Matlock Bath Protest Ride 6 March 2016

[Tracey Suntan-King]

Story in the link is from December 2015 but the planned protest ride is on 6 March 2016. Over 2000 going allegedly.

The County Council is considering charging bikes 50p an hour to park where it used to be free. Bikes are a major magnet to Matlock Bath and thousands of non-bikers turn up to gawk at them too. Let's face it, there's bugger all else to do there. Overall, good for business.

50p is not a lot of money but it's the principle boys and girls!

Linky

Here's the Facebook link

https://www.facebook.com/events/169846076706326/
____________________
Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right

[ScaredyCat]

Because bikers are special snowflakes?
____________________
Honda CBF125 ➝ NC700X
Honda CBF125 ↳ Speed Triple

[Suntan Sid]

The local council is short of cash, the obvious way to increase revenue is to kill the goose that laid the golden egg!

For reasons unknown, hiundreds of bikes turn up at weekends.

There is sod all at Matlock Bath, there's a cable car, a row of fish 'n chip shops, burger joints and some amusement arcades.

If the bikes went elsewhere the chip shops, burger joints and amusement arcades, will go to the wall, because there's buggrall business taking place during the week, it's a fcukin' ghost town!

So, way to go council, helping local business!
____________________
"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[Itchy]

[monkeybiker]

It's the same as Derby town centre. Parking cost is stupid so most the time don't bother going and buy online.

Like has been said, bikers keep matlock going so yes they are special.

[Copycat73]

i`m of the understandin that the proposal to charge motorcycles has been withdrawn ... anyone know anythin definite
____________________
Whatever I post I have no citation and no intention of providing one..
caveat emptor

[CaNsA]

[Ichy]

[CaNsA]

[ScaredyCat]

[Copycat73]

[stevo as b4]

I hope Matlock keeps going as a popular bike venue, and more than that I hope local traders do too and get plenty of people spending money in the town to support them.

Too many popular bike venues have gone now, due to many reasons but many are council issues, and them trying to change the use of towns, and public image.

I don't frequent many biker venues these days, they naturally fell away in favour after the 90's, or got so big they were closed down by police, land owners and councils. But for those that still like bike venues and meeting spots, it would be a shame to see any more close and dissappear,in line with falling bike ownership and government anti bike legislation.

[Suntan Sid]

If the bikes didn't turn up, on a regular basis at weekends, the place would revert to the normal weekday, tumbleweed infested, ghost town it is!

From what I've seen, a lot of the people turning up in cars only go to ogle the bikes.

In reallity there's sod all there to attract anyone, the only reason the bikes turn up is because other bikes turn up, so why make it less attractive to bikes?

As Itchy said, short sighted, pointlessness, which sums up nicely the vast majority of, useless, UK governance!
____________________
"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[Andy_Pagin]

The problem with a trivial 50p charge is it doesn't stay that way. Council finds they have to up it to a quid because they're not covering admin costs. Revenue drops as bikers give the place a miss because there's free parking at the next 'wide patch in the road' village, so up goes the fee again, businesses give up as takings drop, the place dies from viciouscircle-itis.
____________________
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[Teflon-Mike]

But cynically,it's a great way to publicise the place, boost interest and pick up attendance that has dropped of steadily since the last 'parking charge protest', isn't it?

Give them three months and they'll hold a consultative meeting; another three and as the bad weather kicks in issue a press announcement deferring to the local traders 'interests'.

Next year, attendances will be back up.

Year after, they'll be waning again.

Winter after, they'll have some 'new' scheme; off-street bike parking, or one-way traffic, or whatever.. most likely parking charges again, they don't seem to have much imagination... but be back round the block again.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Skudd]

It won't only be Matlock, but the Cat n Fiddle will be affected as people will stop going over the route and the pub will lose out too.
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[Copycat73]

has the Cat n Fiddle re opened ? thought it shut...
____________________
Whatever I post I have no citation and no intention of providing one..
caveat emptor

[Skudd]

[Suntan Sid]

[Rogerborg]

This "protest ride": who will it effect, and how? What's the goal, and how will it achieve it? What's the followup plan if it doesn't?

All questions that I asked MAG before the Rage Rides in 2014.

The answer was "bEcuz FREdu!!!!m!!"

The upside was that I got to wear my "DOWN WITH THIS SORT OF THING" hi-vis (meta irony level 3 achieved), but we achieved nothing, because we had no chance of achieving anything.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Like every demo...To show 'whoever' and the media that a proportion of people want something changed.
If they get enough support and coverage sometimes things do change.

Plan B sometimes involves violence.
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[Tracey Suntan-King]

[ScaredyCat]

[Ichy]

Would it not have been a better idea of the several thousand protesters went to a different town/village instead. Just riding through Matlock and not stopping would give a clear message of how much money they are turning away.


Bit confusing but it looks like the Cat and Fiddle is closed.

https://www.robinsonsbrewery.com/pubs-inns-and-hotels/find-a-pub/a-e/catandfiddle
____________________
https://www.metacafe.com/watch/1972097/how_to_behave_on_a_forum/

[Copycat73]