A NEW £2 million junior school in Pitsford, including a gym, library and 10 classrooms, has opened to pupils.

Pitsford Junior School, which also includes art and music rooms as well as an outdoor early years play area, has taken a year to build.

The new school will cater for up to 180 pupils, aged from three to 11, and replaces temporary buildings that were previously used by the junior school children.

The junior school division was set up in temporary accommodation in 1991, two years after Pitsford School was founded following parent demand.

The school currently has 322 pupils.

Headteacher Noel Toone said: “This will not increase the capacity of the school as a whole, as the maximum number is 440 and is set by the Government.

“What it will mean is the junior school pupils will be able to have their own lovely building, creating less demand on sharing rooms at the senior school, such as the main hall.”

The new junior school, which has been built in the old orchard to blend in with the surrounding area, will continue with one form entry into reception, adding a second class at year four or five depending on demand.

Mr Toone has asked the junior school pupils to write down how they feel about their new building.

A spokesman for the school said: “The excitement of moving in and learning in the new state-of-the-art classrooms was visible for all to see.

“There were smiles and shrieks of delight as pupils entered the building and viewed their new school for the first time.

“‘Wow!’ appeared to be a favourite initial reaction to the new school.”

An open day will be held on Saturday, March 24, from 10am to noon when parents will be able to look around the new building and meet teachers and pupils.

Personal tours can also be arranged throughout term time by contacting Karen Cannon, on Northampton 880306 or kcan non@pitsfordschool.com

IT’S time to tell us about your stars in the classroom as we celebrate excellence in the county’s schools in our Chronicle & Echo Term-time Education Awards 2012.

We are launching our campaign because we want to publicly recognise the amazing work and achievements of pupils, teaching and support staff as well as volunteers that often goes unnoticed.

The awards, whose main sponsor is ACS Office Solutions, in Brackmills, Northampton, needs parents, teachers, pupils, governors and non-teaching staff to nominate individuals or groups who have made a difference to their school or community.

This year there are eight categories ranging from Pupil of the Year, School of the Year, Arts Achievement Award and Inspirational Teaching Award.

Due to the huge success of last year’s event, we have included a new council’s choice award designed to honour good leadership in schools by recognising headteacher, deputy headteacher, governors, school business manager and anybody else at a senior management level.

Nominations for this category which is sponsored by The Training Space education consultancy will be made by Northamptonshire County Council.

The awards also includes an Unsung Hero category which pays tribute to support staff and volunteers who are not always on the frontline but have a fundamental role in the running of a school.

This could be anyone in a non-teaching role such as cleaner, bursar, lunch-time supervisor, librarian, volunteer reader and caretaker who goes the extra mile day-in, day-out.

The Chronicle & Echo’s editor David Summers said: “

Chronicle & Echo editor David Summers said: “This is your chance to showcase everything that is good about your school. And it’s an opportunity for parents and pupils to say thank you to those who have gone above and beyond in their role at school.”

To nominate, fill the entry form and explain your reasons on a sheet of A4 paper for choosing a particular individual or team. You can enter more than one category.

Entries can include photographs, copies of certificates or documents.

The nominations need to be with us by May 4, 2012.

You can find out more on our Education Awards 2012 ‘microsite’ where you can also nominate people online.

Click {http://www2.northamptontoday.co.uk/northamptoneducationawards2012|Education Awards 2012|alt text} to launch the site.

There is an earlier deadline of April 30 for Unsung Hero nominations which will be decided by a public vote.

The nominations will be judged by a panel of education experts.

Winners of the categories will be announced at an awards ceremony held in the Guildhall, Northampton, on June 26.

So is there someone you know who deserves to stand in the public spotlight because they have gone beyond the call of duty?

Is it a pupil who has shown to be an active citizen and played a full part in school life? Perhaps there is a young person who has provided consistent support for their fellow peers.

Or maybe there is a team who has excelled in a particular sport or has overcome physical or personal barriers.

If so, let us know and enter them into our education awards so we can sing their praises.

Turn to the back of the supplement for the Chronicle & Echo Education Awards 2012 entry form.

What we’re looking for in the nominees

Pupil of the Year (primary school);

Pupil of the Year (secondary school, 11-18)

Recognition of a pupil for their performance and achievement, academic or non-academic. They may have achieved high results in a range of subjects, participated in activities such as fund-raising, achieved success under difficult circumstances or perhaps they’ve made positive changes within the school community.

n A good influence on other pupils or students

n An active citizen who plays a full part in school life

n Consistent support for other pupils, enabling them to achieve

n Show enterprising qualities such as running a project that impacts on the school and learning

n Has overcome personal barriers to learning.

Inspirational Teaching Award

This recognises teachers and supply teachers who have made an outstanding contribution and provided an inspiration to children. It recognises the commitment and dedication of a teacher in the drive to engage pupils regardless of a child’s social-economical background or additional needs (such as emotional difficulties.)

n Has a practice that inspires and encourages pupils to achieve

n Adopts creative and innovative approaches, recognises the diversity of pupils’ needs (Judges would need a summary of the creative approach adopted/techniques used by a teacher)

n A motivator who encourages and supports pupils to reach their full potential

n Judges would need evidence of the teacher’s impact. This could range from pupil feedback to increased pupil uptake of a club, or a measurable improvement in student performance.

School of the Year

Recognition of a school for its positive contribution to the community, raising pupil achievement or collaborative work with other schools to raise standards and inspire learning (this does not necessarily focus on pupils achieving high grades).

n Recognised for stretching, challenging, inspiring pupils, helping them reach their true potential

n Provides a rich and varied curriculum as well as innovative extra-curricular activities for children and young people

n Encourages young people to be citizens of the local, national and global community

n Listens and responds to pupil voice

n Works in partnership with others local schools, schools in other areas, other countries and other organisations) to provide and enhance learning -opportunities and experiences

n Impacts on the community through school projects, welcoming the community into the school enriching the curriculum or sharing facilities.

Unsung Hero (winner to be determined by public vote)

Paying tribute to those who make a significant contribution to the school community behind the scenes and have an impact on daily life. This could range from volunteer readers to caretakers and school secretaries. The category is open non-teaching professionals.

n Goes the extra mile by giving support beyond their remit

n Has made a difference to the lives children and young people through their role

n A sustained commitment to the school over time.

NEW CATEGORY

Leadership Award (nominations by Northamptonshire County Council)

Recognition of a school leader; this may be from any mainstream or special school or pupil referral unit: headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, subject or phase leader, chair of governors or school business manager (bursar). Other categories of school leader may be considered if they meet the criteria below:

n Recognised for significant contribution to raising standards of achievement across or within the school

n Adopts innovative approaches to leadership which energise and mobilise change and action

n Motivates and inspires others to achieve the best possible conditions for pupils’ learning.

Sports Achievement Award

Rewarding an individual pupil or team for excelling in a particular sport at school or through their commitment outside of normal classroom hours. Judges will look at their involvement and participation in teams and dedication to after-school clubs.

n Achieved recognition, selection and high performance at local, regional and national levels or

n Demonstrates leadership qualities by co-ordinating sporting activities for others (such as coaching for younger pupils)

n Shows commitment and dedication

n Overcomes barriers (whether physical or personal) to participate.

Arts Achievement Award

Rewarding an individual pupil or group for excelling in a particular art form at school or through their commitment outside of normal classroom hours. Judges will look at their involvement and participation in teams and/or dedication to after-school clubs

n Achieved recognition for their high quality work/performance levels

n Shows commitment and dedication to their own work, and through supporting others with theirs.

FREEZING temperatures and snow may have been sweeping across the county but pupils in Northampton are literally reaping the fruits from their tropical experiment.

Dozens of bananas have been spotted among the undergrowth in a climate controlled greenhouse known as the mini-Eden Project set up 18 months ago at Thomas Becket Catholic School.

Since the glass house was installed, staff and students at the secondary school in Becket Way, Spinney Hill, have been tending to a wide range of exotic and Mediterranean plants including the Rajapuri variety of the Indian banana plant.

Horticulture teacher Jane Solazzo said: “We have an afterschool club which regularly meets to maintain the plants in the green house and were amazed when one of the year nine students Liam Claris saw the bananas as he was cutting back the leaves.

“The Rajapuri was one of the original plants installed in the green house but we never expected it to cultivate any fruit.

“We must have obviously got the temperatures and humidity levels right for them to grow.”

