The kids are happy but now is the time, right at the beginning, to get them behaving well to all ages.
I was able to talk to the few rogues there and persuade them not to ride their bikes on the grass.
There are enough sensible kids around for an adult to have a lot of influence in guiding their behaviour in a way that is sympathetic and considerate to everyone.
Ignore this scene and the yobos will take over and we're in for a lot more trouble than if we got stuck in now.
Most of the kids are arriving by bike and hence kids from all over are attracted here.
It's a great chance for older ones to have a lot of influence by simply showing an interest and even a bit of admiration for the skills that some of them have.
26 comments:
This is an activity for the whole neighbourhood.
Inactivity by the Town Council for years in providing play areas for kids has led to some kids not knowing how to behave.
This is very much a time for adult involvement to make it clear to the small minority of yobos that they cannot spoil a good thing for the rest of us.
A group of friends taking a stroll through the park later in the evening would be have a lot of benefit.
Ignore this opportunity to influence behaviour and we're all in trouble.
If we all hide and do nothing, trouble will certainly come knocking at our doors eventually with higher and higher fences being built in a futile effort to avoid it.
Having been a big fan of skateboarding, I was very disappointed with the attitude of Tom Bowden when I tried to talk to him in an empty shop this morning.
He presumably was reacting to the hassle being given him over what was happening down at the park as he refused to discuss this with me except in the most casual of manners.
He seemed to be saying :
"What happens down there is nothing to do with me"
As an adult very much involved with young people he will have a lot of influence with them.
It is unlikely that the trouble stems from those that are doing tricks on the equipment but rather than from the hangers on, however some rules must be established and upheld right at the beginning.
If these are not upheld then strong measures should be taken.
I believe that we need to bring together the whole community so that we all can enjoy ourselves.
Just cause he owns a shop and campaign for the ramp doesn't mean he should be looking over them all the time.I don't blame him tbh why should he have to make sure the kids behave??
Who's saying that he should be making kids behave all the time?
Nobody can do that other than the kids themselves.
However I was surprised by his apparent disinterest in the problem.
Maybe he was having a bad day!
Maybe mr bowden only wanted to skate ramp as it would be good for business? He will be selling loads more safety gear now the ramp is here.
I am fine with you quoting what I have said, but kindly do not quote me on what you think, or seem to think I am saying. This is unacceptable.
I agree that adult involvement is going to be a key factor in teaching our younger members of society how to behave in an acceptable way whilst using the skate facility. However 'us adults" have not yet used the ramp as it was only finished on Friday 29th May. We have been trying to set an example by not using it until it is ready. Now the facility is finished there will be greater adult presence and an improvement in behavior.
I feel that it is not correct to label young people 'yobos" as this does nothing to help but might insight them. Lets treat our youth with respect and in turn they will learn respect and act accordingly.
With regards to your visit to my shop, you rather rudely demanded my full attention as if I am somehow accountable to you. I am more then happy to talk but sometimes, when at work, my full attention is not always possible. You say "refused to discuss" the issue with you. I did not refuse, but when I questioned you rudeness you walked out of my shop.
With regard to the fences, I really have no idea if these are metaphorical or real fences, you lost me totally on that one.
One of your bloggers mentioned the reason I raised the money and campaigned for the ramp was to increase my skateboard sales. They make a good point and the ramp project has been very good marketing for the shop and undoubtedly sales will increase.
However I put several hundred hours of work into the project over 3 years, so in terms of it being a big money maker it is probably not the best business plan.
There are two other reasons why I raised the money for the skate ramp.
Firstly I am a skater and wanted somewhere in Ulverston to ride. Simple as that.
Secondly , I love Ulverston and the people that live here and I wanted to be more actively involved and give a little back . The BMXERS and skateboarders had nowhere to go in the town and their needs and requirements are just as important as everybody else's. So I figured it was a good cause and put my efforts into improving facilities for the riders of Ulverston.
Your blog states "Geoff Dellow is driven by the need to 'do' and not just 'talk". I think you will agree that is exactly what we have done at Working Class Heroes. We identified a problem and went about finding the solution. Maybe you could take some of you own advice as I am unaware of any problems you have solved, but I am aware you do like to talk about them .
I would be most grateful if you would post all of my comments made and not remove any of them. If you feel you have to edit my post then can you kindly remove it all.
