I walk my dog in the mornings and some afternoons along all the perimeter roads around Oak Cottage and find without fail 10 to 13 cars dropping children off outside the school.
There are three to four cars in Wadleys Road parked up taking children to and from school and always up to 10 cars parked on adjoining roads that are not included in school streets. Obviously it just moved the problem to other local roads where many of the vehicles are parked badly too near road island and junctions etc.
With regard to the vehicles travelling along the school streets at prohibited times and in speeds in excess of 20 mph, in my view the road signs must be invisible to the road users. The majority of the vehicles using the school streets have no stickers to show they live in these streets and speed through these streets as quick as they can in case they get caught .
The scheme has been policed after the initial first week or two only on one further occasion to my knowledge, and with the exception of an initial questionnaire I am not aware of further consultation.
I live on Wadleys Road and as well as the School Street signs there are also signs prohibiting the use of the road unless for access to the homes. Even when the scheme was being policed all the usual vehicles parked in Fir Croft .
I am sure there are a number of children that walk, scoot or cycle to school, but with so many being taken to school by car and scooting or walking the last few hundred yards it is not the success that is claimed. The statement of ‘No cars at key times and 20 mph zones’ would be very welcomed as the safety of all the children would be improved but without this being enforced parents and children have to be aware of a false sense of safety.
I do hope things can be addressed as the safety of all is paramount.
Kevin Cooper
Olton
The article on Moor Green Football Club and the published book has brought back happy memories for me.
During the 1950s all the family were members of the club, and I still have my membership badge. If my memory serves me right Stu Gane was the chairman and a family friend. We were down at Sherwood Road every Saturday during the football season. My father a keen amateur football fan, having come from Northumberland and a supporter of Bishop Auckland. (He took me to Wembley in 1953 to see Bishop Auckland versus Hendon in the Amateur Cup Final). My mother served drinks at half time underneath the main stand, and I had the hut, at the Sherwood Rd entrance serving half time refreshments. The gate keeper was “Wally” an elderly gentleman who gave me a chocolate éclair every week, and he always had a complimentary drink. I would have only been about 16. During the 1950’s a new Club room was built and during its construction, I remember one of the members was down sanding the floor on his torso as he had lost his legs in the second world war. We lived in Peterbrook Road, Majors Green, at that time and coming home in my sisters car one very rainy evening, we had to go through the ford at the aqueduct, which was flooded. The car got stuck and my father had to take off his socks and shoes, roll up his trousers and give me a piggy-back out of them water. His message to me was “Tell your mother we are stuck in the ford”. I ran home and came back with a rope so we could pull the car out. That should not happen today, unless there was serious flooding, as the road level was raised many years ago.
Ann Turner
Shirley
