March 2009

Welcome to the Village Park Residents Association. Thornaby on Tees

Your residents group for the Village Area.

Membership is free to every household in the Village Area.

(Supported by Stockton Residents & Community Groups Association)

The VPRA website is totally free which explains the forced adverts that appear from time to time by our network providers. We now have new providers who at the moment do not force adverts or pop ups on the site .Please change your bookmarks to either www.vpra.org.uk or if that one is down www.vpra.110mb.com . A divert has been put on vpra.150m.com and this will no longer be updated..

The VPRA News Blog (click here for past months)

Your VPRA at work reports for March 2009

Click here for CFYA Bin and Recycle Collection Days

29.03.2009 Free Food Event

A very informative 3 hour forage through part of Basselton Woods on a nice crisp sunny morning. It is supprising what is available to eat in both salads and soups for free right on our doorstep. There is a massive growing area at the bottom of the woods with wild garlic, in abundance, the deeper into the woods the thicker and bigger it is.

Other plants that were tasted during the forage were, Ground Elder, Garlic Mustard, Cow Parsley, Burdock, Goose Grass, Dandelion, Stinging Nettles, Sorrel, Hawthorn,

After the lesson Bob Cambell the Countryside Ranger set up his primus stove and boiled up some roots and leaves gathered during the forage and passed them around for tasting. Well done Bob, a good mornings work. The VPRA will be putting together a listing of plants, berries and fruits to pass on to residents for plants found in our 3 Nature Reserve areas.

29.03.2009 Food for Free at Bassleton Wood

Stockton council arranged event, 10 till noon. Meet: In the cul-de-sac on Bassleton Lane, off Bader Avenue, Thornaby.

28.03.2009 Website Improvements

As a continuos improvement to our website system we are currently changing to a new host. We also have obtained a new site address of www.vpra.co.uk and also a new address for our inbloom site. www.inbloom.vpra.co.uk

We also have a new contact address for any contact from either the vpra.org.uk or vpra.co.uk sites.

27.03.2009 Play Trail Update

Contractors have now finished installing 7 of the 8 play areas around the new trail. The remaining one is on hold until some missing parts are received from the suppliers. All of the grass mats are down and it was noticed this morning someone had had a go at lifting one of them. This will be mentioned in this afternoons site visit with VPRA and SBC Parks Dept.

27.03.2009 VPRA Twitter

Following on from a lot of publicity this week in the media about social networking groups we have now our own login on Twitter. We will post small updates and snippets of information there for users to see.

Click here to see our Twitter page live.

27.03.2009 Eastern Area Partnership

The 2009 Newsletter was received today and passed on to committee members for review.It is now on line on this site for all to see. 2009 Newsletter

26.03.2009 Tristar Homes

VPRA reps visited the new Tristar offices in St. Peters House in the new Town Centre. A meeting was held with senior management to look at the ways of mutually helping each other in and around the council estates in the Village area.

26.03.2009 Youthy Meeting

VPRA reps attended today’s meeting in the Youthy which was focusing on Thornaby through the eyes of 17-18 year olds and older members of the community. People will be out and about this next week taking pictures of parts of Thornaby which are interesting and mean something to the photographer. Next week the pictures will be reviewed and 20 chosen for an exhibition to be shown to the public later in the year.

26.03.2009 Eastern Area Transport Strategy Group.

VPRA today received official invite to the Initial Stakeholder Meeting of the Steering Group which oversees the development of the Eastern Area Transport Strategy. The meeting is in May and details will be posted on here within 24 hours of the meeting.

26.03.2009 In Bloom Update

The are is still blooming with the various yellows and whites of the thousands of daffodils planted throughout the village.

26.03.2009 Town Centre Post Box

Following questions being asked regarding the need for a Post Box in Thornaby Town centre, as there isn't one now, it is now possible to reveal that it is indeed the intention of Post Office Ltd to request the placing of a Royal Mail posting box outside the new Post Office in Thornaby Town Centre The delay in the box being situated there was caused by the need to seek planning permission for the placement. Planning permission is reported to have been granted and all necessary surveys have been completed to allow installation.

TO FIND OUT HOW WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO YOU...ATTEND THE NEXT MEETING OF THE VPRA.

25.03.2009 VPRA In Bloom Spring Garden

Time is running out to nominate gardens for our Spring Colour Competition. Entries close 03/04/2009. E mail VPRA with house details Some of the houses nominated so far are below.

25.03.2009 Play Trail Update.

The contractors are making good progress installing the new play equipment around the path. They now hope top be finished by Thursday night even if it means working in the dark on Wednesday night.

And no that is not a new set of Gallows being erected in the park.

25.03.2009 Parkview Home

Although the home has closed and is all boarded up the daffodil’s we planted over the past two years still keep blooming.

