LONDON FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE TM
& SUNDAY STROLL TM

From: Week on Wheels <wow /at/ lfns.co.uk>
Subject: [wow] Week on (2, 4, 8) Wheels
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 16:55:31 +0100

This Week, On Wheels

* This week : Maryelebone and Embankment / Victoria and Chelsea
* Last week : music/response
* Bike competition closes on Thursday!
* Profile View: Marty
* Skating the Carnival
* The Bike corner
* Wrap up


== THIS WEEK ==

The LONDON FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE route this week is designed more by
stringing together fun roads to skate on than by reference to any kind
of High Concept. Which is great, but does leave us poor newsletter
editoros with space to fill. Marylebone and Fitzrovia in the first
half, then we head down south to the fast bits around Millbank. Half
time somewhere around Oxford Street.

                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060901


The SUNDAY STROLL is making another attempt on the King's Road route
from the other week, though regrettably the lovely Natasha will not be
available to lead it this time. Still, at least we have ice cream.
Note that bits of Hyde Park are likely to be closed all Sunday for the
Tour of Britain (more of which below): if you can't get to the usual
Stroll start point on Serpentine Road, look for us on the Wellington
Arch roundabout where Friday usually leaves from.

                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060903


== LAST WEEK ==

"Best skate of the year so far - the music ..." - a skater
"Definitely more hard work than marshalling" - a music bike rider

The new music bike is still officially in test, but last FRIDAY saw
its first test on an LFNS - so we had tunes as we made our way to
Parson's Green. Unusually, we started off down Knightsbridge, giving
the ladies a chance to window shop before we turned into Exhibition
Road. There's more of a gradient on Exhibition Road than you would
think: on route check, the marshals did 20mph down there whilst
coasting, so those who wanted a bit of speed without any of that
boring pushing stuff should have enjoyed it.

Sol was leading so we didn't hang about getting to Parson's Green and
we hung about even less getting back. The beginning of the black
section saw us passing the eponymous South Park, though for those who
missed it (missed what? ed) an alternative park experience was also
available. Battersea Park offered us a traffic free stretch to have
fun with and the final sprint down Victoria Street and up Grosvenor
Place gave us the traditional fast finish.

When approaching Hyde Park from the south, we stick to the right on
Grosvenor Place to make crossing the roundabout safer. If you want to
break away before the end please do so at the lights when we're
stopped, instead of veering across the road on the uphill - cars come
through the roundabout quite fast and are easily confused by the sight
of skaters scattered all over the road. Which is bad.

There were a few impressive stacks but everyone got up and
continued. Looks like we'll have to kill Kenny next week.

                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060825/1

SUNDAY saw us continuing with the theme of little known parks in the
Parson's Green area as Dan took the Stroll to Walham Green. With a
chilled mix on the sound system, this Stroll was so laid back as to be
almost horizontal - although the Lead Marshal was heard afterwards
remarking that it made a pleasant change for him to skate somewhere
without becoming _actually_ horizontal as a result.

                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060827/1



== PROFILE VIEW : MARTY ==

If you've noticed a hirsute teddy bear marshalling our skates, you've
probably already met MARTY. He's often found hanging around the back,
where he claims to be helping keep order as Rear Marshal, but we think
he's just chatting up girls.

Marty started life in Manchester (somebody had to) and came to London
via Sheffield. A year ago, he bought a pair of skates - for a date -
and ever since he has been convinced that one day he will find true
love on wheels.

Marty does something in IT (a compulsory qualification for marshals)
but don't you dare call him a geek! Geeks, he has explained, see
everything in terms of Star Trek, while Marty sees the world entirely
through the distorting lens of Terry Pratchett's opus. So enthusiastic
a fan is he that he writes entirely in footnotes and has a complete
collection of Discworld first editions.

Martin is currently in training for the Berlin Marathon next month,
and hoping to raise some money for the Red Cross in the process. This
apparently requires him to give up alcohol and go on a diet between
now and the event, so even if you don't think a 26 mile skate on
lovely wide smooth tarmac among 8000 other people and cheering
spectators is sufficiently hardcore to be worth his taking money for,
spare him a thought (and a few quid) for having to subsist WITHOUT
BEER for the next three weeks ...

             http://www.serpentineroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=295520


== CARNIVAL SKATE : NOTTING BETTER ==

Marshals have a hectic time every week trying to block streets and
junctions, all in the name of your safety! But once a year, this task
is taken care of by the organisers of the Notting Hill Street
Carnival. Well, to the extent that on the Sunday and Monday of August
Bank Holiday weekend, the procession route is closed off to traffic
AND the general public are kept behind barriers.

