Sustrans Rangers work morning – Tuesday December 12 – Beryl Burton Way

On the 12th of this month we’ll have another try at doing the Beryl Burton Path. Here is almost a repeat of last month’s notes. Sarah has re-scheduled so she will be there.

For information – Mike W and I are planning to do the show ground woods again on the 19th if anyone would like to join us. Thanks to Peter L for doing the slope from the main path up to St John Fisher.

There is vegetation to cut back and leaves to remove all the way along the BB Way. It would be fantastic if we could get 15 of us out again. Then we will be able to do both ends. Otherwise we’ll do the top section.

To help with planning who goes where, please let me know if you are coming.

Tools – We could do with as many hedge trimmers, blowers and secateurs as we have please. Plenty to do.

I will also bring scrapers and shovels/ spades for tidying up the edges but please bring your own if you have them.

Hope you can make it

If you’re not on the list and would like to help please contact Steve using the button below.

Mondays
I would like to keep the second Tuesday as our main day for doing these jobs. Just chatting yesterday, it seems a few people can’t make Tuesday but can make Monday. I would be happy to lead a group on the fourth Monday of the Month starting in January. Please let me know your thoughts.

Reporting a Cycleway issue

You can report any issues here https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/roads-and-pavements/cycle-lanes-and-routes – it’s easy and you can zoom in on the map

This applies to bridleways and cycle paths too. Please report any issues – including overgrown vegetation. The more of us report them, the more likely they are to do something about it

Other Volunteering Jobs (not on a Tuesday)

I know that some of you find it hard to make our Tuesday sessions. A couple of people have asked if our group can help them. Our diary is pretty full and your details cannot be forwarded without your permission. If you are interested in either of the projects, please let me know and I’ll forward them.

Starbeck to Bilton Link runs alongside the Star Beck after which Starbeck is named. We have cleared leaves along there but there is a lady from Starbeck Community Group who would like to clear the undergrowth and find the beck again

Wetherby to Walshford path – we have had 2 sessions on there and there is a lady who would like to get a group together to clear the rest and keep it clear.

Thanks team

Steve

If you’re not on the list and would like to be, please contact Steve below.

What do Sustrans Rangers do?

We work with others to keep the cycleways round Harrogate free from obstacles – leaves, overhanging and overgrown vegetation – and make them more enjoyable for cyclists (and walkers).

We usually meet on the second Tuesday of each month from 10.00am to noon and some of us go for a coffee when the work is done.

We all get a great sense of achievement for a job well done.

Recording your hours

In the past Sarah, our Volunteer Coordinator at Sustrans has been able to enter the hours which everybody has worked onto their systems. Sustrans now have a new system/ programme. In my view it’s massively inferior.

If you are a member of Sustrans (there are about 6 of us) could you please enter your hours onto the Assemble platform. No-one else can do this for you.

If you are not a member (that’s most of you) your hours will not be recorded but you can still feel that sense of achievement from a job well done.

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Here Are Some Recent Examples

Tuesday Nov 21st – Greenway

Thank you to the 12 helpers who made such a great job of the Ripley end of the Greenway this Tuesday. This was rescheduled from last week because of the torrential rain. The path was a real sludgy mess but is now clear and, more importantly, safe.

In our enthusiasm to get started, no-one took any photos of how it looked before we started. If you cycled that way recently you will know how bad it was.
Here is an ‘after’ photo

Tuesday Aug 8th – Harrogate – Greenway Asda Cycle Path

The part of the Nidderdale Greenway which runs from the back of Asda to Grove Park Avenue/ Dragon Bridge. There were 10 of us working on the Asda path 0n Tues 8th Aug. We widened the path considerably. Another great job completed by the Sustrans Rangers, thank you. We managed to complete a large section but didn’t make it as far as Asda. Many thanks to Jon Dening for the photos

Tuesday July 18th – Knaresborough – Starbeck Cycle Path

9 volunteers had a very fruitful morning on the cycle track up from Knaresborough and half way to the golf club. Just look at the photos. Sorry I couldn’t join you. Great job folks.

Tuesday June 27th – Greenway – Balsam Bashing

Thanks to all the 9 people who turned out today – despite the poor forecast. I told you it’s always wrong.

It was noticeable how much less balsam there was than last year because of the work we did then. So it’s definitely worth it. Let’s hope that this year’s work will mean that we have controlled it sufficiently that we can work on another site downstream next year.

We removed or trimmed an enormous amount of balsam between the cycle path and the river. We don’t normally stray much from cycle paths but we are trying to control this invasive species and it’s necessary to go a bit further into the undergrowth.

Well done folks.

