The time has come - Catha's Seat installation work starts 1st April 2014

It's now just over a year and half ago since I was wondering how I could use my trip to Istanbul to raise funds to promote sustainable transport and my Mum's work when I spoke with Sheila Webb and she introduced me to the idea of installing seating with dedicated cycle parking on Route 18. 

So much has happened in that time - we have raised £10,000, built a group of 62 investors and many more followers, secured three Local Authority Grants with the fantastic support of the local Parish Councils and Councillors, kindly been granted permission to use the land, wrestled with design decisions, been featured in the local newspaper, had invaluable assistance from Colin Finch on the Kent County Council Public Rights of Way team and our chosen contractor ARC Creative Design, and been shortlisted for a PEA award ..... amongst many other things. 

Tomorrow, 1st April (weather permitting!), installation starts on Catha's Seat and is expected to be completed by the end of the week. I will be on site on Wednesday and Thursday so it would be great to see you if you are in the area or cycling by on Route 18. If you do drop by when I'm not there please note that whilst I'm sure Chris and his installation team from ARC Creative Design may be happy to have a brief chinwag they have a busy schedule to complete within their window of opportunity.

Look forward to seeing you at Catha's Seat soon! Don't forget to mark the 3rd May launch date in your diary as well.... 

According to Eliza .gifs are all the rage on the blogs these days. This is my attempt that starts with the last photo I have pre installation (taken on Sunday morning 30th March 2014)

gif maker online

Catha's Seat Construction Underway

In the long drought of news since the last post (my apologies) there's been a hive of activity on Catha's Seat. The fundraising has been completed, the order has been placed and construction has started. We'll catch up with the details at a later stage but for the moment I want to do two things

Firstly... make sure that the launch date is firmly in your calendars (Saturday 3rd May):

We are planning something special so start oiling your chains and pumping your tyres. We will be launching from Wye but I understand that Spokes are also looking to run a ride from Canterbury, which you can join if you are a Spokes member http://www.spokeseastkent.org.uk/events.php . Also, if you prefer to walk - it's around 5 miles from Wye or 1 mile from Chilham.

The main event up at Catha's Seat is shaping up for around 1-2.30pm.

Secondly... show you some pictures of construction:

On Tuesday we took a visit to the company constructing and installing the seats, ARC Creative Design. ARC specialise in heritage installations and were behind Sheila's Crichton Family Seat near Canterbury, so were the ideal choice for the project.

Photos and comments below:

Jason the carpenter gets comfortable on some solid oak! Don't worry - it's not really going to be that high off the ground - the feet stick ~400mm into the ground so it's good and secure.

Keegan Senior tests out his Sunday newspaper reading position.

The arms give a nice comfort - allowing you to relax into the corners, and essential support for expansive gestures!

Chris from ARC shows there's plenty of room on the seats, which are designed to comfortably seat a small family (two adults and a child).

Arm design decisions were hotly debated by the team - honesty versus aesthetics. A slightly rounded shape got the final approval.

Multi Purpose Recreational Area - bike rack, yoga mat, picnic spot...