Skating nirvana - no cars, no pedestrians, just a clearly marked
street circuit!

To take advantage of this (and to kick off her own birthday
celebrations) Asha Kirkby from Skatefresh arranges an impromptu street
skate around the procession route. Everyone is welcome, the only real
stipulation is you need to be able to skate to a Sunday Stroll
standard.

The itinerary began this year on Westbourne Grove just before 11.00am
with everyone comparing outfits. Oh yes, we forgot to mention, as it
is carnival, everyone is encouraged to come dressed in one colour,
head to foot (well, skates excepted!) The brighter the better!

As befits such an occasion those that came were greeted by brilliant
sunshine, as well as the promise of a champagne toast when the skate
was completed. We did nearly three full laps of the circuit, all at a
very leisurely pace, making sure everyone took in the sights, smells
and sounds of this part of London pre-carnival. As time moved on, the
crowds became louder, cheering the group as we skated past.

The skate finished just before noon. Not wanting to let the day
finish there, about half of the attendees headed off back to Hyde Park
for the Sunday Stroll whilst the other half took the more leisurely
option of removing skates and heading into the central area to eat,
drink and dance the afternoon away.

Mark this colourful event in your skating diary for next year, it
really is fun!

"I have just invented a new colour, two-tone." - Sol

               http://www.serpentineroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=283145


== BIKER GROOVE ==

Now you've seen it out on a Friday, inspiration should have struck you
even if the wheels haven't ("I'll get you next time", says the bike
rider). You have until the end of August - that's Thursday night - to
send in your suggestions for naming it, then we'll vote on the winner
and announce it in the very near future.

Last Friday's rider would like to extend his thanks to everyone that
gave the bike a bit of a push on the uphills, but PLEASE NOTE: push on
the red metal bar, which is solidly attached - not on the speakers,
which are less so. Pushing downwards on the back of the bike could
lead to spectacular and expensive axle breakage, so if in doubt, don't.
We plan to get some kind of handle rigged up at a more convenient height.

                                           http://www.lfns.co.uk/bike.php

And while we're on the subject of human-propelled vehicles with
pneumatic tyres, this SUNDAY in the Mall will be the final stage of
the Tour of Britain, and "BikeFest 2006" organised by TfL. We plan to
head along there after the Stroll to watch the finish and to show off
our baby to the crowds: please join us if you can.

          http://www.tfl.gov.uk/cycles/activities/tour-of-britain.asp
                http://www.tfl.gov.uk/cycles/activities/bike-fest.asp


== SKATES FOR NIGERIA ==

A reminder: on Saturday 2nd at 5pm you can drop off all your old,
tired, broken skates and supplies at The Beach (west end of Serpentine
Road) - in plastic bags - where they will be taken to Nigeria
(presumably not still in plastic bags) to promote skating there.
All contributions welcome: skaters out there reputedly have
skate repair and improvisational skills to rival Club Blue Room,
so don't think that skates with broken or missing bits will be of no
use to them.

             http://www.serpentineroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20303


== GAME OVER ==

"It's unobtrusive & optional. It's not forced down your throat with
cream on top."         -- praise for WoW from serpentineroad.com

But if YOU have pictures of people eating their email, whether with
cream, ketchup, mint sauce or without seasoning of any kind, send
evidence to our feedback form to be featured in a forthcoming issue.
Likewise any other comments, suggestions, complaints etc. Don't reply
to this mail: we won't see it. If you want to unsubscribe, use the
link in the mail footer - right at the bottom after the copyright
notice.
                            http://www.lfns.co.uk/feedback.php#contactus


Small print: Material in this email is protected by copyright; it may be
reproduced unchanged in full provided that credit is given. All
trademarks are acknowledged.

--
Sent from the London Friday Night Skate - http://www.lfns.co.uk/
Check out any time - see http://www.lfns.co.uk/unsubscribe.php?list=wow