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Opinions
Welcome to our opinons page, here you will find columns from well known locals such as Chrissy Dawson, Dan Jarvis, Ian McMillan, Milly Johnson, Ronnie Steele, Shelly Diprose and Stephanie Peacock.
As always we like to encourage our readers to get in touch with issues that matter to them.
If you'd like to send in a letter to our Editor based on something you have read today, or on another topic you can do so via email here.
Dan Jarvis: Invaluable hospice needs everyone’s support
Barnsley Hospice holds a special place in my heart and the hearts of many across our town, and as we approach the festive season, their Light up a Life appeal provides a poignant opportunity for people to remember their loved ones and support the hospice they relied upon.
The appeal has been running for almost 20 years and offers people the opportunity to make a donation and dedicate a light in memory of someone...
Ronnie Steele: Pride for my hometown
SINCE the age of eight, pride for my hometown has run through every fibre of my being, like letters in a stick of seaside rock. I might sometimes criticise Barnsley, but I always fiercely defend it from outside attacks.
“Penny for your thoughts?” says Janet, as I day-dream.
“Just thinking back to our 1966 family holiday in Blackpool.”
I explain that every morning before breakfast, me and my dad would go for a...
Milly Johnson: Poignant day had a comedic and memorable twist
I AM totally sick of politics – but what I’m more sick of is something me and the old man thought together and then realised we weren’t alone.
In the old days of Richard Baker, Sandy Gall, Robert Dougall, Angela Rippon etc, they read the news with detachment and clarity.
There was no colouring of their own political leanings.
Why do modern day anchors and chairpeople these days feel the need to bleed...
Stephanie Peacock: We will never forget the sacrifices made by military personnel
Every year, on the eleventh day of the eleventh hour of the eleventh month, we mark Armistice Day across the country.
We remember those who fought for our future through some of the most gruelling conditions imaginable, some of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice.
We will never forget their service.
In Barnsley, there is always much going on in the weeks leading up to the occasion, and this year has been no exception....
Milly Johnson: ‘We’re only as happy as our unhappiest child’
IT IS a hard year for my friend Claire Throssell, who lost her mum in September and this month marks the tenth anniversary of that terrible fire, started deliberately by their own father, which killed her two sons Jack and Paul.
Since Claire could gather herself up, she has fought against courts to protect children in domestic abuse situations because, as in her case, judges gave access rights to those who should never have...
Dan Jarvis: Football club's community trust is a vital asset
Barnsley FC Community Trust’s Premier League Kicks programme is a shining example of how the power of football can be harnessed to build a safer and healthier Barnsley.
The initiative provides a range of activities for young people aged eight to 18, helping steer them away from antisocial behaviour while offering them a sense of belonging, purpose and hope.
The programme is built on strong partnerships with South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Fire...
Ian McMillan: Porridge is just the tonic in this weather
I reckon Goldilocks would like it at my house, and not because the bed is comfortable and not because the chair doesn’t shatter into kindling when you sit on it.
No, I reckon she’d like it because the porridge is just right – and it hasn’t got the bits of shattered chair in it that have flown across the room.
When I was a sulky teenager I thought that porridge for your breakfast was...
Ronnie Steele: Janet and I love to recycle
JANET and I love to recycle, but we can’t quite agree on which items are most important in the process.
She’s a traditionalist who diligently deposits plastic, paper, glass, garden waste, etc, in the appropriate bins. Furthermore, she gets a terrific buzz out of cleaning up the environment around Wombwell Lane.
Me? I’m always too busy to pick up other people’s garbage. Janet says, “Look how pleasant the weather is. Let’s walk on...
Ronnie Steele: THINGS aren’t what they used to be
It’s 1965, I’m 10 years old, and I’m standing with my dad, at the front of the uncovered Spion Kop at Oakwell. Today, the Reds take on the mighty Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup. We’ve been in the ground for over an hour, to ensure I get my own little space at the low wall that borders the pitch. Entrance for juveniles is ticket only, at only two-bob (10 pence...
