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Care homes take part in booster programme
MORE than 60 care homes in Barnsley have been visited by vaccinators as the Covid booster jab programme accelerates ahead of winter.A total of 61 have been visited in the past four weeks, with another 15 homes scheduled in the coming days and weeks.The NHS is vaccinating in line with guidance from the JCVI - the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation - which says that eligible residents are able to have their...
Council leader: Barnsley ‘ignored’ in budget
THE leader of Barnsley Council believes the town has been ‘ignored’ in the government’s supposed ‘levelling-up’ agenda after the 2021 budget was announced on Wednesday.Sir Steve Houghton described Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget - revealed on Wednesday - as a ‘curate’s egg’.Giving his first thoughts on the ‘make-or-break’ spending review and budget, Steve said: “I welcome increasing the national living and minimum wage.“I also welcome changes in the taper for Universal Credit but...
Emotional Diwali lights switch-on in Harshad’s memory
DIWALI lights were switched on in the town centre last week in an emotional tribute to organiser Harshad Patel who died suddenly earlier this year.The lights were lit up to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights - and to bring in Indian new year.As well as being a cause for celebration, members of the now disbanded Gujarat Association used the time to reflect on former chair of the group Harshad who died suddenly...
Pothole repair cost revealed
MORE than £600,000 was spent on repairing almost 10,000 potholes on Barnsley’s roads within a 12-month period, the Chronicle can reveal.Council highways bosses have responded to motorists’ claims that resurfacing teams had been negligent amid rising reports of vehicle suspension and tyre damage - allegedly caused by potholes - on the borough’s road network.The total spent on pothole repairs for 2020/21 was £601,927, with a total of 9,708 potholes being repaired in a...
Popular buskers moved on...
A POPULAR busking duo - who’ve raised thousands for a seriously ill youngster and his family - can’t fathom why they were ordered to move a few metres away from their town centre spot.Wednesday was a typical morning for Barnsdale Hood, a traditional Irish folk duo who have been a regular sight in the town centre for more than a year.Banjo player Alan Jones and guitarist Dave Alton have taken on the task...
Sport
Five talking points from defeat at Bristol City
Analysis of Barnsley's 2-1 loss at Bristol City, in which they took the lead but suffered a seventh successive defeatMASSIVE MISSED OPPORTUNITY AGAINST STRUGGLING ROBINSBarnsley’s manager’s win percentage after a third of the season is lower than the number of successive defeats.That is a sorry indictment of a terrible campaign, so far, which got even worse with Saturday’s seventh successive loss that left them second-bottom and winless in 13. The performance overall...
Schopp says loss 'not acceptable' but insists: 'we will win soon'
Markus Schopp says it is 'not acceptable' that Barnsley lost the lead at Bristol City and suffered a seventh successive defeat but insists: 'we will win soon.'The Reds took the lead at the Robins – who were unbeaten in 17 games since January – but lost 2-1. They are winless in 13 and second-bottom. Schopp told the Chronicle: "We had already a couple of games where we should have had a much better result....
Reds lose lead on way to seventh successive loss
Barnsley suffered a seventh successive defeat as they took the lead but lost 2-1 at Bristol City on Saturday. Aaron Leya Iseka put the visitors in front and they were on top for most of the first half but Andreas Weimann netted in the 42nd and 45th minutes to secure his side's first home win since January. The Reds continued to create the better chances after the break but remain winless in...
Schopp grateful for board’s faith despite winless run
MARKUS Schopp is grateful to Barnsley’s board for their faith in him during his team’s awful run of form and believes they have taken into account injuries and other problems which he says have led to ‘very tough’ start to his tenure.Schopp’s side are second-bottom of the Championship with eight points from 14 games – half of which were accrued in the first two, meaning they have taken four from the last 36 available....
