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Tony Cave Column: New train franchise decision on hold

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Tony Cave Column: New train franchise decision on hold

SUNDAY TRAINS

The last day of the summer service is September 10. However the Sunday service will continue as usual although the 12.18pm Netherfield to Nottingham and 17.52pm Carlton to Nottingham services will not run after this date. Cheap advance summer fares are also due to end at the same time.

NEW EAST MIDLANDS FRANCHISE

The commencing date has again been put back to Autumn 2019, with the decision as to who will run the franchise being announced in April 2019.

The delay has been brought about by the decision to cancel electrification of the Midland Main Line, meaning that the terms of the new contract has had to be revised. Whoever takes over will be required to deliver “modern, fast and efficient inter-city and commuter trains”, and these will include a new fleet of bi-mode inter-city trains for London to Sheffield and Nottingham services from 2022.

The changeover point from electric to diesel will be at Kettering, as electrification from Bedford to Corby via Kettering is going ahead. What it could mean is that these trains will cease to call at Wellingborough, Bedford, Luton and Luton Airport Parkway and for these stations you will have to change at Kettering into a Corby to London St. Pancras service. In this way, and with track improvements going ahead, journey times to London should be reduced, although bi-mode trains are heavier, and therefore slower than the current High Speed (HST) trains.

HST’s are now over 40 years old, but still giving good service, and many prefer them to the newer trains on other lines. They are due to be ‘retired’ at the end of 2019 as they do not comply with the ‘Persons of Restricted Mobility’ regulations, and it would probably be too costly to upgrade them. So, for a couple of years before the new trains appear, we could go back to having a diesel locomotive and coaches on some London services.

As mentioned previously, it has been recommended that Netherfield should have 15 trains a day calling, instead of the seven at present, when the new franchise commences. I was going to give my choice of the times when these extra trains should call, and the reason, but this can wait now the franchise decision is delayed, but I am always pleased to have your suggestions, as the new franchisee may take note of what we would like.

PASSENGER NUMBERS AT CARLTON

Some more record numbers. 161 joined the 08.08am Matlock service over 5 days between June 26 – 30. This was 105 back in 2016. On Mon, Aug 14 I was advised that 22 people including children joined the 10.08am service to  Matlock. On August 23, 20 adults and 4 children joined the 09.05am service to Matlock. I did predict in 2010 that if we had an hourly service “..passenger figures would increase probably by 100% from 60 to 120 per day…” Actually, there must be around 240 per day now on weekdays.

Saturday trains are quite popular, and the new Sunday trains are being well used from most stations on the line.

Again I would like to thank all who have provided me with the numbers joining and alighting from trains they have used, as I don’t have time to see many trains after the morning rush hour. One day in July I heard the 08.51 Netherfield to Skegness had 23 join.

EAST MIDLANDS PARKWAY STATION

East Midlands Airport and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have called for improved railway links to the station, and the airport has offered to put forward £2.5m towards the changes it wants to see. These are new services and also improved frequencies of trains at the station. They also want to change the station name to East Midlands Airport Parkway. The current timetable off-peak has trains to London at 35 and 43 mins past each hour (52 minute gap), plus the Lincoln to Leicester services. We get a few direct trains from Carlton to and from East  Midlands Parkway.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Plans are underway to sell Gedling Youth Club and the old stations building to the highest bidder. The Friends of Gedling Station are committed to obtaining Heritage Lottery funding to save this fabulous piece of local history. Please join the campaign. You can read more about it HERE.

Newark Castle Station Cafe should be open by the beginning of September. It will be environmentally friendly with no plastic bottles, only cans, cartons and glass bottled drinks being on sale, you can also bring your own container.

It’s the annual Station Adopters Conference at Derby on Friday, September 8. We get to meet the managers of East Midlands Trains, so if there is anything you think ought to be mentioned, let me know.

Next summer the track and signalling around Derby station is to be upgraded as part of a £200m project beginning on July 22, 2018. The station will be partially closed for 79 days. A full and detailed revised timetable will be published in the new year. Once complete, services will be better segregated, reducing journey times. A new platform will also be built. Only service to and through Derby will be affected. Some, like Nottingham to Birmingham, will use a route that avoids Derby.

