551. Underground over ground, where should the Alderley by-pass be?

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 16 February 2005
PROBABLY the only story in the Express to run longer than the dog dirt saga is the on-off-on-off Alderley by-pass. It seems like Alderley residents have been arguing over it for decades then, just as the Government was about to cave in and build the damn thing, a Womble-like fracas erupted over where it should go in relation to the railway line.

552. Reaction to ‘tsunami’ shows Britain’s generosity

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 19 January 2005
BEFORE Boxing Day hardly anyone in this country had heard the word 'tsunami'; now everyone knows its meaning.

553. Try to think like a dog

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 2 February 2005
AS a committed dog trainer I was rather disturbed to hear the RSPCA pleading with new owners to take their dogs to a training class.

554. Leave it to Bill to sort out the leisure centre

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 2 February 2005
After 24 years of attending Macclesfield Leisure Centre I'm devastated to learn it's in the wrong place. So where have I been going for the past two and a half decades?

555. Community bobbies should stop vigilantes from taking law into their own hands

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 19 January 2005
I WAS in Leek last week and bought a local newspaper called, imaginatively, 'Your Leek Paper'.

556. Fighting fire with fire

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 23 February 2005
OVER the years I've received hundreds of letters from readers disappointed or outraged by the poor response from Cheshire Police to their telephone enquiries. Waiting endlessly for an officer to pick up the phone has been replaced by a prompt answer from a call centre followed by a futile wait for the right extension. I can't count the number of times Cheshire Police have admitted a call has been 'lost' in the system, 'delayed' or simply left unanswered.

557. No freedom of info at MBC

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 9 February 2005
WHAT a great coup for Wilmslow to be chosen as the Government centre for the new Freedom of Information Act bringing over 200 jobs to the town.

558. The true cost of binge drinking

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 26 January 2005
WHEN Cheshire Police launch their 'Taking Control' initiative in April reverting to community-led patrols it will mark the biggest change in policing for a decade. In the lead up to this momentous occasion Barlow's Brief will run a series of articles on all aspects of law and order affecting the daily lives of Cheshire residents.

559. Insane closure of Saneline

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 9 February 2005
THERE was a time when Macclesfield was famous for its treatment of the mentally-ill. Parkside Hospital dedicated itself to the care of those unable to care for themselves. Then along came some trendy Government diktat claiming it was kinder to close down such 'institutions' providing instead 'care in the community'.

560. Predictive technology means no ambulance required

Macclesfield Express, Wednesday 9 February 2005
I AM FREQUENTLY astounded at the march of technology but never more so than when learning of the ambulance service's ability to close down local stations AND speed up response times.