I was slowly getting around to posting some of the pics of two London Cycle Campaign Protest Rides I joined this summer but following the depressing news of more cycling fatalities in London over the last week, I thought this an opportune moment to catch up.
Both these rides were held on weekday evenings after work and the first on July 16th was organised only a few days ahead but still managed to attract 1500 cyclists to Russel Square who took part in a slow, peaceful protest ride down to Lincoln's Inn Fields via High Holborn and Kinsgway. This ride was to mark a silent commemoration of a cyclist who had died after being struck by a lorry in Holborn earlier that week.
 |
| Meeting point - 6.30pm 16th July - Russell Square |
 |
| Some pretty strongly worded messages here |
The thing that struck me most as we set off was how much support and enthusiasm pedestrians appeared to show us, particularly tourists! Probably not the case for driver's and cabbies attempting to negotiate what became a traffic standstill around Holborn.
1500 bike bells can make a lot of noise!
 |
Slowly does it through onto High Holborn
|
The ride that happened on September had been publicised for a number of weeks in the lead up to Monday September 2nd. It was blessed with a beautiful warm and sunny evening. This time LCC had worked hard to prepare banners and signs available free to those coming along. It was a very red event with lots of people including myself wearing red cycling gear and adorning their bikes with LCC banners. This ride was to coincide with the debate on cycling infrastructure in Parliament that evening.
This time the meeting point was Jubilee Gardens on the South Bank. an orderly queue had to be organised before we set off as around 5000 cyclists converged on that area!
 |
| Eyeful. getting ready for the ride.... |
...and still they come. This one could take a while getting started.
The TV crews were out covering the event for London News and I even spotted 'Traffic Droid' and said hello.
 |
| It''s Traffic Droid' all kitted up! |
 |
| TV Crew |
The ride took us down York Road round and across Westminster Bridge and past Parliament at a slow crawl.
 |
Bike DJ
|
 |
| Long shadows on Westminster Bridge |
 |
| Approaching Parliament |
 |
Big ones, small ones..........
|
 |
Conveniently placed Dr Bike in Pimlico on the return journey
As a sort of postscript to this I thought I would include a good example, in situ, of exactly what we are fighting for.........here's a good (or should I say bad) case of 'where's my space gone'......bad design in the King's Road. Paint on the road isn't good enough!
|
London can be a beautiful place but why is it such a struggle keeping safe on it's roads? Time for change!
 |
| Chiswick on the river at dusk |
No comments:
Post a Comment