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Welcome to our opinons page, here you will find columns from well known locals such as Chrissy Dawson, Dan Jarvis, Ian McMillan, Milly Johnson 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.

Milly Johnson: 15.03.2
I was surprised as many others to hear that there are plans afoot to make Townend roundabout more ‘Dutch’ and bicycle friendly. It might sound a bit awful to say but the only people I ever see on bicycles on that roundabout are dodgy types that look as if they’re on a quick getaway from something. Thinking of the disruption that will cause to build makes me want to lie down in a dark...
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Stephanie Peacock: 15.03.24
On March 6, the Chancellor delivered his spring budget statement to Parliament. As the cost of living remains high and wage growth falls, we needed measures to alleviate financial pressures on households across the country. People feel worse off than they did in 2010, and, after 14 years of Conservative government, mortgage rates are up, bills remain high and fuel prices are astronomical. Real pay has gone up by just £17 per week since 2010...
Milly Johnson (Credit - Roth Read Photography)
Milly Johnson: 08.03.24
As someone who walks around Penny Pie Park every day, I have to say that it crossed my mind that the recent visiting fair might make a mess of the grass. But I’m not going to join in any criticism. I thought it was lovely having it there, a bit of old school fun and I was only sorry that the weather was so bad some days that the fairground folk might not be...
Ian McMillan: 15.03.24
ME and my artist mate Iain Nicholls decided to go on one of our arty/poety strolls recently; we wander round bits of the borough taking photographs and writing notes and maybe, just maybe, these images and words will become a joint piece of creative work. Or we might just get some steps in, which is good for us. The French would call us flaneurs; people who wander aimlessly to get a better view of...
Chrissy Dawson (new)
Chrissy Dawson: 08.03.24
I can remember when I had to fill in patient information forms, you know the ones, the ones that you have to fill in when changing dentists etc… No, I am not changing my dentist, I absolutely love my dentist Liam to death, I wouldn’t change him for the world. I always think if you get a good dentist, doctor and hairdresser you should hold onto them, but back to the form filling. ...
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Dan Jarvis: 08.03.24
Easter is just around the corner and images of eggs – those laid by hens as well as the chocolate variety – already surround us in schools, churches and shops. It seems a good time then to share a few thoughts about my experience of keeping chickens! I’ve kept chickens for as long as I can remember, and I guess I always will. There’s just something so relaxing and peaceful about the way that...
Stephanie Peacock: 01.03.24
World Book Day 2024 will be taking place on 7th March, and is a chance for children to engage in reading, and find out what books interest them. The National Literacy Trust and World Book Day work together every year to organise this event for children across the UK. They want to ensure that every child has the opportunity to have a book of their own, and are able to read for pleasure. A big part...
Ian McMillan: 01.03.24
On the X19 the other day two very different ideas came together in one space, that space being the seat near the back on the left hand side. I like to sit near the back because for the last year or so as I travel up and down the Dearne Valley on the bus I’ve been conducting an informal survey that I (informally) call ‘What Kind of Hat?’ and I have come to the...
Chrissy Dawson: 23.02.24
I really don’t like January and February - I tend to get the blues. Not depressed, but blue. It’s the constant grey skies, the icy wind and the bloody rain. I mean, just how much rain do we seem to have? It’s around this time that I begin to find things to do. Now I’m not doing as much acting work this year so this should be the perfect opportunity for me to relax,...
Milly Johnson (Credit - Roth Read Photography)
Milly Johnson: 16.02.24
I HAVE been thinking about my mum more than ever recently and her treatment up at the hospital – more on that one later. And when one has time to think I do wonder why, on occasion, I gave all the information needed to the virtual ward nurse who came out to see mum, then an hour later I had to repeat everything to the ambulance driver who imputted it into his system, then...
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Ian McMillan: 16.02.24
Here I am at the busy bus station and the bus I’m waiting for is a bit late. There’s a crowd waiting for the bus that looks a bit freeform but if you look really carefully you can more or less make out that it’s a queue. Or can you? Time will tell. Because I can’t work out which part of the ‘queue’ I’m meant to be in, I take up my usual position of...
Milly Johnson: 01.03.24
I get some of my best lines from mixing with tarn folk you know. At my recent book launch a lovely woman said to me ‘Just to let you know you’re better looking in real life’. Which is the point at which a compliment should stop, shouldn’t it? You’ve done your duty and delivered an ego boost. But no, she went on ‘…because some of your photos – OOOOF’. Ha. Ego in the bin. But...
