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Train operator scoops punctuality award for services running through borough

Emily Sanchez
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Train operator scoops punctuality award for services running through borough

The punctuality of train services on a route through the borough has helped an East Midlands firm scoop a national award.

East Midlands Trains secured a ‘Golden Whistle’ award for the punctuality of its long distance trains for the third year running at an annual awards ceremony hosted by Modern Railways and the Institute of Railway Operators to recognise excellence in railway operations.

The train operator also won the top award for best punctuality for its regional services for the first time.

Punctuality statistics for long distance train operators are normally measured by the Public Performance Monitor (PPM) on arrivals within ten minutes of their scheduled time, however train operators are also now measuring and publishing exact, right-time arrivals.

For the year up to 10 December 2017, East Midlands Trains ran 93.3% of its regional services to PPM and 78.8% right-time. The regional routes include services to Matlock, which call at Carlton and Burton Joyce; and Nottingham to Skegness, which stops at Netherfield.

EMT-Trains

On the long distance route to London, East Midlands Trains ran 92.3% of trains to PPM and 62.6% right time, marking some of the best ever performance.

East Midlands Trains has maintained the record of best performing long distance train operator in the country for over eight years.

Ian Smith, operations director for East Midlands Trains, said: “It’s a real honour to have won the Golden Whistle for best long distance train operator for the third year running. We’re also pleased to have been recognised for the improvements on our regional services for the first time at these awards.

“We know that our customers expect reliable trains, day in day out, and our partnership railway approach with Network Rail means that we both strive to deliver the best and most punctual service we can right across our network. There’s always more we can do to improve further, however these two awards really acknowledge the hard work of teams right across East Midlands Trains.”

The Golden Whistle Awards, now in their ninth year, recognises the work of the best performing passenger and freight operators and Network Rail Routes as well as those individuals and teams who have gone the extra mile.

Mapperley men plan hunger strike in support of campaign to replace ‘outdated’ voting system

David Bratton
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Mapperley men plan hunger strike in support of campaign to replace ‘outdated’ voting system

Two campaigners from Mapperley hungry for democracy are planning a protest against the current ‘outdated’ voting system next week.

Seb Soar and Alan Dawson are planning a hunger strike in support of a campaign being organised by Make Votes Matter and plan to avoid eating anything between 8pm on Monday (February 5) through to 8pm on Tuesday.

The national Hungry4Democracy campaign is calling for the UK’s current first past the post voting system to be replaced with proportional representation.

The campaign is taking place next week to mark the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, which gave women the chance to vote in general elections.

Proportional representation is an electoral system in which the distribution of seats corresponds closely with the proportion of the total votes cast for each party. For example, if a party gained 40 per cent of the total votes, a perfectly proportional system would allow them to gain 40 per cent of the seats.

The system would benefit smaller parties, like the Greens or Ukip, as they would be better represented, because votes count towards seats even when they do not end up electing a local MP. Campaigners claim it has also been proven to have a range of positive outcomes, including greater income equality, less corporate control, better long term planning and more environmentally-friendly policy in other countries where it has been introduced.

The pair will end their hunger strike at The Bread and Bitter pub on Mapperley Top this Tuesday. Any money they would have spent on food will be donated to charities via the Make Votes Matter campaign.

Seb Soar said: Our democracy needs to evolve and that’s why we are taking part in this 24 hour hunger strike. One to celebrate the efforts of the suffragettes, but also to highlight the need of democracy to be more representative. Proportional representation is the way forward and with enough support, it will happen.

Alan Dawson said: The First Past the Post system often means that 70% of those that vote in elections do not get the kind of representative they want. No wonder that politics is so polarised at the moment. People should not have to vote tactically every time. They should have the confidence to vote for a candidate that they believe in.

He said: “This is an important issue. I am willing to do this hunger strike, despite the fact that I get irritable when I miss just one meal.”

Elaine Bond: Practise self-care in 2018 for a happier you

Gedling Eye
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Elaine Bond: Practise self-care in 2018 for a happier you

Elaine Bond is a Gedling-based counsellor. This month she talks about why self-care is so important to cope with the pressures of daily life…

In a lot of my articles I have talked about self-care and how important it is if we feel stressed, anxious, lonely or depressed. So, I thought this month I would explain what self-care is and why it works.

We cannot always control what is happening in our lives as we often find work or families add to our stress levels and physical or mental illness affects us. We can then become exhausted with all of this. The only thing we can control is how well we look after ourselves. This is really essential to build up our resilience. When we are tired, run down or not eating well, we find life and all it throws at us even more difficult to deal with.

