Kingsway Villagers

Last Tuesday (22nd September, shortly after 2:15pm) I had a call from Angelina - obviously very distraught - she said “I’ve crashed the car, I’ve turned it over on Naas Lane”!

Conscious of the fact that I could easily become the 2nd casualty of the day if I overdid it, I had to swallow my impatience and so - driving as quickly as possible without panicking - I shot off down Naas Lane to find her.

When I reached the end of Naas Lane without site of anything untowards I turned left down Haresfield Lane, my progress was hampered by a couple of cars ahead of me until a Police car - sirens blaring - overtook us.

Not being in the mood to hang around I pulled out and followed the Police and we travelled along the lane until we came across this (YIKES):

Apparently, as Ang’ rounded the bend, she lost her steering & the car lurched violently to the right. She tried to correct it, realised the steering wasn’t reacting as normal, so held on for grim death as the car swerved into the verge, climbed the bank, span over and crashed down onto the road & slid 30-50 yards until it came to a stop!

Ang’ says the stereo was still running so she realised that the electrics were still working, wound down the window, undid her seat belt (she was upside down at the time) and crawled out of the car. Then she sat on the verge, pulled out her ‘phone to call the Police and burst into tears

What happened next was quite surreal! A car came down the lane driven by a woman who pulled up, wound down her window and shouted to Ang’ that she had a meeting to get to and needed to get past

Fortunately a guy coming in the opposite direction jumped out and called the Police and Ambulance; then they watched in amazement as the woman climbed the opposite grass bank to get around the car and sped off down the lane!

More good fortune came in the shape of an off-duty Paramedic who looked after Ang’ until the Ambulance arrived (which took way over 45 minutes) to take her to hospital.

The Police in attendance were extremely efficient and helpful and - although they will not be investigating the cause (no 3rd party involvement, damage or injury) - the Officer I spoke to said that it looked as it the driver-side front tyre may have blown and that - at the 40MPH which Ang’ said she was travelling - it’s easily possible for a car to flip, especially given the nature of the grass verge (steeply sloped up to around 4 feet) which she mounted.

Thankfully she had no broken bones (miraculous when you see the car), just lots of bumps, bruises and cuts and a week off of work to recover from the pain and the shock (which really kicked in after a day or two, particularly when we revisited the crash site)!

Ang’ was more distressed by the fact that she’s only had the car (an immaculate - and very sturdy - Renault Megane) for a few months and she really liked it
Now we just have to wait for the insurance assessment (due today) and the valuation (no doubt less than she paid for it) and - thankfully - she’s back at work tomorrow.

Huge THANK YOU’s go out to the guy who called the Police (and took care of the impatient lunatic), the off-duty Paramedic (who was wonderful), the Police, the Ambulance crew (Adam and his partner - very nice guys), the staff at Gloucester Royal’s A&E department and whichever Guardian Angel decided that Angelina should live through such a harrowing experience.

I’ve added a gallery containing all of the pictures of the car crash.

We received the following letter from Kingsway Primary School:

Dear Parents,

We are delighted to announce that Kingsway Primary School has now been completed and we can start the process of moving over to the School site (Hooray)! This news has been eagerly awaited since September and we know that you will share our excitement at this time. It has certainly been the biggest guessing game for many months!

The school building and land will be handed over to Gloucestershire County Council at noon on Monday 13th October 2008. The staff and myself can then start the complicated task of furnishing the building and establishing the policies that will prepare the way for pupils to join us.

Over the last two days, we have been contacting all our suppliers to give them the go ahead to start deliveries from Tuesday 14th October. This is the point where I see if I have forgotten anything! All services and commisioning of the building etc will take place prior to Monday 13th October.

The staff and governors want to enable the Reception pupils to move over into their new school BEFORE half term. We want them to have the privilege of being first and to be settled and sorted before the other years are admitted. Their furniture etc is all as you see it over at Beech Green so it is a simple matter of packing up and moving over to the new room. To achieve this, the governors have decided to close the school for the day on Friday 17th October. This "School Closure Day" is a normal occurence when a school is moving and we do hope you can appreciate that to provide you with the school asap, we need to take one day to move the contents of our accomodation at Beech Green Primary. (Most schools close for two days). I appreciate that for some of you, this may involve changes to childcare arrangements and I do apologise for this.