Milly Johnson: 23.02.24
Daft woman of the week was the one that obviously got her green traffic light and her green man mixed up and decided to walk out in front of cars heading up Shambles Street and nearly got herself splattered. Then what did she do when she got to the other side of the road? She pressed the button to stop the traffic. I wonder where she was in the queue when they were giving out...
Dan Jarvis: 23.02.24
As we approach the General Election, it is a statement of fact to say there are a range of malign forces seeking to interfere and undermine our democratic process. Be under no illusion that our democracy is under attack and we need to ensure we are prepared to counter the threats to the integrity of the election process. The right to vote is a precious one, earned over centuries of struggle, and allows us...
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Stephanie Peacock: 16.02.24
February is LGBT+ History Month, an important chance to celebrate the incredible stories of a community forced to be hidden for so long. This includes the fascinating story from Darfield of Maurice Dobson and Fred Halliday, who were in an openly gay relationship from the 1950s - a time when homosexuality was neither accepted nor legal - until Fred’s death in 1988. Maurice was born in Wombwell in 1912. Like most boys of his...
Dan Jarvis (new)
Dan Jarvis: 09.02.24
From the famous Barnsley Markets to our award-winning parks and green spaces, I find myself continually captivated by the unique character of our town and the beauty it contains. Yet, among the many characteristics that contribute to Barnsley’s charm, often overlooked are the diverse dialects that colour our conversations. The beauty of our local dialects lie not only in how they sound, but in the stories and traditions they embody. They’re a living reflection...
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Chrissy Dawson: 09.02.24
Well, I don’t know about anyone else but I really hate these dark days we’re having. Waking up on a morning and it’s still dark and it doesn’t get any brighter as the day goes along. I think I suffer from ‘SAD’ - seasonal affective disorder. In January and February, I always start feeling a bit down. I don’t want to go out for my daily walk because it’s usually wet, cold and dark....
Ian McMillan: 02.02.24
YEARS ago, when I was a young lad, wanting to be a writer, I used to make an annual pilgrimage to the Ilkley Literature Festival. I’d get the bus to Barnsley, the train to Leeds and then the train to Ilkley and as I rattled along roads and rails the landscape around me would slowly and subtly change and the pitstacks would be replaced by rolling hills and the brick of South Yorkshire would...
Milly Johnson: 02.02.24
CAN you believe we are in February already? If you are feeling a bit glum may I recommend buying a hyacinth from your local supermarket where they are as cheap as chips (mind you chips aren’t cheap these days are they? You either buy fish and chips or pay the month’s mortgage!). Anyway, they won’t break the bank and they’re scented with spring and will cheer you up. Or a bunch of daffs. There’s...
Chrissy Dawson (new)
Chrissy Dawson: 26.01.24
I am one of those rather annoying people that is always banging on to other people, usually my family about having their photo taken. “In years to come” I say, “You’ll look back at photo’s because that’s all that’ll be left.” And as they all make groaning sounds and line up and pose, I know that they are only doing it to keep me happy. But I must admit that I am the worst person...
Dan Jarvis (new)
Dan Jarvis: 25.01.24
First and foremost, I am a Barnsley MP proudly working each day to stand up for our town and my constituents. Last autumn I was also appointed as shadow security minister – and this means working to protect the people we hold dear, the institutions we rely upon and the way of life we enjoy in Barnsley and around the UK. There is no greater duty than keeping our country safe. One issue people...
Milly Johnson: 09.02.24
I have started the process of packing up my mum’s house, her effects, her little treasures that meant nothing to anyone else but she loved them. It has been a fresh kind of hell seeing small gifts I bought my parents many years ago in their drawers, including a gent’s manicure set I bought for dad when I was eleven. It has broken me, but I have to do it, I don’t want to...
Stephanie Peacock: 02.02.24
FRAUD is now the most common crime in the UK, and the effects on victims can be devastating and long-lasting. Findings from the BBC estimate that the UK loses £2,300 per minute to fraud, or a staggering £7 billion per year. Barclays bank estimate that a fraudulent transaction happens every 15 seconds in the UK alone. Over the past 14 years, the rise of social media, online shopping and online banking has provided...
