Residents in Lambley turned out in force for the Woodlark Inn’s Annual Christmas Quiz this week – raising an amazing £400 for charity.
Elaine, Landlady of The Woodlark, expressed her gratitude on Facebook.
She wrote: “Thank you to all our wonderful customers, hard working staff and Ray, the Quiz Master, who not only writes the quiz but also travels up from Cornwall to ask the questions every year.”
This year’s winning team was Team Hudson.
Team Hudson (winners) and Quiz Master Ray (PIC courtesy of Facebook)
The £400 raised by the pub, staff, quiz master and customers of the Woodlark Inn will be split between Lambley Reed Pond Nature Reserve and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.
Gedling Eye continues to look back at the highs and lows of 2022 across the borough, continuing with July to September …
You can read our round-up covering January to March here
You can read our round-up covering April to June here
JULY
An off-duty police officer leapt into action after spotting a shoplifter stealing from a store while he was out DIY shopping in Arnold. The officer was perusing the paint aisle at Homebase in Mansfield Road when he heard a disturbance at the tills. After speaking with staff, he detained and searched a suspect accused of stealing goods. Wayne Lee, aged 52, was charged with two counts of theft – the second of which related to an unrelated incident at a supermarket in Hucknall.
PHOTO: Notts Police
A principal told school leavers they SHALL go to the ball after agreeing the academy would pay their tickets to its first ever prom. Marcus Shepherd, principal of The Wells Academy in Mapperley, said he did not want cost to be a barrier to year 11 students in attending an “important rite of passage”. The academy paid for tickets for all of year 11 to go to their prom at the prestigious Colwick Hall Hotel on Tuesday. The ticket price included the food, the DJ and even a taxi service laid on from the academy for pupils who needed help with transport to the event.
Students pictured outside Colwick Hall
Toby Carvery announced it wouldn’t be serving lamb on Sundays, according to The Sun. Many of the restaurant’s customers now aren’t happy after the chain, which operates a restaurant at Colwick, announced the big change to its menu. The chain told customers that lamb is now only available on certain dates due to a supplier issue. Livid customer Ben Marriott, who works as a butcher, posted online: “Just come for a carvery to be told you’re not doing lamb unless it’s a special occasion. “That’s so rubbish – makes Sundays no different from any other day now. Fuming.”
A teenage boy was charged in relation to an assault in Arnold that left a man in hospital. Police were called to Coppice Road and found a man injured. The victim was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre with injuries that were not life-altering or life-threatening. A second man received minor injuries in the same incident but did not require hospital treatment. Following extensive enquiries, a 17-year-old boy was charged with wounding with intent and possessing a knife blade / sharp pointed article in a public place.
More than 10,000 households across Gedling borough started to receive their first direct payments to help with the soaring cost of living. Low-income households on means-tested benefits receive the money automatically in their bank, building society or credit union account. Although the payments are designed to help with rising prices, and specifically soaring energy bills, recipients could spend or save the money as they see fit.
Arnold Lane reopened fully for the first time after being shut to traffic for nearly four months while works were underway on a new tie-in road to join it up to the new Colliery Way. Arnold Lane was realigned to the five-arm roundabout on Colliery Way, meaning that local traffic for Gedling Village will now need to use the roundabout as part of their journey.
PICTURED: Work on linking up Arnold Lane with Colliery Way (PHOTO: NCC)
A new breakfast club aimed at bringing members of the Armed Forces together was set to launch at Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton. The club is open to any active or ex-members of the forces, including veterans and any family members connected to the forces. The club offers breakfast and drinks and also promotes some of the services available to military members in the borough of Gedling.
An additional £750,000 was awarded to Colwick and Netherfield through the fourth round of the Conservative Government’s Safer Streets Fund, which will help to make streets safer through projects to crack down on neighbourhood crimes and prevent violence against women and girls. The additional funding, part of the £50 million from the latest round of the Safer Streets Fund, is planned for investment in essential measures, including extra CCTV and improved street lighting.
Line of Duty star Vicky McClure came face-to-face with Nottinghamshire Police’s real-life ‘AC-12’ before officially opening the new multi-million pound joint police and fire headquarters in Arnold. The Nottingham-born actress, known to millions as Detective Inspector Kate Fleming in the BBC hit drama, was given a guided tour by Chief Constable Craig Guildford of the force’s professional standards department as well as other key departments including the force control room, digital forensics and operational support before cutting the ribbon at Thursday’s ceremony.
