Crosspool Forum Open Meeting on Thursday 24 January 2013

Crosspool Forum’s next Open Meeting will take place on Thursday 24 January at St Columba’s church. It starts at 7pm.

Come along and give your concerns on local issues to local councillors, the police and officials.

The guest speaker at this meeting is Mark Johnson from City Wide Care Alarms who will be talking about how you can remain safe, secure and independent in your home.

The church hall at St Columba’s has been redecorated and a new sound system installed.

View the Open Meeting provisional agenda (PDF, 66KB)

Crosspool Forum Open Meeting January 2013
Crosspool Forum Open Meeting January 2013 – click for provisional agenda (PDF, 66KB)

Joint carol service for Crosspool churches

St. Columba's church, Crosspool
Joint carol service at St. Columba’s church on Sunday 16 December

Stephen Hill Methodist Church and St. Columba’s Church invite you to join them for a joint carol service on Sunday 16 December at 4pm at St. Columba’s Church.

You can hear the Christmas story through readings, poetry, plus traditional and local carols, with warming refreshments afterwards.

Christmas Fayre, Christmas trees and Christmas disco this weekend in Crosspool

Up the ladder
Christmas trees are going up in the precinct on Sunday

Three events mark the start of Christmas festivities in Crosspool this weekend.

On Saturday 1 December from 10am-2pm Crosspool WI hosts a Christmas Fayre in Lounge@Crosspool cafe. Pop along for craft stalls, refreshments, homemade cakes and their great Crosspool bake-off!

On Sunday morning the Christmas trees will be going up in the precinct above our local shops. So look out for them when you pass through next week.

And on Sunday afternoon from 1.30-3.30pm there’s a Christmas disco for children between 3-11 years at St Columba’s church hall. Father Christmas will bring a present for every child and refreshments and nibbles will be served.

Tickets now available for Crosspool Childrens’ Christmas Disco

Crosspool Forum is hosting a Childrens’ Christmas Disco on Sunday 2 December, 2012.

The event for children between 3-11 years will run from 1.30-3.30pm in St Columba’s church hall. Father Christmas will bring a present for every child! Refreshments and nibbles will be served.

You can get your ticket from Crosspool Pet Shop – tickets are £5 per child and the accompanying parent or guardian is free. You can also contact the Forum on crosspoolforum@fsmail.net or 0114 335 1674 for tickets and more information.

Children's Christmas Disco, Sunday 2 December 2012
Children’s Christmas Disco, Sunday 2 December 2012

Gareth Hewitt live at St Columba’s on 15 November

Gareth Hewitt live at St Columba's on 15 November
Gareth Hewitt live at St Columba’s on 15 November

Garth Hewitt, founder of the Amos Trust, will be performing in Crosspool as part of his UK tour. You can hear him at St. Columba’s Church, 503 Manchester Road on Thursday, 15 November at 7.30pm.

Garth will be singing songs and telling stories from his new album, Justice like a River. The songs are inspired by Amos’s partners around the world. From surfing street children in South Africa to grassroots educators in India, from frontline farmers in Nicaragua to creative campaigners in Palestine.

The show is described as ‘an evening of entertainment, encouragement and challenge to make the world a better place.’

Tickets from St Columba’s Church Office (0114 267 0006): £7, or £4.50 concessions.

Bullet points from Crosspool Forum AGM & Open Meeting, 25 October 2012

Below is a bullet point summary of Thursday’s meeting you can also download a PDF copy (53K).

Bullet points from Crosspool Forum AGM & Open Meeting, 25 October 2012

Cllrs Geoff Smith & Rob Frost, Police, 20 Crosspool residents & 9 members of the Forum Management Committee attended. No Guest speakers.

AGM

2011 Minutes adopted as a true record
Matters arising – none.

Chairman’s report

(Ian Hague). The Forum is in its 10 year & has made positive progress, still publishing the Clarion & very popular website. Acting as a voice for the local residents & continuing to have excellent relations with the Council, police etc. The usual Christmas trees were erected. & then Jubilee flags 8 bunting for the summer, floral displays, days out to (Stratford upon Avon), (BBC Salford Quays). Computer courses, Children’s Christmas disco, car boot sales. Crosspool Festival Week & Summer Fayre, Helpers and ideas to Ian please!

Treasurer’s report

(Chris Batchelor). Again a health end of year bank balance. (but as usual one bill still to come in – summer planters).

Nominations, resignations and election of committee members

Chris Batchelor (Treasurer) has resigned, & Marika Szabo (Hagg Copse & the Orchard). Anyone interested in joining the Management Committee to contact Ian or any member. A mandate was given to Ian & the committee to choose a new treasurer.

