Armed robbery in Winton

15.12.10

Police are hunting two men who carried out an armed robbery on a Winton fast food store.

The robbers walked into the Subway in Wimborne Road shortly before 1PM on Tuesday 14 December. Each was carrying a wooden chairleg and what appeared to be a gun. No shots were fired.

The shop attendant was forced to hand over an undisclosed amount of cash.

The two men are described as being in their early twenties and had scarves covering their faces. One was thin and about 5ft 10inches tall. The other was stocky and slightly shorter.

Both ran off in the direction of Wycliffe Road.

Police want to hear from anybody with information.

School on special measures

14.12.10

Winton Arts and Media College faces special measures after a damning Ofsted report that judged it was failing to give pupils an acceptable standard of education.

Carried out at the beginning of November, the inspection of the former Winton Boys School also said that "the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement."

Of teaching it said that "Too much teaching in most subjects is barely satisfactory. Only a small proportion of lessons are good and some are inadequate. In the very short time the teachers have been in post, most of them have established themselves as competent and reliable; they demonstrate the commitment required to improve thre quality of their teaching".

The full report can be found here.

Winton aired at Whitehall

2.12.10

Winton Forum has taken the area's problems to the heart of government.

Concerns over studentification and HMOs have been expressed to senior officials and ministerial advisors at the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Unfortunately the arrival of Grant Schapps, the minister himself, was delayed by snow and he was only able to make the final few moments of the meeting on November 30.

Forum Chair Anson Westbrook (right) and HMO Committee Chair Pat Oakley (left) were accompanied by MP Conor Burns (centre).

Hit and Run Appeal

1.12.10

Police are appealing for witnesses after a hit and run accident in which a teenage girl was knocked over.

The 16-year-old was struck by an unidentified car as she crossed the road at the junction of Wimborne Road and Brassey Road at 9.45pm on Wednesday 24 November. It is believed that the car is small and dark coloured.

Police Constable Charley Dunstan, of Winton police, said: “I would like to speak with anyone who saw this collision, and anyone with any information about the vehicle involved, as soon as possible. I understand that a woman helped the victim off the road. I would very much like to talk to her and urge her to contact me. All calls will be treated in the strictest of confidence.”

Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 01202 222 222 or the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply.

Forum commended in Parliament

19/11/10

Winton Forum's efforts to find solutions to the problems of studentification and Houses of Multiple Occupation have been praised in the House of Commons. Here is what local MP Conor Burns had to say in a debate on the matter on November 18.

"The Winton area, the most significant area in my Bournemouth West constituency, has seen a dramatic increase in the numbers of students in recent years. The Winton Forum, which is chaired by Pat Oakley and the former Liberal Democrat councillor Anson Westbrook, is working hard to engage in a dialogue with Ministers. It wants places where the problem is particularly serious to be better supported by Government regulation.

Let me give one small example of problem's impact on the quality of life in the area. Bournemouth university, the Arts university college and Bournemouth council got together to joint fund a duty officer to monitor noise. In 2008-09, complaints were upheld against more than 90 student properties. Some 63 abatement notices were served on 16 properties. In the past year alone, the number of complaints has risen by more than 25%. In part, those increases were down to the fact that the local community and the university published out-of-hours numbers so that residents could make their complaints known.

Other hon. Members have talked about the increase in the number of fast food outlets and the diminished trade during university holidays that makes businesses unviable. I am not anti-student. I would not change a second of my experience in Southampton in the early 1990s. This is about universities being a vital part of the local economy and responsible players.

Let me put three important points to the Minister. First, my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough made the point about compensation. That is a very serious issue that local authorities are having to deal with under article 4 directions. Secondly, there is the matter of the private rented sector handing over its properties to the university letting service, thereby exempting itself from some of the regulations. My hon. Friend was absolutely right about that, and tempts us to an Adjournment debate. Thirdly, there is the fact that student properties do not contribute to the council tax, but still require the services of the local authority."

(Text as reported in Hansard)

Forum gets Ministerial meeting on housing issues

10.11.10

The Chair of Winton Community Forum is to voice the area's housing problems in a face to face Whitehall meeting with government minister Grant Shapps.

