January

In the New Year villagers were still devastated by the previous summer's floods and the Newsletter continued to campaign for better flood defences. We published pictures of the cracking and crumbling River Don wall at the point where it met the Ea Beck.

February

We revealed that Doncaster Council had spent £1.5 million from a £1.6m flood grant solely on Toll Bar - most of it on providing just 50 static caravans for council tenants as thousands of other Doncaster villagers
were left wanting.

The Newsletter's campaign for urgent repairs to the River Don wall was successful as Environment Agency workers finally put right the damage caused months earlier.

March

Private home-owners and non-council tenants of Toll Bar hit back at Doncaster Council's excessive spending on the caravan site, claiming ironically that they were left high and dry after the floods.

April

Askern Road resident Ian Clark had not only endured the death of his son in 2006 and losing his home to the floods last year... but he was then diagnosed with cancer and given just three months to live.

However the 55-year-old miracle man was still working – and 15 months after being diagnosed, was told his tumour was shrinking!

Meanwhile super striker Jack Varley, 11, travelled to America to tour with Sheffield Wednesday Academy, and the Environment Agency promised to further upgrade the River Don flood defences after the Newsletter tirelessly campaigned for urgent repairs.

May

Another Newsletter exclusive followed as Toll Bar flood hero Pat Hagan's national Council Worker of the Year nomination was marred by Doncaster Council's robust campaign, ordering people to cast multiple votes to help him win.

Labour party member Marilyn Green was voted in as a Bentley Ward councillor during the May elections.

And despite the rainfall, Bentley's health fayre proved far from a wash-out as villagers enjoyed activities such as a Dawdle and Dash, a 10k gruelling off-road run and a spot of sumo-wrestling!

June

A year after the flood devastation, your Newsletter brought the story of couple Nadine and Mark Dowson who had lived at several addresses in their street except their own home as insurance claims and flood repairs dragged on.

Council worker Pat Hagan was given an MBE for his services during the floods and the Toll Bar-on-Sea book was released, depicting the traumatic year for villagers.

July

There was more sporting success for Bentley High Street Primary as the futsal team were crowned national champions. The Bentley Galacticos shimmied past Doncaster opponents, dribbled through the South Yorkshire competition and then topped the national finals table to net the prestigious trophy.

Innovative inventor Andy Young created a two-seater "flying chainsaw" aircraft – to add to the microlight he already used, to fly to work from Tickhill to Bentley!

Toll Bar marked a year since the floods when 400 people turned up to a carnival.

August

Flood stress continued to plague villagers as Diane Slack suffered a heart attack but was dramatically brought back to life by her
husband David after "dying" for 15 seconds.

Community spirit reigned supreme following the floods as two more heroes, BACuP's Sue Gilderson-Webster and BASH's Susan Egan-Smith, were invited to Downing Street to collect awards.

Olympic hopeful Sarah Stevenson geared up for gold as her campaign in Beijing began on August 23.

September

Tae kwon do ace Sarah Stevenson returned home from Beijing to a hero's welcome – and clutching an Olympic bronze medal. Controversially, the Olympics judges had failed to see Sarah kick Chinese opponent Chen Zhong, which would have seen her winning the match and going for gold.

However despite being reinstated and hugely unprepared, she heroically battled against all odds and came away with bronze.

October

Fifteen months after their floody ordeal, Nadine and Mark Dowson were finally allowed inside their own home, and Toll Bar Primary unveiled its newly refurbished main school building, after re-opening in
September.

November

Scawthorpe teenager Leeane Wilkinson was crowned Young Person of the Year at Doncaster's Discover The Spirit Awards. Leeane helps care for her grandmother and also carries out a range of voluntary duties to help other young people in the Bentley area.

Meanwhile, Doncaster Mayor Martin Winter denied all responsibility for a policy which has led to chaos in the library service reducing opening hours in village libraries and decimating the number of qualified staff available to assist customers.