Forum Archives - Aberdeen Voice

‘Ghost Bike’ Memorial Event.

Aberdeen City, Featured, News No Responses »

Jun 282012

The rain stopped for a while last Sunday, but the sky was suitably overcast to set a sombre mood for the ceremony which installed Aberdeen’s first Ghost Bike. Paul Kohn writes.

ghost-bikers-milenas-mum-hannah-and-friends-pic

A group of around twenty cyclists set off from the beCyCle workshop in Old Aberdeen for the ride down to Garthdee roundabout where the memorial to Milena Gott-Konopacka has been installed.
Milena was knocked off her bicycle by a tanker driver in July 2009, and died eighteen months later in hospital after a long and finally unsuccessful struggle to recover.

Milena, a promising science student at Aberdeen University, was 20 when the accident occurred.

The ride from Old Aberdeen to Garthdee was not without its lighter moments: the contrast between Benedikt on the ‘high bike’ and another beCyCler on a recumbent turned quite a few heads on Union Street as we passed. There were some lovely cakes, and the usual great sense of camaraderie that develops when cyclists ride together.

On arrival at Bridge of Dee we were met by Milena’s mother and family. She had come over from Poland for the event, and was visibly grieving but happy to be sharing that grief with some of Milena’s Aberdeen friends. There was a brief but moving ceremony as those present placed flowers on the Ghost Bike.

When I returned to the spot about an hour later, I saw that Milena’s mum had also returned to spend some time alone at the memorial.

All credit to Hannah Krueger and her friends at beCyCle for organising a moving and ultimately highly affirmative event . We were all happy to participate, although we hope that no more Ghost Bikes will be necessary in Aberdeen.

Aberdeen’s First Ghost Bike To Be Installed

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Jun 072012

By Paul Kohn.

Ghost Bikes are small and sombre memorials for cyclists who have been killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all-white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque.
They serve as a reminder of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise-anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.

The first Ghost Bikes were created in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003. Currently, there are over 500 Ghost Bikes in over 180 locations throughout the world.

For those who create and install the memorials, the death of a fellow cyclist hits home. We all travel the same unsafe streets and face the same risks; it could just as easily be any one of us.

National Bike Week is coming up, from 16th to 24th of June. In Aberdeen, events are being co-ordinated by Aberdeen Cycle Forum,
http://www.aberdeencycleforum.org.uk/index.php?pf=news.php&nid=131

As part of the week’s activities, beCyCle, the community workshop based in Old Aberdeen, is organising the installation of Aberdeen’s first Ghost Bike, at Garthdee. It is being placed in memory of Milena, a beCyCler who was hit by a lorry three years ago.

BeCyCle comments,

“Please join us when we take the Ghost Bike from Aberdeen University to the roundabout in Garthdee.

“This event will also see the launch of the beCyCle cycle helmet. There will be drinks and a snack provided.”

This journey starts at 1100 at the beCyCle workshop on High Street, Old Aberdeen, on Sunday 24 June.
http://becycle.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/aberdeens-first-ghost-bike/

City Bike Thefts On The Increase

Aberdeen City, Articles, Community, Information, News No Responses »

Sep 092011

With thanks to Carl Gerrard and Grampian Police.

Bicycle theft in Aberdeen is on the increase and police say it’s largely because people are not taking simple precautions. As bicycle use increases it appears that opportunities for thieves is also on the rise.
Grampian Police are delighted to be working with The Aberdeen Cycle Forum to try and remind all cyclist across Aberdeen to take proper security precautions to look after their bikes.

Constable Kevin Murray of Aberdeen Division Crime Reduction Unit Advised:

“I would ask all bike owners to take a little time to think about the exact location you are going to, how you will secure the bike and what you are going to secure it to in the street.

“This thought process can assist in preventing the bike from ever being stolen in the first place. Most thefts are still opportunist and even if you are just going into a shop for just a couple of minutes that is sufficient time for someone to steal your bike.”