The meeting with the Housing and Planning Minister is scheduled to take place at the end of November and was arranged by local MP Conor Burns. It follows months of lobbying.

Forum Chair Anson Westbrook has also requested that an invitation be extended to Bournemouth Council leader Peter Charon and to the Forum's HMO Committee Chair Pat Oakley.

The minister is likely to hear strong views on current government policy concerning HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupation) and its impact on Winton where there is a feeling that it favours landlords at the expense of the local community. The other issue set for an airing is the allegation that the University letting service is able to legally circumvent regulations and create HMOs at will.

Pavement road rage

9.11.10

Police are checking CCTV footage after an incident in which a driver apparently tried to deliberately run over a man outside a Winton supermarket.

The victim was thrown onto the boot of a silver coloured BMW when it reversed into him at speed on the pavement outside Waitrose in Wimborne Road. It is believed the driver was angry when the pedestrian refused to move out of the way.

The car then sped off, ignoring a red traffic light, and disappeared down Alma Road. The pedestrian suffered back injuries and is now off work.

The incident happened at 2.30pm on Friday 5 November. Police are appealing for witnesses.

Two injured in street violence

1.11.10

Police are appealing for witnesses after a violent attack in which two people were beaten with golf clubs in a Winton road.

The violence erupted when one of the victims was talking to a group of friends outside a house in Sedgley Road at 1.30AM on Saturday October 16. A party was taking place in the house when two men started shouting at the group and then launched their assault. It is believed to have been a case of mistaken identity.

On of the victims, a 22 year old electrician, suffered a broken jaw which had to be repaired with a metal plate. The other victim, a 21 year old art student, underwent two operations and now has a metal plate in his arm which was broken in three places.

One of the attackers is described as about 20 years old, five feet eight inches tall, of a medium build, with shaved dark brown hair, dark eyes and thick eyebrows. He wore a black hooded top.

The second man is also described as about the same age and slightly shorter than the other man. He wore a grey hooded top.

Drugs raid in Kings Road

23.10.10

Four people have been arrested after a police drugs swoop on a house in Winton.

The house in Kings Road was raided on Wednesday afternoon. Two women, aged 29 and 45, and a 34-year-old man, all from London, and a 44-year-old man from Bournemouth, were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences.

Cash and a quantity of substance believed to be an A class drug were seized. The raid was part of the ongoing Operation Dismantle which aims to tackle the supply of controlled drugs and associated crime.

Police say they were acting on information gathered locally. Inspector Mark Callaghan said, “It is essential that communities continue to tell us what is going on in their area so that we can tackle those issues that most affect local people."

Cashpoint attacker jailed

23.10.10

A man has been jailed after a violent robbery outside a Winton bank.

The court heard that 23 year old labourer Stephen Whyte was high on drink and drugs when he attacked a man withdrawing money from the cash machine outdside the Winton branch of Barclays. The robbery happened at 6.30 in the morning on June 24th. His vicitm suffered injuries to his face and head.

Whyte already had a string of offences dating back to his early teens and was jailed for three years. The sentence also took account of vehicle theft, possession of drugs and drink driving.

Students on drunken rampage

21.09.10

Scores of drunken students are reported to have created havoc in Green Road after a party on Wednesday night.

Police were called after party-goers, some in fancy dress, shouted down the street, threw alcohol around, swore at residents and urinated in gardens and on cars.

It is believed to have been the first party of the term held at the house. A student spokesman said that it may well turn out to be the last.

The house at the centre of the disturbance is thought to have been the scene of several incidents last term.

Drive to clean up Winton

19.10.10

The Council is to boost its street cleaning in an effort to reduce student generated litter in Winton.

Cabinet Member David Smith says, "One of the problems associated with a large student population in an area like Winton is the amount of rubbish on the streets which is often dumped there after a night out on the town."

Students will be involved in litter-picking drives and extra street celaning schedules are to be introduced. Environmental Health Officers have been asked to show zero-tolerance towards people who drop litter and more tickets will be issued to those who cannot be bothered to use litter bins.

