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Installation of wildlife posts

June 15, 2017 by Julian

In recent weeks the Thursday volunteers have completed, together with Sustrans maintenance staff, the installation of the wildlife posts by entrances to the Loop!  There are nine timber posts, each of which is carved with a different wildlife picture which can be used like a brass rubbing. The posts will also display information posters about the route.

The sleepers were bought with a Green Grant from TransPennine Express and the Forestry Commission. They were carved and sponsored by M3 Industries in Salford, and the drawings for the carvings were done by volunteer Vicky Holden. Thank you to all involved!

New volunteers are always welcome to join the Thursday group so if anyone would like to come along and help from time to time (it doesn’t have to be every  Thursday) then please get in touch!

Volunteer at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteer at work
Foxglove post
Bumblebee post
Sleeper information
National Cycle Network information

 

 

 

 

Posted in Art, Volunteering | 1 Comment »

Thursday volunteers continue sterling work!

May 4, 2017 by Julian

Over the past several months volunteers from the Friends and Sustrans have continued their excellent efforts to maintain and improve the Loop.  Recent activities have included a spring litter-pick, managing the saplings along the Loop edges, wildflower sowing and improving the grassed area at the Levenshulme quadrants!

New volunteers are always welcome so if anyone would like to come along and help from time to time (it doesn’t have to be every  Thursday) then please get in touch!

 

Volunteer at work
Habitat pile from cut wood
Volunteers and cyclists
Volunteers and bicycles
Volunteers at work – sign
Volunteers take a tea break
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work near Errwood Road
Volunteers litter-picking
Volunteers sow wildflower seeds
A volunteers sows wildflower seeds

 

Posted in Litter picking, Volunteering |

Willow arches at Levenshulme quadrants

February 20, 2017 by Julian

Yesterday some of the Friends were out working in and around the community orchard at the Levenshulme Quadrants.  We were joined by members of the Sale and Altrincham Conservation Volunteers to help with building two willow arches, using willow harvested from the Loop.  Some weeding and general maintenance around the orchard trees was also done.  Meanwhile, Incredible Edible Levenshulme were also out, working on their raised beds of herbs and fruit.  Many thanks to all helpers!

Cutting willow
Preparing holes for willow arch
Constructing willow arch
Volunteers and the raised beds

Posted in Community orchards, Levenshulme, Volunteering |

Final report for the trial of open barriers

February 4, 2017 by Julian

The final report for the “open-all-barriers” trial on the Loop has now been completed.  Please find a copy here (please note that it’s a 14Mb file!).

Posted in Accessibility |

New Loop map and guide!

January 15, 2017 by Julian

The Friends have recently undertaken a major revamp of our map and guide to the Loop. This is now complete, and has gone to the printers for an initial print-run of 10,000 copies.

The map A3 page contains much more detail on how to reach other cycle routes from the Loop (e.g., the Trans-Pennine Trail in both directions, the Ashton and Bridgewater canals, the route to Salford Quays and the different routes to the city centre), as well as showing more parks and green spaces. It also distinguishes which of the entrances are accessible for non-standard bikes.

The guide page is now divided into eight panels (instead of six) and can fit easily into the pocket.  The front and back panels explain what the Fallowfield Loop consists of; inside the first fold are panels headed THEN and NOW, with the former giving a brief history of the old railway line, and the latter showing its present transformation into a Greenway and wildlife corridor. The remaining panels deal with volunteering, cycling and walking contacts, use by the disabled and basic rules of the Loop (‘share with care’) respectively.

The PDF versions of the new map and guide are available on our Maps page.

Posted in Accessibility, Geography |

Another winter, another wassail!

January 8, 2017 by Julian

Another winter, another wassail today to celebrate the orchard at the Levenshulme Quadrants and wish it a healthy and flourishing year ahead!  As in the previous several years, there was a bonfire, choir-led singing, fireworks, mulled cider, the fixing of ribbons and cider-soaked toast to the fruit trees and the conjuring of a Wassail Queen!

Singing
Passing the goblet
Fireworks
Cidering first tree
Wassail Queen
Wassail celebrants

Posted in Community orchards, Levenshulme | 1 Comment »

Tandem ride by Lord Mayor and Consort

November 28, 2016 by Julian

Further to the positive response to the opening of barriers on the Loop, the Friends have been delighted that the Mayor of Manchester Carl Austin-Behan and his Consort Simon Austin-Behan have joined in, with a tandem ride to help celebrate the removal of the barriers and easier access to and along the path!  The Lord Mayor and his Consort also met local volunteers and members of the Friends to mark the occasion. Further details are on Sustrans’ website.

The Lord Mayor and Consort (Image credit: Chris Foster)
Celebrating the occasion (Image credit: Ian Barker)
Volunteers at the tandem ride (Image credit: Ian Barker)
The Lord Mayor and Consort (Image credit: Chris Foster)

Posted in Accessibility, Bicycle rides |

Hallowe’en Kidical Mass bike ride

October 28, 2016 by Julian

Another year, another Hallowe’en family-friendly bike ride extravaganza!

Hallowe'en Kidical Mass

Posted in Accessibility, Bicycle rides |

Cycle the solar system!

October 23, 2016 by Julian

This ride took place as part of Manchester Science Festival!

Participants today joined artist Nick Sayers and astronomer Megan Argo for a three-mile cycle ride along the Loop, exploring our solar system at a scale of 1:1,000,000,000 (one to a billion).  Installations representing the solar system had been set out on the Loop from Chorlton-cum-Hardy to Fallowfield; rides took place in the morning and afternoon, and “planet minders” showed off the respective planets at their measured-out sites.  The riders were able to learn about and appreciate the very different sizes and environments of the Sun, eight planets and asteroid belt and become more familiar with our neighbourhood in space!  Nick wrote afterwards, “A massive solar-system-sized thank-you to all who worked on the project.  It went so much better than I ever anticipated. You’re all complete stars!”  Permanent solar markers along the Loop have been suggested as a follow-up!

Cycle the solar system

Cycle the solar system: (c) Nick Sayers 2015

Posted in Bicycle rides |

A Pocket Full of Treasures

October 9, 2016 by Julian

Sharon Campbell and Rachel Ramchurn today organised a creative workshop for children at the Levenshulme Quadrants, using clay and other natural materials for modelling treasures.

Treasured memoriesAli Gadeema and Martin Visceral, spoken word artists, helped to create poems to accompany the treasures in the ‘Gallery of Gilded Frames’ that Sharon Campbell was curating, while Rachel Ramchurn offered some hands-on clay experience making tiny treasures inspired by nature that could also go in the gallery. The works of art were made by a huge variety of ages.

Hearts and flowers

The sun shone and there was a great turn-out of families taking part.  Members of the Friends had prepared the ground beforehand, and were on hand as stewards and gazebo constructors on the day.  Members of Incredible Edible Levenshulme had weeded the vegetable beds and offered planting advice to children and their parents.  Many children also used the wild stretch of shrub land towards Broom Lane for hide-and-seek and tree-climbing!  Sharon writes, “What a splendid day! We had a really good turn-out and were busy all day.  The overall feel of the day, in the gorgeous October sunshine, was a buzzing community event…A huge thank you to all those involved.”  More pictures are here.

Posted in Art, Levenshulme |

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