Open meeting

26th July minutes adopted as a true record

1) Cllr Smith gave explanation on previous questions.  2) 51 bus route

Police report

PC Louise Atha:

  1. Burglaries, although not a major problem at the moment residents were urged to keep their doors & lower windows locked at all times.
  2. Under-age alcohol (&soon, firework) purchase. Of 24 shops tested one was breaking the law by selling to under-age children.
  3. Operation Dark Nights starting soon- Halloween & Bonfire Night
  4. The Broomhill SNA have the lowest statistics for anti-social behaviour in the city! S/A drink-drive campaign will start again on 1st Dec.

Councillors questions and answers

  1. Election for a Police Commissioner (15th Nov). Both Geoff Smith & Rob Frost did not agree with the need for this extra role, but urged people to use their vote. Full information on the candidates may not come through the door (lack of volunteers) but can be found on the BBC websites.
  2. HGV vehicles in the Hagg Hill/Stephen Hill areas, Lorries are still following their satnavs & trying to use these routes. Better signage was requested.
  3. A57 roadwork’s progress? the new relationship with Amey is proving difficult for residents to access information about highways issues. Queries through the SWCA please
  4. Broomhill library? The financial details about the proposed move to Ashdell Rd are still under discussion.
  5. No.51 buses? First Bus is putting more resources into this route from next week with additional buses. Residents were asked to keep a note of any issues & pass these to the Councillors,

Events

The Precinct Christmas Trees will go up again, & a Children’s Disco has been arranged for Sunday 2nd December. Well attended Computer courses to continue in Jan 2013. Crosspool Festival Week expected to start on 29th June 2013..

Centenary Celebrations are in hand for 2013 to mark the 100th anniversary of Tapton Congregational Church & the first bus route in Sheffield Jan 1913, the No. 51. A suggested 2014 Crosspool Calendar – ideas/help please?!

 AOB

  1. Broomhill – new Costa coffee shop opening on the ‘Cream site
  2. Hagg Copse expected to be put back to its original state in the spring, after the building work
  3. Road Show at Wesley Hall (31st Oct) – theme active ageing.

The next Open Meeting will be Thurs, 25 October 2012. 7pm, St Columba’s.

Bullet points from Crosspool Forum AGM & Open Meeting, 25 October 2012 (PDF, 53KB)

Beautiful South and Housemartins singer’s Crosspool memory

St. Columba's church, Crosspool
St. Columba’s church, Crosspool: the location of one of Paul Heaton’s first musical memories

Paul Heaton from The Beautiful South and The Housemartins has been recalling memories of St Columba’s youth club in a BBC radio documentary.

In today’s The First Time With…Paul Heaton programme on BBC 6 Music, the singer-songwriter described the youth club disco at St Columba’s on Manchester Road as the location of one of his first musical memories:

“My brother and his mates were allowed to go and I was under 12 at the time so wasn’t allowed in. Me and my middle brother sneaked to the edge of the door and looked underneath it. They were playing The Jean Genie by David Bowie.

“At the time wooden stacked heels were in fashion. My brother and his mates were all doing this dance, banging their stack heels on the floor. It was unbelievable. The noise of them banging their stack heels was louder than the music itself.”

You can listen again to the programme for seven days. St Columba’s is mentioned around 2 minutes, 45 seconds in.

Bullet points from Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, 26 July 2012

Below is a bullet point summary of Thursday’s meeting you can also download a PDF copy (74KB).

Bullet points from Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, 26 July 2012

25 Crosspool residents, Cllr Geoff Smith, and 7 members of the Forum Management Committee attended. A  guest gave a  presentations :.

Matters arising

from April meeting –  none.

Police report

PCSOs Phil Whitaker & Tony Hizam. (for  Louise);

  1. Fire incident, Tapton School, caretakers’ lodge.
  2. Watt Lane burglaries – thieves targeting houses with Audis & BMWs, to get the car keys.
  3. Car air bag thefts (so the steering wheel is taken as well) – again same make of car. Residents are advised to cover the wheel with a disc lock. Available at cost from Ecclesfield Police Station (321 The Common, A6135) or motoring shops.
  4. Tavern Garage complaints; the service station appears to be exceeding its working hours & overlapping the pavement & highway – dangerous equipment such as a hoist used too close to pedestrians. Cllr Smith will liaise with PC Atha & the Council about this.
  5. Ongoing & new police ‘ops’ – Crosspool & Fulwood anti-burglary & car crime; and next week the start of a force-wide scrap metal collecting van operation.

