a some have never exhibited before.
There will be paintings / wall art in Oil, acrylic, Pastel, pencil, sculptures and bespoke handmade jewellery., available to purchase as well as tutorials and workshops.
There is a Facebook page.
Newly refurbished Rutland Hall Hotel has posted a competition on social media.
The hotel on the north shore of Rutland Water has launched a short story competition to celebrate the fact that the Rutland Water Ichthyosaur was discovered very close to the hotel, in one of the Rutland Water Nature Reserve's lagoons.
Entrants are invited to share their ichthyosaur short stories in order to win one of three prizes offered by the hotel.
The winner will win an overnight stay in one of the hotel's newly refurbished rooms with dinner for two in the new Blossoms restaurant included.
The second placed short story will win bed and breakfast in one of the newly decorated rooms.
Third place, wins dinner for two in the new Blossoms Restaurant.
The competition closes on the 30th January and entries can be submitted at his special link: bit.ly/rutlandhallichthyosaurcompetition
As Rutland Water prepares to celebrate its 25th Birthday, find out how the boundary tracing Rutland around trails keeps Rutland ok the walking map…
A bir further North? Try out sister sites Belvoir Life and Stathern.org.uk