Ferryhill Town Centre

IT hopefully goes without saying that all invitations to visit towns locally are gratefully received. I will respond to these by aiming to visit them all wherever possible over the coming months.

Such an invitation arrived from Jamie Corrigan, Executive Officer of Ferryhill Town Council. The suggested day to visit was Friday as "...this is market day and the day most visitors come to the town centre".

The Town Hall, where I met Mr Corrigan, is acknowledged as being an old building. Against difficult odds though, ramps and stair-lifts have been squeezed into any available nook or cranny to make the best of a tricky job. Plans are afoot to extend and improve - including a lift to the first floor in the near future - and this would surely help the many community groups who use the building for social activities. We talked about the fearsome cost of some adaptations but, also, how often it is the simple gesture that is cheap, cheerful and can be all too easily overlooked.

A case in point is the fact that ramped access is at the back of the Town Hall, but there is no sign at the front to indicate this. We agreed that this is one area where swift action is possible and well worth whatever the cost.

Jamie accepts that Ferryhill is... well... hilly. No council budget will ever be able to sort that one out but at least the town centre is at the top of it all so wheelchair users and those who struggle can generally get about on a reasonably level surface.

Bidding Mr Corrigan farewell, I set off to scour the town and market for bargains and dropped kerbs. Pondering what I felt was a healthy awareness of disabled people's needs on the part of the town council, I bumped into Dave. As a man who uses a wheelchair to get around the town, Dave was the kind of local I needed to buttonhole.

We soon got onto the dropped kerb agenda. "The council is usually good at responding to requests for dropped kerbs. You only need to let it know the route you take with your wheelchair and the points of difficulty and it will be sorted eventually."

For a refreshment break I was recommended to go to St Luke's Church which, happily, runs a caf on market days and, I was assured, has reasonable disabled access. St Luke's is not far from the Market Place - a short freewheel down Church Road - then down a ramp to the clearly-marked side entrance. The ramp needs a little care but there are so many helpers around it would be almost impossible to become stranded. Similarly, when it came to grappling with the awkward double doors, there were more people on hand to help than some churches would attract for regular services.

St Luke's has redefined the meaning of "fast food". I was sorted, settled and served within minutes of being guided through the entrance. They serve tea and coffee from 10am and lunches (£2.30 for savoury mince and veg) between 11am and 1pm. There is also a disabled toilet in the church but this was slightly spoilt by an unnecessary waste of valuable space. It looked as if the flower-arranger had left in a hurry dumping empty baskets around the sink; there was also a wheelchair stored in the corner. As with the town hall, there is clearly a low budget solution to this problem.

On to the market square with its small but lively mix of stalls. Access was absolutely no problem and there was also space enough between and around the stalls to browse. I stocked up on flowers and fruit before spreading my wings to look at the wider town picture.

It was a beautiful, mild February day. "I was just saying - it's a long time since it's been warm enough to sit on a seat," commented a lady, clearly enjoying the opportunity for a breather. Sitting by the same seat at the bottom of Church Lane, I looked over to the Black Bull, West End Post Office and Evergreen Chop Suey House and wondered how folk with mobility problems ever managed to get inside. In the same area, Barclays Bank, the barbers and solicitors have all managed to get rid of steps and present an altogether more welcoming front.

Perhaps those establishments with steps and little money to remove them should think of contacting the "Disability Rights Commission" for help and advice. Many small businesses simply do not know where to go for grants and guidance and this would be a useful first port of call.

Working my way back, I decided to explore the notion of an award being given to the small shop- owner with the most accessible and friendly welcome for people with disabilities. If such an award existed, my nomination would be Harper's Newsagents for level entry, accessible displays and generally giving a sense that we are all welcome, no matter how we get about.

Overall, I was impressed by Ferryhill council's clear desire to meet the needs of townsfolk and visitors with disabilities. It is up to people who are sensitive to such needs to speak up and communicate these in order to raise awareness and increase the likelihood of change.

Published: Thursday, March 5, 2002