Slow Ways

Use this board for general non-cycling-related chat, or to introduce yourself to the forum.
pwa
Posts: 17369
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Slow Ways

Post by pwa »

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54562137

I thought this might be worth flagging up for some here. A project to create a map of the UK that shows walking routes that link settlements. They need local knowledge.
Jdsk
Posts: 24636
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Slow Ways

Post by Jdsk »

That's interesting.

Thanks

Jonathan
peetee
Posts: 4292
Joined: 4 May 2010, 10:20pm
Location: Upon a lumpy, scarred granite massif.

Re: Slow Ways

Post by peetee »

Good luck to them. Maintaining the Rights of Way network is important and frequent or regular use is an important contribution towards reducing the costing of clearing vegetation and industrial and household waste or deliberate obstruction. Urban routes can also also suffer from lack of use because they pass through areas of deprivation or industry that creates an intimidating or threatening environment. The more these routes are used, the safer people feel.
The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
User avatar
simonineaston
Posts: 8003
Joined: 9 May 2007, 1:06pm
Location: ...at a cricket ground

Re: Slow Ways

Post by simonineaston »

I've just signed up to help - whatever that means! In the back of my mind, I'm thinking that cycling and walking public rights of way aren't too far apart - we shall see...
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Slow Ways

Post by mjr »

They've got a load of routes but they're keeping them secret for now.

Vaporware. Very poor show of the BBC to give it such publicity.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
pwa
Posts: 17369
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Slow Ways

Post by pwa »

mjr wrote:They've got a load of routes but they're keeping them secret for now.

Vaporware. Very poor show of the BBC to give it such publicity.

You don't think it will come to anything? We will see. No great harm done if it doesn't.
DaveReading
Posts: 746
Joined: 24 Feb 2019, 5:37pm

Re: Slow Ways

Post by DaveReading »

mjr wrote:They've got a load of routes but they're keeping them secret for now.

Vaporware. Very poor show of the BBC to give it such publicity.

"We are currently working on building a website that will host all of the routes and hope to launch that later this year.

All of the routes will always be free to browse, search, view, share, download and enjoy."

And the OS have said they will add the routes to their database - presumably in the same sort of way that they currently show long-distance paths.

What's not to like?
User avatar
simonineaston
Posts: 8003
Joined: 9 May 2007, 1:06pm
Location: ...at a cricket ground

Re: Slow Ways

Post by simonineaston »

Given that the majority of our delightful fellow citizens preferred leisure pursuit is to cram everyone into the family diesel suv and head for the nearest shopping mall, returning via Maccaz / KFC, pausing only to throw the empty packaging out the window... I'm not giving it short odds.
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Slow Ways

Post by mjr »

pwa wrote:You don't think it will come to anything? We will see. No great harm done if it doesn't.

I didn't say that. I said it hasn't come to anything yet, so is not news yet. By putting it on the main evening news bulletin at the weekend, the BBC must have wasted scads of hours of people's times looking for the Slow Ways.

DaveReading wrote:"[...]All of the routes will always be free to browse, search, view, share, download and enjoy."

And the OS have said they will add the routes to their database - presumably in the same sort of way that they currently show long-distance paths.

What's not to like?

"improve" and "amend" are conspicuously absent from the list of what we'll be free to do.

And my general dislike of the OS is described in other threads, so I'll just limit it here to saying that their vague red diamonds at 300m intervals for long-distance paths are rubbish, so I hope they do better than that if Slow Ways ever actually launch. (Compare it with the solid primary colours OS use for motoring routes.)
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
User avatar
simonineaston
Posts: 8003
Joined: 9 May 2007, 1:06pm
Location: ...at a cricket ground

Re: Slow Ways

Post by simonineaston »

so is not news yet.
That's an interesting debate - is it news, when something is in its infancy, or still in development - or is it only 'news' when it has achieved a critcial mass of acceptance & usage - discuss!
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Slow Ways

Post by mjr »

simonineaston wrote:
so is not news yet.
That's an interesting debate - is it news, when something is in its infancy, or still in development - or is it only 'news' when it has achieved a critcial mass of acceptance & usage - discuss!

Is it news when the only public evidence of something is basically a news release from its producer?

I've probably a low tolerance of vapourware because IT news services are littered with announcements of products that never reach the market - announcements that basically should never have escaped from the press release distribution services.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
User avatar
simonineaston
Posts: 8003
Joined: 9 May 2007, 1:06pm
Location: ...at a cricket ground

Re: Slow Ways

Post by simonineaston »

Personally, I think it's only 'news' if it were something like:
Prince Charles Lost En Route To Birmingham
Today it was revealed that the heir to the throne who was following the Slow Way to Dudley, from his house in Glos. is missing...
or
Dan Raven-Ellison Is Alien!!
Today it was revealed that the reclusive geographer, Dan Raven-Ellison, who invented the website Slow Way, turns out to be from the planet Zog and has to eat hamsters to stay alive.
Everything else is simply a press-release and so is not 'news' at all!
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
User avatar
simonineaston
Posts: 8003
Joined: 9 May 2007, 1:06pm
Location: ...at a cricket ground

Re: Slow Ways

Post by simonineaston »

PS, I've just had a word with the in-house legal team & they've advised tht I make it clear that the example headlines in the previous post were for illustrative purposes only... :wink:
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
User avatar
Cowsham
Posts: 4963
Joined: 4 Nov 2019, 1:33pm

Re: Slow Ways

Post by Cowsham »

I'm all in favor of this but I'd go a little further in having some sort of practical help to make the concept more long term viable. Would it work to suggest each participant walking would carry a small bag to pick up one small bags worth of litter along the way. --- not so much that it would inconvenience each walker but cumulative bags would help to keep the countryside cleaner and keep walkers welcomed. Not a condition of using the trail but merely a request.
I am here. Where are you?
peetee
Posts: 4292
Joined: 4 May 2010, 10:20pm
Location: Upon a lumpy, scarred granite massif.

Re: Slow Ways

Post by peetee »

simonineaston wrote:PS, I've just had a word with the in-house legal team & they've advised tht I make it clear that the example headlines in the previous post were for illustrative purposes only... :wink:



Or were they?.... :shock:
Doo doo doo-doo [sinister music]
The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
Post Reply