Children at Haddon Primary & Nursery School have taken part in a vibrant and joy‑filled Colour Dash, raising an impressive £2,331 for Lifting Children’s Hopes (LCH), a charity supporting children and young people across the East Midlands.
LCH provides mental health support, financial assistance for low‑income families, and enriching experiences such as day trips, short breaks and family events. The charity also works closely with schools, championing its vision of a world where every child has the opportunity to flourish.
On a sunny day that seemed made for the occasion, around 230 children, along with teachers and support staff, raced through clouds of brightly coloured powder, creating a lively spectacle of laughter, teamwork and community spirit.
Photograph: Year 4 children at Haddon Primary & Nursery School on the fun‑filled day.
Nathan Burton, Deputy Headteacher, said the school chose to support LCH because of the charity’s direct impact on their pupils and families.
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“Through their generosity, they have helped with clothing, cinema tickets, Santa visits, school equipment and toiletries, making a significant difference to some of our most vulnerable children and families,” he said.
He added that the Colour Dash gave pupils “a meaningful, real‑world opportunity to demonstrate compassion, generosity and outstanding citizenship.”
Year 4 pupil Rafferty was among the top fundraisers, collecting around £190. He described the event as “really fun for everybody in school,” adding that even those who didn’t want to get messy enjoyed cheering their classmates on.
“My favourite part was my class’s second run, because we already knew what was coming and I ran super-fast and finished first,” he said. “This experience was something I have never done before and something I will never forget.”
Teaching Assistant Alice Hallam said the Colour Dash was “undoubtedly one of the highlights of the fundraising event,” praising the atmosphere of excitement and teamwork. Fellow Teaching Assistant Jennifer Etherington added that staff were “immensely proud of all the children who took part.”
Business Manager Fiona Hutchinson said the event reflected the school’s DREAM values, noting the pupils’ responsibility, determination and kindness.
“The money raised is a true reflection of the generosity, enthusiasm and commitment shown by our pupils, families and staff,” she said. “We are so excited to continue to work with the Lifting Children’s Hopes Charity.”
The game of bingo is synonymous with British culture, having been a leisure stalwart for over a century. What’s more, its popularity is showing no signs of slowing, as it continues to adapt and evolve to entertain each new generation. Yet, through each new iteration, the game continues to maintain its social heart. In honour of the recent National Bingo Day, Gambling.com conducted a study to find out where in the UK the love of bingo burns the fiercest.
Why Bingo Still Matters to Britain
A quick look at the search data reveals a story. Across the UK, 42,000 people search for the word ‘bingo’ on Google every month. Those figures are startling for a game that many critics say belongs to a bygone era and is specifically an elderly pastime.
However, the truth is that bingo is actually seeing a steady increase in general interest. From bingo halls and community centres to more modern online experiences, each platform is reporting increased public interest. For many, though, the appeal is not about the numbers being called or the classically funny names for certain digits, nor is it about the prizes. It is about the sense of connection and community. In our modern world where people reportedly feel more isolated than ever, bingo remains a game that unites people for a few hours, with plenty of time between games for real conversation and connection.
To determine the UK’s most enthusiastic bingo location, researchers at Gambling.com, a leading resource for the top-rated online casinos in the UK, analysed Google Trends data over the past 12 months. Using six core bingo-related search terms, they created a scoring system based on search volume relative to population size. The results created a ranking that revealed some surprising placements.
Tipton Takes the Crown
Standing tall at the top of the table is the town of Tipton. Located in the West Midlands, it is more commonly associated with its industrial past than with having its eyes down for a full house. Yet across all six tracked phrases, Tipton scored 330 points and had the second-highest search volume for the word ‘bingo’ nationwide. That is no small task for a town that sits outside the top 200 in the English town population rankings.
The second-placed location is almost more impressive. Burton upon Stather is a small village in North Lincolnshire with a population of under 3,000. Scoring 324 points with such a small population suggests that bingo is likely ingrained into the daily life of many residents. Rounding out the podium is South Shields on Tyneside with a total score of 314. A coastal town, it performed consistently across all six search terms, but none ranked among the top. Completing the top five bingo-loving towns and cities are two North East locations: Hartlepool and Blyth.
