Bradford gets a bowl after 35 years?

[TimWalker]

After campaigning back in '77 and getting nowhere...it seems Bradford may finally be getting a bowl in a skatepark.
Anyone know anything about it.....Mr Clarkson? Its Acrete....small but looking curvy down one end...

where where where ?????????

^ what he said ^

Momentarily excited - then realised it's not Bradford-on-Avon

Chuffed for those up north though, obviously

bet your bradford is much nicer than ours

[Woody]

Phil no longer works at Acrete .. but some of the lads have been hitting Blackpool on a Tuesday night while working there ?

WHERE !!

bet your bradford is much nicer than ours

If you like twee tea rooms and genteel tranquility is your thing then it probably is.

B-o-A's most famous band is Jesus Jones, I'm sure you can do better than that?

[TimWalker]

bet your bradford is much nicer than ours

If you like twee tea rooms and genteel tranquility is your thing then it probably is.

B-o-A's most famous band is Jesus Jones, I'm sure you can do better than that?

Smokie.

[TimWalker]

WHERE !!

West Park Rd...off Thornton Rd, Girlington.

is it done yet tim ?

Just had a look this morning. Not finished yet & its hard to tell how far off without knowing the layout. On the plus side the area was quiet to say its school holidays & parking the car was no probs

bet your bradford is much nicer than ours

If you like twee tea rooms and genteel tranquility is your thing then it probably is.

B-o-A's most famous band is Jesus Jones, I'm sure you can do better than that?

Smokie.

B-o-A is the home of isoelastic suspension and the Moulton bicycle

a bit more info and a glimpse of a plan here:
http://whetley.primaryblogger.co.uk/vid ... newsflash/

Any update on this?

[TimWalker]

They were getting the crete in the bowl last week...took some pics, will post.
Will try get another look maybe friday.

[TimWalker]

[TimWalker]

Thats over a week ago...will try get another peek in the next couple of days.

[TimWalker]

Its finished! Bowl looks ace...quite dinky but 4-5-6ft sections and dead carvy.
Will get some pics on later today.

I'm totally stoked!

[TimWalker]

[Carl Arnfield]

carve-tastic

That's just about a snake run!

Lovely. Loosen up those trucks

Is this park in one of those lovely ferral youth filled area's again?

Looks A'reet that there skatin park, must be an inaugural MAS meet there sometime (when the fookin rain stops) soon!!

is it open ? might take a trip over the hill

[TimWalker]

Not officially open but they let me skate it today.
Still landscaping etc.

Skated this today.

All I can say is Oh Dear!

Why can't someone just build a decent fucking half pipe?

Skated this today.

All I can say is Oh Dear!

Why can't someone just build a decent fucking half pipe?

Not worth travelling for then?

In a word, no. I shan't bother going again.

Although Leeds to Bradford isn't much of a stretch and you might want to try it
just to tick it off your list of parks visited.

It's another example of a park where, for the same money, they could have had something not quite so ambitious in design but infinitely more rideable. Instead I think they've just wasted money which I fear is the way of many a project of this ilk, Morley being another example.

Why can't someone just build a decent fucking half pipe?

No such thing, personally I'd rather have an "interesting" bowl than yet another cookie cutter half pipe.
This park definitely looks "interesting"

anyone know what the budget was?

is the issue a simple fact that at 4-5 feet deep (kind of the norm for free access parks where they can't enforce helmets) you can't get the real feeling of riding a bowl / pool? or is it just the half baked snake run type entry. Not trying to dis this, just very interested in why some parks/ bowls are seen to be good against a waste of money. For example the cloverleaf bowl at Halton provides lots of ways to ride, although I've only seen one skater really pump it round from hip to coping on each bowl, kids can drop in and out on bikes / scooters, the better ones can use the spline into the next area, I tend to ride it like a 1/2 pipe with a carve on the downhill end - but i'm still rusty, it is quite different to say the classic pool at Ramp City...

is the issue a simple fact that at 4-5 feet deep (kind of the norm for free access parks where they can't enforce helmets) you can't get the real feeling of riding a bowl / pool?

No, I don't think it's that at all. Take a look at Micklefield as an example of something that's really usable. You can have hours of fun riding the shallow bowl (3' deep?), a mini ramp style half pipe thing. You can then gravitate towards the larger half pipe/bowl lower down (5'?). It doesn't have to be extreme to be enjoyable. Micklefield actually provides an interesting example because people tend not to bother working the larger bowl (6'?) because it's proportions are not symmetrical.

That's the clue to the problem with the Bradford bowl; in a word - Asymmetry. No two walls are alike. The transitions are all different and couple that with the fact that it's quite small and generally too tight makes it a poor experience in my humble (but accurate) opinion. I get the impression that the designer was at a kids party and a saw a funky jelly mould and thought that would make a great skate park without thinking about how people might actually use it. When you ride it, it's a bit like a spirograph kind of experience, no matter what line you take you go round and round and end up working the same single line.

What makes Micklefield work is that it has generous lengths of equal height opposing walls with the same transitions at each side. Simple but effective.

Either it's that or else I'm just an overweight 50 something with no skill or imagination

a bit more info and a glimpse of a plan here:
http://whetley.primaryblogger.co.uk/vid ... newsflash/

Ha! just looked at this. It confirms that the cost was £120k

Also, is a very perceptive question from Umne in class 4N - "Can you build a Halfpipe? " They should have listened, this kid clearly knows the score

£120k for one bowl and a small freestyle area WTF - even by their own reckoning its 12 weeks 4-6 men on the job someone's taking everyone for a ride here, especially as you say it's not even very good..

One thing I would say, the surface there was excellent, very smooth and just as good as that of XC or Huyton etc, and much better then the standard of what was being produced even 5-6 years ago.
I think after Saffron Walden was built, uk park builders raised their games substantially and are now consistantly producing finishes equal to that of Saffron and often exceeding it.
A good sign I think.

[TimWalker]

I really like it. Small but different and really nicely finished. Got lots of different lines in the first 20 mins and lots more to go at.
Small enough to learn new stuff on and just big enough to get a bit scared.

Bang on for a dinky park I reckon.

[TimWalker]

So sod you moaning old ladies....I'll have it to myself...

[TimWalker]

That's the clue to the problem with the Bradford bowl; in a word - Asymmetry. No two walls are alike. The transitions are all different and couple that with the fact that it's quite small and generally too tight makes it a poor experience in my humble (but accurate) opinion. I get the impression that the designer was at a kids party and a saw a funky jelly mould and thought that would make a great skate park without thinking about how people might actually use it. When you ride it, it's a bit like a spirograph kind of experience, no matter what line you take you go round and round and end up working the same single line.

What makes Micklefield work is that it has generous lengths of equal height opposing walls with the same transitions at each side. Simple but effective.

Either it's that or else I'm just an overweight 50 something with no skill or imagination

Totally disagree...which proves nowt, other than 'One man's meat etc'.
I like Mickey but the 3' part is way too mellow to get speed or even rock on the coping. The rest is fairly standard and not that exciting.

The Bradford bowl gave me lots of weird carve and trick options and is better finished.
I also like the bowl in Rotherham...it's just one thing but has lots of potential variety.

Too small & tight? Did you ever skate the cat tray of doom? That was tiny yet awesome hours of fun.

Horses for courses really.

Too small & tight? Did you ever skate the cat tray of doom? That was tiny yet awesome hours of fun.

Horses for courses really.

No, the cat tray thing must've bypassed me.

You're right about horses for course though. I think my lack of skill and imagination definitely influences what I think is workable. Glad you like Bradford, at least it will get used then. I'd hate to see £120k get wasted.