The Rajapur is native to northern India and is among 50 different plants cared for in the greenhouse.

The tropical area in the school conservatory is kept at 14C during the day and above 10C at night with humidity levels of 80 to 85 per cent, while the Mediterranean division is lower with temperatures set at 11C during the day and at 9C at night, humidity levels set at 40 per cent.

Mrs Solazzo said: “It’s actually nice to see for themselves how bananas grow in real life . . . as they grow upside down on a tree.

“Over time they have been getting bigger.

“Who knows what else we’ll find in our green house.”

There was relief all round at Sixfields last week as the Cobblers recorded only their second home win of the season.

For the match officials it was certainly a case of ‘could do better’.

Not helped by an assistant on the west stand side who had an absolute nightmare with throw-ins, referee Andy D’Urso never got to grips with the time-wasting tactics employed by the visitors.

Almost from the very first minute, Wimbledon goalkeeper, Seb Brown appeared to walk at almost funereal pace to recover the ball from behind his goal and then very slowly walk 20 yards to place the ball in the farthest corner of the goal area before taking a goal-kick.

It was almost half an hour before any warning was given.

Referees have the power to caution players for deliberate time-wasting activities such as this, and they can add on any obvious time wasted (and time taken up for the caution).

During an international match in 1972 between Norway and the Netherlands in Rotterdam, the Norwegian goalkeeper, Per Haftorsen, received a yellow card for time-wasting after just five minutes.

The referee is the sole judge of time, and an assiduous referee can add on a lot of time. For last Tuesday’s clash a mere two minutes were added in the first half, yet a massive five minutes were added on at the end.

Before the interval we had one substitution, no cautions and no goals.

After the break we had five substitutions and two cautions, plus the all-important goal from Luke Guttridge.

Somebody suggested that he was adding time on at the end for any time wasting that took place in the first half.

I don’t think that is strictly allowed, but referees can usually find an excuse to add on any amount of time.

There are so many time-wasting techniques to look out for, and sometimes it is not clear what is legitimate and what is not.

Here are a few suspicious circumstances: A player seems set to take a throw-in but hands over responsibility to another player.

A player unnecessarily kicks the sole match-ball into another game two pitches away.

A player delays taking a free-kick or corner-kick - by walking slowly to collect the ball, deliberately placing it in the wrong place, or stopping to tie a bootlace, etc.

A player pretends he can’t hear what the referee is saying.

A player kicks the ball towards the referee rather than leaving it at the touchline.

Certain actions are not officially time-wasting tactics, but they are against the spirit of the game and could be considered gamesmanship.

These include shielding the ball near the corner-flag (which usually leads to a confrontation and a free-kick), passing the ball around (almost as a mickey-taking exercise), and the goalkeeper dribbling the ball around the penalty area until an opposition striker runs towards him in a futile attempt to challenge.

When Charlie George (Arsenal) celebrated his winning goal in the 1971 FA Cup final - lying down on his back and raising his arms - it was partly to waste time.

Excessive celebrations are big time-wasters.

Time-wasting also occurs in other forms of football, for example in rugby union it often takes place by one team deliberately collapsing a scrum.

The penalty is a free-kick, as it is considered a technical offence.

In football the penalty is more against the offending player. Consideration was given some time ago to treating time-wasting at a throw-in the same way as that for a foul throw, but this was never incorporated into the rules of the game.

Towards the end of a match in the early 1960s, Bertie Auld (Birmingham City) sauntered over to the wing to take a last-minute corner-kick with his team ahead by one goal.

Auld placed the ball, stepped back several places, studied the penalty area, and then loped up and casually kicked the ball out of play for a throw-in a yard from the corner-flag.

By the time everyone realised what had happened, valuable seconds had gone by. I leave it to you to decide if this was time-wasting or not.

Back to the Wimbledon match and the boot was certainly on the other foot after that all-important 81st minute goal and it was the Cobblers who were trying to run the clock down as fast as possible. The goal celebration took a while but under the circumstances was probably understandable.

And finally, in a post match interview manager Aidy Boothroyd said that when goalkeeper Chris Weale went down injured in stoppage time the boss felt that it was just an attempt to waste time.

Sadly for the on-loan keeper that wasn’t the case.

STILL giggling infectiously, Charlie Moule crawled out of a large cardboard box where she had been playing hide and seek, before graciously submitting to being measured by her mother.

A moment with the tape measure later - which was followed by the dutiful measuring of teddy bear Rosie - and the verdict of Charlie’s height was delivered: 2ft 11 ins.

At six years old, Charlie is already shorter than most children her age, and 39-year-old mum Anne confessed that the height of her little girl is not expected to increase much more throughout her life.

Because, at six weeks old, the Daventry youngster was diagnosed with achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder which is one of the most common forms of dwarfism.

Anne, who spoke to the Chron this week to support the recent launch of the national group Little People UK, recalled: “I did not know I was expecting a child with additional needs.

“The health visitor noticed her head was growing too much in circumference and said it was suspected hydrocephalus, water on the brain.

“Then we were at Northampton General Hospital and the doctor kept looking at her hands.

“Then the doctor came back with all these different people. Looking back, I can see she was tiny for so long, she wouldn’t get any longer.

“I felt very alone because I thought ‘I can’t lose my daughter.’ She was going in for hydrocephalus and that can be quite dangerous and I said to my husband, we waited so long to have her.

“Then we had to wait for the blood tests to come back and they eventually came back and once we got through the initial checks it wasn’t too bad. There is so much research that we can do.

“Once we got over that initial shock, we just got on with it. I just thought it will be cheaper in clothes. She still has clothes now from two to three years ago.”

Charlie may be short, but her personality certainly fills a room. During our hour-long visit to the family’s Northamptonshire home, the youngster had everyone laughing as she extracted a surprising amount of joy out of climbing in and out of a cardboard box left over from a newly unwrapped desk chair.

She seized photographer Kirsty’s camera and asked questions about it, before trying a few of her own snaps. She also questioned me as to the exact source of the sparkly necklace and glittery white scarf I was wearing.

Charlie’s bubbly personality belies the medical ordeals she has already been through during her life and Anne says she has lost count of the number of operations and procedures her daughter had undergone at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Although these are not always automatically present with dwarfism, her associated medical conditions include hydrocephalus, scoliosis (curvature of the spine), sleep apnoea and chiari malformation; a structural problem which affects the cerebellum, the part of the brain which controls balance.

Anne said: “It means she has pins and needles in her hands and feet, she has a lot of severe backaches and she is tripping up all the time.”

She added: “The hydrocephalus was quite bad and in between the brain and skull there is a kind of shock absorber. She did not have any of that, so her brain was hitting her skull. Her headaches were heartbreaking and it took them a long time to realise there was something going on in there. Then they had to take the top of her head off and rebuild it. That was eight or nine months ago.”

This week is a tense time for the family as Charlie is due to have yet another operation, this time for chiari malformation. Anne has been told that during the procedure there is a very high chance that Charlie could suffer a stroke; yet another medical hurdle the family is gearing itself up to facing.

One of the main reasons why so many families are getting behind Star Wars actor Warwick Davis’ Little People UK support and information group, is there is still so much public misunderstanding and fear attached to dwarfism.

Many find that quite often people do not know how to even refer to the condition.

Anne said: “We do get a lot of ‘isn’t she sweet?’ comments. One word we don’t like is midget, it is a horrible word, we would prefer dwarfism or even pint-sized. Vertically challenged is another one.”

Now at primary school, Charlie focuses simply on getting on with her life, and finds she has the support of her young friends.

Anne said: “My friend’s little girl, if she sees someone staring at her now, will ask ‘what are you looking at?’ and that makes them look away.

“People say to me ‘she is so pretty’ and she is pretty, she is my daughter.”

Sharing information and stamping out ignorance

COPING with dwarfism can be a lonely experience for those families who do not know of anyone else with the condition.

But a new group called Little People UK promises to be another avenue in which those affected can come together to support each other and share information about a condition which is still so widely misunderstood.

The national group was launched in Northamptonshire last week by Star Wars and Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis as well as his wife Sam and a team including Fiona and Jerry Reilly, Chris Brenchley, Kirsty Fowler and Joanne Armstrong.

All of the group’s founders have either been affected by dwarfism themselves or have children with the condition.

Joanne, from Corby, has a six-year-old daughter called Hope, who has achondroplasia.