Councillor Smith also wants to see householders play their part. "It would be really good if all the residents of Winton could adopt the idea used in many other countries whereby residents take responsibility for the front of their properties and keep them free from litter and rubbish. If every home did this it would make a tremendous difference to the appearance of our town."

Council leader presses Housing Minister

01.10.10

Council Leader Peter Charon has made it clear to Housing Minister Grant Shapps that there need to be changes in the new legislation affecting HMOs. Following approaches from Winton Forum he's pleading for local powers to overrule the new regulations which allow HMOs to be established without special permission.

You can see the text of his letter here.

No more Council Tax please!

17.09.10

Local people are being given the chance to influence Bournemouth Council's budget for the next three years.

As from Thursday 16th September, a four week consultation began which any resident can take part in.

To have your say go online to www.bournemouth.gov.uk/budgetconsultation or pick up a copy of the survey at a library or community centre.

Anyone having difficulty or who might need the survey in alternative formats can call 01202 454869 for advice.

Winton tops for student noise

31.07.10

A new council report pinpoints Winton as the worst place in Bournemouth for student noise.

The Environmental Services document says that during the course of the 2009-2010 academic year they dealt with 129 cases - 90 involving student houses. Of the remainder, a significant proportion were directed at the Okeford House hall of residence in Crimea Road. The total number of complaints was up by 25% on the previous year, but part of the increase is believed to be the result of increased awareness among residents that they now had official channels of complaint.

Streets with a history of student noise problems included Green Road, Cardigan Road and Stanfield Road.

Sixty three Noise Nuisance Abatement Notices were served on students at 16 properties, 49 on Bournemouth University students and 14 on Arts University College students.

While serving Abatement Orders council officials had beer poured over them on at least one occasion, and were forcibly bundled out of the building on another.

Most complaints related to one-off incidents although a number had a major impact on the surrounding residents. One of these was a party in Stanfield Road that was closed down with police assistance. An estimated 300 people left the semi-detached property.

The Council, University and Art College nevertheless believe their joint measures to contain the problem are now having an effect. They stress though that effort has to be renewed with each year's intake of new students. New measures include "good neighbour" information packs for students and an out of hours service to deal with complaints.

Read the full report here.

Winton development rejected

30.07.10

Planners have turned down proposals for "infill" development of land behind houses in Truscott Avenue, Bingham, Somerley and Maxwell Roads.. The move is already being hailed as a victory for local residents over property developers.

Here is the text of the ruling:

"It is considered that the erection of 11 dwellinghouses in the manner proposed, by reason of the amount of development and its layout would result in a congested form of overdevelopment which would be out of keeping with the inherent character of the locality having regard to the pattern of existing residential development.

It is also considered that the proposed development on the Truscott Avenue street frontage would result in an incongruous addition, due to its squat appearance, harmful to the visual appearance and character of the Truscott Avenue street scene.

In addition, by reason of the developments scale and siting, the proposal is considered to have a significant overbearing and oppressive visual impact upon the outlook of the neighbouring residents at 12 and 14 Somerley Road and 31 Bingham Road.

Furthermore, it is also considered that due to the cramped layout the proposed development would result in unacceptable living conditions for the future occupants of the development due to visually oppressive outlooks and a lack of privacy. It is also considered that the proposed development would result in an inadequate provision of private amenity space detrimental to the quality of life of the future occupants.

It is therefore considered that the proposal would have an unacceptable impact on the character of the area and would affect adversely the visual and residential amenities of the locality. It is therefore considered that the proposed development would be contrary to the aims of Policies 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 4.19, 6.8, 7.21, 8.13, 8.23, 8.36 and 8.37 of the Bournemouth District Wide Local Plan (February 2002) as well as the adopted Residential Development: A Design Guide (2008), PPS1 and PPS3. "

Head quits Winton school

28.07.10

Winton Primary School is to get a new head teacher.

After being placed on "management leave" pending investigations into unspecified matters, head Sharon Jones has quit her post for personal reasons.

