Friday, February 01, 2008

Tees Heritage Park

It's almost a year now since the Friends of Tees Heritage Park had its formal launch and the idea has grown from the vision of a handful of dreamers to something being treated seriously by SBC officers, British Waterways and other august bodies. The idea of preserving and enhancing the river corridor from Yarm down to Stockton, opening it up to people to enjoy in a variety of ways is gathering momentum.
Imagine having easy access for walking along the riverside from Yarm and Eaglescliffe to Stockton and beyond, having vibrant restaurants and pubs at the town centre river front, being able to launch small sailing boats and canoes easily at interesting points along the river, easy access for fishing at other places. All of this would be enhanced by leaflets and boards highlighting some of the wildlife and the industrial history of the area. That's the THP concept. Now all we need is a name which conveys all that but doesn't imply that it's a park with play equipment or a boring old-fashioned history lesson. (sensible) Suggestions welcomed here!
At last night's meeting of the committee there was a lively discussion on the merits or otherwise of having Tees as the first word in such a name. Let me know what you think - does Tees make you shudder with memories of the river in its dirty post-industrial uncared for state, or does it make you think of the barrage, water sports and cruises on the Teesside Princess or fishing at Eaglescliffe or Thornaby or .....?
There was also a lot of discussion about the need for care when constructing the new footpaths and cycle ways associated with winning the Connect2 lottery money, so that they're properly looked after for years to come and also properly policed.

No comments: