Help us save the local spot! - UK

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

https://chng.it/b4G9B6jrFY

Hi everyone,

Our local spot UG has recently been fenced off and the lights turned off for 'anti-social behaviour', even though people have been skating there for over 30 years.

The fact its got lights all night and stays dry during the winter in the UK means that it really is one of the best and only places to go skate around here from October - April.  Due to those two points, it also attracts its share of lurkers and bored teenagers that end up causing the anti-social behaviour mentioned above.

I started a petition to show the support we have from the comunity on reopening the space. The petition page has our goals, updates, and a timeline of history of skating in the area (We used to have Lance Mountain and Neil Blender skate vert across the road!).

Please can you sign (and potentially share) so we can get more attention on it! The UG is a solid part of the scene and a shame to see locked up.

Link here: https://chng.it/b4G9B6jrFY

Also my insta, where the story highlight shows the support: https://www.instagram.com/switchbigspinflipboneless/

Shout to French, Chas, Gorm and Dan on helping me with the history and all this so far!

Couple pics attached and a clip of a recent skate jam we did there here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ch-phosAZGL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Cheers everybody! #UnlockUG

JP

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

Wouldn't let me add to OG post, couple pics of UG below

https://fboromassive.tripod.com/crew/metal/metal_crook5-0orsmith.jpg

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/beed0c3d1b824a86988043ea1f298107

[Steely Daniel]

Bumping up to first page. Hope you get your spot back. I most definitely signed it.

[devils acrobat]

Signed, hope you will get enough support

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

Cheers both!

I've set up a meeting with the local police tomorrow morning, looking to see what the main issues with the space are and ways to solve them. They've always been fine with us skating there so hoping for some support their side.

Got a stock reply from the council saying my comments had been noted, going to have to push further with them to get an actual response

[xrossings]

Just signed hope your meeting tomorrow goes well and you can get the spot back soon

[djoekr]

Signed. Hate when people who don't skate ruin good spots. I'm always the one who has to sweep all the cigarette butts and empty cans at the parking lot I skate because people can't be bothered to walk to the trashcan. Hope to get a positive update, good luck!

[pedro_mayn]

All signed - it's a nightmare when the local youf and general idiots can't just take shit back with them and leave a mess or just fuck up the place by being scrouts.

I've set up a meeting with the local police tomorrow morning, looking to see what the main issues with the space are and ways to solve them. They've always been fine with us skating there so hoping for some support their side.

Hopefully this might help your cause with it, should help with the understanding of why it wants to be kept open and that they can see it's being somewhat regulated, I guess!

[Orangepulp1000]

Signed mate. Hopefully you and the local council can come to an agreement and the locals stop fuckin about

[Pipe Dreamer]

Signed. Quick question I lived in Farnborough for a few months back in 99/00, are there still 3 granite benches at the top of the high street which were near 3 steps and were undercover?

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the support

Signed. Quick question I lived in Farnborough for a few months back in 99/00, are there still 3 granite benches at the top of the high street which were near 3 steps and were undercover?

Yep they're still there, all edges super rounded though and they're no longer under cover

[Skatebeard]

Signed, I'd kill for a spot like that down in Cambridgeshire.

[Throwaway1]

I’m not gonna dox anyone but one of the older locals that grew up there is a policeman no?
Can’t he have a bit of a chat with the local police station and help out?

[IpathCats]

I’m not gonna dox anyone but one of the older locals that grew up there is a policeman no?
Can’t he have a bit of a chat with the local police station and help out?

Would definitely leverage this if so. Would also suggest befriending any big dudes that go there regularly and try to get them to REGULATE a bit. My local is next to a bad neighborhood, my friends and I have had to do a bit of that. It actually turned into a great relationship with the parks and rec dept and now we have a volunteer/advocacy group that came from it. A little self governance and communication can go a long way with officials. If you can speak nicely and show that you're taking care of business, they will be more inclined to listen/help. Kind of bullshit because that responsibility shouldn't have to fall on regular people, but that's the world we live in.

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

I’m not gonna dox anyone but one of the older locals that grew up there is a policeman no?
Can’t he have a bit of a chat with the local police station and help out?

