Pictures from the Riverbank - and Robbie Ribble Colouring Competition

The Robbie Ribble Colouring Competition has seen a steady trickle of pictures coming in... it was hard to decide which were the best three as they were all GREAT!!! So thanks to all of you for sending them in!

The overall Winner is this fabulously bright and colourful one sent in by Laura S of Dublin - it also gets a special mention for coming so far!! Thanks Laura, it's great!



Our second Winner is Hattie B of Penwortham, a lovely picture - beautifully and carefully shaded - thanks Hattie!!!



And our Third Winner is a brightly-coloured picture with a very cross-looking Robbie Ribble from Charlie of Frenchwood - thanks Charlie!!!




And a Special Mention must go to our young friend "I" who has sent in another of those fabulous pictures - this one of the Seagulls on the gas pipes waiting for the tide to go out so they can have their lunch! Thanks "I"!!!



The adults have been sending in Ribble contributions too...

Bob has sent us some more of his fantastic photos of the Ribble.
Not only does Bob hop over the wall in Broadgate occasionally - as he has done since the 1950s - but he takes a picture from Penwortham Old Bridge on the first Tuesday of every month. This gives a remarkable record of the changes of the seasons alone, and, as all of the pictures he has taken so far this year happened to coincide with the tide being in, they show the different faces of the Ribble at high tide in different lights, moods, and seasons...


January 2nd 2007


February 2nd 2007


March 1st 2007


April 2nd 2007


May 1st 2007...



...and this one was also taken on May 1st, showing how silty the river's waters often are... thanks Bob!

Another local resident who takes photos of the Ribble in all seasons and all weathers is JB of Middleforth. This one makes an interesting comparison with Bob's picture taken in February as this is low tide in February taken from the same spot, the Ribble's waters blue and clear...




...and this one is April at low tide on a misty morning, the trees are still quite bare although a hint of greenery is definitely showing.



And this one is a view of Penwortham Old Bridge from further upstream on a cold and misty wintry day, also by JB.

Thanks for all your contributions: please keep sending them in to us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Ribble Way FootBridge

I was delighted to see this example of environmentally friendly development showcased at Gazpachot, where you can see this proposal for a Ribbleway Footbridge.




A great piece of work by Flint & Neill Partnership with Wilkinson Eyre Architects on what will be called the 'Hacking Ferry Bridge' and be placed at the confluence of the Ribble and the Calder.

This idea for a footbridge is respectful to the River, it is respectful to the wildlife and the environment, it would be a wonderful addition to the River, opening up the Ribble Way for walkers who want to enjoy an unspoiled environment. It is a beautiful piece of design, simple, elegant and eminently practical and sensible.

Little surprise then that it is NOT part of Preston City Council's Riverworks Proposals, which are characterised by their total lack of respect for the river, for the environment or for the people that live nearby, and by being expensive, overblown, misconceived and utterly irresponsible due to the threat a barrage and big housing estate would pose to the rich birdlife of the Ribble Estuary and the increased flood risk the proposals would mean for people living in the River's floodplain.