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Bristol postal worker Rob Wotherspoon will cycle from Bristol to Tolpuddle and back this weekend, a round trip of 150 miles. Rob will pass through four counties and 14 different parliamentary constituencies, to raise awareness of the threat that privatising Royal Mail holds for rural communities. Rob will leave Bristol on Friday 19 July and is heading for the Tolpuddle Festival - an annual event which celebrates the birth of the British trade union movement. He will do the return leg on Monday 22 July.
Rob, aged 30 has been a Royal Mail postman for 8 years and is a representative for the Communication Workers Union. He will pass through the counties of Avon, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Dorset and will take in towns and villages including: Bristol, Bath, Norton St Phillip, Frome, Kilmington, Stourton, Gillingham, Sturminster Newton, Milton Abbas, Milton St Andrew, and Tolpuddle
Rob Wotherspoon said: "I'm doing this ride to raise awareness of the threat that privatising Royal Mail holds for villages and rural communities in the West of England. I'll be handing out postcards at the places along the route and raising awareness, as well as wearing my 'Keep Calm and Save Our Royal Mail' t-shirt.
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"I've deliberately planned this route so that is passes through 14 different constituencies- all held by Coalition MPs who back privatisation. These are the very same rural communities that will be worst affected by privatisation. A private company won't be interested in making expensive deliveries to rural areas six days a week, and if other countries are anything to go by these areas could be left with just three deliveries and collections a week. That would be terrible for small businesses, customers and of course for rural jobs.
"I'm cycling to Tolpuddle which is the birthplace of the trade union movement and I hope to get a warm welcome when I arrive. I'll need some recuperation before the return leg!"
For live updates on Rob's progress follow him @bobbyspoons on Twitter.