Joanne said: “We all started talking to each other seriously about setting up Little People UK, everyone who had these ideas for years started talking about it together.

“In the UK groups we have people from Scotland, Devon and Kent, from all four corners.

“There is a one in 25,000 chance you will have a baby with dwarfism, but you might not know anyone else with a child with dwarfism. One in 25,000 is quite high, but not that common really.

“We will have meetings through the country, we have a Facebook page to support people and will have a 24-hour phone line; we are looking to get that up and running, and we will have a website.

“We will also be doing scholarships for people with dwarfism to continue in further education.”

Another major goal of the group is to educate and make people more aware that dwarfism can happen to anyone regardless of whether it is already in the family.

Joanne said: “We have people with dwarfism who have been picked on and hurt but people need to understand that this could have been their child.”

The members-only Facebook group, called Little People UK, has already attracted more than 200 subscribers. To access the social network visit www.facebook.com/groups/312922142071856 and click ‘ask to join group’.

Facts About Dwarfism

Dwarfism is a general term relating to shortness (adults less than 4ft 10 ins) caused by specific medical conditions.

There are believed to be about 200 conditions which can lead to dwarfism, but one of the most common is achondroplasia, which affects bone growth, resulting in shortness of limbs.

The average height for adults with achondroplasia is about 4 ft for men and women. Other characteristics can include a prominent forehead, bowed legs, a protruding jaw or a flat area between the eyes.

Achondroplasia affects one in between 25,000 and 40,000 children and is thought to be caused by a chemical change within a single gene.

Last week Star Wars, Harry Potter and Life’s Too Short actor Warwick Davis attended the Pen Green Children’s Centre in Corby, Northamptonshire to launch Little People UK, with the aim of allowing people to share knowledge and experiences of dwarfism.

The events at last week’s Police Authority meeting simply confirmed the awful reality of the government’s policy to create Police Commissioners.

John Harrison’s article in Saturday’s Chron reinforced what has been obvious to many, that the current system may be bureaucratic and a bit clunky, but at least a Police Authority with a mixture of councillors, magistrates and independent members allows for debate and even change.

The universal fear is that the creation of Police Commissioners will ensure there is both political control and interference in operational policing. The behaviour of the Tory county councillors at the meeting demonstrated that is indeed the shape of things to come.

From the off, the Tories, who have seven councillors to the opposition parties’ two members, were determined to wield their political clout. The theory is, of course, that the councillors leave their politics outside the Police Authority and serve not as party hacks but in the interests of the police service.

However the Tories act as a caucus for the county council administration and even had the temerity to adjourn the meeting so that they could confer with county officials about how they should proceed.

The Tories on the PA do not want any increase in the rate demand; the magnificent seven want to save us all £7.72 per household per year. This is an ideological position designed not to protect and serve the people of the country but to demonstrate the virility of the party that stands up for law and order, as well as pleasing Eric Pickles in Whitehall.

It is a curious quandary the Tories find themselves in. They accept, from the great bear Binley to the most mediocre backbench Tory councillor, that Northants has been traditionally underfunded by successive governments when it comes to the annual policing settlement.

You will be pleased to know the Tories have a cunning plan to solve the continuing problem of systemic underfunding. They want to peg back the funding even more and cut the grant from NCC to the Police Authority!

It became obvious even to the dimmest member of the Tory caucus that their position had nothing to do with effective policing and everything to do with their party. So after adjourning they come back with a solution, a grant of £300,001 for one year only, provided the Police Authority did not try to get £7.72 extra out of every household in the county.

However the Tories still intend to go ahead with cutting the £500,000 to supporting PCSOs. A commitment the ‘law and order’ party never offered in their election promises!

There was a condition the seven tried to impose; that the money would be used ‘to help fund a police programme to combat violent crime’ not of course ensure that some PCSOs were retained for another year.

Whatever way you look at this piece of sophistry, it amounts to the same thing... an attempt to interfere with operational policing.

So we now move to the function of a Police Commissioner. The argument runs that an elected commissioner will be free of political interference.

Now if the seven people on the current Police Authority Tory caucus try to implement their party’s budget policy and interfere with operational policing, what will ONE elected Tory get up to?

Ken Clarke on Question Time last week tried to defend the indefensible. His first argument was that by electing one person to run the police service he would be more accountable to all of us, and we would all know who he was, unlike the anonymous Police Authority.

Think about that. One person responsible to 400,000 electors? Ken thinks by electing him (and it’s almost certain to be a white middle aged male) we can all immediately contact him with our problems because we will know him. Like we all know our local MEPs.

Clarke also made a plea the commissioners should not necessarily be old party hacks put out to pasture. He wants independently-minded folk to stand. You know the sort, those with £5,000 to spare for the deposit and the wherewithal to pay for at least 400,000 leaflets.

That is why politicians who have never been involved with policing are standing, or former Chief Constables who have been involved in policing but will not be able to resist interfering with operations, are the sort of names coming forward.

It would appear the two main parties have already divvied up the country: Labour hacks in the North, Tory hacks everywhere else. So much for the spectacle of democratic accountability at work.

In Northamptonshire however, while it is almost certain the Tories will put up one of the seven on the current authority, there is a potential Labour candidate waiting in the wings. According to the ‘Police Professional’ a bloke with a double barrelled name from Towcester has applied to become the Labour nominee. For 27 years he was a police officer but more significantly he is a Lt Colonel, recently back from Afghanistan, and an important Freemason. Sounds a good bet for the folk here in Spring Boroughs to relate to, but maybe Labour is just a flag of convenience after he failed to wrest the Tory nomination away.

You have been warned what to expect.

THIEVES who stole a state-of-the-art hen house and left six pet hens for dead have been branded ‘callous’ by the animals’ devastated owner.

A gang of thieves are believed to have stolen an ‘Omlet’ hen house, worth £1,000, from a property in Daventry overnight last Thursday.

Speaking to the Chronicle & Echo yesterday, the hens’ owner Barry Lewis said he believed two of his pets may have been left behind and eaten by foxes.

He said he has found feathers in neighbouring fields suggesting at least one may have perished. However, he said he was unsure whether the remaining four were stolen, whether they were also eaten, or whether they may have escaped.

Mr Lewis said: “We have found a lot of feathers in one of the fields so we think at least one of them has escaped and been caught by a fox. We are obviously upset about it and you just wonder why people want to do it.

“It is just so callous. We know at least one them died but we don’t know what happened to the rest.

“They have damaged livestock and for what? It is just very upsetting and very annoying.”

Mr Lewis has kept hens for three years and says most of the stolen hens were around 18 months old. He last saw them after he let his dog out at around 1.20am on the day of the theft. By 7am they had gone.

He says the hen house was so heavy it would have taken more than one person to lift it and says it’s distinctive design would be obvious to anyone if it is offered for sale.

Mr Lewis added: “It is quite unusual and you don’t find it everywhere. They last a lifetime and I think if one comes up for sale it would be obvious.”

The theft happened from a smallholding on Whilton Locks, in Whilton, in Daventry.

PC Gareth Court said officers believed the thieves used a van or another vehicle to remove the hen house.

He said: “We believe more than one person could have been involved in stealing the hen house as it’s an extremely heavy item. There is also a strong possibility the offenders would have used a vehicle such as a low loader or van.”

A CRACKDOWN on dangerous parking around schools could be rolled out across Northampton following the success of an initial campaign.

Seven drivers were issued with fines, while many more received warnings, as a result of joint action by Northampton Borough Council, the county council and the police.

Launched last September, the safety campaign is aimed at highlighting and preventing dangerous parking around schools in the north of the town.

Police, parking attendants and council officers made unannounced visits to 17 schools in response to an increasing number of concerns about inconsiderate parking, particularly around the start and end of the school day.

Philip Buckle, headteacher of Boothville Primary School, in Booth Lane North, said he would welcome another spot check.

He said since the school was visited in October last year, he had heard very few complaints from neighbours or parents.

Mr Buckle said: “I think it’s a good idea because it helps relationships between the community and schools because some parents do park badly.

“I think it did raise awareness here and I think it’s a campaign that’s worth pursuing.”

More unannounced safety spot checks are planned during 2012 and the idea of rolling out the checks to other areas of the town is being discussed.

Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm), is leader of the borough council and has responsibility for community safety.

He said: “Our over-riding concern is for the safety of children and so we urge parents and people who use their cars to get to and from school to park safely, considerately and legally.”

