Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in February 2020. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.
CLOSED ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
Welcome, chums, to our first monthly bulletin of 2020 - and we kick off with a headline that may seem cryptic but is actually cleverly designed to help you remember that the gates to Richmond Park will be CLOSED at night from the THIRD of February. Geddit?!
The reason for the closure is, of course, the bi-annual deer cull which takes approximately six weeks to complete, during which time you will not be able to ride your bike through the park from 8pm to 7.30am. Long-time subscribers will know that The Royal Parks never gives an exact date for when it will complete the cull because the number of deer that need to be despatched will depend on the overall health of the herd, so keep an eye out for the gates reopening some time in mid-March.
The two dates for this year’s culls are now up on our website, along with the schedule for four other road closures during the following 12 months. Take a look now and pop ’em in your diary. We will also remind you in our bulletins closer to the time of each event.
RIDELONDON CALLING
One of the events that necessitates road closures is the Prudential RideLondon, which has been routed through Richmond Park since its inception eight years ago. But many will be concerned that this August may be the final time the annual cycling institution comes to our neck of the woods.
Surrey County Council is engaging in a consultation to find out how residents feel about the event. Obviously, some will say they are put out by the disruption, although thousands of others turn out to cheer on amateur cyclists like yourself who get to enjoy riding on traffic-free roads in London and Surrey for a day - and let’s not forget its participants raise more than £12million for charities.
So if you want to keep the Pru Ride in Surrey, please fill out the survey. You have until 16 February to make your voice heard!
TOILET TROUBLE
Those of you who follow us on social media will know that we briefly paused our Christmas break to post an alert about two bikes being nicked from outside the toilets near Roehampton Gate, along with one from the cycle hire shop and another somewhere near Colicci. We also posted a photo of a young lad who was said to be acting suspiciously in the vicinity (we should stress, though, that no one witnessed him committing a crime.)
Subsequent to these four bicycles being stolen, the cycle hire shop has reported that thieves have filched around a dozen of its bikes (although none have been taken since November).
But we are pleased to report that the police have managed to nab a couple of toerags on stolen bicycles. The pair tried to offload the two bikes to a third person but failed and rode off towards the centre of the park where they were apprehended. Caught red-handed - lovely work, officers, and thank you for your efforts!
Once again, if you see anything suspicious, call 101 and ask for the Royal Parks Command unit, or call 999 if it is an emergency. We recommend that you carry a small portable lock so your pride and joy isn’t targeted, and if you don’t have one, remember that Colicci will loan you one for a cash deposit of £5.
WATER NICE GESTURE
Speaking of Colicci, the Roehampton Gate cafe has installed a small water basin and tap for you to fill up your bidons which you may not know about if you only use the external serving hatch. Pop inside, have a look to your right and you should see it. A nice gesture from our Italian pals – grazie mille!
TWO GOOD
Our extended hiatus over Christmas and New Year has left us with a bulging in-tray. Rest assured that we have resumed our efforts to set up a meeting with the police to explore the figures for speeding in the park, and we will attempt to find out why The Royal Parks proposes a timeline of between five and seven-and-a-half years for a review of road use in Richmond Park – a timescale that appears to be at odds with the gaining momentum of the Movement Strategy.
The proposed draft of the strategy, which is likely to improve cycling in the park, is due soon. Those of you who took part in the first phase of the consultation will probably receive an email in the next few weeks seeking your further views as phase two commences. We will let you know ours in the next bulletin.
SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...
Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox. As ever, please share our newsletter with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.
All the best,
Richmond Park Cyclists
website: richmondparkcyclists.org
twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle
facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists
instagram: instagram.com/richmondparkcyclists