[TimWalker]

Well I don't think I'd travel many miles very often to skate it cos it is small, limited and lacks variety, but if something's well made then terms like 'shit' and 'waste of money' are a bit insulting to the designers and builders. I've seen really well put together street style parks that I'm not interested in but wouldn't have them down as a waste...just not my kinda thing.
Girlington is NOTHING like Garforth bowl, which is shit by any standards, poor design, craply built and badly finished.

I do agree with you on flow parks though, great if you have them to yourselves but carnage with more than 3 people around. Separate defined sections still get my vote for more folk getting more (safer) runs.

I'm sure its really tricky with the constraints of budgets, council demands and the needs and ideas of locals with limited experience and knowledge all badgering the designers for a piece of the action and unless you can build 8 or 9 different sections to suit different tastes, how do you spend the dosh?

Saltaire has a really small park too. Nicely built...(almost) symmetrical mini with a bit of a twist, which I also really like, but again, due to size, it's a one-trick pony and if bowls are your thing then you'd hate it.

It can't be easy

Sessioned the bowl with Tim yesterday and loved it .
So may lines and build quality is awesome.
Admittedly the bowl is quirky but surely that's a good thing ?
Theres too much grumbling' goin on here;
I skated thru the 'dark days' of the early 80's when you would travel all day to get to some sketchy ramp but you'd session it to death!
So now we have new bowls and parks appearing on a monthly basis and the majority are free to skate FFS !
Some folks are never happy
Do we really need another 'sterile' mini-ramp ?????????
This place is FUN - remember that ?? Isn't that why we skate ?
Suddenly everyone's a fookin critic and an expert
Loosen yer trucks, adapt and enjoy!

Rant over ..........

[TimWalker]

Yeah its totally carve-tastic...I feel like I've been run over by a bus today tho.

Locals were friendly too...Asian kids saying ollies are shit, then doing bonelesses!

OSJ ............... Amen to that brother!!! People really are gettin spoilt for choice these days, some of the so called good skateparks BITD were actually very poorly constructed, but they also made for some of the best skate sessions. Seen the place, but not skated it YET. Will endeavour to get over at some point, when the kids go back AND we get some sun!

OSJ ............... Amen to that brother!!! People really are gettin spoilt for choice these days, some of the so called good skateparks BITD were actually very poorly constructed, but they also made for some of the best skate sessions. Seen the place, but not skated it YET. Will endeavour to get over at some point, when the kids go back AND we get some sun!

Cheers fo that

So whose up for another sessio tomorrow then ?

Dad ? Oops, sorry I meant Tim ??

[TimWalker]

Was gonna text you late morning...just as it started to rain...


Son.

[TimWalker]

Here is the shit waste of money....yes I am trying to prove a point, but in a nice way cos I think Acrete did a great job.



Me & Tony were both a bit subdued after 12 hour working days/nights all week, but you'll get the idea.

FUN, FUN n more FUN, prob won't get over there that often, but I have to say that IMO it ain't a waste of money. Yeah there are probably things that could have been done differently, street area bigger, platforms in certain places wider etc etc, but if you make the effort to try lines you wouldn't normally look at (it makes you do that) you WILL NOT fail to have a blast.
Thoroughly enjoyed the morning with Tim, the odd local clapping n complimenting was appreciated too.
Would recommend a visit for sure!!!
P.S. decent bit of video too Tim

looks great, fuck the halfpipes...can't wait until kids go back to school!

T

That looks OK to me after all the slagging off it got. Hope to try it some time.

Yup, looks good. Nice video chaps.

[TimWalker]

...and today...

Aha, yet more evidence that the bowl is a shite





Quote of the day 'like F**CK it is!!' - Stu - (Clothtoucher) 12/8/2012

Who's the gypo with the hair extensions?

I did me a visit on Saturday.
Found it small for mi 6’2” body, felt like I had to throw myself around in there to get round the curves. Too many different transitions for this cronk but that’s me I canna apologise for wanting to stay in mi comfort zone.

