Chief reporter Jack Tolson takes a look back through the Archives of February 2004
SHEILA’S GREAT INVENTION WILL HANG OUT IN THE TOWN CENTRE
A BARNSLEY businesswoman is so convinced her idea for a mobile cloakroom in the town centre will be a success she has patented it.
Sheila Morrisroe struck on the idea of having a van in the town centre for people to leave their coats after hearing her nieces complain of being freezing while waiting for a taxi after a night out.
“Girls these days go for a night out wearing less than I would wear on a beach and they don’t wear coats,” she said.
“But by the time they come out of a nightclub and have to wait two hours for a taxi they’re freezing.
“This idea allows them to take a coat but pay to leave it in the van while they are in town and collect it again at the end of the night.”
OUR SAM TURNS TO THE TELLY TO FIND A GIRLFRIEND
YOUNG, free and single pop star Sam Nixon will try to find himself a girlfriend on television tomorrow night.
Sam, 17, has become one of the nation’s pin-ups after his performances on Pop Idol and has thousands of female fans - but amazingly is still single.
Girls were queuing up to take part in the ITV show, Love On A Saturday Night, after it emerged Sam could be their date.
Producer Nick Steinburg said: “When I told the girls they were competing to go out with Sam Nixon, they were so excited that one nearly fainted.”
The job of finding him a girlfriend will fall to singing partner Mark Rhodes and a panel including Neil Fox and Nicky Chapman.
CRACKDOWN ON EYESORE PROPERTIES
LANDLORDS who let their properties fall into disrepair are to be billed for repairs or demolition as part of tough new clean-up plans.
Barnsley Council workmen will be given powers to carry out jobs on eyesore properties that are the subject of repeated complaints from neighbours.
Area forum officers will be asked to identify problem properties and landlords will also have to foot the bill for clearing away rubble and debris.
The launch of the crackdown has been welcomed by independent councillor Ian Guest who has been pressing for action for almost three years.
Work on the crackdown was started after a report by government inspectors criticised the number of derelict buildings.
A council spokesman said: "The report included an explicit recommendation that we should immediately improve our contribution to reducing drug related crime and antisocial behaviour by using our legal powers to tackle the problems of dangerous and derelict buildings that are being used by drug users and young people."
It is also looking at using compulsory purchase powers that would allow the council to buy the sites, then sell them to developers.
