UK Window Cleaner Issues

Jim Richards, a window cleaner, one of the parents from Manor Community School and Nursery is campaigning against parents who drop off or pick up their children outside the school.

Ex-bouncer takes on school parking pests at Manor Road Community Primary School in Keary Road, Swanscombe: A former bouncer has started a campaign to shame fellow parents who are putting schoolchildren in danger with their irresponsible parking. Jim Richards, 45, from Swanscombe knows how to keep calm in stressful situations.

Working as a doorman for 17 years, the father-of-two is used to people being angry with him, and that experience has certainly come in handy over the past week. Mr Richards has a six-year-old daughter at Manor Road Community Primary School in Keary Road, Swanscombe, and when he dropped her off, he realised people were parking on yellow zig-zag lines close to the school entrance, making it difficult for children to cross the road safely.

He confronted some of the parents and after disagreements with those unwilling to park elsewhere, Mr Richards decided enough was enough and started taking photos of the cars he believed were causing a problem. He then put them on Facebook for all to see, including via the Swanscombe Dwellers community page. He claims there has been a difference since he started the campaign just over a week ago, with some parents arriving earlier to drop off their children or parking elsewhere.

Some people have lost their rag with Mr Richards, but his experience as a doorman has allowed him to keep his cool. He said: “I think it really does help. I don’t get irate because you can’t as a doorman. “It is more about people management. It was quite easy talking to people even when they were shouting at you.”

Mr Richards, who is now a window cleaner, said he “took it on himself” to do something on behalf of concerned parents. He said: “There’s mums and dads who haven’t got a voice but think the same thing. "Dartford council got involved and said the pictures should have been passed straight to the authorities, but we were finding that these people were parking there no matter what. “It has got a lot of support from the parents.”

Knife brandished in window cleaners' argument: An unlawful knife was brandished during a heated argument between local window cleaners outside a public house, a court has heard. James William Howard Paill, aged 49, of Windmill View, Capel Iwan, Newcastle Emlyn, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, when he appeared before Aberystwyth magistrates on Wednesday. The court heard that an argument started outside the Nags Head Public House, Abercych, on April 4. Sarah Lewis, prosecuting, said: “The defendant got the knife out of his pocket and witnesses saw him wielding it in a threatening manner.”

Stephen Welch, defending, told the court the implement had several tools, and his client had always carried it in relation to his work in the window cleaning business. Paill became unable to work with his hands following a skiing accident, and used the implement to help him with everyday tasks such as opening bottles. Mr Welch said: “He became involved in a argument with the owner of another window cleaning business, that escalated to the extent that the other man’s colleagues appeared on the scene. He made it known that he had the implement and brandished it, but he never intended to use it.”

The court heard that the knife was unlawful because it had a fixed blade. Mr Welch added: “He just wanted to ward off several men who were in drink. He apologises. He thought what he had was lawful, he was surprised to find it was not.” Mr Welch added: “The knife was taken out after he had been hit, but he accepts he should not have it on him in the first place.” Following a report from the probation service, magistrates imposed a six week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, with a community order and supervision requirement. He was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £80 victim surcharge. A destruction order was made for the knife.

Big Issue seller - I’d really like to get myself a nice window-cleaning round.

Stephen Wylde, 54, Market Street, Wells, Somerset:  I live in a tent just outside Wells. I like the peaceful countryside, the basic way of living – I just have to get decent clothing from charity shops in winter. From where I’ve been before, in London, you couldn’t really pitch a tent anywhere because the youth would come and damage it. Here I’m able to be tucked out of the way, which I need because I haven’t got a front door. I’ve got a dog but she’s got breast cancer and she’s old. I’m looking after her, getting her decent food. I don’t take her to the pitch because I like to stand there on my own two feet.

As a kid I used to like going round with lads, shooting targets with pellet guns, not birds or anything. I liked racquet games and climbing up the scree slopes in Wales. I liked woodwork and have done a bit of that over the years. I was part of a community, travelling around the sites with horses or trucks. It was all right ’til I started getting into heavy drinking, so I came away from it. You have to or it’s an ongoing circle. I got myself off of drink, tobacco as well. I’m trying to look ahead.

I’d really like to get myself a nice window-cleaning round. I made attempts at getting one together: Jobseeker’s Allowance offered to lend me £1000 to buy a van and get myself out there but because my address is a PO Box I can’t get a bank account and so couldn’t get the money.

That’s when I started doing The Big Issue. It’s helping me keep off things I shouldn’t be getting on and I’m managing to pay a couple of debts and feed myself. I’m keeping myself above water. I saved up and got myself a pass for the Bishop’s Palace at Wells Cathedral, where I can go to sit in the garden and eat my sandwiches, get a bit of peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle. It costs but it gives me a bit of sanctuary.

I have to walk three miles to my tent and sometimes go up a hill with a panoramic view. I love England. We’re such a diverse culture, bits of everyone in the world because everyone has passed through this island for centuries. My customers... They are a diverse lot. I’m starting to build up a pitch, getting regulars. On my pitch... On market days I sell from about 9.30am to 4.30pm.

Character Building - You Need To Clean Windows!

Fed up with poor grades, attendance and attitude problems, students were sent window cleaning.

High school football coach benches entire team for character issues: A Utah high school football coach suspended his entire team recently, and it had nothing to do with their performance on the field. Matt Labrum, the head coach at Union High School in Roosevelt, Utah, benched all 50 of his players last weekend because of character issues. Fed up with poor grades, attendance and attitude problems, in addition to learning that one or two players may have been involved in cyber-bullying another student, Labrum ordered all of his players to turn in their jerseys and equipment following a loss to Judge Memorial Catholic on Sept. 20.  “We felt like our respect level for our students and to the teachers and things weren’t what we wanted that to be,’’ Labrum told Joe Fryer Thursday.

The players were given a letter signed by the coaching staff with a list of requirements they needed to fulfill if they wanted to play again. They had to take part in two days of community service, from gardening to window-washing, and complete a character education class. They also had to attend all of their classes without being late to any of them, and those with poor grades had to show improvement in order to get their places back on the team.

The team also elected new captains at a meeting, with only two of the seven captains chosen in the preseason being re-elected. The players are now preparing for their homecoming game against Emery High School on Friday night. “We’ve cleaned up our act,’’ sophomore player Karter Rook said.  On Wednesday night, most of the players got their jerseys back during a team meeting, but 10 players did not because they failed to meet the requirements. The tough love was welcomed by the players’ parents.  “You’re held up to a higher standard, and your behavior better be up to snuff,’’ Jennifer Rook, Karter’s mother, said. “It really brought us back down to earth, and I think it got people to do what they needed to do,’’ Karter said.