Loved the large coping I think they used a CHS section rather than standard scaffold tube. As said elsewhere excellent surface finish but thought there was quite a few twitchy hollows in tranny walls but suppose you would suss them out with time.

Some of the concrete joints seemed to be pissing water through and there was quite a bit of ground water and mud about on the flat areas despite no rain for a few days. Maybe still drying out?

So to sum up for me. It was better than I imagined... Would I go back? Yeah I probably would. If it’d been double the scale I think it probably would be an thing that had come to pass.

I think the cock and balls have made an appearance too!

I was asking some of the kids about any local skaters etc they just shrugged their shoulders and said “Dunno”. So why there?

Tim, your thoughts?

[TimWalker]

I did me a visit on Saturday.
Found it small for mi 6’2” body, felt like I had to throw myself around in there to get round the curves. Too many different transitions for this cronk but that’s me I canna apologise for wanting to stay in mi comfort zone.

Loved the large coping I think they used a CHS section rather than standard scaffold tube. As said elsewhere excellent surface finish but thought there was quite a few twitchy hollows in tranny walls but suppose you would suss them out with time.

Some of the concrete joints seemed to be pissing water through and there was quite a bit of ground water and mud about on the flat areas despite no rain for a few days. Maybe still drying out?

So to sum up for me. It was better than I imagined... Would I go back? Yeah I probably would. If it’d been double the scale I think it probably would be an thing that had come to pass.

I think the cock and balls have made an appearance too!

I was asking some of the kids about any local skaters etc they just shrugged their shoulders and said “Dunno”. So why there?

Tim, your thoughts?

There are a few joints that look wet but are just discoloured. There's only one weird kink that I noticed at the bottom of the whippy corner.
For me the rest of it is nigh on immaculate.
The flat in the street area does have a puddle issue...but the place is still drying out...it was a complete bog 2 weeks ago and it aint been very sunny!

If it was bigger it probably would suit more skaters...you have to be fairly bendy to get round it...can't wait to see Felix skate it
The size is due to budget I guess...I've said before I'm no expert on what you get for the dosh these days.
The lack of variety (ie: miniramp) is the same reason I guess, but there are miniramps all over Bradford so to me this is bang on for a small park and its VERY skateboard and not BMX/fruitboot/scooter.

I don't know why its there....Peel park is huge and just has skatelite ramps on a tennis court...I'm not sure how they work it out.
Maybe its the 'deprived area' scenario.
There were 2 asian teenagers who skated last week and they hinted they'd campaigned to get it built, but the only other locals we've seen are 9/10 yr olds just starting to skate, or pissing around on scooters...or pulling up on bikes and realising its too small.

Also I don't think we should just accept what we're given these days and not get involved, but if you're talking about tiny parks you're gonna have to accept that they cannot please everyone, so then I think it comes down to the quality of what they HAVE managed to fit in, which in this case is rather good.
I take Harry Ramsden's point about lack of a straight mini at Wakefield, cos the park's big enough to have one and has other stuff less skateable for us rank amateurs, but in the case of Girlie....I think it would have been a mistake.

Skate it a few times...it'll grow on you.

[TimWalker]

Also a couple more points.
I'm guessing the footprint of the park is also a bearing on what you're gonna get.
The council won't allow you to spill onto the football field or spoil the residents green view...even if the builders can build bigger within the budget.

Some older locals walked round saying they thought it was 'great for the kids'....also Stuu brought his kids and they seemed well suited with the little street section. (and it's loads better than Wibsey!)

[TimWalker]

Who's the gypo with the hair extensions?

Dunno...he wouldn't leave tho.

I was only thinking about Felix today. Haven't seen him since he was injured. Is ripping again now? He would definitely shred this place with his sloppy trucks an' all.

[TimWalker]

Yeah he's back on 4 wheels