Self-care is not big expensive treats or holidays, but it starts with some basic actions which can be perceived as boring stuff really.

Get enough sleep – go to bed early if you need to in order to protect the time you need to sleep from other things like just watching one more episode of the box set or staying out for one more hour. Sleep is very important for our emotional and physical well-being. Lack of sleep will impact our ability to deal with stress and for our mind and body to function properly. We often find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep if we are stressed so there are a few sleep hygiene tips we should follow –

  • Light exercise like walking or yoga can help us release tension
  • Play some relaxing music before going to bed
  • Have an hour with no TV or internet before going to sleep
  • Take a bath using some muscle relaxing bubble bath
  • Write down whatever wakes you up at night – I write my work to do list before I go to bed, so I don’t wake up thinking about what I must do! Writing down feelings also helps to clear your head before relaxing
  • If you really can’t sleep think of your time in bed as rest and try some breathing exercises.

Exercise regularly – we all have different levels of fitness, so we need to find something that suits us and which doesn’t feel like a chore. Exercise is a stress release and produces endorphins which are the feel-good hormone and it keeps our bodies fitter and makes us more liable to sleep. It’s also a great distraction from our internal thought processes and helps our brain to relax.

Eating well is key to self-care and having regular nutritious meals is key to our well-being. Take time out for lunch at work and don’t eat at your desk or it will simply feel like you haven’t eaten – causing you to maybe binge. Make meals that are satisfying, not just quick or convenient, and drink the water you need.

Contacting our friends is a great way to look after ourselves. It gives us someone to talk to about our stresses or just the opportunity to have fun. Friend give us a greater insight into our issues, listen and can often help us to find other ways to cope.

Having a hobby or interest keeps us “in the moment”, so they are a great distraction for us. Drawing, art, gardening, singing or even playing with the kids keeps us occupied and, therefore, less likely to think about what is causing us distress.

Keeping our minds occupied by learning something new will also work. This doesn’t have to be a degree or a major course, but can be something like learning a new hobby or reading a book on something you find fascinating. Games like crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and trivia challenges challenge our brain and so distract it.

Pampering ourselves by taking care of ourselves on the outside works well. Whether we book a day at a spa or we buy the bubble bath that’s on offer tells our brain we are worth it. We also make our bodies feel better.

Ask for help, from friends, family or professionals as we all know when we need someone to help us but remain too proud, busy or scared to ask for help.

There are things that self-care should not be –

  • Just another thing to do on a never ending to do list – it’s a necessity
  • Being selfish, it’s about making ourselves a priority and taking care of you
  • An emergency response, so we should not leave self-care until we feel like something is wrong, it needs to be our way of being

If this feels too hard or maybe isn’t working for you, please get in touch

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/elaine-bond

ng4counselling@gmail.com

07769 152 951

Village votes ‘yes’ in planning referendum

Gedling Eye
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Village votes ‘yes’ in planning referendum

Neighbourhood Plan gets go ahead

In the recent Calverton Neighbourhood Plan referendum 1430 residents voted “YES” whilst there were 80 who voted “NO”, a majority of 1350 or 94.75%.

The result means, amongst other things, that local opinion about planning and the nature of development will require additional consideration and more of the money (Community Infrastructure Levy – CIL) paid by developers for building in the village will be available to fund local amenities.

The Neighbourhood Plan is now ready to be adopted. The term for the formal adoption of a Neighbourhood Plan is the ‘making’ of a plan – an adopted plan is said to be ‘made’. It is the responsibility of GBC to ‘make’ the plan and there is a statutory requirement that this should be done within 8 weeks of the referendum. Apparently the intention of Gedling Borough Council was to formally ‘make’ the Calverton Neighbourhood Plan by the end of January. Since the positive referendum result, the Neighbourhood Plan has had to be given full weight by GBC in all relevant planning decision-making processes.

Objections raised to Flatts Lane housing allocation

Representations were made by Calverton Parish Council at the latest round of Hearings into Gedling’s emerging Local Planning Document (LDP) a few weeks ago concerning the lack of conformity between GBC’s Plan and the Neighbourhood Plan in a couple of key areas. Objections were made to GBC’s recently proposed Flatts Lane housing allocation, which GBC propose should be delivered within 5 years of their LPD plan being adopted. The Inspector’s Report on Gedling’s Local Planning Document is now awaited when it will be possible to find out whether any of these objections to Gedling’s emerging development plan have been given enough weight for modifications to that plan to be proposed.

