'Being a lollipop man is in my blood'

A man who has become the fifth member of his family to help children cross the road safely has said "being a lollipop man is in my blood". Barry Jones, 44, works on Bury Old Road in Heywood helping children and parents get to St Margaret's Church of England Primary School safely. His grandmother, mum, sister and brother in-law have also worked on school crossing patrols.

Barry said he found the job incredibly rewarding because people gave him a "smile and cheery hello" which brightened his day. His grandma, Norah Goldfinch, began helping children cross the road in Chorlton in South Manchester in 1961 and continued in the role for 30 years. His mum, Joyce, sister Tina and brother in-law Norman also donned the high visibility clothing to keep children safe.



Barry said: “My nanna worked as a school crossing patrol in Manchester from 1961 to the mid-1990s, working mainly at Chorlton Park Junior School and I used to love watching her". He said: "You see someone and they smile at you. They give you a cheery hello and it brightens your day".

Barry doesn't just help children cross the road. Shirley Champion, who walks along Bury Old Road with her two dogs Poppy and Charlie, said: "Barry always has a smile on his face and he's always looking around for the traffic and then finds a safe time for us to cross. "He's doing an absolutely fantastic job".

Jade O'Keefe is a mum-of-three and said she crossed the road every morning and afternoon and felt Barry's help was vital. "Sometimes drivers don't stop. Its really busy and of course you need a lollipop man on a main road," she said.

Councillor Shah Wazir, cabinet member for highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said: "We’re really proud of our school crossing patrols and it’s wonderful to hear that Barry is continuing his long standing family tradition. "Almost four decades of helping children cross the road is something his family can be really proud of.".