Bishopthorpe News and Views

The Safer Routes to School Programme has taken another step forward in the promotion of pedestrian safety.

A new footway has been built on the south side of Copmanthorpe Lane that allows children to approach the school on the same side. This avoids having to cross the road by the school gates, where a number of drivers still insist in dropping off their children despite the provision of alternatives such as the Park and Stride and the Walking Bus (see more here).

The Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Janet Hopton, presented the 2007 Youth Awards at a ceremony in St Andrew’s Church Hall on 31st January.

The annual awards are made by the Millennium Trust in recognition of contributions made by young people as suggested by local residents. Each winner received a cheque for £100 and a certificate.

The winners this year are Mhairi Dunn (aged 17) and Tom Quinn (aged 15).

Mhairi’s award is for an outstanding contribution to youth groups in the Village. She is a junior leader at cubs but has also very successfully taken on the role as leader of “Summit”, the church youth group for young people based at St Andrew’s Church Hall. This group meets twice a month and also has outings and sleepovers. Current roll is nearly 20, though many more often turn up. Earlier in the year, Mhairi was one of the team that produced a week long holiday club for younger children in the village at the church hall - over 40 children attended daily. This was followed by a Wednesday morning children's cafe event which ran for the rest of the summer holidays. She is also part of the leading team for the monthly cafe church services in which she takes an active presentational role. All this and working for her A-levels - which she does while baby sitting.

Tom’s award is for helping with the Canoe Club and his achievements as a canoeist. Tom is British under 16’s canoeing champion (Canadian single slalom) and he won the British Division 1 championship in the same class. He is also in the British Under-16 team and is in England's top boat for this year’s Home Internationals. Tom has worked very hard to get these results. He has followed a strict training programme, often getting up at 6 am to do a four mile run or some weight training before going to school. He is very conscientious about his training. Tom has been a member of the canoe club since he was 11. In the last few months he has been instrumental in raising the profile of the club. Reports of his successes have been in the local press three times recently. He has also given up his time to take part in several canoe club events at various swimming pools where he has helped coach some younger children.  

Mhairi is putting her cheque towards a laptop and Tom is putting his towards a new paddle.

The Lord Mayor was accompanied by Mr David Hopton, and the Sheriff of York Richard Baldwin and Mrs Alison Baldwin. Richard and Alison Baldwin live in Bishopthorpe.

Pictures by Simon Melton.

Yes, it's true.  In our recent "slide battle" with New Earswick Camera Club, Bishopthorpe Camera Club emerged victorious by a not-inconsiderable margin.  A bit like a test match between Australia and England really!

You can see some of our winning pictures and find out more about the club on our Website.

The next meeting, on Wednesday 21st February at 7.30 pm, has a new topic.  Our original speaker is unavailable so we now have a three-person presentation about photographic technique. 

If you want to find out what is possible with digital imaging, then this is for you. 

Visitors welcome.

 

What was happening in Bishopthorpe 100 years ago?  Well, the Ouse was in flood, the 'evils of gambling' were being discussed, and fashion was on the agenda.  Sound familiar?  Mind you - diphtheria closed the school and the city vagrants were fed on bread and water instead of yummy gruel.

As Stanley Holloway put it, several years later: "No wrecks and nobody drownded, in fact nothing to laugh at, at all."

Don't let this put you off - read all about it on the Local History Group web page - here.