Milly Johnson: 26.01.24
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Raymond Pearson, the walking miracle man, who recently received his nuclear test medal after volunteering to take part in incredibly dangerous testing in Australia in 1957. Scientists didn’t believe these men would live past 40, and yet Raymond was luckier than many. But sadly, aged 86, Raymond has just passed away. His family are understandably upset, especially as he has just got his medal. But better...
Ian McMillan
Ian McMillan: 19.01.24
The other week I gave a talk to the Darfield branch of the U3A, the University of the Third Age, at Darfield Church Hall, that venerable building in what I like to think of as Darfield’s Cultural Quarter, with the three other points of the cultural compass being Darfield Museum, The Cross Keys pub and All Saints Church. I’d not been into the Church Hall for a few months; last time I was there...
Milly Johnson (Credit - Roth Read Photography)
Milly Johnson: 19.01.24
I am most definitely not alone in being transfixed by the story of the wronged postmasters and postmistresses who took on a government institution and would not be fobbed off. I’m as interested in the story behind the story – that the writer of the drama was told that probably not a lot of people would watch it. That the lead actor Toby Jones, took a pay cut to ensure that the programme...
Stephanie Peacock
Alongside cold weather, high heating bills and a little less disposable income after an especially expensive month, January can often feel comparably miserable. This has led to the idea that the third Monday in January is ‘Blue Monday’, allegedly the most difficult day of the year. However, the Samaritans have renamed this as ‘Brew Monday’; an opportunity to get people together, stay connected and raise awareness about how important it is to talk...
Milly Johnson: 12.01.24
I was absolutely gutted to hear about the death of David Soul – to those of us of an age ‘Hutch’, who I used to fancy like mad as a teenager in the 1970s, the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. He was probably one of the most famous men on TV at the time, women adored him – and his partner Starsky. The fame wore him down, he never bettered his role as Hutch,...
Ian McMillan: 05.01.24
New years like this one are often a time to look forward and, as I said to one of my grandchildren at Christmas, I’m planning to live to the ripe old age of 120. Actually, that’ll probably be an overripe old age. When I said it some of the people in the room looked at me like I was daft but when you think about it there are a lot more 100-year-olds around than...
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Stephanie Peacock: 05.01.23
As we enter the New Year, it's often a period of setting goals and a time to look forward. But for many locally, January will be a difficult month with the pressures of the cost of living, rising bills and falling wages being felt acutely. Around one million people across the UK worked over Christmas Day, with many more doing the same over New Year, keeping our vital services kept running. Everyone from...
Milly Johnson (Credit - Roth Read Photography)
Milly Johnson: 29.12.23
So did you get everything you wanted for Christmas then? It’s been a contemplative one for me this year, my head dipping back to my childhood Christmases and mum’s lovely cooking. I can’t believe there is even an argument about if Yorkshire puddings belong on a Christmas dinner plate. Of COURSE they do. I mean, the mind boggles. Maybe my presents received, have acquired a rosy glow over the years but I still remember...
Dan Jarvis: 12.01.24
As we welcome the new year, it is worth recognising that the month of January can bring unique challenges for many in our community. The end of the festive season often comes with financial difficulties, particularly as we are still in the midst of a cost of living crisis and, in times such as this, our local churches are invaluable pillars of support. Over the past few weeks, I've had the privilege of visiting...
Chrissy Dawson: 12.01.24
I know that as we all get older our memories aren’t as good, but I have to admit that over the last few weeks my memory is absolutely terrible. I seem to beginmost of my conversations with “Did I tell you?” or “I’ve probably told you this already.” Knowing deep down that I have most definitely not only told them once but several times. And I can see by the look on their faces...
Dan Jarvis: 05.01.24
I hope that you all had the best possible Christmas and New Year and managed to take a break in order to spend time with family and friends and catch up with some well-earned rest after another challenging year. As we enter 2024, many will be considering New Year’s Resolutions – perhaps dusting off that gym membership, reaching for the cookbooks for new inspiration, perhaps taking up a new hobby or considering doing some...
Milly Johnson (Credit - Roth Read Photography)
Milly Johnson: 22.12.23
Finally we have solved how to get a hot chocolate from one of the big name coffee places doing their festive specials after I had yet another one which was lukewarm at best. Who wants a cold hot chocolate? ‘Ah, this is how you do it,’ said a helpful person on Facebook. ‘You need to order it extra hot’. So we did – and guess what, it worked. You would think the ‘hot’ in hot...
