News Release 3- Tragic Road Update/Saskia Sweet Sixteen/Fund Raiser Janet/Parking/Dover-Deal Tragic Road.
22 January 2008
SAMANTHA ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN
“Action at last on the A258” says MP.
Dover & Deal MP, Gwyn Prosser, says that the sterling efforts of local people who have been supporting the Samantha Road Safety campaign are at last bearing fruit, with confirmation this week from a Government Minister that a multi agency Working Group is to conduct a review of the A258 and an investigation into the causes of all the recent accidents. The news came following the presentation of a 15,000 strong petition to the Prime Minister made by Gwyn and the parents of Samantha Horne, who was tragically killed on the Deal to Dover road last May.
Gwyn said:
“I’m very pleased that we are seeing action at last on the dangerous Dover to Deal road which has sadly claimed four lives in the last twelve months alone. The petition we presented to No 10 has been considered by the Roads Minister and he has written to me with the news that our call for a comprehensive review of the road has been granted and KCC has established a multi agency Working Group to carry out this work.
“This is good news for the campaigners and for everyone who uses the A258 and the fact that the Working Group will include the Highways Agency, Kent Police and the District Council will add influence to any recommendations it comes forward with. I commend all the helpers and the Dover Forum for supporting the campaign and helping us achieve this important breakthrough.
The Picture shows MP Gwyn Prosser at No 10 Downing St with members of the Horne family. See more info in earlier feature at bottom of page. Feel free to add your comment by clicking on the Comment Bar below.
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Feb 05 - DCAL Carnival Princess Saskia Wadsworth- Smith celebrated her 16th birthday today Feb 5. Saskia seen here in her full DCAL regalia has enjoyed her year with the carnival organisers. Vivacious and fun, Saskia enjoys herself in many ways, and particularly so when threading the boards as an actress. She has been in many local productions.
Saskia also excelled on her trip to New York late last year and wrote about her whole adventure here on Doverforum. It was one of our most popular features and can still be seen in our old magazine section. It went down well too in her school...the Dover Grammar School for Girls.
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Jan 24: Many of you will have seen the story in both of todays local papers(Jan 24) about the enterprising Janet Pott, former hospital radio worker, who has managed to raise a staggering £1000 by selling off some of the old records, which were once so happily played at the local station. She has raised this fantastic amount for the Demelza Children's Hospice. That's Janet in the picture on the left being helped by local dealer Tony Randall who was giving advice and tips about the rather large collection.
Despite raising this great amount, Janet finds she still has quite a collection of records left, and is determined to raise yet more money for this worthy cause. I see in the papers that she still has a number of Des O'Conner records left. If anyone wants to put themselves through the gruelling ordeal of listening to Des O'Conner for hours on end, then please contact Janet at your earliest convenience. I am taking a cynical lift there from the comedy archives of Morecambe and Wise, but seriously though, Des is a fine entertainer and gives hours of crooning fun and pleasure. Janet also has a number of other records by Cliff Richard, Herman's Hermits and so on.
Many thanks to Terry Nunn for the info. Will see if Terry has a contact number. I think the number in the DE is for Kathy Bailes..but will double check and come back. A huge congrats to Janet for her sterling effort.
Here we are with a contact number, so to grab all those old favourites "woke up this morning feeling fine!!" ..call 205411. It's actually Terry's number who will liaise. Get dialing as the cause is great.
Add a comment, scroll down to blue bar below -always welcome.
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So what's so remarkable about these pictures..well, not a lot, its true. However a small glimmer of interest was aroused by the illustrious superfluoresced bods of the Highways Agency arriving on the very grey seafront today Jan 24.They had a general stroll about and went for a serious look at the dock exit, perhaps contemplating the pitfalls of the new proposed scheme. Let us hope they also took a sideward glance at the parking idiocy. Take a look at the picture on left, the first parking bay clearly juts out well into the oncoming traffic lane, perhaps as much as halfway, as do the rest of them. Doh! Thats not the only thing wrong with it of course, but we have had all that before to the point of exhaustion.
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press release - add your comment below
A258 DEAL-TO-DOVER ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNERS PRESENT THEIR 11,000 STRONG PETITION TO No 10.
