Ted's move forward

Posted by Martin Williams on January 25, 2008 12:23 PM

As a former pupil, I know how desperately in need of a boost Blessed Edward Jones is.
It’s been in the doldrums for years.
Acting head Catherine Britton seems keen to bring the school kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and she’ll need to be keen, she’ll need all of her enthusiasm and determination, because it’s no easy task.
It is a good school. There are some tremendous teachers working in difficult conditions.
It’s almost 15 years since I was a pupil but little had changed when visited last August.
There has been a lack of resources, a lack of vision and a total lack of communication with parents.
I appreciate Ms Britton is bringing new ideas to the school, and of course we must welcome these, but there is no use building on crumbling foundations. They need to get the basics right.
The school is known locally and remembered fondly as ‘Ted’s’. She will not change that, why would she want to?
The problem does not lie with the name. It does not involve getting the pupils to behave in exchange for a phone call to parents.
It’s about getting the proper funding into the classrooms and giving these talented teachers a chance to shine. It’s about concentrating on education, not religion. That may be a controversial statement but it’s true.
It’s a Catholic school, and for many years Catholicism came before results.
Incidentally, where was the funding before these special measures were introduced? Why have they waited until crisis-point to deliver the goods?
As someone who enjoyed the school but spent many, many hours sat in freezing cold ‘mobiles’ - those wooden huts we would take maths and Welsh in - I know of its problems.
As far as I’m aware the school did not had a Welsh teacher for several years until recently. No Welsh teacher in a Welsh school? I won’t name names but I know of many pupils and parents who were disgusted by this. When they spoke to the school they were ignored.
Ms Britton and her team want to bring respect and dignity to Blessed Edward Jones. We at the Visitor wish her the best of luck.
The pupils, teachers and staff deserve more than they’ve been given. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and they must walk towards it.

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Man's best friend?

Posted by Martin Williams on January 2, 2008 12:00 PM

This is more of a plea for information than a rant, though I am perturbed by this issue.
What is the situation with dogs and muzzles? There are an alarming number of people walking around the area with vicious looking pitbull terriers, and none of them seem to have muzzles.
I’m sure there are many responsible dog owners out there but I haven’t encountered any in Rhyl of late. Abergele was the same when I visited a friend there last week.
We even had an incident outside the Visitor office in the run-up to Christmas, when two dogs fought in the High Street as a crowd of shoppers watched nervously.
For many - usually men with a complex - walking around with a snarling, spitting canine is a boost to the ego.

“Look at me and my dog, it will rip your leg off if you come near me”

That’s what concerns me. I was stood at the traffic lights on Brighton Road this morning while a bloke in a bomber jacket stood silent, his dog chomping at the bit as he tightened its lead and dragged it away from me. This dog did not have a muzzle. It was dangerous and I felt like a rump steak on legs. I don’t want to sound previous or cliched, but if this dog had a got hold of a child. Well, it does not bear thinking.

Do we have a dog warden in this area? If so, who and where are they? What is the legislation? Is there any? I’m sure many of our animal rights campaigners - who are of course entitled to their opinion, will tell me to shut up and argue that dogs have just as many rights as I do.

They don’t, they’re dogs. I’m a human being. I’m not perfect, but I’d like to keep my legs.

These are the same people, and there seem to be many of them, who argue that seagulls were here before us and they have every right to steal food from your mouth and hands. They believe you are ‘common’ for strolling around town with an ice cream or sausage roll in your hand. Cobblers.

What do you think? Am I talking rubbish or do you agree?

Write to Visitor Letters, 84 High Street, Rhyl, LL18 1UB. Alternatively, leave me a comment or e-mail martin.williams@northwalesnews.co.uk.

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