Page 1 - link magazine

west Swindon's
Magazine e,4 Sftea4€i4r4

14AASSIVrr,
O;A&L%

Over 1,000 cycles
usually in stock

Also good stock
of reconditioned bikes
No. 109 April 1991 . Circulation 10,500 96 99 Manchester Road, Swindon
(0793) 534907 & 513705

Red Nose reminders Secondary school

Inside - local efforts to help Comic Relief
allocation confusion
by Elizabeth Wood
This year's allocation of places in "Some nonsense decisions have
secondary schools has provoked been made," admitted Area Edu-
an angry response from some West cation Officer David Williamson.
Swindon families. "We have followed the admission
Parents can express a preference policy which states that children
from Toothill and Westlea have
for one of three secondary schools
designated by Wiltshire County priority over other West Swindon
Council to take children from the children for places at Ridgeway
area - Bradon Forest Purton, School."
Greendown Grange Park, Ridge- Anita Jones, one of the parents
way Wroughton. involved said, 'Parents in West
Some parents from Toothill and Swindon are invited to choose
Westlea who requested a place at which school to send their children
Braden Forest School have been to. I realise that some system of
allocation is needed if too many
allocated to The Ridgeway, while
others, from Freshbrook and Shaw opt for one school, but I don't think
The children who attend Toot hillFarm All the staff and children from Westlea asked for places at The Ridgeway, it should be decided on geogra-
After School Club held a 4 hour School did the conga round the West phy. It is very difficult to draw
but have been given places at Bra-
marathon disco on 22 March Swindon Centre on 15 March lines between different areas in
don Forest.
West Swindon. The Education
Office knows nothing about the
Urban art may be recognised Fun Day for the individual children and no attempt
whole family at is being made to match them to
A piece of vandalised street equip- Shaw Ridge particular schools. A better system
ment may be elevated to an art Leisure Park is needed."
form if a recommendation to Simon Conlon, Wiltshire County
Thamesdown Council is accepted. Sat. 6 April, 10am - 3pm Councillor for Freshbrook and
The remains of a control barrier Stalls, Inflatables, Disco Grange Park, commented, "The
next to the Link Centre coach park Free tours behind the scenes Education Authority needs to look
is being put foward in a leaked of the MGM Cinema again at the admissions policy. It
report as worthy of preservation as Arranged by the operators of has worked well in the pastbut has
an example of 1980's lifestyle. Shaw Ridge Leisure Park thrown up a number of problems
The barrier was wrecked by All proceeds to CLICK (Child this year. It should clearly be a
vandals in 1985, very soon after the Leukemia Research) priority to increase the number of
Link Centre opened, and has not Below: Full housesforJohn Kiel, Man- places at Ridgeway School
been removed. ager of the newly opened 7 screen Metro "It is vitally important that geo-
Although Tharnesdown does not Goldwyn Mayer cinema at Shaw Ridge graphical areas are not used again.
have any money to undertake the Places could be allocated on a first
preservation, the new fund for the come first served basis, or by
arts announced in the recentBudget drawing straws. But above all,
is expected to pick up the bill. nominate projects for considera- parents must have faithin whatever
Lord Palumbo, Chairman of the tion and that the Link Centre crash system is used."
Arts Council, is believed to have barrier was a strong contender.
indicated to Council arts officers "The crash barrier has a certain David Williamson said, "We
that projects which had significant form about it which 'ergs together have received between thirty and
social, historical and artistic merit many aspects of the i980's. It's a forty complaints this year. If there
is room for manoeuvre we will be
would be considered by the new strong statement of attitudes and
as flexible as possible. Easily cor-
fund, when he visited Swindon in values, a moment in time which
rected errors will be sorted out in
March to view Thamesdown should be remembered." the next few weeks and beyond
Council's collection of paintings. A virulent reaction to the leak-
that there is a formal appeals pro-
A spokesman for the Council's ingof the proposal in The Link mag-
cedure that all parents are free to
Visual Arts Advisor admitted that azine is expected from both the use."
the Council had been asked to Council and the public at large. al