The 11.24am Saturday Carlton to Leicester service is usually very busy, especially when Forest are playing at home, ad during the weeks just before Christmas. The 11.08am train to Matlock will give a connection to the 11.32am train to Leicester and you don’t have to pay extra to travel on this London-bound service, as some thought.

MATCH REPORT: Carlton Town 2 – 1 Bedworth United

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MATCH REPORT: Carlton Town 2 – 1 Bedworth United

A very feisty match, which saw a flurry of yellow cards, saw Carlton grab three more points, writes Josh Hodgson.

The first half saw Bedworth dominate, repeated through balls inbetween the centre backs saw Carlton on the back foot throughout.

In the 25th minute the pressure paid off as Bedworth’s Elliot Parrott slotted home from a corner which Carlton’s defence did not deal with.

The second half saw the game change with manager Wayne Scott bringing on Aaron Hooton for the home side. The change in tactics confused Bedworth who were pegged back before they could re-adjust themselves.

A Danny Gordon free kick swooped into the bottom right from 40 yards with the keeper unable to reach. 8 minutes later Jordan Wilson latched onto a through ball to go one on one and find the back of the net with no trouble.

Late worries emerged for Bedworth as keeper James Martin went of injured, looking visibly in agony.

Three points for the home side has Miller’s fans hopeful for the season ahead.

Entertainment – 2/5

MOTM – Danny Elliot

Spate of thefts from unlocked vehicles in Arnold

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Spate of thefts from unlocked vehicles in Arnold

Police are reminding residents in Arnold to make sure their vehicles are secure after a spate of thefts overnight.

Items were removed from a number of vehicles in the Redhill area of the town on Thursday and Friday evening.

Four vehicles were targeted in total; two of the vehicles were parked on Henry Street.

Police have said that there was no signs of forced entry to the vehicles, which has prompted the reminder.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshie Police said: “With each of the thefts, there were no signs of forced entry to the vehicles and items have then been taken from within.

“Can we please remind residents to ensure their vehicles are locked when leaving them and that any valuable items are removed. Items being left on show in vehicles only encourages the criminals.”

If you witnessed any of the incidents or have any information, please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Likewise, if you do see anyone acting suspiciously in your area, please contact us on 101 or if it is an emergency, 999.

Netherfield death: Arrested man released ‘pending further inquiries’

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Netherfield death: Arrested man released ‘pending further inquiries’

A man arrested on suspicion of murdering Netherfield woman Jennifer Blackwell has been released pending further inquiries.

The 38-year-old man was released today (Spetember 1) after a further interview.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Following a review, in consultation with HM Coroner and a family, we have begun an investigation to establish the cause of the 43-year-old’s death.”

In the early hours of August 11, Nottinghamshire Police carried out work to exhume the body of Jennifer in order to carry out a Home Office post-mortem examination.

Nottinghamshire Police in hunt for new recruits

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Nottinghamshire Police in hunt for new recruits

Nottinghamshire Police are hoping to attract new recruits from across the borough at an event being held in Arnold later this month. 

The Force today launched its latest round of recruitment for police constables, with anyone interested encouraged to apply before midnight on Friday, September 22.

The launch comes after last month’s news that the force will be recruiting a total of 200 officers in 2017/18 and has ambitions to recruit even more in 2018/19.

For those across the borough wanting to learn more, a recruitment seminar is being held at the police’s headquarters at Sherwood Lodge in Arnold on Saturday, September 9 between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Paddy Tipping said: “I know that people want to see more police officers and PCSOs on their streets and neighbourhoods.

“They want to see a visible, easily accessible police presence in their communities. I can understand that, which is why I have been working hard with the force to secure enough sustainable funding for an increase in officer numbers.

Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable, Craig Guildford said: “We’ve been recruiting for a range of roles, from volunteer Special Constables to front-line regular officers, and we look forward to that recruitment continuing over the months to come.

“We want to recruit talented people with a diverse range of skills and experience who are committed to making a difference to the communities that we serve.

