Queens Park Annex running track

[therealjr]

I don't recall there being much campaigning to get the running track repaired until now??

True but I'm equally not sure how many people realised it had dropped into such a state of disrepair.
As Pete says if we build on it now then its gone forever with little scope for a replacement.
Also as I've already said it's not just the track it's the whole ampitheatre venue that we will lose.

[Pete]

>> I don't recall there being much campaigning to get the running track repaired until now??

I don't think there has been - but it's not up to this generation to decide that Chesterfield folks won't need one in the future. We must think of our children and our children's children, what right do we have to deny them variety in their future?

[Pete]

Maybe it's time to start a Friends of Queens Park Annex movement.

[Stuart]

It could be the town's "Olympic Legacy," Pete.

[Pete]

Oooh - you sound just like a little devil sat on my shoulder... 

[Stuart]

I just don't want to be reading the story about the Chesterfield girl at the 2020 Istanbul Olympics who had to go to Mansfield to find a track to train on.

[Pete]

Lets do it then. After all, we have a duty to those who will come later, not just who are here now.

I'll ring Jessica Ennis on Sunday.

[pureparty]

Point being...  if anyone actually made use of the facilities then a noise would have been made already, seems pretty pointless to me to fight for something to be retained, only for it to stand unused again

[Fly]

Point being...  if anyone actually made use of the facilities then a noise would have been made already, seems pretty pointless to me to fight for something to be retained, only for it to stand unused again

Not unused, it's available for use. Waste tax payer's money building on it, and it's gone.
At present, I presume, it's costing nothing. CBC own it and are doing zip with it.

[Stuart]

If the facilities were in any fit condition to be used, the local Athletics Club might prefer to use them, rather than have to hold competitive "home" fixtures in Derby, in some cases. It's chicken and egg. Neglect the by-pass, say, for long enough and no-one will use it, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be used, if it was fit for purpose.

At some point in the past, the local athletes must have given up hope of QPA ever being brought up to scratch, and moved elsewhere. I wonder if they had meetings with the council about it, before doing that?

[therealjr]

I stand to be corrected if Slacker ever comes across any facts as opposed to political dogma but I think the annexe track fell victim to the weather. The first bend of the 400m got really boggy either due to more excessive rain than normal or maybe the drainage system blocking. Either way, as a competitive track it got unusable very quickly and for whatever reason nothing was done about it. Again I'm dredging thinks up from memory but wasn't there talk of Brookfield Schhol building a running track when they achieved sports college status? Perhaps that put the council off?

[eabbus]

Brookfield school has had one for years as other schools go there now that used to use the annex. Looks quite up to scratch on google maps

[Scimitar]

I was at Brookfield (when it was Chesterfield Grammar School) and it was a cracking running track - but that was the best part of 40 years ago. They also had their own swimming pool (my sport), several football and rugby pitches, cricket pitches - the lot.
I guess these have been maintained/updated as it is classed as a sporting college.
So all is not lost - provided Brookfield approve its general usage.

[Slacker]

I was there '68 to '75, I even ran in the 200M final one year. When were you there?

[Scimitar]

I was there '68 to '75, I even ran in the 200M final one year. When were you there?

'69 to '76. I was in Lingard House (red and black tie). Swam for our house once in the 4x4 relay (last leg) and won. Not bad for a chubby lad.
Old Cestrefeldians eh? We should have a secret society like the Masons, funny handshakes and the like.
It was a good place to be - I just wish I'd applied myself a bit more whilst I was there.
In the Sixth Form, all my "homework" came at the weekend on the 3 subjects I was studying, and I could not cope - I literally didn't have time to do it all. So I asked to drop my weakest subject,but they refused,so I ended up leaving.   I didn't want to.
Still, not to worry, that was along time ago