Just had a very useful afternoon in Northampton talking to a host of people from town and county councils, hospitals and community groups about Cyclemagic working in your patch to promote cycling
when you say 'promote cycling' are you actually offering anything to people who cycle or are you just knocking on doors saying "why don't you cycle."
Organising events, helping local groups to set up cycling projects, working in schools, helping to make promoting cycling a council policy etc
I have just moved from Northampton to my present address. During the 1980's/90's my club Velo Club Northampton established town centre criteriums for amateur and professional riders in association with the Borough Council and Sport for Television. We had considerable success with the likes of Joey McGloughlin, Malcolm Elliott and Steve Joughin riding the events. Unfortunately the Borough Council did not follow through on these successes even though they were asked by our club chairman to try and expand on our initiatives to reach a wider constituency for cycling and related ideas. Northampton Borough Council in the last few years has had a traumatic failure; being rated as one of the worst performing Councils' in Great Britain! I wish you well Hilldodger but my experience leads me to believe that any hard work put in by yourself and colleagues will be disipated by the inept governance that you are attempting to work with, unless of course things have changed greatly in the past twelve months since I left.
I wish you well Hilldodger but my experience leads me to believe that any hard work put in by yourself and colleagues will be disipated by the inept governance that you are attempting to work with That is what we were told about Leicester a decade ago when we started. It is now one of the leading cycling cities in the UK. And, Northampton/shire invited us to work with them after several recomendations.
I believe that Northampton council refused permission for a mountain bike race in one of the parks a few years ago because it would damage the grass. I guess that the town show, the fair, the odd circus and the balloon festival with all their heavy vehicles, car parking and litter do no damage at all! Best of luck to you, you will need it.
So pleased to hear that things are changing Hilldodger! More power to your elbow. Perhaps with the recent change of Chief Executive a few chairs have been kicked over and bottoms slapped.
PS Hilldodger. Geoff Oxley of Wycliffe Road was the chairman of Velo Club Northampton. If you contact him, he may be able to help in some capacity, as he has wide experience of liaising with the Borough Council. Just thought this may be of help as I would like to see you succeed.
Ta. I wonder if he's a relative - my grandmother's maiden name was Oxley and she was from Northampton.