PICTURED: Actress Vicky McClure, left, with fiance Jonny Owen at the opening of the new joint police and fire HQ in Arnold
Five Gedling borough parks were named as some of the UK’s best following a record-breaking year. Gedling Country Park, Arnot Hill Park, Burton Road Jubilee Park, Bestwood Country Park and for the first time, Breck Hill Park, joined a record number of parks and green spaces collecting a Green Flag Award – the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.
Gedling Borough Council confirmed that they will be submitting a funding bid for £50 million through the government’s latest round of ‘Levelling up’ funding to revitalise Arnold town centre. The bid will include a new, multi-purpose leisure centre and theatre to replace the current Arnold Leisure Centre and Bonington Theatre, which have been in place since the 1980s. The bid will also include plans for a new library and a public realm space to drive footfall into the northern part of the town centre and create improved access from Front Street to the high street.
AUGUST
Police arrested a wanted man who was spotted in a Mapperley restaurant. Officers attended a restaurant in Woodborough Road following calls that the known suspect could be inside. A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm, obstructing police, and possession of a bladed article, while he was also wanted on re-call to prison. A search was then carried out at a house in Foxhill Road East, Carlton, which resulted in a quantity of cash and suspected cocaine being seized from inside.
Parents were urged to warn their children about the dangers of playing near train tracks after CCTV footage showed youngsters dancing in front on an on-coming train at Burton Joyce. The shocking footage showed three school-age children walking across a pedestrian crossing near the village before stopping in the middle of the track. Two girls then hop off the path just inches from the live rails where they dance as a train approaches, before sprinting off.
PICTURED: The footage shows children dancing in front of an on-coming train at Burton Joyce (IMAGE: Network Rail)
A brand new Aldi store at Teal Park near Netherfield opened its doors to customers with Paralympics GB athletics hero Richard Whitehead cutting the ribbon alongside residents from local care home, Rivendell View. The Magenta Way store near Netherfield will be run by Store Manager Stuart Levick, along with a team of 38 colleagues from the local community. Paralympics GB gold medallist Richard Whitehead gave away complimentary bags of fresh fruit and vegetables from Aldi’s famous Super 6 range to the first 30 customers in the queue.
PICTURED: Richard Whitehead, left, opens the new Aldi near Netherfield with store manager Stuart Levick, right
A persistent offender was jailed after he was spotted pushing a stolen fridge freezer down the road in a wheelbarrow in Calverton. Officers patrolling the village were alerted to the theft of the fridge, a washing machine, dish washer and toilet from a nearby property. Witnesses later reported seeing a man wheeling the fridge through the village. Michael Wilson was arrested at his home by police officers. On searching the property, officers found the fridge freezer which was still in its packaging.
The annual Stoke Bardolph Scarecrow festival saw residents in the village decorate the outside of their homes or roadside verges with a colourful array of homemade straw-filled sculptures. Among the best scarecrows was a CSI team investigating a murder, an eco-friendly Hulk made from compostable bags and a karate instructor. Trent Valley Councillors Mike Adams and Sam Smith were invited to judge the event and chose the village tennis match as winners.
A £1.14bn devolution deal was agreed to try to kick start economic development in the East Midlands and create an elected regional mayor. Devolution involves some key powers and funding transferring to regional politicians from Whitehall. It means more political power locally on planning, housing, roads, infrastructure and economic development.
This is Gedling news magazine was launched covering in-depth news and views from across Gedling borough. This is Gedling was published for the first time with residents able to pick up a free copy from a large number of venues across Gedling borough – including most bars, leisure centres, medical centres, libraries and takeaways. The magazine featured forty pages of news, features and lifestyle articles all about the borough.
PICTURED: Readers enjoying the new magazine after picking up a copy at The Crossings Club in Carlton
SEPTEMBER
The scale of the crisis in local bus services was laid bare after operator Trentbarton confirmed it has 130 vacant driver jobs. The company, which runs dozens of routes around the East Midlands, was forced to cancel 1,614 individual timed services in just two weeks as a result of the staff shortage, leading to concerns of communities being left “high and dry”.
Gedling Borough Council announced it has scrapped plans to sell council-owned land near Killisick Lane in Arnold. The land had previously been allocated for housing in the 2018 cross-party agreed Local Plan but following a consultation with local residents, senior councillors decided not to allow a sale of the land to go ahead. Following comments from a consultation and representations from councillors who represent the area affected, a decision was made by senior councillors not to take any consideration of sale of the land any further and review the feedback provided.
PICTURED: Land near Killisick Lane (PHOTO: LDRS)
Nottingham bar Hooters sparked a debate online after announcing it was sponsoring a Burton Joyce youth football team for the forthcoming season. Hooters revealed the deal made with Burton Joyce’s under-10s side and posted pictures of a photocall held to celebrate the sponsorship. The Nottingham restaurant is the currently the only franchise left in the UK – although a Liverpool restaurant is set to open shortly. But the move ruffled feathers, with a national TV debate planned following the announcement.