Constable Murray continued:

“A simple but effective method of securing your bike in the street, is to lock it, using a good quality lock such as a ‘D’ lock, at the dedicated bike bars found in and around the city centre. Also consider securing it to immoveable street furniture which is in line of sight of a public space CCTV camera.”

Carl Gerrard, secretary of the Aberdeen Cycle Forum told Aberdeen Voice:

“Since 2008 cycle use has increased 20% inAberdeen. It’s a sad fact that cycle theft has also increased. The good news is that by following a few common sense tips on the ACF website (www.aberdeencycleforum.org.uk) cyclists can both greatly reduce the chance of becoming a victim and increase the chance of getting their bike back should the worst happen.”

“Having your bike stolen results in both financial costs, and the inconvenience of having to use another mode of transport. We are delighted to be working with Grampian Police to raise awareness in this area.”

Only 10% of the bikes recovered by Grampian Police are returned to their owners due to the poor descriptions, however, owners can ensure their chances of having their vehicle returned is increased.

Constable Murray added:

“In an effort to improve descriptions provided to police I would like to remind all bike owners to utilise the Bike Passport form which can be found on the Grampian Police website under the crime reduction pages of the advice centre section.

“It is difficult to give the police or your insurer an accurate description of your bike once it has been stolen, however if once you purchase your bike you security mark it, complete this form, which includes an image of your bike and keep it safe, it will provide a more accurate description of your bike to increase the chance of officers being able to reunite you with your stolen pedal cycle if recovered.”

For more advice on bike and shed security visit The Aberdeen Cycle Forum website at www.aberdeencycleforum.org.uk or contact your local Crime Reduction Officer on 0845 600 5700.

A Visit To ‘Aberdeen’

Aberdeen City, Articles, Community, Information, Opinion No Responses »

Jul 292011

Anyone visited Aberdeen lately? Fred Wilkinson has – several times – without venturing further than his front door. Confused?

The Aberdeen I visited is of course the Facebook community page of the same name, and I found plenty to write home about.
I was struck by the wealth and diversity of information and topics being discussed in a very friendly, mutually supportive atmosphere. No one really knows enough about their home town, and facts and figures rarely tell the real story of a place and its people.

I asked site administrator Fiona-Jane Brown her views on why the site was set up, and what it was all about.

“It is to celebrate the BEST of the city; also to promote local enterprise, events, community spirit etc. Also, to generate reminiscence about local history through old photos and links to archives”

It certainly provides a stimulating platform for discussion among Aberdonians and non-Aberdonians alike, and infinitely more interesting than official tourism sites.

“On my historical topics and photos people have shared loads of great memories and inspired me to create a new blog ‘QI Aberdeen’ to write fuller articles on the little gems of local history. Local businesses with their own FB groups and web sites have started to post ads, which is great for the genuine local trader like ‘The Artist’s Pad’ which holds a prominent position in Castlegate, or Kiosque who promote local music and entertainment events.”

Would it be a useful source of information for anyone thinking of visiting the City?

“Yes, when folk post and say ‘I’m coming to visit, what do you recommend?’ the admins and the other members will happily provide info in the form of websites and suggestions. I think students would also benefit from learning which areas of the city have suitable accommodation, where they can go out for the night, and where they can learn more about the local character.”

With news of events, photos of familiar and not so familiar features of the Granite City, interesting locally relevant facts, stories and links, and the ever popular ‘guess where’ photo discussions, visiting ‘Aberdeen’ is a hard habit to break.

Perhaps it’s greatest appeal – and 12,474 members surely can’t be wrong – is the sites capacity to offer a ‘flavour’ of life in the City. Fiona-Jane comments:

“Generally to me it represents the city itself – folk with differing views, interests, social and political backgrounds – hey, we’ve even had former council leader Kate Dean contributing to the posts about John Stewart’s resignation.

“And in any city, or any family, you don’t necessarily agree with everybody, and naturally the admins have differing interests which they like to promote. I’d like it to stay couthy and friendly, but manage to have debate in a civil manner without discussions just turning into slanging matches.

“I’d like the group to have spin offs such as oral history projects, photographic exhibitions etc, but that’s way in the future!”

