Barnsley and Beyond

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workers, carers, delivery drivers, shopworkers, posties, transport staff, and many others. Too often taken for granted but A Barnsley miner's daughter, Mel Dyke is a former bank clerk and Consumers' Association lecturer who completed Sir Alec Clegg's mature student teacher course. From 1973 she was employed at Bretton Hall College and then the University of Leeds as an education lecturer and link tutor. Our community was left devasted by the pandemic, I know everyone here this evening has their own story – me included.

Mel Dyke is an incredibly passionate champion for the area. Her books ‘Barnsley and Beyond’ and ‘Grimethorpe Revival’ are so important in remembering the past and in helping future generations.She was also an acclaimed author who used her connections across the globe to showcase the great achievements of people who were Barnsley born and bred. The response to the crisis from our community has been incredibly moving – we opened our hearts and our homes. To their detriment, successive governments failed to recognise it wasn’t just coal that came out from the collieries, but community too.

Politicians come and go, of course – and if the people of Barnsley want to get rid of me as their MP, then that is their absolute right. But I am not walking away from them. And Hey! – who do so much for our children and young people suffering with their mental health by providing the care they need when they need it most. It’s our tribute to those no longer with us, to those who lost loves ones and to those working-class heroes who sacrificed so much to keep us safe.I first met her when I was a fledgling author and trying to network to get my name out there. There were plenty of folk who wouldn’t give me the time of day who are all over me now like flies around the proverbial… but I never forgot those first people who extended their hands of friendship because they wanted to help me, not because they wanted help from me and they always get first call on my available time. Mel was right at the top of that list and because of that, any favour she asked of me was one I was glad to meet. Our town centre has undergone remarkable transformation in recent times – praise rightly goes to the Leader of our Council, Sir Steve Houghton and his team for the incredible progress we have seen.

As I had also done visiting lectures and secondments at Bretton Hall College of Higher Education since 1972/73 on the PGCE Secondary Teacher Training Courses, I joined them on a full-time basis in 1995. Let me tell you why… there is so much to celebrate about Barnsley – but above all, it is the enduring spirit of our people that sets us apart. It was to encourage emulation by highlighting that wide range of local skill, talent, persistence, gift, versatility, tenacity, lateral thinking, hard work or opportunistic chance-taking, that I wrote the books “All for Barnsley” and “Barnsley & Beyond”. I believe Barnsley deserves more former lovely little car parks – we deserve the best because we are capable of the best. I do also want to say a word about the Platinum Jubilee – truly a milestone in our nation’s history.Ladies and gentlemen… that brings me to another fantastic ambassador, albeit one closer to home – our outgoing Mayor,