WHAT 2007 MEANT TO ME IN ORDSALL by Sylvia Sharples

One of the most significant landmarks this year was the decision to keep the Ordsall Medical Centre somewhere near where it is now instead of a move to The Quays”!! This was a case of where common sense prevailed and the centre will remain at the heart of Ordsall. So all the cynics who said that the decision was all cut and dried and there was no point in having all the consultations, this was definitely “power to the people”.

Personally, it has been a fantastic year. I have learned to use the internet and many aspects of computers I didn’t know existed. What a wonderful world for the silver surfer! All the jargon of IT explained, a very patient tutor, a visit to the BBC to see North West Tonight go on air. All these things wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t “got out of my rocking chair” and made the effort to join in with events and opportunities in the area.

My hope and wish list of 2008 is more of the same, integration of lots of groups who can all benefit from each other and bring back the community spirit which was almost completely destroyed when houses were demolished and communities broken up. I would say that the communities are well on the way to recovery. The only thing missing is the interaction with the youth of today and the older generation. Let’s see if we can’t bridge this gap.

Let’s hope we all have a lovely Christmas and a peaceful New Year The world’s our oyster, there are lots of pearls to collect, but we all need to search for them.