The big clean up?
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 9:50 pm
Earlier in the week I went out to the Peaks, Wessenden Head, with the kids. Witnessed a tiny bit of racism from some young idiot (made the 'bud bud, ding ding' accent like from the Two Ronnies if anyone recalls that period of racism in our history - no offence to them) but thankfully the kids (11 year old niece and her mate,y daughter both in head scarves and my little eight year old hero Abdurrahman) didn't realise what had occured.
When at the end of the footpath near the stream/pond I picked up a piece of litter. No biggie as there's bound to be one piece of litter in such a big national park. I actually see Wessenden Head as the gateway to the Peaks... Kindof.
Anyway, so we did our thing and enjoyed the stream, views and a tiny bit of pasta cooked secretly on our stoves on some rocks (not sure if we should be using tiny stoves if I'm honest, especially with so many litter lout idiots about who don't know their bottom from their top) and headed back the way we came. The way this young army had just walked past us on the way back to the gate.
The gate had been left open (not necessarily by them) as there was a lot of traffic, like I've never seen before. So on the way into the hills I'd closed it. Never seen this gate left open in as many as 15 years unless its been physically manned during an event. On the way bacl out of the gate after we'd enjoyed the Peaks, same thing. Gate left open once again and I waited for the couple who we'd seen earlier who seemed impressed that I was taking my litter home with me - almost as though that because I was wearing traditional muslim clothing, so surely I wouldn't know something so basic as 'pack in, pack out'.
Anyway, so I waited for them at the gate after closing it yet again and asked what were their thoughts. Surely its not the farmer as it was National Trust managed land and it's never something seen before. Especially since the gate leads straight out to the national speed limit road and it's too narrow for livestock anyway. There's a bigger gate for traffic, maybe from the water/reservoir board as there's 3 reservoirs and other managed bits.
Their theory was that, 'it's the bikers as the last person can't be bothered to close behind him/her'. Just a minute before a group of bikers had indeed gone down in a disorderly fashion, going at about 15 to 25mph riding close to the kids (my kids) and others with no concern about flying rocks (it's kindof a pebble/small loose rocks garden). That's not my main concern and why I tried to write this post almost 3 times now.
On the way back to the gate we noticed more litter. A full bag of rubbish which I wondered about picking up but it did look dirty. Then I was just about to pick up a nearby Coke/Fanta can but when I looked around there was at least another 4. All looked fresh enough but were over the rocks in the actual reservoir which was currently dry. Obviously I wasn't gonna go and fetch that.
So, disappointed I thought about writing a post (like I said earlier) but each time it didn't take off and self deleted whilst updating and adding imagery. Then I went to work and was personal assistant to an ex landrover events type of chap. Talked about how they manage which tracks they'll go and race on and in and amongst the discussion he explained how they'd named their group 'Tred-Lightly'. The essence being that if anyone could see that they'd been, then they shouldn't have been there in their massive off roaders.
During the week and since that Wessenden visit I've thought about what can be done about this. Part of me said to do a ride from North to South Peaks or visa-versa to raise awareness. At the time ofnthe walk I recorded it (but not the litter) on Strava. Added a little info/blurb sharing my experiences so the, 'passion' if you can call it that, would spread or whatever. In other words, to not 'do nothing'. Then it hit me and here I am...
Please share your thoughts, but in my experience - and what I told the silly local who helped me clean the back path but then flung a bed board in the same path - once something is clean and tidy, people tend to not throw their litter. The opposite seems to also be true, that once there is litter, other idiots feel that it's an invitation to do the same. I'm thinking of somehow opening an initiative and so far the two ideas that came have been...
1. Getting people to sign (online, on paper, whatever and wherever... Whatsapp, Strava, FB) a covenant that when out and about they'll not litter...
2. When out and about in the national parks and AONBs they'll not only pack in and out but actually bring a significant portion of rubbish away with them. Like the Liverpool park I once went to with a chap that didn't believe in picking up the dog crap but his missus did. So he'd never argue with her (nice chap, just potentially low level of edu or something) and becuae there were signs everywhere and there had obviously been a masive awareness campaign it wasn't the sub standard-dump as it had been previously.
The above got the name 'Tread Negatively' in my head and I don't want anyone thinking I'm trying to start some massive initiative to get it setup. It's obviously everyons everyone's responsibility but would be willing to put some effort in to try and get something going. A campaign, maybe... Dunno.
Point being, we cannot do nothing and today after parking my car at Hollingworth Lake (really beautiful but really busy) I headed off into the PBW. Here, just 3 minutes from all the hustle/bustle there was hardly a sole. What was better is that the fact that the Lake had kept em occupied and falling over each other (it looked that busy) they'd missed the point that the rest of the beauty was in the hills. Soon they'll probably reach them and like the oub landlord Rugby coach told me when I'd mentioend how the fans had this time left all their litter : "well it's been really hot at the last match and the bins have been full, so they obviously had to just leave their rubbish/bottles* on the grass.. and it's the park keepers/councils job to come and clean it".
*He never used the word 'rubbish' and nor did I know he was the local pub landlord or the kids rugby coach. To me it was just an elderly bloke, with a beer belly run-walking around the same rugby pitch in a quiet area of the park...
