A REPAIRED bell is ringing in a host of new developments at a dale primary school which only a few years ago was facing an uncertain future.
Bowes Hutchinson’s Primary School, in Bowes, was almost forced into an amalgamation two years ago, but new cash for upgrades from Durham County Council is giving it a new lease of life.
Already two new heating oil tanks have been installed at the school at a cost of about £60,000 with further work planned this Easter and next year. Headteacher Chris Matthewman said: “The old ones date at least back to the 1970s or earlier. We don’t know. When the guy came to look at them he said they should go to Beamish.
“In a couple of weeks’ time they are replacing the boiler in the hall. Durham are investing in the school which gives us confidence for the future.”
The school has two buildings – the hall and kitchen, which is used for collective worship, dining and small PE groups when it cannot be done outdoors, and the main school building.
The school kitchen is thought to be unique in the North East in that everything, bar the fish fingers, is made from scratch using organic produce, much of which is sourced from the nearby Cross Lanes Organic Farm Shop. This has earned the school a Food For Life gold award.
Mrs Matthewman added that plans are for a new boiler for the main school building and a new central heating next year.
The pupils are looking forward to the repair of their school bell which dates back to the 1800s.
It will cost about £1,500 with Teesdale Action Partnership contributing £1,000 and the school trustees another £500. Repairs are to take place during the Easter break.
Mrs Matthewman said: “The children are very keen to have the bell rung in the morning and the evening when they leave.”
She added that a rota would be drawn up so that each child could get a chance to ring the bell.
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
