Endurance:-
staying power; patience; survival; stamina; fortitude; continued existence
Last week was a time of
endurance, a family bereavement causing extreme sadness for myself, my husband and my immediate
relatives. It made me think of the endurance necessary to see you through the dark days, especially for those
closest to the one who has died.
Endurance was also a feature at the new visitor destination - The Helix Park - that
my husband and I popped in to on our way home last Thursday. It was a diversion to our normal route, chosen in order to 'take our mind off' recent events.
Another reason for making the brief visit was due to my extreme interest in
the statues designed by Andy Scott- named The Kelpies. I've been
following Facebook posts from The Kelpies page during 2013/2014 and kept up with the progress of
the installation of the fabulous statues you see in the photo above. Officially opened at the end of April 2014, I've
been desperate to catch a glimpse of these amazing sculptures. Another blog will follow soon
on these iconic statues, designed to highlight the endurance
of the Forth and Clyde canal workhorses of former days, and to incorporate
the Kelpies mythology of central Scotland. The Kelpies sculptures are immense and have a beauty of their own, but are not the only aspects which make the area a great one to visit.
The video at the URL here is worthy of the few minutes and gives a great explanation of the vision of the park.
The Helix Park is a
recent development project in central Scotland,
near the industrial areas of Grangemouth and Falkirk.
On what was once unused land, a new urban green space has been created: vision and endurance playing a huge
part in the project becoming a reality after many years. The extent of the park
is intentional, a fabulous space for family and individual recreation and
exercise. Nostalgic for me, the parkland paths are also designed to join
communities between Falkirk and Grangemouth. These
new paths now connect the village I once lived in for around a decade (Polmont)
and the school I taught in during the late 1970s (Westquarter). Back then, the
only way to walk the six miles or so, between my home and school, was via the
main single carriageway road. This road was extremely busy and dangerous in
places with speeding cars and buses, and over most of the stretch there was no pedestrian
pathway. It has to be said that I rarely walked the route.
The Helix
Park is now a perfect
place to walk, ride a bike, run, skate or ride. (No cars allowed beyond the car
park) Kids can enjoy the amenities already in place, like the timber play park –
with, I believe, potentially more fun activities to follow. The huge green space
has been created with a strong emphasis on enhancing the ecology and biodiversity
of the site and improving connections around the parklands. The natural
wetlands, formerly not easily negotiable, have been enhanced by walkways whose
design does not interfere too much with the natural habitat, disturbance to wildlife
as limited as possible. The natural woodlands within the area are sensitively
managed, woodland management providing a sustainable environment. The lagoon,
shingle beach bordered, is designed for water-based activities- with visitor facilities
nearby.
The Forth and Clyde Canal is a feature, the Kelpies Hub
being a dramatic place to view the huge statues guarding the canal locks at the
eastern mouth of the Forth and Clyde canal. The canal towpaths are well maintained to
encourage safe cycling and walking along the stretches.
Each distinct area of the development is worthy of its own
blog post, and if I can find the time I will write them.
To the south of the Helix Park,
part of The Antonine Wall cuts through the area. Expect another blog on that soon
since the Roman aspect is an exciting one for me, as readers of my Celtic Fervour
Series will already know.
I only had time for the quickest of glimpses of The Helix but I intend to
revisit as soon as I am able.
Slainthe!
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Slainthe!
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