Tony Ambrose Visit

Tony Ambrose, National Manager for the Sustrans volunteer programme will be in the East Midlands on Tuesday 11 January 2011 and will be taking the opportunity to meet the Derby volunteer group and our group with neighbouring Newark volunteers.
The Grantham/Newark meeting will take place on Tuesday 11 January 2011 at 18:30 for around 2 hours at The Blue Pig Inn, Vine Street, Grantham.
The meeting will be an informal affair but it gives you an opportunity to meet Tony and vice versa and ask questions if you have any. I do know Tony is looking for some feedback on ideas he is looking to put forward to a volunteer focus group in the new year.
I do hope you can attend the meeting, I am not asking for a role call but if you are able to let me know if you are able or not able to attend then this will be much appreciated.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

As we nearly draw a close to 2010 I would like to take this opportunity in thanking you all for your many hours of volunteering over the year and helping to maintain the NCN in the Grantham area whether it be alone or as part of a group, it really is much appreciated from myself and from Sustrans local and national staff.

It has been an interesting year of workdays, local rides with neighbouring Sustrans groups, route openings, new projects like cycLIN and the nest box trial. I am sure we will have plenty more throughout 2011 and I will no doubt be in touch in the very near future.

So I wish you all and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you in 2011.

David

East Midlands Cyclists Forum

Pedals (Nottingham Cycle Campaign) are the hosts this year of the East Midlands Cyclists Forum bringing together like-minded East Midlands cyclists together.
A full programme of events for the day can be found at http://www.pedals.org.uk/emcf_conference_2010, there is a very small booking fee of £5 to cover tea, coffee and a light buffet lunch. Details of how to book can be found on the above link.

Notts Rural Rides- Grantham triangle

In one of the last of a series of rides lead by the Newark group of Sustrans volunteers this year is the Grantham triangle ride taking place on Sunday 26 September and departs at 10:30 from the Grove Sports Centre, Newark. (map)
This is a longer ride which uses NCR 64 to get to Bottesford and then follows NCR 15 which is a lovely ride along the (side of) Grantham canal. The third side of the triangle is the route back from Grantham through Belton Park and rural lanes via Claypole. For more information contact Tony Eyres on 01636 672408

If any of you wish to join in but can only do part of the ride around the Grantham area, then you may want to join others at Bottesford rail station at around 11:30 or at the Bottesford A52 crossing (map) on Easthorpe Lane that leads towards Muston at around 11:45- 12:00. Please note these timings are only estimated so please give yourself an earlier arrival.

National Cycle Network celebrates 15 years

1995 was a year of firsts - the launch of Ebay, the explosion of the internet, the invention of the DVD, Buzz and Woody hit the big screen in the first ever computer-animated film, the first time Take That stepped out as a foursome and of course... the launch of the National Cycle Network. Now, on Saturday 11 September 2010, the National Cycle Network celebrates its 15^th anniversary with events across the UK.

With Mark Ronson's new single 'The Bike Song' set to be released next week, HRH Prince Charles touring the UK celebrating sustainable living, Boris's tory-blue cycling superhighways, and even celebrities from Agyness Deyn to Lord Sugar getting papped on two wheels - it seems Britain is going green with cycling fever.

The National Cycle Network is a flagship project for Sustrans - the UK charity that enables people to make more of their everyday journeys on foot, bike and public transport.

Did you know that the National Cycle Network...