Kind Regards,
Tom Bowden
Working Class Heroes.
Great to have your views Tom.
Thank you for taking the time to contribute.
"I am unaware of any problems you have solved"
Please click the label "skateboarding" for some of my activities in this area.
Fences - we all seem to build more and more "fences" to keep others at arms length or even further.
Refusing to engage in meaningful eyeball-to-eyeball conversation can be one of these problems.
I always stop talking to anyone that won't do this and in your case walked out as you refused to stop but kept switching from one activity to another.
I look forward to an explanation of your behaviour sometime when you are willing to give it.
Meanwhile I can only make guesses at what you are thinking which is indeed unsatisfactory.
I'm positive you're well intentioned Geoff, but I'm not surprised that your naive 'I want answers' approach rubs people up the wrong way. I recall there was a similar issue with Gary Robinson also thinking you were rude in the manner you approached him.
I think (or rather hope) I know what you really mean by "I look forward to an explanation of your behaviour" but it sounds like you're a headmaster talking to a naughty schoolchild rather than engaging a fellow member of the local community.
Tom is not a councillor or running for council and is not answerable to you or anyone else. I'm sure he is happy to engage with you, but save the confrontational approach for obstinate officials - most people respond badly to it.
Judging from Tom's comments I guess the conversation starter wasn't along the lines of "Hi Tom. Sorry to bother you at work, but I wondered if you could spare me a couple of minutes for a quick chat about the new skate park?"
How we put ourselves across to other people makes a world of difference to how they react. As a teacher you must know that.
That train has departed in this case, but as Tom clearly thought you were rude and your assumptions unacceptable, I would have thought an apology would be a good next step?
Thanks for your perceptive comments!
There's a lot of wisdom in what you say.
My immediate answer is "I am what I am"
Trying to be someone I'm not, will never work.
I agree my statement sounds rather headmasterish.
The problem is writing in this way rather than real two way conversation.
As far as who was rude in the shop: There is no answer.
I was very patient and waited and waited and waited for Tom to finish what he was doing - he just went on to doing something else. I then walked out.
As far as Gary Robinson, we're getting on fine and exchanges are cordial even though I believe that the drinking at the Roxy is out of control and unacceptable and he knows this.
Tom was to my mind acting like someone under pressure and he saw me as another problem whereas I went in offering help along the lines of "How are we going to tackle this?"
I do believe his project is heading for trouble and that it requires the involvement of every adult (including Tom) possible and must not be left to the residents that live next door to carry the can.
Problem: nowhere to skateboard in Ulverston.
Solution: we raised money for a skate ramp and had it built.
What have you managed to achieve?
Regards,
Tom
Mill Dam Playground ! . . . .
.
There's been a playground at mill dam for years,when i was a kid i played on it that was 30 years a go
p.s thats if mill dam is by sun street stanley street
Yes you played on it after 1984 and not before - I got it put there!
With some help from a few friends but not thanks to the Council!
1986 Put up £80,000 of my own money to set up a Community Centre by buying and converting the building that is now OXFAM at the top of the Market Square. Coffee etc, Lunches, Health Foods, Crafts, Jewellery, Dinners with Bar, Live Music three nights a week: Folk, Jazz, Classical.
Lost most of it, therefore trained as a teacher at Goldsmiths London and stayed in London to teach.
I must chip in here to support Tom. I was a member of the Ulverston Skate board action group, USBAG, and I can confirm and underline his considerable work that he undertook on our behalf to make this project happen. The skate board park may not have happened without his energy, but to think, now it's a reality that it is Toms responsibility is way off beam. We as a group simply raised the funding to have it built. SLDC are the body responsible for the park, not USBAG. So leave Tom alone. If you've got an issue bring it to the town council. And on that score about inactivity of the town council, play areas, and kids behaviour, well that's just plain stupid. Are you really saying that if kids had more play areas then the feral kids would know how to behave. I think that is so simplistic to be laughable.
You may be right that if there were always responsible adults strolling through the park that kids would behave better but we can't all spare the time to do this, maybe you can, but that's why we have community policing.
So please don't approach Tom about the skate park, bring your concerns to the Town Council or SLDC, that must be the route to take as it is now leisure facility and the responsibility Tom Bowden.
Colin,
This is a case of building up a straw man to knock down with glee!