Barnsley hope to end long wait for victory against side with no home wins in 17
MARKUS Schopp is not reading anything into Bristol City’s terrible home form and focusing on ending his side’s own poor run when they arrive at Ashton Gate tomorrow.The Robins are the only EFL side yet to win at home this season, while their last victory on home soil was 17 matches and 276 days ago on January 26.They collected just a point from the final ten home games of last season then have...
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Motors
Jag takes fight to German rivals
THE executive estate market shows no sign of slowing down - having been dominated by German marques for years - so manufacturers simply must be on the top of their game if they dare go toe-to-toe with Audi, BMW and Mercedes.So it’s a relief that Jaguar’s XF Sportbrake, which has been around for more than a decade now, is better than ever in 2021 guise and has become a genuine alternative to the...
Hybrid V60 offers economy and performance
BABY number two arrived in my life earlier this summer.Joining three-year-old Arthur, little Mia - a precious, tiny little thing - came early and reminded me just how important safety is in a choice of car.Fatherhood changes everything as your number one priority immediately turns into keeping them away from danger. Like it or not, the roads are indeed very dangerous places, with dawdling lane hoggers and idiotic...
All-electric XC40 is an immediate class leader
VOLVO’S fast become one of my favourite manufacturers thanks to their cars’ unrivalled quality, safety and ultra-modern design.With a sea change in the air - which will see all new petrol and diesel-powered vehicles banned in just nine years’ time - Volvo’s first all-electric attempt away from its Polestar spin-off is absolutely brilliant.It’s called the XC40 Recharge P8, which is based on the wonderful family-friendly SUV, and manages to retain every...
Eighth-generation GTI is the perfect daily driver
There’s always a tiny bit of trepidation when an all-new version of a motoring icon is released.Volkswagen’s indomitable Golf GTI is unquestionably royalty, formed over more than 40 years of providing pace, practicality and supreme quality.Although there's been some low points during previous decades, the eighth-generation GTI looks, on paper at least, set to re-write past cars' wrongs.To be fair, VW’s been on a role since the woeful mark...
Fourth-generation Sorento the best yet
OVER the last few years I've driven pretty much everything in Kia’s range and I've been impressed by them all in their own way, but the Sorento four-by-four raises the bar to a whole new level.Launched back in 2002 as the South Korean company's first SUV, the fourth-generation model is a marked move on design-wise from the pretty simply-styled third version.Whereas the previous car would appear a little archaic - in...
Lifestyle
Stray cats rehomed by generous woman
A SALON owner who has spent almost a year and £12,000 to rescue two stray cats she met on holiday in Turkey is expecting a special delivery tomorrow.Kelly Walker - owner of Vanilla hair salon on Sheffield Road - is set to receive the cats from a courier after trying to get them on the 2,500-mile trip having ‘fallen in love with them’ on holiday.Kelly was travelling during the November lockdown last year...
WATCH: Was 1970s Barnsley really like Belgium?
HOW did Barnsley, at the turn of the 1970s, resemble a small Belgian city?Readers might shudder when they think back to the ill-judged and ultimately canned ‘Tuscan hill village’ idea drawn up for the town in the early 2000s, and immediately discard any comparisons to the continent.But in a visit as part of his series ‘Nairn’s Europe’, acclaimed architectural critic Ian Nairn – in an otherwise fairly scathing assessment – offered some substance...
'Remember to be kind to yourself' - mental health consultant
TEACHER-turned-mental health and wellbeing consultant Sarah Wray believes the key to self-care is in remembering to be kind to yourself as well as others. In the second in a series of guest articles, Sarah of LiveWell Consultancy shares her advice for 'self-kindness'...Since lockdown started in March, we have seen many, many acts of kindness where people and communities have come together to support each other. Why do we choose to be kind?Kindness is...
Mental health consultant shares five tips for wellbeing in lockdown
IN the first in a series of guest articles, former teacher Sarah Wray - who now runs Live Well Consultancy, working to improve mental health in schools - has shared her advice for looking after your wellbeing in lockdown...After weeks of ‘lockdown’ many of us are experiencing highs and lows. The uncertainty of how long lockdown will last, how we will move forward as a nation and how it is impacting on us as...
