BENTHAM will kick off celebrations to mark the Grand Depart of the Tour de France with a carnival on Saturday.

Pioneer Projects and Carnival Bentham have joined together for Carnival Bentham by Bike - and it promises to be a great family day out.

The day will see the launch of the Bentham Bike Loop - with families urged to take part in a five mile bike ride - and the official unveiling of a public piece of art.

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There will also be a parade of people, dressed as bloomers, fish and sheep, along the length of Main Street, High Bentham.

The two metre high sculpture, by Marjan Wouda, resembles a giant pair of ladies' bloomers and will hang high in a tree.

The theme was chosen by people in Bentham because of the town's history of silk weaving and the belief that silk from Bentham was used in bloomers worn by Queen Victoria.

A second design by Marjan of a fat sheep on a bike has been incorporated into a waymarking sign for the Bentham Bike Loop.

And a third design - spot the trout - takes the form of a shoal of metal fish and is currently being made by Marjan and workshops at the Looking Well - Pioneer Projects' base in the town.

Carnival Bentham will begin at 11.45am with a bike ride from Bentham Railway Station to unveil the Queens Bloomers in Low Bentham at midday.

Cyclists will then be able to may their way around the rest of the bike loop before joining the carnival procession in High Bentham at 1.30pm.

Parade participants will walk along Main Street, dressed to match the themes of giant bloomers and fish and sheep on bikes.

The project came about as part of the charity Sustrans development of the Morecambe to Bridlington Way of the Roses cycle route.

Pioneer Projects was invited to create the first Passing Place - where cyclists can detour to visit communities.