A Northern and Midlands Affair
Interestingly, the South of England was poorly represented in the results. The top 20 bingo-loving locations were almost entirely dominated by towns and villages in the Midlands, the North of England and even into Scotland. In fact, to find the first location that could be argued to sit in the South of England, you need to look at the 25th-placed village of Mistley in Essex.
Looking at the list from a county level, County Durham and Tyne and Wear each have three locations in the top 20. This makes them the two most heavily represented counties in the report. Following them are Northumberland, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Lancashire, each with two locations reaching the top 20. Between them, these five counties account for half of the top 20, painting a clear geographical picture of where bingo fever is at its most fervent. While the rankings are clearly dominated by English locations, Scotland made the list too, with Greenock sneaking into the 17th spot, showing that a good round of bingo knows no borders.
Why These Places Might Love Bingo So Much
With the rankings calculated, the next obvious query is why bingo holds such great appeal or even importance to certain parts of the UK. Looking at the leading locations and their history, it’s easy to see that they have historically thrived on the idea of community. Bingo is a great fit for close-knit, hard-working towns and villages, where a sense of togetherness and shared pastimes carry genuine social weight. It not only brings a large portion of the local community together but is also an affordable night out. While only one person can win the main prize – barring a highly unlikely draw – everybody who takes part knows they all win because they are spending time together with friends and loved ones.
While bingo halls remain popular, digital versions of the game offer people even more time to socialise, as modern scorepads can keep track of the numbers and automatically alert players to winnings. Beyond that, for those who don’t want to or perhaps cannot leave the house for whatever reason, online games can be found everywhere.
A Game That Refuses to Fade
Regardless of what city, town or village ranked where, or which counties they belong to, the results show something much simpler and more endearing: bingo has a resilience that will never die. The game has survived the mass closure of live bingo halls and has conquered the sweeping waves of new forms of entertainment. It is often mocked or derided as a game for the blue-haired brigade, but the proof is in the analytics. Search interest remains strong, meaning the love of bingo remains steadfast, and it is all because of the British public’s continued want and need for connection and community. Tipton holds the crown this National Bingo Day, but with interest still high across the UK, there is every chance a new winner will be crowned next year.
Six people have been arrested after police discovered a machete, suspected Class A drugs and cannabis during a late-night vehicle stopin Arnold.
Operational Support officers were patrolling Arnold at around 10.30pm on Friday, July 3, when they stopped a car in Coppice Road over concerns it could be linked to drug-related activity.
All six occupants were detained while officers searched the vehicle.
During the search, police found wraps of suspected Class A drugs hidden in the centre console. Further items recovered from the boot included cannabis, weighing scales, cash and a machete left on the parcel shelf.
Two men, aged 25 and 30, a 35-year-old woman, a 16-year-old boy and two 16-year-old girls were arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A and Class B drugs with intent to supply, as well as possession of an offensive weapon.
The 25-year-old man and the teenage boy were also arrested on suspicion of affray in connection with an earlier incident.
Police later searched a property and reportedly recovered a taser-style weapon. The 16-year-old boy was subsequently further arrested on suspicion of possessing an electrical incapacitation device.
Detective Sergeant Elina Falcon, of Nottinghamshire Police, said officers stopped the vehicle after receiving intelligence suggesting it may have been involved in drug crime.
She said officers found evidence that the car was allegedly being used to deal drugs and highlighted the discovery of the machete in the boot.
“There is never any excuse to be driving around with a weapon of this nature,” she said.
A former world champion boxer has called on a council to “think of the people” ahead of potential plans to build hundreds of homes on a much-loved golf course in Mapperley
Nottingham boxing legend Carl Froch, who held the WBC super-middleweight title twice, has publicly joined the fight to protect Mapperley Golf Club from being used to hit council housing targets.
