Mayfest Annual Tour

Origins of the Mayfest

In June 1998, Brian and Linda Horswill and their son Paul, visited Ireland for the first time. They had been meaning to go for years but worries about "the troubles" had put Linda off. However, they enjoyed their holiday, which included some time spent cycling in the Wicklow Mountains area.

On their return one of Brian’s work colleagues asked if they would consider going back again. After hearing that they would, he told them that if they were quick they could take advantage of an offer at the local supermarket. "Kerrygold" butter packs had tokens that offered reduced car ferry travel or free foot passenger tickets to Ireland. Brian discovered that the free fares also applied to passengers with bicycles. On visiting the supermarket, Brian found ten packs of butter on the shelf and purchased all of them. His plan was to ask fellow Pembrokeshire Freewheeler members if they would be interested in a short cycling holiday around southeast Ireland.

In addition to Brian and Linda, six members expressed a wish to take up the offer. As a result, a meeting was held to discuss the trip and it was decided to organise it for the following May.

With two tickets still available, Mike Evans asked if he could invite a couple of his friends from the Midlands area. After agreeing to this request, Pete Hambley and Pete Swinden were pencilled in to join the South Wales contingent for the Irish tour in May 1999.

And so, unwittingly the South Wales and Midlands Pedallers came into being (although it would be six or so years until Brian coined the acronym of S.W.A.M.P.).

A couple of years after this first cycling trip, the Midlands contingent asked the Welsh party to join them for a long weekend in Derbyshire with some of their cycling friends. This was such a success that it was decided to make the meetings an annual event.

After some years, one of the Midlanders, Allan Preston, eventually came up with the term "Mayfest" for the meeting and this is now used for each year’s gathering. Brian, following each year’s events has written the following reports. Names and places have not been changed, except due to memory loss.