A PUB which has been described as being ‘beyond redemption’ by the police has had its licence revoked by Northampton Borough Council.

During an official hearing at the Guildhall yesterday, members of the council’s licensing committee heard the Prince of Wales pub in Harborough Road, Kingsthorpe, had been caught trading after hours four times between April 22 and December 12 last year.

Northamptonshire Police’s licensing officer, Pc David Bryan, told the committee he visited the pub just before 12.30am on December 12, an hour after it should have closed, and saw about 20 people still drinking in the bar, loud music being played and some people smoking in breach of the smoking ban.

He said: “We’re having to deal with a poorly run premises here. The staff have been made aware of our concerns, but it’s still not being run properly.”

Commenting on the fact nobody from the pub turned up to yesterday’s hearing, he added: “I’m really disappointed they’re not here. I think it shows that they’re not taking this matter seriously at all.”

Officials from the fire service also raised concerns about the management of the pub, pointing out that when they visited with the police on December 12, three fire doors were locked.

They also told the committee that on a subsequent visit, staff did not know how to raise the alarm if there was a fire, they did not know where the pub’s fire extinguishers were and the extinguishers themselves had not been serviced since 2008.

Scott Richards from the fire service told the committee: “I have serious concerns about their ability to manage fire safety at the premises.”

The committee heard the police were first called to the pub at 1.30am on April 24 last year by a neighbour who said there had been problems with loud music being played late at night for a couple of months.

On the same night, CCTV operators spotted two drunk men fighting after leaving the pub.

Officers visited the pub again on October 30 just after 1am when there were still about 15 people in the bar, who they described as ‘being very drunk’.

Just after 1am on November 13, the police went to the pub again and found about 10 people in the bar.

After hearing the evidence, the committee said the only way forward was to scrap the pub’s licence.

Councillor Gareth Eales (Lab, Spencer) said: “It’s frustrating nobody from the pub turned up to the hearing because there are a number of questions I would have liked to have asked them. But on the face of it, this is a flagrant breach of the licensing laws.

“I’m lost for words by what I’ve heard.”

The owners of the pub now have 21 days to appeal against the decision.

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to keep Northampton’s council houses under the control of Northampton Borough Council have said they will fight proposals to hand them over to a housing association ‘all the way’.

In 2005, plans to hand over the council’s houses were scrapped despite the authority spending £350,000 on a survey to ask the town’s 12,000 council tenants if they wanted their homes to be run by a housing association.

Now, the council has put aside a further £1 million to ‘examine the options now open to the authority’.

Council housing resident, Norman Adams, who is a member of the campaign group, Northampton Defend Council Housing, said: “They shouldn’t be gambling with our money. That £1 million could be used a lot better to pay for some of the work that needs to be done to the council houses.

“But this council just wants to downsize everything so they’re just left with contracts to manage.

“They’ve already done that with the bins and the leisure centres, but there’s no need to do it with council houses. So we’ll fight as hard as we can against this. We’ve been putting money aside for years to campaign against it, because we always knew this would come back.”

The Conservatives said they would ‘consult with tenants regarding a large scale stock transfer’ in their 2011 election manifesto.

And the leader of the authority, Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm) last night said that was still the plan.

He said: “We’re setting aside part of our housing budget for asking our tenants what they feel about a stock transfer in the future. This is a key manifesto pledge and something people have told us they’d like us to do to improve the quality of our housing and the service our tenants receive.

“Over the next few months we will have a lot of important information to discuss with our tenants. They will soon be asked to make some important choices, and we want to be sure we provide as much information as possible to help them understand the options.”

A PENSIONER who stole £7,000 of her father’s life savings intended to pay for the care of her sick mother has agreed to pay it all back.

Patricia Freer, aged 65, took the money from her 86-year-old father’s safe in July, which he had set aside to pay for his wife’s care at a nursing home where she had been admitted to suffering from vascular dementia.

Freer pleaded guilty to theft earlier this year and was given three weeks to show remorse by making part payment to reimburse her father by £1,000.

Northampton Crown Court heard the money had also been intended to pay for alterations to his property in the hope his wife would be able to return home. However, Freer stole the money from her father, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, and used it to buy back jewellery from a pawnbrokers.

Rebecca Wade, prosecuting, said that when Freer’s elderly father phoned her about the missing money, she admitted taking it. She added: “For a long period from July to October, the complainant was not sure he wanted to proceed with a prosecution and she said she would pay the money back. On two occasions, he was given cheques which bounced.”

Freer arranged for a £1,000 cheque to be handed into court to start repaying the money, and also offered £100 a month from her pension to repay the remainder, which will take five years. The court heard her father has forgiven her and wrote a letter of support to Judge Richard Bray.

Freer, of Deal Court, The Mounts, Northampton was sentenced to a 12-month community order, with supervision, 120 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £7,000 total compensation.

Judge Bray, who previously said the case resembled a tale by Charles Dickens, said: “I have to sentence you for the meanest of thefts. You stole from your father aged 86 who was saving the money to provide for your father who is suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. When your father asked for the money back, you broke your promise to repay. I bear in mind all the information put before me including a letter from your father who has forgiven you and spoken up for you to the court despite everything you have done to him..”

Caroline Bray, mitigating, said: “She has no money, This went on debts. She sold her jewellery to get this £1,000 and she does not strike you as a woman of means which probably led to her committing this offence after a life of looking after others.

“I hope she has demonstrated that she really is remorseful. She feels wretched about this.”

EX-Cobblers striker Leon McKenzie said depression led to him avoiding six speeding convictions by arranging for bogus letters to be sent to the DVLA.

McKenzie, aged 33, who retired from football in December, was jailed for six months yesterday after six notices of intended prosecution were responded to with letters from a fictitious garage in London stating his car had been off the road.

Claire Howell, prosecuting at Northampton Crown Court, said: “The essence of the prosecution case is between October 2008 and December 2009, on five occasions for the defendant and on one occasion his wife, committed speeding offences in a car registered in their names.

“The defendant caused certain information to be provided to the DVLA which avoided him and his wife from receiving any speeding convictions.”

The court heard how on each occasion a notice of intended prosecution was sent, letters were sent back from Pewbar Motors in London, including invoices for work on their car, stating it was in the garage and off the road each time.

Five speeding convictions, with three penalty points imposed each time, would have resulted in a driving ban for the ex-Premiership player.

However the garage never existed and investigations later revealed the address given was an empty building.

Miss Howell said McKenzie was caught out when “keen observation by staff at the DVLA noticed the letters’ type face was a bit odd”.

When arrested in August 2010, McKenzie made a full confession but only after he agreed to be cautioned. A mix-up between the detective and custody sergeant meant a caution was mistakenly issued without mandatory consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Miss Howell added: “He told the police that someone had told him they could sort out the penalty points and this person had filled in the forms and sent them to the DVLA. The defendant said he did not appreciate how serious it was because he had got away with it and thought it was not important.”

Once Northamptonshire Police withdrew the caution, McKenzie pleaded guilty to six offences of perverting the course of justice.

Sentencing the father-of-four and banning him from driving for 18 months, Judge Richard Bray said: “This was repeated fraud committed over a period of time and in quite a sophisticated manner. You were prepared to pretend on each occasion that your car was at a garage that did not even exist.

“I bear in mind your previous good character, your background and the fact you have been suffering from depression but that cannot excuse these offences. A custodial sentence is necessary for this type of offence which strikes right at the heart of justice.

“It would send completely the wrong message to others if I did not impose such a sentence.”

Sean Hammond, defending, said McKenzie, who started his career with Crystal Palace and played for Northampton, Kettering and Norwich, had been suffering from depression, resulting in an attempt on his life at the end of 2009.

Acting as a character witness, his uncle, Duke McKenzie, a former world championship boxer, said he too had suffered from depression, adding: “People think we professional sportsmen live these glamorous lifestyles but we’re under the same pressures. It mounts up if things are not going your way.”

A YOUNG girl has been awarded a multi-million pound settlement after an accident at Northampton General Hospital during her birth left her blind and only able to feed through a tube.

Hannah Louise Gudd, aged 10, was left with cerebral palsy so severe it has cost her her sight and she will never be able to eat solid foods, after she was starved of oxygen in the womb during her birth at the hospital on April 1, 2001.

She has now sued the hospital, through her mother Emma Gudd, from Dodford, near Daventry, claiming that negligence by hospital staff was to blame for her devastating injuries.

