I notice that the bicycle jumps spot in Brabyn's park (the unofficial one above the station / behind the tennis club) have been flattened by a bulldozer, which is a real shame. The jumps have been there for several year and their usage has been intermittent - for a couple of years they'd be untouched, then a new generation of user would come down, make repairs and start using them again. I noticed this spring that the cycle had begun again and over the past few weeks the site had really improved, with the jumps being rebuilt bigger and better - certainly far too big for me to try, but I admire those who can! They'd also built a pump track, which is a smaller facility excellent for developing skills
Sadly, the big jumps have all been wiped out, and while the majority of the pump track has been left (probably because the driver of the bulldozer didn't recognise it rather then for any positive reason), one end has been razed and will need to be rebuilt before the track is usable at all
I think it's a real shame when facilities like this are destroyed. It gives the local kids (and adults - I know people with kids themselves who ride at such places!) something to do other than hanging around on street corners, it helps with fitness as they're out doing something rather than sitting in front of a 50" super-duper hi-def telly with a video game, it halps with a sense of ownership as they have something which they have created and build and nurtured - and then it's gone. What kind of message is that? Even sadder, often sites used by youths can be littered with rubbish (see the quarry jus below Mellor Cross for a prime example!) yet when we last went in for a look round a couple of weeks back, the jump site was spotless
Shame on you, whoever destroyed it.
