As is often the case with great ideas, this one was first conceived in the pub. The Golden Lion in Llangynhafal to be precise.

The landlord, Colin was explaining to Wil Williams, affectionately known as Willie Chinese, that Holts brewery gave a penny from each pint sold, to Christies Cancer Charity. Wil then informed Colin and the landlady Helen, that in 1962 he had spent eight weeks in Christies having treatment for Hodgkins Lymphoma.

After they had donated several more pennies to the cause, it was decided they would try to fund raise for the Christies charity. The money was to be raised throughout the year but the main event was to be a bike ride in June 2003.

The plan was to ride from the newly opened Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, back to ‘The Goldie’. What an adventure it would prove to be, and not without mishap….:

The route was changed the night before in a Cardiff bar.

Colin ran over a sheep, ending up in hospital - Colin that is, not the sheep who, incidentally, lived to tell the tale.

One of the riders ended up in Hereford, which wasn’t on the route… nobody laughed….

Paul rode his bike straight off the tow path into the Llangollen canal… nobody laughed…..!

There are plenty of other tales from that first bike ride, as well as from the subsequent ones.

The total sum raised that year was £12,010.00

The ride was a success not only in terms of fundraising, but also as a means of bringing the community together and having a bloody good laugh, so every year since, there has been a 'Goldie Bike Ride'.

Not every ride has been a charity fund raiser, sometimes it’s just been an excuse for a jolly. The ride is usually done over a long weekend and always ends up with us cycling back to ’The Goldie' on the Sunday. We have been to Scotland, Ireland, London and Yorkshire to name but a few places.

In 2006, one of our local families was sadly affected by meningitis. In response we donated the proceeds of the 2007, 'Welsh Ten Castles’ ride, raising a total of £9,480 for The Meningitis Trust.

Then, once again in 2009 with 'The Offa’s Dyke’ ride we raised £11,335 for the Colorectal Unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital after a member of our community received treatment there for bowel cancer.

Having had a break from fundraising for five years, this year we have decided to raise money for the 'Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital' in Gobowen.

A few years ago a young member of our community was diagnosed with a non malignant tumour which had wrapped itself around her spinal cord. Thankfully this was successfully removed by Mr. Cool and his skilled team at Gobowen during a very delicate operation.

In the past 12 months there have also been a couple of serious accidents involving people from the Vale of Clwyd, who have also received specialist help at this hospital. 

The main event for 2015 begins on Thursday 25th June, when the participants will cycle from The Goldie to the hospital at Gobowen. From there they will be bussed to Cardiff for a sober night before beginning the route home from the Welsh Assembly buildings the following morning. Hopefully they will all arrive back at The Goldie on the afternoon of Sunday 28th June!

So far we have already raised £1,200 for this cause by doing various stupid things, such as abstaining from beer-drinking for a month, or worthwhile things, such as bike servicing for £20 a bike.

We have plenty more things planned so watch this space and look out for the gold painted bikes….

Willie Chinese, sadly for his family and everybody else who had the pleasure of knowing him, passed away in 2011, having survived a further 49 years after his treatment at Christies. During those years, as a woodwork and technology teacher in Brynhyfryd School, he had taught some of the finest craftsmen  operating in the Vale today.

We’d like to think that Willie Chinese is still supporting Christies somewhere, a penny at a time.