History fans turn out in numbers for Society talk

There was a really good attendance for the latest Pres event which outlined some of the history of the area around Calverton, with Chris P commenting on the slides shown by Malcolm H. The talk began with prehistoric burial barrows, only a few miles away from the village, dating back more than 5000 years ago, before even Stonehenge was built! Various local Iron Age sites were mentioned including the recovery of a gold coin from the period. Similarly a couple of coin hoards from the Roman period were uncovered about 60 years ago, one when the Manor Park School Hall was built and the other when the foundations for the Vicarage on Crookdole Lane were being excavated.  Following the Roman times there is evidence of Anglo-Saxon settlement, indeed it is probable that this was when Calverton (the farm with cattle) was first established on the present site rather than groups of people living on nearby hill tops for defensive reasons.

It was at this time that St. Wilfrid visited the area using Burnor Pool to baptise the first Christians and establishing what was probably a wooden-built Church followed by one of stone by the Norman times. Calverton was actually mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as having a church.

By medieval times Calverton was within the Royal Forest of Sherwood and the village was one of 5 places where Forest Courts were held hearing cases such as trespass, poaching and stray animals. During the later Medieval period it is though one of the Kings actually stopped in the area to water his horses and test the medicinal properties of Keenwell (King’s Well) now located along Dark Lane.

Mention was also made during the talk of William Lee, son of the vicar at the time, who in 1589 invented the Framework Knitting machine which became the basis of the world-wide hosiery industry. Even today’s computer-controlled machines are based on Lee’s invention!

About 200 years later Johnny Roe lived in the village and formed a unique religious sect, some of whose followers spent many years in Nottingham prison for failing the follow Church principles.

The talk ended with events in the village during Victorian times.

John G thanked Chris and Malcolm for an interesting talk and then members of the audience were given the opportunity to look at a number of items brought from the Calverton Folk Museum.

In Brief

The planning application submitted to GBC for indoor entertainment at Oscar’s has been given conditional permission.

Amongst the latest planning applications submitted to GBC is permission to retain an existing temporary classroom at St. Wilfrid’s School, Main Street

The Calverton Garden & Heritage Trail, organised by the Pres Soc, is due to take place again this year, probably on a Sunday towards the end of June. If anyone would like to open their garden, large or small, please contact Chris Peck (965 4843) for further details.

The Pres has receive a request regarding the coming of the Black Death (1348/9) to towns and villages in Nottinghamshire. Please get in touch if you have any information.

The next Pres event is a talk by David Mooney “Folklore and Custom in the East Midlands” on Wed March 21st. watch for further details later.

  • For more information, contact: Chris Peck, Secretary, Calverton Preservation & History Society, 0115 9654843 or pressoc@ntlworld.com
  • This column is also published in the February edition of the Village Gazette – a local magazine for Calverton

Man charged with murder after death of Arnold woman in city centre

Gedling Eye
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Man charged with murder after death of Arnold woman in city centre

A man has been charged with murder following the death of a woman from Arnold in Nottingham city centre.

Simon Mellors, 56, of Berkeley Court, Nottingham, has been charged with the murder of 51-year-old Janet Scott following a collision in Peel Street on Monday, January 29. She died at the scene.

Mellors also been charged with the attempted murder of a 35-year-old man, who remains in hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

PICTURED: Janet Scott

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Janet’s family have released a picture of her and have asked that their privacy is respected as they come to terms with their loss.”

Simon Mellors has been remanded into custody and will appear at Hull Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, February 1

MATCH REPORT: Loughborough Dynamo 0-3 Carlton Town

Gedling Eye
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MATCH REPORT: Loughborough Dynamo 0-3 Carlton Town

A brace from Ben Hutchinson and another goal from Jordan Wilson saw Carlton Town secure another away win, this time 3-0 at Loughborough Dynamo, writes John Hartshorne.

Manager Wayne Scott made just one change from the side which won at Market Drayton last time out.  New signing Jean Desrosiers came in for Darol Lucas.

Since the Drayton match Daniel Gordon and Kyle Stovell have left the Millers and Gordon was in the Dynamo side having been snapped up by them during the week.

Also playing for Loughborough were ex-Millers Paolo Piliero and Luke Smithson.

In the first half Carlton defended a strong wind and Loughborough applied pressure. Dynamo had two free kicks in dangerous positions.  Louis Keenan’s strike was well saved by Jack Steggles and Luke Thorogood’s was fired well over the bar.

