Perhaps skating belongs in the streets and not in a concrete playground aimed at yoof
Mate good on you for being so proactive.
Tbh I’ve always hated the plaza as it’s full of smackheads or radgies. Like you say the police have always been cool with us skating it in the past as it’s actually made the place safer.
Last time I went there was what I’m pretty sure was a big human shit next to the ledge. Seen needles in the bushes as well. It’s pretty grimy.
5 bridges was always championed by local residents as it made walking through the underpass much much safer, I remember interviewing a police officer about it for a doc and they loved it being there.
Could maybe speak to local press? Though that could go either way.
I would get in touch with Chris Lawton at Skateboard GB. He has been great in getting recognition for spots like Bournbrook.
Also this would be a logical project for Shred the North to help with.
Presuming this is Sunniside in Sunderland?
figured it was best to get infront of it ASAP, it’s just such a weird scenario as those orders have been around for a while yet only recently they’ve enforced it, and some of the street wardens (particularly a younger pair) just don’t really care and will walk past, others will have a problem.
it’s just one of those things thats really hard to defend because you’re still arguably in the wrong when you look at it from a damage perspective (cracks chips wax etc), but have pretty strong community and police support so it could go arguably well. small random tidbit but some fella opened up a warhammer/games shop a few months back, few days after opening we noticed a couple skated boards up in the window. started talking to the fella and he used to skate with jackie back in the day!
sent an email over to Chris anyway, cheers for the info.
@dontcomply be interested to hear more about this. Funnily enough I had a Sunderland Echo newspaper back and forth in the letter section when I was about 13 and the plaza was first built, I would hand write into the paper every week trying to shut down arseholes that wrote in to say skaters were damaging the new plaza, maybe wrote in about 7 times.
The architect then got a front page piece saying he was really upset that the public had turned on the skateboarders so much saying we were the only people getting our moneys worth out of the site haha. Somewhere in my family house those newspaper clipping exist… I remember it was funny cos the first article claiming skaters were destroying the newly build spot said that skaters ‘tyres’ were destroying the freshly laid grass haha.
if you could ever dig up that clipping that would be fucking amazing hahah, will let you know what happens
Got so many stories from when plaza first got built. Probably about 5-7 times we would just get ambushed by groups of like 10+ dudes with baseball bats and stuff, running off in all directions. Loads of good footage from there in Make Friends with the Colour Blue also, in particular Baines section, used to meet Bingo and the Mischief boys there and would love to see them all skating it.
Was trying to avoid buying a sofa, my hips are utterly fucked from sitting cross legged all the time. Got a bollocking from the doctor, and have to buy a more suitable seating arrangement before they will help me.
Dylan Hughes also performed ‘the nak’ on the balck box. Prod would have shred a tear for how smooth it was.
I filmed that. #cmoac
As an update on the shit above, went for a skate yesterday and one warden walks past and says hi etc so cracked on with him for a bit, he had no problem with us being there but said he’d talk with his partner about it. PCSO’s arrive not long after on their rounds so have a bit crack on with them and explained it all, the two wardens come back one of which being the fella who kicked us out two days prior. They all end up having a back and forth for half an hour, guy comes over and just explains his perspective etc but obviously now he gets ours too, think there was some discussion of jurisdictions from the PCSO’s etc but it basically came down to what the higher ups in the council say, so the fella said he was going to run it by them but at least for the time being just crack on with skating it. I think having the backing of the police plus the people who run the bar/cafe where the wardens go for a cuppa has definitely helped sway opinions a bit, so fingers crossed.
It’s still utterly bonkers to me as someone who started skating mid/late 00s when skating was definitely more frowned upon to be getting such strong backing from police and the neighbourhood itself.
I rage quit a zoom meeting today as some twat in it kept shouting LETS GO!!! after every time someone spoke.
Were you on a zoom call with Nyjah and Ty Evans discussing his run for sexy skateboarder of the year this year?
Where do you work??
I work with a lot of Americans and whilst I’m absolutely fine with them and they’re decent people IME, the “Ya’lls” really get on my tits. Really get on my tits…
It’s with an Entertainment group in LA which explains the douchbag.
Unknown to the group, I’m really good friends with the lead guy and he’s been winding me up by putting Let’s go on every email since.
It’s all good, I’m sure the let’s go guy means well.
Ha, had that today. Some American consultants letting us know that “if ya’ll can get us the information we’ve asked for then we can get ya’ll the advice ya’ll need for ya’ll to decide the course of action”. And I’m pretty sure these are east coast guys whereas I thought “ya’ll” was a Bible Belt thing?
I think it’s more of a rural thing. I know people from nowhere places in California that say it. Heard it in Montana and Wyoming as well.
It winds me up too.
Let’s Go/Let’s Go Baby! is a very American streamer thing to shout, and it’s the most annoying phrase in the world.
It’s why I try to only watch British streamers but even then its starting to creep in. Cringe
Haha, these are folk based in Austin, Texas, but they seem quite transient with respect to work. Either way, one of those things which drives me nuts…