NGH had already admitted liability for what happened but, at a trial at the High Court in London yesterday, Margaret Bowron QC, for the trust, said a settlement had been agreed.

She said Hannah will receive a £1.15m lump sum, plus annual, index-linked and tax-free payments to cover the costs of her care for as long as she lives.

Revealing more details of the award, Simeon Maskrey QC, for the family, told the judge that as well as the lump sum, Hannah will receive £135,000 each year until 2019, and £225,000-a-year thereafter for the rest of her life.

Based on the average life expectancy of Northamptonshire women of 82 years, the payment throughout her life could have been £19.8m, but the court heard that, as well as being severely disabled, Hannah’s life expectancy has been severely reduced by her catastrophic injuries.

None of the money will come directly from NGH funds because, like all NHS hospitals, the hospital pays into an insurance-style scheme to protect trusts from going bust following this kind of accident, of which there are about 100 each year across England and Wales.

Miss Bowron said: “The trust is delighted that this claim has been compromised. Hannah suffered terrible injuries at the time of her birth, for which the trust has expressed its deep regret, and we repeat that today.

“This settlement should bring her financial security and hopefully bring peace of mind to her loving and devoted parents. We wish to extend our best wishes to them,” she added.

Mr Justice Lang also praised Mr and Mrs Gudd’s selflessness displayed throughout their daughter’s life.

Mrs Justice Lang said: “I pay tribute to the parents for the devoted care they have provided. I am satisfied that it is appropriate for Hannah to accept the lump sum and the periodical payments that have been offered by the defendant. I approve the settlement.”

Parents express relief at outcome

HANNAH’S Gudd’s parents expressed relief after yesterday’s court hearing at the end of their seven-year attempt to claim the cost of their daughter’s ongoing care.

In a joint statement, her mother, Emma, and father, who did not want to be named, said: “We are greatly relieved to finally reach the end of this legal process. The settlement reached will ensure a safe and caring environment for Hannah. No amount can compensate Hannah for the injury she has suffered. The settlement will enable the house to be adapted for Hannah’s needs, provide for specialist equipment and for her extra ongoing care requirements.

“Our sincere thanks go to our legal team for their support over the last seven years.

“We could not have achieved this outcome for Hannah without such dedicated and professional assistance.”

Hannah’s solicitor, Gary Williams said outside court: “The settlement reached will ensure a safe and caring environment for Hannah. No amount can compensate Hannah for the injury she suffered.”

But yesterday, solicitors expressed worry that such successful actions on behalf of genuinely damaged NHS patients will be curtailed after upcoming changes in the law.

Carolyn Lowe, of Abington-based solicitors Henman LLP, said: “Unfortunately the Government is considering removing all clinical negligence claims from the scope of legal aid, which will mean bringing these types of deserving claims on behalf of severely damaged, vulnerable children will now become very difficult.”

It was a really good weekend for the Cobblers.

All of the results went their way, apart from the Plymouth win at Accrington.

But I don’t think it’s Plymouth they have to worry about. Northampton will have a few other teams in their sights.

Macclesfield, Hereford and Dagenham are really going to struggle come the end of the season so it was a really good weekend without even playing.

And the Cobblers can make it even better come tonight, when Macclesfield are at Sixfields.

The Silkmen are on a horrendous run of seven defeats on the trot so they’ll be on a real downer.

And Northampton, after last week, can only be on a high so I can only see three points coming their way.

And they’ve got a couple of games in hand as well so everything’s looking decent and they’ve got a good chance of getting out of it.

Come the end of February, certainly the end of March, they’ll be well clear.

Aidy Boothroyd has put a decent squad together, they’ve got a decent team and I can’t see them being in the bottom two for much longer.

Teams like Hereford, Macclesfield and Dagenham haven’t got the infrastructure and the squad to cope with the position they’re in, whereas Northampton have.

You’ve seen the players they’ve brought in on loan and permanently. Another goalkeeper’s come in and that makes it five for the season.

Northampton have got the power to fill the gaps when injuries occur or lack of form occurs, so it will be a decent end to the season and they will finish in mid-table.

Aidy is probably already looking towards next season because he’s confident they can get out of the mess they are in.

A lot of people who have been involved in football have seen the players that have been brought in, good experienced players, and think that can only be beneficial in the long run.

Northampton’s relegation rivals have got small squads and low budgets and eventually that catches up with you.

Macclesfield came up and did fantastic with Sammy McIlroy, but eventually teams find their level.

Dagenham are similar because they haven’t got the infrastructure to secure a long spell in the League and they will end up back where they came from.

You look at the crowds they get and they are struggling to get 1,500 people to their games and that affects revenue all the time.

The likes of Plymouth, Bradford and Bristol Rovers, who are down there, have kicked on again. Bristol Rovers got a good win at Torquay on Saturday.

You look at what they’ve done since their new manager came in and the strength they’ve got in their squad and eventually it pays off.

They’ve got the clout to survive.

As soon as this season is finished, Aidy Boothroyd can really start afresh.

I’m sure he can have a massive impact on the future of Northampton because in pre-season he can plan what he wants to do.

He’s only had a short space of time and he’s had a tough job to do but it seems like he’s coming through it.

Once they’ve survived and moved on to next season, Aidy’s experience of working with Watford and Colchester during pre-seasons will pay off.

Tadhg Purcell has headed off for a loan spell at Cork City and it can only be a good thing.

He needs to go and play football because it’s not been a very nice time for him.

Tadhg came in and within a space of a month he had a horrendous footballing injury that’s never easy to get over.

He’ll be comfortable going back to Ireland because he knows the league, he’s played there before and hopefully he will get some goals and get his confidence up.

You never know what’s going to happen in the future. He might stay in Ireland and make a decent career for himself.

He’s 27 now and it’s not going to be easy to come back over to England and make a career here.

He gave it a go, he had a good goalscoring record at Darlington, but he was just unfortunate when he came to Northampton.

Injury is unfortunately part of the game.

You would have hoped that the disastrous last 12 months at the RFU would have spurred them into making sweeping fundamental changes to their governance of the game.

But I fear that with the news last week that Jim Mallinder and Wayne Smith, two leading candidates, have ruled themselves out of an immediate role as England coach that not a lot has changed.

I was staggered when I heard the news about Mallinder, not that Saints fans will be too upset.

It’s only a few months ago that he publicly stated he would be interested in taking over long term from Martin Johnson, so what has happened in the interim?

Well, one fact we do know is that he has spoken to Rob Andrew about the role, and that news alone will anger many fans who believe Andrew should have nothing to do with the new appointment and I am also in that camp.

He has failed in his role and in most other organisations he would been fired by now.

To make matters worse, I have heard on the grapevine that one of last remaining candidates, and now favourite with many people to take over the role, South African Nick Mallett, will also be very reluctant to take the role should Andrew remain in a position of influence.

The rumour doing the rounds at the moment is that they are desperate for Stuart Lancaster’s new team to win another one of their final three championship games over the next month.

If he comes out of the Six Nations with three wins then I am being told that the job will probably be his long term.

Now I am the first person to congratulate Lancaster and his fellow coaches for the job they have done so far, but this should not be a coronation and the RFU should be turning every stone possible to find the best man for the job.

Why are they so keen for Lancaster to retain his interim role?

Again, only one conclusion remains for me - they want somebody who will not challenge or threaten decisions made by the blazers.

Putting it bluntly, somebody who they can control.

This brings me nicely to the process that the RFU have put in place to find the new coach.

Why did they have a closing date for applications in the first place?

To me it comes across as arrogant and very ill thought out.

They should be going on bended knee to the select band of men worldwide that can do this job, and convincing them that the RFU has changed and that the new coach will have total autonomy to get on with the job and start to deliver a team that can challenge in the World Cup in 2015.

There has been too much negative press about the problems at Twickenham, and they need to be addressed frankly and confidentially with all the relevant candidates.

The closing date for applications only serves to open up an opportunity for the media to quiz those that are in the frame with the only question a process like this allows which is: ‘Have you applied?’

Most of the key candidates are already in roles, like Saints’ own Jim Mallinder, who does not want to publicly talk about the England job.

You can understand why this might be, because his current role is extremely challenging and I don’t blame him for keeping tight-lipped.

He doesn’t want the board at the Saints to think he is not totally focused on his job.

He will also want to avoid any of his team and coaches taking their eye off the ball on their job at hand.