Steve

Tuesday May 9th – Walshford to Wetherby Cycle Path – Part Two

We had another good morning’s work on the Walshford to Wetherby cycle path. We had great weather. If anything it was too hot. Just 7 of us this time because of holidays and caring for family members. There is still a lot to do on this path but it will probably have to wait until next year now. We will get back to our usual patch. A consistent comment from helpers this time was the number of bikes who came up from behind without bells and without saying anything – why?

Thank you all for coming

Tuesday April 11th – Walshford to Wetherby Cycle Path – Part One

Many thanks to the 9 volunteers who joined me today on the Walshford path.

It was such a rewarding job to do. I believe it’s about 5 years since the path had such a serious haircut. 

In some parts we tripled the width of the path – as you can see from this picture which shows where we finished and where we will start next month – 9th May.

Great to see Sarah from Sustrans and to welcome Paul to the group.

Thank you everyone.

Tuesday March 14th – High School Path and Knaresborough Hill Cycle Path

Thank you to all 12 of you who came and helped today. The photos below show what a great job we did. Sorry, there are no photos of how they looked before but they were in great condition afterwards.

This time, we split into 2 groups. Mike Wills, Denis and I cleared away all the sludge and leaves on the High School Path

Everyone else made a real difference to the cycle path up Knaresborough Hill to the Golf Club. The edges were cut back to reveal a wider path. We managed to do over half – so a trip back later in the year might be a good idea.

Tuesday Feb 21st Showground

Thanks to Malcolm, Denis and Mike for coming out today and to Mike for the photos

It needed doing but wasn’t as bad as usual.  It was a dry day which made it much easier. 

Tuesday Feb 14th Starbeck Link

Thanks to everyone who came today. 14 of us turned out to clear the 1 mile stretch between Bilton Lane and Starbeck known as the Starbeck Link. We welcomed 2 new helpers this month – Ian and Richard.

This was a tough one because it had not been cleared for 4 years and the dirt was caked on. Snow shovels were not up to the job and we really needed more scrapers.

We still managed to complete the whole path and made a pretty good job of it.

Thanks for sticking with it. Hopefully the rain will wash the rest of the muck away now that we have given it the Sustrans treatment.

Thank you from Starbeck Community Group

Sustrans head office had a very nice message of thanks from Starbeck Community Group. They were thanking us for our work on the Starbeck link to the Greenway last month. It’s great to be appreciated. They may be able to help us next time we do that path.

Steve

Tuesday January 24th Beryl Burton Way

Yesterday –  thanks to all 11 who turned out. We did a fantastic job on most of the Beryl Burton Way – and a pretty good job of the rest all the way down to Knaresborough. What a team! Thank you.

Thanks to Jon Dening and Mike Wills for photos.”

Steve

Tuesday December 20th Greenway from Dragon Bridge to Bilton Lane

We had to cancel the planned date of December 13 because of ice. Considering it was Christmas week, we did very well to have a good turnout of 8 yesterday. We made a decent job of the Greenway from Dragon Bridge to Bilton Lane – although it took a little longer than  our usual sessions at about 2 and a half hours. Many thanks to you all for coming out.

Once again, thanks to Mike Wills for the photos.

Tuesday November 8th Killinghall end of the Greenway

Thank you to the 11 people who turned out today. We managed to clear leaves from over a mile and a half of the Killinghall end of the Greenway.

You all did a great job. Please cycle it before the leaves fall again. We will be going back there in a month or so to tidy up.

Photos from our chief photographer, Mike Wills.

Showground Woods – October 11

12 of us came out and cleared the whole path from the Sports & Fitness Centre through to Hornbeam Business Park

High School Path – September 13 

Round the back of Harrogate High School from Kingsley Drive to Avondale Road

9 of us were out on that day

What is Sustrans and what is the relationship with Wheel Easy?

Sustrans is the charity making it easier for more people to walk and cycle. They are custodians of the National Cycle Network, a UK-wide network of traffic-free paths for everyone, connecting cities, towns and countryside, loved by the communities they serve.

Wheel Easy has been working with Sustrans for many years. A member of the club keeps in touch with their regional organiser. Originally Gia Margolis was the group coordinator, then Terry Smith.

Steve Wright now plans the work areas and sends volunteers details of where we are going – Sustrans are still looking for a Group Coordinator and you can find out more here

Who is involved?

• Mostly members of Wheel Easy 

• Others come along as well

• Everyone welcome

How can you help?

Firstly, email Steve using the link below.

Steve will put you on the mailing list. He will send out a blind copy email to all his database of helpers explaining final details of where we will be working. It usually goes out about a week before the session.

It’s very helpful if you can let him know that you plan to come so that he can estimate what can be achieved in the 2 hours.

We have some tools and Steve will let you know what to bring for each job.

We usually meet on the second Tuesday of each month from 10.00am to noon and some of us go for a coffee when the work is done.

We all get a great sense of achievement for a job well done.