25 February 2009

Roxy the Pomeranian.

I met a Man with a Nice little Dog sitting on the Steps of the Wellington Memorial. I decided to Photograph the Dog as it was so Cute looking,like a Little Bear.

It is a little Girl Dog by the Name of Roxy.

Wellington Memorial.

One of the Bronze Frieze's on the Memorial,representing some Battle in India.

I Photographed the Waterloo Frieze but it came out to Blurred,there are Four in All on the 4 sides.

There are also Names of Battles Etched in Bronze or Brass up the sides of the Pyramid.

Arthur Wellesley ,The Duke of Welington

This Monument is Dedicated to Arthur Wellesley ,The Duke of Wellington who was born in Dublin in Marlborough Street. He was the British General that Helped Defeat L,Emperor Napoleon Bonapart at Waterloo in 1815.

A Monument Basically Dedicated to the British Raj. A final Peak of Imperial Capitalist Triumphalism in Ireland. I wonder what it would cost to Build Today,going on what it cost to put up a 3 Metre or 9 Foot Statue of Queen Mary on a Stone Plinth a few Days ago in the Mall beside Buckingham Palace which was £ 2,000,00 Million Sterling. This thing would have cost Today a Couple of Hundred Million as it is around 200-300 Feet in Height. Still it is a Nice Monument and Dublin would be Poorer without it. It is a Great Pity Napoleon Lost I would have liked him to Win. He is Revered in Ireland as a Great General and Hero.

Girl Jogging in the Phoenix Park

Closed to Traffic,Phoenix Park

One of the Roads that are closed to Traffic in the Phoenix Park.There are more than I,700 Acres of Parkland and you can Cycle ,go Horse Riding,Jogging,Walk your Doggie.

This is the Furry Glen Area. I tried searching for the Deer but could not find them,they must have been up the Castleknock Area of the Parkland. It is a very big Park with the Presidents Residence,Arus un Uactaroin, or the former Vice Regal Lodge that the Lord Liutenant Lived in in the British Time. The American Embassy Residence. The Garda Headquarters or the Irish Police, The ZOO and also some other Buildings. If you Visit Dublin either Bring your own Bike's or Hire them and go on a Tour of the Park very interesting.

The Phoenix Monument,Phoenix Park.

I am Sorry I could not Straighten this out,I already did but when it came to this it came out this way.

This is on the main Chesterfield Road through the Park and this Monument is Dedicated to Lord Chesterfield.

Taking a Short Cut Home through the Phoenix Park

All the Pollution Causers taking a short cut through the Phoenix Park out through the Chapelizod Road Gate at around 5.30 pm.

Should be Banned,no Traffic at all should be allowed.

they have blocked off a lot of Roads to Traffic but not enough. This is a beautiful Park and should not be destroyed by Motor Traffic.

The Phoenix Park Dublin

The New Lock

This is the Extra Strong Lock I got on Sunday on my Dutch Bike.It is a Strength 6 Gold Standard

Second best Locks on my Bike's

When I was in the City on Sunday I got another New Lock.

Oh no you are thinking he has got another Lock,yes but this is a highly rated Lock of Strength 6 the Gold Rating and it is of Motorbike Quality. So I put the Other strong Lock and the Cable Lock on my Hi Brid Hardtail that I use as a Beater for going around the Less than Salubrious Areas in Town.
I shall have to Replace this Saddle as it is very Hard on the Posterior,most uncomfortable.

This is my small front Parlour that I put my Bike's into and also when Officials like Gas or Electric or even Tax Officials come a knocking at my Door. Then this is the Room I Talk to them in.

Battered ,Long John in South King Street.

Old Battered up Long John,South King Street

I seen this one Day on my Way Home,it was Heading into the City on North Strand Road and I was heading Home in the opposite direction. I could not Photograph it. But on Sunday last I spotted it in South King Street. This is a first for Dublin ,I have never seen these before here.

A lot of interesting Bikes are starting to Surface here all of a sudden , if only we had some good Bike Infrastructure.

