Twin Towns

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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Mick F
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Twin Towns

Post by Mick F »

I was going through some old photographs today, and came across this.

I was cycling in Normandy whilst my ship was in Caen. I took the day off to cycle to see the Normany Landings beaches at Aromanches, and visit the 1066 Tapestry at Bayeaux.

Then I came across the village of Mery Corbon - twinned with Mary Tavy, not 6 miles from here! Complete surprise!

Has anyone else visited their twin town by bike?

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Mick F. Cornwall
daveawood

Post by daveawood »

Hi Mick

My town doesn't appear to have a twin but the nearby city of Bradford is twinned with Roubaix; i haven't been but i wear the arm and leg warmers does that count?

Dave
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Post by thirdcrank »

Bradford may be officially twinned with Roubaix but in reality, everybody knows that the roads make Leeds cycling's genuine 'Hell of the North'. Lets not forget that when honorary Brit Max Sciandri was on the point of winning the so-called Leeds Classic a decade or so ago he went down a pothole just as he was starting his final sprint in front of the Town Hall. *

You don't get that attention to detail in Bradford.

* In fact there is still discussion as to what word preceded 'hell' when he was expressing his admiration for the authenticity of the surface. :wink:
daveawood

Post by daveawood »

I'd agree tc, my commute takes me down dual carriageway to the infamous armley gyratory, down water lane's red light district dodging prostitutes pimps punters and police then along hunslet road, a road so badly surfaced Belgian pave would seem like a billiard table. I fear we've strayed from Mick's subject though.
Dave
Reynard

Post by Reynard »

I've passed through the twins of several of my local towns and villages but never the twin of my home town. My favourite was Brighton les Pins near St Valery sur Somme (not actually twinned with our Brighton but apparently created in homage) and (absolutely compulsory for a cycle touring copper) the tiny village of Arrest a short distance inland.
rower40
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Post by rower40 »

Not so much 'twin' town but...

I was born & grew up in Cambridge (Cambs). During LEJoG, on the A38 north of Bristol, I had to stop to get a photo of the Cambridge (Glos) road sign. Unfortunately it was before the days of digital cameras, so I can't post it here. You'll just have to imagine a Windcheetah parked on the pavement, just beyond a standard road-sign with the word 'Cambridge' on it.

Or I might have been very lost indeed.
"Little Green Men Are Everywhere... ...But Mostly On Traffic Lights."
thirdcrank
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Post by thirdcrank »

daveawood wrote:I'd agree tc, my commute takes me down dual carriageway to the infamous armley gyratory, down water lane's red light district dodging prostitutes pimps punters and police then along hunslet road, a road so badly surfaced Belgian pave would seem like a billiard table. I fear we've strayed from Mick's subject though.
Dave


What time of day (or night) do you commute? I don't think anybody else has anything to say, so here, hoping I am not hijacking the thread, is some billiard table smooth pavé lovingly preserved* in Armley, West Leeds in the hope that professional bike racing may be lured back.

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*Leeds City Council realised years ago that the cobbles could be preserved under a layer of protective tarmac to be brought back out when the Belgians had run out of the stuff. For a start, each willner ofParis - Roubaix gets a trophy made from a cobble stone so they must be used up sooner or later. :wink:
daveawood

Post by daveawood »

Blimey t/c you could have taken that pic from my garden! I live on town street but i bet that's from the Edinburghs or Obans or Paisleys? I lived on Edinburgh Ave when it was cobbled, the tarmac arrived circa '93 which was a pity as cobbles are a great traffic calmer if a bit slippy when wet.

My commute starts around 2000 or just after from Town Street arriving home between 0800/0900 to the back garden on Greenock Road usually on a silver Bob Jackson with a Rohloff and Carradice Nelson, say hi if you spot me!

Dave
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Mick F
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Post by Mick F »

Are all the streets in Leeds given Scottish names?

(Thinks ...... may have something to do with hairy bums, and the world ending south of Sheffield .....)
Mick F. Cornwall
GeoffL
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Post by GeoffL »

Back to the original topic - several years ago we went caravanning in Brittany, carrying the bikes on the roof of the towcar so we'd have easy local transport. Since we were only fifty miles or so from Benodet (which is twinned with Torpoint and the Rame Peninsula), we thought we'd have a look-see. Parking was tight on the first visit, so when we went back a few days later we took the bikes, parked on the outskirts and cycled around the town.

Dunno if that counts though because we cycled around (rather than to) our twinned town!

Geoff
daveawood

Post by daveawood »

Actually Mick yes we've got StIves and Aberdeens too.

I didn't realise there was a south of Sheffield, surely not!
PW
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Post by PW »

There's a VERY south of Sheffield :wink: It's on the coast road from Penzance via Lamorna to Lands End, just by Paul village.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
thirdcrank
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Post by thirdcrank »

Mick F wrote:Are all the streets in Leeds given Scottish names?


No, but when huge areas of the city were rapidly covered in terraces, many being slums, they had to scratch their heads to find names and when they got one they hammered it to death. Whole areas also got a theme. Near the scottish named area which you have noted, there used to be a whole lot named after towns and villages near the Yorkshire coast. You often get one name then, - Road,- Street, - View, - Terrace etc. There are even some dead-straight crescents. Landowners' names were also commemorated: I grew up in Salisbury Avenue*, and the next lot of streets were the Cecils. (It's not been changed to Harare either. :wink: )

Since MickF is now resident in the West Country, I will mention that when a big new council estate was built in the 1960's in South Leeds, th streets all got names like Helston Way, Padstow Lawn and Bodmin Crescent.

I suppose naming streets after other places has some sort of connection with twinned towns. Bits of Leeds are twinned with everywhere.

Nowadays, the one common factor is the rubbish road surface. (Had to get that in.)

Daveawood

You are very observant. Have a look at fillthathole and you will see loads more from all over Armley. Although I live in Gildersome, my mother who is now 87 lives on Wesley Road, so I am in that area nearly every day.

Now that you have admitted to being a Loiner, or at least to living in Leeds, I am surprised that you referred to 'my town being near the City of Bradford'. :lol:

I think you should have mentioned in your review of the Ribble bike that it would be ideal for Paris Roubaix - or worse :roll:

* In those far off days I was johnmichaelagar6salisburyavenuearmleyleedstwelve
daveawood

Post by daveawood »

Well Armley's quite close to Bradford which is twinned with Roubaix and i wanted to make the Roubaix/legwarmers joke! You're quite right though i'm a Loiner born and bred.

Dave
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Post by thirdcrank »

Dave

Forgot to say, I will look out for you but I am not usually there much in the evening. My reason for asking what time you travelled was your reference to the Ladies of the Night, who are not in evidence during the day but at 8pm you will be seeing a selection.
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