The Tour Series will see the UK’s leading men’s and women’s riders head to Tendring for round five of the 2022 series next month.
All seven rounds of the event will be available to watch in full and for free on the event’s website and YouTube channel.
Extensive race day coverage will be available on the series’ digital platforms, with highlights of the series following the night after each round on ITV4 at 7pm.
Reigning champions Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling and CAMS – Basso, former winners WiV SunGod, and fledgling New Zealand team Global 6 Cycling will be among the 26 teams competing.
Guisborough will host the opener once again on May 2 with Sunderland returning for a second year running on May 10.
Scotland will host two rounds in Galashiels and Stranraer on May 4 and 12 before Britain’s best teams and riders head to the seaside for the series’ first-ever visit to Clacton on May 19.
Clacton will become only the third venue – after Colchester and Stoke-on-Trent – to have hosted the Tour of Britain, Women’s Tour and Tour Series.
The round will start and finish in sight of the sea on Pier Avenue.
It will pass through the town centre before running alongside the town’s big wheel, pavilion and pier.
Not only will fans get to see the action multiple times during the hour-long races, but the 1.4km circuit will offer two sightings per lap to anybody watching on from the town square.
The series will visit then London on May 21 before a spectacular grand final on May 24.
Mick Bennett, Tour Series race director, previously aid: “We love being beside the seaside so bring on the Clacton round of this year’s Tour Series.
“It’s going to be another day of thrilling, unpredicted and engaging sporting action, all available to enjoy for free.
“Tendring Council are among the leading supporters of cycling in the UK and their contribution to supporting family-friendly, free-to-watch events deserves a lot of praise.”
Commemorative coins commissioned by the council can be purchased to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Available to buy for £1 each, the limited edition coins – bearing the civic crest of Tendring District Council (TDC) – will serve as a memento for years to come of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign.
Meanwhile those planning a Jubilee celebration event in the district can apply now for an event pack to help organise their festivities.
Organisers can claim up to two free packs per event – with the potential for more upon request – with each pack including invites, posters, recipe and game ideas and other templates.
Jeff Bray, TDC Chairman, said he would love to see the whole of Tendring get involved in celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.
“We hope these commemorative coins will be an affordable keepsake for generations to come, marking this historic year,” Councillor Bray said.
“Meanwhile these event packs will allow communities to mark the occasion now, and it would be fantastic to see street parties, picnics in local parks and other events held throughout the year to celebrate.
“Don’t forget to share details of your jubilee events with us too!”
The commemorative coins can be purchased from TDC’s leisure centres in Clacton, Dovercourt and Walton-on-the-Naze, and the Visitor Information Centre at Clacton Town Hall, and are expected to go on sale from 20 April – while the event packs will be available from the same date.
Families looking to enjoy the Essex Sunshine Coast this season can benefit from a series of free beach libraries.
Run by a number of different community groups around the district, the sites contain fun items such as buckets and spades for groups to use for the day.
As well as ensuring the toys are not just used once, making them more environmentally friendly, they can also be useful for families on low incomes.
Visitors who do buy new toys but are not likely to use them again for a while are encouraged to donate them at the end of their stay to the libraries, provided they are in good condition.
Alex Porter, Tendring District Council (TDC) Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, thanked the groups who were running the beach libraries.
“We are really keen to support these initiatives – which are best run by volunteers – as a way of making our beautiful beaches more accessible to all,” Councillor Porter said.
“By making sure buckets, spades and other beach toys are re-used, and don’t spend the rest of the year languishing in the boot of a car, we can all do our bit to reduce the amount of plastic items being created.
“They can also be a godsend for families taking an affordable day out to our coastline who can instead spend their disposable income on ice creams for their little ones rather than a use-once toy.”
Beach libraries can currently be found in various locations along the seafront at Clacton, Walton-on-the-Naze and Dovercourt; anyone interested in setting up a new library can email seafronts@tendringdc.gov.uk to explore options.
