Special brew for the Grand Départ

In honour of the Tour de France’s roots, the West Yorkshire brewery has created Marie Jaune using two French hops, Triskel and Bouclier, as well as a French yeast.

Customers purchasing bottles of Marie Jaune can choose from three different label designs, each representative of the yellow, green and polka dot cycling jerseys worn by Tour de France competitors. The yellow jersey (maillot jaune) being the general leader, the green jersey (maillot vert) attributing the points leader and the polka dot jersey (maillot à pois rouge) signifying the mountain leader.

Richard Shelton, one of the directors, said: “Marie Jaune has been in the making for quite some time, probably since it was announced that the Grand Départ would be coming to Yorkshire last year.

“We’re all steadfast cycling fans here at Ilkley Brewery so we were keen to ensure the beer marked the occasion fittingly and that it also honoured the Tour’s French origins.

“Marie Jaune, which plays on the name of our flagship beer, Mary Jane, as well as the Tour de France’s famous yellow jersey, not only celebrates Yorkshire’s role in Grand Départ history but also showcases the county’s brewing heritage and excellence.

“We hope the beer is a welcome addition to fans’ Tour celebrations and that it makes a great souvenir of Ilkley’s involvement in the world’s greatest cycle race.”

80 is the new old

We may be living longer, but some signs of old age, it seems, are quite timeless. Diary was intrigued by a study which concluded that, in Yorkshire, the view on what constitutes old age has changed.

According to a study commissioned by comparison website www.PayingTooMuch.com, retirement isn’t necessarily seen as the start of old age. However, 56 per cent of those aged over 40 who were surveyed said they did not have life insurance in place, and 35 per cent did not have a pension.

Michael Ward, the managing director of PayingTooMuch.com, said: “These are shocking statistics. While it’s great news we’re all hopefully living longer, the bad news is we don’t seem to be planning for it financially as well as we could.”

People now think 80 is the new old, according to the study.

From the survey, the top six signs of getting old were listed as: Becoming forgetful; falling asleep watching TV or reading the paper; repeating yourself; groaning when getting up from a chair or out of bed; saying “back in my day” and insisting “things aren’t like they used to be”.

Triple the help

Nine members of staff from a Morrisons store in Rotherham are aiming to raise £10,000 for charity by riding a triplet bike across the country.

Workers from the Catcliffe store will be pedalling in shifts from Land’s End to John O’Groats to support Sue Ryder Care. Sue Ryder’s partnership with Morrisons has already raised more than £250,000 to help the charity give people care at the end of their lives and provide support for their families.

“By raising money for new services and raising awareness of the issues families face, we will make a lasting difference to thousands of families across the UK at the most difficult time of their lives,” the charity said.

New services include seven-day clinical nurse specialist services; ‘Hospice at Home’ services, which will deliver specialist palliative care to people in their own homes; and neurological end of life care clinical nurse specialists, who will help people with conditions like Motor Neurone Disease.

Sue Ryder will also hold complementary therapy sessions, such as massage and aromatherapy, at community venues and in people’s homes.