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SATURDAY PITSTOP WITH ESSEX FORD BILLERICAY – 2.2.8Olympics shock for Brentwood Today's Saturday Pitstop with Essex Ford Billericay led on the week's news that the 2012 Olympics' mountain biking event is to be moved from the town. Promised 18 months ago when London was confirmed as 2012 host city, the International Cycling Federation has now decided that Brentwood's Weald Park would be unsuitable for Olympic-standard bikers. The federation's inspectors, in town last month, came away saying the proposed Weald Park track layout wouldn't be challenging enough. They have instructed games organisers LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) to come up with a tougher location. Brentwood Borough Council said: "We accept LOCOG has to respond to this request and would support efforts to secure an alternative venue in Essex." The Saturday Pitstop programme posed the question why Brentwood had not clearly been announced as intended 2012 mountain biking location subject to final approval? And whether intended Brentwood improvements flagged up as imperative pre-2012, eg the High Street revamp and Brentwood Station redevelopment, would now slip? Safer surfing for children In the Saturday Pitstop's second hour, we welcomed Childnet's Mary Louise Morris on air. Childnet works to keep the internet as a great children's information and entertainment resource – as well as a safe one. Last month Mary Louise ran a Brentwood training session for children and their parents warning of the online dangers and offering advice on how to combat them. While stalking and grooming of children online and the glamourising of suicide on some social networking sites hit the headlines, it's cyberbullying which is the biggest problem. Key, says Childnet, is to establish open communication about internet use with youngsters at the earliest stage. If parents are involved, and aware of their children's online activities, from when youngsters start accessing the net, there's a greater chance of them learning about anything worrying or sinister following later. "If you ban and block things, you exacerbate the problem," said Mary Louise. Increased internet capability on children's mobile phones also means parents aren't as in control of the hardware used, compared to when youngsters could only surf on the family PC. "You can put filters on but they're no substitute for having conversations with your child about the internet. The buck stops with parents, not with their internet service provider or the police." More at www.childnet.com From Essex Ford Billericay See the new Ford Focus in Essex Ford's Billericay showroom on London Road. Contact James in vehicle sales on 01277 652242. Have your Ford aged older than three years serviced for only £99 with a Ford Value Service (£129 including MOT). And until the end of February, Essex Ford Billericay will five you £40 of M&S vouchers. Contact Carol in service on 01277 652242.  Article by Oliver Rowe, 2 Feb 2008 |
05/07 Linkin Park 12/07 Super Furry Animals 19/07 U2 26/07 Madonna 02/08 Coldplay 09/08 Robbie Williams 16/08 blink-182 23/08 Rolling Stones 30/08 Placebo All times UK. |