Snake Pass is considered one of the most beautiful (and dangerous) roads in the country, with its winding route through the Peaks making it a wildly popular destination for cyclists.
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So a group of local cyclists are again planning an organised bike ride to the summit, setting off from Norfolk Square in Glossop at 6.30pm on Wednesday 24 May.
Snake Pass will be closed to all users in the other direction, between the summit and the Upper Derwent visitor centre at Fairholmes.
A signed diversion will be in place during the works using the A57 Bamford, A6013, A6187, B6049, A623, A6, A624, and the A57 to Glossop.
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Derbyshire County Council‘s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal said: “With the weather conditions now improving, we’ve taken the opportunity to carry out repairs to the two sections of road damaged by the last year’s landslips as soon as we could and before the busy bank holiday weekend.
“It’s a challenging location for our team, working on some of the highest ground in the county and in an exposed, rural location on a narrow stretch of road.
“The sites have already slipped and we want to make sure we have the time and space to successfully carry out the complex resurfacing repairs. The road is also used by heavy farm vehicles throughout the day and night and our own team will be out and about with heavy machinery to carry out the repairs.
“This is why we have decided to close the road from the summit of the Snake Pass to the turning for the Upper Derwent visitor centre at Fairholmes to make sure we keep the public safe, to minimise the risk of collisions between vehicles and to help our team complete the works as quickly as possible.
“I’d like to thank everyone who uses the Snake Pass for their patience while we complete these essential repairs.”
Featured image: Unsplash
Travel & Tourism
Passengers brace for ANOTHER day of ‘disruption’ as train drivers strike again this week
Emily Sergeant
Passengers are being told to brace for yet more ‘disruption’ as train drivers across the UK are striking again this week.
Following on from the announcement back in February that ASLEF train drivers at several train companies and operators, with Northern being one of them, had voted ‘overwhelmingly’ to continue taking industrial action for another six months, members of the union are staging more strikes all throughout this week.
ASLEF train drivers at Northern will walk out this Thursday (9 May).
⚠️ Further industrial action is planned to start between 6 – 11 May.
Thursday 9 May, there will be no Northern services.
6, 7, 8 and 10, 11 May there may be some short notice alterations and busy trains.
But, as there are multiple strikes on different days at train operators across the country all this week, this means disruption is also expected in the lead-up to and following the day drivers at Northern actually strike.
Because of this, Northern customers who are connecting onto services with other train operators are being advised to “check before they travel” for all journeys up until this Saturday (11 May).
The company is also warning that its services are likely to be “busier than usual” this week, as it expects people will take alternative travel routes to avoid strikes elsewhere.
Passengers are being told to brace for ‘disruption’ as train drivers strike again this week / Credit: National Rail
“Unfortunately, the action by ASLEF on Thursday 9 May will see our network grind to a halt,” explained Tricia Williams, who is Northern’s Chief Operating Officer.
“On the days when strikes are taking place with other train operators, we will do everything we can to keep our services moving and absorb those extra passengers trying to travel across the region, but we can only apologise, once again, for the disruption this action will cause to people.”
Northern says it’s “disappointed” ASLEF members have chosen to stage more strikes this week, and will continue to do so in the coming months.
Disruption on Northern is also expected on the days surrounding the strike day itself / Credit: Northern
But when ASLEF announced its intention to continue taking industrial action for the foreseeable – which is separate to what is a very long-running dispute with the Department for Transport (DfT) over pay and working conditions – back in February, the union’s General Secretary, Mick Whelan, said he was “fed up to the back teeth with the bad faith shown” by train companies.
He added that train operators like Northern need to “stop what they are doing” and “start to behave properly and honourably”, because their drivers are “no longer prepared to be treated like this”.
For more information on the strikes this week, and to see the latest travel updates for the next few days, check the Northern website here.
Featured Image – National Rail
Travel & Tourism
This ‘secret’ North Wales beach has been named one of the UK’s best
Daisy Jackson
North Wales is a pretty popular holiday destination for us Mancs, especially in the warmer months.
Seaside towns like Llandudno, Conwy and Colwyn Bay are often awash with tourists soaking in the Great British summer, clutching ice creams, skimming pebbles, and frantically shielding your chippy tea from dive-bombing seagulls.
So now that the Independent has singled out some of the UK’s best ‘secret’ beaches – including one in North Wales – we’ve got a new destination to play with.
The paper singled out the beautiful Porthdinllaen in its list of the best secret UK beaches to visit in 2024 for peace and quiet.
And aren’t we all after a bit of peace and quiet these days?
There’s just something about escaping the hustle and bustle of the city and feeling sand between your toes, maybe even taking a brave dip in the brisk waters.
The Independent selected Porthdinllaen in North Wales as well as Runswick Bay in Yorkshire as some of the UK’s best secret beaches.
The list said of Porthdinllaen: “Offering sandy, secluded space to play, this Welsh beach is tucked away from the old fishing village by sweeping hills.
“As the cove is sheltered, the water is usually calm, making it a great spot for swimming.
“Bring goggles and be sure to look down: the headland is a popular spot with the local grey seals, and one of the largest seagrass meadows in North Wales hides beneath the water, providing a habitat for many different types of fish.”