PHOTO: Hooters of Nottingham/Facebook
Police charged three men after Lego sets and toys worth thousands of pounds were stolen from three stores. Conlon McDonagh, 22, of Gregory Road, Southall, Ealing; Tom McDonagh, 22, of Greenwood Avenue, Enfield; and Patrick Ward, 22, of Gregory Road, Southall were charged with three counts of theft.
A popular Mapperley cafe announced it will close for good. Holy Cannoli, in Plains Road, made the announcement on their Facebook page. They said: “Sadly Holy Cannoli is closing down. “We want to extend our thanks to all the loyal customers who have supported us over the years we’ve been open. This fantastic journey wouldn’t have been possible without you all, however, after sincere thought and consideration, we have made the decision to close our doors.”
PICTURED: Holy Cannoli on Plains Road (IMAGE: Facebook)
Controversial plans to allow a property in Netherfield to be converted into an HMO were allowed by councillors who were given the chance to reject the scheme. The plans were submitted to change a property on Chandos Street into a seven-bedroomed HMO and were discussed at Gedling Borough Council’s Planning Committee meeting at the Civic Centre in Arnold. There were eight votes for the application and 7 against.
Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96. Charles, the former Prince of Wales, was named as King Charles III. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon’. The Queen’s death saw Britain and her Commonwealth realms enter into a ten-day period of mourning.
Gedling WBA featherweight champion boxer Leigh Wood was forced to withdraw from his title defence against Mauricio Lara due to injury. Wood was due to defend his WBA ‘regular’ featherweight title on 24 September 24 against Mauricio Lara at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham. Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn said Wood had suffered a torn bicep.
The ribbon was cut on a new development in Gedling that will create 400 new homes in the area. The Mayor and Mayoress of Gedling, together with the Rosie May Foundation, a charity carrying out incredible work within the community, were invited to cut the ribbon and officially open Keepmoat’s Park View development sales centre and showhome. During the visit, the Mayor and Mayoress were given an in-depth tour of Phase 2 of the development located on Arnold Lane and overlooks Gedling Country Park. Once complete, it will provide an additional 400 homes in the area.
PICTURED: The ribbon is cut to open the new showhome at the Park View development in Gedling
A new bench paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II was installed in an Arnold park. The bench was commissioned for the Jubilee earlier this year and arrived at Church Lane Recreation Ground. The funds for the new seat were raised by Ward councillors Michael Payne and Kathryn Fox.
Swing When You’re Blue – The Willowbrook, Gedling, 8.30pm
A fun lively power trio, covering songs from the swing and classic rat pack area, along with some easy listening and a few pop songs to keep you on your toes.
Police have today issued images of a woman they would like to trace who may be a potential key witness following the sudden death of a man in Mapperley last month.
Nottinghamshire Police has now issued an image of the woman they would like to speak to as part of its investigation into the incident on November 2.
Detective Constable Hannah Newbold, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “I would like to reassure this woman she is not in any sort of trouble and isn’t being sought as a suspect but she could be a vital witness.
“We believe she may well be the last person to have seen this man alive and may be able to provide us with information for the coronial investigation about his circumstances prior to his death.
“We have been unable to identify the woman from other lines of enquiry so we are now asking if she can please come forward herself or if any members of the public can identify her.”
If this is you or someone you know, please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 99 of 2 November 2022.
While you were tucking into your Christmas lunch, nurses and healthcare assistants from Nottinghamshire Hospice in Mapperley continued to care for terminally ill patients in their homes across the city and county.
They’ll be working round the clock all through the Christmas period, providing care for people in the last weeks, days and hours of their lives and supporting families through traumatic times.
Among them will be Carmel Hutchcraft, a Hospice at Home nurse who worked overnight on Christmas Eve in a patient’s home.
Carmel says: “Caring for someone who is dying is especially poignant during the festive season as it’s supposed to be a time for celebration.
PICTURED: Carmel Hutchcraft, a Hospice at Home nursePICTURED: Brian Cotton, 86, has been receiving support from Nottinghamshire Hospice since coming out of hospital in May
“Families usually try and make something of Christmas in a low-key way to make a sad memory as bearable as possible. They try to make the occasion memorable while being respectful of the person who is at the end of their life, looking for positive ways to honour the person.”
Carmel describes working one-to-one with patients in their own homes as ‘a privilege’ which allows her to give quality care and concentrate on the patient’s needs as well as supporting the families.
