From: Julie Boston <severnbeach@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: October 25, 2010 19:05:05 GMT+01:00
Subject: Green spaces & walking
25 October 2010
Evening Post Letters Editor
The deadline for opposing the Area Green Space Strategy - the sell off of some open
spaces in Bristol - is nigh. (Evening Post ‘Disgraceful’ document on sale of city
green spaces 2/10/ 2010) One of the ways to protect publicly owned land is by linking
up the neighbourhoods affected.
For the past 15 years, the walks program of Bristol Ramblers Association has included
routes using rivers, parks and open spaces. About 10 years ago, Bristol City Council
funded leaflets to publicise the Bristol Ramblers Triangular City Walk (18 miles),
the South Bristol Circular Walk (23 miles) and a book of 27 walks called 'Bristol Backs
– discovering Bristol on Foot'.
Only recently have decision makers promoted walking routes by putting up finger posts to
indicate a destination. Despite this expenditure, and the need to walk, walking routes
have never been celebrated in BCC’s exuberant publication, ‘Our City’, as far as I know.
Visiting Cribbs Causeway Shopping Mall on foot is wonderful. My route starts from Horfield
Leisure Centre which is on a ‘Showcase Bus Route’ as well as having an obscenely large car
park. Clutching an A-Z of Bristol, find Monks Park Open Space, then BAWA Sports Ground,
Filton Golf Course, Okebourne Park with a thrilling view, the perimeter fence of Filton
Airfield, Catbrain and Cribbs.
Bristol Ramblers Association programme includes this route on Wednesday 3 November and
Saturday 18 December. Non members are welcome. Details on Bristol Ramblers’ website.
{See Home page walks programme for November & December}
As I am leading the walk, I can ask fellow walkers to write a message of support to Green
Party member, Councillor Tess Green, on a Thank You card. Tess has bravely opposed the
sell off the land which is "a common treasury for all".
Julie Boston.