You may recall that earlier in the year I complained about NCN1 between Shotton Colliery and Haswell was in a dreadful state due to people fly tipping and generally just dropping litter. Well, if your not prepared to change anything, don’t complain.
Well, Shotton doesn’t have a Sustrans ranger, so it was up to us, in other areas to go and do something to change it.
All week , we had been watching the weather forecast. Would we cycle, go on the train or take the car? If it was raining, we intended to go in the car but as the week went by, it was looking better and better for cycling up. So we were up and on the road just after 7.00am in brilliant early sunshine. A mile from home, near the river, there was thick mist.
Luckily, after getting through the river area, the most quickly lifted and we were again in the sun which was increasing in intensity by the minute. We continued up through the Castle Eden walkway and arrived in Shotton and found the community centre by 9.30am. This was out meeting place as Sarah volunteer co-ordinator, had arranged to have volunteers from the community to join us.
We weren’t a huge group, but we were determined to make a difference and we set too with a will. Vince who cycled down from Sunderland and DH went up towards the duckboards and picked up dozens of beer bottles. I worked alongside one of the community officers bagging everything from damp proof membrane through curtains to toys and cans. Its incredible just how much is wasted in undrunk beverages which need to be emptied from the cans before bagging.
Yvonne took her trailer and rode up and down the track taking filled bags to the dumping site.
In the space of 21/2 hours , we bagged 40 large rubbish sacks and various things like toys, buckets and builders waste.
DH even found a couple of perfume bottles.
You always say I never get you anything
We were treated to sausage butties and cool drinks by the parish council before starting for home. We decided to follow NCN14 down to Hartlepool, along the prom and then across the fields to home. As we were passing the cafe near Seaton Carew, we met up with Jim who leads the Spokes rides and his peleton.. We rode with them for a short while but they were taking a slightly longer route, so we headed more directly to Greatham, across the fields to Cowpen Bewley and then through Haverton Hill and home. So that was 46 miles and a great sense of satisfaction from the litter picking we’ve done.
Coincidentally, yesterday , one of my internet buddies wrote this poem. Vivinfrance.WordPress.com is her blog.
litter Bugs beware
If you go down to the woods today
Be sure to pick up your litter
And its fair to say
If you pick up some more
The woods will look much better.
Birds and beasts appreciate
No plastic rubbish, depricate
Beer cans, the rings from which can kill.
So take a sack
And bend your back
Get down to it with a will.
cyclinginthesixthdecade 
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