Friday 20 August 2010

Middlesbrough Town meal feeding 5000?

Last year the town meal actually had over 10,000 visitors so for Friends of the Earth to be invited to help out is certainly a big thing. To be held in Central square Sat 25th September. We hope to show what you can do in a small handkerchief, concrete backyard building on Darlingtons dumpy bag allotment at Lingfield Point. If you are interested get in touch.


Monday 16 August 2010

August and September meetings


- Thursday 26th August 6.30-8pm Mima, Cafe Prego
I've never been to Mima before so this will be interesting. Mima is very central and if you come early you can look around the galleries. Car parking is free after 4pm and there is cycle parking right outside the cafe so you can keep it in sight. We have an update on the "Fix the Foodchain campaign" and details of the Sky Ride Click here Cafe Prego

- Wed 8th September 7pm NEW STOCKTON GROUP, the Hub cycle centre, Bridge road, stockton Hope to have lots of people here fro the launch of Stocktons New group
click here

- Thursday 23rd September 7-8.30pm, Friends meeting house, 131 Cambridge Road, Linthorpe, Mbro. TS5 5HL Carla our network developer should be coming to this meeting and we should have tea and cake!! We should have the latest info from our the national conference. Map and Google streetview here

Middlesbrough Sky Ride takes off


This Sunday Middlesbrough cyclists took to the streets in an truly amazing event, the Mbro Sky ride. What a triumph!! From 10 to 2 pm streets were cordoned off to 4 wheel traffic making the ride nice and safe. It was quite surreal cycling down the wrong side of the road or through red traffic lights, I couldn't quite shake the habit of warily looking over my shoulder for cars though.


To see families, mums, dads and kids cycling through the streets of Middlesbrough it gladdened your heart. Live bands and entertainment were provided around the 5 mile route and made it a real treat - a full day out. For the youngsters BMX team Extreme and the unicyclists laid on a stunning acrobatic display very impressive and inspiring.


We had three people on the ride, myself and Joe and his little 6 year old boy who was just really learning to ride his own bike without stabilizers. It was a touching, special moment that you don't forget.


Friends of the Earth helped publicize the event by getting members involved and running a special radio programme on CVFM community radio. We hoped to have a stall available but they had already been allocated - perhaps next time!


It looks like a new golden age of cycling has begun and the mbro Sky ride has caught the crest of the wave encouraging a new generation of cyclists. FoE hopes it is made an annual event.


The Gazette article is a very good one with a great photo slideshow click here to view it