News

The latest news from Todwick.

Any diamonds, rubies, emeralds, costume jewellery that you no longer use?

Published: 6 May 2012

Then donate your unwanted treasures to the WI Jewellery Stall at the Church Garden Fete to be held on 7 July 2012.

Pop the items into an envelope, marked “For the attention of the WI” and post through the letterbox at the Village Hall.

Contact: Janet Cocking, Tel: 01909 771344, Email: Jjanettlc@aol.com

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Todwick 2012 – all free of charge

Published: 16 April 2012

An appeal – please put up BUNTING and FLAGS for the Diamond Jubilee weekend (and perhaps keep them going until end July) around your house, garden, street!

Plans are well underway for all these free of charge events as follows:

Music By Moonlight, Saturday, 2 June 2012, 19.00–22.00
Peter Frank’s All Stars Traditional Jazz Band in the Todwick Recreation Ground.
Make up a party, bring your tables, chairs, rugs, supper and drinks and enjoy yourselves.
In the Village Hall if wet.
Todwick Funday, Sunday, 3 June 2012, 13.30–16.00
Todwick Recreation Ground – fun for all! If WET some events will be held in Village Hall.
Art, Craft, Garden, Allotments and Scarecrow Trail Competition, Sunday, 29 July 2012, 12.00–16.00
In Village Hall, Church Hall and around the village.
Scarecrow competition will be based on ideas referring to the Queen and all things British and anything else! Start thinking of what your scarecrow will look like this year. Also for the second year running there will be a miniature garden competition held in the Village Hall for all ages.

Watch out for details on this website or contact the organiser for all the above events Sheila Pantry 01909 771024, email: sp@sheilapantry.com

You can do a scarecrow for 29 July though!

Buy a special Todwick Tea Towel!

Published: 16 April 2012

A specially designed colourful Todwick tea towel on good quality cotton showing the Todwick Shield and a picture of the Todwick Church is now on sale at £4.00 each.

Please buy your own special Todwick tea towel that could be used as a flag for the Jubilee decorations, or with the addition of tapes made into a kitchen apron... sew two together and you have your very own Summer Top... make it into a cushion for your garden chair... or as a table cloth... just imagination is needed to maximise the potential of the 2012 Todwick Tea towel!

The Todwick Tea Towel will be on sale at all village events.

Profits after expenses will go towards supporting Todwick Village Hall and Todwick Church.

For sales contact Sheila Pantry OBE | Email: sp@sheilapantry.com | Tel: 01909 771024

Todwick Litter Sweep – Saturday, 10 March 2012

Published: 11 March 2012

On a very pleasant Spring morning members of the Parish Council were joined by 27 parishioners and 6 younger residents to spend an hour picking litter from the recreation ground, streets and the main routes into our village.

The turnout was very encouraging, as was the enthusiasm for the task. Small, dedicated groups were duly despatched to attack the problem.

By eleven fifteen there were over 30 bags of rubbish collected, well over a third coming from the recreation ground alone.

The black spot of Goosecarr Lane now looks so much better; it is such a shame that so lovely an approach road to our village should so often resemble a rubbish tip. Why so many people simply throw rubbish out of their cars, instead of taking it home is a mystery.

Kiveton Lane has also received a tidy up and, thanks to many of our younger participants, so has The Pastures.

Our thanks to Mr Barker, Mr Beeden, Mr Challans, Mr Chapman, Mr Day, Mrs Froggatt, Mr & Mrs Foxton and family, Mr & Mrs Gabbitas and extended family, Mrs Gregory, Mr Hardy, Mr & Mrs Hawksworth, Mrs Higson, Mr Kettle, Mr Mullins, Mr Northall, Mrs Pantry, Mr & Mrs Pilgram, Mrs Rusling, Mr & Mrs Silvester and Mr Summerhays.

This could not have been done without your superb contributions. Apologies to anyone who is not mentioned by name.

The Parish Council would now like to build upon this achievement, we have one volunteer who has taken the responsibility for the top end of Goosecarr Lane to the first bend, any others are most welcome.

Perhaps there is interest in forming an Environment Group where interested individuals can take an ongoing active role in the village.

We would also suggest that another similar project is carried out late in May, so that our village can look at its best for the Jubilee events early in June.

All interested parties, regarding the formation of an environment group are asked to contact David Gregory, Tel 01909 771307, Email dg54@sky.com

A57 Todwick Inquiry: Report to the Secretary of State for Transport is now published

Published: 7 March 2012

The report by Martin Whitehead LLB BSc(Hons) CEng MICE Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport has now been issued.

The full text of the whole report DN5037/55/7/32 is available on the Department for Transport website:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/rotherham-todwick-crossroads/report-rotherham-todwick-crossroads.pdf

A selection of paragraphs (there are many others) in the 38 page report that will be of interest to Todwick residents are as follows:

Statutory Objectors

Todwick Parish Council

4.11 The objections regarding the underpass and the 70 mph speed limit have been resolved by the Revised Scheme. The remaining ground for objection is the loss of the right turn into Goosecarr Lane. The vertical alignment and nature of Goosecarr Lane is more suitable for use by vehicles, and in particular HGVs, than the alternative of Kiveton Lane, which has narrow footways and elevated properties, including a school, along it. The School and Village Hall entrances, a bus stop and a pedestrian crossing are clustered adjacent to one another and on a slope, followed immediately by the T junction with The Pastures. These are hazards that need to be assessed by drivers using Kiveton Lane. There is currently no crossing patrol for the School.

4.12 Kiveton Lane gives access to Todwick, Kiveton Park, Harthill, Kiveton Park Station and Thorpe Salvin, which altogether accommodated 10,798 people in 2001. The UDP proposes an extension of Kiveton Park of some 300 further dwellings with mixed commercial and retail use. RMBC has not considered the impact of the Scheme on those to the south of it. The people of Todwick have not been consulted and at a planning meeting on 21 May 2009 were only given 3 minutes for each speaker.

4.13 A proposal for a signal controlled right turn into Goosecarr Lane with a filter lane could be combined with the proposed pedestrian crossing on the Revised Scheme. The current proposed location of the crossing would be too close to the M1 junction such that traffic flow after leaving the roundabout would be seriously impeded. It could be sited at the Goosecarr Lane junction to enhance the free flow and speed reduction of traffic. Similar right turns have recently been installed at East and West Bawtry Road in Rotherham.

4.14 If the right turn into Goosecarr Lane is closed, traffic on Kiveton Lane would be likely to grow to such an extent that a by-pass of the village from the A57 would be needed. At the inquiry, a petition raised by Todwick Parish Council and signed by local people was submitted in support of the retention of a right turn from the A57 into Goosecarr Lane in the form of a traffic controlled filter from the direction of the M1.

4.15 The Orders should be modified to retain the right turn access into Goosecarr Lane.

Non-Statutory Objectors

Todwick Residents Group

4.16 The latest modifications to the Scheme are welcomed, but the grounds on which the Scheme does not incorporate a right turn into Goosecarr Lane are questioned. Uncontrolled right turns have been allowed by RMBC across dual carriageways at other locations. A right turn in facility has been included on the A57 to Aston. The proposed surface level crossing could be incorporated into a right turn junction at Goosecarr Lane, minimising disruption to traffic. The Scheme would prevent Goosecarr Lane from being used to take the increased traffic from the regeneration of Kiveton more directly from the A57 and M1 rather than using Kiveton Lane.

4.17 The Scheme would deliver better access to Dinnington, but would decrease access to Kiveton and Kiveton Park. Although the proposed roundabout should ease general traffic congestion at Todwick crossroads, during the morning and evening peaks the volume of traffic on the A57 would be likely to increase waiting time for vehicles leaving Todwick and Dinnington unless signals are installed at the roundabout.

4.18 By stopping the right turn into Goosecarr Lane, the Scheme would close the more carbon efficient route, as the alternative route along Kiveton Lane involves a hill. Also, Kiveton Lane is more built-up, including a school, and pollution levels would be greater along it due to the difference in road conditions. No evidence has been submitted to give projections for expected future increases in traffic flows due to the substantial expansion of Kiveton and Kiveton Park.

4.19 An estimate based on surveys of traffic using Goosecarr Lane is that about an additional 2000 vehicles per day would use Kiveton Lane as a result of closing the right turn into Goosecarr Lane. Other traffic counts taken during the hours of 17:00 to 18:00 indicate that more vehicles use Goosecarr Lane than Kiveton Lane when travelling south. The additional traffic on Kiveton Lane would increase the risk to road safety as pedestrians using the crossing are not noticed by drivers. The worst times for the capacity of Kiveton Lane are during the peak school times, which are between the hours of 08:30 to 08:45 and 15:00 to 15:15. Speed humps have been provided along Kiveton Lane to reduce speed and encourage drivers to choose alternative routes.

4.20 The resulting reduction in traffic that would use Goosecarr Lane would harm the businesses in Todwick along that route into the Village, due to loss of passing trade. Up to about a third of the business at the newsagent and post office was estimated as passing trade. Although the post office has closed, the restrictions affecting the traffic on Goosecarr Lane could have a serious effect on the viability and retention of local shops in Todwick.

4.21 Goosecarr Lane has 25 properties that are accessed towards its northern end. The alternative route to these properties would be via the proposed roundabout and using the left turn into Goosecarr Lane, which would add about 1.4 miles onto the journey and could result in an additional 23,520 vehicle miles per year. This increase would involve a great cost, inconvenience, and additional time and carbon emissions.

4.22 Goosecarr Lane provides a diversion route in the event of the A57 being blocked, which has happened on numerous occasions. Fire and medical services based at Aston Park have been able to use the diversion, which takes about an additional 2 minutes. The removal of the right turn would put an additional 6 or 7 minutes onto this journey time.

4.23 The stretch of the A57 is sub-standard and needs improvement, but since it was de-trunked RMBC has failed to take relatively simple and inexpensive measures to straighten it and remove impediments to lorries turning left to Dinnington at the crossroads. This would not necessitate a dual carriageway. Since the original Annex E Submission in 2001, residents have not been given the option of any other scheme than that proposed and its estimated cost has risen from £6.2 million in 2001 to the current £14.7 million. A realistic low cost alternative to the Scheme should be provided that retains the right turn into Goosecarr Lane. This could be achieved either by a roundabout junction or a signal controlled junction.

4.24 The suggested traffic signal controlled junction at Goosecarr Lane would cost less than the underpass that has been removed on the Revised Scheme. To eliminate the right turn facility would cause unnecessary danger to school children and hardship and inconvenience to local residents.

4.25 Reference has been made to a complaint that had been made to the Local Government Ombudsman against RMBC about the level of consultation that had taken place in 2003.

The Conclusions and Recommendations are listed on pages 26–32 and the main item for many is the Loss of Right Turn at Goosecarr Lane.

There are appendices on pages 33–38.

Look what is happening in Todwick Village Hall each week

Published: 22 February 2012

See the range of activities for all ages that are currently being offered by the various groups.

Full list of activities, dates and times

Computer Classes for Beginners

Published: 17 February 2012

Starting Tuesday, 28 February 2012, 10.00 am – 12 noon and every Tuesday thereafter.

Held in Todwick Village Hall.

If you have never switched on a computer and want to know what to do next then this is the class for you!

Contact: John Palmer, Tel: 01909 771257, Email: Palmerbil@aol.com

Family History Course

Published: 17 February 2012

Starting Tuesday, 21 February 2012, 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm and every 3rd Tuesday in the month.

Held in the Meeting Room, Todwick Village Hall.

Any new beginners are very welcome as well as existing members.

Contact: John Palmer, Tel: 01909 771257, Email: Palmerbil@aol.com

Todwick WI Activities, Spring 2012

Published: 25 January 2012

The Todwick’s WI started the year off with two of our members showing us how to do scrap booking and everyone managed to produce something to take home including framing photos in a more interesting way.

Visits include going to the Sheffield Lyceum to see a superb performance by the Moscow City ballet of the Nutcracker, and we are going to see the musical Save the last dance for me and in March to the opera for La Traviata.

On 2 February 2012 Peter Downey from the Woodland Trust is coming to talk to the WI members about the work of the Trust and about the Jubilee tree planting, so we have opened up this evening for anyone to attend.

1 March 2012 is our AGM after which we hope to have a demonstration of a simple flower arrangement and try our hand afterwards time permitting making our own arrangement.

Saturday, 24 March 2012, 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm is the Easter Fair in the Village Hall. There will be variety of stalls which will have an Easter theme so rabbits and eggs of various kinds, competitions cakes, plants, face painting, raffles and possibly a chocolatier.

5 April 2012 – Joan Grundy a retired nurse is coming to talk about some of the old remedies and myths surrounding childhood illnesses!

We are pleased to have welcomed some new members this year and are always looking to increase our numbers which enable us to enjoy even more activities, and also hopefully bring new idea, to which we will be very receptive.

Contact Janet Cocking, Tel: 01909 771344, Email: Jjanettlc@aol.com

Todwick School presented with cheque

Published: 23 January 2012

Todwick School Parents In Action (PIA) recently presented Todwick School with a cheque for £3,000 which helped to purchase a fantastic new stage.

The children were able to use it for the school nativity concerts and will be used extensively in the future.

“Thank you” to everyone who helped to raise the money over the past twelve months – particular thanks to Jane Baldry as the previous PIA Chair and all parents and helpers who contribute time, money and effort to make the events a success.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Todwick 2012

Published: 16 January 2012

Music by Moonlight
Saturday, 2 June 2012, 19.00 – 22.00
In the Todwick Recreation Ground. In the Village Hall if wet.

Todwick Funday
Sunday, 3 June 2012, 13.30 – 16.00
In the Todwick Recreation Ground. Some events will be in Village Hall if wet.

Art, Craft, Garden, Allotments and Scarecrow Trail Competition
Sunday, 29 July 2012, 12.00 – 16.00
In the Village Hall, Church Hall and around the village.
Scarecrow competition will be based on the Queen and all things British and anything else.

I am going to try and encourage everyone in Todwick to put up bunting and flags for the Diamond Jubilee weekend (and perhaps keep them going until the end of July).

Sheila Pantry OBE
Tel: 01909 771024

Douglas Nelson

Published: 6 January 2012

Douglas Nelson, 93-year-old Todwick resident died just before Christmas.

Doug was a prisoner of war in World War II.

Doug’s funeral will be held at 10.00 am, Thursday, 19 January 2012 at Todwick Parish Church afterwards at the Rotherham Crematorium.

Family flowers only.

Any donations to the Salvation Army.

Mary Gregory, 1920–2011