The bums' rush

Think of it - 240 miles of blood, sweat and beers as the four amigos put their heads down and their bums up from the capital back to their "spiritual home", the Blue Bell pub in Fossgate.

Local businessmen Steve 'Lend Us Your Pump' Morrison, Neil 'Frogs Legs' Watson, Graham 'Where Did I Leave My Bike' Chaddock, civil servant Syd 'Does My Bum Look Big In These Shorts?' Scott and Blue Bell landlord Jim 'Oh look! There's A Pub' Hardie are aged between 40 and 53 and, according to Graham: "We are all getting on a bit and it and it hurts more each year."

They plan to plan to pedal about 60 miles a day from London starting next Wednesday.

This year their efforts were given a huge kick start when the Angels received a cheque for £1,026 from, and signed by, superstar Paul Newman. A couple of days later, following publicity in the Press, civil servant Paul Martin popped in with a cheque for £1,027 - then last night Chris Stephenson, regional manager of Dones the bookies, chipped in with £1,028. So the amigos are more than three grand in front without even pushing a pedal.

Newman's donation followed a visit to the Blue Bell by an American representing the actor's UK health food business. He noticed the Dick Turpin Ride sponsorship form and thought it a "great idea" to localise fund-raising.

The Angels are still raising cash and readers who would like to experience the delights of little pub with a big heart are welcome in the Blue Bell by Jim Hardie and his bubbly wife, Sue.

Other pubs with sponsorship forms (dropped off on practice rides) are the Bay Horse, Blossom Street, the Golden Ball, Bishophill, the Grey Horse, Elvington and the Nags Head at Askham Bryan .

This year the Angels are emulating the famous Tour de France cycle race.

Instead of the Yellow Jersey worn by the race leader, whoever makes the most cock-ups in the day's ride - gets lost, falls off (a regular occurrence), picking a pub with bad beer, crashes into other Angels - must wear a pair of yellow Y-fronts on the outside his shorts for the next day's ride.

All being well (that includes the riders), the Angels should be arriving back at the Blue Bell around 4.30pm next Saturday.

Last year the arrival home was delayed by 15 minutes because Syd, who had ridden all the way across Ireland, managed to get lost in York! Guess who's wearing the Yellow Y-Fronts on the first day of this year's marathon?

Previous rides by Ales Angels have included Coast to Coast England (Workington to Tynemouth), Scotland (Oban to Inverness) and Ireland (Galway to Dublin)

So far they have raised more than £4,000 for the Lidgett Grove school and other child-focused local charities.

All cash goes directly to the organisations supported and the Angels pay all their own expenses... including the obligatory lunch-time pint.

Give it some wellie, lads!

NEVER gamble with friends and never buy a car off your best mate's wife.

My pal Woody from York bought a Vauxhall Nova for £250 from his best friend's new wife and thought he had a real bargain.

He proudly drove it to friendly football match a couple of hours after buying it. After the match there's Woody driving home still in his York City football strip, shorts, socks, shin pads and boots when he got caught in a downpour. He drove through a puddle and his 'new' Nova was knackered as he drove through a puddle.

The car died a death near Blossom Street amid all the heaving traffic leaving York races.

A Good Samaritan pushed his car on to the pavement as the rain lashed down and car horns blew all around him.

Woody went as red as his York City shirt.

As luck would have it a mechanic pal was driving by and saw him. Initially he drove past but had a pang of guilt and returned to rescue him.

"You owe me a beer," he muttered as best clothes were quickly ruined by the downpour while he tinkered with the engine.

When Woody tackled his mate about the no-go Nova his excuse was: "Nova's are known to be bad runners when it's wet."

"Thanks for that," muttered Matt, "I'll only drive it on sunny days."

Happily, the lads are still good pals...

ONE man who had double cause to be gutted by England's World Cup quarter-final exit was York's own Dave Black.

The boss of A1 Luxury Limousines, based in Kings Chase, York, has a contract with the FA.

He drove Nigel Martin and wife Amanda to David Beckham's pre-tournament party. Later, he took Nige - the Leeds United goalkeeper and David Seaman's England understudy - to meet the World Cup squad.

When Amanda was flying out to join her husband, Blackie drove her there in her own car, a top of the range BMW X5. She told him to keep it until they got back.

However, thanks to Ronaldhino and Seaman's goofy double act, the England squad was on the way back before Blackie had time to enjoy the fancy German motor.

On arriving home the England players were disappointed but not despondent, reports Blackie. "They knew they had done well."

POPPED into a bargain bookshop in York's Stonegate yesterday and chuckled to see England goalkeeper David Seaman's Safe Hands, My Autobiography reduced from £16.99 to £2.99. That's the penalty you pay for standing way off your goal line when playing Brazil.

ESTEEMED colleague and real ale bore Joshua Titley usually spends his Bar Talk column waxing lyrical about the ripe overtones of Gruddock's Old Banger and the like.

But last Saturday he gave over a few lines to a competition. The prize was a framed map of York's drinking establishments.

There were 11 new pubs on the map, he explained, before challenging contest entrants to answer this brain-teaser: how many new pubs are there on the map?

Joshua invited readers to send their answer on a postcard addressed to 11 New Pubs On The Map Competition, The Evening Press, etc.

So our hearty congratulations to regular competition entrant Mr D Haigh, of Clifton, York, who made a valiant attempt to clinch a prize. His answer? Eight!

Updated: 09:30 Saturday, June 29, 2002