“Patients usually feel safer in the familiarity of their own home with loved ones around them and it’s easier to maintain dignity at home than it might be in a hospital setting,” she added.
She celebrated Christmas with her children and granddaughter on Boxing Day.
Sarah Pinkstone, Lead Nurse for Community Services, worked a 12-hour shift on Christmas Eve with the Hospice Night Support team.
She managed to catch up on sleep till around 11am before cooking Christmas dinner for her children aged five and 10.
Sarah says: “It’s tiring working the night before Christmas when you’ve got children, but I give them a really big stocking to keep them entertained until I get up.
“I might be tired on Christmas day but at least I am surrounded by people. We have to remember that some people are alone and need help.
“It’s really important that we keep the service running – particularly for patients who are on their own.”
Care provided by nurses like Sarah and Carmel enables patients to stay at home with family around them in what is likely to be their last Christmas.
One family all too aware of the importance of this care are the family of Brian Cotton, 86, who has been receiving support from Nottinghamshire Hospice since coming out of hospital in May.
Brian, from Southwell, has had heart problems for a number of years but his health deteriorated earlier this year and he is now in the final stages of heart failure. The hospice provides overnight Hospice at Home care once or twice a week. He has asked to stay at home for the last part of his life.
Brian lives with his wife, who has Primary Progressive Aphasia – a type of dementia. His three daughters, who all live some distance away, arrange a rota between them for staying at their parents’ home. They also use a care company who provide live-in care.
Daughter Rebecca, who lives in Dumfries in Scotland, said: “It helps us massively to have overnight hospice at home care. It gives everyone a proper night’s sleep. It also provides moral support for us.
“Last night I sat up with the nurse who came and she talked to me about what to expect as his condition deteriorates. I found this really reassuring, especially as I have never been in this position before.
“I really appreciate the hospice support. It’s helping us to keep Dad at home which is absolutely his wish. It’s allowing him to stay with my mum at the end of his life which is important as they’ve been married for 66 years.”
Nottinghamshire Hospice provides crucial end-of-life for patients in their own homes across Nottinghamshire. To find out more about the services provided go to https://www.nottshospice.org/our-care/
A robber who fled the country after stealing around £41,000 worth of mobile phones from a Netherfield store was jailed. Marih Dimitru posed as a customer with another man before threatening members of staff at the now former Carphone Warehouse store at the Victoria Retail Park. Dimitru demanded access to the safe and when it was opened by the fearful staff he filled bin liners with boxed mobile phones. Dimitru and the other man then left via the front entrance with a haul of around 80 phones and fled in a car.
Generous Carlton and Netherfield residents helped send more than 100 bags of vital supplies to Ukraine. Pub-goers made the donations at collection points based at the Fox and Hounds pub on Station Road in Carlton and Netherfield’s Lime Trees nursery and also It’s Inn The Bank pub on Victoria Road.
A Nottingham man’s fishing trip in the middle of the night on the River Trent in Colwick cost him £619 after he illegally removed fish from the river. 37-year-old Piotr Czyzak, of Leonard Street, Nottingham, was found guilty to the offence of removing the fish. He was fined £440 and ordered to pay £135 costs and a victim surcharge of £44.
Colwick residents were advised to keep their windows and doors shut while firefighters tackled a blaze involving 20 tonnes of waste paper. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service Crews from Carlton, London Road, Arnold, Highfields and Edwinstowe, including the Aerial Ladder Platform, worked to extinguish the fire.
Two extraordinary young people from Gedling borough were celebrated in a special awards ceremony aimed at shining a light on inspiring youngsters from Nottinghamshire. Taona Makunganya won the Bringing People Together Award and Khushi Kaur won the Young Performer of the Year Award at the Live Our Best Life Awards 2022 ceremony, organised by Nottinghamshire Police and held at Nottingham Forest Football Club.
Plans were unveiled to improve the “heavily congested” A60 corridor between Redhill and Nottingham that would see new bus lanes created without being “detrimental” to journey times for car drivers, council documents state. The new bus lanes would be installed at three ‘pinch points’ along the busy road, including close to the roundabout junction with the A614, where large queues form during rush hours.
Thousands of households across Gedling borough started receiving their £150 council tax rebate to help reduce the impact of national energy cost increases. As well as the £150 payment for all residents in bands A-D, the Government allocated Gedling Borough Council with £172,800 discretionary funding. The funding was to be used to award an extra £23 to those households in bands A-D who were receiving Council Tax Support as well as paying £173 to all those households receiving Council Tax Support in properties with a band higher than band D.
