Another year, another seminal London cycling event. The Cobble Monster continues to raise a stack of dough for Evelina Children’s Hospital.
Last year we moved everything to the excellent Gipsy Hill Tavern, with it’s amazingly friendly staff, large beer garden and fairly unique in pub cinema, where we watched Paris-Roubaix. The Cobble Monster couldn’t have a better home.
This year I was on the usual pre event online registration duty as well as lots of other admin stuff before the event and on the day. As this event was now its 4th year, the core group of volunteers all know their jobs which made everything run very smoothly.
The weather leading up to the day had been awful but it turned in to a beautiful April spring day with bright sunshine throughout which meant the beer garden was packed with riders hungry and thirsty after the 40 mile odd ride around town. Cliff from Brixton Cycles CC (a chef by trade) made some amazing scran with all proceeds going back in to the charity pot at the end.
There is loads of interest in this event and we can more than fill our registration list every year. The challenge comes with making money for Evelina the rest of the year. I’m exploring some merchandise ideas which we might be able to sell via the website. Cycling has flipped on to a golf like level of popularity so it would be good if we could exploit this and make a few charity bucks along the way.
Last year our friend Ned Boulting persuaded Team Sky to donate a signed jersey (signed by Wiggo, Cav and the rest of the squad) which Evelina managed to flog at a high roller Christmas auction. This wasn’t easy to achieve and won’t be easy to repeat but is the sort of thing which can really make a difference.
Special thanks goes to our official photographer Louise Heywood-Schiefer, who flew around the course on the back of Stan’s scooter taking some amazing shots along the way.