The authority is currently consulting on its draft local development plan, which has identified key areas and bits of green space across the borough that could be used to allocate an extra 6,045 homes by 2043 to ensure housing targets are met.
Parts of Gedling’s swathes of countryside have been put forward, along with the edges of villages such as Calverton and Ravenshead, but one spot contained in Nottingham’s urban sprawl is the 127-year-old, 18-hole golf club.
The outcry to protect the “jewel in the crown” golf club has been building momentum in recent months, with the club’s chairman, Paul Cookson, saying back in May he intended to “fight the good fight” in getting the council to remove the site from housing plans.
Mr Froch has taken to Facebook in June and July to help raise awareness in the club’s campaign, posting on July 4 that he had played a round of golf at the course the day before and linking the website where residents can learn how to submit their objections in the ongoing consultation.
Speaking on Tuesday (July 7), Mr Froch said: “There’s too many houses in one area, there’s an overkill.
“The amount of planning I’ve had refused for a potential single dwelling out of the way, now all of a sudden [the council] can [potentially] demolish the whole golf course, and fit their agenda and their plans.”
The former boxer says he “urges” people to visit the site, noting the wildlife and trees at the spot, saying: “You walk out the urban jungle and straight away into the countryside – it’s beautiful, phenomenal.”
While also acknowledging the council’s recent decision to close the Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton to make way for a new leisure centre – effectively displacing the long-standing Gedling Indoor Bowls Club – Mr Froch asked: “Why are the leisure and recreational facilities under attack? Where people go and communicate and create a community and enjoy themselves and breathe the fresh outdoors.”
He continued: “Health benefits from sports – it’s so positive and encourages regular exercise. Golf improves walking, balance, and cardiovascular fitness. Indoor bowls helps with mobility, coordination, flexibility, especially for older adults.
“Their mental wellbeing, help reduce stress, improve mental health, give people a routine, a purpose, especially older people. Trying to get rid of all of this and build some more houses?… [Older people] might not have the facilities and capabilities of going to another golf club.”
Mr Froch told the LDRS he wants the council to “think of the people” when concluding its consultation on its draft local development plan.
He said: “Think of the people, what do the people want? The people you’re supposed to serve, the people that pay their council tax, pay their taxes and have lived there for many years, generations a lot of them – think about them and what they’re going to do when they lose this golf course.
“Once it’s gone, it will never return, so have a think about that, the impact you’re having on the environment and the people, especially the elderly.”
Back in June, Gedling Borough Conservative councillor, Sam Smith, told the LDRS the potential “erosion” of the golf course was “the saddest” part of the authority’s proposed housing allocations.
He said: “It’s the only golf course this side of Calverton. It’s the jewel in Gedling’s crown.
“It brings in spending to Gedling borough. Others stop off for lunch, have breakfast, it’s a great venue for community events, birthdays. To build on that is a disgrace, and it will absolutely increase flooding.
“The council talk about wellbeing and lifestyle choices. They have already closed Gedling Indoor Bowls Club’s site, now it’s the golf club – what it does for senior residents’ and mental health and wellbeing is amazing.”
In May, the ‘thriving’ club’s membership stood at nearly 500 members, where around 50 of them joined within the last year. Non-member footfall also increased by around 20 per cent in 2025 on the previous year.
This is not the first time the golf course has been threatened with development. The council allocated the area for up to 1,900 homes until 2011, but this fell through.
A 4,000-person strong campaign opposing the development followed and planning officials decided it would be too expensive to build there in the end.
Speaking on the land being back under the spotlight, Mr Froch said: “This should not be happening – nobody will ever convince me that they need to destroy a golf club on Mapperley, which is totally full of hills and banks… to build out on that place, that’s going to be a nightmare.”
A council spokesperson previously said in a statement: “[The council] will allow a period of public consultation in respect of all the policies and allocations proposed, including Mapperley Golf Course.