If this had been conducted totally confidentially, without this ludicrous closing date for applications, Jim would have been able to stonewall any questions from the media, but the only answer he can now give is yes or no.

It backs him into a corner and perhaps that explains much about his statement last week.

He is probably sick and tired of the whole thing.

It’s a very sad state of affairs.

Coaching England is one of the top jobs in sport, why are some many talented people so keen to rule themselves out?

I suspect it might have something to do with the possibility that not very much had actually changed, and perhaps that is why the top coaches around are wary.

In fact we already know that the RFU have a history of proving they do not have the stomach to accept the changes they desperately need, that is why John Steele was controversially sacked.

The new CEO Ian Ritchie is still to take up his post, so it’s far too early to judge whether he is going to have any impact in his new role, let’s keep some faith that he will.

THE annual Olney Pancake Race has been won in a record breaking time by an 18-year-old who was taking part in the event for the first time.

Devon Byrne, whose mother has won the race three times, became the first woman to complete the course in under one minute, finishing in a time of 58.5 seconds.

There were 22 competitors in this year’s race who were watched by more than 1,000 people who lined the streets of the town.

Miss Byrne was the first woman to complete the 415 yard course which finished outside the church.

Speaking at the end of the race, Miss Byrne said: “My legs hurt. I train at Milton Keynes Athletics Club so it goes with the territory.”

]]> 1.3544858 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:02:27 +0000 http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/breaking_news_former_cobblers_striker_leon_mckenzie_jailed_over_speeding_ticket_scam_1_3544317

FORMER Cobblers footballer Leon McKenzie has been jailed for perverting the course of justice over a speeding ticket scam.

Appearing at Northampton Crown Court today, he was handed a six month jail term by Judge Richard Bray and banned for driving for 18 months.

Judge Bray said: ”These offences strike right at the heart of justice. It would send completely the wrong message not to pass a custodial sentence.”

McKenzie, 33, was supported in court by his uncle, former world champion boxer Duke McKenzie, former So Solid Crew rapper MC Harvey and Cobblers defender Clarke Carlisle, chairman of the Professional Footballers Association.

The court heard McKenzie sent police a series of bogus letters to avoid repeated speeding convictions and the loss of his driving licence.

McKenzie, who retired from professional football in December, was arrested and charged when false documents were sent in to Northamptonshire Police to dodge six speeding fines, between February 2008 and January 2010.

The letters, purporting to be from a fictional garage in London, claimed his car was off the road when he was caught speeding.

Claire Howell, prosecuting, at a hearing last year, said that each time he received a notice of intended prosecution, McKenzie sent back a letter stating mechanics were working on his car when it was said to have been flashed by speed cameras.

Arrested and questioned on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, the former Premier League player made a full confession on the understanding he would receive a caution. But six months later, he was summonsed to court to answer the charges again.

A mix-up between Dc Simon Coles and Sgt Gez Jackson resulted in McKenzie being cautioned for the six offences without the case being referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, which is compulsory for all indictable offences.

During a protracted series of hearings and legal argument, Judge Bray was asked to decide whether the caution should be quashed, allowing for McKenzie to be prosecuted. However, the caution was subsequently withdrawn by Northamptonshire Police.

The striker, who played for Norwich, Northampton and Crystal Palace, last month pleaded guilty to the six charges, which relate to separate occasions over a two-year period when he sought to avoid a driving ban.

The court heard McKenzie, who played his last game for Kettering Town, committed the offences around the time he was suffering from depression, and has been working with the Professional Footballers’ Association helping others with the same condition.

MCKENZIE STATEMENT IN FULL

I prepared this statement to be able to share with you all how I am feeling and most of all to explain what happened.

A few years ago, I was not in a good place and couldn’t always make sense of what was going on. Some things being personal and some being work related. Unfortunately at that time I fell deep into depression, which led me to try and take my life.

Around that period I wasn’t thinking straight, and got caught up with the wrong people around me. My behaviour towards certain things like these speeding offences were totally unacceptable and very naive of me to allow a third party to take my points for me. I allowed someone to take my points innocently, not knowing the seriousness of what was actually happening.

My mindset at the time was confused and not like it is now. Allowing someone to take my points from me, was very stupid of me and I only wish I was in a better place back then and that I could turn back the clock.

These offences happened two years ago. I was arrested over a year ago and had been told by the police at the time of the arrest if I answered all questions, told the truth and gave them everything they needed I would be cautioned and not charged. I did all that was asked off me, and as result I was given a caution.

It was only when I was arrested when I really understood just how serious this was. I was cautioned and given a chance to start to get my life back again. Which I did and learnt from my mistakes.

Five months after receiving the caution, I was told that the police officers that were in charge at the time had made a mistake and that I would now be facing charges. The officer in charge reversed his decision and got the caution removed. Two years on, I am left with being charged for these offences.

I broke the law six times in that two year period which I am now very aware of . I am truly sorry for these offences that I committed. I must stress to you all, I was not representing the real me back then and realise how stupid I have been. As most of you, especially the people who really know me are aware, I have been in a better place recently and I have really turned my life around.

It took a lot to speak out publicly about trying to end my life and now turning it around with helping others with issues of depression and starting a new career in music. I feel like I have given back in a lot of ways and will continue to do so as soon as I possibly can.

Anyone reading this, I hope you take note and learn by my mistakes, especially if you are in a bad place with depression,

I ask anyone with depression to speak out to someone before you start making any mistakes like I did.

I am not the Leon that I was a few years ago. I didn’t set an example and I am truly sorry for that. I believe now, I am Leon, not the Leon I was during that two year period, my only comment is that I wasn’t well at that particular time and was not thinking in a way that i am now. I allowed a third party to take points without realising the extent and impact it would cause to mine and my families lives today.

I am now leaving my wife and my beautiful four children along with some fantastic friends and family. God willing they will be okay.

Anyone that knows me, knows my heart and more importantly knows the change in me from where I was compared to where I am now. I am a fighter and looks like now I don’t have a choice but to battle on which I will do.

I would like to say a massive thanks to my family and friends for the support they have given me, especially while this has been going on for so long.

DETECTIVES investigating a homophobic attack in Northampton have released a CCTV image of one of the men suspected of being behind the assault.

Last month a man was followed from Northampton train station to the BP petrol station, at Westbridge, and was then punched and kicked to the head as he walked along Black Lion Hill.

The victim, a 20-year-old man from Milton Keynes, required treatment at Northampton General Hospital for cuts to his face and bruises.

Officers, who have now released this CCTV image of one of the attackers at the petrol station, say he was attacked because of his sexuality.

A police spokesman said: “We are keen to trace this man as part of our investigation into a homophobic assault in Black Lion Hill, Northampton at the end of last month.

“Between 11pm and 11.30pm on Thursday, January 26, a 20-year-old man from Milton Keynes was walking from Northampton railway station to the BP filling station at Westbridge.

“He was followed to and from the filling station by three men. They questioned the victim’s sexuality and then assaulted him, punching and kicking him to the head. He required treatment at Northampton General Hospital for facial cuts and bruises.

“We believe the man pictured in the filling station is one of the offenders.”

A PERVERT caught filming a woman using toilets in a Northampton office block was also intercepting a neighbour’s mail.

Adam Widgery, 38, hid in the ladies toilets of Ingeus, in Derngate, Northampton, and lay in wait with his mobile phone.

Rebecca Wade, prosecuting, said: “All the matters came to light on Monday, November 14 last year at 9.50am.

“As she stood up to pull up her underwear, she looked up and could see a mobile phone being pointed over the partitions into her cubicle.”

Northampton Crown Court heard the victim had tricked Widgery into the cubicle by pretending to leave the toilets.

She tackled him and he was detained by office staff and arrested.

Police officers examined his mobile phone and found he had filmed her using the toilet, as well as evidence of previous voyeurism.

Miss Wade said similar footage was found from November 4 as well as five separate episodes of women using public toilets on November 9.

It also emerged Widgery, who has an attached disorder, had been taking covert pictures of a neighbour, going through her bins and intercepting her mail.

Miss Wade said: “He said he had gone through her bins looking for underwear and sanitary towels and stated it was a perverse thrill for him.”

Widgery, of Great Gull Crescent, Southfields, admitted five offences of voyeurism and intercepting mail.

He was sentenced to a three-year supervision order, with sex offender treatment, a four-month 9pm to 6am curfew and 100 hours community service.

