Many new gates on paths around Charlbury.

Fri 3 Feb 2006, 16:57

ha ha Igor - to put the record straight, small children being transported in ATB (all terrain buggies). When my health was better with elder daughter we were getting her to the tops of mountains like Cadr Idris in one of those. Having a tow rope helps!

Also seriously, replying to Derek, its a missed opportunity to make walking in the outside more "user friendly" for people with young kids.

Before its always been a total hassle having to unlimber the sprogget, pass him/her over, remove any loose bits from the buggy, lug that over the top (usually getting covered in mud thereby from the wheels) and no doubt the person on the receiving end gets a face full of muddy wheels and drops the whole lot on the ground... And it necessitates having two people along (although over rough and muddy ground two - one pushing, one pulling on a tow rope - is a Very Good Idea).

The missed opportunity is simple - just make the spacing bigger and one could have enabled almost anyone to take children under, say 4 or 5, out for a long walk without having to exhibit major feats of upper body strength.

Though to start another thread - I've been horrified how car dependent and averse to hoofing it people have become in what we thought was a small rural town! OK, its been 30 years since I left a small coastal fishing town, but young people in particular spent a lot of their spare time out and about. Granted a lot of them/us were poaching and ferreting at times, but all the same...

I suppose the main difference is that, then, about 1/3 of the population were engaged in agricultural or horticultural work, and almost all young people did some sort of weekend and evening work and holiday employment in these sectors.

The "countryside" was much more populated then - usually in an hour or two roam one would bump into a couple of people one knew and would pass the time of day with, on tractor or some other machine like as not.

Fri 3 Feb 2006, 15:52

Malcolm, I sympathise with you, however did you manage with the stiles before the gates??

Fri 3 Feb 2006, 11:40

Malcolm, why are you riding around in a 3 wheel all-terrain buggy, in the first place?

Not everyone's tastes can be accomodated, you know.

Thu 2 Feb 2006, 23:41

Theres a problem with the gates - makes life extremely difficult getting through them with a 3 wheel all terrain buggy. They didn't think to make them long enough to get the buggy in, swing the gate,and get out again.

Thu 2 Feb 2006, 20:50

May I take this opportunity to thank the group of people who have installed many new gates on the paths around Charlbury. The metal swing gates have appeared on many paths between Charlbury and Spelsbury and I particularly thank them for the ones through the farm between Charlbury and Taston, where I used to get filthy carrying the dog over the stiles. Thank you.