January

THE New Year brought an action-packed Rossington Parish Council meeting, as Newsletter editor Jim Oldfield questioned Coun Malcolm Clark's lack of declaration of interests in previous council meetings – especially regarding his directorship of Rossington Hall Investments, a leading developer in the Eco-town bid.

Coun Clark subsequently had to leave the chamber for a debate over another huge development – a plan by Persimmon Homes to knock down his house as access to a 143-house development behind Littleworth Lane. An angry Coun Clark described the scenes as resembling a "kangaroo court".

February

Furious villagers formed Rossington Society for Village Preservation (RSVP) to fight the Littleworth Lane development – and RSVP also called for Coun Clark's "activities" to be investigated in respect of the 143-housing estate bid.

Teenager Mark Morgan – left paralysed after being shot with an air gun – received a Shining Stars of Rossington bravery award.

March

After four months of torment from yobs – including acid being thrown on him – terrified tenant Raymond Humphreys was offered a "safe" home by Doncaster Council thanks to a Newsletter appeal.

Rossington All Saints and Pheasant Bank schoolchildren climbed onboard a spaceship as part of a science project which proved an astronomical success!

April

It was ecstasy and agony for Amanda Nelson and Darren Fletcher as their IVF baby Jayden was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

But the couple were determined to help fellow sufferers, and organised a charity soccer match and dinner at the Keepmoat stadium featuring 34 ex-professional players.

A team of teenagers, including All Saints pupils, travelled to Maryland, USA to take part in a Naval Academy robotics competition.

Their mechanical vehicle brought home a top trophy.

May

Rossington was shortlisted among Britain's 15 potential eco-towns, but estate agents' boss Anthony Kerrigan slated Housing Minister Caroline Flint, saying housing prices would be slashed by such a town.

The village said goodbye to "gentleman Jim" Jim Rylance who died aged 94, a day after suffering a massive stroke. Jim was a founder of the Rossington Hornets rugby side in the 1930s.

June

Pheasant Bank pupil Emma Tolliday, 11, won a national letter writing competition for her account of how brave dad Lee plucked the family to safety after their chip pan burst into flames.

All Saints' headteacher David Rowsell revealed a massive £200,000 had been used to free the school from the Government's Special Measures programme – leaving it bust and staff facing possible redundancy.

July

We revealed exclusively that Robin Hood airport was losing £1m a month as passenger flights declined.

We also revealed that two-thirds of Rossington's planned 15,000-house Eco-town was targeted for Green Belt land – despite Minister Caroline Flint's vows that the Green Belt would not be built upon. The bid was then slashed to just 5,000 homes, NOT on the Green Belt.

August

Our 'Sneako-town' edition revealed how the "public unveiling" of the revised Eco-town plan had been kept secret, to ensure that no opponents would be there. But a Newsletter alert produce a big turn-out of opposition to the visit of Housing Minister Iain Wright and Doncaster Mayor Martin Winter to "judge local reaction" to the plan!

September

Mum Stacey Simpson appealed for better security at Wadworth Lane cemetery after son Josh's grave was attacked by yobs.

As the row over Rossington's need for an Eco-town went on, the Newsletter unveiled how just THREE cases were in severe need of
re-homing, of the village's 13,257 population!

October

Rossington Parish Councillor Bill Pagin's son, Karl was killed in a freak accident – electrocuted while working on his motor park venture at Armthorpe. Karl was buried in the garden of his Sprotbrough luxury eco-eco-home – that he had finished hand-building just weeks earlier.

November

The Newsletter's Eco-town investigations had us shortlisted for one of journalism's top national awards – the Paul Foot Award for Campaigning Journalism. Among the six finalists were five London publications... and the Rossington Newsletter!

Meanwhile, the Eco-town bid reached the next stage of Government's plans.

Well-loved market stall trader Fred Roberts died in a workplace accident.

December

Doctors were baffled by the tragic death of 17-year-old Daniel Rothery, who was found dead in bed by his mum, just a month before his coming of age. Daniel had suffered seizures in the past, but the doctors never got to the bottom of his illness.

And there was bad news for two local swimming groups. The Swim Stars and Dolphins and the Disability Swimming Group both found themselves high and dry after Doncaster Council pulled the plug by withdrawing facilities at two separate council-owned pools.

Meanwhile, the battle lines were drawn again in Old Rossington, as Persimmon Homes returned with a revised application to build 93 homes behind Littleworth Lane. Across the village, locals declared themselves unconvinced by an Eco-town "paradise" on the old pit site, at another
packed consultation meeting.