Dover & Deal’s MP, Gwyn Prosser, took 15 of the A258 Road Safety Campaigners to the House of Commons this week and after showing the group around the Palace of Westminster, he lead a smaller delegation to 10 Downing Street and presented the campaigners' 11,000 strong petition to officials for putting before the Prime Minister.
Photo shows front ctr, l-r Gwyn, Trevor Horne and Lesley Horne surrounded by the campaign group.
There have been many calls for safety improvements on the Dover to Deal road but the current campaign was sparked off following the tragic deaths of 11 year old Samantha Horne and David Wilson in separate road accidents last year.
Samantha’s father, Trevor Horne said:
“Visiting Parliament and presenting our petition to No10 has been quite an experience and we are grateful to our MP, Gwyn Prosser for helping us launch our petition and making all the arrangements for the Downing Street presentation. None of us will ever get over the tragic loss of young Samantha but if our campaign is successful in making the A258 safer and lessening the likelihood of further unnecessary loss of life – then we will take some comfort by knowing that her death has not been in vain”
Gwyn says:
“The Horne family and the other campaigners have done a tremendous job in attracting so much support for their petition. By the time we handed it into No 10 it had reached the 11,000 mark which represents a very high proportion of the local population and demonstrates how strong people’s feelings are for safety improvements on the A258.
“The presentation to the PM will be brought to the attention of Kent County Council who have responsibility for the road and we will follow this up by pressing for a meeting with KCC’s Highways Agency in order to convince them of the need for a comprehensive safety survey of this dangerous road."
The petition, which was published last June reads as follows:
PLEASE SUPPORT THE SAMANTHA (A258) ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN
“On the 26th May, 11 year old Samantha Horne was tragically killed in an horrific road traffic accident on the A258 road between Dover and Deal. This is the third fatality on the road since December 2006 and it follows many other serious accidents in past years.
Samantha’s family and friends have asked me to join their campaign to press Kent County Council into raising safety standards on the A258 and I am helping them launch their campaign by publishing the attached SAMANTHA (A258) ROAD SAFETY PETITION which I hope you will sign”
Gwyn Prosser MP
We the undersigned, support the SAMANTHA ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN and call upon Kent County Council to listen to the views of local people, conduct an urgent safety review of the A258 and to come forward with proposals for improvements, including such measures as dualling, road straightening, upgraded road markings and the installation of permanent average speed cameras.
SAMANTHA ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN“Action at last on the A258” says MP.
Dover & Deal MP, Gwyn Prosser, says that the sterling efforts of local people who have been supporting the Samantha Road Safety campaign are at last bearing fruit, with confirmation this week from a Government Minister that a multi agency Working Group is to conduct a review of the A258 and an investigation into the causes of all the recent accidents. The news came following the presentation of a 15,000 strong petition to the Prime Minister made by Gwyn and the parents of Samantha Horne, who was tragically killed on the Deal to Dover road last May.
Gwyn said:
“I’m very pleased that we are seeing action at last on the dangerous Dover to Deal road which has sadly claimed four lives in the last twelve months alone. The petition we presented to No 10 has been considered by the Roads Minister and he has written to me with the news that our call for a comprehensive review of the road has been granted and KCC has established a multi agency Working Group to carry out this work.
“This is good news for the campaigners and for everyone who uses the A258 and the fact that the Working Group will include the Highways Agency, Kent Police and the District Council will add influence to any recommendations it comes forward with. I commend all the helpers and the Dover Forum for supporting the campaign and helping us achieve this important breakthrough.
The Picture shows MP Gwyn Prosser at No 10 Downing St with members of the Horne family. See more info in earlier feature at bottom of page. Feel free to add your comment by clicking on the Comment Bar below.
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Feb 05 - DCAL Carnival Princess Saskia Wadsworth- Smith celebrated her 16th birthday today Feb 5. Saskia seen here in her full DCAL regalia has enjoyed her year with the carnival organisers. Vivacious and fun, Saskia enjoys herself in many ways, and particularly so when threading the boards as an actress. She has been in many local productions.Saskia also excelled on her trip to New York late last year and wrote about her whole adventure here on Doverforum. It was one of our most popular features and can still be seen in our old magazine section. It went down well too in her school...the Dover Grammar School for Girls.
