Presidents Report Summer 2006
Where has the summer gone? Cycling issues have been top of the agenda here in Salisbury over the summer. Through the local campaign group (COGS) we launched a petition asking for cycling links out to Alderbury and Wilton to be considered aptly named C-SAW (Cycle – Salisbury, Alderbury and Wilton). This led to a Scrutiny Panel being set up to investigate why the links were not being delivered and an insurmountable amount of meeting with District Council Officers, County Council Officers and Sustrans. Sustrans came up a cunning plan to buy a paddock along side the A36 to Alderbury which could have been used as a cycle way – imagine everyone’s surprise when it went for approx. £90K, three times the guide price - the value of development land today even without planning permission! Our MP Robert Key has been very supportive and has only recently been in contact with the Highways Agency who have so far been noticeable by their absence in this process so far! Time will tell whether anything can actually be achieved but in the mean time the profile of cycling is being raised.
The Summer Thursday night rides have again proven very popular with returning leisure cyclists and have complemented Alan’s Sunday Rides very well.
Gill and I spent the August Bank Holiday cycle camping at the Bruces Arms in N. Wiltshire and also getting down to Bradford on Avon to see some friends. Good to see lots of cyclists out for the weekend. Instead of coming home I rode north to Coventry for a scientific conference. I had a fabulous ride on the Tuesday through beautiful countryside. I met a local female cyclist who was kind enough to lead me through country lanes for the last 5 miles. Not being used to travelling 90 miles in one day, never mind with the camping kit, I thankfully arrived at the conference centre in time for my evening meal – you can imagine the comments from my colleagues, who thought that I was completely mad. Needless to say I was also cycling back and left Coventry at 2pm on the Friday afternoon and again had good weather for my ~60m ride south to a small camp site just north of Cricklade where I arrived just as it was getting dark. The weather took a turn for the worst on the Saturday with a northerly wind and occasional rain shower. My pace was decidedly slower and I just kept grinding away during the day. I had planned to stop 10 miles from Salisbury, at Friars Tuck in Amesbury, for a cup of tea and fortuitously had a puncture (2nd one of the trip) on my way into the village. The rain came on for the last part of my ride and I as grateful for the warm welcome home and very hot bath.
Look forward to seeing you all at the AGM 18 November (11am, United Reform Church Blandford).
Best wishes to all Wessex DA members.
Jimmy
Click here to go back to Salisbury Section Home Page