My contact with Tom has always been supportive of his work with Skateboarding. I have been regularly checking with him that his project is going well. I was hoping to discuss the situation with him as two people working together.
I was surprised to find him so hostile. I still would like to know why.
Where do you get the idea that some people feel it's his responsibility? I haven't heard this view expressed by anyone.
Stupid, simplistic and laughable?
I have been shocked by the total lack of interest from any of the Town Councillors (except yourself) when I raised this issue some eighteen months ago (you were absent).
The recreation facilities for young people (and anyone else) are basic in the extreme.
What Richard Hannah, of Barrow skateboarding in the Parks, has found is that the feral kids (good phrase) started by causing trouble with the active responsible ones but then with seeing that these activities looked quite fun they then began to change their attitude.
The fact that skateboarders have been continuously regarded as a nuisance has put a damper on the activities of these great kids. Those on the boarder lines have joined in those that find other exciting (illegal) to do.
Whenever I've talked to these groups around town I find that, very quickly, only one or two take an aggressive stand. 80 to 90 % end up agreeing with you that their behaviour is a bit dodgy and are ready to change sides.
This was definitely true in the 'difficult' schools I taught in, in the East part of London. Given the chance to succeed all kids choose to join in and 'trouble' disappears.
Give kids challenging activities to do, then I believe that the enthusiastic ones drag in the less confident - and potentially aggressive - into joining in and having a go. Sprinkle in some enthusiastic involvement from older ages and you've got a very positive and enjoyable group of people.
Take the Lantern Making , Procession and Finale in the Park as an example. Where were the feral kids then? Had they been attracted into an alternative mode of activity?
Adults in Public Places:
1. Get off your sofas and see what is really going on in the streets around you - you never know what others you'll meet. A half hour stroll from 5 % of the population would make a world of difference. Putting some bench seats beside the skateboarders would be a start - - better than Tele!
2. We need places where all ages mix together on an evening or weekend. Lightburn Park was such a place. At present adults often go out to their allotments. How about bringing this activity alongside the skateboarding. Shock horror - but I think with patience this could work. Lets start by encourage a bit of neighbourhood involvement in cultivating a few flower beds even if they get a bit a treading in to start with!
Thank you for this allowing such a discussion on this forum Geoff. It allows me the opportunity to publicly thank Tom at Working Class Heroes for all his hours of hard work. Because of his tenacity and desire to improve towns facilities for a section of the youth, which is often overlooked, we have a wonderful skate facility.
I certainly hope he does sell a few more skateboard’s, it is a small reward for all the hours of work he has put in so far. See you all down the ramp!
Well done with mill dam all those years ago Geoff I loved it as a kid.
Thanks again Tom
Lawrence
Thanks Lawrence for ending with such a positive comment.
If you moderate this I will copy it and go public.
Control is a word that has me nervous You control your blog.
Rules we have in our law and order and we dont need more you nasty power crazy man You have recently showed your true colours Vote catch and no scruples talk to the mirror
You have lost the plot you old fuddy duddy go back to the states
So what's this all about?
Say something specific.
For instance I don't like you because . . . . .
If you can't say something that we can understand then you won't get published.
the skatepark is great tom, well done but when is your plan for a stripclub in the old woolworths building getting the green light?
I understand a top quality dance floor is being installed as we speak (read).
Looking good.
Will make one of the largest unobstructed surfaces in the UK.
A first for Ulverston.
Well done Tom.
Oh . . . You say its for skateboarding . . . .
I see a skateboarding strip club.
Wow . . . . What imagination.
Just think of what shows could be performed in an expanse that big!
Thank you for airing my blog you suprised me
You mentioned control,trouble.
Headmastership is something that eluded someone as magnificent as you
Coffee etc, Lunches, Health Foods, Crafts, Jewellery, Dinners with Bar, Live Music three nights a week: Folk, Jazz, Classical.Great stuff it should have worked Perhaps it was you that failed the project with your EGO ?
Gandi changed the empire without cofrontation
Manners maketh the man !
Gandhi had the virtue of being Gandhi!
Love to vote for you
It was J Ruskin that infuenced Gandi Try a little moderate study you could find a source of guidance self improvement its never to late its even on your doorstep
"There is no wealth but LIFE"
john Ruskin.
I am warming to you a little
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