Chesterfield Cycle Campaign

Next meeting of the East Midland Cycle Forum will be in Derby on Saturday 11th Feb 2012.

This is an informal group who have met on an as hoc basis in previous years. It is made up from representatives of the cycle campaign groups from the East Midlands. Regularly attendees are from Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Lincoln, Chesterfield and Loughborough. Anyone is welcome to attend the forums meetings. To date they have all been run to the same format, speakers and discussion of local and regional cycling issues in the morning, lunch with time for discussion followed by a ride around the host town or city to look at their cycle infrastructure.

The previous meetings have been held in Derby, Nottingham, Lincoln and Leicester. Chesterfield hosted its only meeting in the Spring of 2008 and the latest meeting was held in Lincoln in October 2008 which was noted for the hail on our ride!

A short report of the meeting held in Nottingham in October 2010:

Many thanks to all of you for coming to Saturday's EMCF meeting in Nottingham which seemed to go very well and which gave us all vital new encouragement in these much more difficult times for cycle campaigners!
 
People were clearly keen for the EMCF to continue and I will now liaise with Andy Salkeld of Leicester City Council who has kindly offered to host the next meeting, with the suggestion, as discussed yesterday, that we have another meeting next February / March before the current regional agencies totally disappear to help us keep abreast of the likely new mosaic of transport and health etc. agencies that we will need to be seeking to lobby in future.
 
I will also pass on the suggestion, made by several people yesterday, that the programme of the next meeting allows more time for people from different areas to share what they regard as examples of good practice in promoting cycling.
 
I must apologise for the problem we had at Saturday's meeting arrangements with catering and must take the main blame for some wires getting crossed with the pub so that you did not get the cobs you should have had! For those who came on the ride in the afternoon we tried to make up for this omission by ensuring that people had free cake as well as tea but I was conscious of the fact that this meant that people who were around for the meeting only missed out.
 
Several people asked if it would be possible to have copies of the speaker presentations, and for them to be put on the Pedals website and we are certainly happy to arrange this once we have had confirmation from our speakers that they agree for this to be done without modification or with some changes if they prefer. I will let you all know when this has been sorted.
 
Meanwhile, a couple of you have already sent me photos from the day, particularly our very enjoyable afternoon ride on the Big Track to Beeston Lock and back. These can be seen on the EMCF pages of the Pedals website at: http://www.pedals.org.uk/east_midlands_cyclists_forum These pictures include several group shots taken on the canal bridge opposite the pub just before we set off on the ride. I am sorry that (as yet anyway) we don't seem to have photos of the morning meeting and therefore of everyone who came.
 
Many thanks again for your interest and support. Do let me know if you know of anyone else who would like to be added to the EMCF list and email address book which I will be passing on Andy Salkeld nearer the time of the next meeting.
 
with best wishes and the best of luck with your future campaigning
 
Hugh

There are more photos in the image gallery.