Dovedale Dash

THE  Peak District is the venue for the popular cross-country race, the Dovedale Dash.

Now in its 56th year, the event covers a four-and-three-quarter-mile course over field and dale, on rough paths and tracks. It features a crossing of the River Dove at the Stepping Stones beauty spot.

This year’s race take place on Sunday November 6 at 11am. Last year over 1,500 runners of all ages and capabilities competed.

There are trophies for winners in the open class, under-18s, under-14s, over-60s, women and locals.

This year, there will also be a separate race for under-10s, starting at 10am.

Entry is £5 on the day only, starting from 9am, and there is no charge for parking.

Full details are available at www.dovedaledash.co.uk, or contact the  organisers on 01335 350 410 or 01335 350 239

And the good news – the toilets will still be open so there will be no Paula Radcliffe moments!

Future of Dovedale toilets – public meeting November 1

Residents, visitors and organisations are invited to have their say on the future of the public toilets in Dovedale at a public meeting.

The Peak District National Park Authority is holding the meeting at Thorpe Village Hall on Tuesday November 1, from 5pm to 6pm.

The Authority’s chief executive Jim Dixon, director of operations Richard Campen and head of property Keith Jennings will be there to hear people’s suggestions for alternative ways to maintain the public toilets.

The toilets at the iconic beauty spot are owned by the Authority and cost more than £17,000 a year to run and there are no income generators for the Peak Park to offset the cost. In the light of the budget cuts this seems a reasonable position to take.

However, Dovedale and the surrounding land belongs to the National Trust and the car park is privately owned and at £2.50 per car perhaps the responsibility should pass to someone with a big snout in the trough.

Dovedale Loos at Risk

Ideas are being sought to help avoid the closure of public toilets at a Peak District beauty spot visited by about a million people each year.

The Peak District National Park Authority, which faces budget cuts of £1.7m by 2015, said the toilets at Dovedale cost more than £17,000 a year.

It wants to hear suggestions from local people and organisations by the end of October.

The toilets are likely to shut in March 2012 if a solution is not found.

They are situated within Dovedale‘s car park, which is privately owned, with the surrounding land belonging to the National Trust.

Elsewhere the park authority own other facilities nearby, such as car parks or snack kiosks which help support the associated toilets, but in Dovedale this is not the case.

Residents of the nearby village of Thorpe, which many visitors pass through on their way to Dovedale, have raised concerns that the closure could increase the numbers using their public toilets.

The answer to me is straight forward. The owner of the car park who collects £00000000000?s a year should provide the toilets as a matter of courtesy. Problem solved.

Ashbourne Slogan result gets closer

Like a long running series of the X Factor the contest to find a new slogan for Ashbourne is now down to the last two.

You must be on the edge of your seats just waiting for the result. Will it be Pride of the Peak – or Gateway to Dovedale?

100 people bothered to suggest a new slogan and mine were ignored.

Following consultation with anyone that could stay awake long enough and through a string of meetings, the Ashbourne Partnership has shortlisted two possible slogans for the new signage, which is due to be installed at key points around the town.

Now the Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne must decide to either stay with what we've got in Gateway to Dovedale or adopt Pride of the Peak. Which is surely against the Trades Descriptions Act, since Ashbourne is not in the Peak District.

Just like the X Factor - a complete and utter waste of time and money.

Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-04 13:15:50

Ashbourne slogan shortlist

You may remember some time ago that the Ashbourne Partnership were wanting to change the current Ashbourne slogan of Gateway to Dovedale.

Partnership manager Andrea Cross said: "We decided to invite residents and businesses to think of a possible replacement for ‘Gateway to Dovedale’ because a number of people felt it didn’t reflect what Ashbourne really is about.

"Many people thought it almost implied we didn’t have much to offer in the place itself.

"It’s very important if we’re to have a slogan that it’s one which residents and local business can ‘own’ and relate to. But it’s also vital it conveys a meaning to potential visitors too.

"We can use the slogan in many ways. For example, on town welcome signs, on visitor information leaflets, on websites, on promotional material and so on."

The shortlist is as follows:-
Georgian Ashbourne
Pride of the Peak
Town of tradition
Historic market town
Historic home of Royal Shrovetide football
Gateway to Dovedale (existing slogan)

To help pay for the new signage, an offer has also been thrown open to Ashbourne businesses that might be interested in a sponsorship deal.

Here are some new suggestions based on potential sponsors.

Bargain Booze- Ashbourne for alcoholics
Homebase- DIY Capital of the Peak
MacDonalds- Big MacAshbourne
Pipsqueakmedia- Ashbourne in the middle of nowhere on the way to everywhere
John Fell Opticians- Ashbourne Blink and you miss it

Gateway to Dovedale doesn't sound to bad now, does it.

Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-13 06:03:34