Ely Cycling Campaign launches appeal for photos to feature in exhibition and 2015 calendar

The Ely Cycling Campaign is hoping to bring the excitement of the Tour de France to the city with the launch of a new initiative.

The Tour arrives in Cambridge on July 7 for the start of a 159km stage which is scheduled to finish in The Mall, London.

Though there was disappointment that organisers decided not to bring the event out to Ely and the surrounding fens, the campaign group has decided to create some cycling excitement of its own with an exhibition and calendar.

A spokesman said: “To celebrate cycling in the Isle of Ely and the surrounding area we would like your cycling pictures for a local exhibition and to make into a calendar for 2015.

“The only stipulation is the pictures must have been taken within Ely or surrounding area and must feature a bicycle, either in part or in full.

“Your picture could be staged photo, a random snap caught on your mobile phone, a drawing, a painting or a photo of a sculpture. It can feature any type of bicycle you want from a Bolide Time Trial Bike to a child’s bike with stabilizers or even a penny-farthing.

The bike could be the centre piece of the picture or just peripheral. Your picture can be colour or black-and-white, as long as your picture shows a bicycle or bicycles and promotes Ely and the area to the wider world.”

On the back of the appeal, the group hopes to stage an exhibition of the submitted works before compiling a calendar for 2015.

The spokesman added: “We hope the exhibition will encourage more people to get out on their bikes and promote cycle tourism in the area, which brings valuable income for local businesses without increasing traffic.”

To submit your pictures either e-mail them to photos@elycycle.org.uk or, if you use Flickr, make the picture public and tag them with TourDeEly.