Last week the Cambridge Evening News published its article on the impending hike in car parking charges in Cambridge. Parking spaces in Cambridge are now likely to reach the £23 a day figure in the city which is hardly likely to be greeted with open arms. There is no easy solution to this, you have to ask why this figure has to be so ridiculously high and one would guess that the increase in fees (a 4% rise in income for the city council) are to be re-invested in increasing public transport into the city centre.
The much anticipated guided bus route will soon open and hopefully this will see further a reduction in the numbers of cars trying to park up in Cambridge centre. One would have hoped that any increase in parking charges could have been postponed at least until a review was made on the effectiveness of the guided bus route.
The Cambridge Evening News poll as to how people will respond found that 66.9% of people will look to go elsewhere, 26.5% will look for alternative transport and 6.6% will continue to pay the car parking fees.
Not pretty reading for Cambridge based businesses.
So! Those schools, churches, private business premises, and those with private driveways in the city, get your parking spaces for rent on Spareground!
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
This last week also saw Spareground featured on the Radio Surrey and Radio Sussex Sunday morning DigIt programme, it’s nice that the website is still attracting media interest and long may it continue!
My trip to Wales did not prove to be as successful as I had hoped in promoting Spareground but I won’t be giving up on it not by a long shot! I am still looking to promote it in every corner of the UK as it can only set to directly benefit most of the people at some stage. The more users we have then the better for everyone.
Yesterday also saw me complete my first 10K race. This was the first time that Cambridge has hosted a run10K for cancer research event and I really hope it goes ahead again next year. The weather was great, the course organisers did a fantastic job and the samba band playing their drums and their hearts out on Midsummer Common were brilliant! My body wasn’t feeling that great today though but I’m sure it’ll pass off at some stage.
Perhaps that what we need in Cambridge, lots of shower facilities somewhere so people can Park and Run! Park on the outskirts, run into town, shower and then get on with your daily business!
www.spareground.co.uk
Monday 19 October 2009
Monday 5 October 2009
Bringing In The Sheaves
Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve
Waiting for the harvest and the time of reaping
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves
When I was a kid, I used to love singing this in Sunday School,…I had no idea what “the sheaves” were but nevertheless I used to enjoy singing it with gusto and eyeing up the harvest produce display on the front altar. Back then, in the early 70s the sights of all that fruit was heaven to me! Unfortunately and a sign of the times, but it would probably generate rows of churned up faces of terror in a lot of kids.
My allotment this year has been rather bountiful in its yield, more so than we normally have and it’s been a hard job eating through what we had! A lot has been given away or frozen and we still have the butternut squash the cabbages and sprouts plus the parsnips to come too. We had none of any last year. I think I am one of the few people who squeals with delight when I see the arrival of sprouts on the shops! If I tell you I love you more than sprouts, then you know I really do!
The desire to get allotment space or garden space for growing produce still remains high and thankfully with Spareground and schemes such as Landshare, there are now options other than notoriously long waiting lists available for people to find this space. Lots of schools, churches and community groups are also seeking growing space as a way of educating both children and adults in growing food and appreciating it that bit more. My own nieces and nephews are involved in such schemes and whereas before, a lot of vegetables were considered to be the devil’s deeds, they are now far more open to at least trying what they have helped grow from seeds to something steaming in a pot on the cooker.
Long may it continue I say.
When I was a kid, I used to love singing this in Sunday School,…I had no idea what “the sheaves” were but nevertheless I used to enjoy singing it with gusto and eyeing up the harvest produce display on the front altar. Back then, in the early 70s the sights of all that fruit was heaven to me! Unfortunately and a sign of the times, but it would probably generate rows of churned up faces of terror in a lot of kids.
My allotment this year has been rather bountiful in its yield, more so than we normally have and it’s been a hard job eating through what we had! A lot has been given away or frozen and we still have the butternut squash the cabbages and sprouts plus the parsnips to come too. We had none of any last year. I think I am one of the few people who squeals with delight when I see the arrival of sprouts on the shops! If I tell you I love you more than sprouts, then you know I really do!
The desire to get allotment space or garden space for growing produce still remains high and thankfully with Spareground and schemes such as Landshare, there are now options other than notoriously long waiting lists available for people to find this space. Lots of schools, churches and community groups are also seeking growing space as a way of educating both children and adults in growing food and appreciating it that bit more. My own nieces and nephews are involved in such schemes and whereas before, a lot of vegetables were considered to be the devil’s deeds, they are now far more open to at least trying what they have helped grow from seeds to something steaming in a pot on the cooker.
Long may it continue I say.
Spareground has also through this year seen adverts for people seeking land for other uses such as keeping chickens or bees or other livestock, for grazing of horses etc and we have been surprised by the generous offers of free or very cheaply available land.
We have also had offers of land for camping, and for storage of large vehicles, boats, caravans etc so hopefully we will see the website continue to grow year upon year.
Now we are in the harvest season and the time for clearing space is on us, the time is probably right to list that piece of land you don’t use. Let someone help clear it for you and get some plans in place for growing season 2010.
My land clearing time is now intertwined with my 10K training. My legs seem to be permanently aching at the moment but I am sure it’s doing me some good! I will be running my first 10k in just over 2 weeks time for cancer research, so feel free to check my sponsor page if you so wish.
http://www.run10ksponsorme.org/annejones
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