Please read the following carefully:

Monday 13^th Oct’ To Thursday 16^th Oct’ (inc’):
School over at Beech Green as normal (9:20am to 3:15pm). Coach collection and delivery as normal.

Friday 17^th Oct’:
School closed for pupils. No coach collections. School Office closed and neither the teachers, Mrs Needham or the Secretary can be contacted.

Monday 20^th Oct’ To Fri 24^th Oct’ (inc’) - (End of Term):
School over at Kiingsay Primary School. School starts at 8:45am and finishes at 3:15pm. No hot school meals yet or free school meals so please send your child with sandwiches.

School closed for half-term: Monday 27^th to Fri’ 31^st Oct’ (inc’).

School closed on Monday 3^rd and Tuesday 4^th November for staff training.

School reopens over at Kingsway Primary School on Wednesday 5^th Nov’.
School starts 8:45am and finishes at 3:15pm. Hot dinners are now being provided daily.
More details to follow before the end of this half-term.

The letter included much more information about other year groups, teachers, admission times, playgrounds, gates and entrances, car parking, collection points, speaking to teachers, breakfast clubs, afterschool care, holiday cover, teaching assistants etc and a map/drawing of the pick-up and drop-off points.

If you are interested in any of these points and haven’t had the letter, please comment on this post and I will post the information for you.

Last night I went to Bed at 10.30. This maybe early for some but my partner and I were tired.
When I got into bed at about 10.50pm I heard youths in the play park. They were playing football. The ball was banging against the railing and making a lot of noise. As most people do I led there thinking someone will call the Police in a minute.

I tried to get to sleep for about 15 minutes but could not, so I rang the Police. I was certain they would have had other calls but mine was the only one!

They said they would send some one straight away. I told them to look at the camera footage as that would identify the youths just in case they left before the Police arrived. The control room operator said she did not know about any CCTV but would enquire. I did not take an accurate note of the time of my first call but I am guessing it was aroung 11.20pm.

I was still wide awake frustratingly listening to the sound of BANG, "Oh for f*!£s sake" bang "HA HA HA" Bang and so on at on minute before 12pm so I called the police again quoting incident 578 (Of yesterdays date).

When I got through to the control room the operator said "Yes can I help?" I simply asked if anyone was coming. She said (very stroppily) "I will send someone when we have got someone". I asked why no one was dealing with it and it was explained that they were very busy. I said that the youths were still playing football and must be keeping numerous residents awake. I was told that I was still the only one complaining. I asked how long until she thought officers may turn up. The operator said she did not know. I explained I had endured enough and I was getting dressed to go and confront the youths. I was told I must not do that under any circumstances. I asked why not. "Because we do not want you to come to any physical harm". She then all of a sudden said that she had managed to assign someone. I asked how long he would be she said she could not be sure but did not disagree when I asked if around 10 minutes would be about right.

So the Police believe the youths in the play park may have the ability to physically harm me so I am not permitted to go and approach them! At 12.30am I heard talking over at the play park. A couple of minutes later there was a knock at my door. PC 1812, who had arrived on his own, on foot, told me that they were really nice lads who just forgot what time it was. He had moved them on and told them not to come back. He said unfortunately tomorrow night it will be different kids. He said the police can keep moving them on but new kids will jut replace the ones that had been moved on.

I asked him about the camera but he was unaware of it or if it even worked.

I spoke this morning with PCSO Hutton. He explained that the camera is on constant record but no one monitors it. The recordings are held on a hard drive for up to six months.

Unless people call the Police and report things the Police will not even look at the recordings. This would explain why the youths have now become confident enough to light fires on the play park (As they did Friday Night 19th September). The mess was awful and I could not let my to sons any where near that part of the play-park. There were also numerous bottles containing fizzy drinks mixed with what smelled like vodka. I was lucky to snatch one drink from my 16 month old son who was about to sample some.