Last month Bournemouth council formally demanded improvements at the school which had been criticised in an Ofsted report. There were concerns that there had been insufficient action to tackle some of the problems outlined in the document. The Board of Governors is also to be strengthened.

Boost for Winton Traders

22.07.10

Winton Traders Asociation is to get a new lease of life.

The currently dormant association is to be revived under the umbrella of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade. Members will have direct membership of the Chamber and a special fund is to be set up for investment back into Winton.

A fund has already been created to assist Winton during the recession.

More businesses are being encouraged to join up, as this will automatically boost the Winton assistance funds.

Winton problems highlighted

20.07.10

Winton Community Forum has responded to the Council's consultation on Bournemouth's future with a detailled description of the problems facing the area.

It stresses the effects of "studentification" and growth in number of houses in multiple occupation.

Read the full response HERE.

Oily vandalism

19.07.10

Council workers have been cleaning up after a vandal attack on a number of cars in Winton.

Around a dozen cars had oil poured over them while they were parked overnight in Wycliffe Road at the weekend.

It is believed the oil was taken from drums of waste oil that had been left on the pavement.

Forum Action on Student Housing

03.07.10

Winton Community Forum has set up a special committee to review and act on current housing problems in the area.

Chaired by Patrick Oakley, it will in particular be looking at Houses of Multiple Occupation. It is hoped to be able to assist local residents, including students, and put pressure where necessary on the local authority.

Members have already been very active with a series of meetings. For more details and a summary of activity to date, see our Student Issues page.

Winton councillor suspended

24.06.10

Councillor Douglas Spencer has been suspended from the Conservative Party and is facing an investigation into his conduct. Details of the allegations being probed by Tory Party Central Office have not been released.

Councillor Spencer has represented Winton East since being elected in 2008 to replace another councillor who resigned for family reasons.

The move further increases political uncertainty in the ward. Two months ago fellow Tory councillor Paul Hughes decided to quit the Conservatives and switch allegiance to the Liberal Democrats.

The two most senior members of Bournemouth Council are themselves under investigation. Council Leader MacLoughlin has already apologised for the presence of pornographic material on his laptop computer. Deputy Leader Beesley, who also serves as Planning chairman, has been accused of a possible conflict of interest over his friendship with a planning consultant.

Hip Hop Dance Fame

22.06.10

A local teenager was one of the winners in Europe's top hip hop dance competition.

Fourteen year old Darren Symes is from Charminster and came third at the European Hip Hop Popping championship in Amsterdam.

Dancing under the name of Roboboy, Darren has already proved a popular act at many local and national events and has even performed before royalty! He was recently featured in Sky's "Got to Dance" programme and will be appearing at Winton Carnival.

World Cup Scam

10.06.10

Residents are being warned not to get caught out in the latest World Cup-related scam.

Trading Standards has received several complaints from local people who have received a letter claiming they have won a large sum of money eg £800,000 from 'Euro Millions Fifa World Cup Super Lottery Program.'

If you receive a letter like the one described, report it to Consumer Direct immediately.

Bournemouth Senior Trading Standards Officer David Morton says: "The letter requests that the recipient provides their contact and banking details and I would advise very strongly that residents do not provide this information because of the danger of their bank accounts being emptied of cash."

Consumer Direct's phone number is : 08454 04 05 06 or go online at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk .

Charminster Cannabis Factory raided

31.05.10

Police have removed thousands of pounds worth of cannabis plants from a bungalow in Charminster.

The property in Richmond Park Avenue was raided at the weekend. Inside was a complete factory designed to grow cannabis with the correct amounts of water, heat and ventilation. It is estimated that more than £200,000 worth of plants were being grown there.

The building had been modified with holes cut through the ceilings and the power supply was being illegally tapped from the mains.

Police are appealing for information.

Man charged with Heather Barnett murder

21.05.10

A man has appeared in court today charged with the murder of Heather Barnett.

He is 38 year old Danilo Restivo whose address was given as Chatsworth Road not far from the house in Capstone Road, Charminster, where Heather's body was found seven years ago.

