Lockdown crowds!
Re: Lockdown crowds!
I've been walking our young dog almost daily since we first got him April 2019.
Tend to walk the same lanes and footpaths around and about, and the river path too.
In 2019 we hardly saw a soul other than a dog-walker or two.
February 2020 came along, and we started to see more people. By that summer, the walker numbers had tailed off, but since Christmas, the lanes and the paths have seen an upsurge and are busy with people walking. We know many or even most of them, but never saw them so often as we do now.
Really, it's changed since Christmas.
Tend to walk the same lanes and footpaths around and about, and the river path too.
In 2019 we hardly saw a soul other than a dog-walker or two.
February 2020 came along, and we started to see more people. By that summer, the walker numbers had tailed off, but since Christmas, the lanes and the paths have seen an upsurge and are busy with people walking. We know many or even most of them, but never saw them so often as we do now.
Really, it's changed since Christmas.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Re: Lockdown crowds!
A lot of it seems to be a bizarre psychological lurch - 'permission to exercise' somehow interpreted as 'requirement to exercise'. Which might explain why, on the lifting of restrictions last summer, the numbers of 'Covid exercisers' rapidly shrank almost to pre-lockdown levels.
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- Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)
Re: Lockdown crowds!
gbnz wrote:Anyone else found that a side effect of lockdown, is that the roads are absolutely PACKED with walkers, cyclists and people on bicycles (Nb. Even when on a £1k road bike, wrapped in lycra, such individuals have a distinctive look/speed)
Had a quick look down the road yesterday and it was incredible; a 17 mile stretch of road into town, can't remember ever having seen more than 1-2 cyclists and 1-2 walkers in twelve years on that road. Yesterday? Literally legions of walkers and cyclists. And heading out of town, on a route I can't recall ever having seen a walker or cyclist on? Had to cycle a good four miles to find somewhere quiet enough to stop and feel safe enough to eat! It was incredible; even found myself passing individuals pushing prams on a 5 mile loop out of town!
Little lane we were on today, was so crowded I found it hard to find any where for a discreet field stop, so different from the same stretch of lane in last year's lockdown.
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
Re: Lockdown crowds!
Six hares.
Just great.
Jonathan
Lovely! Thanks - and the rest of your post. Made me smile.
Slowroad
“My two favourite things in life are libraries and bicycles. They both move people forward without wasting anything. The perfect day: riding a bike to the library.”
― Peter Golkin
― Peter Golkin
Re: Lockdown crowds!
Slowroad wrote:Six hares.
Just great.
Lovely! Thanks - and the rest of your post. Made me smile.
Slowroad
: - )
Jonathan
Re: Lockdown crowds!
ChrisButch wrote:A lot of it seems to be a bizarre psychological lurch - 'permission to exercise' somehow interpreted as 'requirement to exercise'. Which might explain why, on the lifting of restrictions last summer, the numbers of 'Covid exercisers' rapidly shrank almost to pre-lockdown levels.
I'm not sure that I saw those patterns. Could they also be explained by the amount of motorised traffic? Was there a difference between on-road and off-road exercise?
Jonathan
Re: Lockdown crowds!
the dog would force us to walk regularly.
I wonder how many of the dogs bought during the lockdowns will be treated this well. Many who were bought as puppies and have had company 24/7 will be left alone all day when the owners return to work, a recipe for problem behavior.
- Traction_man
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- Location: Bangor NI
Re: Lockdown crowds!
Far from the madding crowd
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-y ... e-56232546
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-y ... e-56232546
- Ride-sleep-repeat
- Posts: 382
- Joined: 24 Nov 2020, 11:58am
Re: Lockdown crowds!
Traction_man wrote:Far from the madding crowd
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-y ... e-56232546
That has to be a deliberate attempt to get on the news.Why else would you pitch a tent there?
Re: Lockdown crowds!
Ride-sleep-repeat wrote:Traction_man wrote:Far from the madding crowd
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-y ... e-56232546
That has to be a deliberate attempt to get on the news.Why else would you pitch a tent there?
Because they are idiots and also perhaps trying to hide a little as they seem to be on a small, lower area.
Re: Lockdown crowds!
Jdsk wrote:Lots of other cyclists out: mostly road bikes, mostly dedicated clothing, mostly in pairs, all wearing helmets.
Just great.
Jonathan
If they weren't wearing helmets one wonders how you would have felt?
Re: Lockdown crowds!
De Sisti wrote:Jdsk wrote:Lots of other cyclists out: mostly road bikes, mostly dedicated clothing, mostly in pairs, all wearing helmets.
Just great.
Jonathan
If they weren't wearing helmets one wonders how you would have felt?:
That isn't what i wrote:
Jdsk wrote:Out on the bikes in South Oxfordshire yesterday and today. Sunny, bright blue skies, and dry roads.
Lots of other cyclists out: mostly road bikes, mostly dedicated clothing, mostly in pairs, all wearing helmets. Near universal smiles and waves and greetings.
Lots of walkers: many with dogs, near universal smiles and greetings, a few bits of awkwardness in sharing the road.
Lots of runners: about equal number solo as in pairs. mostly dedicated clothing, mostly with sound systems.
Some motorised vehicles: no close passing, no problems except from someone reversing out of a drive who didn't make it clear whether they were going to keep moving or not.
Six hares.
Just great.
Jonathan
The "Just great" clearly applies to a bike ride that I enjoyed. By selective editing you've deliberately associated it with one component.
If you're trying to pick an argument about helmets please could you do it in the "Helmets" section. And without misquoting me.
Thanks
Jonathan
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Re: Lockdown crowds!
Went out yesterday for a spin up with the other half. Quite a few cyclists out and about, but it was a stonking day; no wind whatsoever and bright sunshine. We had a jelly baby stop half way around our regular 30 miler...........does that constitute an illegal picnic? LOL.
Just remember, when you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed.
Re: Lockdown crowds!
KTHSullivan wrote:Went out yesterday for a spin up with the other half. Quite a few cyclists out and about, but it was a stonking day; no wind whatsoever and bright sunshine. We had a jelly baby stop half way around our regular 30 miler...........does that constitute an illegal picnic? LOL.
How many jelly babies were together at once? And were they from the same household?
Jonathan
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- Location: Winchester, Hants
Re: Lockdown crowds!
When I go out now I am actually looking at ways to get home without going through the centre of Winchester. The narrow roads are so choked with pedestrians it is virtually impossible to cycle as they stretch across the road and inevitably have their backs to you! I could just go along ringing my bell but that always seems a bit arrogant to me (get out of my way I'm coming through). Also with social distancing it becomes a bit like a cycle slalom course. Of course they have as much right to be there as me although perhaps not on the road?