On Saturday evening there will be a viewing area overlooking the stage which will run on the promenade below Marine Parade East. It starts just beyond the Connaught Gardens area and finishes a few hundred meters before the pier. There is no charge for this and you can also get close to the cars as they make their way from the Service Area to the start.
A downloadable version of this map is available from this link
Sunday
On Sunday there will be two dedicated spectator areas, with facilities including catering, toilets and programme sales. The charge is per car, per location and is inclusive of its passengers.
Please note tickets are not transferable between the two stages. You are welcome to visit each spectator area and will need to pay the fee at each.
Ship Hill
This will be the first stage on Sunday. It’s a well-established site with smooth parking, extensive viewing area, 5,000 capacity, established outside caterers and a small covered bar area for all users. It’s also the location for VIP hospitality.
There will be commentary whilst the stages are live and trade stands including Motor Sport UK.
The cost is £15 per car and passengers for the whole day with the option to leave and return to the same spectator area (please retain your ticket). The aim is to have electronic payment available, but please bring cash in case of any technical issues, bearing in mind it’s in a field.
Advance tickets: Available here online from Black Jacket Group.
Access is by one way traffic down Mill Lane.
A downloadable version of this map is available from this link
Wick Road
This stage has considerably improved viewing for 2022. The entrance is a little bumpy, so not recommended for very low-slung cars but the parking area is firm established grass.
Important note: Access and egress involves crossing the stage. This naturally means you must be in place before the start of the stage and cannot leave until it has finished, so please study the indicative timetable which accompanies the map below. There will be a time window between each running of the stage to allow you in and out.
The cost is £10 per car per car and passengers for the whole day with the option to leave and return to the same spectator area (please retain your ticket).
A downloadable version of this map is available from this link
Programme
You’ll be able to obtain a full colour souvenir programme at the spectator areas with feature articles and the entry list.
Dogs
We welcome well behaved canine rally fans, strictly on leads at all times, with responsible (mess collecting) owners. Dogs may find the sudden loud noise of rally cars unsettling. Please consider very carefully whether such an environment is suitable for your dog, based on your knowledge of your pet.
The Tour Series, the fun, free and family-friendly cycling event, will put on a spectacular show by the sea this spring when it heads to Clacton.
Britain’s leading men’s and women’s riders will head to Tendring for round five of the 2022 series on Thursday 19 May, adding to Clacton’s already strong ties to the sport.
The Women’s Tour, the UK’s most prestigious international women’s cycle race, held a stage finish there for the third time in seven years in October 2021 while the men’s Tour of Britain visited in 2017.
Clacton will become only the third venue – after Colchester and Stoke-on-Trent – to have hosted the Tour of Britain, Women’s Tour and Tour Series. All three events are delivered by event organiser SweetSpot.
This new-for-2022 round will take place in the heart of Clacton, starting and finishing in sight of the sea on Pier Avenue. It will pass through the town centre before running alongside the town’s ferris wheel, pavilion and pier on Marine Parade East. Not only will fans get to see the action multiple times during the hour-long men’s and women’s races, the 1.4-kilometre circuit will offer two sightings per lap to anybody watching on from the Town Square.
Now in its 13th year, the Tour Series remains unique in professional cycling owing to its team-based format. Last year’s series saw the Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling and CAMS – Basso teams crowned as the men’s and women’s champions respectively; both are expected to race for glory in Clacton in May.
Highlights of both the men’s and women’s races will once again be broadcast on ITV4.
Mick Bennett, Tour Series race director, said: “We love being beside the seaside so bring on the Clacton-on-Sea round of this year’s Tour Series! It’s going to be another day of thrilling, unpredicted and engaging sporting action, all available to enjoy for free! Tendring District Council are among the leading supporters of cycling in the UK and their contribution to supporting family-friendly, free-to-watch events deserves a lot of praise.”