“The Plan proposes a spatial strategy based on a settlement hierarchy with the proposed site allocations being in accordance with this. As much housing as is feasible is proposed to be located within and adjoining the main built up area of Nottingham.”
The council’s six-week consultation on its housing allocation plans closes on August 3.
Funding has been approved to refurbish the Papplewick QEII Playground behind the Village Hall on Linby Lane.
Children and residents are set to benefit from a major upgrade thanks to a £100,000 grant from FCC Communities Foundation.
The funding will support the full redesign and redevelopment of the much‑loved play area on the QEII playing field, a long-standing hub for local families. The refreshed playground will feature exciting new equipment for all ages—from pre‑school children to teenagers—creating a space the whole community can enjoy.
Carolyn Hesketh, Chair of Papplewick Parish Council, said the project will make a significant difference to village life.
“We believe this investment will give residents a playground they can be proud of and help breathe new life and community spirit into the heart of Papplewick for years to come.”
She added:
“This project will provide a real boost for local families. We’re thrilled that FCC Communities Foundation has awarded us the funding, and we’re looking forward to seeing the new playground take shape over the coming months.”
FCC Communities Foundation is a not‑for‑profit organisation that supports community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund.
Cheryl Raynor, Grant Manager at FCC Communities Foundation, said:
“We’re delighted to support the refurbishment of the QEII Playground in Papplewick. This funding will help create a welcoming and accessible space for residents of all ages. We look forward to seeing the positive impact the new facilities will have on families in the village.”
The refurbished playground is expected to be ready for use by October 2026.
Buxton Avenue, Carlton 08 July Road closure Responsibility for event: Nottinghamshire County Council
Buxton Avenue, Carlton 08 July Road closure Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water
Chaworth Road, Netherfield 08 July – 12 July Road closure between 20:00 – 06:00 Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council
Coppice Road, Arnold 08 July – 10 July Roadworks, Delays likely Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council
High Street, Arnold 09 July – 5 July Delays likely for lane closure Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water
Kirkby Road, Ravenshead 08 July – 12 July Road closure Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council
Road No 1, Colwick 08 July – 12 July Road closure from end Of Anti Skid Xylem Entrance to Surface Joint Prior Matlock Street Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council
Crookdole Lane, Calverton 07 July – 09 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Openreach
Kenia Close, Carlton 11 July – 13 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water
Linby Lane, Linby 10 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water
Park Lane, Lambley 07 July – 08 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council
Sheepwalk Lane, Ravenshead 09 July – 13 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Virgin Media
Sherbrooke Close, Calverton 07 July – 09 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Openreach
Spring Lane, Lambley 07 July – 08 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council
Standhill Road, Carlton 08 July – 09 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water
Stiles Road, Arnold 09 July – 13 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Openreach
The Spinney, Bestwood Village 08 July – 09 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water
Thorndale Road, Calverton 07 July – 09 July Roadworks, Delays possible Responsibility for works: Openreach
Local rail users have been keeping station adopter Tony Cave busy this summer, with the return of the 10.10 Skegness service bringing a mix of eager day‑trippers, confused passengers, and the occasional abandoned ticket.
Tony reports that on the very first day of the service, 17 May, four people were already waiting at Netherfield. Three boarded happily, while one intending to travel to Nottingham had missed the small print: his train required a short walk to Carlton for the 10.35 connection. “A good job I was there,” Tony notes, after steering him in the right direction.
Passenger numbers have steadily grown over the first five weeks, with 16 people joining the service on one day alone. Not all journeys have gone smoothly, however. One traveller mistakenly believed the train went to Grantham and ended up needing a taxi back to Nottingham. Tony points out he’d have been better off staying aboard until Bingham for the 11.01 connection.
The Skegness train typically runs with four coaches on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, and two on other days. Tony advises passengers to walk down the platform, as the front coaches are usually quieter — and you’ll arrive at Skegness quicker, thanks to the route avoiding Grantham.