Sherlocks set sights on cracking the US
LOCAL INDIE band, The Sherlocks - who have supported Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher and also the Libertines - will be heading to the States for a whirlwind tour, only five days after their UK tour ends. The band have previously toured America, but drummer Brandon Crook admits that they haven’t been ‘Stateside’ in almost two years and the band are keen to grow their fanbase across the pond. The four-strong band from Bolton-upon-Dearne will promote...
Business
Firm’s building for the future
A BARNSLEY bricklaying company has been handed an award for its commitment to tackling the construction skills shortage.Barnsley Brickwork, based on Regent Street South, has created more than 100 training opportunities and six jobs for Barnsley people over the last year - and has bagged Sheffield Housing Company’s (SHC) ‘sub-contractor of the quarter’ award for its efforts.The company, established in 2005, has worked with SHC on all of its projects throughout the city,...
Final flats at Gateway Plaza sold
A DEVELOPER who invested heavily in a town centre apartment complex has sold off its final flats to an overseas property fund.Quest Property, part of the Brook Group which opened the Gateway Plaza development of 188 flats ten years ago, this week sold its final 128 flats to the Australian L1 Property.It was always the intention, said Quest chief executive Jason Brook, to sell off the residential side of the development while retaining...
Kelly shows she is a cut above...
BRIDAL hairdresser Kelly Hanks has won a national competition for her work making brides around the country look their best on their big day.Kelly was runner-up in the Wedding Industry Awards ‘wedding hairdresser of the year’ award last year - but this time she’s gone from bridesmaid to bride, having bagged the top prize.The award, voted for by clients, saw Kelly win the regional final for the second year running and beat seven...
Boost to employment prospects
MORE than 100 new businesses have set up in Barnsley within the last 12 months, a report has revealed.The 105 firms represent a rise of 1.7 per cent on the previous year’s growth, which is the sixth highest increase in the Yorkshire and Humber region and only just below the national average of 1.8 per cent.“The main driver for the return to growth is attributed to the strong 10.5 per cent growth in...
Free first aid for parents
PARENTS are being invited to learn skills that could save their child’s life.MHE services, based at Carlton industrial Estate, is offering a free two hour first aid course to teach parents how to perform CPR, use an AED and what to do if a child is chocking.Faye Holmes, who works for MHE said: “Parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, or anyone with a baby or child close to their hearts is welcome to attend.“We...
Schools
Next generation fighting against fly-tipping
PUPILS at a primary school are campaigning that something be done at a fly-tipping hot spot in their village.Children from Goldthorpe Primary School regularly go out with their litter pickers cleaning up the green spaces around the school, but this week they came across a huge pile of discarded white goods in a lay-by on Doncaster Road.The school takes great pride in its outdoor provision and educating children in environmental matters, with outdoor...
Children do their bit for Australia
CHILDREN from a Worsbrough primary school were so touched by the news of the spreading Australian wildfires that they begged for a chance to help donate money to the cause.Pupils from The Mill Academy, Lobwood, asked their teachers how they could help after they saw news coverage of the Australian bushfires which have raged for more than a month.Spurred on by their pupils’ enthusiasm, the head of the school, Tamara Gulliver, organised a...
Education at secondary is ‘much weaker’
PRIMARY school pupils in Barnsley are excelling academically but the town’s secondaries have been found to be ‘much weaker’ than their national counterparts, an Ofsted study has revealed.The education watchdog’s annual report, which looks at schools’ attainment and inspection outcomes, reveals just 40 per cent of the borough’s secondary schools are good or outstanding-rated.This puts Barnsley at the bottom of the Yorkshire and Humber league table, as of August 31 last year, and...