I am fully prepared to confront youths and ask them to move on. I have spoken to another resident who is preapred to do this. Is there any one else who is prepared to come out for half an hour each evening. We could take it in shifts while walking dogs and simply move these kids on. We might even get to know them a little and get them to respect the area a little more. No one seems to call the Police so I am just suggesting other options.

If we all stand together and youths realise we will not put up with anti-social behaviour then we could solve our own problem.

The easiest thing to do is call the Police… But no one does that!

This post was submitted by Nephros.

Looks like the yellow lines on Thatcham Avenue will be upon us imminently according to a letter through our door today.

It still begs the question, where, exactly, do they expect us to park? Our friends, visitors etc.

Suggestions on a post card, and before it’s said, I’ve already asked and I can’t afford a new house with a driveway!

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Edit: (Added by Clive): Letter received today as follows:
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Dear Residents,

Proposed Changes to the Kingsway Development On-Street Parking

With reference (to) the above, on behalf of Quedgeley Urban Village Limited (QUVL), please note that double yellow lines and associated road markings will be taking place on roads in your area from Wednesday 17th September 2008.

To facilitate these works, we would respectfully ask you not (to) park your vehicles on Thatcham Avenue and Valley Gardens on or after the date mentioned above.

Although these roads will remain in private ownership in the foreseeable future, these works are an essential requirement for Quedgeley Urban Village to meet various planning conditions relating to residential parking, providing safe access for emergency vehicles and to provide a safety zone for the forthcoming opening of the new Kingsway Primary School.

I hope that we have your full co-operation in this matter. Any illegally parked vehicles will unfortunately be clamped and ultimately removed.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.

Yours Sincerely,

Andrew Hunter
Project Manager for QUVL.

Telephone: 01452 723200
E-Mail: [email protected]

This post was submitted by Baz_k.

I’ve just come down Valley Gardens road by the new school, with some friends who wanted to have a look around Kingsway with a view to buying a house here. What we were confronted with was an old bed and mattress, some ripped floor coverings, a pile of old discarded cardboard and newspapers!

Apart from being a complete eyesore, this will also encourage rats and other vermin.

Have the people who dumped this rubbish no pride in there surroundings?
I feel sorry for the people who do try and keep Kingsway a clean place to live.

The footnote to my story is that my friends have not been put off buying here!

I only hope the County Council or who ever’s job it is gets this rubbish moved quickly and either fines the culprits or gives them a good talking to.

This post was submitted by tog.

Interesting group of young people in the big park tonight, doing what I can only describe as "being Anti-Social". The group were using bad language and using trolleys on the ramps, making an horrendous noise and no doubt damaging the equipment in there by their acts.
Well done to the person who called the police, who then moved these young people on.

Having spent many years working with young people I wonder whether the Residents Association would consider having a sub-group for the young people of the Kingsway?

Involving the young people in decisions that are made and asking them to share their opinions about what’s going on in their community. The more you involve young people, the more they will take ownership of the place and potentially police the area themselves. They can develop Community Projects within the community and if set up correctly, apply for funding to support this.

An idea I have is that the young people could design a mural for the tunnel and work with local artists to develop a design and complete it. (Whether it’s feasible is another story)!

It’s all about young people becoming active within their community and the community supporting them to do so.

If we ignore the problem its not going to go away it will just be moved on and become someone else’s problem within the community.

Happy Days!

This post was submitted by Daisily.

September’s here and the kids are back at school… Yippeeeeee

Kingsway School children also started today.

Phoenix was keen to go and I couldn’t resist snapping a quick picture of her in the new Kingsway School Uniform.

Click to enlarge…

The coach picked up from the school at 9:15 and - despite the weather - the children were all very excited.

The trip to and from Beeches Green (temporary school accomodation) went quickly enough and the coach driver (a very nice man) said that - starting tomorrow - he will pick-up and drop-off at any point along the route (Woodvale - Thatcham Avenue).

Phoenix came home full of beans and ate her way through her lunch and mine - lol…
A small price to pay for a quiet morning