What?
a wee act of blessing open to people of all faiths or none, celebrating glasgow’s blossoming bicycle community and blessing cyclists as they pilgrim across our city…
Part of the Glasgow Cycling Festival, and inspired by the Blessing of the Bikes in New York, something which has been running for 12 years, and organised here by a few glaswegian cyclists as an encouragement to the increasing number of cyclists taking to the streets in this dear green place.
Blessing of the Bicycles, New York 2009 (photo from
Where?
St Mary’s Cathedral is situated near several cycle routes, accessible from the south from the SECC and Kelvingrove Park, the west on the Colleges and University Cycle route, the north from the Canal Cycle path and Kelvin walkway and the east from the cycle path to Cowcaddens and beyond. You can find more detailed maps of cycle routes on http://www.opencyclemap.org/
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What to Expect?
Bicycles and their riders of all shapes and sizes and ages (hybrids, folders, fixies, mountain bikes, recumbants, tourers tandems and childrens bikes are all welcome!) INSIDE, lining the aisles of a gothic revival cathedral. A few words of blessing from The Very Reverend Kelvin Holdsworth. An opportunity to remember cyclists who have died on our roads (Ghost Bicycle supplied by the Glasgow Bike Shed). To end, a chorus of bicycle bells filling the the building in celebration of the gift of two wheels as we depart.
Don’t forget your bicycle! Wear what you like – whatever you cycle in is fine, although maybe be considerate with your cleated shoes – shimano steel + stone floors maybe don’t go too well together.
The event won’t last all that long – so we suggest arriving promptly!
for any enquiries please contact glasgowblessingofthebikes@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128571403837410
http://www.thisiscentralstation.com/events/blessing-of-the-bikes-glasgow.aspx
http://glasgowbicycleblessing.wordpress.com/
http://www.twitter.com/bicycleblessing
We believe in bicycles!
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No bicycle at this point, but would be happy to support Kelvin liturgically, and if anyone has a disused bike at a reasonable price, I might be ready to begin cycling on the left side of the road.
As a former resident of Glasgow, I remember St Mungo’s Cathedral (Glasgow) and St Andrew’s Cathedral (RC); where’s St Mary’s Cathedral?
As the map above shows, St Mary’s Epsicopal Cathedral is on Great Western Road.
It’s the Episcopal Cathedral at the corner of Great Western Road and Napiershall St – you can see it marked with a little bicycle on the Google map above of in Google street view here.
You’re most welcome if you fancy a trip back!
Thank you both! I might be visiting later in the year as I haven’t been up there for a long time – I’ll pop into St Mary’s Cathedral!