Topic ID 664
Excuse me being silly about this, but didn't somebody on the Council say that Hertford was going to get a skateboard park soon? Grandma Trimble is worried that the young hoodies have nowhere to hang about and think that it would be lovely for them to be able to skate around a designated (preferably policed) area rather than unnerving old ladies by lurking around public places.[V] Please let me know if any progress has been made as I would like to reassure grandma. Terri Trimble
Reply ID 6791
I think (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I've got it wrong!) the latest news on this was that, after jumping many hurdles, the skateboard park is due to open at Hartham in Spring of next year. It sounds like it's going to be quite an impressive facility. I noticed the plans were in the window of the bike shop in Railway Street a few weeks ago, but not sure if they're still there now.
Reply ID 6793
Yes, there is something in the Bike shop - I will go and check. I think it's the HSE objection to safety - what's safer? protected and built to design parks or running around in the middle of Hertford - in front of cars, pedestrians? Let's amke a stand - Police precence may be good - if we can get it, just letting them know it is an option it would probably be appreciated. Sort's out two problems maybe - kids out of the town - then get to do there own thing [?]
Reply ID 6795
this what i meant when i said that teenagers need somewhere to go! ty mrs trimble fo rbacking me up on this one!i only want the best for people and i think that the new skateboard park is going to be great! im glad it'll be open soon[:o)]
Reply ID 6799
so does that mean that anyone that goes near the skatepark will be abused as well?
Reply ID 6806
I don't think we should be equating hoodies with skateboarders. The feral youths that hang around the town have no aspirations whereas skateboarders actually have the intelligence to organise themselves into a pressure group!
Reply ID 6811
But it may give the one's that hang about on the streets some sort of focus - sorry to the Parents that I now going to have to go out and buy Skateboards. [^] Though I suppose in the hands of the wrong person Skateboards could pose as a bit of an offensive weapon [;)]
Reply ID 6842
So can a pen/keyboard!!
Reply ID 6844
It was a joke. [:)] As we are well aware people pose as offensive weapons in their own right. Do you carry a Keyboard around with you [?] or just use it verbally [?]
Reply ID 6850
Anyways...........regarding the skateboard park? Where will it be in Hartham Common? And have the potential users been consulted?
Reply ID 6854
It was discussed at some length at April's Community Voice meeting at Castle Hall - many of those lobbying for the skatepark were present. There's a PDF document detailing the meeting at:- http://www.eastherts.gov.uk/democratic_services/committees/Community_Voice.htm
Reply ID 6857
quote:Ha, so was mine.[:D] I have a laptop, so yes! Is that a keyboard in your pocket or are you just please to see me!!!
Originally posted by Tigger
It was a joke. [:)] As we are well aware people pose as offensive weapons in their own right. Do you carry a Keyboard around with you [?] or just use it verbally [?]
Reply ID 7003
Helloooo... I'm new to Hertford.net .... I've kinda emmigrated from Ware Online. I still go there, but here to broaden my horizons or whatever. Summink like that. Anyways, staying back on topic (before the triggerhappy Admin delete this post, lol).... I have recently bought some skates and found it... well.... kinda more difficult than I had anticipated. Seeing as there is no official skate park around, can anyone recommend a smooth flat surface that's preferably not hard concrete that I could practice on ? I'm thinking something along the lines of that padded stuff you get at some public playgrounds or on some tennis courts. Why did buy skates ?! *sigh*.
Reply ID 7006
You might want to have a bit more respect for your host. After all, without him you wouldn't have the opportunity to express yourself here. Not a good start Monkee.
Reply ID 7007
A Skatepark would be a fantastic idea, and something which our young people (or in some cases not so young) can use, hopefully free. A side issue is youngsters and their parents are not made of money and a free resource such as this would be used and hopefully take some off the street corners. Should then be easier to deal with the hard core anti-social yobs.
Reply ID 7008
Money could be the issue to the powers that be but then they seem to find plenty to squander it on. The H & S issue is the big one - need first aiders and all tha c**p. They would land on a specialist surface with a proper skate park - not in front of a car in Parliment square - so where is the problem it's safer to have a Skatepark than them use the roads running people down and indeed endangering themselves[V] Plus there are the parking problems - Skateboard left unattended in town - Traffic Patrol, Ticket - do the Parents have to pay the fine [}:)]
Reply ID 7960
You may be interested in this: [url]http://www.herts-essex-news.co.uk/news/mercury/hertfordshire_mercury/2005/06/24/delight%20as%20skate%20park%20gets%20thumbs-up%20at%20last.lpf[/url]
Reply ID 7979
That is good news[8D] - although the insurance costs seem very high.[:(] Presumably this is to cover the council against skateboarders claiming damages when they fall off.