The appearance follows intensive police enquiries both locally and in Italy. The case was committed for a preliminary hearing to Winchester Crown Court.

Detective Superintendent Mark Cooper, the case's Senior Investigation Officer, said: "We have been in close contact with members of Heather’s family throughout the course of this investigation, including speaking with them this morning to make them aware of the charges brought against Restivo. The family has shown extraordinary strength and courage over the seven years since Heather’s death and our thoughts are still very much with them".

Winton Tory defects to Lib-Dems

3.5.10

In a shock pre-election move, one of Winton's three Conservative councillors has defected to the Liberal-Democrats and thrown his support behind their prospective MP Alasdair Murray.

Elected in 2007, Paul Hughes was for a time the Conservative council's youth champion. With him he apparently brings the local Conservative party's main publicity organs - the Winton Watch newsletter and web site.

Justifying his action so close to the general election, Winton East Councillor Hughes says, "I have become increasingly frustrated by the restrictions placed upon myself and other Tory backbenchers by the all-powerful ten-member cabinet. I feel I have been unable to do all that I would have liked for Winton residents.

"I came to the conclusion that democracy and fairness are best served as a member of the Liberal Democrats".

Election Race

20.04.2010

There will be five candidates contesting each of the two Bournemouth constituencies on May 6.

In both Bournemouth West and East the contenders from the three main parties will be joined by an independent and a candidate from UKIP.

Candidates for Bournemouth West are: Conor Burns (Conservative), Sharon Carr-Brown (Labour), Philip Glover (United Kingdom Independence Party), Alasdair Murray (Liberal Democrat), Harvey Taylor (Independent) .

Candidates for Bournemouth East are: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative), David Hughes (United Kingdom Independence Party), Steven Humphrey (Independent), Lisa Northover (Liberal Democrat), David Stokes (Labour).

Winton brothel bust

09.04.2010

Details have been revealed of a brothel that ran for four years in the middle of Winton's main shopping area.

It was in a flat opposite the Waitrose store in Wimborne Road and dozens of prostitutes were reported to have worked there from 2005 until June 2009 when it was raided by police and closed down.

The details were revealed in the trial of the woman accused of running it - 61 year old Diana Gillian Wood of Spring Road Boscombe. The court heard that the business had involved large sums of money, but none of the women working there had done so under duress.

Wood was jailed for 14 months. Another woman received a lighter sentence after pleading guilty to assisting in the management of a brothel.

Robbery Reward

25.03.10

HSBC is offering £25,000 reward for information on the man who robbed its Moordown branch on Tuesday.

The man walked into the branch at 897 Wimborne Road just before midday on Tuesday, 23 March. He got away with an undisclosed sum of money.

Masked by a white scarf the man is described as pale, slim, about 6ft tall and in his thirties. He threatened staff, but was not armed. Police have released a CCTV image.

Detectives say the man was wearing very distinctive clothing and it is possible that several people will have seen him before or after the incident.

Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 222222.

Planning rejections

23.3.2010

After a campaign of local opposition, two applications to build houses at the back of 8 and 10 Fitharris Avenue have been rejected by council planners.

The proposals were opposed by residents of Fitzharris and Linwood Roads, and supported by Winton Recreation Ground Residents Association and the Friends of Winton Recreation Ground..

It is understood that the first decision will now go to appeal. It is not yet known if the second decision will be contested.

In a move to block future building, local residents are reported to be considering a plan for householders to make covenants preventing their gardens from ever being developed in the future.

Local school celebrates reading

6.03.2010

It was bedtime stories in the middle of the day for pupils at Queens Park Junior School.

Some of them even donned pyjamas to celebrate World Book Day.

The world of fiction became real with pirates, witches, super-heroes and other story book charactes wandering around the building.

World Book Day is a UNESCO initiative to promote literacy around the world. It is marked by events in schools and other organisations in more than one hundred countries.

Moderne Mystery Girl

4.3.2010

Restoration work on the old Gala bingo hall has revealed a mystery in the attic.

