Tuesday 12 January 2010

ABC Wednesday - Zebra Crossings

I wonder if there will be as many zebra crossings as there were yurts last week ABC Wednesday. Well here goes, here are some of my local crossings.

They are actually all in one place, Ramsden Square, Barrow, a square with a roundabout. In the summer it is beautifully planted with flowers but on this day there is only snow. The statue in the middle is of James Ramsden, who arrived in Barrow as a young man aged 23 in 1846 to manage the engineering department of the Furness Railway and was destined to eventually become the director of the the whole enterprise. An engineer and industrialist he was a man with a vision to build a town for 100,000, which actually never happened, but he raised finance and backed by local capitalists financed dock extensions and iron and steel works, but his lasting legacy was his ambitious planned town with wide tree lined streets and ample space for development. There are few planned towns in England and fewer still in the 19th Century.

(image from statues on my barrow)
He became mayor, elected five times to that position and was knighted in 1878 the same year this bronze statue was erected.

But lets turn left now and
here is another zebra crossing. St Mary's Church in the background, and underneath the land to the left is a recently completed 30m (98 ft) deep storm water drain, part of a two year project to upgrade the victorian sewer network. Made a more interesting engineering problem because the ground water alters with tidal variations.

Continuing to walk clockwise
another zebra crossing leading to the main library (opened in 1922). This has just had a new roof fitted so it has lasted well. Continue past

and here is yet another zebra crossing complete with community police pounding, or perhaps ambling their beat.

So there it is a square roundabout with two zebra crossings at each four points. Loved by pedestrians but possibly not as much by car drivers in a hurry.

Zoom over to the ABC Wednesday meme for more interpretations of the letter Z.

10 comments:

Mara said...

Well, if you will put four zebra crossings in one post! Roger Owen Green will have a field day again...

Kim, USA said...

Oh yeah...that zebra sign should be followed right ^_^Thanks for sharing!

Zucchini

Sylvia K said...

Great zebra crossings for the day! And I think between real zebras and zebra crossings we'll definitely provide Roger with a field day!! Enjoy!

Sylvia

photowannabe said...

Never thought of the crossings that way before. Nice shots.

Roger Owen Green said...

Ah, how I get to be the subject of conversation? ;-)

Yes, I DO love the zebra/zebra crossing combo - zanily clever. And while I've seen a few zebras (as I would expect - hey, I did zebra a year ago myself - this is only the 2nd zebra crossing I've seen.

Not that I'm keeping track!

jabblog said...

Most interesting Joy and a clever take on Z.

Andy Sewina said...

Great way to use the prompt letter, I for one never thought of Zebra crossings.

btw, I recognise some of the places in your photo's as I used to deliver catolouge goods for White Arrow up in Barrow and the Lakes from Manchester.

Jay said...

Well, even if there are lots of other zebra crossings, surely no-one will have as many as you do!

That storm drain sounds like quite a demanding project. What a pity Mr Ramsden wasn't around to help with the plans!

Tumblewords: said...

Amazing. I'd never heard of zebra crossings. We don't have much need for them here. :) Nice photos, interesting post! I'm still into yurt yearning.

steve said...

Hello,

I work for BBC Radio Cumbria - on a feature called Little Cumbria, which airs weekdays at 1745.

I'd like to invite you to take part,

Can you drop me an email and I'll send you more details - steven.greaves@bbc.co.uk

Look forward to hearing from you,

Steven