Judge Peter Tomlinson also banned him from having a mobile phone with a camera and from loitering near female toilets.

THE Girl is Four. It seemed a straightforward enough caption for a picture posted on my rarely-visited Facebook page, but I didn’t expect quite as much incredulity.

What? She’s four already?

Yes, four years ago I wrote in these pages about the new arrival to the family, The Girl: Bonnie, a surprise to us all after three beloved and boisterous boys.

Looking back at the photos scattered around various hard-drives, memory sticks and Cloud-sharing sites (it would have been far easier if I’d printed some), you see that four years is quite a long time.

For a start, she was born with black wavy hair like her dad. Now she has pin-straight, wayward dark blonde hair like her mum.

For the first year she was a laid-back, compliant baby (well, as much as a baby can be), and now, well, she pretty much refuses to do anything she’s asked unless it’s on her terms.

I did congratulate myself on her fourth birthday because I wasn’t pregnant, nor had I been delivered of another baby in the previous four years.

When Jed had his fourth birthday, his little brother Dougie had already arrived. When Dougie turned four, I was pregnant with Billy. When Billy celebrated his fourth, I was pregnant with Bonnie.

This time there’s no fifth baby on the way!

We’re well past the milestones that all you new parents will be facing: the endless nappies, night-feeds, weaning, walking, talking, potty-training and (most of the time) tantrums.

Birthdays have been developmental stages too.

The first birthday is for the relatives and the one-year-old is fairly baffled by the whole palaver. The second birthday might see more relatives and friends in attendance, and Bonnie’s third was the first time she had friends over. Two of her pals came to our house for games, dressing-up and cake.

The fourth birthday was the first “outside catering do” as we took Bonnie and 10 friends to the Wacky Warehouse and let them all go bonkers in the ball pit for a couple of hours. They had a brilliant time.

At four, she’s now fairly independent, wanting to dress herself, take herself to the loo, write her name, count to 20, walk without holding your hand and tell you in no uncertain terms that “I can DO it!”

Yes, she’s utterly unselfconscious about singing loudly and without any discernable tune and will dance in a shopping aisle if the opportunity arises. But she’ll also hide behind you and be shy with strangers and jump on your lap if something is scary (which at the moment seems to be everything from polystyrene dinosaur bones to bedtime).

When I carry her to the loo half-asleep at midnight each night, it always startles me how much she’s grown, from the tiny baby who could nestle into the crook of one arm to the girl who rests her head on my shoulder while her feet dangle at my knees.

She’s ready to start school in September which will be another milestone for both of us, especially for me as I know there isn’t another baby coming up behind to distract me.

Inevitably, she’ll always be my baby, but not because she’s the youngest. I look at all four of them and think exactly the same thing. But don’t tell them I said that . . .

EVERY day Judy Whitmore prepares meals for around 11 people, tackles summits of washing and the piles of ironing which come with having nine children . . .

But Judy tells me she wouldn’t give it all up for anything in the world.

“I know some parents dread the school holidays but I love them.

“I love spending time with them altogether as a family,” she said.

Judy, aged 44, and her husband Andrew, a plumber, aged 45, from Kingsthorpe, Northampton, have nine children aged from three years up to 19.

Their family size is far in excess of the national average which has long since dropped from the oft quoted 2.4 children. The Office for National Statistics has even predicted the average family size could drop to as low as around 1.8 by 2031.

“I didn’t always want a big family, I didn’t even want children,” says Judy, who has been married to Andrew for more than 20 years.

“Then I met Andrew and we had three.

“After that I said wouldn’t it be nice to have another one. Andrew works full time, so he said if I was prepared to look after them he was happy to support them. We just enjoyed it and we kept having more.

“I enjoy being pregnant and giving birth doesn’t bother me. The births were all straightforward until the last one.”

The couple would have had a 10th child, but they tragically lost their youngest son last year.

“Peter was still born at 34 weeks. He had Edward’s syndrome but we didn’t know until after we had lost him,” said Judy.

The couple have since decided to stop having children and The Whitmore family as it now stands, includes: William, aged 19, who is studying computing and works part time at CoolTrader, Bradley, 17, who is at college training as a chef, and works for Asda, Emily, 14, at Northampton School for Girls, John, 11, at Kingsthorpe College, Matthew, 10, Adam, eight, Honey, seven, Jasmine, six – all at Kingsthorpe Village Primary School – and Penelope, who is aged three.

And they all live in a three-bedroom house, along with five rabbits, two dogs, two geckos and one snake.

“We have converted the attic for the children,” said Judy.

“The children do share bedrooms, which they don’t always like.

“Bradley is now engaged so his fiancee is around a lot, so we have acquired another member of the family, but we enjoy having her around,” said Judy.

People do sometimes make assumptions about the family, but Judy says that many of the stereotypes about big families are false.

“You get people who ask things like are they all yours? Have you got a TV!!

“Some people will think because you have a big family you must live off benefits, which we don’t, or that your children will be trouble, when the opposite is the case,” she said.

“The way the children talk to each other and behave I think you can tell they are from a big family, as they all socialise and mix well. Matthew likes his own space more than the others.”

“The younger ones obviously have their fights and disagreements, like all families, but they do always keep an eye on each other and people often comment about how thoughtful they are.”

Since Judy and Andrew lost Peter they have made more effort to squeeze in time together, but as Judy calmly explains the amount she does in a day, the term “superwoman” does spring to mind.

“I just have to be very organised,” she said.

“Andrew makes us a cup of tea at about 6.15am each morning.

“We have 10 minutes together before the day starts and I go down and start getting them ready and organise breakfast.

“Then I take the younger ones to school. My children are never late for school and after that I spend time with the youngest one.

“You never clock off.

“I iron everyday. We have two washers and dryers. I do two washes every day and then sometimes an extra one on top of that.

“Emily is really good at helping out.

“The older kids have some chores and will babysit, and the kids have to put their washing away, but you can’t expect too much of them because kids should be kids.

“We eat all our meals together as a family, sometimes the eldest do their own thing, and sometimes Emily has church choir, but most of the time we eat together.

“I only have one oven, but it is big. I cook proper meals, so today they will be having roast pork. I used to work in catering so that was good training. I do a lot of baking.

“At bedtime they are all sent upstairs at the same time but the older ones can spend some time watching TV to a certain time in their rooms.

“By taking everyone up at the same time, we avoid the ‘that’s not fair’ debate.”

The family do budget, but it is clear they are pretty savvy when it comes to deals, and as I am chatting to Judy her son’s fiancee rings to say she has spotted a good deal on some meat.

“I am always looking out for deals.

“It usually costs us about £300 a week in food,” said Judy.

“One of the hardest things is it is not one chocolate bar it has to be seven or eight. If they see one of them eating one they all want one.

“They do share clothes but I will go to the Next sale and spend £400- £500 so that they have good quality clothes.

“The last time we went on holiday was three years ago. I know people who take their kids away every year and their kids just don’t get excited about going away because it’s normal.

“For our kids it’s so special that they get really, really excited.

“We normally get a minibus and a couple of caravans.”

Anticipating the problem fitting the whole family into a standard car I ask how the Whitmores get around.

“We don’t run a car.

“We actually gave our car to friends, as we didn’t use it.

“Andrew has a van for work. But we walk to a lot of places and if we are going on trips with friends we split them up in different cars.

“We plan ahead for things like Christmas, but one of the hardest things is the older ones already having things, so from the angle of them getting things of their own it can be difficult.”

But for Judy any sacrifice outweighs the benefits of having a bigger family.

“The children always have someone there for them.

After we have gone if they fall out with one sibling there will always be another there to look after them. They will never be on their own.

“You get out of it what you put into it, we try and teach them good values and show them the correct way to treat people.”

I ask Judy how she feels about the prospect of the family growing even larger in the next generation.

“We don’t want grandchildren yet, but we do want them,” she said.

“Andrew was one of seven, and I can’t remember how many grandchildren and great-grandchildren his mother now has, as all of the children have now had children, but she is 85 and she never forgets a birthday.”

Here’s what some of the Whitmore children thought of being in a big family

John, aged 11, said: “I like that I always have someone to play with. Our house is a lot louder than other houses, so they always seem really quiet. I do like to play with my little brothers and sisters. We have a trampoline in the back garden and that is really fun to play together on.”