A 3ft x 2ft picture of a girl's face was discovered during work to convert the art deco building into Bournemouth Community Church's new LIFEcentre..

It looks as if it could have been painted at any time between the 1930's and 50's when the building was still the Moderne cinema.

It bears the name "Annette" and Bournemouth Community Church would love to know who she was and why the picture is there.

If you have any information, you can contact them on 01202 530265.

Gang attacks student

16.02.10

Police are appealing for witnesses after a student was attacked and robbed by a group of teenagers in Wimborne Road.

The attack happened close to the Tesco Express, near Victoria Park Road, in the early hours of Sunday 14 February.

A gang of a least five men, all in their mid-to-late teens, surrounded the student and hit him repeatedly before taking his wallet. They then ran off, only to appear again a short time later near the junction with Ensbury Park Road.

He was chased again but managed to get home safely.

Police are linking the incident with a similar attack a few minutes earlier when a man was assaulted by a gang near to Winton police station.

Winton Election Question Time

3.2.10

Winton Forum has arranged a public meeting for you to meet and challenge all the main candidates seeking your vote in the coming General Election.

Facing you on the platform will be the Prospective Parliamentary Candidates for the Conservative Party, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP. The meeting will be run by an independent chairman.

The event is scheduled to take place at the YMCA, Jameson Road, at 7.30PM on Friday 19 March.

Government responds to Winton plea on studentification

27.1.2010

The government is proposing action to deal with problems associated with student houses, flats and houses in multiple occupation.

The move comes in response to a campaign in which the Winton Community Forum played a significant role and should mean an end to entire streets being turned into "student ghettoes".

Bournemouth council will get new powers to manage the unplanned spread of Houses in Multiple Occupation. A government report admits the cluster of too many shared houses can cause problems, especially if too many properties in one area are let to short term residents with little stake in the local community.

It notes that many towns and cities across the country have suffered the effects of a concentration of HMOs. Market, coastal and university towns have reported problems due to large student populations and HMOs, meaning shops, businesses and pubs simply close down creating 'ghost neighbourhoods'.

Under the new rules, landlords will need to apply for planning permission in order to establish a new HMO with a change of use, for example when the use of a property is altered from a family home to a shared house, with three or more tenants who are not related.

Councils will have extra flexibility to license landlords, requiring safe and quality rented accommodation in neighbourhoods where large numbers of substandard properties can be a magnet for community problems.

Work is now underway for a new National Landlords Register, to further help raise standards of private rented accommodation.

Youth Centre for Winton Rec

19.1.2010

Linwood Youth Centre is to get a new home. It will be based at the Pavillion in Winton Recreation Ground.

The club caters for young people with disabilities and will be using the building three evenings a week. For the rest of the time the pavillion will be made available to other groups.

The hundred year old pavilion will be getting an internal revamp and refurbishment as part of the move. Changing rooms will be relocated upstairs to give more usable space downstairs.

Councillors say they are committed to improving facilities over the coming years and will be sounding out local opinion on future developments at the Recreation Ground

Local students in environment initiative

3.12.2009

People in Winton have been given free environmentally friendly shopping bags as part of student drive to "go green".

Intended to replace non-recyclable plastic bags, the fabric versions were hand made and distributed by students from Bournemouth University.

More than fifty bags were handed out to shoppers in Wimborne Road. Forum chairman Anson Westbrook was also there to lend a hand.

"We want to be involved in the community and encourage everybody to be environmentally sensitive", said student spokesperson Hannah Wright.

National award for local teacher

19.11.2009

A Winton teacher has won a national award for primary school language teaching.

Sally Mitchell of St Luke’s C of E Primary School was awarded the Primary Language Teacher Award 2009 at a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament.

Headteacher, Mark Saxby says: ‘Languages at St Luke’s have come to life with staff and children looking forward to their lessons. This is because Sally loves her subject and is passionate about ensuring children get a positive experience when they begin to explore languages.’

The range of languages on offer includes Japanese, German, French and Spanish. Sally also runs a lunchtime French club, and has been extremely active in supporting both colleagues and other schools in teaching modern foreign languages.

