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click here to download our December Newsletter
Survey report on the unofficial crossing at the Quay
Living Streets has just published the results of a survey on the unofficial crossing at the
Quay (known as the Woolies crossing). This follows yet another complaint about the safety of the crossing in the centre
of St. Peter Port. Living Streets decided on this occasion to observe the crossing over a period of time and to talk
to pedestrians about why they were using it and how safe they thought it was.
click here for more on our survey report results
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| Students using the Baubigny pathway |
£1,000 grant from the Co-op's EcoFund
Living Streets has been awarded £1,000 from the Channel Islands Co-operative Society's
EcoFund - the profits generated from levying a 5p charge for a plastic carrier bag.
Living Streets applied
for funding for its Baubigny Schools pathway project. Each year we need to find funds to pay the annual rent
for the section of the pathway which goes along the edge of a private vinery site. The new route which links
up existing footpaths and green lanes and then takes a short cut through the vinery site gives students a beautiful virtually
traffic free path to their schools at Baubigny. Earlier in the year we planted 600 hawthorn saplings and a dozen trees
on the new earth banks to encourage wildlife.
In the application we stressed our new ventures for promoting
walking in Guernsey - our annual Tranquillity Walk and our new merchandising project - "Guernsey Country Walks"
greeting cards. As a small charity we have come to realise that we need to be more self sufficient in order sustain
the Baubigny pathway for future generations.
The £1,000 donation will now help us develop our new card project
so that it can in future provide us with income to continue our work championing the needs of pedestrians in Guernsey.
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| You feel very vulnerable on the narrow pavement |
Disappearing Footpaths
In 2004 we held a meeting highlighting the problems of walking on Guernsey's narrow pavements, particularly where
the vegetation has encroached over the years and therefore reduced the width of the pavement. Pedestrians feel very
vulnerable on these pavement and very close to the fast moving traffic. They are often clipped by wing mirrors.
We recently did a walking audit of the pavement in Cobo Road following a complaint from a resident. That report is
now being widely circulated. Copies have gone to the Castel Douzaine, the Chair of the Douzaine Council and the
Chair of the States Douzaine Liaison group. Copies have also gone to the PSD and Environment Department.
At a time when the HSSD department is concerned about the looming cost of treating obesity in the island we really need
everyone to work together to ensure that islanders who want to keep healthy by walking can walk safely on our roads and pavements.
We hope that highlighting this issue again will mean that it will now be tackled and not put in the "too
difficult" filing tray.
click here for our August Newsletter
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| Gabriella Kiener-Mosley, Emily Le Sauvage, Ellie Brouard with Dave Nash and Tom Le Pelley |
Tranquillity Walk children's Photo Competition winners
Guernsey Photographics sponsored the children's photo
competition and provided £20 vouchers for the best photos in three categories: Best shot of walkers; Best landscape;
Best close up of your choice. In addition Coast Media provided a copy of their new walking guide "The Channel
Island Way". The photographs were judged by Brian Green. No award was made in the first category but instead
there were two prize winners in the Best Landscape category. Winners were as follows:
Best Landscape – joint winners:
Emily Le Sauvage (aged 11) “Beautiful
Castel” and Gabriella
Kiener-Mosley (aged 14) "green lane"
Best close up winner: Ellie Brouard (aged 12) “Cascading Water”
Congratulations
to all three winners for not only providing interesting photos but also for taking up the challenge of the 7 mile country
walk.
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| Walkers climb up from the Talbot Valley |
The Living Streets Tranquillity Walk 2011
Despite
strong winds at Vazon, 53 people took part in this year's Tranquillity Walk which had been designed by Deputy Tom Le Pelley.
Islanders, tourists (not forgetting three dogs!) walked the 7 mile route around the Castel parish.
The idea
of the walk was to explore the lanes, green lanes and Ruettes Tranquilles in Guernsey's largest parish. There were
eight green lanes - many of which were new to walkers.
The route took us inland from the Vazon coast road through
the Grande Mare golf course using a green lane and then onwards towards Kings Mills and the Fauxquets Valley. Then back
down to the Talbot Valley and up again to the Fairfield and Saumarez Park and finally back down to the coast.
This
year we introduced a photographic competition for children under 16 with three topics: walkers, landscape, and close
up shots. Guernsey Photographics has donated three £20 vouchers for the best photograph in each category.
Judging will take part at the end of the month.
We would like thank everyone who supported Living Streets by joining
us on the Tranquillity Walk. All the proceeds will go towards the Baubigny Schools Pathway project - the route that
we have developed to enable St. Peter Port children to walk or cycle through the countryside to their schools in Baubigny.
Click here to go to our Tranquillity Walk page
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| Islanders check out the new cards |
Guernsey Country
Walks Greeting cards launched
Living Streets Guernsey LBG launched its new range of greeting
cards during the Photographic Festival event in the Old Quarter of St. Peter Port on 25th June.
