This video should warm your cockles, and will likely have you planning a visit. If you don’t have a similar facility near you, it may also have you wondering why not.
It’s really a celebration of a great facility and the community that supports it, but there are a couple of points raised in there worthy of some thought. The video mentions that the site is relatively cheap to build and maintain compared to tarmac tracks – it just needs more volunteer time and input. When we looked at where Councils were building pump tracks, they had a clear preference for tarmac tracks, on the ground that they needed less maintenance.
Another point raised in favour of the no-tarmac option is the flexibility it offers – diggers can experiment with new features and change the track over time, in this instance to add more inclusive options to open the track up to more users.
Which is better: something that costs a lot but doesn’t need some committed volunteers, or something that’s cheap and flexible but needs ongoing effort? And can a tarmac track which doesn’t need the collaboration and cooperation of users ever create the same sense of love and commitment conveyed in this video?
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Props too to Richard Baybutt too – a man who seems to have boundless energy for getting stuck in and helping folks out. Between his work for Cotic supporting various projects, and his own personal time, he pops up helping out great initiatives all over the place. More people like him in the world, please!
Pondering over… who’s planning a trip to go and check it out?
