A group of friends saddled up for a charity bike ride in memory of a former landlord.
Ian Walsh, who used to run the Roebuck Inn on High Street, Rishton, passed away in August last year aged 54 after losing his fight with cancer.
Fifteen bikers took to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal on Saturday, June 25 for a 32-mile round trek to raise money for East Lancashire Hospice – one mile for every year the hospice has been opened.
The group then returned to the Rishton Conservative Club for a tombola and raffle which coincided with the annual beer festival – which ran from June 24 to 26.
Ian’s widow Glenda, who is manager of the Walmsley Arms, said it was an ‘amazing day’.
She said: “Ian wanted us to do it for East Lancashire Hospice this year and we are now to do the bike ride every year.
“They started at the Walmsley Arms and then ended up at the Conservative Club where my good friend Carol Bayes had organised a raffle and tombola.
“Up to now we’ve collected £800 but we are aiming to get £3,000.
“It went really well and a lot of people who took part in the bike ride had lost somebody they love to cancer.
“My granddaughter Macy Carter did it too. She is 12 years old and was the youngest one.
“She wanted to do it in memory of her grandad.”
Hundreds of people braved the bad weather to enjoy the three-day beer festival at Rishton Conservative Club.
The ‘Close Encounters’ event was attended by around 500 people and included beers and ciders from across Lancashire.
Dave Lees, club secretary, praised the turnout and said they raised hundreds of pounds for Rishton United’s new playing fields project and local charities. He said: “I think had the weather been a bit kinder we would’ve had a better turnout.
“You enjoy the sun shining in the good years and take it on the chin when it’s not.
“However, it didn’t dampen spirits and the festival is now firmly fixed on the annual Rishton calendar.
“We still managed to raise a lot of money on the day and probably collected about £300 for Rishton United.”
Dave added: “It was well supported and I want to thank members and friends who came.
“It’s not just a beer festival, it’s something to pull in the whole community.”