Sally's prize includes more than £2000 worth of resources plus an all-expenses paid two-day trip to Northern France for up to 30 children and five teachers.

Local Girl for World Swimming Championships

4/11/09

A local girl has been chosen to represent Britain in next year's Downs Syndrome World Swimming Chamionships in Taiwan.

As a member of the national team, Judith Cooling from Queens Park already has an impressive list of achievements.

At an international competition earlier this year she won a gold medal for the 200m backstroke, silver medals for the 400m freestyle and 50m butterfly and bronzes for the 25m butterfly, 200m freestyle and 50m backstroke.

Her training for the world championships includes swimming four times a week locally, special training sessions in Reading and participation in national galas.

She needs to raise £2000 pounds to enable her to compete in the championships. Anybody wishing to help sponsor her is invited to email coolings@hotmail.co.uk .

Winton postal delays

16/10/09

The vintage mail boxes

The coming postal strike might cause some disruption, but it is unlikely to equal the delay suffered by the post in Winton, USA.

Local man Jim Feiten has just discovered a number of undelivered letters that have been in the system since the Second World War!

Jim lives in a log hut in a ghost-town called Winton in the Cascade Mountains and takes a keen interest not only in its local history but also that of the one in Bournemouth.

Looking around an antiques shop he happened to find the original mail boxes that had served the logging community in his Winton. He bought them, took them home, and was astonished to find unopened letters posted in 1943.

Jim likes to keep an eye on all the other Wintons in the world via the Winton Forum web site. He heeps in touch with us via email - so far its proved more reliable than the US service of the 1940s.

You can read more about Jim's Winton home here.

Don't forget the flu jab

15/10/09

As swine flu injections become available, vulnerable people are being urged not to forget their vaccination against "ordinary" seasonal flu."

Everyone aged 65 and over is offered the jab, as are younger people with long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, serious kidney and liver disease. Around 15 million people in the UK have the jab, which must be administered every year as it is altered each year to match the seasonal flu strains in circulation.

Regional Public Health Director Dr Gabriel Scally says: "In the publicity about swine flu vaccination we mustn't forget about the importance of the annual seasonal flu jab. Over the years this has saved the lives of many elderly and vulnerable people. Seasonal flu is not like having a cold and can seriously affect your health and sometimes lead to more serious complications."

If you are in any of the at risk groups he advises a visit to your local surgery to get the vaccination as soon as possible.

School closed by virus outbreak

3/10/09

Queens Park Infant School has been closed following the outbreak of a suspected viral illness.

The decision was taken after a number of staff and children began to suffer from sickness and diarrohea.

It is believed the cause may be the highly contagious norovirus. The symptoms last a few days. There is no recommended treatment other than drinking plenty of fluids and washing hands to prevent the infection spreading.

Parts of the school buildings are receiving special cleaning and disinfection.

The school will remain closed until at least Tuesday

Obituary

30/08/09

It is with great sadness that we record the death of Kathy Goldsmith-Bray, a founding member, trustee and vice-chair of Winton Forum.

She was also a driving force in setting up and maintaining the Winton Carnival.

A Winton resident for more than 25 years and known then to the children simply as "Mrs Goldsmith", Kathy was a popular teacher at Elmrise Primary School until rheumatoid arthritis forced her early retirement in 2002.

Kathy then retrained as a psychological counsellor and gave more than 1000 hours of voluntary service to the National Health Service. At the same time she began to fulfil her lifelong ambition of gaining a degree in art.

In late 2006 she became a project worker on a National Children's Home pilot scheme to help families in difficulty. It was her dream job, but only a few weeks after joining the team, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the brain.

She married Mel, her partner of 20 years, in August 2008 and conducted her two and a half year cancer battle with bravery, dignity and humour. Throughout that time she never gave up and continued to display her characteristic warmth, kindness and consideration for other people.

Kathy died a month after her 59th birthday and a couple of weeks after her first wedding anniversary. She will be deeply missed.

A web site dedicated to her memory has been set up at www.kathygoldsmith.co.uk .

Older stories can be found in the News Archive