MAY
Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry pleaded guilty to five speeding offences in the space of four months. Mrs Henry, 51, of Giltbrook, was elected as a Conservative commissioner in May 2021 and was responsible for holding Nottinghamshire Police to account and overseeing its spending.
PICTURED: PCC Caroline Henry (PHOTO: LDR service)
Exlibris, the masked book sellers of Nottingham, marked an end to their 20 years of charity book sales with a final event in Carlton over the weekend. Bob and Chris Cann, the founders of the charity booksale, organised a final sale at their property in Vernon Avenue. The mammoth event ran for three long weekends with the unsold books donated to Books for Good Causes foundation in South Yorkshire and a collection of children’s books will be given to foodbanks. The profits from the final sale went to the local charities WE R HERE and Host Nottingham. The charity also collected tins of vegetarian food from the visitors to hand over to Netherfield Food bank.
A convicted drug dealer who was on the run for four years ago was back behind bars after being caught in Papplewick. Richard Brown was driving a Vauxhall Astra when he was stopped by officers in Main Street, due to the vehicle being insured only to a woman. At the time, officers did not know they had pulled over someone who had been a wanted man since 2018. Desperate to avoid capture, the 30-year-old gave false details but the photo of the person whose details he gave was clearly not him. He had previously been jailed for three years for possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs.
Michael Payne was selected as Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Gedling. Mr Payne, a Nottinghamshire County Councillor has been Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council for 11 years. He was one of six candidates to speak at a hustings event prior to the vote, which was held at Bonington Theatre in Arnold for Labour Party members.
It was announced that a community library in Burton Joyce would receive an upgrade ito turn it into a ‘village hub’. Burton Joyce Library will now be upgraded after Nottinghamshire County Council received £170,000 from the Government and the Arts Council. The library will be refurbished and established as a ‘hub’ for the community.
A number of pubs in Arnold, Colwick and Mapperley offered pints for just 6p in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Pub chain Greene King announced that their customers could enjoy an incredibly cheap pint of Greene King IPA at participating pubs if they used a secret codeword. The pub chain offered the 6p pints at 408 of its sites because that was the average cost of a pint during the Queen’s ascension to the throne in 1952.
JUNE
A medal and coins to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was presented to an Arnold volunteer cop to reward him for his long service. Special Constable Alan Marwood is the force’s longest-serving recipient and has been with Notts Police for 52 years. The volunteer, from Arnold, joined Nottinghamshire Police in 1970 and has policed many different areas in the county, said he was delighted to receive the special commemorative medal. He said: “It’s a very nice gesture. When you take the oath you swear to serve our Sovereign Lady, so the Queen’s been ‘the boss’ for 70 years.
Frontline workers and community heroes from Gedling borough were recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. A charity leader and youth project director were both been recognised for their contribution to society over the last 12 months. Damian Reynolds, from Mapperley, was recognised for charitable services to the Youth Sector and David Wakelin, from Ravenshead, was recognised for services to Young People in Nottingham.
Gedling‘s beacon was officially lit in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The special ceremony was held during at Gedling Country Park. The event drew a huge crowd with hundreds of residents turning out to see the momentous occasion. The park beacon had only been lit once before and that was to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday back in 2016.
A Netherfield man who was accused of sexually assaulting a young girl in a shop was jailed. Matthew Harrison, aged 32, targeted the child as she was shopping with her father at a store in Mansfield Road, Nottingham, at around 4pm on Sunday, January 16. Harrison, who was working in the store at the time, lured the primary school aged child away from her father under the guise of helping her to find a favourite treat. Harrison, of Kenrick Street, was exposed when the child later told her parents about what had happened.
Eight lucky neighbours from Arnold were awarded a share of £270,000 in the People’s Postcode Lottery when NG5 6RT was announced as the winning postcode. Seven of the neighbours won £30,000, while the eighth landed £60,000, playing with two tickets.
A prolific shoplifter who stole thousands of pounds worth of items from a store in Carlton was locked up. Dean Earl carried out a string of thefts during a stealing spree that lasted several months. The 40-year-old targeted the same Wilko store in Carlton Square, Carlton, on three separate occasions. In total, he walked out with more than £2,500 worth of items.
Vernon Coaker was given the freedom of the borough after serving Gedling for 25 years as an MP. Lord Coaker, now a peer, was awarded the honour at an extraordinary meeting of Gedling Borough Council. During Lord Coaker’s extensive career as the MP for Gedling, he was elected six times and had several high profile government posts including the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Lord Coaker has also had roles on an international stage, supporting UNICEF and, more recently, raising the profile of Modern Slavery as a member of the Council of Europe.
