8/2/2019 Robert Halfon - Brief Update

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www.harlowherald24.co.uk Thursday July 1 2010HERALD 5

BUSINESSMAMA BELLIS:Staff andcustomers angry at liftsBy NATALIE DEARMAN

natalie.dearman@archant.co.uk

Future lookingBright for storeTHE Harvey Centre welcomed a newnames this week in the form ofleading chain BrightHouse.

The store, which specialises inthe sale of home electronics,domestic appliances and householdfurniture, held a family fun day onSaturday to mark the opening.

Children visiting the store, whichemploys seven members of staff,were able to get their faces paintedand enjoy creations from balloonmodellers. BrightHouses Georgethe Bear was also on hand toentertain visitors, as was DJ RichieJones, who DJs for Jools Holland.

Oscar Smith, Harlow storemanager, said: We are very excited

about joining the community inHarlow. We aim to add value topeoples lives every day. With us it spersonal; we like to keep on firstname terms with customers so theyfeel comfortable with our service.

Pop in and say hi and well besure to remember your name nexttime you come in. Thats what makesus different.

In association with theHarlow & District

Chamber of Commerce

Babies & Children ~ Small Classes for more attention

Classes held Monday to Saturday Daytime & After School

What we also do

Swimming Crash Courses ~

Classes for all ages & abilities

Tuesday to Friday 1st to the 4th June 25.00 for 4 days

FTA Kids Club ~ After School & Holiday Clubs 4.5yrs to 14yrs

NOW AT BURNTMILL AS OF WEDNESDAY 7TH JULY ALL HIGH STAGES

www.f ta le isure.co.uk

01279 833861

This weeks workin the Commons

It has been another busy week inParliament. I was pleased to helpa number of Harlow community

groups over the weekend, includingHarlowsave, Holy Cross PrimarySchool and Elbow Grease.

In the House of Commons, I amworking with the Essex Federationof Small Businesses to cut the taxbills for start-up businesses inHarlow. I have also written to theChancellor George Osborne.

Work continues to try to bring theHealth Protection Agency to Harlow,creating hundreds of jobs. I have met

the chief executive, and will continueto do all I can to make this happen.The Government has asked me to

serve on the ParliamentaryCommittee which is scrapping IDcards (for everyone other thanforeign nationals), and I have beenworking hard to accelerate this.

Gordon Brown wasted huge sumsof money on this scheme. Im gladthat common sense has triumphed,and we can now spend the money onpolice instead. It is good news thatthe Home Secretary has announceda cap on foreign immigration, sothat our borders are properlycontrolled in the future. FOLLOW me in Parliament onwww.theyworkforyou.com, myblog http://roberthalfon.blogspot.com or contact me viawww.roberthalfon.com

ROBERT

HALFON

MP

A CHILDRENS play facilityin the town centre may beforced to close aftercustomers have been turnedaway due to faulty lifts.

Staff and customers ofMamaBellis, on the third floor ofthe First Bowl building in TerminusStreet, staged a demonstration

yesterday (Wednesday) morning tohighlight their plight.

They claim that one of the lifts,which are the responsibility of FirstBowl, has been broken for a coupleof months and the other has beenout of order for almost two years.

The business has been severelyaffected as families are not able toclimb the 77 stairs with pushchairsor young children. Disabled childrenalso use MamaBellis, but are unableto use the steps.

Nikki Gethin, manager ofMamaBellis, told the Herald: Most

of our customers have got youngchildren and cant get to us. We justwanted to bring this to peoplesattention; we have customers who areangry and we are so sorry to them.

We have only got two customersin at the moment and you just cant

run a business like that. Its so sadas its such a great place to work andgreat for parents.

In a bid to save the business, the

owner of MamaBellis paid for thelifts to be fixed out of her ownpocket, only for them to break againa few days later.

Angry mum Nadine Aldridgeregularly uses the facility and iscalling for something to be done.

She said: They are being forcedto shut and we will lose our ballpark. Ive been using the place foryears as its easy to get to and they

have excellent deals for local mums.Even if just one lift was working,people could come back.

First Bowl were unavailable forcomment at the time of going to press. WHAT do you think? E-mailheraldnews@archant.co.uk

Staff and customers of MamaBellis protest outside First BowlMEB_300610_Mama Bellis