Come to Clitheroe, Pothole Capital
Come to Clitheroe, Pothole Capital
John Lennon wrote about 4000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire after reading about the state of Lancashire’s road in a local paper and the number of potholes. If he were alive today he would replace Blackburn with Clitheroe. Clitheroe is now the pothole Capital.
Pothole Slalom, the new sport.
One benefit of having numerous potholes in our roads is that those of us who live in Clitheroe are way ahead in the growing sport of Pothole Slalom, There are graded routes that we use to train on. The junior course is Henthorn Road. This is good beginners course as the holes are continuous and fairly obvious. Have alook at this;
Straight down the centre of the road this is a good place to start your Pothole Slalom career.
The great thing about this beginners run is that you can practice running along and escaping the holes. The holes themselves vary between 1 standard depth (the International Pothole Slalom Committee has decreed that a “standard depth” equals the size of one British 50p piece, about 1and a quarter inches) and one particularly surprising hole that is about 3 Standard Depths.
The feeder gates into the run also have interesting slalom features. I am taken by both the Speedall and Faraday Avenues. They both use the rippled and flaking obstacles so beloved of the good people of the Lancashire Highways Service.
Entrance to the Henthorn Pothole Slalom Route from Speedall Ave
The alternative Faraday entrance to the Henthorn run uses the crazy paving and rippled road obstacles to catch out the unwary pothole slalom novices.
At the end of the Henthorn run there is a lovely example of deep hole and ripple combination responsible for the unsettling of many a slalom novice.
A professional pothole ripple onstacle at the end of the Hentorn run.
Just before the ripple is this well concealed hole just waiting for the unwary pothole slalom athelete.
Although this is a novice level pothole slalom run Clitheroe’s roads have many more advanced pothole slalom obstacles that I will review in the future.
Next In Pothole Slalom Series.
The Sainsbury’s mini roundabout invitational pothole slalom event that attracts many competitors each day!
(In the unlikely event that you are not a fan of potholes, find out how to have them fixed here).
Phil’s British Heart Foundation Donation – you know it makes sense