Ian McMillan: Bus services still aren’t up to scratch
I was buoyed up by that optimistic piece in the Chronicle last week headlined ‘Control Over Bus Services Edging Closer’ as the long journey towards the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority running the buses takes another step forward because, let’s face it, the buses can’t continue as they are.
As you know, I live in Darfield and we’ve just had our 218 service filleted, to use a polite term. The bus used to be...
Milly Johnson: ‘Find someone who cares about the small things’
ON my dog walk in the mornings, I started to see a crow always in the same place.
I noticed after a couple of days that he couldn’t get off the ground because he didn’t have enough feathers to his wings.
I looked up what to do about that and the advice was: catch it and take it to the vet. Maybe, I thought, it might be as well to let nature take its...
Chrissy Dawson: Putting on a duvet is the least of my many worries…
I CAN quite easily get very confused by things and it can take a long time – if I ever do manage it – to get my head around these confusing things.
Let me explain. Early last year, I bought an apple tree. Looked just like any other apple tree but this one was, I was informed, a ‘self-pollinating’ tree.
“What! Don’t be daft,” I told the shop assistant. “So, how does that work?”...
Dan Jarvis: Sporting success has hopefully just started
From the freshly mown Wimbledon grass to the roar of engines at Silverstone, and the greatest show on earth in Paris – 2024 has seen a spectacular summer of sport so far – and Barnsley has certainly played its part!
For Gareth Southgate and his team, it wasn’t to be, but just look how far they have come since being dumped out of the competition by Iceland just eight years ago.
That journey to...
Dan Jarvis: Summertime’s precious for families
With the summer holidays upon us and the sun having finally made a welcome appearance here in Barnsley, I hope these next few weeks will offer a welcome break for folk to spend precious quality time together.
I know for many families the summer holidays mean balancing childcare with work and keeping the kids entertained. Fortunately, there are lots of affordable events and activities taking place on our doorstep for all to enjoy.
...
Milly Johnson: My son's degree was a proud moment
LAST weekend when it looked as if summer had landed, I spent a glorious day watching my son get his degree.
I’ve seen plenty of girls and boys in his class get theirs over the past couple of weeks and realised that they aren’t girls and boys any more, they’re men and women and my son is, himself, a man now.
Somehow I blinked and he grew. He has studied very hard for...
Chrissy Dawson: Fitting tributes to one-of-a-kind Malc
Last Friday we said goodbye to Mr Malcolm Wainwright, as many will know him, for he was the headteacher at Churchfield Primary School in Cudworth for 31 years.
To his friends, which Pete and I had the great pleasure to know him as, he was Malc.
He saw and helped generations of families go through the school doors and his door was always open, not only to pupils and parents, but also to the...
Josh Timlin: Brave Carol finally receives her apology
CAROL Higgins’ story shocked the nation in 2019 when – finally – her despicable ‘dad’, Elliott Appleyard, was jailed for raping her countless times under a reign of terror which started when she was just 12.
He denied multiple counts of rape and indecent assault which happened between April 1982 and April 1985, forcing his daughter to once again re-live the shocking ordeal she had been put through.
I remember covering that two-week...
Dan Jarvis: 24.05.24
As the weather starts to warm and the days draw out, I’m reminded of the excellent local events that celebrate the great outdoors and make the most of our town’s natural beauty.
The Barnsley Boundary Relay, which returns on June 15, is a perfect example of this.
Following on from the Barnsley Walking Festival, which still has many exciting events to come in its final week, the relay is a great excuse, not that...
Stephanie Peacock: 03.05.24
Hospices support families at the most difficult time in their lives as their loved ones receive end of life care.
Every year, 300,000 patients across over 200 adult and children’s hospice sites access hospice care. In Barnsley, I know how important Barnsley Hospice is to local people. I visited again a few weeks ago for their Spring Fayre, and whenever I visit, I am struck by their kindness and dedication.
Like hospices across...
Chrissy Dawson: 19.04.24
NOWADAYS, there are gadgets everywhere...
In shops, there are the handheld price scanners that you carry around with you to add up your shopping as you troddle around.
And don’t even get me started on the self-serve checkouts because I absolutely refuse to use one of those.
No, I like to see a person in front of me so I can have a little conversation about this and that.
A flipping machine...
