Solving a problem
Dear Editor,
4 Junctions, 3 Traffic Streams, 2 Narrow Pavements, But only one pair of eyes.
The new* head was appointed to the then still new comprehensive Kibworth High School in 1968 to take effect from January 1969 (*David Still, reading this, will recall it well ) when it was occupying the five sites vacated by the Grammar School on its move up the A6 to launch Oadby Beauchamp in 1964. Thus was born the target of getting the “ new”, “scattered Kibworth school” onto one site. Replacement new school buildings were planned for the present Smeeton Road site, and later, the opening of the first stage of the then called ‘new block’ on Smeeton Road meant the regular movement of pupils over High Street made a pedestrian crossing, as with us today, an essential.
Solving another problem
With the school completely on the Smeeton Road site in 1993, the High Street pedestrian crossing changed from its student crossing role to becoming increasingly important as a safe link for residents walking from the new development and elsewhere on the Warwick Road side of the Kibworths, (many across the 11+ acre public space by the Primary School ) to the various outlets on, for them, the far side of High Street.
But now…..there`s a fresh problem
When crossing between the Manor House clock tower corner and the old Vicky Wines now LOROS corner, pedestrians, with or without toddlers, prams, walking aids, mobility vehicles, shopping bags, restricted vision or mobility, have no more than two eyes to check four directions at this point –from High Street east, High Street west, Smeeton Road and School Road. It’s a place where one has to look left, look right, look left again, then look ahead, look across, then start looking left etc. again! Some priority place from which Shank’s pony and mobile aids can safely cross is required before the saddest of accidents occurs. Some readers will recall more than one concern there over the years, including one quite recently.
Roger Garratt
Beryl Tory: The Full Eulogy