Ticket Machine Troubles
Between 5 and 12 June, three passengers failed to collect their tickets from Netherfield’s smart machine — all singles to Radcliffe, Ruskington and Grantham. Tony now checks the machine daily, and even found an unclaimed Nottingham ticket at Carlton. In that same period, the machine was used seven times.
Carlton Station: Gardens & Buses
Tony’s long‑running work on Carlton’s flower planters continues, though he admits heavy compost bags are becoming harder to manage. Self‑setting plants and annuals now form the backbone of the displays, with watering and pruning still part of his routine.
A new poster board at Platform 1 outlines onward bus travel, including Nottingham City Transport routes 25, 26, 44 and the new 45. The suggested nine‑minute walk to Carlton Square “is a bit tight,” Tony says, noting Burton Road stops are closer. Route 45 replaces the former 24, looping through Rivendell and Burton Road before returning to Nottingham.
Brief Encounters
Parliament recently discussed future changes to passenger fares, including integrated contactless ticketing for Manchester and the West Midlands in 2026/7, with trials planned for the North and East Midlands. Meanwhile, open‑access operator Lumo has begun running services between Stirling and London Euston — meaning Carlton passengers could reach Stirling with just one change at Crewe.
Locally, Newark Book Festival returns 9–12 July, with stalls in the Town Hall colonnades and Market Place. Tony will be helping at the Dawn Book Supply stand. Early 20th‑century Midland Railway signalling diagrams remain available for viewing at DBS until the end of August.
20 Years of Station Adoption
Tony marks 20 years as station adopter this spring, having taken on Carlton in 2006 and later Netherfield. Back then, facilities were sparse: no seats, graffiti‑covered shelters, overgrown bushes, and cleaners visiting only once a fortnight. “We have come a long way since then,” he writes, though he still hopes for more platform seating and a ticket machine on Carlton’s Platform 1.
He recalls duplicating timetables for Carlton Library in the 1990s, and even running a stall on Platform 2 in 2006 with timetable leaflets and a prize draw for Lincoln tickets. A Nottingham Evening Post photographer captured the moment, featuring Tony in the Neighbourhood News section.
His memories stretch back to the 1980s and 60s — including a night when a derailment at Staythorpe forced single‑line working, and a freight locomotive was used to haul passenger coaches. “In those days the notion of cancelling a train… was unthinkable,” he quotes from an East Coast Main Line controller.
Engineering Works – July
11 & 18 July (Saturdays): Lincoln–Crewe trains terminate at Derby; buses replace Derby–Crewe.
20–24 July (Mon–Fri): The 23.00 Lincoln–Nottingham service is replaced by buses; the 22.34 Nottingham–Lincoln runs four minutes earlier.
Tony signs off with his usual reminder: information is accurate to the best of his knowledge, but passengers should always check official sources.
A police radio scheme aimed at cracking down on shoplifting has been a quiet game‑changer in Arnold, after three thieves who sprinted through supermarkets stuffing trolleys with goods were stopped mid‑heist by officers already on the scene.
Nottinghamshire Police’s Arnold neighbourhood team runs Shop Watch — a radio network linking officers directly with supermarkets, small businesses, and independent retailers. In the past two months, it’s delivered a 75% detection rate, meaning three‑quarters of reported shop thefts have ended with arrests, charges, or other police action.
On 31 May, Daianna Ionita, Gianni Ionita, and Matei Bernandi walked into Asda on Front Street posing as regular shoppers. Moments later, they were racing around the aisles, loading two large plastic bins with chocolate bars, household items, and medical products worth hundreds of pounds before heading straight for the exit.
Asda’s security team immediately radioed through to Shop Watch — and, crucially, an officer was already inside the store. The trio were detained before they even made it out of the building.
CCTV later showed the group arriving in a Ford Galaxy. When officers searched the car, they found the back seat piled high with stolen food and clothing. The investigation quickly linked the same group to near‑identical thefts at B&M Bargains in Madford Retail Park and Sainsbury’s in Arnold.
