East London Cycling Archives
The newsletter of Tower Hamlets London Cycling Campaign Group
October 2002
Car Free fun & frolicking!
Good times were had at Car Free Day on 22nd September. Our 'feeder'
bicycle 'buses' from three parts of the borough met up with Rick Sure's
Rickshaws on Mile End Park's Green Bridge before heading off to Tower
Bridge. Everyone knew we were coming as Rob and Siobhan from Newham brought
a great sound system on their trailer! Look on the website for more
pictures.... and a movie of the 'bus'!
Tower Bridge was packed. The stalls seemed loads better than last year, with
great live music and hands-on art. The wind and occasional shower kept us on
our toes but none of it stopped us handing out loads of our new postcard
(see inside) and newsletters. Many thanks to Alix and Colin for leading the
bicycle buses; Keith, Neville and daughter Fiona for help down at Tower
Bridge; Mark for his cycle skills course and everyone else who came along
for the ride.
Owen Pearson
Full report & photos.
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Campaigns
Cable Street Success
We've been mostly successful with our campaign to restore priority for
cyclists along the Cable Street cycle track, after a meeting in August
brought together people from the Department for Transport, London Borough of
Tower Hamlets (LBTH) transport planners and designer, and Transport for
London's (TfL) cycling centre of excellence. A full report was in the
September 'inbetweener' newsletter (see below for subscription
details) and is also on the website. We handed our petition to cycling
officer Lyndal Peters. It will now go before LBTH councillors'
cabinet for discussion. The first 'new' Wheelers campaign success! (and not
the last - with your help...)
Sign our Cable Street petition!
We presented over 200 signatures from our petition to LBTH and it's fair to
say they were suitably impressed! We have acheived agreement from LBTH that
two out of the three changes we want will be made but we still have to
convince them to agree to the final change. PLEASE SIGN IT NOW to add your
voice to the campaign and show support for this change! You can 'virtually'
sign or contact Alix who will send you one.
Thank-you!!!
Tube strike? - get on your bike!
For the first time, the Wheelers put on a 'bicycle bus' during a tube
strike, to escort tube users who want to give cycling a try. Radio station
BBC Essex did a live phone interview while we were at Bethnal Green tube
station, going out to 300,000 people! This off-set the slight disappointment
felt when we realised that no-one was joining the bus! Only the first strike
had occurred when your ed wrote this so the November newsletter will contain more info.
Give us a push!
As well as a radio stint we're steadily achieving media coverage in local
papers such as East London Advertiser, East End Life and The Islander, which
can be viewed on the website. More and more people are subscribing to our
email group (see back page) and people are getting in touch with us, signing
the Cable Street petition and coming along to events after being handed our
newsletter whilst whizzing to work or finding one attached to their bike.
The hard work that an increasing number of Wheelers volunteers are putting
in is paying off and our socials are taking off too (see facing page). Help
keep the momentum going by getting involved in any way you can! Any help
will move us towards our goals of better cycling facilities and more
cycling, leading to less pollution, congestion, illness and stress for
Londoners and visitors.
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In brief
Name change
Notice a subtle newsletter name change? During a hand-out some guy said:
"I'm not a cyclist, I just cycle to work."
To me, 'cycling' is a more
appropriate word: it doesn't pigeon-hole people. Email newsletter@towerhamletswheelers.org.uk with your newsletter views.
Pig Pens
Ex-Wheelers co-ordinator Gary Cummins is making progress with TfL on 'pig
pens' - those awful railings fencing in pedestrians, which also cause a
cycle hazard.
Postcard!
You'll get a rather snazzy postcard with this newsletter. A bargain at £200
for 10,000! Many thanks go to Gary for the design, Bharat for the cheap
printer, LBTH for funds and Alix for the photos.
T-shirt
Yet another of Gary's bright ideas is a 'congestion charge' T-shirt. More
info in November's newsletter!
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Events & Socials
Children's Day of Cycling
After the summer successes of Bike Week and Car Free Day we're teaming up
with the Family Welfare Association in Tower Hamlets to hopefully put on a
day of bicycle fun for kids in a local park on Sat 26th October (end of the
half term break). If you can help out for any length of time, or have ideas
for what we can put on, do get in touch (contacts on back page). It should
be another enjoyable day messing about with bikey stuff. Keep an eye on our
diary page for details.
Pub nights
We sent a last-minute message round on the email list about a hasty decision
to go to the pub on European Cycling Day (18th August). The result was fab
with a great attendence! So we've decided to hold regular pub nights for
those people for whom meetings are not their cup of tea.
After Oct meeting Wed 16 The Approach, Approach Rd
Oct pub night Wed 23 The Grapes, Narrow Street
After Nov meeting Wed 13 The Half Moon, Mile End Road, near Globe Road
Nov pub night Wed 27 Coborn Arms, Coborn Road
After Dec meeting Wed 11 The Crown, corner of Grove Road & Old Ford Road
Dec pub night Wed 18 Pier Tavern, Pier Road
...all from 9pm...
see you there!
Bike rides
Every month there is a Wheelers bike ride. We often go out into the
countryside, usually 30 miles or so in total. It's not a race - there are
plenty of breaks and tea stops! Look on the website for details of the next ride...
Hand-outs
Loads of kind Wheelers are helping with distributing newsletters to GP
surgeries, cafes, bike shops and parked bikes. Hand-outs to passing cyclists
are also very effective at getting people involved. Please contact Alix if you would like to lend a hand any time.
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We're going monthly
There's so much great stuff going on I can't fit it all in the bi-monthy
newsletters that you get in London Cyclist if you are an LCC member. So
East London Cycling is now being produced every month. If you would like to
receive the 'in-between London Cyclist' ones in the post, please send a
cheque/PO for £5 (or more!) payable to 'Tower Hamlets LCC' to Alix
Stredwick, 109b Roman Rd, E2 0QN. This will cover printing and postage and
will also help print more copies to hand out to passing cyclists. To
receive it by email (PDF file) email Alix with 'newsletter' as the subject.
Please consider donating anyway! ** Many thanks **
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Off-road Adventure
Skills and bravery were tested in Eadale, Derbyshire, when Mark and Gary
organised a brilliant mountain-biking trip in September. An excellent
weekend away and a non-stop laugh fest... especially when Gary fell off!
Full report to follow.
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FREE small ads
Our website now has a section where you can advertise anything cycle related
for sale or wanted. Email smallads@towerhamletswheelers.org.uk or write. Include a picture if you like. Donation please if
it's commercial.
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