YOUNGSTERS at Bowes Hutchinsons Primary School enjoyed an end of term treat last week taking part in the school’s first ever colour run.
The event was organised by the Friends of Bowes School (FOBS) and deputy head mistress Sarah Hutchinson.
Unlike other runs the course featured a range of obstacles from scramble nets to balance bars with colour stations manned by parents dotted in between.
Ms Hutchinson said: “We have had lots of donations from parents with items for the course and lots of them are here today to take part.”
Pupils, parents and staff donned white T-shirts before the colour fun began and to ensure there were no strained muscles, teacher Chris Scaife led pupils through a warm-up routine, before they took up staggered positions around the course.
Gemma Sanderson, from FOBS, said: “We put the course together in the morning and when the children came out at lunchtime they were really excited.”
![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)
