Photos: Diana Jakeways
On August Bank Holiday Sunday 2022 the busy car park of The Royalty on Yorkgate, Otley, was the meeting point for the Deputy Mayor of Otley, Ray Smith, and a contingent of riders from Bike for Peace lead by Tore Nærland. The cyclists were hosted for lunch by Quakers at the Quaker Meeting House in Leeds, where Fabian Hamilton MP also spoke. They stopped at the Royalty for a mid-afternoon break en route to Skipton. Their route had been meticulously planned by a Quaker who is also a member of Otley Cycling Club. From Otley they headed to Skipton, and from there to Carnforth, Preston and Rochdale returning to their final destination of Bradford.
The tour was organised by Bike for Peace Norway and Mayors for Peace. Bike for Peace is a non-governmental organization in Norway that works for a world without nuclear weapons, for peace and disarmament, improved life for disabled persons and for a better climate. Tore is partially sighted, but that does not stop him travelling miles across the world in the cause of peace. On Sunday he was riding a tandem with a sighted Leeds cyclist. Mayors for Peace is also an organization working for a world without nuclear. It was founded in Hiroshima in 1982 and has 8,188 member cities in 166 countries and regions. The event brought back memories for Ray and his wife, who had visited Nagasaki in the past. The cyclists have been received by Mayors along their route and were also planning to meet peace and bicycle organisations, climate activists and local government officials. Quakers, who are well known for their work for peace, were delighted to be able to support this event.
Once the group had all gathered at the Royalty on Sunday the Otley Deputy-Mayor made a speech of welcome, opening in Norwegian which was very well received! Tore then told of some of the past journeys done by the group and his hopes to travel from Kyiv to Moscow in the future. He finished by presenting Otley with a book about their work.
You can read more about Bike For Peace here https://www.bikeforpeace.no/
Blog posts are written by members of Ilkley Meeting and occasionally other contributors. Posts are not necessarily endorsed by the Meeting and may not always represent the opinions of our members or the wider Quaker community.