Matthew, aged 10: “It’s alright being in a big family but it can have its down sides as there can be lots of squabbling and it can be loud. It is nice that there is always someone to talk to or play with though. But my favourite thing to play with is my corn snake called Predator. I got him for my ninth birthday.”

Adam, aged eight said: “I think it’s really good. There are always interesting things going on and I always have Matt and John to play with. We play with the play station, trampoline, soldiers in the woods . . . I like playing with the boys best.”

Emily, aged 14 said: “I like it but you are never on your own.

“I would like to have my own room. I was the only girl for a while so I got a lot of attention and I didn’t have to share a room. When the younger girls came along I had to share again, but I do like to have sisters.”

Honey, aged seven, said: “There’s always someone to look out for you. I like to play with Jasmine, Penelope and Emily and do hair and make-up.”

]]> 1.3542323 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:46:42 +0000 http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/armed_police_called_to_northampton_town_centre_after_man_claimed_he_had_a_gun_1_3542239

ARMED police were last night called to St John’s Court in Northampton after a man rung emergency services claiming he had a gun.

The 54-year-old man contacted the ambulance service shortly after 9pm and police were immediately informed. A full armed response unit was sent to the scene and the man was arrested under the Mental Health Act. No firearm was found.

Insp Neil Dorothey of Northamptonshire Police said: “We sent a full firearms team down there but the man didn’t have a gun. He spoke to us peacefully and came with us quite willingly, there was no danger to any member of the public.”

THE family of an eight-year-old girl with a brain tumour, is appealing for help as she prepares for vital surgery in her fight for survival.

Milly Adkins was diagnosed with the tumour in 2007, when she was four years old.

After initial surgery and treatment she was in remission until the end of last month, when her family was given the devastating news the tumour had grown to its original size and was now life-threatening.

The family faces a turbulent few months, during which Milly, who lives with her parents, Sam and Alex, and younger brother Max, in Daventry, will face more surgery aimed at giving her and her family more time together.

And they are appealing for the public to help them face the financial challenges ahead.

Milly’s dad, Sam, is a self-employed plasterer, and the family has only recently recovered from the financial chaos resulting from his loss of earnings during Milly’s initial treatment.

With an uncertain time ahead, the family is desperate to avoid the chaos of debt, and be able to spend quality time with their daughter.

They said: “We have never had to write a ‘begging’ letter before, but it is time to swallow our pride and do whatever is needed to be able to make good decisions and give Milly the happiest life possible.

“If Milly undergoes surgery in the next few weeks there will be lots of costs involved with caring for her and her developing needs.

“There is a huge fear of the unknown, and we are taking great strength in being able to be together as a family at this time.

“We know there are many charities and pleas for help out there, but we want only to give our daughter the best chance of living in the best possible way.”

After Milly’s initial diagnosis in 2007, surgeons managed to reduce the growth from the size of a tennis ball to the size of a golf ball, but the operation left her blind in one eye, and she suffered a stroke post-operatively.

After an intensive 18-month course of chemotherapy, Milly and her family were able to resume a fairly normal life, until the news earlier this year that the tumour had recurred.

Initially, the family hoped to send Milly to America for Proton Beam Therapy, but they were told by doctors earlier this month she was not a viable candidate for the cutting edge treatment as the tumour is too large.

They were informed the tumour could take Milly’s life in three to six months, with the only chance being surgery to reduce its size that could give the family more time and treatment options.

But it is also very risky, potentially resulting in significant complications.

Anyone who can help the family financially during Milly’s treatment is asked to call Northampton 585810, email helpingmilly@gmail.com or visit the website www.helping-milly.co.uk, where they can donate to the family.

n The family has requested that anyone who speaks to them about Milly avoids saying anything in her presence about her situation, in case it frightens her.

HEADTEACHERS of schools in Northampton have backed a Government crackdown on parents who take their children on holiday during term time.

Education Secretary Michael Gove is considering implementing proposals put forward by teacher and behaviour expert, Charlie Taylor, which could see headteachers lose the ability to sanction up to two weeks a year of ‘authorised absence’.

Mike Griffiths, headteacher of Northampton School for Boys, said there was “no reason” why parents should take children out of school during term time.

He said: “Some people mistakenly think they are ‘entitled’ to take children out of school for up to two weeks.

“This is untrue. A headteacher is allowed to grant two weeks authorised absence, but can – as in our case – refuse to do so.

“The stark facts are that time missed from lessons cannot be made up. Research nationally has shown that absence from school has a significant effect upon examination grades once you reach 10 days per year.

“Parents and schools should surely be united in their determination that children achieve the very best results of which they are capable. That means 100 per cent attendance if at all possible.”

Philip Cantwell, headteacher at Malcolm Arnold Academy, said it was the school’s policy that parents were not allowed to take students out of school during term time.

Mr Cantwell said: “Taking students out of lessons, at no matter what time of the year, can have a significant impact on their attainment levels – and therefore on their results.

“By spending the maximum time they possibly can in school, students’ chances of succeeding are dramatically improved.”

Kay Gerrett, headteacher at Cedar Road Primary School, said she had some sympathy for parents as holiday prices were hugely inflated outside term time.

She said: “I do feel sorry for parents as it is a huge hike in prices outside term time and we want children to go away on exciting holidays.”

RESIDENTS of a retirement complex in Northampton town centre have launched a petition against plans to build a block of student flats nearby.

The Chronicle & Echo first revealed in September that The University of Northampton was holding talks with Northampton Borough Council to build 464 student flats on the St John’s open air car park, close to the Derngate theatre.

The scheme has upset residents of the nearby Albion Court retirement complex, who said moving so many students into the area would change it dramatically.

David White, who lives in Albion Court, said: “A sudden influx of a large number of students so near the town centre will drastically change the character of the town.

“Although there may be positive aspects, residents at Albion Court are concerned about this potential change.

“When the council has allowed the development of retirement accommodation in the area, it doesn’t seem sensible to plan student accommodation almost next door.

“Residents have moved to Albion Court to spend their later years in a peaceful and settled environment.

“With student accommodation in the near vicinity the quietness and tranquillity will inevitably change.

“Drinking habits, noise, and behavioural difficulties which are observed in every student community, will suddenly be on our doorstep, and right in the town centre.”

To date, almost a third of the residents of Albion Court have signed the petition against the development, which they plan to hand into the Guildhall later this week.

As well as concerns about noise and disruption, they have also expressed worries about the impact the development would have on parking in the area as the 150 spaces in the current St John’s car park would be lost when the flats were built and only five disabled parking spaces would be included in the new building.

A report commissioned by the university has argued the development would not have a negative impact on parking and the borough council said there were currently 1,792 more spaces than are needed in the town centre.

The borough council will decide whether or not the scheme should go ahead by the end of April.

A widow whose late husband died after being diagnosed with dementia aged just 37, has urged people with concerns to go to their doctor as figures show more than half of sufferers are still undiagnosed.

Although the number of people diagnosed with dementia in Northamptonshire increased by 1.5 per cent to 3,379 last year, figures released by The Alzheimer’s Society yesterday showed this figure represented only 43.6 per cent of the 7,758 people believed to be sufferers in the county.

This means more than half of those living with the condition are not receiving any of the benefits, drug treatments and support that comes from receiving a diagnosis.

Dione Priddy, whose husband Mark died, aged 41, in 2010, said it was good news more people were being diagnosed, but encouraged anyone with concerns to see their doctor.

Mrs Priddy, who lives in Northampton, and continues to campaign for more research into dementia, said: “I always say with anything, go to the doctors rather than sit and wait and wonder.

“I know there’s medicine that can slow things down and that’s one reason I’d have liked an earlier diagnosis with Mark.”

Ian Howarth, area manager for Alzheimer’s Society in the East Midlands, said: “It’s shocking that well over half of the people that are living with dementia still don’t have a diagnosis in the East Midlands and so they aren’t receiving the support, benefits and the medical treatments that are often available.

“Everyone is a little bit forgetful now and again, but when memory loss starts to interfere with your daily life it is important to get it checked out as soon as possible.”

Last year, county councillor Robin Brown (Con, Braunston), the cabinet member for social services, pledged that dementia care services would expand to meet demand from the county’s ageing population.

The current estimates are that the total number of sufferers would go up by 50 per cent by 2025.

Councillor Brown said: “We can’t disprove that the numbers are likely to grow at the rate we are forecasting, and as a consequence we are investing in dementia care as part of the increases we have within adult social services.”