...now extends to 12,600 miles
...carries over 1 million journeys every single day
...goes within 1 mile of over half the UK population
...covers more miles in the UK than motorways

and

In 2009, there were 407 million trips on the Network - 208 million cycling trips and 199 million on foot

Urban traffic routes account for only 26% of the Network, but they carry an astonishing three quarters of all trips - showing that it is used in a key way by people making local everyday journeys as well as for leisure time

The Network also hosts the largest collection of outdoor art and sculpture in the UK - with over 2,000 pieces from over 300 artists

The Network is the most widespread construction project since the building of the motorways, and has been developed and built by Sustrans alongside many local authorities and partners across the UK

Earlier this week, HRH Prince Charles visited Bristol - home of Sustrans - as part of his 'Start' campaign to hear from organisations promoting sustainable community living. Sustrans gave a presentation to the Prince on Sustrans' work including the creation of the Network as an example of how millions of people in the UK were already getting around on foot or by bike for everyday journeys but how work needed to continue to ensure millions more could in the future. The Prince was a supporter of the initial bid to win £43.5million from the National Lottery in 1995 to launch the Network.

On 11 September 1995, rock legend Meatloaf handed over a cheque for £43.5m to Sustrans and the Network was launched.

From the first route to be completed - the 17 mile Bristol and Bath Railway Path, to the latest section being launched on its anniversary - the 170 mile Way of the Roses through Lancashire and Yorkshire - the Network scales mountains, crosses divides, races through cities and leisurely ambles through the countryside. The original ambition to create a 6,500 mile network has been surpassed and the Network is now 12,600 miles, there are over 50,000 direction signs, 10,000 seats and thousands of bridges, viaducts and tunnels along its routes. Whether it's for business or pleasure, commuting or just for fun, travelling on the network has something for everyone as well as being a fundamental part of how people in the UK get around everyday.

Malcolm Shepherd - Chief Executive of Sustrans says, "It's amazing to see just how much this Network has grown in just 15 years but it's not just for keen cyclists. It really is a vital transport system that allows people to get to work and school everyday whether on foot or by bike. It's a key part of the future of UK transport and makes local journeys much easier to do without a car. It goes through major cities as well as connects rural communities and is a great way to get out and enjoy the UK.

"Over the next 15 years we want to see more and more people walking and cycling for short everyday journeys and using the Network as a natural choice for how they get around. If everyone in Britain made one less car journey every week it would reduce car travel by at least ten per cent, which would mean an annual saving of almost seven million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Small changes can equal big environmental returns."

So raise a bike lock as we say Happy Birthday National Cycle Network - here's to the next 15 years!

Download the National Cycle Network Map 2010 map

An evening with Andrew Ritchie

Come and hear Andrew Ritchie talk about Brompton bikes on the evening of Wednesday 1st September.

Andrew Ritchie was working as a landscape gardener in London when, in 1975, he conceived the idea for a folding bike.

Since then he has guided the Brompton Bicycle company from its initial production facility in a railway arch to become the largest bicycle manufacturer in the UK producing 26,000 bikes per year and the last transport manufacturer of any kind based in London. Today, Bromptons are sold in 33 countries around the world.

The event will take place at the Gallery, 70 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EJ (Farringdon tube station). Doors open at 6pm and the talk will commence at 6:30pm. Refreshments will be available, with all proceeds going to Sustrans.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Grantham Canal Society Newsletters

For you interest, the last 2 months The Bridge newsletter from the Grantham Canal Society can be found here- May edition and here- June edition.

Additional to these a special Three Shires edition can be found here which has also been produced to celebrate the arrival of the GCS new trip boat.

New South Kesteven Cycling Maps

In what has seemed a small lifetime not only to get the idea forward but then to get it produced I can now confirm that the new Lincolnshire cycling maps 2010 for the South Kesteven area are now available for free.
There are two maps, the first covers Grantham and Sleaford (5) and the second covers the Stamford and neighbouring Rutland (7). They have very much been produced with the cyclists in mind highlighting lots of designated cycle facilities and cycle advisable roads throughout the SKDC, not to mention lots of PH's and tearooms.
The mapping has been produced by Paul Rea of Realistic Solutions to a really high standard, he is also responsible in producing the other 4 maps currently available which cover Lincoln (3), Gainsborough (1), North Wolds (2) and South Wolds (4) along with Nottingham and Nottinghamshire cycle maps which you may have seen over the last few years. It also to be noted that all the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire maps all join up with each other with a small over lap within the design.
I have taken delivery of a number of boxes and will in due course get a number of the new maps out to you by either hand delivery or post, if you need any more then please don't hesitate in contacting me and if you know of any establishment that would like some then please again get in touch.
If you personally want any copies of the other Lincolnshire cycle maps then these can be obtained from LCC customer services at customer_services@lincolnshire.gov.uk or by calling 01522 782070. When refering to the maps if you state the area it covers and more importantly the map number, these are in brackets in the list above as this can help you receive the correct maps.