Gordon then attacked down the left and Jermaine Palmer just failed to connect for an open goal. They had another attack and headed against the bar which came down and Daniel Fletcher headed it of the line.

Then Carlton took control and in the 39th minute Keiran Walker took a long throw on the right and Ben Hutchinson directed a nice header off the left hand post to put the Millers ahead.

Just before half time a foul by Jordan Spearman on Jordan Wilson in the area brought a penalty with Hutchinson placing his shot to the right of James Martin.

The second half started well for Carlton and Loughborough were pushed back although neither goalkeeper had anything really to save.

The game became a bit nasty which involved a melee of players all around Jack Steggles. The referee booked a number of players from each side.

William Mellors- Blair came on for Hutchinson and was immediately sent clean through on goal but he fired wide.

Carlton were not to be denied and deservedly went three goals ahead on 78 minutes.  Eddie Schoenecker played a great ball to Wilson who clipped into the top of the net.

‘Phantom’ debt fraud warning to Gedling borough residents

Gedling Eye
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‘Phantom’ debt fraud warning to Gedling borough residents

Police in Nottinghamshire have warned people in Gedling borough to stay alert to so-called ‘phantom’ debt fraud, following a rise in reports.

This latest scam involves cold-callers posing as debt collectors, bailiffs or enforcement agents of another kind and claiming to be recovering funds for a debt which doesn’t exist. They ask for payment, sometimes by bank transfer, and if refused will threaten to visit the victim’s home or workplace to recover the fictional debt.

The fraudster may claim to be working under instruction of a court, business or other body and suggest they are recovering funds for a non-existent debt.

Nottinghamshire Police has forwarded a warning from Action Fraud, the national crime reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, following an increase in reports of these ‘phantom’ debt calls.

A spokesman for the agency said: “Action Fraud has recently experienced an increase in the number of calls to members of the public by fraudsters requesting payments for a “phantom” debt.

“The fraudsters are requesting payment, sometimes by bank transfer and if refused, they threaten to visit homes or workplaces in order to recover the supposed debt that is owed. In some cases, the victim is also threatened with arrest. From the reports Action Fraud has received, this type of fraud is presently occurring throughout the UK.”

Action Fraud has provided the following advice for people who think they may have been targeted:

  • Make vigorous checks if you ever get a cold call. Bailiffs for example, should always be able to provide you with a case number and warrant number, along with their name and the court they are calling from; make a note of all details provided to you.
  • If you receive a visit from a bailiff, they must always identify themselves as a Court Bailiff at the earliest possible opportunity. Ask to see their identity card which they must carry to prove who they are, this card shows their photograph and identity number. They will also carry the physical warrant showing the debt and endorsed with a court seal.
  • If you work for a business and receive a call or visit, be sure to speak with your manager or business owner first. Never pay the debts yourself on behalf of the business you work for; some fraudsters have suggested employees make payment suggesting they can then be reimbursed by their employer when in reality the debt is non-existent.
  • Exercise caution believing someone is genuine because you’ve found something on the internet; fraudsters could easily create fake online profiles to make you believe them.
  • Double check with the court, company or public body they claim to work for to confirm whether the call is legitimate; if you use a landline make sure you hear the dialling tone prior to dialling as the caller could still be on the line and you could potentially speak to the fraudster(s) to confirm the non-existent debt. Also be sure to independently search for a telephone number to call; never use a number provided by the caller without carrying out your own research.
  • Do not feel rushed or intimidated to make a decision based on a phone call. Take five and listen to your instincts.
  • If you know you have a debt, keep in regular contact with your creditor and be sure to establish the debt type at the earliest opportunity if you are not aware. This will help you to understand who might be in contact with you regarding any repayments or arrears.

You can report suspicious calls like these to Action Fraud by visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk or calling 0300 123 2040.

Pub talk delves into past of one of Arnold’s oldest venues

Gedling Eye
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Pub talk delves into past of one of Arnold’s oldest venues

People in Gedling borough are being given the opportunity to delve into the past of one of Arnold’s oldest pubs at a talk later this month.

Local historian and author Bob Massey is hosting the talk about the history of the Robin Hood and Little John pub at the venue on February 13 from 7pm.

It’s the second talk the popular speaker has held at the pub on Church Street, with the first one proving to be a smash hit.

Mr Massey said: “There was an estimated 120 people crammed into the bar for my last talk. Several people had to leave the pub as they could not get in.”

