1st Meeting

We got together for a first meeting of the group at The Belper Arms on 26th September. Alan, Eric, Keith and Joseph all made it and Tom sent his apologies, but is keen to join us next time. We had a few beers and a chat and in the afternoon cycled out to check out a couple of problem spots on route 52 and 63. We all agreed that we had the core of a solid group that could make a difference to cycling in West Leicestershire. We discussed the groups targets for the next year and made a start with identifying and assigning some actions. We cycled route 63 through Battram Wood where the signs Eric had lovingly erected had all been removed. It was pretty clear that the route cannot easily be followed without the signs. We tried out the alternative route on B roads and this was OK although admittedely it was a Saturday afternoon. We agreed that the preferred route is through the wood providing it can be signed, but the B roads are a viable alternative. We also looked at route 52 through Coalville and here Joesephs local knowledge was invaluable. It turns out to be quite a short stretch of the route that is not signed. We came up with a viable route which used some quite roads and some existing paths. There is also a main road near the town that needs to be crossed. We now need to discuss our findings and proposals with Patrick Davis. We plan to meet up again in January to finalise our plans for 2010