Change your world

Hopefully you will know that June 1 will see the launch day of the Sustrans change your world campaign, this has been running for a few years now and this year is aiming to be bigger and better and hopefully with more pledges from people pledging to walk, cycle or take the bus or train. The aim is to clock up enough miles to go around the world.
Between June 1- July 4 you take take your pledge at http://changeyourworld.org.uk/, by pledging you can also enter to win some great prizes too and let family and friends know about the change your world campaign.
To help spread the word in your work, school, club etc. I have a number of posters which I can post/deliver to you, if required any then do get in touch with me at sustransranger@hotmail.com , you can also download the posters at http://changeyourworld.org.uk/index.php?id=7

Sustrans/Boxlife Project- 2nd Update

A new update for you regarding the Sustrans/Boxlife project at Easton, Dave Clarke returned to the nest box site on Sunday 23 May to now find 4 healthy looking families. Looks very cosy in there.

Derby- Breadsall Cycle Ride & BBQ

Event information can be downloaded here.

NCR 647 Picnic on the bridge

National Cycle Network route 647 is a newly opened mostly traffic free route that will connect NCR 64 west of Lincoln towards the Clumber Park & Sherwood area. An instrumental section of the route is the Fledborough viaduct that crosses the River Trent which till recently was out of bounds, Nottinghamshire County Council who own the viaduct have put in place various construction on the site which now means it can be re-opened.
To celebrate this opening of the viaduct and NCR 647 the Newark Sustrans group will be holding a picnic on the bridge event on the viaduct on Saturday 5th June from 12:00 p.m.- 02:00 p.m. The event is open to all cyclists and walkers and will bring together people from Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
A detailed map of the location can be found here, and a map showing directions to the event from Newark can be found here. You may also be interested in join 1 of 2 led rides from Newark Castle station up to the event, both leaving at 10:30 a.m. There is no official car parking areas nearby but space I am sure could be found in the nearby access roads or villages.
A publicity poster giving further details can be found here, do pass on to others you think maybe of interest.

Don't forget your picnic.

Sustrans/Boxlife Project- Update

I have heard back from Dave Clarke of Boxlife and he informs me after visiting the Easton nest box site last weekend that six off the boxes have had activity in them and out of those four have new residents, see photos above. There is 1 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tits confirmed to be nesting, the 4th was unoccupied at the time of inspection but had eggs present and is thought to be another Great Tit family.

Thursday 20 & Sunday 30 May Workdays

Many thanks to those of you who have been able to attend the last 3 workdays & signing rides, this is very much appreciated. As announced in past blog postings the next 2 workdays will take place on 20 & 30 May. I can know let you know that on both days we will be repainting the millennium mileposts, I will provide all paint and tools so please just bring yourself along if you are able to attend.

• Thursday 20 May, 18:00- 20:00 (no later), meet at Denton Wharf milepost. Map
  
• Sunday 30 May, 10:00- 12:00, meet at milepost near Woolsthorpe Top Lock. Map
  

We shall take a short break during June but I will inform of new workdays/rides to take place from late June/early July.

The Bridge Newsletter- April

The Grantham Canal Society's april edition of The Bridge newsletter can be found here.

***NEWS JUST IN***
The GCS new pleasure boat Three Shires will be craned into the canal at Denton Wharf on Wednesday 28 April at around 13:00. Once in the water and checked over it will then head west along the canal making it's first maiden voyage up to Woolsthorpe Top Lock.

