Tag: peterborough city council

A walk in the Park, following Doris

Still standing. This little tree tilted to get out of the elm's space. The elm was cut down. (Dutch Elm Disease).
Still standing. This little tree tilted to get out of the elm’s space. The elm was cut down. (Dutch Elm Disease).
This Scots Pine grows at an inexplicable angle, but is completely unmoved by Doris
This Scots Pine grows at an inexplicable angle, but is completely unmoved by Doris. The orange object on the path should have been binned by the dog’s owner. This is a new problem in Central Park. The park warden used to talk to people and hand out bags.
A loose branch hangs high above the flag in the middle of the park. The flag pole needs a little repair too.
A loose branch hangs high above the flag in the middle of the park. The flag pole needs a little repair too.
This rootball must have sounded like cannon being fired when it snapped.
This rootball must have sounded like cannon being fired when it snapped.
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Glorious brilliance in the sheared surfaces. Almost gold. Late afternoon in shade. Elsewhere the sun is on it.
I wish I could have captured the astonishment in his face as he cycled up to this
I wish I could have captured the astonishment in his face as he cycled up to this! When I approached this tree some teenagers were jumping on it. They saw me, looked very sheepish and ran away. They don’t make teenagers like they used to, do they?
Twisted and snapped. Sheared. Bright orange surfaces of broken wood.

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Peter watches Bonnie investigate. The dog was very energetic: the result of having to kept in yesterday. Odd how little the surrounding grass has been disturbed. You’d expect the roots to be all over the place, but no: all broken off, quite neatly.

Save Rhubarb Bridge

Cyclists, pedestrians and a runner gather at Rhubarb Bridge
Cyclists, pedestrians and a runner gather at Rhubarb Bridge

@SustransPBoro and Peterborough Cycling Forum members gathered this week to protest against the proposal (announced in the council’s budget) to demolish Rhubarb Bridge. Follow Sustrans Peterborough on facebook. A member of the Werrington Running Club explained that the running club members use the bridge. While we were there the bridge was never empty: children were making their way to school: many pupils at Voyager school will get to school via this bridge and commuters were cycling and walking over it.

On top of the bridge, it ducks under the A47: the path descends a bit, making it an up and under bridge. It is an extraordinary design and in its day was very innovative. It is difficult to envisage a better design, given the continuous roar of traffic along the A47 crosses the Lincoln Road here: the main trunk route north out of Peterborough. Rhubarb Bridge (apparently so called because rhubarb kept coming up on its embankments when it was newly built) allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross two major roads on a set of off road, fully segregated paths, ramps and steps.  There is absolutely no conflict with road traffic, which as things are, only stops for more road traffic.

The only road user who is not catered for, is (possibly) someone using a wheelchair or mobility scooter. There are ramps and they are certainly no steeper than many hills, but on the morning of our photoshoot, I did not see anyone attempt them in a wheelchair or a mobility scooter (which are very popular in Peterborough).

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Talking to pedestrians in the dip in the bridge: where the bridge goes down into a tunnel under the A47
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Fluorescent (?) light cover in the ceiling of the tunnel
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The tunnel was unlit at 8am. It is possible to see quite well inside it. But it is not the most beautiful of Peterborough’s underpasses
Spiral ramp onto Rhubarb Bridge
Spiral ramp onto Rhubarb Bridge