Hastings

RIDE DETAILS

Next ride

Date: Sunday 1 June 2014

Time: 13.30 (start opens 12.30 for body painting)

Assembly point

The official assembly point and time is the lower end of Alexandra Park from 12:30pm, one hour before the ride is due to start.

This gives us a full one hour naked time for full bodypainting, so please be as informative and creative as you can.

We are hoping to have full protected bodypainting facilities available at the start location. There may even be gazebos if the local authority consents.

Website

Yahoo - [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wnbr-hastings/

Facebook - [1]

Planning

There is a Planning Collective although the protesters are expected to take responsibility for their own demonstration. The current volunteers are:-

Richard Collins - Police, Local Authority & Public liaison

Will Golden - Internet & Documentation

Roger Coupe has also volunteered to help and we welcome anyone, especially Hastings-based, to join us in organising the UK's most exciting new World Naked Bike Ride in years.

Signing Up

As outlined below, this is not a formal event, so you can just turn up on the day.

But it does help to get an idea of anticipated numbers expected to demonstrate.

To indicate your participation, visit the above Yahoo and Facebook groups. Remember, these are sites for the PROMOTION of the Hastings Ride - unwanted postings WILL be removed without explanation or any further discussion!!!

Dress code & Legality

The World Naked Bike Ride dress code is "Bare As You Dare"... How bare is that ? Well, please remember .......the Message is more important than the Messenger!

Be sure that, however you turn up, it best conveys the three tenets of the World Nake Bike Ride. Full nudity is not compulsory although encouraged, simply because naked freedom is one of the main protest themes.

From a legal standpoint, this is a protest or demonstration. It is NOT a formal event, therefore technically there is no requirement to notify the authorities. HOWEVER....... the success of the World Naked Bike Ride has always been it's unique non-confrontational approach to protest. Therefore we shall as always be liaising and working with the Police and Local Authority to ensure this is both an informative and a fun day for everyone, participating or not.

It is not unlawful to be naked in public in the UK, but using nudity to intentionally cause harassment, alarm or distress may be illegal. Don't act offensively and you are very unlikely to be arrested. The Police will be aware of the protest and will be there for our (your) protection. They will be aware of our intention to ride in protest against oil dependency and in celebration of bicycles. They will be fully aware that many/most of our riders will be nude and partially nude. WNBR is a fun, inspirational, non-confrontational body-positive event with a positive message of hope. That is why the ride has been such a huge hit and so many are supportive. Just use common sense and mind your manners!

Nude is not lewd!

PLEASE be creative and colourful! Bodypainting and bike decorating are highly encouraged! This is up to you, the riders

Do not be ashamed of your body; that would be against the ethics of the Bike Ride. NO ONE IS EXCLUDED OR DISCRIMINATED AGAINST based on levels of clothing, bodypaint, .....or anything else, for that matter!!

Police & L.A. restrictions

T.B.A. pending live liaison with all authorities. Progress will be reported here.

Route

The route is provisional at present, awaiting for full clearance with the Police and Local Authority that all parts of the course will be free of obstacles, e.g. roadworks, other prior-arranged events!

There are no taxing uphill elements to the course. So do not feel nervous about keeping up the pace.

The route is only 5.5 miles but will take a couple of hours considering the stops, general chaos and fun.

The plan is as follows and, trust us, it will change:

Start at the Bandstand in Alexandra Park

Exit on to St Helens Road;

Follow this downhill into Queens Road to the "New Town", where we will take a tour of the Priory Meadow shopping area to get the maximum public awareness for our protest from the Sunday shoppers.

We then rejoin Queens Road on towards the Esplanade near "The Carlisle" pub where there will be a short shop for regathering.

Turn left and follow the Esplanade as far as the "Royal Standard" public house

We then carry on past the fishermen's huts at Rock-A-Nore and turn at the car park at the end and come back.

We then stop to regather again at the Jerwood forecourt / events area (permission is being sought for this stop)

We now pursue the longest unbroken element of the ride to St Leonards Warrior Square. As this is a large open space with concrete & grass areas, we will stop for a rest & toilet-break. Hopefully we will have some music there for your amusement & participation.

We then return via the Esplanade (Eversfield Place) and finish the ride on the Beach, opposite the Carlisle.

A Route Map will be published here as soon as the route and stops are cleared by our Liaison volunteer with the Police, the Local Authority and the Jerwood.

After Ride Entertainment

The-Union Bar, formerly the Tubman, has always been a foremost socially consious and active element in Hastings life and has offered its premises freely for an AFTER-PARTY, which will start, say, an hour after the finish of the protest ride.

We have had initial undertakings from three of Hastings' foremost up-and-coming bands (all original material in the indie, psychedelic and post-punk veins) to perform 45 minute sets and we encourage you to come along and join in.

Nudity is welcome at The-Union Bar, where it is always tolerated, as indeed are all human rights.

Thanks Paul!

FYI, we have initial indications that the Publican at the Royal Standard would be happy to welcome a pubful of naked cyclists, en-route, to brighten up a Sunday's business. TBC!

We Need Help

To make this the best ever "first ride" in UK WNBR history we need the following to volunteer their services on the day :

RIDE MARSHALLS - The front of ride will be marshalled by skater Wagner Pereira who has led the London ride to public acclaim for years. He will be working at the front alongside Richard Collins, who will be noticeable by the presence of a large WNBR flag attached to his bike.