Letter from Deputy PM Nick Clegg and responses

After a recent Meeting at Hallam Football Ground Ian Hague presented Mrr Clegg with some pertinent local questions. Emailed responses having been received, these are as follows:

  1. Government policy on school catchment areas? Sadly the higher number of Lydgate Primary School catchment children this September than the places physically available has meant 48 children will not get their first choice. (In 2013 there appear to be far fewer children of this age range, but from ’14 on the problem may arise again).
  2. Local roads – shocking state of; Cllr Smith said any immediate concerns (potholes etc.) are still to go to Streetforce.
    The PFI Highways initiative will not start until later this year and will, after liaison with the utilities in any given area, be operationally-driven.
    The first 5 years  will cover bringing the Sheffield highways network up to standard; pavements, street lighting, road reconstruction & tree management etc., cost 2billion (£800million (Council) & £1.2 billion (Government), & be followed by continued maintenance throughout the remaining 20 years of the contract . Residents will be able to a certain extent suggest replacement trees for any removed as causing obstructions. We must accept this will be “incredibly disruptive” to the city.
  3. Public Transport – getting people back on the buses! Some £56 million is going into local transport, & there will be new low-carbon buses – but not necessarily on the no. 51 route. In Oct the route will change slightly (avoiding Mappin St) & First Buses has pledged to have more buses & drivers available to match the timetable. It is known there are 6 Crookes buses, & 3 Fulwood ones, to every Crosspool/Lodge moor no. 51.
  4. Historic buildings? Jeremy Hunt (Culture Secretary)replied to Mr Clegg & Cllr Rob Frost but just said although he has a duty to compile a list of buildings of special architectural or historical value, this did not necessarily prevent their alteration or demolition. ( There appears to be nothing more to be said about Moor View Farm, Manchester Rd,  at the moment).
  5. Monopolies Commission & a new Sainsbury’s at Broomhill? A question as raised as to why Sainsbury is apparently being granted permission to build another store here.
  6. Vernon Tce bus shelter – as the site is too narrow this can never go ahead.

Councillors and SWCA report

Geoff Smith was asked to look into why Veolia will only accept card payments for the purchase of green waste bagsthis year.

The ‘20s Plenty’ scheme has decided to designate the ‘Steel Bank area (Crookes, Commonside, Walkley) for the signage to make it a 20 zone, though this may take a year to implement.

Events

Crosspool Festival Week – Rev France Eccleston said this had been very successful – & we had two dry weekends!-  Some £1524 was raised for the Ryegate Child centre Fund. Residents were asked to contact the committee if they wish to help nest year – the Open Gardens scheme will need a new organizer.

The Summer Fayre;  Ian Hague said  thiswent well – £726 was made, all to go back to the community. The Union flags in the precinct have proved very popular –  these were erected for the Jubilee and will stay up until the Olympics are over.

The Car Boot Sale was a wash-out this June, but it is hoped another can be held in September.

Disco – after the success of the Christmas one Ian is hoping to hold another.

Computer course; this has proved very popular again; Ian expects to hold more in Sep 2012 – names to him please. There will be a beginners’ course, advanced (internet) course, & possibly desk top publishing course.

Guest speaker

Kate Hill telling us about FunMeFit
Kate Hill telling us about FunMeFit

Kate Hill gave a presentation about her website – FunMeFit – a portal for the whole of Sheffield to get active, &  to share their activities on. She hopes to run a Fun Day on 16th Sep at Hallam Cricket Club to fund-raise for this.

 AOB

  1. The Crosspool bench (outside Guidos & by the bus shelter) is broken and badly needs repair; Tammy Barrass (SWCA) agreed to see if this could be  done .
  2. Manchester Rd roadworks (beyond Valleyside Garden Centre).  There have been chicanes & traffic lights for some weeks.but work is due to end by October.

The next Open Meeting will be Thurs, 25th October 2012. 7pm, St Columba’s.

Download minutes from Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, 26 July 2012 (PDF, 74KB)

Bell of St Columba’s to ring out again

St Columba's: bells to ring out this morning
St Columba’s: bell to ring out this morning

Update 5 June 2012: sadly some technical problems arose, meaning the bell wasn’t able to ring on Sunday. The bell expert has been brought back in to fix it. We’ll let you know when it is working again.


After years of silence, the bell in the tower of St Columba’s church in Crosspool will ring out once again this morning.

The peal will take place just before 10am to mark the queen’s diamond jubilee.

Priest–in-charge at the church Reverend Frances Eccleston is planning on the bell getting more use from now on: “We hope to ring a brief peal on the bell before our 10am service on Sunday morning most weeks.”

The St Columba bell sits in the church tower behind four concrete panels. It was cast in Loughborough in 1901 before being set in the tower in December 1955.

St Columba’s church