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Jan 24: Many of you will have seen the story in both of todays local papers(Jan 24) about the enterprising Janet Pott, former hospital radio worker, who has managed to raise a staggering £1000 by selling off some of the old records, which were once so happily played at the local station. She has raised this fantastic amount for the Demelza Children's Hospice. That's Janet in the picture on the left being helped by local dealer Tony Randall who was giving advice and tips about the rather large collection.Despite raising this great amount, Janet finds she still has quite a collection of records left, and is determined to raise yet more money for this worthy cause. I see in the papers that she still has a number of Des O'Conner records left. If anyone wants to put themselves through the gruelling ordeal of listening to Des O'Conner for hours on end, then please contact Janet at your earliest convenience. I am taking a cynical lift there from the comedy archives of Morecambe and Wise, but seriously though, Des is a fine entertainer and gives hours of crooning fun and pleasure. Janet also has a number of other records by Cliff Richard, Herman's Hermits and so on.
Many thanks to Terry Nunn for the info. Will see if Terry has a contact number. I think the number in the DE is for Kathy Bailes..but will double check and come back. A huge congrats to Janet for her sterling effort.
Here we are with a contact number, so to grab all those old favourites "woke up this morning feeling fine!!" ..call 205411. It's actually Terry's number who will liaise. Get dialing as the cause is great.
Add a comment, scroll down to blue bar below -always welcome.
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press release - add your comment below
A258 DEAL-TO-DOVER ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNERS PRESENT THEIR 11,000 STRONG PETITION TO No 10.
Dover & Deal’s MP, Gwyn Prosser, took 15 of the A258 Road Safety Campaigners to the House of Commons this week and after showing the group around the Palace of Westminster, he lead a smaller delegation to 10 Downing Street and presented the campaigners' 11,000 strong petition to officials for putting before the Prime Minister.
Photo shows front ctr, l-r Gwyn, Trevor Horne and Lesley Horne surrounded by the campaign group.
There have been many calls for safety improvements on the Dover to Deal road but the current campaign was sparked off following the tragic deaths of 11 year old Samantha Horne and David Wilson in separate road accidents last year.
Samantha’s father, Trevor Horne said:
“Visiting Parliament and presenting our petition to No10 has been quite an experience and we are grateful to our MP, Gwyn Prosser for helping us launch our petition and making all the arrangements for the Downing Street presentation. None of us will ever get over the tragic loss of young Samantha but if our campaign is successful in making the A258 safer and lessening the likelihood of further unnecessary loss of life – then we will take some comfort by knowing that her death has not been in vain”
Gwyn says:
“The Horne family and the other campaigners have done a tremendous job in attracting so much support for their petition. By the time we handed it into No 10 it had reached the 11,000 mark which represents a very high proportion of the local population and demonstrates how strong people’s feelings are for safety improvements on the A258.
“The presentation to the PM will be brought to the attention of Kent County Council who have responsibility for the road and we will follow this up by pressing for a meeting with KCC’s Highways Agency in order to convince them of the need for a comprehensive safety survey of this dangerous road."
The petition, which was published last June reads as follows:
PLEASE SUPPORT THE SAMANTHA (A258) ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN
“On the 26th May, 11 year old Samantha Horne was tragically killed in an horrific road traffic accident on the A258 road between Dover and Deal. This is the third fatality on the road since December 2006 and it follows many other serious accidents in past years.
Samantha’s family and friends have asked me to join their campaign to press Kent County Council into raising safety standards on the A258 and I am helping them launch their campaign by publishing the attached SAMANTHA (A258) ROAD SAFETY PETITION which I hope you will sign”
Gwyn Prosser MP
We the undersigned, support the SAMANTHA ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN and call upon Kent County Council to listen to the views of local people, conduct an urgent safety review of the A258 and to come forward with proposals for improvements, including such measures as dualling, road straightening, upgraded road markings and the installation of permanent average speed cameras.
- I really wish them well with this campaign. The road is in serious need of modernisation and can sadly be very deadly at times. Obviously this is a very heartbraking tale above. Lots of people have died on that road and surely the time has come for action.
