Walking is back, with even more partners working together in 2011. Colchester is a great town for walking. From the edge to the centre is about 5km - less than an hour's walk, door to door.
And how long does it take by car or bus, allowing for the extra bits of time lost in jams, paying and parking time, waiting time at bus stops en route, and the final walk to the destination? I'm never that keen when the so-called "slow modes" are promoted as slow. If walking (or cycling) takes the same or a bit more than the journey time by car, maybe it's worth the investment of a little more time, looking at the health and wellbeing benefits of exercise. (Quite apart from the cost savings, congestion reduction and less carbon emmissions.)
So what are we going to do for walking in 2011? Speaking for myself, I can't wait for the "Jane's Walk" weekend, 6-8 May, when there will be many local events. It's a real coup for "Walk Colchester" to launch the first "Jane's Walk" event in the UK - we are now part of an international movement to recognise the benefits of pedestrianism.
See Walk Colchester's website http://www.walkcolchester.org.uk/ as it's a fabulous local resource, and here's the link to their "Jane's Walk" page http://www.walkcolchester.org.uk/about-walk-colchester/news?actv_news_news_id=25 .
And who are these people in the picture? It's the management team at Colchester Borough Council doing their bit for Comic Relief, making various local journeys by foot, running and by bike. It confirmed what many of us already know:
- local trips can be very quick under your own steam, and
- no matter what clothes they wear, they still look like a management team.
