The New Camera

19/12/2011 by Simeon Orme.

The Iron bridge at Halton.

Grass on the platform at Halton Station.

A leaf on the cycle track at Halton.

A Cyclist’s  in Halton.

A close up of Holly.

 

The above photos are from walk I did last Thursday, when I was testing out my new camera which I bought the day before from Coment, for just under £50.00.

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The Chocolate Biscuits for the South Lakes Group Christmas Eve ride.

19/12/2011 by Simeon Orme.

Above is the photo of the tin of chocolate biscuits which I bought today for Saturday’s South Lakes Group Christmas Eve ride, which I hope members will enjoy before start of ride.

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Two ugly ducklings - oh! and two swans, photo taken by Geoff Smith

23/11/2011 by Simeon Orme.

The above photo taken at Sow How Tarn on the 20th November 2011 ride of the South Lakes Group by Geoff Smith, you can see rest of the ride photos at this link.

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Minutes of 10th October 2011 meeting of the Lancaster Cycle Forum

15/11/2011 by Simeon Orme.

Present

Ian Welsby Public Realm Manager Area North, Lancashire County Council

Alasdair Simpson, Sustainable Travel, Lancashire County Council

Professor Colin Pooley, University of Lancaster

Griet Scheideman, University of Lancaster

Pat Douglass, Area North, Lancashire County Council and Sustrans Ranger Group

Matt Hodges, CTC

David Horton, University of Lancaster and Dynano

John Leach, Dynamo

Paul Andrews, Saltayre Cogset

Joy Greenwood, Sustrans Ranger

Peter Edge, CTC, Sustrans Ranger, Wray Parish Council

Simeon Orme, Rough Stuff Fellowship

Nick Hewitt , Lancaster University cycle commuter

Jennifer Hutton, Cumbria University cycle commuter

Kathy Bashford, Sustrans Bike it

Stephen Hensel, Visitor from Beliguim

1) Apologies

Gary Bowker, Regeneration and Projects, Lancaster City Council

Annie Cousins, Sustrans Bike it

2) Minutes of Previous Meeting

Agreed

· Temporary gangway was now being installed on Crook O’Lune (East) Viaduct and the bridge should be reopened to cyclists and walkers before Christmas

· John Leach reinforced the point about closing rat runs.

3) Understanding Walking and Cycling

Professor Colin Pooley gave a presentation of the Understanding Walking and Cycling Project

4) Maintaining the impetus from Cycling Demonstration

Alasdair Simpson outlined progress following the ending of the Cycling Demonstration Project

Comments

· Need to keep Celebrating Cycling Website up to date. Could the County Council take it over?

· 20 mph limits were also being introduced outside schools which should help cycling to school.

5) Infrastructure

a) Capital Programme

Work on the following schemes was underway and should complete by Christmas / Early 2012

· Lune Aqueduct Ramp to Riverside Cycle Path (British Waterways)

· Extension of Lune Valley Cycle Path by about ¾ km at Bull Beck, Caton

· Extension of cycle path on Westgate and route by Heysham High (City Council / Sustrans)

The following schemes had been approved in the County Council Local Transport Implementation Plan at the start of October and should be complete by April 2012.

· Stonewell Toucan, Lancaster City Council

· A6 / A588 Pointer Roundabout, Lancaster cycle facilities

· Chapel St – relocation of contraflow cycle lane to other side of road to reduce accidents to cyclists

Comments

· Matthew Hodges suggested that New Street and part of Market Street should be open to cyclists to give them access to the traffic lights by Waterstones’ as this was a better route than Castle Hill which was cobbled

· If successful Lancashire’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund included funding for key corridors, one of which was Galgate (M6 junction) to Lancaster City Centre

· Matthew Hodges mentioned improving the canal towpath between Lancaster, Galgate and Potters Brook

b) Other Infrastructure Matters

i) Cycle parking at Lancaster Station

At present there were 28 cycle lockers and 18 Sheffield stands on Lancaster Station. The cycle stands on platform 1 were overused with cycles being attached to drain pipes and railings. Those on platform 5 were underused as they were difficult to get to. There was a waiting list of 10 for the cycle lockers. Cycle lockers were free to use, but let out to single users on an individual basis. The current system of booking cycle lockers was easy to manage and met Network Rail Security requirements (as Virgin had a list of locker users). However it meant that the lockers were not being used efficiently.

Action: Alternatives means of managing the lockers to be investigated

ii) Canal towpath resurfacing

Canal towpath between Lancaster and Carnforth had been given a tar spray and chip surface about 9 years ago. In places the surface was wearing thin and needed another layer of surfacing.

