Signage on the Stray

Does anyone know what this sign means? Because I don't for certain.

Bikes permitted? Bikes prohibited?

The trouble with a lot of the regulations relating to the Stray is that it's simply not clear what they are. You'd have to be an idiot not to know that blocking the cycle lane on Oatlands Drive isn't legal, but parking on the grass? That's prohibited too, but not everyone knows, it's not easy to find out, and the regulations aren't enforced. 

I don't want to sound like the hanging and flogging brigade, but clear signs and an occasional bit of enforcement action would probably get the message across pretty effectively.

And if the rules aren't sensible, they need to be changed, not ignored.

More old Harrogate

This one's a beauty!

No problem with parking on the verges in those days ...

But the cherry blossom's out and looking amazing. This rather blurry picture doesn't do it justice.

That'll teach me to take photographs without wearing my glasses.

A buzzard over the Stray!

I glanced up and saw a big bird of prey, thought it would be a red kite - exciting enough but not unusual - and saw this instead. Actually, the photograph's a cheat - I didn't take it, just copied it from the internet.

But it was just like this, probably a female, circling higher and higher on a thermal until it was almost out of sight. Beautiful!

Three seasons in one day

The English climate is weird, and so is English vegetation. Today on the Stray, there were cherry trees about to burst into blossom, lots of chestnut trees in full leaf, and trees still wearing their spiky winter branches. It's brilliant.

On a different subject, anyone who read the recent blog about liquor licensing might be interested to look at the discussion of this subject on Streetlife. It's informative, thoughtful, and definitely not predictable. 

As any fule kno ....

...it's illegal to block cycle lanes on roads. Not everyone will know that it's also illegal to park on the grass verges of the Stray, and oddly not everyone is going to check the Council website.

It is clear, though. It says: "Please note that parking is not allowed on any part of the Stray grassland or verges (unless in conjunction with an organised event, where parking areas will be clearly identified). On-street disc zone car parking is available around the town centre and on nearby roads."

But this morning there were twenty-nine cars parked on Oatlands Drive, partly in the cycle lane and partly on the grass verge.

No prizes for guessing the source of the title of this post. But anyone over sixty will certainly kno it.

Liquor License on the Stray?

Fake Festivals have applied for a liquor licence for their event on the Stray on the 25th July. This is their website:

https://www.fakefestivals.co.uk/2015/Harrogate.html

They are applying for a licence for one Saturday each year.

This terrible photograph is of notices posted on lamp posts and other places on the Stray to explain the consultation process. Basically if you have views, either pro or anti, you need to communicate them to the licensing authority by the 12th May.

It's important that anyone who uses the Stray has a say in whether or not licenses are granted.This blog isn't taking a position one way or the other - we're simply saying that there will be views, probably quite strongly held ones, and it's important that these views are heard.

You can contact the licensing authority by e-mail at: licensing@harrogate.gov.uk

or by post at:
Licensing
Harrogate Borough Council
P.O. Box 787
Harrogate
HG1 9RW

Old Harrogate

And not so different from Harrogate today, in a really good way. This is an old postcard, discovered by Andrew Hart. Does anyone know the date? Or able to guess?

I'm in trouble ...

... for using the American spelling in "More honor'd in the breach than the observance"
(Hamlet Act 1, scene 4). I tried the rather feeble defence of saying that Shakespeare's spelling was rubbish anyway, so who cares, but this clearly didn't convince anyone.

So, with apologies to pedants everywhere (and one in particular - you know who you are!), here we go:

More honour'd in the breach than the observance.

Much more to the point, the Stray looked amazing yesterday evening.

More honor'd in the breach than the observance ...

The use of the Stray is governed by the Stray Act 1985 and subsequent byelaws. The byelaws are interesting (no, really) because of the number of activities that are prohibited. So:

"A person shall not on the Stray light any fire or place or throw or let fall a lighted match or any other thing so as to be likely to cause a fire".

Lots of those portable barbecues used on the Stray - one evening last week there were three in a small area on the West Park Stray - and then left by the bins for disposal.

"A person shall not exercise or ride any horse on the Stray except on any area which has, by notices conspicuously displayed, been designated by the Council as an area where horse riding is permitted, or on a bridleway"

People ride their horses, regularly, on the grass along the side of Slingsby Walk, and other places.

"No persons shall ride any bicycle or tricycle over or across any part of the Stray except -

1. on a part of the Stray laid out as a carriageway
2. on a path identified as for use by cyclists and pedestrians on the annexed plan" [available from the HBC website]

People ride bicycles on virtually all parts of the Stray, including the grass

"No person on the Stray shall release any jet-propelled model aircraft for flight or control the flight of such an aircraft"

Drones?

"A person shall not on the Stray operate or cause or permit to be operated any wireless set, gramophone (!) or amplifier, tape recorder or similar instrument so as to make or cause or permit to be made any noise which is so loud .... as to give reasonable cause for annoyance to other persons using the Stray".

A gramophone on the Stray sounds rather charming ....

The point is that these things happen all the time, and maybe they don't really matter. On the other hand, the fact that blind eyes are turned so regularly could easily be the thin end of various wedges. 

There may be different views on this. It would be interesting to know.

No prizes for knowing where the quotation in the title comes from.

Worse than mud ...

Some interesting comments and really constructive ideas from Matt (via Streetlife), who trains regularly on the Stray:

"This week we have faced the usual downside with the good weather- rubbish everywhere - despite bins a few yards away. Then last night volleys of abuse from drunk and stoned [I've edited out Matt's word here]. The amount of drugs being smoked on the stray is a joke. Though never seen a mattress as per your post!

  "Options for the rubbish:

• Some temporary signs and extra bins.
• Community officers speaking to people as they patrol asking they ensure rubbish is disposed of correctly.
• Perhaps a few arrests outside Betty's/Montpelier Hill area etc would deter smokers/drunks. Not sure the police are bothered about weed smoking it seems. Perhaps if they thought they might get caught it would act as a deterrent.

I want to be able to take my kids out there without fear of 'incidents'."

Can we have more views on this? It's really important to hear what you have to say.

A picture of some mud ....

... but no mattress! The local authority has been pretty quick to remove it. It's impressive.

If you've got no idea what this is about, have a look at the blog from a couple of days ago.

Can anyone explain ...

...why on earth someone would drag an old mattress on to the Stray and leave it in a puddle? It's impossible not to sympathise with the local authority, which has the job of clearing up this sort of mess.

On the other hand, yesterday's sunset was amazing.

What a shame!

The Stray Today: The Stray survived the storm!

The Stray Today: The Stray survived the storm!: It's pretty resilient. Yesterday the daffodils were  particularly battered and disheartened, today they are absolutely fine and looking ...

The Stray survived the storm!

It's pretty resilient. Yesterday the daffodils were  particularly battered and disheartened, today they are absolutely fine and looking beautiful.

Interesting that there seem to be no trees down. Is it because they're not in leaf yet, so there's less wind resistance? Any dendrologists out there who know the answer?