Ian McMillan
Ian McMillan: 22.12.23
We all have favourite Christmas stories and Christmas films and because I’m old-fashioned my Christmas films tend towards the sentimental. I love the original 1934 version of Miracle on 34th Street with its black and white tale of someone who may or may not (and my betting is on the ‘may’) be the real Father Christmas, and the perennially popular It’s A Wonderful Life where James Stewart, again in black and white, learns a few...
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Dan Jarvis: 22.12.23
As we approach Christmas, I am reminded of the unique and powerful way in which it brings our community together. In difficult times, Christmas can serve as a beacon of hope and fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose that helps transcend the challenges we face. One of the most inspiring aspects of the festive season is the way in which we rally together to support those who are struggling. Overcoming these struggles...
Chrissy Dawson: 15.12.23
Oh god! I should feel excited about the build up to Christmas, the shops are full of gifts, the cafes and pubs are decorated, and markets are everywhere. But I’m not; I so want to feel the butterfly flutters of merriment and celebrations, buying gifts for loved ones, but all I keep saying to anyone that is near me is ‘tell me, is it over yet?’ I feel a right Scrooge. Somehow Christmas doesn’t feel...
Josh Timlin: 08.12.23
I WAS given the Cudworth district as my patch when I first joined the Chronicle about a decade ago. I remember it being a daunting-but-enjoyable task; it was a large area as it also included villages such as Grimethorpe and Royston but the people there were friendly and I still keep in touch with many of the contacts I made back then. People like Dave North, Cliff Gorman, Johnny Wood, Les Holt and...
Milly Johnson (Credit - Roth Read Photography)
Milly Johnson: 01.12.23
I’ve been to the hospital quite a lot recently. Not for myself, but for a relative and staying there for a long loooonnng time. To the extent that I could find myself going above and beyond 12 hours without anything to scoff. I doubt very much if I’ll waste away but hunger does have the effect of making you start to crave certain things. As soon as a friend mentioned in jest, I should...
Dan Jarvis (new)
Dan Jarvis: 01.12.23
What I’m about to say isn’t in any way motivated by party politics. It’s out of sheer exasperation at the incompetence of the current and recent Governments. As someone who passionately believes in our country and wants us to succeed, it is beyond frustrating that the current PM and his cabal of senior ministers appear to be completely inept and constantly marred by sleaze and scandal. I’m not saying that because they belong to a...
Stephanie Peacock: 22.12.23
As always, it has been a busy year, and as Christmas approaches and the year comes to an end, I have been reflecting on the work I have done throughout 2023. I have campaigned on a number of issues facing people in Barnsley this year. This has included pressing the Government to award Levelling Up Funding to Barnsley East’s many deserving projects, highlighting the inadequacies of bus services in our area and of...
Stephanie Peacock: 08.12.23
Winter is a time for festivities and celebration that many look forward to throughout the year. However, it can also be a time of great anxiety, as costs mount up at this time of year, not least because of higher energy usage needed to keep homes warm. As the cost of living remains high, so do energy bills. I know that many working families will have been resisting turning on the heating, but...
Chrissy Dawson: 01.12.23
Years ago I used to go to a yoga class, and I must say that I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, over the years my yoga days have dwindled down to nonexistent. Yes, my bendy days are over. Or are they? Well not so long ago I happened to be at a place where they offered a free yoga class. Why not, I thought - surely it can’t be that difficult to find my long lost...
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Stephanie Peacock: 24.11.23
Last year, the BBC announced a transformation of their local provision that threatened the existence of beloved local radio services. Many councillors, MPs and national politicians have been held to account through local radio. The loss of local radio services has put this at risk. BBC Radio Sheffield has been a great example of this, with presenter Toby Foster holding Sheffield City Council to account over the tree-felling inquiry, which encouraged the Council...
Ian McMillan
Ian McMillan: 24.11.23
As I write this, it’s raining. It was just spitting a bit but now it’s siling it down. I can see it causing a storm in the birdbath, which is like a storm in a teacup but with feathers. Oh: it’s stopped again, suddenly, like a tap in the sky has been turned off. I might get out for a stroll. No, it’s started again, from spitting to siling in the blink of an...