SUFFOLK’S premier festival is officially underway.
The flags are flying, wellington boots are being put on reserve, and multicoloured sheep are grazing on the site.
Keen cyclists set off from Hackney, Sudbury and Ipswich to participate in the Tour de Latitude today, arriving at the Latitude site on their green modes of transport.
Among cyclists starting in Sudbury was organiser, Melvin Benn, who came up with the idea of getting people to pedal to the popular festival to promote environmentally friendly travel. “We want to demonstrate that there are other ways of getting to Latitude other than car,” he said.
Each cyclist in the 170-strong group needed to raise �350 to participate in the challenge. A proportion of each cyclist’s donation has been given to charities.
The Kenyan Orphan Project which supports orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya and Julie’s Bicycle who help encourage sustainability in the creative industries will benefit from the project.
The cycle ride was supported by Marks and Spencer, which provided drinks and food for the cyclists.
No major traffic hold-ups were being reported by police as organisers opened the gates to Latitude 2012. Thousands more are expected tomorrow ahead of a weekend of big name performances including Paul Weller and Elbow.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here