14 February 2009

DSCF0122Azor and I in Howth

Myself last April in Howth Fishing Port buying Fish for Dinner , about 13kilometre or 9 Miles from Dublin City.

PA240042 Irish Lollypop Lady.

They use these Ladies for Protecting the Children while Crossing the Road from School. At one time the Coat Uniform was in White but now Latter Years it has been changed to Yellow and Orange Pinky Red.

10 February 2009

Fietsberaad,Dutch Bicycle Council. Fietserbond Bicycle Union

This is the Address of the Dutch Bicycle Council for Bicycle Expertise . The Web Site is in Dutch ,German, English,French ,Spanish, and if you want to add a Comment or ask for Information you are very welcome to do so.

http//www.fietsberaad.nl
Dutch Bicycle Council
Leeuenstein Building
Jaarbeursplein 15
3521 AM Utrecht.
The Web Site Link is at the bottom of the Page.
EMAIL info@fietsberaad.nl

Tel. +31(0)10-282 56 62

Coordinator
HansVoerknecht
E Mail voerknecht@ fietsberaad.nl

TEL + 3 (0) 10 -282 58 18

+ 31 (0) 6 - 52 3542 85


The Dutch Cyclist union
Fietserbond
http//fietserbond.nl

Dublin Transportation Office.

The Dublin Transportation Office asked People some time ago during last Year to complete a Survey for them on what they Thought The Greater Dublin Area needed to improve the Quality of Life for People VIS a Vis Transport in Dublin. I gave my Opinion then on what I thought was needed. So I was surprised to get an EMail from them Today asking to do another Survey.

Apparently they are doing Three Consultations finishing in Late 2009 this will cover up to 2016 period. This will eventually provide Data for 2030. So I rattled off my opinion on what was needed to be done.

Explaining that we needed better Cycling Infrastructure, 7 foot Unidirectional Segregated Cycle Lanes Separated from Cars where Cars would not be allowed to cross over them. Pedestrianize the Centre of our Cities and Towns, Transport Facilities like Trains and Buses should be beside the main Shopping Areas, put Cycle Lanes and Walking Facilities in Residential Areas etc.
I sent this off to them and was intending to leave it at that then I decided to send an Email to them in Dun Laoghaire.

I said in theEmail all this is Geared towards 2030 what we want is Results now, most of the Respondents that you asked for an opinion will be Dead by then including possibly me what good is that to us. What good is all these Feasibilty Studies costing a lot of Money when all you have to do is go off to Amsterdam and see what they have ,they have the best Infrastructure in the World. You do not even have to go there,all you do is look at the Web Sites of Amsterdamize .com and Copenhagenize . com to see how good it is.

They replied that the Survey was for 2016 then eventually 2030 and thanked me. I reffered them to my Blog for more Angst if they cared to have a look. They said they would check it out after their IT Department had a look at it. I must have a look at the Dutch Cycling Infrastructure Web Site now to post a Link for them or anybody Else to look at.

The DTO Web Site Link is Dessouss La Paige au Le Gauche.

09 February 2009

Fatal Accident of Cyclist in London.

I just picked this up from http//www.crapwalthamforest.blogspot .com Blog.

A Woman Cyclist was Killed by a HGV while going to her Office in West London on Thursday last. A 30 Year OLd Eilidh Cairns was Killed after being dragged along the Road by the Wheels of a Lorry on the Drivers Blind side, She was taken to the Royal London Hospital but to no avail She Died.

She Loved to Cycle as it provided Healthy Excercise for Her and she Hated the Tube and Buses.

