The first six weeks of 2007 have proved to be the most successful yet for The Bradley Stoke Examiner.

We’ve now passed the 30,000 user mark in a bumper start to the new year.

The amazing stat is that just under half of those users found us since January 1.

Popular stories included our exclusive about Aldi planning to open in the town later this year.

Our forum has also proved a popular addition to the site with hundreds of posts on a wide variety of topics.

Website editor Chris Kelly said: “It’s been an amazing start to the year and it seems appropriate that a new community website is doing so well during the town’s 20th anniversary.”

Businesses can advertise on the site for competitive rates - e-mail ads@sadlybroke.com for details.

The Evening Post reports that John Hogan, who is accused of the premaditated murder of his son in Crete, has tried to commit suicide five times.

Hogan, 32, from Bradley Stoke fell from a hotel balcony in Crete last August holding his two children.

Liam, 6, died in the fall but his daughter, Mia, survived with just a broken arm.

Hogan, who ran a tiling company in the town, is in Athens awaiting trial.

The family and friends of a Bradley Stoke woman who died of cancer are to continue running a charity in her name, reports the Evening Post.

Nicola Corry, 25, lost her battle with Desmosplastic Small Round Cell Tumour in 2005.

The cancer was discovered when she gave birth to her son two years before.

The Nicola Corry Support Fund was set up during her illness to help support her and her partner.

Now the charity is aiming to help other people who are affected by cancer.

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• Nicola Corry Support Fund
  

Aldi have been asked to reduce the height of proposed pole signs outside their new store off Brook Way.

Planning documents submitted to South Gloucestershire Council show the firm were told the signs we too high.

Senior planning office Mrs V Butt told Aldi she wanted the signs reduced to no higher than the ridge of the current building.

“I have now had an opportunity to visit the site and am concerned at the overall height of the proposed pole signs,” Mrs Butt said in a letter.

“I would prefer to see the pole signs to the front and north of the site reduced in height so that they are no higher than the ridge height of the existing store.

“The pole sign to the junction of Brook Way and Bradley Stoke Way is also considered to be too large in its overall scale and height. Its impact will be lessened if the overall height is reduced to 5m.”

Aldi was asked to respond to the request, made at the start of the month, within 14 days.

Local councillors have launched a campaign for a sixth form to be opened at Bradley Stoke Community School.

Literature was delivered to homes in the town during the week by the Conservative Party saying they want the facility open by 2010.

In it, Cllr Julian Barge says: “We we campaigned to build our school a major factor was that we wanted to develop a sense of community by ending the practice of local children having to go to over five different secondary schools.

“If we don’t achieve a new sixth form this will happen again.”

The Conservatives point out that “every other secondary school in South Gloucestershire has its own sixth form”.

The leaflet includes a petition for the facility.

Two parents from Bradley Stoke have praised the staff at the Bristol Children Hospital after a life-saving operation on their baby, reports the Evening Post.

Lucy Dalton was born with the arteries of her heart the wrong way round.

Parents Karen and Chris, aged 37, told the paper: “Lucy was born at Southmead and everything was fine to begin with, but the next day she was getting breathless and was starting to turn blue.

“A team from the children’s hospital came over and she was taken to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of the hospital. We were told that she needed to have a switch operation to put her arteries the right way round.

“The hospital was very good. They kept us informed and gave us lots of support through what was a horrific experience.”
Lucy had to undergo a six-hour but is now home in the town and recovering.

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Bradley Stoke will play host to a five-day Jamie Shore Soccer International Soccer course this coming half-term holiday, reports the Evening Post.

The week-long event, at the community school, will feature a tournament on the final day.

There will be four days before which will see children being able to brush up their skills.

It all starts on Monday, 19 February until Friday, 23 and runs between 9am and 4pm.

It costs �13 a day or �60 for the week for children aged between seven and 12. More from 0845 257777.