Councillor Alex Porter, Tendring District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said: “Having staged the Tour of Britain and the Women’s Tour, it is fitting to now host a round of the Tour Series and we can’t wait to see the action unfold around Clacton town centre. We’re looking for the local community and businesses to engage so we can really put on a show for everyone and display how wonderful the town is.”
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 23/05/2019 – Cycling – OVO Energy Tour Series – Round 6: Salisbury –
Four rounds for the 2022 series have already been announced: Guisborough will host the opener once again on Bank Holiday Monday (2 May), with Sunderland also returning for a second year running on Tuesday 10 May. In between them will be a first-ever visit to the Scottish Borders, as Galashiels stages round three on Wednesday 4 May.
The series will visit London for the first time since 2018 when Barking hosts what promises to be one of the quickest rounds in history on Saturday 21 May. Further details of this year’s series will be announced in the coming weeks.
With two months remaining until the action gets underway there are a range of sponsorship opportunities available with the Tour Series for 2022. Packages range from the title partnership of the event to sponsorship of individual classifications or awards and digital and broadcast opportunities. Visit sweetspotgroup.co.uk/partnerships/for more.
A bumper line-up of events is shaping up across Tendring, in a boost for local residents, businesses and tourists alike.
Kick-started with the Illuminate Festival in Historic Harwich last week (25 March), the calendar has something for everyone over the next few months.
Next month (23-24 April) will see the return of the Corbeau Seats motor rally – forming the first round of the British Rally Championship – which this year sees the introduction of a new twilight stage on day one along Clacton seafront, perfect for spectators, as well as the usual stages and two spectator areas around the rest of Tendring. (Illustrative light art image courtesy of Kevin Jay and Michael Simmans.)
Meanwhile it was announced earlier this week that a round of the Tour Series will hit the streets of Clacton on 19 May, seeing pro cyclists take on laps of the town centre in a fast-paced and viewer-friendly event.
In the height of the summer it will be all eyes to the skies for the return of the Clacton Airshow with a full throttle programme. Now in its 29th year the Airshow is taking place over 25-26 August with twilight flights on day one, and ongoing negotiations with the Red Arrows about appearing on both days – with the RAF display team already including the event on its initial calendar for the year.
Alex Porter, Tendring District Council (TDC) Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said events played a vital role in the area’s economy.
“We have some amazing, top-class events going on this year – with these just some of the highlights, each of which has more going on around it and all of which are free for people to enjoy,” Councillor Porter said.
“You can keep up to date on what’s on, whether a TDC event or other local activities, by downloading the LoveTendring app and following our social media channels, both the council’s and the Essex Sunshine Coast too.
“It’s important that we don’t lose sight of what these events bring to our district. Not only are they fantastic spectacles for our own residents to enjoy, but they support the visitor economy by encouraging tourists to Tendring where they can spend money in our local businesses too.”
The LoveTendring app is free to download on both Apple and Android devices.
A proposal has been set out to bring an elite professional cycling event to Clacton later this Spring.
Tendring District Council (TDC) is considering plans to host a round of the Tour Series within the town centre in May.
The Tour Series is an evening event which sees pro cycling teams take on a ‘criterium’, racing on closed circuit laps around town and city centres. There is both a men’s and women’s event, with fun for all the family during the day building up to the racing action.
A recommendation to host the Tour Series, and put £80,000 towards staging the event, will go before Cabinet on Friday (25 March) as part of the Corporate Investment Panel work.
Alex Porter, TDC Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said he would be recommending the event to his colleagues for approval.
“Tendring District Council has a long history of hosting elite cycle events, and the Tour Series is fantastic for both spectators and local businesses,” Councillor Porter said.
“The compact format means spectators can see the action unfold before them each lap, across both the women’s and men’s races, while town centre businesses will benefit from crowds well into the evening.
