Some of Monmouthshire's most dedicated crossing patrol attendants (or lollipop people to some) paid a visit to the Monmouthshire County Council Chairman's office last week to chat about their work and share some mince pies. The Chairman, Chris Woodhouse, invited the group, which also included road safety officers from Capita Symonds and MCC's Traffic and Network Manager, to thank them for the work they do to keep Monmouthshire pupils safe on the roads. The two guests of honour, crossing patrol attendants Mrs. J Reynolds and Douglas Moore, have a combined total of 18 years in service helping children to cross Monmouthshire roads. Mrs. Reynolds works at St. Mary's Primary School in Caldicot and works three shifts in a day to make sure that parents and children make their way to and from school in the morning, at lunch and at the end of the day. She has followed in her mother's footsteps – her mum spent over ten years as a crossing patrol attendant at the same post. Mr. Moore has worked for nearly 11 years in three schools in the Abergavenny area – St. Mary's Catholic Primary, Cantref and King Henry VIII Comprehensive School. He said, "It's really a very rewarding job." Penny Thorpe, Principal Road Safety Officer with Capita Symonds pointed out how important the role is to road safety: "In the UK, only police officers, uniformed traffic wardens and crossing patrol attendants are legally allowed to stop traffic – it's a very responsible job." Penny also told the party about the history of the stop sign that crossing patrollers carry: "The black stripe on the sign helped to catch drivers who did not play by the rules – all patrollers were issued with a piece of chalk so that they could quickly make a note of the vehicle registration number as they passed by." Chairman Woodhouse said: "The job they do is really appreciated by everybody. Children need role models and I see children in Monmouthshire who respect and love their crossing patrollers. They come out in all weathers and I'd like to thank them for their exemplary work."