24.03.2009 Shopping Trolleys

A number of Asda trolleys are appearing around the area again. It appears that the clampdown last year by CFYA has worn off. Asda and have been contacted to clear up their properties and CFYA will be asked what can be done. there are 2 trollies within 5 yards of each other in the river down the back of the allotments. Thornaby Town Council have also been asked to contact Asda to have the trolleys collected as well as keeping trolleys under better control in the Town Centre, its only a matter of time before one goes through a shop window.

24.03.2009 Allotments Problems.

The allotments management team report vandalism on the site as gangs of youths which gather on the end of the footpath between the Green and Thornaby Road (the Green end) smash doors/gates into the gardens. These youths gather here most nights but seem to disregard threats of police activity. Any ideas on how to stop them would be welcome.

23.03.2009 Village Park Trail

The next set of workers arrived at the park today to mark out the area for the new play equipment and seats to go around the play trail. On talking with them they hope to have everything in place by this weekend and if need be work the weekend to complete the work.

23.03.2009 Black Bobbies

Children, parents, carers and teachers from St Patrick's Primary School were on Black Bobbies Field today.
The children and adults were perfectly behave and left no litter or mess behind. This visit to the nature area being part of their school curriculum was just what many people would like to see the area used for. It was sad that they had to see some of the recent vandalism and dog muck smeared on a seat. However these polite happy children seemed untouched by it.

21.03.2009 Park Vandalism

VPRA rep received early morning telephone call to report that the PCSO has spoken with the parents of the young lads and will be filing an ASBO report about the incident. Hopefully they will see the error of their ways and start to respect everything that is being done for them in the area.

21.03.2009 Black Bobbies Field

Vandals?, have sunk to an all time low in Black Bobbies Field and smeared the seat there with dog mess.
This has had the unintended result of not only removing a seat for people visiting the area but leaving under aged and binge boozers with no where to sit Picture below shows the area near the seat where it was set on fire last weekend.

21.03.2009 Horseshoe Bend

Following requests for help over the access to the Holmes, or Horse Shoe Bend as most folks call it, Stockton Borough Council's Dave Askey has beein in touch to explain the situation fully, it seems that the clashing post and kissing gate pen for the gate is missing., which makes the gate useless and impossible to use a temporary barrier to block the access point to motorcycles. However, Dave assures the VPRA that it will be repaired by middle of next week.

20.03.2009 Worklessness Project

Yesterday, reps from the VPRA spent the morning with other residents and youth members from the Youthy in a tour of the area. This started at the Youthy with discussions into the aim of the project (By Durham University) and then off to the allotments that the Youthy have taken over. They have had the gardens for over a year now but never got down to doing anything with them. In recent weeks they have began clearing land and have installed 2 large potting sheds and the beginning’s of a water feature.

Next stop was up to Thornaby Green and an insight into St. Peters Church and what was Old Thornaby. This was followed by a quick visit to the new Town Centre to compare images and memories of the old centre with the building of the new complex. The day was rounded off with a visit down to Newport Bridge to discuss the way industry along the Tees from Newport through to Thornaby and Stockton has changed.

19.03.2009 Muga Update

The new Muga is gradually taking shape with the fence posts now in place along with the goals and basketball structures. The area around where the old tennis court was taken away has been covered in topsoil and is to be grassed over.

19.03.2009 Village Park Vandalism

3 young boys were seen damaging one of the dog bins in the park, a passing resident contacted Thornaby Police and a PCSO was in attendance within 5 minutes of the call. The lads had gone by then but the resident passed o the address details.

18.03.2009 Yorkshire Day

VPRA rep attended today’s Yorkshire Day meeting at Thornaby Town Hall. The event is on Saturday August 1st. This year St.Peters Church and the surrounding area is not available due to weddings being pre booked It was decided to hold the event on the Linear Park over on Mandale. Thornaby Town Council are funding the event to the tune of £2000 and it is aimed at a being a celebration of being in Yorkshire, last years event is on Youtube

18.03.2009 EAPB

VPRA rep met with Andy Eliot of Durham University, as part of the work with the Eastern
Area Partnership Board into worklessness (unemployment to you and I) and other issues
reaching lives of Young people in our area. Andy was keen to have a look around the various
areas within the VPRA boundaries and discuss some of the related issues. Equally, it was
a chance to share some of our green areas and nature reserves, along with the work in the
Village Park.

17.03.2009 Guerrilla Gardening.

The VPRA secret gardener has been out this morning seed bombing the margins around the lower green and the entrance to Black Bobbies Field. If any do germinate and grow there should be a lot of extra summer colour. The Holmes Close small garden has had its first attempt at a tidy up with more to come. It is hoped to get the nettles and some of the weeds out this month ready to start planting Foxgloves and other self seeded plants that have been saved over the winter.