“Recruiting from the widest pool of people will mean we recruit individuals who can speak other languages, understand other cultures and lifestyles and are willing to use those skills to the benefit of the community and the organisation. We would therefore encourage and welcome applications from under-represented groups who will help us enhance our service offer even further to the people of Nottinghamshire.

“As you can see from the photos taken at our training school, we have recruited heavily already in 2017 with officers, PCSOs, transferees of officers and PIOs all arriving, but we still want more people to apply. It’s a great time to be joining Nottinghamshire Police.”

 

Police hunt vandals who damaged Carlton pub marquee

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Police hunt vandals who damaged Carlton pub marquee

Police are appealing for information after a pub marquee was damaged overnight at a pub in Carlton.

The marquee belonged to the Old Volunteer Pub, Burton Road and police believe it was most likely cut with a knife or sharp tool on Wednesday night.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “If anyone can provide information about the offender please call 101 and ask to speak to the local Safer Neighbourhoods Team or private message the team on our Facebook page.”

A post on the Old Volunteer’s Facebook page read: “We had put the marquee up in preparation for our beer festival which starts on Friday.

“We are offering £250 of drinks vouchers for anybody who can correctly identify the perpetrator to police.”

They added: “Please be assured, the beer festival will be going ahead despite the best efforts of these mindless idiots.”

Sherwood bakery supports city refugees in new charity link up

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Sherwood bakery supports city refugees in new charity link up


A bakery in Sherwood has teamed up with a Nottingham charity to ensure vulnerable residents across the city are now able to enjoy fresh, traditionally-baked bread.

The Bakehouse is supporting the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum (NNRF) by donating unsold bread to the St Ann’s-based voluntary organisation, which supports refugees and asylum seekers across Nottingham and the wider county.

The Bakehouse, owned by Michelin-trained chef Craig Poynter and his wife Rosea, specialises in bread baked fresh from scratch on the premises every day, using wholly traditional methods and locally-sourced ingredients.

The link up with the Refugee Forum sees the bakery’s team wrap up any unsold bread each night ready for collection, ensuring that the freshly-baked produce is not wasted, and instead is enjoyed by local people who need it most.

Craig said: “All bread we sell at The Bakehouse is baked on the premises that morning: offering customers freshly-baked bread, produced on site that same day, is the cornerstone of our business.

“We’re also committed to playing a role within the local community and are keen to support the vital work carried out by the Refugee Forum, which is less than a mile away from our premises.

“The bread is still totally fresh, and as it’s made using traditional ingredients is a great source of vitamins and goodness, as well as being truly tasty!

“We’re delighted to be able to avoid food wastage by helping people on our doorstep, and look forward to this partnership continuing and expanding.”

Gemma Pillay from NNRF adds: “As an organisation, we offer everything from practical advice to support and friendship to hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers across Nottingham City and beyond.

“We are entirely volunteer-run, and the support of local businesses and residents is essential in keeping the service going.

“The Bakehouse’s donations are making a real difference in the lives of our service users – to have access to high quality, freshly-baked goods is a real treat and we’d like to thank the team for their committed support.”

For further information on the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum, or to make a donation please visit www.nottsrefugeeforum.org.uk or call 0115 9601230.

Artisan bakery, café and micropub The Bakehouse can be found at 631-633 Mansfield Road, Sherwood. For further information or bookings please visit www.facebook.com/thebakehousenotts or www.twitter.com/bakehouseNotts , or call 0115 956 9430.

HMRC scam call warning

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HMRC scam call warning

A Burton Joyce woman has warned others to be on their guard after scamsters called her, purporting to be from HMRC. 

Ruth Fearn, who lives in the village, said she was contacted at home and an automated recording was left on her answerphone telling her she had been called that day by HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) and they wanted to inform her they were planning legal action.

scam-online

The message went on to advise her to press 1 to speak to her case officer.

Ruth said she did not think the HMRC would ever ring anyone this way and was certain the phone call was from scamsters,

She said: “The number that was left on my home phone came from a mobile number. I looked the mobile number up on the internet and it came up with 539 harassment calls deemed to be dangerous all saying the same thing – HMRC scam

“It looks like this is a new scam going round and it’s frightening older people.”

