Changing Places event at Derby Velodrome

         I cycled to Pride Park for this event. There were a lot of groups and organisations represented there but the main focus of the day was (for me) the most important. It was eye opening and quite alarming to sit in the drivers seat of the cement wagon and realise how huge are the blind areas (they are not spots as car drivers call them). Although this wagon had extra mirrors beyond the statutory requirement, you still cannot see much along the nearside (or even immediately in front). Two bikes were placed at different positions on the nearside of the wagon and were completely invisible. This vehicle was also fitted with video cameras and it was only when they were switched on that the bikes could be seen in the display above the windscreen.

Now, no matter how much of a hurry I am in or how late for a meeting or train, I will never be tempted to cut through slow traffic containing heavy goods vehicles. Better to arrive late!

          We were given the chance to have glimpse inside the velodrome - still very much under construction. They hope to be largely finished by April 2014 when an Open Day for the public is promised.

          There was a “street velodrome” set up (cycle on a tight circuit round cones on the tarmac but turn on near vertical curved ramps at each end) and it was good to see youngsters in Derby Mercury kit fearlessly giving their all on that circuit. Local successors to Laura Trott, Victoria Pendleton, Jason Kenny, Chris Hoy and all the others?

Cycling films in Wirksworth

Jeremy Taylor informs me that the renovated 51-seater Northern Light cinema in Wirksworth will be showing two cycling films. A "Sunday in Hell", a film about the gruelling Paris-Roubaix race in northern France, will be shown at 19:30 on Thursday 28 November, and a second film "Janapar" at 16:00 and 20:00 on Sunday 1 December. The latter concerns the 12 000-mile ride without maps or guidebooks by 23-year old Tom Allen. En route, Tom's ride takes an unlikely turn when he falls in love with an Iranian-Armenian girl! Tom Allen will be present at the cinema to answer questions, after the screenings, and he will be selling a DVD and signing books. The cinema opens one hour before each performance and has a fully licensed bar and tapas snacks. Regular old-style tilt-up cinema seats are £6.50 (£5.50 seniors), armchair £8.50 and sofa for two including wine £25.00. All tickets must be purchased in advance, either on line www.thenorthernlightcinema.co.uk or by phone 01629 337513 (the box office is open Wed to Sun from 16:00 to 19:00).

Changing Places event at Derby Velodrome

This is being held in Derby this Wednesday - 30th October. 

According to Les Sim’s post on Derby Rangers blog “It now seems that this Road Safety Presentation will be held within the Velodrome site and not in Pride Park Football Stadium AND (best of all) we will be able to see the inside of the Velodrome.”

Some details are below: 

Changing Places Day on October 30, 2013 aims to increase awareness and educate road users - particularly cyclists and HGV drivers - about the challenges that are faced by both when sharing the roads.

The day will be hosted by construction company Bowmer & Kirkland at the site of the Multi-Sports Arena and Velodrome project - currently being built for Derby City Council - on Pride Park in Derby.

If you are a cyclist, a HGV driver, or any other road user, come along and join us at any time during the event, between 10.30am and 3pm.

• Sit in the cab of a lorry or bus and view the road from the driver's perspective
• Meet Sir Dave Brailsford who will be there at 12.30
• Cycle alongside a wagon in a safe environment
• See link for more details

Numbering of Route 549

We have just completed two very successful days, renumbering the Manifold Track and the route from Hulme End to Hartington from 54 to 549. On the Thursday we met at Waterhouses station and were joined by Jean and Bob from the Lichfield ranger group. It was great to meet rangers from another area, and we worked well together. Picture shows (LTR): Maldwyn, Jean, Clyde, Paul W, Jim and Bob. From there we signed the Manifold Track northwards. This excellent trail had very few NCN signs on it already - now it is very clearly-signed. Pics 2-4 show (some) work going on! The weather was mostly sunny and we managed to dodge most of the short-lived showers. We used up a large quantity of our red 549 patches, and had only a few for the following day. 

By the way, don't forget that any of these pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Finally, we arrived at Hulme End, where we enjoyed a well-deserved cuppa. And some of us were extremely childish!

On the Friday, Catherine, Paul S, Paul W and I met to renumber the section between Hulme End and Hartington. This turned out to have quite a few junctions which were signed with 54s and these all had to be replaced. The weather was foggy but this was another fruitful day. We finally used up our last stash of 549 patches, but supplemented our stock with upside-down 6s added to the current 54s! (and various other strategies to achieve a similar result) This is our group outside the tea room at Hartington, after another well-earned cuppa!

On my way home, I thought it would be a good idea to put a few 68s up at Hartington signal box, which has never been signed before.

Wed 23 Oct 2013 signing morning cancelled!

I'm having to cancel next Wednesday's meeting for a number of reasons, not least because a number of you won't be able to make it, and also because there is no strong likelihood that I will receive the new number patches from Sustrans in time. I'll post on the blog and send you all an email when we are ready to work again. There is very little of our initial renumbering work remaining now, although there is a lot to do in signing generally. I'm therefore going to tell Andy Whitty at the Sustrans online mapping that it probably time to make the corrections to the numbers on his maps. 

We had another good signing morning yesterday - thanks once again to all concerned. Pictures will follow later this weekend - honest!  

Signing day update for this coming Friday

Not Hartington!

We had a very successful signing afternoon today - thanks to all who took part - and we got as far as Hulme End. It is only logical therefore to re-commence tomorrow (Friday) at Hulme End and continue to Hartington and (hopefully) Sparklow. Meet at Hulme End railway station at 10:00. 

I've just looked at the weather forecast and it seems that it is going to rain in the afternoon, not the morning. So we should beat the rain once again, as we did today (that's the theory anyway.) If the forecast is wrong, we can take refreshments and tell each other stories at the station!

Pictures from today's renumbering later!

I'll be coming up the Manifold trail to Waterhouses tomorrow (17 Oct) so if I'm not there by 1 pm then set off without me and I'll meet you on route.