Latest figures were published by The Rivers Trust advising that untreated sewage was discharged into the Ouse Dyke for 376 hours in 2021. The data showed there were 218 incidents of raw sewage being poured into the dyke. The main source of sewage into the dyke is the outlet on Burton Road near the Inn For A Penny pub in Carlton. 2021 figures also revealed that a storm overflow on Bonner Lane outside Calverton pumped sewage into Grimesmoor Dyke 37 times for 25 hours, a sewage storm overflow at the Shelt Hill Pumping Station near Woodborough was used 41 times for 791 hours and the emergency overflow at Burton Joyce by the River Trent was activated 51 times for 724 hours during 2021. Severn Trent Water said plans were in place to reduce the use of storm overflows locally.
Gedling borough residents will be able to pay less to get around by bus between January and March next year after the Government capped single journey bus fares at £2.
From Jan 1 to March 31, a single bus journey will cost no more than £2 across Nottinghamshire where operators will be adopting the scheme.
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “This is excellent news for bus passengers in Nottinghamshire and I welcome this Government initiative.
“Though this scheme is short-term, we hope that as many Nottinghamshire residents as possible will take advantage of it.
“Travelling by bus remains popular, but we have not yet seen the return to passenger numbers that we had before the pandemic.
“It is our hope that whether it is for commuting, travelling for leisure or anything in between, that Nottinghamshire people will see the benefits of this scheme in the New Year.
For more information about how this scheme is running with local bus operators, please visit operator websites.
Carlton Town slipped to 18th in the NPL First Division East table following a 3-0 home defeat against Worksop Town.
The Tigers came into the game top of the table following 17 straight wins in the league so Carlton knew it was going to be an extremely difficult test for them. And to be fair to the Millers, they started very well and put in a decent performance throughout. But Worksop were simply too strong for Carlton and eased to a comfortable victory.
Tommy Brookbanks and Mark Harvey made two changes to the side which had beaten Dunkirk in the Notts Senior Cup in Carlton’s last game almost a month earlier. Back into the side came goalkeeper Mikey Emery and current player of the year Nat Watson in place of Richard Stainsby and Aaron Opoku. Player coaches Martin Ball and Daryll Thomas had left the club in the intervening period and so were not at Stoke Lane.
Worksop featured ex-Miller Terry Hawkridge, who last played a competitive game at Stoke Lane back in April 2012 in the play-off defeat against Leek Town. Hawkridge won the NPL young player of the year that season ahead of his transfer to Gainsborough Trinity and subsequent transfers to Scunthorpe Utd, Lincoln City and Notts County. He also featured in the NPL team of the season that year alongside fellow Miller Ruben Wiggins-Thomas, who was amongst the excellent Boxing Day crowd of 293.
Carlton, playing with a strong wind at their backs, started the better and pushed Worksop back in the opening period of the game. Niall Davie had the first chance of the game when he collected a Watson pass, sped across the edge of the box and fired a shot which Seb Malkowski saved comfortably.
A lovely Millers passing move involving half the team led to a Niall Hylton corner which was dealt wit by the home defence.
PICTURED: Carlton Town manager Tommy Brookbanks (PHOTO: Twitter)
Worksop then countered at pace with the dangerous Jay Rollins crossing to James Hanson whose CV includes over 300 Football League appearances and a League Cup final appearance for Bradford City. His header struck the crossbar and was cleared. However, within a minute the Tigers were ahead. Alek Starcenko found Rollins whose cross was converted by Liam Hughes.
Another Rollins cross found Hanson with time and space in the penalty area but he fired his shot straight at Emery as Carlton were struggling to hold on.
Hawkridge at this stage was dictating the game, sitting in the space between the midfield and the forwards and hitting angled passes to get the Worksop wide men behind the Carlton defence. And one such pass to Hughes on 31 minutes led to the second goal when the former Cambridge Utd striker squared to Hanson who fired home.
In truth the game was now over even with an hour to go but Carlton kept their heads and kept trying to force a way back into the match. Lawrence Gorman headed just wide from a Davie free kick and Davie himself drew a save from Malkowski.
Hanson had the ball in the net early in the second half from another Rollins cross but was denied by an offside flag but Worksop extended their lead on 66 minutes when Hughes took advantage of some hesitant defending to burst clear and finish ruthlessly.
Hawkridge saw a late free kick well saved by Emery as Worksop saw out the remainder of the game in some comfort.
Carlton Town: M Emery, K Sargent, N Hylton, L Gorman, D Brown, J Holmes, N Davie, K Dixon, B Wells (A Opoku 46), N Watson (K Tomlin 69), A Howes (L Durow 62). Unused substitutes: R Stainsby, R Tait
A historic hall in Woodborough has reopened its doors to the public after being rescued by new owners.