A spokesman for HMRC said that the organisation did not operate automated call back messages of this nature.

He said: “We are aware that some customers have received telephone calls claiming to be from HMRC requesting personal information and bank account details in order to receive a tax refund, or to demand money for an unpaid tax bill.

“HMRC takes security very seriously but you need to be alert.

He urged anyone receiving such a call to report the matter to Action Fraud via http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report fraud.

 

Extended hours for Sunday bus service to Gedling Country Park

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Extended hours for Sunday bus service to Gedling Country Park

More buses will soon be taking passengers to and from Gedling Country Park every Sunday after Nottingham City Transport announced plans to extend operating hours on one of its services from this weekend.

A new timetable for the Sky Blue 46 and 47 service will see services arrive earlier and leave later from the popular attraction each Sunday starting from September 3.

The first Sky Blue 47 bus from Nottingham City Centre will be at 09:30 (rather than 11:30) and the last Sky Blue 46 bus from Gedling Country Park back to Nottingham will be 17:06 (rather than 15:06).

Anthony Carver-Smith, NCT Marketing Manager, said: “Gedling Country Park is proving to be a very popular destination, especially with the new Cafe 1899 now open near the children’s play area”.

He continued, “With Grouprider tickets just £5 on Sundays and all NCT day tickets and Easyrider cards valid to/from the Country Park via Spring Lane, travelling by bus is a great way to reach Nottingham’s newest country park”.

  • Sunday buses from Nottingham (Sky Blue 47) depart at 09:30, 11:30, 13:30 and 15:30 (travel time approx. 25 minutes)
  • Sunday buses from Gedling Country Park (Sky Blue 46) depart at 11:06, 13:06, 15:06 and 17:06

These extended hours are achieved by altering the direction a couple of the Sky Blue 46, 47 buses operate around Woodborough and Lambley loop on Sundays and customers in these villages will need to catch their bus on the opposite side of the road, where buses may be earlier than present.

Royal British Legion puts out call for volunteer to ensure Poppy Appeal continues in Arnold

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Royal British Legion puts out call for volunteer to ensure Poppy Appeal continues in Arnold

The Royal British Legion has put out an urgent call for a volunteer to ensure the Poppy Appeal continues in Arnold.

The charity are on the hunt for a poppy appeal organiser (PAO) to help run the campaign in and around the town.

The PAO is responsible for ordering stock and  then distributing it to various people and places, whilst recording the whereabouts of those items.

They also recruit and assist other volunteers to help with the appeal, and finally, collect, collate, record and deposits all the funds donated.

The PAO may, if they feel able, want to organise events and activities to support year-round fundraising in their particular area for the charity.

The charity have said that the new PAO will be guided through every step by the county’s community fundraiser to encourage their continued support and assist with any query they may have.

The role of a volunteer Poppy Appeal Organiser is fairly simple, but absolutely vital to the continued success of the Poppy Appeal in the Arnold area of Nottingham.

Mark Smith, the charity’s community fundraiser for Nottinghamshire, said: “The role of a volunteer Poppy Appeal Organiser is fairly simple, but absolutely vital to the continued success of the Poppy Appeal in the Arnold area of Nottingham.

“Obviously, we’re now moving towards the latter stages of planning for this year’s Appeal, which starts on 28th October 28 at Notts County FC, and we really need someone.”

Anyone interested in volunteering must have the following attributes:

  • Be fit and able to lift small boxes
  • Has some time available to them, particularly during the late October, early November period
  • Committed to making a difference to the lives of many deserving people
  • Available on e-mail and telephone
  • An excellent “people person” and willing to try new ideas to engage with those whom might donate.

Mark said the charity were also on the hunt for space to store their stock during the campaign.

He said: “I am hoping that there is a business or local authority entity that is able to provide a safe space where the PAO might be able to store stock before, during and just after the Poppy Appeal.  It doesn’t have to be a vast cavernous affair, just large enough to store a few dozen boxes and move around in safely.

“If anyone can help with that, please get in touch with me as soon as possible.”

Anyone interested in volunteering as a PAO or can help with a safe space in the local area can contact Mark on 07920 378588 or email MSmith1@britishlegion.org.uk

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