“This is such a great opportunity to showcase Clacton and we’re hoping businesses will really gear up with window displays and offers to welcome visitors – and draw them back for future visits – hence why I am recommending this to my Cabinet colleagues for approval.”
If approved by Cabinet the council will write to town centre businesses with further information on how they can get involved in the event.
TDC has previously hosted elite cycle event stages, including three stages of the Women’s Tour (including the inaugural tour) and the Tour of Britain.
Hospitality is now open for booking for the 2022 event.
Boasting unrivaled views of the display along the award-winning seafronts, this exclusive area located on central site offers a unique visitor experience to admire the aerial displays on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th August. Twilight flights take place on Thursday evening only and a firework display on Clacton Pier will mark end of the event on Friday.
Tickets are priced:
Thursday – £57.50
Open 11am – 8.30pm
Lunch served at 12:30
Evening snack served at 6.30pm
Closed 8.30pm
Friday – £49.50
Open 11am – 5pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Closed at 5pm
And include:
Lunch
Starter – Tomato & Mozzarella Bruschetta
Main – Chicken wrapped in Parma Ham, Spring Onion Mash,
Dessert – Bakewell tart, Cream Chantilly
Wine with lunch
Unlimited tea & coffee
Luxury toilets
Exclusive marquee
Viewing platform
VIP Parking (short walk)
A spectacular twilight aerial display will get the 2022 Illuminate Festival off to a flying start in Historic Harwich.
The festival, a celebration of the town’s heritage – and in particular its links to The Mayflower ship which carried the first Pilgrims to America – will return this year after a break forced by Covid-19.
This year Illuminate will be held in March, instead of its usual calendar slot in November to tie in with Thanksgiving, to kick-start a packed events programme in Harwich, and Tendring.
Alex Porter, Tendring District Council (TDC) Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said the event was one not to be missed.
“Showcasing both the amazing heritage in Harwich, and its strong community spirit, Illuminate Festival is a must-see in the events calendar,” Councillor Porter said.
“After our forced absence due to Covid I am glad that the festival is returning to kick-start a year of fantastic events; with Illuminate’s lights, fun and festivities what better way to welcome in 2022.
“Our thanks go to the many and varied community partners helping us to put on this fantastic event.”
The event will run from 6pm until 9.30pm on Friday, 25 March.
More details will be released in the coming weeks, but visitors can expect the return of crowd favourites such as the Spark! drummers, flights, street entertainment and torchlight procession by the local community.
For the latest information on the Illuminate Festival people should visit the Historic Harwich website www.historicharwich.co.uk or Facebook page, or check out the LoveTendring tourism and events app, free to download on Apple and Android devices.
Illuminate Festivals have been held by destinations across the world linked by the Mayflower story. The theme is inspired by the words of William Bradford, a Mayflower passenger elected as the settlers’ first governor, who wrote “Just as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many.”
Harwich was not only home to the Mayflower, which was registered at the port, but several of the crew were residents of the town including the ship’s master and co-owner Christopher Jones – whose house still stands in Kings Head Street.
Other notable Harwich residents on the voyage include the cooper John Alden – the first on-board to set foot on American soil, and whose descendants include Marilyn Monroe and Dick Van Dyke. In total 30 million people worldwide can trace their roots back to the 132 pilgrims and crew from the historic voyage.
Councillor Porter added: “Harwich’s links to The Mayflower are extraordinary, and tangible, and definitely to be both celebrated and enjoyed – whether by visiting Christopher Jones’ House, taking on The Mayflower Trail, or one of the many other excellent Mayflower activities in the town from the Harwich Society and others.”
Update March 10th, 2022
A stunning programme has been unveiled for this month’s Illuminate Festival in Historic Harwich.
Visitors will be welcomed along The Quay in the town from 6pm on Friday, 25 March with a performance from local choir Harwich Sing, while street entertainment will mingle with the crowds.
The event will then take to the skies with a spectacular aerobatic flight display from the Fireflies, due to begin at 6.30pm.
