Press Release: Naughty NorthumbrianThe Naughty Northumbrian has been postponed. The event location in the Coquet Valley, Northumberland suffered extensive damage from Storm Arwen, followed by Malik and Corrie. The three consecutive storms led to a water and power outage for 7 days in parts of the Coquet Valley, roads being blocked and damage to many homes. As ever, this resilient community rallied round and helped those most in need with free warm hot dinners, accommodation for those who couldn't heat their homes and clearing said blocked roads to allow emergency vehicle access.
Estimations show around 8 million trees have fallen across Northumberland, England's most sparsely populated county. After talks with landowners along with multiple trail inspections between storms we have been left with no choice but to postpone the event. The Naughty now joins both Ardrock and the Malverns in having to be postponed due to extreme weather events with those two events both cancelled in 2019. Going forward, we will try to mitigate these weather events within as wider scope as we can, and adapt where we can't.
The 750 riders already entered will be refunded. Details of how to do this will be emailed directly to entrants in the next few days.
What riders could have expected......
I don't at all deny climate change, just the bone-headed, every weather event is caused by climate change crowd.
Earth has had bad gas for a long time b4 man out a spigot on em.
Now trash into water is another matter.
Are the trails totally destroyed?
But go on we will, as they are so important to us as riders and the locals in the valley.
We were really excited for this year as well as it would have been the first year we would have used the same trails for consecutive years. We'd been given a reprieve on felling where two of the oldest trails are due to Scots Pine price not being sufficient enough to fell. Hey ho!
Thanks for your sympathies, much appreciated. x
Wow sympathies guys. We lived close and regularly rode Thrunton woods 28yrs ago, great trails and great memories, loved it. Sorry I can’t help with the clean up x
A lot of friends and family had no power for a week or longer.
We've been told forest operational work won't be starting until August, and we are bound by the 1981 wildlife act on some trails - so we would have had to clear them before March, then stop work until August first, even if a chain saw would suffice. Sadly, it needs big machinery. While Forestry England aren't perfect, we have a good relationship with them, and they are stretched across the board on this one. Sadly this forest is a lower priority tier as it isn't under visitor pressure like Kielder, Thrunton and Simonside are, and as mentioned there are a swathe of protected birds living in there. We totally and respectfully accept their position on this, however shit it is for the event .