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Memories come flooding back for Netherfield war veterans at county heritage event

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Memories come flooding back for Netherfield war veterans at county heritage event

A social groups for ex-service veterans set up in Netherfield to reduce loneliness and isolation reminisced about old times at a World War 1 event at Rufford Abbey Country Park yesterday (11).

Nottinghamshire County Council was awarded £106,000 to fund a project worker for two years to link up veterans aged over 65 with local projects and activities to help them be more active in their community.

The group from Netherfield meet every week and are currently looking to start a history project covering the town and the surrounding areas during World War 1.

The ‘World War 1 Heritage Day’ event included demonstrations, quizzes, competitions, storytelling and displays telling the story of life in Nottinghamshire during World War 1.

Organisations attended include the National Justice Museum, The Queen’s Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum and the Historic Ambulance Museum.

Netherfield_war_veterans
PICTURED: Veteran Gordon Marshall from East Stoke, living history enthusiast Robert Willmer, and veteran Barrie Walters from Netherfield at the war event.

Navy veteran Barrie Walters, 78, from Netherfield said: “Events like this help bring back the memories. There are some things only veterans understand and remember because of their experiences.

“We used to have more clubs for veterans but these have closed down so there is a big gap. This group help to fill this gap.”

Cllr Keith Girling, the Council’s Armed Forces Champion, said: “The wide range of displays, demonstrations and artefacts at this wartime-themed event helped evoke lots of memories for the veterans and brought the groups closer together.

“This fantastic project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of veterans who are at greater risk of loneliness and isolation in old age.”

It is estimated 5.8 percent of Nottinghamshire’s 750,000 population are ex-service community, which amounts to 43,500 residents.

For more information about the scheme contact Sharon Sorensen from Nottinghamshire County Council on 07771 381124 or visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-structure/supporting-armed-forces

Newstead family fun day is back and bigger than ever for 2018

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Newstead family fun day is back and bigger than ever for 2018

The sun will be shining for Newstead’s family fun day, which takes place at the village’s recreational ground this Saturday (14)

The free fun day has grown year on year, with 700 people turning out last year.

There will be live music, food quality ales, craft activities, a UK strong man, charity stalls and much, much more.

The free event kicks off at 1pm, with the fun finishing at 6pm.

Lorraine Horrocks, who runs the village’s Pit Micropub, said the event will be bigger and better than ever before.

She said: “Not only do we have the usual main arena and all the children’s activities – which are free – but this year will also have a marquee with live music throughout the day.

“There will also be over 40 classic, modern and vintage vehicles on display.”

You can find out more about the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/624268324590380/

Nottingham City Council plans to take control of Gedling borough if unitary plans get go ahead

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Nottingham City Council plans to take control of Gedling borough if unitary plans get go ahead

Nottingham City Council has revealed it would seek to expand its borders and take control of Gedling borough if plans to scrap district and borough councils is given the go ahead.

Nottinghamshire County Council is set to debate proposals on Thursday to move ahead with plans to create a ‘super council’ which could mean all seven district and borough councils would be dissolved.

Now, the leader of Nottingham City Council, Jon Collins, has said if the county council approves plans he would look to expand the city boundaries to include Beeston, Stapleford, Toton, Arnold, Carlton, Gedling, Hucknall and West Bridgford.

He said that if the county council votes in favour of the plans this week, the city council would be ‘forced’ to set out its own proposals, and expand into the wider conurbation.

Councillor Collins, who represents the St Ann’s ward for Labour, said: “We will continue to work with the existing pattern of local government but if the county council lobbies to become a single tier authority on the current boundaries, we will be forced to present alternative proposals.

“It obviously makes sense for the city council to deliver services across the whole conurbation and not just inner city Nottingham and as a result we would seek to expand our boundary to cover the whole urban area which would include Beeston, Stapleford, Toton, Arnold, Carlton, Gedling, Hucknall and West Bridgford.”

Councillor Collins said if the councty gives the green light on Thursday to moving ahead with their plans, he will approach the neighbouring district and borough councils.

