WHAT'S ON: Prepare for a Great British Adventure in the Peak District

Eroica Britannia, one of the key events of the year on the cycling and festival calendar, is to be held at Friden Grange in the Peak District for the first time next month. The festival, which has a vintage feel and welcomes families, is packed with events and attractions including ‘The World’s Most Handsome Bike Ride’, a Lancaster Bomber flyover, plenty of stalls to browse, food to eat and music from the likes of Norman Jay MBE and ABC. A spokesman for the three-day festival, which takes place from Friday, June 16 to Sunday, June 18, said: “Enjoy unlimited roaming rights calling through twinkly campfire woodlands into posh British boozers for arm-wrestling, darts and a quick nip before the cinema. “Pass through The Adventure Kids Club, busily Blyton-esque in getting back to nature with a boisterous weekend of campfire craft, den building and stargazing. “Continue onwards through British boozers, gin bars, snack-a-terias, award-winning ‘eating out-(side) hangouts’, vintage emporiums and over 150 shops and marvel at the stars of the show in ‘Best in Show’, 4,500 Riders anticipating ‘The World’s Most Handsome Bike Ride’ as they sweep through the Festival with easy on the eye tandems, eye watering penny farthings and good time girls and guys on retro steeds posing, preening, steeling up to prepare for the challenge ahead.” Children under the age of 12 go free and dogs are welcome. To buy tickets, visit http://eroicabritannia.co.uk/ EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW The Ride Maserati are the presenting partner for The Ride on Sunday, June 18. The Ride, the main event of the weekend, which is famous for being ‘The World’s Most Handsome Bike Ride’, is described by David Millar as “the most fun I’ve had on a bike for a long time” and Chris Boardman MBE as “a marvellous two-wheeled celebration”. It sets off from Friden Grange on the morning of June 18 in the beautiful Peak District National Park for a three-route challenge. Your choice of 25, 55 or 100 miles over track, trail, forest and moorland on retro pre-1987 road bikes with matching heritage threads for a sensory plunge into rural exploration over 25 miles for families and pub crawlers and the stiff upper lip inducing challenges of 55 and 100 miles of pure Great Britishness. The Short Route: 25 miles. Elevation 1,245 ft. Difficulty 2/6. Typically 3-4 hours Shortened for 2017 by 5 miles - this is a great choice for riders of minimum levels of fitness - it is fairly undulating but definitely enough of a stretch to give you a challenge. We’ve tailored this route towards families and those looking to experience the true joy of the journey. The Medium Route: 55 Miles. Elevation 4,084 ft. Difficulty 4/6. Typically 6-8 hours Tougher climbing than 2016, this route does require you to be reasonably fit. Several long climbs will give you a stern workout and the hard work and effort has to be put it to reach the first food stop at 32 miles. The Long Route: 100 Miles. Elevation 8,745 ft. Difficulty 6/6. Typically 8-10 hours Notoriously tough with parts on the route a leg numbing 20 per cent gradient. The hardest, without doubt but also a real food cruise taking in Illam for breakfast, Millars Dale Station for Lunch and the spectacular Erwood Sailing Club House in the Goyt Valley for the all important pre-finish line ‘refresh’ at 83 miles. All ‘off-roads’ lead back to Friden Grange via the former train lines of The High Peak railway, then it’s all back for gin and ice-cream at the Festival in the mid-summer sun where crowds of flag waving tens of thousands welcome handsome hat raising gentleman and glowing vintage clad gals over the finish line. Eyes to the Skies and get wowed by a triple flyover by an original Lancaster Bomber... Read more on The Ride at http://eroicabritannia.co.uk/the-ride New festival features Headline music acts including Norman Jay MBE on Friday evening and musical legends ABC on Saturday on the Main Stage. Get competitive on the ShoreTrax velodrome hosted by Jason Bradbury from The Gadget Show fame! Evening competitions will be run each night for the brave, fast and flamboyant! Discussions, lectures, have your say. The Inner Tube is a programme dedicated to the magnificent bike, inspirational riders, tales of freedom, adventure and heroic deeds. Spend some time plotting new adventures at the Pannier ‘Base Camp’ Gather around the fire pits and dream of life on the open road. A British boozer complete with a quintessentially British pub. darts, dominos. Open Till Late! The Bollinger Champagne Bar More family fun: a brand new all Adventure Kids Club with den-building, campfires, an outdoor cinema, arts and a teddy bears picnic. Think tipis, forest dwellings, craft corners, forest-craft workshops and exploration exploits! Top notch facilities! Flushing toilets, hot showers and lots of space to spread out and enjoy the weekend! Glamping on the Grove. A boutique woodland retreat, dedicated to the art of sleeping well and good living. Book into The Grove for airbeds, linen, hammocks, hairdryers, straighteners and more! Take advantage of a FREE night’s glamping! Check in on Thursday 15th! Take advantage of an free extra nights camping and Glamping, grab your bike, freedom awaits! A whole new landscape of adventures and exploration are yours Keep your eyes peeled for our vintage Penny-farthing gang and our Bubbleologists who have on hand some amazing repertoire of bubble tricks and bring some wild hullabaloo to the area! Meet the Makers: An audience with some of the best crafters, makers and creatives from the area and beyond sharing their stories and secrets. More parking and even more camping: Making the Festival accessible to all. Back by popular demand Best in Show: the immensely popular vintage dressing up competition will return on Saturday, June 17. The British Bazaar: home once again to 150+ uniquely splendid premium vendors, including the World’s Greatest Bike Jumble at The Purchasable Exhibition of Treasures and acres of vintage. GRAZE: the roaming Food and Drink Festival crammed full of local, regional and national award-winning street vendors will fuel riders and festival go-ers alike. The Islabikes Family Ride: A free, self-guided ride leaving from the Festival site and taking in the Peak District’s very own Strade Bianchi. This is a very special ride for all little heroes and their parents! Hendrick’s Gin Bar. Returning for a fourth year. The ‘Inspired by the Peak District’ marquee: Crammed full of inspiring local businesses who use The Peak District as their platform for success. For further information and to book tickets, visit http://eroicabritannia.co.uk/