But what kind of ‘Aberdeen’ does the site offer to the world?

“An insight into Aberdonians. The author of ‘Tenements and Sentiments’, Davie Duncan, said “The win’ may blaw thin, but Granite Chips aye survive’, meaning Aberdonians are hardy and always ready to deal with the storms of life!

“And that’s what the Aberdeen Page is – “where aa the granite chips rub thegither”, and sometimes there are sparks, and sometimes you get beautiful amazing sculptures that glitter in the sun.

“Maybe I’m a romantic, but as an Aberdonian, that’s how I like to think of my birthplace!”

Thanks very much to Fiona-Jane Brown for the interview. And so to my original question. Anyone visited ‘Aberdeen’ lately? Why not?

Here’s the link, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aberdeen/47236254126?ref=ts

… See you there.

Biking To Their Liking

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Articles, Community, Events, Featured, Information, News No Responses »

Jul 082011

As Voice reported previously, the Get-About Commuter Challenge 2011 ran between 18 and 26 June as part of National Bike Week. Its successes are highlighted by Carl Gerrard, Secretary of Aberdeen
Cycle Forum (ACF).

During National Bike Week, thirteen companies participated in the ACF/Getabout Commuter Challenge.

During the Challenge, now in its seventh year and its fifth in partnership with NESTRANS Getabout, a total of 958 return journeys were logged totalling nearly 5,000 miles. The majority took place between Monday and Friday, with a median distance of 4.2 miles.

With many participating saying that had they not cycled they would have driven, that’s a significant reduction in traffic congestion, a saving of an estimated 800 litres or £1000 of fuel and a considerable contribution to alleviating parking problems in the city.

Carl himself said,

“The Forum has run the Challenge for a number of years now. Every year participation increases as employers realise the benefits to both themselves and staff from cycling to work. The mean distance shows that cycling to work is a viable alternative for many, and as transport costs and congestion increase, more and more are making the shift to two wheels”

This is the first year it has been a totally corporate challenge and twelve employers ranging in size from 12 staff to 15,000 competed in four categories, Small (12-50), Medium (51-300), Large (301-3000), Mega (3001-15,000).

Points were scored for the numbers cycling, journeys undertaken and for encouragement to people to cycle to work for the first time. Distance travelled did not affect the scores.

Once the scoring was totalled, the results were:

The calculation and a worked example can be seen on the Challenge website

Statistics don’t tell the whole tale, of course, and anecdotes from some who enjoyed commuting solely by their own efforts show that cycling can be a fun, safe and healthy addition to the working day.

“Many of our staff already choose to cycle to work, but challenges such as this have encouraged
those that haven’t previously done so, to give it a go. Some of this year’s participants told us that they first started cycling during last year’s challenge [as the Macaulay Institute, they came second], and have been regularly cycling to work ever since” – Ben Watt, James Hutton Institute

“We’re delighted to have won a trophy in the Cycle Challenge. It’s the first time I’ve cycled to work in Aberdeen and I was amazed at how quick the journey was. I’ll definitely be cycling to work again”. – Pauline Innes, Aberdeen Office of the Scottish Government

“We were delighted with the response we got from so many diverse companies and hope we can build on the progress we’ve made in future events.” Donald Kent, Getabout Coordinator

“I’m delighted that our campaign of encouragement has paid off and we now have more bike commuters than ever. The benefits for cycling to work speak for themselves – our staff are leaner, greener and keener than before.” – Paul Hasting, Shell’s Bike User Group Coordinator

Aberdeen Cycle Forum began in 2003 as a voluntary organisation campaigning for better facilities for cyclists in Aberdeen and has worked with stakeholders to deliver improvements for cyclists in the city, such as advances stop lanes at junctions on Union Street, and on capital projects such as the upgrading of the Deeside Line.

