In Lithgow they spent a great deal of money ‘building’ a new look heritage precinct at Blast Furnace Park and the hoons soon came, defacing the pristine new car park with ugly scorch marks from their burnouts.  

Council is in the process of installing lighting and other measures (CCTV?) to deter the motorised vandals. But why don’t they just lock the obviously expensive new gate at the park entrance at nightfall? Shouldn’t place too much strain on the job description for Council’s security people.

JUST when you think you know your local history along comes another revelation to shatter your illusion. 

We have to admit ignorance of the fact that it was OUR Thomas Sutcliffe Mort who was the founder of the now beleaguered AMP financial giant that has been hanging out dirty laundry at the Banking Royal Commission.

Old Tom’s better known claim to fame was his place as one of our most famous pioneering industrialists who secured his place in the nation’s history by devising the first ever means of freezing meat for export to Britain from his works in what is now Bells Road.

He gave his name to Morts Estate (where he did a property development) and to Lithgow’s Mort Street, an important main road and to Morts Dock in Sydney. So there’s some more bragging rights. He wouldn’t be happy with the dodgy details being aired now.            

WHILE the Lithgow CBD roadworks are continuing around Eskbank Street - and that could be quite a while - it would be nice to see some easily recognisable markers for the temporary centre line in Main Street.

The little white markers put in place were never a good idea against new concrete and even they had largely disappeared by the weekend.  

It’s a location that an be easily deceiving for unwary motorists.