May Workdays

Firstly thank you to those off you who have been able to attend the previous workdays, this is very much appreciated, can I also forward a reminder about the second signing ride for this Sunday, as announced in previous blog postings. Details can be found here.

For May I shall be restarting the evening and weekend workdays just like last year, three dates have been set and are as below.
Thursday 6 May
18:00- 20:00 (no later)
Please meet at the A1 bridge on Harlaxton Road, Grantham. Vegetation clearance will be taking place so please bring along any tools that you have for such a job. Location Map.

Thursday 20 May
18:00- 20:00 (no later)

Sunday 30 May
10:00- 12:00
For the last two dates I shall announce after 6 May the locations and work to be taken out.

I do hope you can join myself and others and I look forward to seeing you.

Sleaford Connect2 Project

Our neighbouring market town Sleaford was 1 of the 79 projects that was part of the Sustrans Connect2 bid for National Lottery funding over 2 years ago. Nationally the projects are now starting to take shape which now includes the Sleaford project with the first of the link paths starting to take shape.
When completed the Sleaford project will allow local resident walkers and cyclists from the north side of the A17 cross the A17 safely with the use of a local bridge crossing which for a number off years has been used only by a local landowner. The bridge will be upgraded to allow walkers and cyclists to across with ease and will have all weather links leading up to it on both sides of the A17.
The Sleaford project has received a lot of support within and around the neighbouring communities, this also extends to the local press which reported recently the news of the start of work on the project, the article can be read here.
In the meantime a few photos of the current work, bridge crossing and a short video to show what the current situation is like crossing the A17.

Local Waterway Publications

New editions of local waterways publications have just been published this week.
Grantham Canal Society's 'The Bridge' newsletter can be viewed here.
And the Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership latest newsletter is now available and can be viewed here, I have a few spare paper copies of this, if you would like one then please do get in touch.

April Signing Rides

As you will know the Sustrans Volunteer Programme is marking April as the signing month nationwide, with this in mind we shall give the workdays a rest in April and use the following dates to check the signing along NCN 15 in and around Grantham.
The first date which I had previously announced on the blog will be on Sunday 11 April (09:45- 11:45) to meet at Dirty Duck PH (location map), where we will ride towards Grantham and hopefully end up at Grantham Railway Station if time permits.
The second which I newly announce to you will be Sunday 25 April (09:45- 11:45) to meet on the Riverside Cycle Path on Bridge End Road (location map), where we will ride towards Queen Elizabeth Park. It may also give us time to visit the newly refurbished Tea Rooms in Wyndham Park.
I will have signs with me on both of these rides so you just need to bring yourself along, I hope you can make the rides.

P.S. Hope to see you this Sunday, 09:45 at Stenwith Tunnel (NCN 15 Woolsthorpe- Muston), please bring along path clearance tools such as a spade or shovel.

GCS March Work Parties

British Waterways have marked March as their Towpath Tidy month, the first 2 weeks saw organised BW Towpath Tidy events throughout the UK and now in the latter part of March waterway societies and groups such as the Grantham Canal Society are having their own organised work parties.
The GCS will be having a 2 day work party this week on Thursday 25 and Saturday 28. If you would like to join in and help give the towpath (NCN 15) and canal from Woolsthorpe- Grantham a spring clean then both work parties will be meeting at Woolsthorpe Top Lock (near Dirty Duck PH) starting at 09:30- 10:00 am.
Ian Wakefield (work party leader) can be contacted on ian.wakefield@granthamcanal.com or you can phone him on 0115 989 2128 or 07789 383 266 if you wish to contact him for any further information regarding the work parties.

NCC Rural Rides Programme 2010

Over the border Nottinghamshire County Council has just recently published their Rural Rides Programme for 2010, although the free rides ranging from 15- 35+ miles are based in Nottinghamshire a number of the rides do pop over to neighbouring counties including Lincolnshire.
You can order a free copy here, or download a copy here.