He said: “Of course, our first step would be to work with our neighbouring district councils to see whether, in the face of the decision by the county council, they would be happier co-operating with us on an alternative proposal.

County_Hall_Nottingham

“But ultimately, any case we make must reflect the logic of a single local authority covering Nottingham’s wider urban area.”

The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Kay Cutts, favours a plan to scrap district councils in order to make savings, however critics say it would remove local decision making.

She has said she wants to get on with the plans ‘as soon as possible’, but has declined to comment on the upcoming vote on Thursday.

Councillor Collins continued: “While unitary local government may make sense in the long term, we don’t see it as the answer to the gross underfunding of local government by central government which has seen Nottingham’s Revenue Support Grant cut from £127 million in 2013 to just £25m next year.

“These cuts need to be reversed and that’s a matter for the Government which won’t be solved by rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Indeed, our experience of local government reorganisation in the late 1990s is that, while it made savings in the long term, it incurred significant extra cost in the short term which had to be met by council tax payers.

“The current city council area is seriously under-bounded with a population of 329,000 compared to a population for the Greater Nottingham area of over 700,000. This is important as funding for the city council and city services is based on population size and determined by council tax, driven by population mix, and business rate income.”

In the event that the county signals that it will move forward with its proposals, the city council has said it will write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Conservative James Brokenshire, to outline its own proposals.

Supermarkets across Gedling borough recall more frozen products due to listeria contamination fears

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Supermarkets across Gedling borough recall more frozen products due to listeria contamination fears

A number of supermarkets across the borough have recalled more frozen products following fears they may be contaminated with listeria.

The Food Standards Agency has named more products that are being withdrawn from shelves after a food poisoning alert.

Supermarkets including Tesco Sainsbury’s and Aldi have recall more frozen products over fears they may be contaminated with listeria.

Products being withdrawn include Tesco’s Frozen Mixed Vegetables and Peppers, Lidl’s Green Grocer’s Carrots, Broccoli & Sweetcorn, and Sainsbury’s Mixed Vegetables.

The additional products have been removed after 43 types of frozen sweetcorn products were named over concerns they may be contaminated with listeria.

The bacteria is a particular threat to the elderly, pregnant women and babies.

RECALL: Aldi have recalled a number of products

Over 50 frozen products have now been withdrawn from supermarkets across the borough following concerns they may be contaminated.

The following products are covered by the recall:

  • Pinguin frozen Sweetcorn

  • Pinguin Supersweet Sweetcorn

  • Tesco frozen Broccoli, Carrot and Sweetcorn Steamer

  • Tesco frozen Every Day Value Sweetcorn

  • Ross Mixed Vegetables

  • One Stop frozen Sweetcorn

  • Aldi Four Seasons frozen Vegetable Steamers

  • Aldi Frozen Four Seasons Mixed Vegetables

  • Pinguin Sweetcorn

  • Aldi Four Seasons Supersweet Sweetcorn

  • Waitrose Essential Supersweet Sweetcorn

  • Waitrose Essential Mixed Vegetable

  • Tesco frozen Mixed Vegetables

  • Waitrose Fine Cut Vegetable Steamer

  • Waitrose Love Life Vegetable Medley Steamers

  • Sainsbury’s frozen Special Mixed Vegetables

  • Growers Pride Mixed Vegetables

  • Sainsbury’s frozen Basic Mixed Vegetables

  • Sainsbury’s frozen Rice Broccoli and Sweetcorn

  • Tesco Frozen Growers Harvest Carrot Peas and Sweetcorn Steamer

  • Tesco Frozen Growers Harvest Mixed Vegetables

  • Lidl Green Grocers Carrots, Broccoli & Sweetcorn

  • Lidl Green Grocers Golden Vegetable Rice

  • Sainsbury’s frozen Mixed Vegetables

  • Sainsbury’s frozen Carrot Broccoli and Sweetcorn

  • Lidl frozen Green Grocer Supersweet Corn

  • Tesco Growers Harvest frozen Mixed Vegetables

  • Lidl frozen Freshona Vegetable Mix

  • Iceland frozen Mixed Vegetables

  • Pinguin frozen Mixed Vegetables

  • Independent Mix Vegetables

  • Ross Mixed Vegetables

  • Pinguin Mixed Vegetable

  • Pinguin frozen Cut Beans

  • Growers Pride Mixed Vegetables

  • Ross Mixed Country Vegetables

  • Growers Pride Supersweet Sweetcorn

  • Pinguin frozen Golden Rice and Vegetables

  • Growers Pride Supersweet Sweetcorn

  • Ross Sweetcorn

  • Tesco Frozen Sweetcorn

  • Tesco frozen Mixed Vegetables and Peppers

  • Tesco Broccoli Frozen Sweetcorn Peas and Spinach Steamer

  • Lidl Baby Carrots, Peas, Green Beans & Sweetcorn

The list of products being recalled was released by the Food Standards Agency. It said listeria can be killed with thorough cooking. However, some people eat sweetcorn raw in salads.

The contamination has been traced to a frozen food plant in Hungary which is known to have had problems with listeria contamination dating back to 2016. Despite this, it was allowed to continue supplying shops.

New jobs created following £40,000 investment at Colwick recycling firm

Gedling Eye
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New jobs created following £40,000 investment at Colwick recycling firm

Two new jobs have been created in the area following a £40,000 investment by a Colwick recycling firm.

Wastecycle, which is based in Colwick Industrial Estate, recently took delivery of a new grab wagon, which will allow it to expand its waste collection services.

The Volvo, which features a clamshell grab will enable Wastecycle to work with construction companies, site managers and homeowners who have large amounts waste to dispose of but cannot use a skip.

Two new drivers have been recruited to enable Wastecycle to roll out its new service.

Paul Walker, logistics director at Wastecycle, said the new vehicle will help create new opportunities for the firm.

He said: “Over the last year we have seen a dramatic increase in the number people asking if we can remove large amounts of soil, bricks, tarmac and green waste from their premises and building sites, so, we’ve invested in this new vehicle, taken on new staff and introduced a Grab Hire service.

“As well as being able to deal with larger volumes of waste than skips, the grab truck is also able to get into hard to reach areas, which makes it perfect for jobs where there are access restrictions.

“The grab wagon can also carry 15 tonnes of waste, which is twice as much as our most popular construction skip can accommodate.”

Established in 1998, Wastecycle has grown rapidly and today is the leading resource management and recycling company in the East Midlands.

The company uses the latest technologies to help over 3,000 businesses improve resource efficiency and reduce their operating costs by increasing recycling and decreasing carbon emissions.

The firm processes more than 500,000 tonnes of commercial, construction and domestic waste and materials each year, of which, over 97% is recycled and recovered.

For more information about Wastecycle, please visit www.wastecycle.co.uk

Plans that would see Gedling Borough Council abolished set to go to vote this Thursday

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Plans that would see Gedling Borough Council abolished set to go to vote this Thursday

Plans that could lead to the abolishment of Gedling Borough Council are set to go to a vote this Thursday.

If approved, it will be the first formal step in a process which would see all district and borough councils dissolved.

At Nottinghamshire County Council, the ruling Conservative Party is in an informal coalition with the Mansfield Independents, and only has a slim majority.

The vote comes after the leaders and chief executives of the seven district and borough councils met today (July 9) to discuss the plans.

Supporters of the proposed change – known as a unitary council – say it would save taxpayers money by removing duplication.

However opponents say it would be bad for democracy, and would remove local decision making.

The vote, which will be taken at a full council meeting on Thursday (July 12) is expected to be close.

At least two councillors from the ruling coalition are understood to be considering voting against the plan.

Since 2017, the Conservatives have run the authority in partnership with the Mansfield Independents. Together they have an overall majority of just two councillors.

PICTURED:  Cllr Kay Cutts

Labour makes up the second-largest group, and is expected to vote against the proposal.

To win, and to progress with the plan, Conservative leader Councillor Kay Cutts is likely to need the support of the Mansfield Independent Group.

The four Mansfield Independent councillors are set to meet tonight to discuss the plans.

However they are not ‘whipped’, meaning each councillor is free to decide for themselves how to vote.

