Rebecca Connop Price

More children to be put into temporary classrooms

Councillor Peter Martin

A booming population in Elmbridge meant that a lack of school places had become a major concern for the council. I interviewed Surrey’s education boss in March 2010 to find out what was being done. Here is the result, published in the Surrey Advertiser on March 19, 2010.

MORE children could be put into temporary classrooms as pupil numbers in Elmbridge continue to spiral upwards.

Councillor Peter Martin, portfolio holder for schools at Surrey County Council (SCC), admitted the borough was the worst-affected area in the county.

An increased birth rate, more houses being built and an apparent shift away from the private education sector had contributed to the problem, he said.

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Aldershot barracks fill in for ‘Eastern bloc’ era Moscow buildings in Bond film

Filming for the 22nd Bond film, Quantum of Solace, took place in Aldershot and Farnborough while I was a reporter for the News & Mail. I interviewed local people who took part in the production.  It was published on the Get Hampshire website on October 30, 2008.

Cinema-goers from the News area will be able to see some familiar sights when they go to the latest James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.

Farnborough Airport and the Bruneval Barracks, in Montgomery Lines, Aldershot, were used in the eagerly-anticipated follow-up to Casino Royale, due out in cinemas Friday.

The star-studded cast from the film, including Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench, were all filmed in the area in January.

The barracks were portrayed as snow-covered buildings in Moscow.

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Fatima Cengic tells story of heroism

The Interior News, July 28, 2004.

Fatima Cengic survived the siege of Tesanj, in Bosnia, and proceeded to build a life for herself in Canada – all thanks to a Christmas shoebox that arrived from Whitehorse and a great deal of determination. This was published in the Interior News on July 28, 2004. This story also never made it online, so here is a full transcript:

WHEN Fatima Cengic was 13 years old, she was living in Tesanj, a Bosnian city under siege by Serbian militants. She was unable to enjoy even the simplest of pleasures of life, such as a carefree stroll down the road.

Because of the threat of gunfire and bombs, she lived with her family in the basement of their home for six months.

But after six months, Cengic got fed up and decided enough was enough.

“My room was upstairs, everything was upstairs,” she says.

“I just hated the basement.”

To the chagrin of her parents, Cengic defied what they thought was safe, and began sleeping upstairs.

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