The Wheel Thing - Cycle circus convention

somerset | peace | news report Thursday June 05, 2003 16:44 by pete

The Wheel Thing mission to find inspiring uses of cycle power and carry them down the road to the party...

bikelane.jpeg

Cycles Maximus, Groovy Movie and Rinky-Dink
present the 3rd "Wheel Thing" - Cycle Circus Convention
Cycle Power, Clean Energy and Dynamic Arts 5, 6, 7 June 2003


Kensington Meadows, London Road,
Bath, Somerset


Featuring the World famous
Groovy Movie mobile solar powered cinema


The Cabaret at The End Of The World


Tony Macaroni of the Green Men


and both the
Rinky-Dink Thumper
& Rainbow Dragon 4-person cycle generators
plus
Coltek Systems solar and pedal powered technology
A collection of old bikes for Africa
Workshops including op tips for bike maintenance, bike


decoration and moving sculptures in preparation for
Wacky Races.
Thursday: Veggie Van day: make your own biodiesel.
Friday: Our Friends Electric: explore the potential of
electric bikes and cycle generators


Saturday: Wacky Races


Sunday: Walcot Nation Day


Free camping for cyclists
please ring 01225 319414 ffi


www.cyclesmaximus.com
www.groovymovie.org
www.re-cycle.org
www.cabaretattheendoftheworld.org
www.rinky-dink.org
www.powabyke.com


We've all had the time of our lives at the Big Green
Gathering, but we all had to rely on fossil fuels to
get there. So we're chasing the dream of a cycle
powered show in which performers, band and
paraphernalia travel from town to town on bikes and
then perform, eat and have a laugh without involving
oil at all. Our hosts, Cycles Maximus are "the
inner-city transport specialsts" and whatever it is
you've got, however far you want to take it, we can
move it on a trike.


Thursday 5 June
All afternoon - costume making and bike decoration
workshops at The Bell
7pm - Home grown fuel.
Make biodiesel using just vegetable oil, o-level
chemistry and a few household appliances. Yup, it's
that simple - no need to dig for oil, no need to bomb
Iraq, no need for new pipelines.
9pm - Rinky-Dink music with Chardash.


Friday 6th June - Our friends electric.
Have fun exploring pedal power for electric motors,
sounds systems and generators and prepare for the
first Bellringer Regenerative Braking Challenge. Yes
- you can win a full barrel of Bath's finest real ale
and help solve Bath's traffic problems in one stroke!
Our local brewery, Abbey Ales is situated halfway up
Landsdown hill. All they need is an electric delivery
vehicle fitted with regenerative braking to deliver
to city-centre pubs. The principle is to use a
generator as a brake and thereby charge a battery on
the downhill run (fully loaded with beer) and then use
an electric motor to carry the empty barrels back up
the hill. Easy, huh? To achieve this, Abbey Ales are
delighted to announce the establishment of the annual
Bellringer Regenerative Braking Challenge. Every
year, Abbey ales are donating a 9 gallon barrel of
their finest ale (you choose which one of their fine
beers) to the most effective regenerative braking
equipped vehicle.
4pm. Rinky-Dink music with Shak Shak
9pm. Hattie Hatstar
10pm Cirque Idyllic presents The Cabaret At The End of
the World.
A renewable energy powered explosion of physical
theatre, aerial circus, original music and decadent
pleasures..."The cities are in tatters, the empires
are gone, but in this vaudeville hall, the show must
go on!"


Saturday 7th June
12 noon - 1.30pm - Excursion to Bath Farmers Market
(to get some food) and Sainsburys (to let 'em know how
we feel about GM food)
3pm - Wacky Races - annual cycle frolics on Kensington
Meadows. Many, varied, and improvised races for anyone
with wheels of all sizes - Grand Prize -
A Powabyke electric tricycle.
4pm - DJ 3-Real on the decks
9pm - Tony Macaroni and The Green Men.
10pm - Cirque Idyllic


Sunday 8th June 2003
Walcot Nation Day
11am Depart Kensington Meadows for Walcot Village
Green. Grand Opening Parade from the Village Green to
The Field Of Fun (procession ends at the kid's field -
kids' generators and other children's toys could stay
there, while cycle and solar powered machines for
grown-ups return to the Village Green to provide the
sounds there,or join Rinky-Dink as satellites). All
day fun till 7pm, and if you're still up for it (still
moving) there's a party at the Porter Butt till late.


Where?


http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?X=375750&Y=166000


Directions:


Kensington Meadows is just off the A4 London Road, 1
mile (easy cycling or walking distance) from Bath Spa
Railway Station, and next door to Safeways
super(sic)market . We're at the end of a lane with no
name, opposite 'Speedywash' laundrette. If you're
driving and lost, just park in Safeways car park (you
are almost there) and ring us for directions - 01225
319414.