This is all very Familiar,A Woman Cyclist was killed on the Malahide Road at Griffith Avenue Corner in Dublin about three Years ago in the same sort of circumstances. A 40 Footer Lorry was turning up Griffith Avenue and caught her on the inside. I was going to Work down the Malahide Road into the City after 7. 30am and seen the Aftermath .The Woman was already taken to Hospital and her Bike was underneath the Rear Section of the Truck between the front and back Wheels of the Trailer Unit. It had a nice Basket on the front. I dont know who was to blame,but this sort of thing continues to happen all the time so long as huge Lorries are allowed to go through our Cities and Towns.
Since they put in the Port Tunnell from the Dublin Port to the M 1 Motorway at Santry for Trucks this has taken away about 50% of Lorries from the City Streets but we still have Accidents involving Trucks and Cyclists and Pedestrians. We need to take them off our Streets for good or else have them going at a very slow speed in the Centre of our Cities.
The Government needs to put in Segregated Cycle Lanes very badly, restore the Streets to the People and stop being Pro Car centric. Bring in a 30 KPH 19 MPH Speed Limit in our Cities and Towns and Pedestrianize the Centre and make it Safer.

05 February 2009

Sustainable Transport for the City of Dublin.

This is me on the way to the Supermarket Today.

I got a Girl to Photograph me but the Battery fell out of the Camera,and I had to take my Gloves off to Settle it back into the Camera.

The Government Published a Statement Today saying they wanted to improve Sustainable Transport,Get more People to use Public Transport,Walk more ,and get over a 100,000 People to use the Bike for Commuting. This is just all Propaganda,it has been said before.
They have Increased the Fare on Trains and Buses and also removed 270 Buses off the Roads in an Economy move so putting more People out of Work.
The Bicycle Infrastructure is very Bad,they just copied Britains with their very narrow Cycle Lanes.
If they want to improve things for Cyclists ,we would need Segregated 7 feet wide Cycle Paths and Parity over Motor Vehicles on the Road. No Parking on or driving over Cycle Lanes,make it safe for People to Cycle. On a Day like Today we badly need Segregated Cycle Lanes because of the Snow. If we fall of our Bikes on a Segregated Bike Lane at least we will not fall into the Path of a Car or Lorry.

The Supermarket,Artaine Castle. Artane

All loaded up and ready to go Home

Malahide Road,Artane

Today,The Big Snow,Malahide Road Artane

The Bag of Nuts

I went off to the Supermarket Today and decided to buy a Bag of Nuts for the Starving Birdies.

As the Song Goes

Feed the Birds,Tuppence a Bag ,Tuppence Tuppence ,Tuppence a Bag,

Though Her Words are Simple and Few ,Listen ,Listen She is calling to you.

So said the Old Lady on the Steps of St Pauls,
Mary Poppins

Betula Jacquemontii.

The White Birch,Betula Jacquemontii.
The Blue and Coal Tits enjoy Eating the Seeds on this Tree,which are now growing on this Tree.

Front Garden

Today more Snow,my Front Garden

03 February 2009

Snowy back Garden

Trachy Carpus Fortuni Palm.

Mahonia,Oregon Grape, Shrub with Yellow Flowers,The Black Birds love the Grapes on this.

Large Clump of Rosemary about 5ft High beside the Remains of the Wooden Gate.

My Back Garden ,Snowy Winters Day.Got some Groceries

It was a very Cold Day Today and it had Snowed again Overnight but cleared up very quickly. Then started again around 3 pm and came down very thickly then stopped and started going into Slush.
I decided I needed Toilet Rolls as I was running low,one on the Rail and one spare. I suppose I did not really have to go out but I was suffering from Cabin Fever and just wanted to go for a Spin really.
It was Raining a little bit on my way to the Supermarket ,Cold stinging Icy Rain. When I took of my Gloves to put the Chain on the Bike my Fingers starting getting Icy and by this time my Gloves were wet.I got a few odds and Ends in the Supermarket and when I came out of it it was Snowing very Heavy with lots of Slush on the Ground. On my way Home it alternated between Sleety Rain and Heavy Snow. Because I had no Overtrousers my Jeans were getting Soaked with Ice Cold Water. After I got Home it was Spilling Sleety Rain for an Hour or so.I shall have to get those Pull Ups badly needed,each time I try to get them there is a problem either they are to Small or else to Dear at the time.

The Roads are not to bad in Dublin City but on the Approach Roads out of Dublin it is still bad with Slushy Snow,like on the Naas Road (Pronounced Nace) and Kilcullen in Kildare.

We are not finished with this Snow yet,it is to Hang around until the End of the Week at least.