Chronicle chief reporter Jack Tolson looks at what was making the news in June 2004...
COUNCIL STAFF TOLD: CYCLE OR GET THE BUS
FEWER than one in ten council staff based in new Westgate offices will have a parking space, it emerged this week.
Barnsley Miller Partnership is behind the proposals to build two major office blocks over a short-stay car park in the town centre that would accommodate up to 1,800 staff.
Under the first phase, just 27 car parking spaces would be provided.
A further 124 would be added as basement parking during phase two.
A spokesman for Gifford and Partners Ltd, who did a parking assessment, said: “At present, car parking has a very significant impact on the vitality of Barnsley town centre.
“Poor provision of public transport means that the need to be able to travel into Barnsley by car and park is very important.
“It is anticipated that parking and traffic movement would be reduced to buses and essential uses only.
“The principal benefits of this clear strategy is that people can still park easily but around the town, rather than in it.”
SAM’S HEADING FOR SUNNY SPAIN
THE pouring rain didn’t deter the thousands of fans who travelled to see their pop idol on Sunday.
Clad in tiny sun tops, shorts and flip flops they huddled under a sea of umbrellas to sing along with pop duo Sam and Mark.
The boys were headlining the Hallam FM Mayfest music event at Hillsborough Park along with Mcfly, Natasha Bedingfield and Pop.
Sam and Mark kicked off with their debut number one Beatles’ classic, With A Little Help From My Friends and followed with their second single The Sun Has Come Your Way.
Afterwards, they told the Chronicle they were upset the latter entered the charts last week at number 19 but added they were delighted to see so many loyal fans had journeyed from Barnsley to support them in the rain.
Sam, 18, said how great it was to be back in Barnsley for the weekend.
He added: “It’s fantastic to be back.
“I went home on Friday and saw my friends and family that’s the thing I miss most about living away because you can’t just pop down the road and see people when you’re in London.
“I’ll be heading back there after the concert to squeeze one of my mum’s Sunday dinners in before heading back.”
ELLIE FACES A ROASTING OVER OVEN DOOR RUN-IN
NUTTY mutt Ellie the Staffordshire bull terrier came off worse when she headbutted a glass oven door to pick a fight with her own reflection.
Ellie was left dazed and the oven door smashed beyond repair when the two-year-old decided she wanted to play with the ‘dog’ in the oven.
Owner Katherine Wolstenholme, of Worsbrough Bridge, said Ellie was staying with dogsitters when the accident happened.
“When she went into their kitchen they have a big oven with a shiny glass door and she could see herself in it.
“She thinks every dog is her best friend so she started barking at ‘the other dog’ but when it didn’t respond she must have just run at it to get it to play and came a cropper, bashing into the door so hard she smashed it.”