- Good to see this initiative taking shape, but I still maintain that the road-users make it unsafe, not the road itself.
If local (District-wide) residents are using the road, they should treat it with care and respect; if people new to the road or area are using it, then keeping to the speed limit will ensure they get to their destination safely.
Many is the time I have travelled the road, only to be over-taken by a crazy car-driver speeding passed and motorcyclists can be just as bad.
Keep to the speed limit - between 40 and 50 along there, it's fast enough.
Roger - Roger to some degree you are right that its all down to bad driving, but some roads are unforgiving by their nature and design, and this horrible road is one of them. Drive badly here and its very often fatal...and very often someone else pays the price.
People drive badly everywhere but this road takes no prisoners because of poor layout and design. It needs serious money spent on it. - in my view it is a dangerous road because there are so few chances of overtaking safely, if stuck behind a farm vehicle or horse box.
frustration sets in, then a normally responsible driver decides to go for it. - I still say that solid double lines in the centre through the whole length from the Swingate through to the Cattery would make it clear that overtaking isn't safe - at the moment the road markings are saying otherwise....
- good point about the unbroken white lines, it does send a clear message.
most abide by that. - I am so sorry for this 11 year old and her perants I can not start to understand how thay must feel and my hart felt sympathy goes out to all there family. Yes if KCC had put double white lines from one end of this road to the other and with some lighting this and other Accidents would not have happend,We must not allow any more of our young people to be put at risk on this killer road any more. Good Luck In Your Endevours and God Bless the Family.
- The A258 as you say is a very dangerous road especially when you take into account that it is the main artery from Dover to Deal, only last saturday night whilst I was taking my daughter to a sleep over we came across another accident which had just happened and were waved down by the Fire Brigade with torches to stop the traffic until the road was clear, if I didn't have my wits about me anything could have happened.
I do hope now that the KCC sit up and listen and put the wheels in motion following this hard fought campaign, as so many lives have been lost on this road. In the first instance they should immediately lower the speed limit to 40 and install more speed cameras, street lighting and solid white lines. This has worked effectively on the A217 from the M25 to Sutton/Cheam in Surrey where I used to live and also on the main Seabrook/Hythe road with cameras and a 30 mile speed limit, when you take into account that these are straight and well lit roads and it can be difficult keeping to 40/30 but it has saved lives. As the A258 is a long and winding road it should be no problem sticking to 40 miles per hour.
My heartfelt sympathy goes out to both families and all others who have lost friends and family members on this notoriously dangerous road in its present condition. - I use the dreaded A258 nearly every day and have either seen or had so many near misses that there are too many to mention.
Lower the speed limit, put up lots of cameras and paint no overtaking lines for now at least. This would discourage the people that take very dangerous risks and endanger the lives of others. - A terrific well done to Janet in the story above. Isnt it amazing what the ordinary citizen like you or me can do if we get right down to it. Raising £1000 for the Demelza Childrens Hospice is truly awesome !
- I agree PaulB, it's great when you read articles like this where someone as put in all that work and enthusiasm for such a good cause, Well Done Janet!! Now PaulB here is a chance for you to fill in the gaps within your Val Doonican and Batchelors collection . lol!
- That's a good way of raising monies for the Demelza Childrens Hospice, Well Done to Janet Pott for organising this, a great idea.
- It certainly was a remarkable feat. You have to bear in mind that none of the 45's could be described as mint. Also, they are all in card library sleeves. If they were mint and in original sleeves they would easily have made at least four times that figure.
The LP's were a different story. Most of the sleeves were in a very sorry state and a number of them were nearly unplayable. Nevertheless they were sold as a job lot to a private collector from East Malling. I had no regrets when I saw them loaded into two estate cars which drove off very low on the rear springs!
Speaking of regrets, I did manage to retrieve my beloved Edith Piaf EP.
If you want to contact Janet directly you can email her at:-
janetpott06@btinternet.com
Terry - I live in Deal and travel on the A258 most of the week, I have been reading this forum for quite some time now, but this is the first time for me to post. After reading the comments with regard to this major connecting road between Deal and Dover, I say I agree wholeheartedly with everyones concerns, let us hope that something is done soon to improve the road ie speed restrictions etc, before even more lives are lost.