Not sure mate, the day to day local scene here is pretty young these days. Don't get a lot of older locals down that often, so wouldn't be too sure about who's now what etc. I'll mention it for sure tomorrow though

Would definitely leverage this if so. Would also suggest befriending any big dudes that go there regularly and try to get them to REGULATE a bit.

The frustrating thing is that there is nothing really to REGULATE. When the skaters are there, there's lurkers and other kids around but never anything actually substantial going on, maybe some littering and being loud at most. Sometimes people smoking weed.

 Its when nobody is around at 2am, somebody will dump a burnt moped there or kick in a machine, which could and does happen loads of other places in the area. But nobody fences off the local playground when it happens there.

[IpathCats]

Expand Quote

I’m not gonna dox anyone but one of the older locals that grew up there is a policeman no?
Can’t he have a bit of a chat with the local police station and help out?

[close]

Not sure mate, the day to day local scene here is pretty young these days. Don't get a lot of older locals down that often, so wouldn't be too sure about who's now what etc. I'll mention it for sure tomorrow though

Expand Quote

Would definitely leverage this if so. Would also suggest befriending any big dudes that go there regularly and try to get them to REGULATE a bit.

[close]

The frustrating thing is that there is nothing really to REGULATE. When the skaters are there, there's lurkers and other kids around but never anything actually substantial going on, maybe some littering and being loud at most. Sometimes people smoking weed.

 Its when nobody is around at 2am, somebody will dump a burnt moped there or kick in a machine, which could and does happen loads of other places in the area. But nobody fences off the local playground when it happens there.

yea, skateparks will def get targeted quicker than playgrounds. that sucks man, sounds like a shitty situation. All i can say is that if you can demonstrate to the people in charge that you care and are trying to do the right thing, it could nudge them to help you out a bit more. which sucks, but its the game you gotta play. at least thats how things work in my area.

[Ride it to dust]

Signed, good luck mate, hope you claim the spot back. Had a brief similar experience and it was gutting

[sacking rails]

hopefully everything works out hate to see street spots go.. also punch that guy who was waxing the top of the manual pad for me please

[Billy Bitchcakes]

Signed but I just needed to say I fucking hate change.org. Hope you can get your spot back.

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

Thanks everybody! Will have an update tomorrow I'll probably post about again. Walked home past the spot in the dark and it's so miserable, just full of lurkers in the shadows

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

Hi all, would like to give an update that we were successful in reopening the space!

Thank you for any support given, a full update can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/reopen-pinehurst-roundabout-carpark-ug-for-public-use/u/31005226?recruiter=48938105&utm_source=share_update&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive&recruited_by_id=49392080-9302-0130-f3c5-3c764e049b13

[Steely Daniel]

Great news. Congrats on getting your undercover spot back!

Is there a garbage can at the spot? I only ask because it's an abandoned parking garage right? And litter was one of the issues. A strategically placed can or bin if you will could do wonders assuming 3/4 of the patrons of this spot aren't total assholes.

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

Thanks man!

So there was a bin right in the middle that got smashed to bits. We just got it replaced with an 'indestructible' one, so we'll see how that holds up.

The council also pointed out there are 3 bins on the outside walls of the spot.  I didn't even remember they're there because we're always on the inside, but now that's been pointed out they should get some more use!

[xrossings]

fuck yeah glad you were able to get your spot back

[devils acrobat]

So nice, just received the info via the petition too. Happy for you, sometimes it really does "only" need a person with energy to change things.

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

Cheers both! Yeah sometimes the community needs a push, happy to be the one to organise it tbh.

This week we're going to start rub bricking and bondo'ing the curbs to get them perfect. Hopefully get some bigger cracks filled out as well, so we can open up another curb that used to be skated

[Pipe Dreamer]

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the support

Expand Quote

Signed. Quick question I lived in Farnborough for a few months back in 99/00, are there still 3 granite benches at the top of the high street which were near 3 steps and were undercover?

[close]

Yep they're still there, all edges super rounded though and they're no longer under cover

Sick news about saving the spot, glad the petition helped/worked mate. I used to live in Church Road West and skate that carpark in winter with skaters from Farnborough, Aldershot, Guildford etc good times Curbs, Manny pads and Wallies on the pillars.  I also used to attend the car boot sale there on Sundays,  I bagged a SNES with joy pads  and 2 games for a fiver there once  I was stoked ha ha.