Neighbourhood officers say Shop Watch has transformed how they work with local retailers, strengthening relationships with security teams and helping them respond faster to incidents. The scheme has also contributed to a sharp drop in repeat offenders — many now serving prison sentences or simply avoiding the area altogether.
Shop Watch radios connect shops directly to the police control room and local officers, speeding up response times and enabling regular information‑sharing through partner meetings.
Daianna Ionita, 20, Gianni Ionita, 18, and Bernandi, 32, all of Chadwick Road, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to three counts of shop theft at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 19 June. Each received a community order of 100 hours’ unpaid work and must pay £266 in compensation.
Sergeant Alison Riley said neighbourhood officers have made “significant progress” using targeted patrols, Shop Watch radios, and Operation Retail — a process that fast‑tracks charges when evidence is clear and overwhelming.
She added that while the results are encouraging, the team is “in no way complacent” and will continue working closely with local businesses to keep retail crime down.
Drivers in Gedling borough are being warned to expect disruption this month as six local roads are lined up for repairs and resurfacing as part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s massive £181.25 million highways investment programme.
The council has unveiled its schedule of July roadworks, with major resurfacing projects, pothole repairs and surface dressing treatments planned across the borough in a bid to improve road conditions and prevent future damage.
Three roads are earmarked for full resurfacing, including Freda Avenue, Arnold Lane and Shearing Hill/Main Road, with most of the work scheduled overnight to keep traffic delays to a minimum.
Additional patch repairs are also planned, with crews heading to Grover Avenue in Mapperley, while the council’s recently introduced JCB Pothole Pro machines will tackle defects on Smithy Crescent in Arnold and Park Road in Carlton.
Meanwhile, another seven routes will undergo surface dressing – a treatment designed to extend the life of roads by sealing the surface and reducing the risk of potholes and cracks developing.
A60 Mansfield Road/Nottingham Road between Redhill and Ravenshead
Longdale Lane, Ravenshead
B684 Lime Lane, Woodborough Lane and Mapperley Plains, Arnold
The latest programme follows the completion of resurfacing works on Longue Drive in Calverton, Prospect Road in Carlton and the first phase of improvements on Shelford Road in Gedling.
Councillor Bert Bingham, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said improving Nottinghamshire’s roads remained one of the authority’s biggest priorities.
He said: “We’ve hit the ground running with some major resurfacing schemes already completed and our teams will be working hard throughout the year to improve our network.”
Alongside the headline roadworks, highways teams will continue carrying out routine maintenance across the county, including drain cleaning, tree inspections and surface repairs.
Residents can check the latest dates for surface dressing works on the Notts Highways website, with schedules subject to change depending on weather conditions.
A drug dealer who orchestrated a campaign of threats and intimidation against a family in Mapperley has been jailed for more than four years.
Dean Hudson, 27, was behind a terrifying series of incidents after two men turned up at a house claiming the family’s son owed them £42,000.
The pair forced their way into the property on December 11, shoving a mum and demanding money. They also snatched a mobile phone and car keys from her daughter’s hand before leaving empty-handed.
PICTURED: Dean Hudson (IMAGE: Notts Police)
But the ordeal didn’t end there.
Just six days later, windows at the property were smashed and a marked police car stationed outside the home for the family’s protection was targeted with a brick.
Police said the intimidation continued when a man later turned up at the address and repeatedly banged on the front door before leaving.
An investigation led detectives to Hudson, who was arrested at a property on Arnold Road in Bestwood on December 22.
When officers searched the address, they uncovered bags of ketamine along with evidence linked to drug dealing.
Hudson, of Arnold Road, admitted conspiracy to blackmail and possession with intent to supply a Class B drug.
He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday to four years and one month behind bars.
Detective Sergeant Alana Scott said the victims had been subjected to a “frightening ordeal” in their own home.
She added: “Very serious threats were made to members of this family in their own home. It must have been a frightening ordeal for them even though they weren’t seriously harmed.
“Hudson was clearly involved in serious criminality so I’m pleased he will now have a spell behind bars.”
Police are still appealing for information about other people involved in the conspiracy.
