Message from Yorkshire Dales NPA

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
For those who live in or intend to visit the dales.  The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority asks everyone to show respect - good advice I reckon.  See this link to read in full.

https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/the-yorkshire-dales-national-park-authority-asks-everyone-to-show-respect
 

Speleotron

Member
It's a good message but I think it doesn't stand a chance of getting through. This weekend will be carnage for the Dales and the Lakes sadly.
 

mikem

Well-known member
They might change their minds if it's more widely known that Lakes has one of highest infection rates in country ...
 

Speleotron

Member
I hope they do change their minds but I'm not optimistic! It's going to be a riot especially as wales and scotland are closed. People have been going to the Dales on day trips throughout all this so this weekend will be huge. You can't trust everyone to do the right thing, the weekend before lockdown we were told no essential travel and Snowdonia had one of its busiest days ever.
 

mikem

Well-known member
Dales has a massive population within a short drive (as does the Peak), so previous advice that they could drive, provided walk was longer, means they were within the letter of the law (if not the spirit).
 

Speleotron

Member
I know but just because something is legal doesn't mean it is right. I'm not getting involved in that debate as it's pointless: everyone will do what they think is best. I was just making the prediction that this weekend will be very very busy. Perhaps I'm too pessimistic though.,
 

Fjell

Well-known member
On the NP website is this thought, which I agree with. Living in the park as we do is a privilege that many cannot contemplate. It is not acceptable for the few thousand of us that live here to exclude the millions in cities. We will just have to manage things the best we can. I don?t believe the objective risk is great.

?As a Dales woman, I would ask everyone in the National Park, and those visiting, to recognize their interrelationships.
If those in the National Park need hospitalization, they will travel to Leeds or Bradford. Therefore let us share our space with them?

 

mikem

Well-known member
Speleotron, I was agreeing with you.

Fjell, that's about the first unselfish thing I've seen posted about the crisis. Hopefully many will decide not to go, due to the expected overcrowding.
 

mikem

Well-known member
Nah, sometimes impossible to decipher intention of the written word - part of the beauty & frustration of the English language!
 

Fjell

Well-known member
mikem said:
They might change their minds if it's more widely known that Lakes has one of highest infection rates in country ...
Not in the Park. It?s mainly in Barrow and Kendal and particularly care homes. The problem is the vast majority of visitors are not normally there to go hill walking. If they keep all the pubs and cafes closed and Beatrix Potter is off limits, the numbers will not be great after an initial splurge. They should open the walking car parks.
 

Duck ditch

New member
I agree with all of you.  It?s difficult to get tone in a text isn?t it. 
It could be too early but the day has to come some time and Wednesday and the weekend is it.  If I lived in Leeds and Bradford which I used to, I would be very keen to come up and enjoy the countryside again. I?m staying out of the way to let these people enjoy themselves.  I suppose this sounds patronising if you read it with the wrong tone of voice.  So please don?t think it?s patronising. 
Most people will keep social distancing I?m sure.  Most people on this site will know the honeypots and avoid them.
  I practice social distancing, if you don?t then you can still respect my views and stay clear of me without compromising your own. 
Pessimism is just though, because I have already witnessed a family disgusted that the waterfall walk was closed yesterday. 
This is my first forum and like speleotron I find people take some of my posts the wrong way.  So don?t be offended by this post.
 

Fjell

Well-known member
Although I predict mayhem when they open the garden centre in Ambleside. People will be stocking up on full sized flashing reindeer for Xmas, just in case.
 

Speleotron

Member
The B and Q near me has just re-opened and it is rammed. Huge lines of people stood next to each other in the carpark.
 

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
There is bound to be a bit of a surge when people have been couped up for weeks.  I'd be first in the car on Wednesday if I was in the city.

The National Parks were established to provide recreational opportunities for the public.  Especially those living in cities and built up areas.  They are not just there for those of us who live within them.  For a start many businesses rely on the visitors for their income.  I despair at the attitude shown by some towards visiting folk (locally not on this forum).  Who's going to keep the rural economy going once we return to normal, even the new normal.  So many of us who live here were once visitors too.
 

mikem

Well-known member
It's a local park for local people... :tease:

I guess opening on Wednesday means the peak will be spread a bit, rather than all on the weekend, & if they don't go to the Lakes, then the Dales will be worse.
 

cavemanmike

Active member
I don't recognise a weekend anymore, all the days have blended into one enormous weekend  :blink: :blink: :blink:
So hopefully people will spread out the footfall
 

grahams

Well-known member
Fjell said:
Although I predict mayhem when they open the garden centre in Ambleside. People will be stocking up on full sized flashing reindeer for Xmas, just in case.

It'll be OK. Hayes Garden world doesn't put up its displays until just before Christmas i.e. August.
 
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