It now has 250 members and is recognised by the Scottish Parliament, local authorities, police, other governmental bodies and the media as representing Aberdeen cyclists; its recent count showed cycling levels in Aberdeen have increased in the last 12 months in line with national data.
http://www.aberdeencycleforum.org.uk

NESTRANS is the regional transport partnership for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Its objective is to develop and deliver a long-term regional transport strategy and strategic transport improvements to support and improve the economy, environment and quality of life across the region.
http://www.nestrans.org.uk

Getabout, operated by NESTRANS, is a consortium working to promote a healthy and sustainable transport choice for everybody travelling within the region, and beyond.
http://www.get-about.com

Cyclists’ Spokesman Urges Gearing Up for Bike Week

Aberdeen City, Community, Environment, Featured, Information, News, Sport No Responses »

Jun 032011

The results of Aberdeen Cycle Forum’s annual cycle count show a big increase in levels of cycling in the city. Derek Williams, chair of Aberdeen Cycle Forum told Aberdeen Voice, “Aberdeen‘s commuters are increasingly turning to pedal power. People have been saying that there seem to be more people cycling and this has been confirmed by our count. This is a very impressive year-on-year increase.”

The number of cyclists recorded during the morning rush hour at sites across Aberdeen rose by 18% compared to 2010. The busiest location was King Street, followed by Union Street and the Deeside Line.

ACF has been carrying out annual cycle counts since 2008. Cyclists are counted at eleven key locations around the city between 0730 and 0900, the objective being to gain a metric of cycle activity. Since the first count in 2008, cycling levels have gone up by almost 30%.

See: http://www.aberdeencycleforum.org.uk/index.php?pf=news.php&nid=128

Derek Williams added:

“Investment in cycling is paying off. The upgrading of the Deeside Line and the cycle lane along King Street are encouraging people to take to their bikes. Measures like better cycle parking and the advance stop boxes at junctions all help too.

“Cycling will also have had a boost as people want to avoid rocketing fuel costs and sitting in traffic queues.”

Aberdeen Cycle Forum is an independent voluntary body set up in 2003 by a group of cyclists and environmentally-aware people who decided that cyclists in Aberdeen should be better represented.

“We believe that Aberdeen can become a truly cycle-friendly city and this count shows we are making steady progress. It is crucial that investment in cycling is maintained.”

The group’s aim is to encourage cycling – for pleasure, cycling to work and to school, to the shops, off-road or on-road. The majority of the Forum’s work is campaigning for better facilities for cyclists in the city.

It also produces the Aberdeen cycle map and run Try Cycling sessions for those who have not been on a bike for a while. Anyone who supports these aims is welcome to join.

To celebrate Bike Week, the UK’s annual festival of cycling, running from 18-26 June 2011, the regular ACF/Get-About Bike to Work challenge is back.

Employers register for the challenge and compete for the Get-About trophy. Journeys by employees during bike week are logged on the challenge’s website and count towards employers’ scores, there are bonus points to be won for people cycling for the first time.

To learn more and to register, see: http://www.aberdeencycleforum.org.uk/challenge

Fashions At The Forum On February 4th

Aberdeen City, Articles, Events No Responses »

Jan 202011

With thanks to Caroline Maroh.

Diva Darling Boutique are excited to announce that they will be hosting a fashion show and salsa party at The Forum in Aberdeen. ( click here for more info )

Diva Darling is a popular online fashion boutique, specialising in high street and authentic designer labels from casual to special occasion and bridal wear.

“This is a great opportunity to meet our team and get involved!! We will be showcasing our Spring/Summer 2011 collections from casual wear, beautiful made to measure exclusive wedding and evening dresses, imported accessories, jewellery and handbags.

“It promises to be a brilliant evening of food, party and show – perfect antidote to the winter blues. If you are around the area, we invite you to join us for an evening of glam, fashion and fun!”

The event will take place at 7pm-10pm (party after), on 4th February at The Forum, 3 Skene Terrace AB10 1RN.

Tickets: £14 per person (includes door gifts for early birds, fashion show, Asian food buffet, Salsa party & chance to win a lucky draw)

Salsa party ticket: £4 per entry & £3 for students

Book your tickets now! For booking information, email us at katie@diva-darling.com