Grade 11* listed Woodborough Hall, was placed in receivership in October 2021 and rescued by new owners in July 2022.
Following five months of refurbishment, this historic Hall is once again open and ready to welcome both new and old customers.
“The aim of the renovation was to breathe new life into the Hall giving it a contemporary update, whilst retaining the stunning original historic features and the feeling of timeless elegance”.
The Hall will function as a hospitality venue consisting of five restaurant and coffee areas. These consist of a stylish contemporary lounge bar, snug, formal dining restaurant, private dining room and a beautiful orangery. The flexibility offered by these spaces makes the Hall the perfect location for weddings, parties and events. Both the upstairs dining room and the orangery are licensed to hold wedding ceremonies. Both rooms are complemented by the beautiful stately gardens which are the perfect backdrop for events or for strolling before or after a meal.
The new kitchen team under the leadership of Tom Paxton are excited to present their lunch, champagne afternoon tea and dinner menus. Coffee and a tasty selection of cakes is are being served in the Lounge bar throughout the day. The team at Woodborough Hall are also looking forward to welcoming in the New Year with the “The Grand Ball at the Hall”.
Pre-booking is currently requested for lunch, dinner and afternoon tea however no booking required for the coffee lounge (feel free to pop in)
More information, booking and pictures of the refurbishment can be found by contacting Woodborough Hall:
Gedling Eye looks back at the highs and lows of 2022 across the borough, starting with January to March…
January
Two teenage sisters from Arnold who set up their own charity to protect the environment won British Empire Medals in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours. Given the honour were Arnold sisters Amy Meek, 18, and her sister Ella Meek, 16, for their voluntary service to the natural environment. They set up the charity Kids Against Plastic in February 2016 and have watched it grow while juggling school life and homework.
The Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List. Councillor John Clarke was awarded the MBE for his services to local government in Nottinghamshire, in particular, the work to transform the former Gedling Colliery into Gedling Country Park.
Face masks were introduced in classrooms in secondary schools across Gedling borough in a bid to to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant, the government announced. The temporary reintroduction of face coverings was introduced across England following concerns about schools remaining open for face-to-face learning.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced questions over his leadership after admitting he attending a party at Downing Street in May 2020. The PM told the House of Commons how he believed “implicitly” that the gathering was a work event, and apologised to the millions of people who have made sacrifices over the pandemic. In Gedling borough, many thought Boris should resign – or even be sacked over ‘Partygate’. A woman from Gedling, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “In early April 2020, my Grandma died alone in a nursing home aged 96 with no family ‘allowed’ to visit her for 2 weeks before she passed away. The Gedling Conservatives issued a statement and said: “All at Gedling Conservatives share the anger that many feel after hearing of parties at No10, while we and Gedling residents were in lockdown, abiding by the Government’s restrictions and missing events with our family and friends to prevent the spread of Coronavirus and save lives.
A man was been locked up for his role in a revenge shooting in Arnold. Jamal Roberts was in a stolen Volkswagen Golf with other men when one of the others fired a shotgun at another car – a Citroen – after it was caused to stop in a residential street. Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court Roberts was jailed for seven years.
Dynamic duo Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer’s filmed their popular Channel 4 show Love It or List It in Gedling Country Park. Each week the pair go head to head to convince a couple whether they should sell their home or refurbish it.
FEBRUARY
Six people were arrested after a high street jeweller was burgled in Carlton. Police arrived at D D & A Jewellers, in Carlton Hill, to find a window had been smashed and a metal grille had been ripped from the brickwork to gain access to the property. Acting on information provided by automatic number plate recognition cameras, officers quickly managed to locate and then pull over a car containing the six suspects just minutes later.
Families celebrated after a bigger and better play area opened at a popular park in Burton Joyce. Villagers will now benefit from the newly refurbished playground on Church Road thanks to a £100,000 grant from FCC Communities Foundation. New items included a large and challenging central play unit with curved slide, a four-seater seesaw, a trim trail, a spinner and a four-way springer. Chair of the Parish Council, Councillor Laurence King said: “I would like to add thanks to local business and individuals who donated funds that enabled the application to be made to the FCC. “This valuable facility is going to make a real difference to those who use it, as well as the wider Gedling community. We are very grateful to FCC Communities Foundation for providing funding as without its support we would not have been able to proceed”.
