Community Wood Recycling member Touch Wood has created a series of Manchester bee-inspired hexagonal planters for a new city centre greening project using reclaimed timber rescued from across Greater Manchester, including wood from the refurbishment of the historic Manchester Velodrome track, training boards for cycling greats like Laura and Jason Kenny, Mark Cavendish and Sarah Storey.
Look closely and you’ll still see some of the original painted track markings in the timber.
The planters are now home to sweet gum trees along a newly greened stretch of Deansgate, while nearby bright yellow and red polka-dot Bike Ports celebrate the arrival of the Tour de France Femmes, which will bring a stage finish to Manchester next year.
It’s a lovely example of reuse in action. A piece of cycling history that once helped riders around the Velodrome is now helping to bring biodiversity, colour and greenery into the heart of the city. For the trainees who helped make them, there’s an added satisfaction in being able to point to a busy stretch of Deansgate and say, “I helped build that.”