When the towpath had been surfaced, British Waterways had been a commuted sum for future maintenance.

Action: It would be raised with British Waterways whether the remaining commuter sum could be used to put another layer of surfacing on the towpath but this would not cover the whole scheme

iii) National Cycle Route 6 Preston to Lancaster

It was commented that some pothole repairs on minor roads on national cycle route 6 were not all that good. This problem had been rectified with the method of filling in potholes being revised

6) Promotion

a) Bike it update

The Bike it Project was likely to come to an end in July 2012. To help ensure continuity once the project had finished and reengage with schools that had taken part in the project in the past a school mark scheme had been introduced (Bronze, Silver & Gold). So far 18 schools in the area had achieved the bronze standard.

For more info http://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-we-do/bike-it/bike-it-and-our-school/bike-it-school-mark

b) Cycle Training

Bikeability cycle training was been offered to Years 5, 6 and 7 pupils by the City Council Sports and Leisure Section, who had funding from the Department of Transport for 900 places.

c) Universities

Cycle road shows had / were taking place by two Universities. The University of Cumbria had made their event into a bigger event.

7) Next Meeting

Gregson Institute, Moor Lane, Lancaster 1800 hours Monday 6th February 2012

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Four Views of a Tree taken on the 29th October 2011 ride of the South Lakes Group.

30/10/2011 by Simeon Orme.

Photo one the first photo took of the tree.

Second photo of the tree.

The third photo of the tree.

The four photo of the tree which I use in the photo report of the ride at this link.

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Welsh Borders Groups and South Lakes Group events on the weekend of the 5th to 6th November 2011

28/10/2011 by Simeon Orme.

Due to communication problem between the two groups the South Lakes Group ride which was going to be on the Saturday as been move to Sunday 6th November which is starting from Ashes Lane Car Park on the A591 between Kendal and Staveley at 10am or from Wilf’s Cafe in Staveley at around 10.45am. The ride is till around the Kentmere and Longsleddale area. The reason for moving the date of the South Lakes Group its a lot easier for those members staying at Low Hall Garth in Little Langdale on Welsh Borders Group Weekend to get to M6  from Staveley after the ride than it would have been from Little Langdale which could have added anything to 30 minutes to hour on journey times for members staying at the hut.

On the Saturday 5th November 2011 Welsh Borders Group are planning to have  ride down the Duddon Valley, starting from Low Hall Garth Hall in Little Langdale, if any local members planning joining them for the ride try to get to Hall for 9am and please park else where as there limited parking at the hut, there more details about the hut at this link, also information on how to get there!

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Crook O’Lune East Bridge to reopen

28/10/2011 by Simeon Orme.

THE bridge at the Crook O’ Lune will reopen today (Wednesday 26 October).

The listed structure was closed in March after an inspection showed problems, particularly with the timber beams supporting the deck.

The county council has carried out work to provide a new temporary bridge deck, supported by scaffolding, to allow people to use it again.

A scaffolding company has constructed a walkway, above the current bridge deck, which will be supported by the original metal arch structure beneath. The county council has then put down a non-slip surface ahead of its reopening.

The current diversion, which redirects people over the Caton Lune Bridge on Low Road, will be removed when work on the temporary bridge and some maintenance works on Caton Lune Bridge are complete.

Officers are currently exploring options to attract outside grant funding to help to pay for a refit which would be needed to completely restore the bridge.

The bridge near the Crook O’ Lune picnic site and Millennium Park carries the River Lune Cycleway which is a popular route for cyclists, walkers and horse riders.

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Rough-Stuff Fellowship Membership in October

18/10/2011 by Simeon Orme.

At the start of this month the RSF as 595 members on the membership roll, this is highest that membership as been for several years, most of the 20 new members who have join the club have found about the the RSF via the web or have join by filling out the application form in the journal. Three new members join due to RSF events list in the South Pennine Walk and Ride Fest, one new member join after picking up a journal at Tyn y Conell Youth Hostel which is one of the Elenydd Wildness Hostels. Two other new members found out about the club from the CTC.

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Rough-Stuff Fellowship on Facebook

06/10/2011 by Simeon Orme.

It was bit surprise after checking out the Yorkshire Dales Group page on the RSF website, the RSF as now got a Facebook Page, what ever next a twitter page? Joking apart its good step forward for the club but there does need a link on main navigation bar of the RSF Website to the Facebook page and plenty of links from the Facebook  page back to various parts of the RSF Website. A good start, the hardest part of having a social media present is keeping it updated, I should know as the South Lakes Group as present on Daily Miles, Flicker and Twitter.