- Welcome to the Forum Chris.
There are speed limits along there - 50 miles per hour and around Ringwould, it is down to 40.
The big problem is (sadly) that people don't stick to these speed limits.
Roger
- Thank you Roger, I meant further reduced restrictions ie the max speed should be 40mph with 30mph for Ringwould as it is now entering Walmer and Deal. If I had my way I would put speed bumps all along the A258.
- What a lovely picture of the 'Birthday Girl' , Sweet Sixteen! I hope you had a wonderful time Saskia, Many Happy Returns for yesterday. x
- I would really like to congratulate those involved and say a well done to Gwyn and the Horne family. In very sad circumstances they have all worked hard to get some recognition of the dangers of this awful road. With this review now, maybe things can get better, and future lives in the years ahead need not be lost. This is now about saving lives in the future. Which of us ever feel happy or relaxed knowing our families are driving on this road.
- Well Done Gwyn, thats great news. It's good to see action at last re the A258. I'm sure Samantha's parents and indeed all those who campaigned so vigorously are relieved to hear the news that a full review of this notoriously dangerous road is finally underway.I myself am a regular user of the A258 so I am very pleased to hear this news.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have lost their lives on this road and our heartfelt sympathies are forever with their family and friends. - I think is great seeing everyone working together
Think there needs to be an education of drivers, as no matter what you put in place people will try to break the rule(s)
Good to see Gwyn in the thick of it, and being appreciated by the campaigners.
Good luck to you all
- Well Done to Gwyn and the tireless campaigners who have worked so hard in getting something positive done towards improving the safety of using the A258, it is unfortunate that so many lives have either been lost or seriously hurt to get something moving in the right direction.
- Well Done to Gwyn, the Horne family and Doverforum for keeping this campaign in the public eye, your campaigning is now finally bearing fruit, but it is also a sad time to reflect that Sammantha and many others had to lose their lives to something which could so easily have been averted.
- looking at the posts on this thread, it becomes clear why gwyn keeps winning elections here.
the other crowd keep setting the dogs on him, but the personal touch, seems to carry him through each time. - The Highways Agency people photographed are from the Traffic Officer service and have nothing to do with the car parking problem, nor the proposed dock exit road. They've been sent down to help out with the roadworks in clearing up any problems like they would normally do so on the motorways. I guess it's a gesture from the Highways Agency in a bid to keep the traffic flowing.
- Many thanks for the info Andrew.
- The thing is, it is all very well saying all of the above, but many people blame the drivers of the road, and indeed it is sometimes the case that they were at fault for the death of a child. However, it does not mean that the drivers are always at fault, and in many cases it is the idiocy of third parties and the poor shape and infastructure of the road limiting visibility. The road has poor visibility through the apex of the bends and the line of sight is limited due to convex petrusions along the road itself, and thus 50mph is not a safe legal limit for the road. Instead of merely blaming the drivers or whoever else, it would help if people realised, as many already have, that the council need to do something about the problem. The road needs to become a straighter carriageway, and there need to be laybys for those that have mechanical vehicle faults to stop and get out of the way. Traffic management cameras need to be placed at the St Margatrets junction to stop people merely speeding across, and the speed limit should be reduced to 40mph all the way through. However, I have heard that it is proposed by the campaigners that the road be named something not disimilar to "Samantha Way", and if the rumours that I have heard are indeed true, I suggest to everybody with the slightest amount of intelligence that this is not the case, because, although the death of Miss Horne is a tradegy and my family have my sympathy, the death is for them to mourn and by naming the road after their daughter, they are simply yet sub-conciously burdening their grief onto others. Grief is personal and should remain with those that are directly affected I am afraid. However, I whole-heartedly support the campaign to change the road for the greater good and to prevent further deaths.
- you will find that there is broad agreement with your views here.
however your statement would carry more weight if you were not anonymous. - Many thanks for that excellent posting Anonymous of Deal..but Howard is spot on in what he says there about weight and anonimity. We would like to hear from you again but re-consider the anonymous thing.
One other piece of info but NOT directed at Anonymous of Deal. As Ive said before we would not be able to allow anonymous postings attacking public figures and such like.