Questions remain
Lord Hill of Oareford, under-secretary of state for schools, left Newark on Tuesday offering no firm guarantees on the future of our schools. Parents took some comfort from the fact that he saw for himself the dire conditions at the Magnus, Orchard and particularly the Grove.
Central to the Government’s plan for the Big Society is communities working together, and the fight here for better schools is a good example of that.
However, Lord Hill’s Press team denied the Advertiser the chance to question him properly and significant questions remain unanswered which will be formally submitted to the Ministry for Education.
The Advertiser was prevented from joining Lord Hill as he toured the Grove and was also barred from a meeting with parents.
A scheduled press conference did not go ahead and was replaced by a pooling of media questions and a short interview with Lord Hill after an Advertiser reporter raised objections, which in itself was cut short.
We await a response to our questions so readers can be even better informed on such an important issue.
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With just four weeks to go to Christmas, Newark is all set for the big switch-on of the town’s festive lights.
It’s one of the traditional highlights of the year as families pack the Market Place and their preparations for Christmas begin in earnest.
Despite concerns about over-zealous traffic wardens and the cost of parking, Newark deservedly remains an attractive shopping destination. Southwell, Bingham and Ollerton also have plenty to offer.
If you know what you’re after, ask yourself if you can buy it locally. If the answer is ‘yes’ then why go further afield?
The economic outlook is uncertain and is likely to remain so for some time.
Supporting our high streets could provide that little bit of extra Christmas cheer for shops and businesses and the local economy.