 

ARCHIVE: The Robin Hood and Little John on Church Street in Arnold

The Robin Hood & Little John in Arnold has a rich history, dating back to the 1700’s making it one of the oldest pubs in the borough town.

 In 1940 the pub was was purchased by Home Brewery, which traded from 1875 until 1996 in Daybrook. It’s now owned by the Lincoln Green Brewing Company.

 You can find more information about Bobs talks and history courses at his website: http://www.bobmassey.info

Chase Farm development in Gedling picks up pace

Emily Sanchez
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Chase Farm development in Gedling picks up pace

Work to create a major housing development on the site of a former colliery in Gedling hit its first milestone recently following the completion of several new show homes.

Representatives from Keepmoat Homes, Nottinghamshire County Council, Gedling Borough Council and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) recently gathered at the Chase Farm site to be shown around the new properties on the extensive £170m development.

The first phase of the development will see 506, two, three, four and five bedroom houses being constructed, with green corridors linking existing residential areas along Arnold Lane into Gedling Country Park.

It is hoped the first homeowners will move into the new properties on the former Gedling Colliery site early next year.

The first release of homes for sale were made available in September, with 28 homes being sold to date, four of which completed this month.

The brownfield land at Chase Farm has long been identified as a site which will help Gedling Council meet the Borough’s housing needs, and the development is crucial in meeting the Council’s target of delivering 7,250 homes by 2028.

Working in partnership with the HCA, Keepmoat Homes gained approval on detailed planning for the first phase of 506 new homes and preliminary permission for the remaining 544 homes.  A new primary school, health centre, local shops and public open space will be created to for the new residents and also the wider community.

Chase_Farm
ARTIST IMPRESSION: The new homes at the Chase Farm site in Gedling

Site developers Keepmoat Homes has also committed £17m of funding to help pay towards the costs of delivering the Gedling Access Road.

The 3.8km new road will link Burton Joyce to Mapperley Top, was granted planning permission in December 2014 and is set for completion by 2020. Funding for the £40 million road has come from a mixture of public and private sector funding, which includes Nottinghamshire County Council, Gedling Borough Council, the HCA, Local Enterprise Partnership D2N2 and Keepmoat Homes.

The new road has been earmarked for development for more than 50 years as a means of diverting traffic away from Gedling Village, easing congestion, and bringing economic benefits to local residents by creating a new access road to employment zones.

Andrew Mason, Regional Managing Director of Keepmoat Homes East Midlands, said: “This expansive project is exactly the kind of development which is helping to ease the housing crisis whilst providing amenities that really transform and benefit local communities.

“We are also committed to leaving a lasting legacy in the long term, ensuring local people benefit by investing in training and employment, creating strong links with local schools and colleges and promoting volunteering in the area.

He added: “We will create apprenticeships for local young people to help them gain qualifications in construction, whilst focusing on employing local small businesses to ensure the major investment in Gedling is re-invested back into the local economy.”

Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of the Communities and Place Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “This launch marks an important stage in the delivery of the new £40 million Gedling Access Road.

This is the biggest infrastructure project the County Council is currently involved in, which will benefit residents, road users and businesses in the long-term.

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Cllr John Clarke said:  “This is a very important milestone for Gedling and these new homes are essential for the borough.

“We are very pleased to be working with Keepmoat Homes to ensure that we provide much needed new homes on brownfield sites that will boost the local economy and give back to the community through jobs. This is also an important step in getting the Gedling Access Road, which will relieve the traffic going through Gedling Village and improve the transport connections in the area.”

You can find out more about the development by visiting http://www.keepmoatcorporate.com/

Gedling borough Freeview viewers should prepare to retune TV sets when transmitter updated

Gedling Eye
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Gedling borough Freeview viewers should prepare to retune TV sets when transmitter updated

Freeview viewers in the Gedling borough area may find they need to retune their televisions on February 7 to continue watching their favourite programmes.

Some Freeview channels are moving to new airwaves to allow for the future development of new mobile broadband services.

Transmitters across the UK are being updated region by region as part of a major engineering programme being carried out between now and 2020.

The required changes will begin at the Waltham transmitter group shortly after midnight and Freeview channels will be off-air overnight until 6am. After this, any viewers receiving their TV signal from the main Waltham transmitter who find they are missing channels can retune.

Satellite and cable TV are not affected.

For help go to www.freeview.co.uk/tvchanges or contact the Freeview Advice Line free on 0808 100 0288. Some older aerials may need to be replaced to continue receiving all channels. Help may be available for viewers where this is the

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