Boxlife/Sustrans Project

Bob and myself have been working over the winter on a small project with Dave Clarke, a friend of ours who runs with a few other volunteers a very small organisation called Boxlife, they produce bird nesting boxes to be located in public and private places like schools, allotments, farms and woods.
A few years ago a project was drafted to put in a linear route from Colsterworth up to Easton using the old railway line, Dave knows this area well as he works at Easton and also volunteers in the nearby area for the “Life on the Verge” project run by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and so approached me in my volunteering role as a Sustrans Ranger about the idea of placing some nest boxes up along the railway line. Some time later an agreement was given for Boxlife to install boxes on the Colsterworth side of the A1 after negotiations with the local Parish Council, now all that was left was an agreement with Railway Paths Ltd via Nicola Jones (Sustrans) to do the Easton side of the railway line.
A survey would first have to be carried out to identify where suitable nest boxes would be located, using GPS we were able to pinpoint the exact location of where we wished to place them. This information was then sent to Railway Paths Ltd and after a few months of negotiations it was agreed that a licence could be granted so the first boxes could be sited this year.
The first 12 boxes off various sizes sited on 4 March, these included 1 Robin box, 1 Tawny Owl box and 10 boxes with either 25 or 35 mm apertures. The second phase of the project from Easton up to the East Coast mainline will be dealt with in the future after the nesting season.

In a way the Easton project has been a beta project and what I would like the group to work with Boxlife again this summer to place some nest boxes up along the railway line from Woolsthorpe Top Lock to Muston. We could have various workdays with such a project like surveying, nest box making and not forgetting installing. Such an idea would need Railway Paths Ltd permission again but they could be approached again in a few months time.

You can find out more about Boxlife at www.myspace.com/box_life

Sunday 7 March Workday

Although winter's nip was still in the air the first of spring's sunshine came out for the day on the first workday of the year on NCR15 between Woolsthorpe Top Lock and Muston.
Just a couple of us got to share this but have started to make headway in scraping of the worst of the winter's mud that had settled, it also allowed us to observe what an excellent job has been done by Colin (Sustrans Maintenance) at the start of the year in opening up the NCR 15 railway line.
After finishing I cycled towards Muston with Mike where we were treated to the sight of the very recent hedge laying that leads into NCR15 from Woolsthorpe Road.

Don't forget the next workday will be on Sunday 28 March, meet at Stenwith Tunnel seat on NCR15 at 09:45, I do hope you can join in and I look forward to seeing you.

New Newsletter Editions

After a few queries to some of you it maybe that you was unaware that you have had an email from Sustrans Volunteers (Bristol) around early February with details of how to download the latest Volunteer Action Newsletter. You can view this online here, note this has full details about Festivol and Training Days plus other business.
For those who don't donate money to Sustrans on a monthly basis you will not receive a copy of the Sustrans Supporters Newsletter, The Hub. However as volunteers we can view this online at www.sustrans.org.uk/supporters/ where you will find the latest edition and back issues.
And finally to keep upto date with Sustrans Connnect2, the latest newsletter can be viewed here.

Proposed Group Meeting Cancelled

Firstly thank you to those of you who have been in contact to let me know if you could or couldn't attend the proposed group meeting on Sunday 14 March at 6.30 pm. Unfortunately due to very low numbers who able to attend I will have to temporary cancel this meeting.
I will be in touch in the near future with 2 or 3 proposed dates for a group meeting.

Sustrans VolunteerNet back online

You maybe aware that during January the Sustrans VolunteerNet website was temporary shut down by Sustrans due to a viral infection of the site. The website is now back online but has unfortunately lost it's most recent data, however Judith Pope is busy working hard to restore what she can. The website can be found at it's usual address at www.sustransrangers.org.uk, and if you have any problems logging into the site then just contact the Sustrans Volunteer Team at volunteers-uk@sustrans.org.uk