Reply ID 7995
About time.. but great news :-)
Reply ID 7998
Please tell me the right people have been consulted on the design so it will deliver what is required.
Reply ID 8000
Wasn't it the local skatepark group that drew up the plans in the first place? (on display outside Marshalls bike shop I believe).
Reply ID 8008
Well the Skatepark has finally been given the green light according to our lovely Newspaper! Please now build the ruddy thing!!! [:D] I won't be using it now though.. I am too old and by skateboard is not quite as trendy as its needs to be.. the ball bearings have gone!!!
Reply ID 8009
Having walked through Hartham Saturday lunchtime, smelling the heady aroma of Ganja and having to yell at a 16 year old on his hair dryer, who flew past me and Josh in the pushchair, I thought are they going to supervise this place? Its obvious that the kids need something like this, but without correct Policing, it could end up being disastrous
Reply ID 8012
Victor, it sounds to me that you could do the perfect policing job - if they can spend a Kings Ransom on private parking wardens (see forum passim) they could surely make you an offer that you couldn’t refuse...... CP
Reply ID 8016
Policing it will never happen.. And Victor.. poor Rachel, she seems to be paying for everything.. I think the girl needs a break and if she really is feeling flush, an annual salary is needed by myself after I get redundancy at the end of July again.. [:D] just a thought!!!
Reply ID 8023
Maybe we should make them pay for using the Skate Park and even Tax them for being teanagers...come on people cut some slack
Reply ID 8024
What let them run riot, smoke ganja, ride their hair driers at break neck speeds around Hartham. No one has said they should not have the skate park, but if the little ******** had been any closer he would have hit my son on the pavement in his pushchair. Do you think that is acceptable?
Reply ID 8026
I dont think its acceptable at all Victor i would have thought that would go without saying... But as in a lot of things it's allways a small minority that are a problem and we should try not to paint them all with the same brush.
Reply ID 8028
Agreed, but it only takes one or two to start a gang, then before you know it, all the decent kids will not want to/be allowed to use it. But I know from exeperience (walking to the Barge)that there are a normally a couple of undesirables hanging around by the re-cycle bins and more than often, you can smell ganja (well I am told thats what it is!) Perhaps Police is too stronger word to use, would supervise be better?
Reply ID 8031
I think we're all "running before we can walk" on this issue. I for one think get the thing built, let the kids let of steam. Victor were you never a teenager? I did stupid things, I nearly walked on my homemade stilts over someone's terrier dog in Bengeo!! wooopss! It was an accident I apologised for trying to nearly make him a kebab.. but hey, lets see how it goes. There's good teenagers as well as those with ASBO tendencies. But its a good thing in my book to get them out of the roads I drive on and off road and out from under wheels.. any wheels, prams, cars or buses....[:)]
Reply ID 8032
So you think that its ok for someone to ride their moped at circa 30 miles an hour around the bend in to Hartham Car park?????? What would have happend if I have not been on the pavement and had been crossing the road?????? If you had a 14/15 year old son, wouyld you want him hanging around people smoking drugs? Yes I was a kid and yes I also did do some stupid things, but nearly walking on homemade stilts over someone's terrier dog in Bengeo, is nothing like nearly mowing a baby in a pushchair down, would you not agree?
Reply ID 8037
No I don't think its a good idea at all. But I do think the thread of this forum was the Skateboard park, NOT a rant about mindless morons.. You need to start another thread if that's what you want to discuss. I think most people think the skatepark is a good idea.. Not a good idea for a moped moron to run you down.. but that wasnt' what we were discussing was it?
Reply ID 8039
Ah ha, but the moped muppet was on the way to join up with Sk8ter boy by the re-cycle bins smokin de erb! Thats how I linked it.
Reply ID 8045
Did you get out of bed the wrong side this morning Vic? Most of your posts today have been somewhat ill-tempered.
Reply ID 8046
Although a little off topic, I jumped out of the right side of bed this morning, somewhat like a sping lamb and I am still in a fabulous mood. What did put me in to a mini rage earlier, was being reminded about the idiot on the moped, by this thread. Now please, pray continue!