Following the aerial show eyes will turn back to The Quay where the dramatic Sparks! drummers will perform as the torch-lit procession forms up behind them to parade around the town.
As the procession returns there will be a feast of entertainment throughout the evening, from stilt walkers and the light gliders, to Sparks! and Harwich Sing; all accompanied by light projections along the waterfront.
Well-known radio presenters Steve Scruton and Ian Wyatt will be hosting the event, which runs until 9.30pm, while there are also food stands on and around the event site.
Alex Porter, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism at Tendring District Council (TDC), which is staging the festival, said the event was one not to be missed.
“Illuminate Festival is a brilliant, visually stunning celebration of Harwich’s history, and we’re so excited to bring the event back after its pandemic-forced absence,” Councillor Porter said.
“The festival is fun for all the family, with children encouraged to take part in the procession, so why not wrap up and spend your Friday evening in beautiful Harwich?”
TDC is working with the Harwich Festival of the Arts, who are running lantern making workshops in local schools to form the torch-lit procession, and the Grand Theatre of Lemmings which is providing the street entertainment.
For the latest information on the Illuminate Festival people should visit the Historic Harwich website (www.historicharwich.co.uk(link is external)) or Facebook page, or check out the LoveTendring tourism and events app, free to download on Apple and Android devices.
The 2019 Harwich Illuminate Festival saw an estimated 6,000 visitors across two days of activities.
Update March 21, 2022
Why not kickstart a weekend away in Historic Harwich with Illuminate Festival?
Visitors heading to Harwich for the sparkling Illuminate Festival are being encouraged to extend their stay in the historic town.
Illuminate Festival, being held on Harwich Quay from 6pm on Friday, 25 March, will see street entertainment and projections, a spectacular aerial display from The Firebirds and torch-lit procession lead by the incredible Spark! drummers. Festivities continue on until 9.30pm.
People are being encouraged to make a weekend of their trip, staying in one of the several quality hotels in and around the town.
To find out more about travelling to, staying in and eating out around Harwich visit www.historicharwich.co.uk(link is external).
Alex Porter, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism at Tendring District Council (TDC), which is staging Illuminate Festival, encouraged people to plan their visit in advance.
“There is so much history in Harwich, and so much to see and do as a result, I’d really recommend people make a weekend of it,” Councillor Porter said.
“Why not enjoy Illuminate Festival then stay in a hotel, try some of the fabulous eateries and explore the various trails, museums and other places to go over the Saturday and Sunday?
“There is plenty to see and enjoy at the Festival, while food and drink can be found either at one of the vendors within the event area or in the numerous local businesses in Historic Harwich.”
Local residents are encouraged to walk or cycle to the event. Those coming from further afield can take a train service to Harwich Town, and then enjoy a ten-minute walk to the Festival, or take a bus service from Colchester or Clacton.
Visitors planning on driving to the festival can use the event car park at Harwich Green – accessed from Harbour Crescent – which opens from 5pm, or one of the nearby public car parks.
“Illuminate Festival is such a spectacular experience you really don’t want to miss out – but we all know that to get the most from your trip it’s useful to work out beforehand how you’re getting there and where you’re staying,” Councillor Porter added.
The 2019 Harwich Illuminate Festival saw an estimated 6,000 visitors across two days of activities.
Now open for applications, the Essex County Council Arts and Cultural fund has been designed to help organisations and practitioners to deliver a broad and exciting range of work and activity to engage with and bring communities together.
The ECC Arts and Cultural Fund will offer artists and cultural organisations grants from £2,500 to £30,000 to deliver projects to help support and rejuvenate the Essex arts and culture sector, as well as the county’s towns and city high streets.
The fund will support projects, which will contribute to ECC’s Everyone’s Essex: The Plan for Essex 2021-2025 within the music, theatre, dance, visual arts, literature, combined arts, including festivals and carnivals, museums and the wider creative sectors.