Bit of a mouthful I know. Sorry and thanks for reading and hopefully sharing ideas and God-Willing being part of this priject (if you can call it that).
When at the end of the footpath near the stream/pond I picked up a piece of litter. No biggie as there's bound to be one piece of litter in such a big national park. I actually see Wessenden Head as the gateway to the Peaks... Kindof.
Anyway, so we did our thing and enjoyed the stream, views and a tiny bit of pasta cooked secretly on our stoves on some rocks (not sure if we should be using tiny stoves if I'm honest, especially with so many litter lout idiots about who don't know their bottom from their top) and headed back the way we came. The way this young army had just walked past us on the way back to the gate.
The gate had been left open (not necessarily by them) as there was a lot of traffic, like I've never seen before. So on the way into the hills I'd closed it. Never seen this gate left open in as many as 15 years unless its been physically manned during an event. On the way bacl out of the gate after we'd enjoyed the Peaks, same thing. Gate left open once again and I waited for the couple who we'd seen earlier who seemed impressed that I was taking my litter home with me - almost as though that because I was wearing traditional muslim clothing, so surely I wouldn't know something so basic as 'pack in, pack out'.
Anyway, so I waited for them at the gate after closing it yet again and asked what were their thoughts. Surely its not the farmer as it was National Trust managed land and it's never something seen before. Especially since the gate leads straight out to the national speed limit road and it's too narrow for livestock anyway. There's a bigger gate for traffic, maybe from the water/reservoir board as there's 3 reservoirs and other managed bits.
Their theory was that, 'it's the bikers as the last person can't be bothered to close behind him/her'. Just a minute before a group of bikers had indeed gone down in a disorderly fashion, going at about 15 to 25mph riding close to the kids (my kids) and others with no concern about flying rocks (it's kindof a pebble/small loose rocks garden). That's not my main concern and why I tried to write this post almost 3 times now.
On the way back to the gate we noticed more litter. A full bag of rubbish which I wondered about picking up but it did look dirty. Then I was just about to pick up a nearby Coke/Fanta can but when I looked around there was at least another 4. All looked fresh enough but were over the rocks in the actual reservoir which was currently dry. Obviously I wasn't gonna go and fetch that.
So, disappointed I thought about writing a post (like I said earlier) but each time it didn't take off and self deleted whilst updating and adding imagery. Then I went to work and was personal assistant to an ex landrover events type of chap. Talked about how they manage which tracks they'll go and race on and in and amongst the discussion he explained how they'd named their group 'Tred-Lightly'. The essence being that if anyone could see that they'd been, then they shouldn't have been there in their massive off roaders.
During the week and since that Wessenden visit I've thought about what can be done about this. Part of me said to do a ride from North to South Peaks or visa-versa to raise awareness. At the time ofnthe walk I recorded it (but not the litter) on Strava. Added a little info/blurb sharing my experiences so the, 'passion' if you can call it that, would spread or whatever. In other words, to not 'do nothing'. Then it hit me and here I am...
Please share your thoughts, but in my experience - and what I told the silly local who helped me clean the back path but then flung a bed board in the same path - once something is clean and tidy, people tend to not throw their litter. The opposite seems to also be true, that once there is litter, other idiots feel that it's an invitation to do the same. I'm thinking of somehow opening an initiative and so far the two ideas that came have been...
1. Getting people to sign (online, on paper, whatever and wherever... Whatsapp, Strava, FB) a covenant that when out and about they'll not litter...
2. When out and about in the national parks and AONBs they'll not only pack in and out but actually bring a significant portion of rubbish away with them. Like the Liverpool park I once went to with a chap that didn't believe in picking up the dog crap but his missus did. So he'd never argue with her (nice chap, just potentially low level of edu or something) and becuae there were signs everywhere and there had obviously been a masive awareness campaign it wasn't the sub standard-dump as it had been previously.
The above got the name 'Tread Negatively' in my head and I don't want anyone thinking I'm trying to start some massive initiative to get it setup. It's obviously everyons everyone's responsibility but would be willing to put some effort in to try and get something going. A campaign, maybe... Dunno.
Point being, we cannot do nothing and today after parking my car at Hollingworth Lake (really beautiful but really busy) I headed off into the PBW. Here, just 3 minutes from all the hustle/bustle there was hardly a sole. What was better is that the fact that the Lake had kept em occupied and falling over each other (it looked that busy) they'd missed the point that the rest of the beauty was in the hills. Soon they'll probably reach them and like the oub landlord Rugby coach told me when I'd mentioend how the fans had this time left all their litter : "well it's been really hot at the last match and the bins have been full, so they obviously had to just leave their rubbish/bottles* on the grass.. and it's the park keepers/councils job to come and clean it".
*He never used the word 'rubbish' and nor did I know he was the local pub landlord or the kids rugby coach. To me it was just an elderly bloke, with a beer belly run-walking around the same rugby pitch in a quiet area of the park...
Bit of a mouthful I know. Sorry and thanks for reading and hopefully sharing ideas and God-Willing being part of this priject (if you can call it that).