16.03.2009 Village In Bloom

Now we have had a few warmer days some of the 30,000 daffodils the VPRA have planted are now in bloom along with some of the crocus which have been out a couple of weeks.

15.03.2009 Village Park

A busy Spring Sunday morning in the park with dog walkers and other residents now able to use the new trail path around the park. A football match on the main pitch and a lot of families using the play area. Only downside was a couple of the fence panels had been pulled down around the new Muga works and some young children were in exploring and climbing the new posts that were erected on Friday. VPRA rep and a couple of residents picked up the fencing and put it back in place, the children went off to play on their bikes riding around the new trail. The contractors installing the Muga have been requested to make safe and lock the area when leaving on a night.

15.03.2009 Horseshoe Bend

Reports of Motorcycles having gained access to Horse Shoe Bend (The Holmes as our Council Officer friends call it).
The footpaths and walkways badly damaged by this illegal activity are paid for out of the public pocket and this is nothing less than the destruction of a public facility and public property by a small group of motorised vandals. There is no spot on Thornaby where motorcycles can be ridden legally. If you buy your kids motorcycles and have no trailer etc you may be contributing to the continuing destruction of our green spaces. The police and the enforcement teams have been made aware of the situation.

14.03.2009 Broken Manhole Cover

SBC have been informed that the manhole cover near to the park gates on Park View. There is a break right across the middle.

14.03.2009 Dangerous Tree

SBC have ben informed of the dangerous angled tree on Thorntree Road. It looks as though it has been clipped by a wagon when the new tarmac paths were being laid along Thorntree.

13.03.2009 Vandalism

Friday night(13th) saw a return of the vandalism night shift on Black Bobbies field.
Early on, a gang of young women spent an hour or so boozing it up before dumping empty bottles and cans in and around the pond. Later that night a group of lads and one young girls decided to try and burn a tree down whilst they were camping beneath it. No doubt this is just the beginning. Even one of the Town Councillors who had formally felt youths should be allowed to camp out down there was moved to express disgust and contempt for the vandalism.

13.03.2009 Illegal Dumping

We are pleased to say the mess that had been dumped in the Electric Substation in Park View has been removed and is now tidy. Click on picture for original report.

13.03.2009 Park Update

Work has now begun on laying new pin kerbs around the the old paths and preparing the soil for the infill around the new trail paths. CLS have dug all the post holes for the Muga and the first supports have been put in place for trail assembly. The Muga should be complete in about a month.

13.03.2009 Town Centre Shock

Stories around the area that car parking in the Town Centre is to be charged are looking like being true.There is a planning application in at SBC for signage.

12.03.2009 Neighbourhood Watch

Interesting reports on the past weeks incidents are the theft of pedal cycles in all areas of the town. Lock your bike if you leave it outside, its only a deterrent but it may stop the theft.

12.03.2009 EAP Intergenerational Programme

VPRA reps attended today’s meeting in the Youthy organised by the 5 Lamps Organisation and attended by a group of older teenagers from the Youthy and members of the public. The main project today was to initially find out what the young folk knew about Thornaby and the town and give them an insight into the history of Thornaby. Although this was a very small cross section it was evident that our schools are failing in their local history teachings. Further meetings are planned along with field trips to historic parts of the town and a film is being made of the proceedings which it is hoped to publish at a later date.

11.03.2009 Park Update

The tarmac around the new trail is just about laid and repairs have started on two of the smaller paths between the Bowls Club and the new Muga.

The pin kerbs have been laid around the Muga ready for the fencing and surface work to begin.

10.03.2009 VPRA Meeting

Main points from tonight’s meeting:-

Tristar are to investigate requests from residents around the Crescent area to inspect and review their windows.

Thornaby Town Centre :- residents voiced their concerns that now we have such a nice facility the gangs of youths who are frequenting on a night will soon run it down. VPRA to arrange a meeting with centre manager and Thornaby Police to discuss problems.

10.03.2009 SBC Dog Warden

VPRA rep met up with Robin Hunter ,SBC Dog Warden this afternoon to walk through the Redcar Road, Lower Green areas after complaints about dog fouling throughout the area. Action is to be taken to try and stop the trend of leaving the dog mess instead of picking up.

09.03.2009 SCEN Meeting

VPRA reps attended this afternoons Stockton Borough Community Empowerment Network meeting in Stockton Salvation Army Hall.

Well done to Julie and Tracy from SRCGA for organising an excellent and informative meeting.

A report will be given at our next meeting and minutes for today’s meeting will be posted here as soon as we receive them from SRCGA

09.03.2009 Meeting Reminder

VPRA meeting on Tuesday 10th March at the Robert Atkinson Centre, Thorntree road, 7 pm start. Click here for agenda items. In addition to the agenda there will be a representative from Stockton Neighbourhood watch in attendance.

08.03.2009 VPRA Calendar

The VPRA Calendar page has been updated and all of the Red and Blue Recycle weeks added.