A Gedling man was jailed after assaulting multiple people and biting a police officer. Lynden Brown, 39, carried out the first assault after he became embroiled in a drunken argument outside the Greyhound Inn, in Nottingham Road, Arnold, and then punched a 44-year-old man to the ground who was trying to calm the situation. After leaving the pub following the assault, Brown then caused a disturbance at McDonald’s, in Sir John Robinson Way, Arnold, where he shouted and spat food at members of staff. And Brown continued acting aggressively when police arrived, shouting threats of violence and biting an officer three times while attempts were made to restrain him. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
Gedling borough’s very first Nando’s officially opened for business, creating 40 new jobs. Famous for its Portuguese-inspired peri-peri chicken dishes, the restaurant at Victoria Retail Park in Netherfield offers indoor dining as well as collection and delivery. The restaurant has a total of 114 covers with 20 outside.
Gedling Borough Council’s Civic Centre was lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag while Gedling’s MP, Tom Randall, said he wanted the U.K. to take the toughest measures possible against Russia after the country invaded Ukraine. The deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor Michael Payne, in a joint letter to the Ukrainian ambassador in the U.K. with the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Please know we will do all we can to support and care for our Ukrainian community here in Nottinghamshire and Nottingham at this incredibly difficult time. We stand side-by-side with the people of Ukraine and pray for the safety of those who are responding to the needs of others”.
MARCH
An outbreak of bird flu was confirmed at a popular Gedling borough tourist attraction. Nottinghamshire County Council said it was working with the DEFRA to control the outbreak at Newstead Abbey. Visitors to the Abbey were urged not to interact with wild birds after a confirmed case of avian flu at the site. A council spokesman said: “Newstead Abbey currently has positive cases of bird flu on site in wild birds. “Residents and visitors are advised not to feed wild birds and not to touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that they find. “Dog owners are also advised to keep their pets on a lead and take reasonable precautions to reduce exposure to wild waterfowl to minimise the risk of transferring the virus into bird keeping areas.
Police launched an appeal after a 77-year-old man from Burton Joyce sadly died following a road traffic collision. Police were called to a stretch of the A614, Farnsfield, following a report that two cars had crashed near the junction with Baulker Lane and Longland Lane. Bill Taylor, 77, passed away in hospital.
Gedling boxer Leigh Wood retained his WBA featherweight title after producing a brutal last-round knockout of Michael Conlan. The Gedling boxer showed amazing desire, despite suffering a cut over his eye in the fourth round, as both men traded blows in a hugely entertaining clash.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) told leaders at Priory Hospital Arnold that they must make further improvements to the quality of services following an inspection in December. CQC carried out an inspection of the hospital, which provides acute mental health services for men and women, to follow up on concerns from a previous inspection where the service was rated as inadequate and placed into special measures.
Opened in June 2021, Rivendell View care home was awarded a Band 5 rating by Nottinghamshire County Council in recognition of its ‘excellent’ standards and the high quality of care it provides to residents. The care home, located on Magenta Way in Stoke Bardolph, is a residential and dementia home. The Council carried out its first Quality Monitoring Audit at Rivendell View and found it to be either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ across all five of the standards assessed.
Pupils from Carlton Le Willows Academy in Gedling helped the new £49m Colliery Way establish roots in the local community to mark its official opening. The year seven pupils played a key part at the official opening event by planting a Major Oak sapling on site alongside Nottinghamshire County Council Chairman, Councillor Mike Quigley MBE. The planting will complement the ecological measures put in place throughout the construction of Colliery Way, previously known as the Gedling Access Road, which include 53,000 new trees, seven badger tunnels, seven bat hop-overs and six amphibian tunnels, as well as improved pedestrian and cycle links to Gedling Country Park.
A number of road improvement schemes in Gedling borough got the go ahead after Nottinghamshire County Council approved a three-year county-wide highway plan to be delivered at a cost of £47.4m. This was the first time a three-year plan of highway repair work had been created in contrast to previous annual programmes. Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Chairman of the Transport and Environment committee said: “There are 381 individual road, footway and drainage schemes planned across the county.
A dance team from Killisick Junior School in Arnold celebrated after winning the primary school section in the regional heats of The Great Big Dance Off. The Great Big Dance Off is a national dance competition, open to schools across England and Wales and brings together children of all abilities and age groups to have fun showcasing their dancing skills. The eight-strong Killisick dance team performed their dance called ‘Human’, at The Albert Hall, Nottingham.
A borough councillor for Gedling announced she was stepping down from the role with immediate effect. Jennifer Hemingway represented Gedling Ward on Gedling Borough Council, along with Labour’s Jenny Hollingsworth. Councillor Hemingway said the decision to leave her post was taken after deciding to move away from the area.
