In the spirit of liberty

How quickly is this year passing – I don’t know about you, but I can’t believe we’re almost in May already!

I really like this time of year as we have the promise of the summer months with longer and - fingers crossed - brighter days ahead and there is a lot happening over the next few weeks. You will all be very much aware that we are now just weeks away from the General Election on 7 May. We will have more than 350 polling stations across the county and around 1,500 staff working on the election and the overnight count to see which five MPs will be elected to represent Wiltshire. More than 350,000 people are eligible to vote in Wiltshire and it will be interesting to see how many turn out to vote. I would encourage that you all to vote and have your say on who will govern the country for the next five years.

Whatever the outcome we have lots to do - on the rise of the election we will be setting up at Five Rivers Leisure Centre for the second Cycle Wiltshire weekend on the 9 and 10 May.  All of us have the opportunity to cycle 20, 64 or 100 miles on some of the most scenic and picturesque Wiltshire routes and this year there is also a 1k route for families and youngsters and keen cyclists like me!

The sportive and elite race events last year were great and it wasn’t just about cycling – it was about a fun day out with lots of interesting stalls, exhibitors and entertainment outside of Five Rivers leisure centre and we had a day of watching the most elite cyclists race through Wilton at break neck speed past all the spectators gathered in the Market Place.

This year the sportive event will again start from Five Rivers on the Saturday and Wilton will host over 100 elite cyclists racing as teams on the Sunday. This year it’s the same weekend that the country is marking the 70^th anniversary of VE Day. It was on the 8 May 1945 that the then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill broadcast that the Second World War in Europe had ended and when a wave of optimism and celebration swept across the nation.

It was a time when communities came together to celebrate a new-found hope after so many years of heartbreak, as well as rejoicing in the successful liberation of Europe and overcoming the threat of loss of liberty to our country.

How fitting that 70 years on the theme of the Cycle Wiltshire sportive event, which will see hundreds of people of all ages taking part, will have a 1940s theme to mark this significant anniversary.  We can all enjoy the music and dance of this time, and have the opportunity to participate in swing dance lessons and enjoy a cream tea or two!
 
I think a scone with jam and cream is a just reward for getting on your bike – even if it’s for cycling 1K!

I’m sure it will be a great weekend and I’m really looking forward to kicking off the summer events calendar in Salisbury and Wilton. Along with many other spectators, I will be supporting the less experienced cyclists and the elite ones as they ride through the beautiful Wilton area – what a treat and the first of many coming up this summer.

I’ve written in recent blogs about the importance of Magna Carta to our modern day freedom of speech and I’m look forward to events in June to mark the 800^th anniversary of the signing of the landmark document. I will update more on this in my next blog, but in the meantime, remember that 800 years ago a benchmark for freedom was set and today we can still vote for the candidates that will shape our country and how we live – don’t waste this freedom.