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Cycling legends help to raise £50,000 for Yorkshire charities

Cycling legends help to raise £50,000 for Yorkshire charities

Cycling legends help to raise £50,000 for Yorkshire charities

20 March 2015

 
Iconic large scale images of some of the world’s best loved cycling heroes have raised a fantastic £50,000 for two Yorkshire charities.

The striking murals by London based artist James Straffon, measure 250cm by 250cm and were displayed in the centre of Harrogate throughout the Tour de France Grand Depart last year.

They were commissioned by interior design company; the Stephen Neall Group to be displayed as an external piece of art at The Factory, the company’s Poliform North building in Harrogate. The installations were a striking contribution to the cultural festival which was staged in the run up to Yorkshire’s hosting of the Grand Depart last July.

The nine murals were auctioned at an event which was held in South Yorkshire during the Tour De France and were bought by Dransfield Properties Ltd.

The artwork  will be permanently displayed at the company’s landmark Fox Valley development in North Sheffield when it opens in spring 2016 – but for now they’ve been installed at the Penistone 1 building where Dransfield Properties has its head office.

The iconic murals are of cycling legends including Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish as well as past heroes Eddy Merckx and Fausto Coppi.

Tommy Simpson, the north Nottinghamshire cyclist who tragically lost his life on Mont Ventoux during the Tour De France in 1967 is also depicted on one of the striking pieces of art.

But before they could be delivered to Dransfield Properties’ head office in Penistone, Barnsley, this week, director of The Stephen Neall Group, Stephen Gee has been on a 1,760 mile journey to get the murals autographed by the cycling legends they depict.

Stephen’s journey took him to Wales, Northampton and Manchester as well as Ghent in Belgium where Mark Cavendish signed his mural as did the legendary Eddy Merckx – considered to be the greatest pro-cyclist ever.

Yorkshire cyclist Brian Robinson was the first to sign his piece of art in November followed by Bradley Wiggins and Barry Hoban – all the cyclists who’ve signed their work have helped raise a fantastic £50,000 for The Dave Rayner Fund and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Stephen Gee said: “We were set the challenge by Mark Dransfield to get the murals signed by each surviving or current cyclist which was a logistical challenge in itself when you consider the shape and size of the pieces.

“It really has been a fantastic journey to have been on and to sit down and meet these cycling legends and explain what we are doing has been an amazing experience.

“We are so grateful to all the cyclists who agreed to sign the artwork – I think it really does make these pieces extra special. It’s great to see the murals now installed in Penistone and I think they’ll look fantastic when Fox Valley opens in North Sheffield next year.”

Mark Dransfield, Managing Director of Dransfield Properties, which now owns the artwork said: “We are delighted to support these two great causes and we are very proud to be guardians of these nine fantastic pieces of art.

“Our long term plan for the pieces is for them to be displayed in the new Full Gas Bike shop which is opening next year at Fox Valley in north Sheffield and where they can be enjoyed by everyone.”

Pictures show: 

1. left to right - Stephen Gee from the Stephen Neall Group with Mark Dransfield and Andrew Malley from Dransfield Properties with the Tommy Simpson mural and the donation to the two charities.

2.  left to right, Andrew Malley, Stephen Gee and Mark Dransfield with the Bradley Wiggins print. Both pictures taken at Penistone 1.

 

For more information contact:

Amanda Holmes at Dransfield Properties on 01226 360644
Stephen Gee at Stephen Neall 01423 521288

To find out more about Dransfield Properties visit www.dransfield.co.uk and to find out more about the artist visit www.james-straffon.co.uk The Stephen Neall Group can be visited at www.stephenneallgroup.co.uk

 

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk