News Bytes 2002
Here are the news stories about Duston we published in 2002. The headings show the date when the item was published.
4.12.02
Crackdown
on anti-social youngsters in Duston.
Young people misbehaving on the streets in Duston are being warned that
local police will be videoing their anti-social activities as part of a
move to clamp down on behaviour that is affecting the quality of life for
local residents. Police plan to show the video footage to the parents of
persistent troublemakers to bring home to them the realities of their children’s
behaviour.
Groups of youngsters have been gathering in places across the Duston area, particularly in Limehurst Square, the area near Eldean shops and Bordeaux Close, sometimes in quite large numbers.
Community Beat Officer PC Ian Brown says that when young people gather in groups, they need to respect other people’s rights: “Hanging around on the streets is not an offence but some of the young people we are concerned about become excessively noisy and intimidating in groups and disrupt the lives of local people,” said PC Brown.
“I would like to ask parents to help us put an end to the behaviour that is giving rise to concern and complaints by asking their children what they are doing when they go out, and stressing to them that they should behave with respect to others,” he added.
4.10.02
St Luke's Church Makes the Grade
St Luke's Church in Duston is one of 11 churches in Northamptonshire upgraded to Grade I listed status in an announcement by Government's arts minister, Tessa Blackstone. The decision was made after English Heritage advised that a re-grade would give extra protection from unsuitable development or alteration. This should mean that the church will find it easier to apply for English Heritage and Lottery grants for its upkeep and restoration.
Buildings are listed to ensure that care is taken over decisions affecting their future. Listing of buildings was introduced in 1949, and originally all places of worship were graded A, B or C to ensure that they would be protected when development issues arose. By the late 1960s, they were brought under the same I, II* and II grades as all other listed buildings.
For more information about St Luke's, see Tour of St Luke's Church.
1.10.02
Britain's Best Kept Churchyard Wins Conservation Award
The churchyard of St Luke's in Duston, which last year was dubbed 'Best Kept Churchyard' in a national competition, has now been named as the Northants Conservation Churchyard of the Year in a competition organised by the Wildlife Trust for Northants.
9.9.02
Local Music & Arts Group Receives Lottery Award
Music & Arts at St Luke's has been awarded a £1,500 grant by the Awards for All Committee of the Lottery Commission. They will use the money to assist with artists' fees, publicity and equipment.
The group has been running concerts in the historic setting of St Luke's Church in Duston for the past year, providing a variety of entertainment including choirs large and small, an organ recital, folk groups and a wind instrument ensemble. Upcoming concerts include a soloists' group, a local orchestra, and a Gilbert & Sullivan quartet. Ticket prices are deliberately kept low, so that no-one is excluded by cost.
The Group Coordinator, Julia Pearson, said "We are thrilled to get this award, and it just goes to show that Lottery grants are being made to small groups. We would like to expand on what we are doing by including dance, drama and art, and would welcome any group or individual who would like to be included in our 2003 programme." For further information, contact Julia on 01604 583834. For information about future concerts, see Duston Diary.
Free Internet Access at Duston Library
Duston Library has recently been linked up with the People's Network, which aims to put all Northamptonshire County Council's libraries online by the end of the year. Access is free to selected websites and, for a small fee, customers can launch wider web searches, send email and carry out word processing. For more information about the library, see Useful Information.
8.5.02
Cobblers takeover likely by end of June
In a recent interview on Kevin Greening's show on BBC Radio Five Live, Justin Fashanu who is spearheading the WWW consortium takeover over the Cobblers, stated that the deal with Northampton Borough Council is likely to go through in the next two or three weeks. For more information about the Cobblers, see their official website Northampton Town FC.
8.5.02
Innovative retirement village planned for St Crispin site
The ExtraCare Charitable Trust last week announced plans to build a pioneering retirement village on the former St Crispin's Hospital site, aimed at active pensioners. Facilities will include a shop, restaurant, bar, greenhouse, fitness suite and arts & crafts centre. An activity programme will include events such as ballooning, microlighting, gliding and abseiling. The charity is to apply for planning permission this year, with the aim of starting the project within 18 months. For information about the development of St Crispin's, see St Crispin Site.
29.4.02
Golden Jubilee event planned for Duston
A Jubilee Fun Day is to be held on the St Crispin Hospital site on Saturday 29th June to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. It will be open to all, and there will be music, stalls and displays. It promises to be a great day out for all ages. The event is being organised by the St Crispin Community Association and sponsored by Wilcon Homes.
To host a stall or information stand, or to stage a performance or display at the St Crispin Jubilee Fun Day, please apply to andrew@duston.org.uk, or phone 01604 590256. For more information, see St Crispin Site.
17.4.02
Local archaeology group unearthing Duston history
The St Luke's Archaeology Group are conducting research to find out more about Roman Duston in the area around Tweed Road. They are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who held one of the allotments to the south of Weedon Road, next to what is now Tweed Road in the 1940s and 1950s, who have artefacts from there such as pottery and coins. Please contact paul@chardonnay.co.uk if you have any information that will help the group in their work.
Local man runs London Marathon to raise money for charity
Rob Geraghty is running in this year's Flora London Marathon to raise money for the National Society for Epilepsy, after discovering last year that his girlfriend from Duston suffers from the condition. Rob has even built a special website to promote his efforts. To find out more about Rob and his preparations, see www.robrunslondon.co.uk.
25.2.02
Transition to two-tier schools system agreed by Council
The final recommendations for changing Northampton's school system from three to two tiers was agreed by councillors at County Hall on February 18 and 19. The new primary schools in Duston will be Eldean Lower, Lyncrest Lower, Chiltern Lower and Millway Middle. Ryelands Middle is to close, and St Luke's Lower is to relocate to a new primary school on the St Crispin's development. Before the changes can be implemented, they must be agreed by the School Organisation Committee in June. If approved, the earliest date for implementation is September 2003, with completion anticipated by September 2006.
Britain's Best Kept Churchyard Attracts Many Visitors
St Luke's churchyard manager David Blackburn reports that the number of visitors to St Luke's churchyard has increased markedly since it won the competition to find the UK's best kept churchyard. For more information about the churchyard and a map, see St Luke's Tour.