Their leader, Stephen Garner, would not be drawn on which way he would vote, but has previously said he supports unitary authorities.

He said he was “90 percent sure” how he was going to vote, but was waiting to listen to arguments from both sides before deciding.

He declined to comment further.

Nottinghamshire County Council also declined to comment ahead of the upcoming meeting.

Councillor Kay Cutts, who represents the  Radcliffe-on-Trent Ward, and is the council leader, has previously said she “wants to get on with” the plan to create a unitary authority.

Councillor John Clarke, leader of Gedling Borough Council, said he was against the proposals.

He said: “I’m against the unitary authority because I think it’s much too big. We will resist any such take over.

“If I thought it was a good thing for the people of Gedling then I would go for it, but we’re doing some good stuff as a small authority and I want to keep working on that.”

As well as the plan to create a unitary authority, county council bosses are also working on a seperate scheme to bring together other authorities in the East Midlands to work more closely.

Arnold councillor slams plans to increase social care charge for disabled people

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Arnold councillor slams plans to increase social care charge for disabled people

A councillor for Arnold has slammed plans by a council to increase the amount disabled people are charged for social care.

Nottinghamshire County Council today said they had approved the plans in a bid to help find some of the £54 million in savings which they have to find by 2022.

The proposals were approved today (July 9) by the council’s social care committee, and an eight-week consultation will now be held.

The changes affect how much of their disability benefits people will be able to keep before the council asks them to contribute towards their care.

Before the changes, people with disabilities were allowed to keep £189 a week after rent to cover all expenses, including bills and food.

It is not yet clear how much they will be allowed to keep before being charged by the county council, but for some people it could go down by £57 per year.

The council says the changes will mean an additional 867 people will be charged for their care, and that the scheme would save £3,873,000 a year.

PICTURED: Cllr Muriel Weisz

But Councillor Weisz, who represents the Arnold South ward for Labour, said the scheme shows councils are not receiving adequate funding from the central government.

Cllr Weisz said: “This proposal is to reduce the level of income that adults can keep before they contribute to their care costs.

“It includes the suggestion that for adults below 65 the amount is reduced by approximately £57 per week.

“I’ve heard from many families who have been very anxious about this for several months.

“We all know that these families have regular additional expenses when they are caring for family members with complex needs, for example, wear and tear on clothes, special diets, transport costs, and frequent hospital visits.

“Adults with complex needs are living much longer now, even compared with 30 years or so ago, and this decision is pushing those already vulnerable people into a downward spiral of poverty, which they will have to face for many years ahead.

“Underlying this issue is a very real need for this Conservative government to act quickly and positively to acknowledge that almost half of adult social care budgets are required to support younger adults.

“Local authorities need adequate funding from the government. It’s not acceptable that we tackle our funding gap on the backs of people least able to speak out and advocate for themselves.”

Councillor Stuart Wallace represents the Newark East ward for the Conservatives, and leads the committee which made the decision today.

He said: “We are needing to meet the increasing social care needs of local people as we are all living longer.

“At the same time the council is experiencing a reduction in its overall budget from central government and as a result needs to save a further £54m savings over the next few years.

“We are reviewing the way we charge for adult social care services, although more local people (54 percent) currently don’t pay a contribution towards their care compared to those who do.

“We will be consulting the public on revising the minimum amount of weekly income a person has to cover their living costs when working out how much they can afford to pay towards their care and support.

“The council currently funds more of people’s care costs compared to many other English councils and the proposed change meets the higher rates recommended by the Department of Health.

“We are also proposing to take into account the full amount of higher disability benefit rates when working out a resident’s possible contribution in line with many other councils.

“The council will support people to ensure that they are only asked to pay for what they can afford and will continue to have the ability to waiver charges for reasons of financial difficulty or hardship under the proposals, which are considered preferable to making further reductions to care and support services.”

Campaigners swing into action to save memorial playground in Bestwood

David Bratton
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Campaigners swing into action to save memorial playground in Bestwood
Campaigners in Bestwood are calling on the community to help them save a playground dedicated to the memory of a local teenager tragically killed in a road accident 18 years ago.