06.03.2009 School Parking.

Once again the VPRA has been contacted by residents to see if anything can be done about the illegal parking when parents are picking up children from the Village School. It was reported on a couple of occasions last year but warnings have been ignored. Residents are not wanting fines imposed but just to get people to obey the law and leave the pavements clear. The pavements are nearly all broken across from the Jolly Farmers caused by cars pulling onto them.

This picture shows cars parked on the yellow lines and one actually blocking the way up Thornaby Road. It has been reported and passed onto SBC Enforcement to try and get some action again.

06.03.2009 Park/Allotments Update

The long job of digging the old tennis courts out is ongoing, CLS appear to be removing about a foot of tarmac and gravel all round from the site. Work also began today on shipping some of the gravel and tarmac down Thornaby Road to the allotments site.

The first lot of recycled tarmac from the park is now onsite at Andrews Allotments ready to start laying down the internal paths and parking area.

06.03.2009 Town Centre Update

The final part of the old Appleby House has finally been taken down with only the footbridge over the main road left standing. The rubble is being cleared at a much faster rate than when Brus House was demolished. Click on link for Town Centre Plans

View from the bus stop under the old access ramp to Appleby House with the Golden Eagle now in full view. All that remains are the final bits of the old access ramp and supports for the bridge over the main road.

New shops have opened in the past week or so with Grainger Games opening this Friday followed by Home Bargains large shop on Saturday.

05.03.2009 Illegal Dumping

VPRA contacted by Tristar Homes concerning dumping of household materials in the Electricity Substation on Park Road.
They have been working to ensure the area will be cleared out by the owners of the substation. Meanwhile, Enforcement are determined to prosecute those responsible , who have been identified to them. Link to original report.

04.03.2009 In Bloom Update

With the sunny but cold weather we are getting the crocus are beginning to bloom all over the area.Below are a couple of shots taken in today’s early morning sunshine.

This is on the traffic island between the Jolly Farmers Pub and the Village School. Put in 2 years ago these bulbs did read VPRA In Bloom until last nights strong winds knocked a few heads off.

A mix of Crocus and Miniature Daffodils around the traffic sign with the Tulips starting to push their way through the mix.

A view of the full traffic island area with lots of small plantings of Crocus now visible.

This large swathe of Crocus was planted by CFYA over 3 years ago. It is on Thornaby Road near to the Bader school.

04.03.2009 Park Update

The final set of Pin Kerbs have been completed around the new Trim Trail. Laying down of hardcore continues before the business of laying the tarmac begins.

Work on preparing the old tennis courts is continuing with the old tarmac base being removed. It is hoped that a lot of this will be recycled down at the new Andrews Allotments.

03.03.2009 VPRA Meeting.

There will be a meeting of the above Residents’ Association, at 7pm on the evening of Tuesday, 10^th of March,2009, in The Robert Atkinson Centre, Thorntree Road, Thornaby.

Items on the Agenda will include...

Windows and Doors needed for the Tristar Homes customers in the VPRA area of the Mandale Victoria Ward (Between Thorntree Road and Thornaby Road)
Anti Social Behaviour and Attacks on the Community
The Village Park – Update on the work so far (Have a look in the park and see how it’s going!)
The Allotments- Latest news and your views sought.
VPRA Party in the Village Park 2009.

Please come along and have your say. Representatives from the Police, Tristar Homes and other relevant bodies will be in attendance to both hear your views and comment on matters under discussion.

Why not visit www.vpra.org.uk and have a look at what your local residents’ group gets up to and have been doing for your area in the past.

02.03.2009 Thornaby Show

VPRA reps attended the latest Thornaby Show planning meeting.

Show date for your Dairy is 6th September 2009 at the Harold Wilson Playing Fields. the show schedule will be posted here later this month.

01.03.2009 Seal Update

Following on from the sighting of the seal up by Black Bobbies Field, VPRA were contacted by the Leader of Stockton Borough Council, Cllr Mr. Ken Lupton who has solved the mystery of how the seals get up river for us. Last months story.

Copy of mail from Ken to VPRA secretary .

“Just looking at your web site and note the article about the seal being up stream of the barrage! I was visiting the barrage yesterday and they have photographs of seals leaping over the gates when the water levels are at high tide on the sea-side of the gates.The staff tell me that there is a colony of about 130 seals at the barrage and 118 salmon were taken from the Tees last year.

Keep up the good work. Cheers, Ken Lupton “

01.03.2009 Citizens Advice

We were contacted by CAB late last week to help put the word out about “Fuel Poverty” and help that is available. Click here for PDF document that we have put online. This is not online on the CAB website at the moment so the VPRA have used their own online storage to do so and make available for all.

01.03.2009 In Bloom

A lot more of the crocus bulbs planted around the area are showing colour today.