Once troubled school now heading in right direction
THE head teacher of a previously failing primary school has reflected on a first term that has already seen a major turnaround.Rebecca Paddock, who became head teacher of Worsbrough Common Primary School in September after the school came under the management of the Hoyland Common Academy Trust, said her first priority was stabilising the school after what Ofsted inspectors called a ‘period of turbulence’.The school had dropped from ‘outstanding’ to requiring improvement in...
Primary school’s hive of activity...
PUPILS at a primary school are buzzing after producing their first batch of honey from their own beehive.Goldthorpe Primary pupils have been caring for their bees, and learning important lessons about their value to the environment, over the course of the past year. With support from Paul Freer and the Barnsley Bee Keepers Association, the students are looking to increase the size of their colony after their first successful harvest.Outdoor education teacher Chris...
Guides
Helping little learners get ready for big school
STARTING school is a big step for little children, but parents or carers can help them get ready for their first term in a number of ways.Rather than simply being about being able to read, write and do basic maths before starting school, school readiness is about the development of the whole child - their social and emotional skills, physical skills, communication skills and cognitive skills.It’s harder for children to thrive at school...
The new MOT test explained
THE new MOT test has arrived - here’s what you need to know if your car is due for its test.The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) says hew tighter limits for smoke on diesel vehicles and clearer fail categories that set out that vehicles should not be driven until a dangerous defect is repaired, will help improve air quality and make roads safer.Other changes include new checks on:- reversing lights on...
Cashback could bring many nappy returns
A child will go through an estimated 6,000 nappies by the time they are toilet trained - Mike Cotton spoke to a new mum and a waste management boss at the council to find out why switching to reusable nappies pays. BARNSLEY Council will give parents £40 paid into their bank account if they switch disposable nappies for reusable cloth nappies - but only a handful of people take up the offer.The council says...
What should you REALLY be putting in each bin?
THE amount of plastic we throw away has been in the news more since David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II series revealed the amount that ends up in the sea - we went to the council’s Smithies depot to find out what we can and can’t put in our recycling bins.The rules seem simple - plastic bottles, glass and tin cans go in the brown bin.But can the lids go in too? And should...
Memories of Barnsley
Railway viaduct builders always managed to stick to schedule
THE NAYLOR family includes generations of brick makers, railway contractors and drainage clay pipe specialists who have played an important role not only locally in the Penistone, Denby Dale and Cawthorne area, but worldwide.The long established pipe making business Naylor’s was founded by Wilfred Naylor, the eldest of the sixth generation of brick makers and still operates from the successful Cawthorne site among other bases.He was born the eldest of the sixth generation...
2006: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives fro this week in 2006.A STATUE to mark the role played by women during the miners’ strike and pit closures has been erected in a Barnsley church.The figurine of St Barbara, the patron saint of mineworkers, will be dedicated at a service at St Luke’s Church, Grimethorpe and is in tribute to the village’s Women Against Pit Closures group.It has been commissioned and produced in...
1982: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from this month in 1982. A BARNSLEY lad has found fame and fortune as a rock star in Japan. On his recent visit, Paul Hampshire, 19, was mobbed by fans after appearing on television and radio. Pull-out posters were given away in magazines, featuring him in full colour. Things have happened very quickly for Paul, who left The Danse Society, with whom he played synthesiser, and headed for...
1964: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton takes a look back at the Barnsley Chronicle from this week 56 years ago. BRITISH policemen are acknowledged to be wonderful and one particular policeman has made a lasting impression on one visitor and can be regularly seen on traffic control duties in the centre of Barnsley.He is PC William Harber, a 32-years-old member of the Borough Force whose main claim to fame - apart from the efficient way in which he...
1995: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton takes a look back at the Barnsley Chronicle from this week 25 years ago. A WILD animal, believed to be a puma, has been spotted prowling the isolated moors above Penistone.It was seen by barrister Christopher Mills who says it came within a few feet of the door of his Dunford Bridge home.Christopher, 46, had gone out to scrape ice from his car when the security lights flashed on, revealing the...