Andy’s Adventure playground was created at Bestwood Country Park in memory of Andrew Maycock, who died in a road accident back in February 2000.

The Bestwood teenager had regularly visited the playground on Bestwood Country Park when alive, but it was later closed because of fears over safety.

Following his death, Andrew’s family and friends decided that it would be a fitting tribute would be to resurrect the playground in his honour.

Following months of fundraising, a new park was created with adventure trail, wobbly bridge and swing bars.

But 16 years later, the playground is again facing the threat of closure.

Certain aspects of the playground have been deemed unsafe, and the play equipment needs replacing, meaning that park users again face the possibility of losing the playground completely.

PICTURED: The memorial plaque at Andy’s Adventure playground in Bestwood Country Park

Now Andrew’s family have teamed up with volunteers at Friends of Bestwood Country Park to launch a fundraising campaign in a bid to revamp the play area.

A crowdfunding page has been started, along with petition to raise awareness about the playground’s plight.

The estimate for replacing the playground is around £50,000.

Campaigners have put in a bid to Nottinghamshire County Council’s Local Improvement Scheme for up to 50% of the total, but don’t know yet if this has been successful.

Friends of Bestwood Country Park have now pledged some of their existing funds to the campaign and are also  donating all net proceeds from their regular Community Cafe, which is held every Saturday morning in the Dynamo House at Bestwood Country Park between 10 am – 1 pm. Cafe customers can also make a cash donation to the campaign while there and see the fundraising progress on the specially designed ‘playground-o-meter’.

NEVER FORGOTTEN: Andrew Maycock

Andrew’s mother, Sue, wrote on the campaign crowdfunding page: “The playground is a happy place to go when I want to remember Andrew and all of the lovely times we spent together as a family.

“It is so heart-warming seeing all of the children playing and laughing and creating memories with their own families, and to know that we played such a huge part in making that possible.

“The idea, that all of this might simply be taken away is devastating and I cannot imagine Bestwood Country Park, without Andy’s adventure playground.”

You can make a donation at the crowdfunding page here: https://www.gofundme.com/save-andy039s-adventure-playground

The campaign petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/sue-mcdonald-save-andy-s-adventure-playground-at-bestwood-country-park 

You can learn more about the Friends of Bestwood Country Park’s activities at their website: http://www.fbcp.org.uk/

Firefighters battle blaze at Bestwood Country Park

Gedling Eye
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Firefighters battle blaze at Bestwood Country Park

Firefighters were called out to battle a blaze at Bestwood Country Park last night.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue service were called to the blaze at around 7.12pm.

They said they had been called out to fight a ‘field fire’.

A tweet from the service offered a warning to residents.

It read: “Smoke will be quite visible from Arnold and Rise Park so be sure to keep windows closed for the time being.”

Fire crews from the Arnold and Stockhill station had been called to the scene “due to the size of the fire”.

Hair salon in Arnold cuts out competition to make it through to awards final

David Bratton
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Hair salon in Arnold cuts out competition to make it through to awards final

An Arnold hair salon is celebrating after cutting out the competition to make it through to the finals of the 2018 British Hairdressing Business Awards

The team at KH Hair in Arnold has been shortlisted for the Front of House Team of the Year Award and salon director, Dawn Bramhall, couldn’t be happier.

She said: “For 33 years we have always strived to provide excellent and consistent customer service.

“Our front of house team delivers a unique blend of professionalism mixed with that perfect personal touch and they never fail to make our clients feel welcome and at ease on arrival, and relaxed and fabulous when they leave the salon.

“We firmly believe having a first-class front of house provision sets us apart from other salons in our area and we are thrilled our commitment has been recognised.”

The awards, hosted by Hairdressers Journal International (HJI), celebrate the very best salon businesses, recognising and rewarding the creative talents of individuals and teams across the UK.

Darren Messias, joint managing director of the KH Hair Group, said: “We’re thrilled to be going to the finals again this year. Huge congratulations go to Dawn and everyone involved.”

The awards ceremony will take place in London on 17 September.

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