CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.

Stockbridge Summer Solstice 23rd June

(17 posts)
  • Started 5 years ago by Stickman
  • Latest reply from the canuck

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  1. Stickman
    Member

    http://www.stockbridgesummersolstice.org.uk/

    “With the encouragement of the City, the local Stockbridge & Inverleith Community Council is organising an outdoor community event called ‘Stockbridge Summer Solstice. It is going to be held on 23 June and it’s absolutely free.

    What we want to do is create a safe, community-based, feel-good day for everyone, put Raeburn Place on the map as a fun, welcoming street and bring visitors into Stockbridge to see what great shops and services we have to offer.

    It also gives us all a great opportunity to enjoy and experience the benefits of one of Edinburgh’s town centres with no motor vehicles.That means we’ll have a more relaxed atmosphere, walkable, cyclable, cleaner and safer space for people to meet and enjoy without the noise and danger that comes with motor traffic.

    Raeburn Place will be closed to general motor traffic from 10.00 am to 6.30 pm and the event itself will take place from 12.00 to 4.00 pm.“

    Posted 5 years ago #

  2. HankChief
    Member

    I was ridiculed when I suggested something similar for Roseburn...

    Posted 5 years ago #

  3. jdanielp
    Member

    Sounds great, although unfortunately I'll be away then!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  4. jonty
    Member

    This will be lovely. When I lived closer I was always sad the road wasn't closed every Sunday (or always) for the Market.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  5. LivM
    Member

    @hankchief Is "Roseburn is not Stockbridge, you know" the local version of "Edinburgh is not Amsterdam"?! :)

    Posted 5 years ago #

  6. unhurt
    Member

    I may be volunteering at this, if I'm in town. Would be nice to have a wee casual CCE meetup (& perhaps some impromptu ice cream/ coffee/ beers) if folk are coming anyway.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  7. dessert rat
    Member

    sadly will miss - pedalling around chateau Chambord that day.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  8. davecykl
    Member

    Sounds a good idea, and nice way to have a chilled out day out in Stockbridge (I hope local cafes and pubs will seize the occasion to have tables outside!).

    I am wondering what will happen to the (admittedly mediocre on a Sunday) bus services, however? I'm assuming diverted via Leslie Place and Comely Bank Avenue? (There will be some people who may have a genuine need to take the bus from nearby uphill into town, so any longer diversion would be tricky to implement, although I suppose there could perhaps be a cycle rickshaw shuttle service up via Royal Circus instead!)

    Posted 5 years ago #

  9. Stickman
    Member

    This Sunday.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  10. the canuck
    Member

    closing the street regularly but adding a rickshaw service to connect people using the bus route would be a fun idea.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  11. Stickman
    Member

    TODAY!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  12. stiltskin
    Member

    Lots of people, nice vibe & it’s good to walk about with no cars.... but a bit underwhelmed by the content.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  13. the canuck
    Member

    I stopped by, and it was a pleasant event that I feel should be repeated--I didn't notice hordes of vehicles backed up the hill so clearly that's either not an issue or the message got through.

    But I was disappointed that local cafes and restos didn't seem to be taking advantage. The only place we saw offering ice cream was the Waitrose stall (and theirs was frozen solid when we passed by, so no luck!), the only places with chairs/tables out were the places that normally do, and a couple of the charity shops had racks outside--but only a couple.

    I lived in a city that used to have a massive 'sidewalk' sale every summer. all the downtown businesses took part, flogging off old stock cheaply, but also getting customers inside. it was quite lively, there were bicycle ice cream vendors, music--just a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  14. the canuck
    Member

    Dickie Dee! They looked like this, lots of teens had summer jobs pedalling these things around parks. One of my mates worked out that there were no cafes/convenience stores in a particular commercial area, and he went there every lunchtime. it was at the top of a big hill, so no other bike went up and he made a killing.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  15. davecykl
    Member

    It was nice to have the street free for people, but, yes, a little bit underwhelming.

    A fair number of kids playing in the street, making chalk drawings, hopscotch, etc, but not an awful lot else to attract other people.

    The stallholders at the existing Stockbridge outside market seemed to think it made the day much more relaxed, even though the street beside the market itself was not closed to cars, and thought it should be a regular occurrence, which was good.

    Perhaps a real opportunity missed not to extend the street market actually into the open street area, or for cafes and pubs to extend their seating out into the road properly, although I realise that there would be licensing implications for both (but would the licensing committee not have the ability to fairly easily make a temporary amendment?).

    I was rather disappointed that there didn't seem to be any attempt to divert through car traffic that didn't genuinely require access to local streets, well in advance of either side of the open street section, which meant that there was quite a lot of traffic going into, and especially out of, Leslie Place, which I'm sure was "through" rather than local access.

    This was in contrast to the buses, which, 36 excepted, had a fairly significant diversion along Queensferry Road, which won't have been great for any proverbial little old ladies and gentlemen of Stockbridge needing to travel up into town or outwards.

    The respective diversions should have been swapped over, really.

    Still, all these things have to start from somewhere…

    Posted 5 years ago #

  16. unhurt
    Member

    I was down at the very end when people were leaving / stall packing up, and on the evidence of the chalk a LOT of children played all over a substantial area of road. There also seemed to be a wee music stage at each end - maybe depended when you were by?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  17. the canuck
    Member

    there were things going on, but just a lot of quiet in between. hopefully next year they'll work out a licensing thing, or stores will be able to get enough staff in to have a small table outside.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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