Reply ID 8055
quote:Calm down Victor, its only a thread. And to be honest have masses of sympathy with you on the (hopeful minority ) of toe-rags that abuse the freedom that they need to realise they have responsibility for... CP
Originally posted by Victor Meldrew
Although a little off topic, I jumped out of the right side of bed this morning, somewhat like a sping lamb and I am still in a fabulous mood. What did put me in to a mini rage earlier, was being reminded about the idiot on the moped, by this thread. Now please, pray continue!
Reply ID 8076
Victor, my views almost always seem in line with yours, however we will differ slightly on this one... We/I complain about kids getting up to no good, I post a topic to find ideas on what they could be doing instead, not one of those ideas would suit the average teenager. Clearly a skatepark will suit a lot of them and it will become aplace for them all to gather, at worse this will mean that all the drug smoking/swearing/graffiti will now happen in just one place rather than through the town ( on that note I remember reading something about how giving a wall/object over to be used for grafitti is a good way to prevent unauthorised grafitti) Or the best that could happen - all the teenagers in hertford take up skateboarding forget about drugs as they are too busy learning new moves and improving fitness thus leaving Hertford with the lowest percentage of overweight kids in the country! In terms of the ****** that nearly ran you down, you will always have the small elemant of *******s they could be on hairdryers aged 16 or in cars aged 60. If you are on the receiving end there is often little you can do, it is irritating to the extreme and sometimes dam scary. Just the other saturday night driving home through Hertford a stupid girl pulled out in front of me, as I gave a beep to allert her to the crash she had nearly caused the contents of her car began swearing at me! Now I know I didnt deserve to almost be crashed into and then have that very person swearing at me! One more thing - numberplates try and write it down - even if the police dont do anything i'm sure as a community we can do something on persistant offenders?
Reply ID 8079
All fair comments Mike, but the majority of decent parents stop their children going to the skate park if if becomes over run by undesirables. My point is, how do you prevent this??? I have said all along that I thought it is a good idea, but as Kevin Costner once said "if you build it they will come"
Reply ID 8093
What do you suggest then, Victor? We can't shy off providing stuff for the vast majority of well-behaved kids just because we're scared about the minority of badly-behaved ones. And it really is a minority - I can't say that I've ever had problems with the kids hanging around on the common, whether they be on foot, mopeds, scooters, skateboards or smoking weed. It's unfair to categorise gangs of youths as automatically "up to no good" - the vast majority are just hanging out with their mates (just as we all do from time to time, it's just that they have no pub to do it in.)
Reply ID 8095
Joby, I'm with you. The skateboarders that hang out at Hartham have never been any bother to me - in fact, they have on occasion been quite helpful. They deserve a skatepark of their own just for tolerating the crap they get from people who assume that because they are teenagers, some of whom have long hair, and enjoy skateboarding, they must be up to no good. If they were not good people they would have started living up to their unfair reputation by now. As anyone who has ever tried skateboarding knows, it is an art and a great excercise in agility.
Reply ID 8096
One of the lads who skateboards and goes to Hartham Common is a neighbour and a really nice lad.
Reply ID 8097
Victor my impression is that skateboarders tend to be older teenagers who shouldn't need supervision. Perhaps i'm wrong on this one? If the child/youth in question is not old enough to go unsupervised then surely the parent/s would be there and therefore supervising. So either they are old enough to not need supervision or there will be supervision? Lets face it if it does go wrong it'll just get removed!
Reply ID 8102
I can't imagine any skateboarder going along with adult supervision. Serious credibility issues.
Reply ID 8235
Have had a brain wave..... Web cam we can watch what they're up to while posting on here! Directing Police/Parents as and when needed!!! All agreed say I!
Reply ID 8242
CCTV would be a good idea. Who do we tell?
Reply ID 8256
CCTV...you may be asking er way too much there Victor!
Reply ID 8269
There is a CCTV camera being installed in the nearby carpark which would probably cover the skatepark.
Reply ID 8272
Ok i'll shut up then!
Reply ID 8275
So will I now!!!!!!! ;)
Reply ID 8276
[8D]
Reply ID 8287
If they had a web cam instead the parents could check to see what their children were up from their own pc's.
Reply ID 8314
I agree with most people on this thread, the more teenagers had to do, the fewer problems there would be, and the happier everyone would be. I am pleased they are opening a skateboard park. Some people on their skate boards are really impressive and is definitely healthy. That is another thing we read about, teenagers not getting enough exercise.
Reply ID 8519
I'm sorry, I totally disagree. Since when did a skateboard park teach people respect?