The greeting
cards are intended to celebrate Guernsey's beautiful countryside and, in particular, its Ruettes Tranquilles and green
lanes. Guernsey is well known for its beautiful cliff paths and coastal views but there is also some lovely countryside
in the centre of the island. Living Streets wants to encourage islanders and tourists to explore this lovely area.
The greeting cards depict a country scene on the front and inside there is a sketch map of a walk of about an hour
which is linked to a local pub, cafe, restaurant or hotel where walkers can have lunch or stop off for coffee or tea.
There are nine cards in the series - each one with a different walk. So far the walks are in the parishes
of St. Andrew, St. Pierre du Bois, Castel, Torteval and St. Saviour.
Pat Wisher, who designed the cards, and Val
Rowland manned a stall in the Old Quarter to show off the new cards. Between 2pm and 5pm 212 cards were sold and there
were many appreciative comments about the uniqueness of the cards.
The cards cost £1 each and they can be
purchased from St. Peter's Post Office, The Coachhouse Gallery, Beekers at the Bridge, Lexicon and The Press Shop in Town,
Guernsey Clockmakers at The Little Chapel and in the Guernsey Museums.
Each pub/cafe/hotel/restaurant
featured in the cards also will be stocking its own card: Fleur du Jardin Hotel, Bella Luce Hotel, Imperial Hotel, Longfrie
Inn, Last Post pub, Auberge du Val Hotel, Guernsey Pearl Centre, Le Chene Hotel.
If you would like more details
about the cards please contact Pat Wisher on 01481 268088 or patwisher@cwgsy.net. There is also a document that you can download below which will show you each picture and an example of one
of the walks.
click here to see our nine designs
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| Tom Le Pelley and Tony Creasey at the Baubigny Schools Pathway gate |
Marks & Spencer continues to back the
Baubigny Schools pathway
The Marks & Spencer Guernsey Franchise has agreed to provide funding towards the rent costs of the Baubigny Schools
pathway.
Tom Le Pelley, Chair of Living Streets Guernsey LBG says:
"Marks & Spencer
was one of the first businesses to provide funding towards the development of the pathway in 2009. We are extremely
grateful for their continued support. They will be covering half of the annual rental costs in 2011 and 2012.
Living Streets hopes to raise the rest of the money through its own fund raising activities"
The building
of the pathway and the associated safety measures was funded through donations from local businesses. Keeping the pathway
up and running so that everyone can enjoy using it is Living Streets' next challenge. This involves paying the private
vinery site owner an annual rental for the privilege of taking the pathway along the edge of his 8 acre vinery site.
Tony Creasey, MD of the Marks & Spencer Guernsey Franchise says:
"We are pleased to continue to
support Living Streets by helping with the on going costs of the pathway to St. Sampson's High School. The funding
is from the 5p charge for plastic bags in our M&S Simply Food Stores.
Providing a facility that encourages
exercise and fresh air through a rural setting is an ideal project for us to allocate the fund. We have offered support
over two years that helps off set the costs of the pathway and gives Living Streets a solid base but will still require them
to raise further funds from other sponsorship and public donation."
The pathway gives students (on foot
or on their bikes) a virtually traffic free route through the green lung between St. Peter Port and St. Sampson. Living
Streets is very proud of what it has achieved and it now needs to sustain the route for future generations.
For more on the Baubigny Schools Pathway click here
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| The Houguette "walking bus" from Perelle |
Walk to School Week
Houguette School children took part in Walk to School Week this morning (16th May). Three walking
buses converged on the school - one from L'Eree, one from the Coach House Gallery and a third from Perelle walking up
Rue L'Arquet. Sixteen children joined the Rue L'Arquet "bus" and they were joined by three parents
and a teacher - Emma Curtis - who organised the walking bus initiative. Many parents also parked further away from the
school and walked the last bit - thus reducing congestion around the school. The Special Constable controlling the zebra
crossing said there had been a marked reduction in vehicles bringing children to school.
Amherst Primary
and St. Andrews Primary are also encouraging their students to walk to school this week.
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| Police and Living Streets in partnership to educate motorists on the dangers of "pavement surfing" |
Nine years of standing up for pedestrians
Living
Streets (formerly STEPS) celebrated its ninth birthday at its recent AGM and members voted in Deputy Tom Le Pelley as its
new Chair.
Our guest was Sergeant John Tostevin, the newly appointed Traffic Sergeant who is
leading a new Roads Policing Unit. Sergeant Tostevin has been in the Guernsey Police for 26 years and is passionate
about building up the Traffic Section which includes the re-instatement of the motorcycle team - two initially and then another
2 later in the year. His aim is to police road traffic leglislation in a fair way. Education is an important part
of this.
Accident statistics are crucial to improving safety on the roads - where accidents occur and what causes
them. Sergeant Tostevin will be working closely with the Environment Department's Traffic section in this respect.
Living Streets has worked with the Guernsey Police throughout its nine years of existence and so looks forward
to continuing its close contact with the new Roads Policing Unit.
Click here to download the April Newsletter
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