6th October update

After looking on the RSF website this evening  there is now a link from RSF Home Page to the Rough-Stuff Fellowship Facebook Page, well some one must be reading this bog!

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Lancaster and Morecambe Cycle Forum Agenda at Gregson Institute Moor Lane, Lancaster at 6pm Monday 10th October 2011

06/10/2011 by Simeon Orme.

1) Welcome, introductions and apologies

2) Minutes of previous meeting

3) Understanding Cycling and Walking Research Project by Lancaster, Leeds and Oxford Brookes Universities

(web link to summary of research http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/research/society_and_environment/walking_and_cycling.php)

4) Keeping up momentum from Cycling Demonstration Town Project (see attached table below)

5) Infrastructure

a) Current schemes (Brief comments)

· Heysham High / Westgate

· A6/A588 Pointer Roundabout

· Stonewell Toucan, Lancaster

· Chapel St contraflow cycle lane, Lancaster relocation

· Lune Aqueduct

· Lune Valley Cycle Path Extension (Bull Beck)

(see attached plans)

b) Other matters

· Cycle parking Lancaster Station

· Surfacing of canal towpath, north of Lancaster and maintenance of cycle routes

· Enforcement of parking and traffic regulations

6) Trends in cycle use

7) Promotional activities,

• Bike it update
• Cycle Training
• Operation Chainguard update

8/ Activities by employers and cycle groups to promote cycling

 

Summary Table of Cycling in Lancaster and Morecambe area post Cycling Demonstration Town

Theme	2011-12	2012 – 13 and beyond	Outcome	Comments
Infrastructure	£600,000 new cycle infrastructure due to opened in 2011/12	· Between £100,000 and £200,000 developer funded schemes a year · Possible funding from Local Sustainable Transport Fund, if bid is successful	· Growth in cycle use · New developments well served by cycle facilities · Some key corridors not served eg Lancaster to Heysham	· Cycle use likely to continue to raise over the next 5 years even if there is no investment in cycle facilities · Diminishing returns from new investment? · Need for more cycle parking at railway station
20 mph programme	20 mph programme	· Lower speeds in residential areas leading to pleasanter conditions for cyclists	· Need for promotion to encourage people to drive at 20 mph
Schools	Bike it programme continuing to July 2012 with funding from City Council and Sustrans New school link to Heysham High and Westgate Primary	Limited promotion if Bike it Programme end	· Risk of declining interest from primary schools in promoting cycling leading to fewer pupils cycling to school	· Offset by increased interest in cycling from parents and continued child cycle training programme · Need for link from Prom to Morecambe High
Workplaces	Promotion by two universities. More limited at other employers	· Continued promotion by universities. · Possible support for businesses on A6 Lancaster – Galgate corridor if Local Sustainable Transport Fund bid successful	· Increased levels of cycling at universities · Cycling at other employers likely to increase anyway due to general increase in cycling
Cycle Training	Child cycle training · 900 a year pupils trained by City Council Bikeability programme · County Council programme	· Child cycle training still offered by City Council?	· More children cycling to school	· No learn to cycle courses · Need for follow up events eg ride to school days?
Adult cycle training · 50 people a year trained by County Council in area	· Increased adult cycle training offer by County Council	· More adults with confidence to cycle on road	· No cycle maintenance course · No beginners adult cycle rides
Youth Offer	· Salt Ayre Cog Set	· Salt Ayre Cog Set	· More children cycling	· Shortage of teenage cycle facilities eg BMX track, skate parks
Tourism Offer	· Promotion by Tourism Section · Way of Roses Cycle route	· Continued promotion	· More people visiting area to cycle · Economic benefit	· Need for more cycle hire
Promotion	Map · Due to be reprinted Spring 2011			· Charge for map?
Events · Events run by local groups eg Wrynose or Bust · Breakfast on the Bridge	· Events run by local groups		· Would need to be fully funded, by outside sponsors, entries fees or run by volunteers · Olympic Games an opportunity to promote cycling · Lancashire’s Sports Partnership June Cycling Month
PR · Enewsletter s by City and County Council · Fewer press releases	· Limited PR · Enewletters · More promotion if Local Sustainable Transport Fund bid successful		· Opportunity for local group to produce a newsletter promoting cycling in the area on a quarterly basis?
	Web · City and County Council websites on cycling continue to be maintained · Cycle journey planners	· City and County Council websites on cycling continue to be maintained		· Celebrating cycling website likely to become out of date · Opportunity for local group to set up website promoting cycling similar to Spokes website in Edinburgh

 

If anyone got any comments about above you can post a comment on this post or e-mail me them at simeonorme[at]southlakesgroup.org.uk or come along with me to meeting.

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