Hopefully there will be a soundsystem vehicle |(rickshaw/bike?) at the rear of ride as the back marker alongside the First Aid rider.

We will need one more marshal to work between the two to ensure safe passage;

STEWARDS - These people do not marshal the ride but are just as important.

They must be friendly but assertive people who must monitor behaviour at the start and ensure the riders leave Alexandra Park as clean as they found it.

They will also serve as an information source for any uninformed riders before the ride.

DISCOUNT BIKE HIRE - Most participants may not own their own bikes. We ask for volunteer cycle hire shop to offer a discount bike hire on the day so that everyone who wants to participate can do so.

In London, for example, The London Bicycle Tour Company hire bikes to riders from 12.30pm-7pm for £12. We are seeking some kind bikeshop owner who holds the WNBR cause close to his heart to offer much the same ......please?

BODYPAINTERS AND BODY ARTISTS - Hastings is a renowned artist colony. We ask all creative body painters to volunteer their time freely on Sunday 1st June to help our riders convey their protest messages in the most colourful and creative ways.

This is NOT a commercial venture but we encourage riders to make donations to cover the artists costs of materials. But please do not use the World Naked Bike Ride for profit.

BODYPAINTING ITSELF - Things we will need......

- One or more walk-in tents/gazebos to house bodypainting, particularly essential if it is raining

- voluntary provision of bodypaints, brushes, water; this is a demonstration, not a commercial opportunity. Donations will be invited to cover costs.

- volunteers to cut slogan stencils out of cardboard/oilcard well in advance of the ride. Pre-designed A4 stencils can be found for free download at [2]

FIRST AID QUALIFIED PERSON - Health & Safety risk assessment regulates that we require such an individual.

This will be a condition of our inclusion under the Bike Week blanket insurance policy (free of charge), without which we cannot ride. One first-aider should be sufficient in our Ride but it is imperative that person be with the Ride from start to finish.

Volunteers please!

ON-RIDE MOBILE SOUNDSYSTEM - We need a soundsystem on the ride itself. It could be bike-mounted or even on a rickshaw if anyone knows where we can get one donated for the cause. It will also double up as the backmarker to ensure that nobody gets left behind. That's how important it is! Any ideas please?

VIDEO-MAN - We need our own videographer as this is going to be an event beyond cable TV alone. It is preferable he/she is not a participant and is preferably clothed as he/she is going to need to flit from one location to another.

Health & Safety and Risk assessment

Here is an easy-to-understand Risk Assessment which all riders should read as this is NOT a formal event and riders are ultimately responsible for their own behaviour and safety. There will be stewards and one or two ride marshalls but, beyond them, it is up to you.

And thank you to the Exeter ride for highlighting the problem areas and whose layout we plagiarised a little.

Full insurance cover under the Bike Week blanket policy has been applied for today.

Hazard	Risk	Existing remedy	Deficiency	Action
Navigating traffic lights & junctions	High: collision with other riders, collision with general traffic	follow marshals' instructions: a large column of riders, pedestrians is considered in law as one long vehicle.	over-excitement & hesitation among riders against impatient motorists	If ride body becomes split, the front steward will stop after crossing any junction, and wait until rear of group is across junction
Accident involving rider and other road user	very low	Legal requirements appertaining to stopping, exchange of details, emergency services, if necessary	If injured, participant may be naked	Rear of ride marshal to advise front marshal. If rider has an accompanying person to deal with it, rear marshal is to withdraw and assist victim. Police are likely to be in attendance in any event.
Actual conflict (Verbal abuse) with other road users [Riders]	Low: general public is almost invariably tolerant	Highway code; Road Traffic Act	Participants may feel ‘exempt’ from considering other road users	Participants reminded via statement on website, that they are responsible for their own actions, and that normal traffic rules apply.
Actual conflict (Verbal abuse) with other road users [General public, motorists]	Low: general public is almost invariably tolerant	law; commonsense	a small minority of motorists are notoriously impatient	Riders reminded to maintain good atmosphere, act sensibly, responsible for self. There may be a police presence which will deter untoward behaviour on the part of onlookers
Bicycle breakdown (reparable)	none (unpredictable)	low	Any cycle may suffer minor malfunction which may be easily fixed	Rear of ride marshal will carry simple tool kit. Affected participant will wait for him.
Bicycle breakdown (IR-reparable)	low	none (unpredictable)	More serious damage, e.g. puncture, buckled wheel	Participant will withdraw, dress and seek own aid.
Sunburn / hypothermia	very high	Commonsense; website warnings	Participants may neglect to apply sun block. Abnormal weather	Participants to be made aware that responsibility for this lies with themselves. Marshals cannot supply sun block in case participant is allergic. Participants must be made aware of the effects of abnormal weather conditions (e.g. rain) and take appropriate pre-emptive action.
Circumstances blocking route (eg major road accident ahead, building fire)	very low	Police instructions	Cannot be foreseen depending on circumstances	In the event of a diversion, front marshal (who will have local knowledge of the area) will take the diversion, riders follow, police are likely to direct in these circumstances
Riders taking photographs whilst cycling	very high; causes collisions and injury	Commonsense; website warnings	Almost inevitable among overexcited cyclists	All marshals to warn snapping riders to stop to take pictures