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RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is back – here’s how people in Gedling borough can take part

Twitchers, nature lovers and families across Gedling borough are being urged to watch and count the birds this weekend.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ (RSPB) is holding its nationwide Big Garden Birdwatch – the world’s largest garden wildlife survey – from January 27 to 29, to provide a snapshot of how garden birds are faring across the country.

In total more than 11million birds were counted last year by almost 700,000 people.

With birds now facing so many challenges due to the climate emergency, the RSPB is calling on Gedling borough residents to spend one hour watching and recording the birds that land in their garden, balcony or local park, and then send their results to the charity.

Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s chief executive, said: “The birds we see in our gardens, from our balconies, and in our parks, are a lively, colourful and endlessly fascinating part of all our lives, offering a real connection to the natural world.

“By taking part in the Birdwatch you, and hundreds of thousands like you, play an important role in helping us understand how UK birds are doing.

“With birds now facing so many challenges due to the nature and climate emergency, every count matters.

“Whatever you see – one blackbird, 20 sparrows or no birds at all – it all counts. It helps us build that vital overall picture of how our garden birds are faring from one year to the next.”

Registration for Big Garden Birdwatch 2023 is now open.

For a free Big Garden Birdwatch guide – which includes a bird identification chart, top tips for birdwatching, an RSPB shop voucher, and advice on how to attract wildlife to your garden, visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch or text BIRD to 70030.

MATCH REPORT: Eastwood Community 0 – 4 Carlton Town

FRIENDLY

January 21, 2023

Carlton Town gave themselves a confidence boost with a 4-0 friendly win at Eastwood Community.

Both sides saw their scheduled league games fall victim to frozen pitches in the morning so after a couple of phone calls a friendly was arranged on Eastwood’s artificial pitch.  There was a first appearance for recent Carlton signing Jude Brittain while two of the Carlton Town squad, Louis Czerwak and Ryan Tait, featured for the Red Badgers.

After an even opening period Jonny White put the Millers ahead on 37 minutes with a superb strike.  Lewis Durow did well down the left before feeding Tyler Blake.  He squared to White who hit a left foot drive into the top corner from 20 yards.

Five minutes later Blake doubled Carlton’s lead when he ran onto a Nat Watson through ball and slotted the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs and into the net.

Richard Stainsby was called on to make one decent save but the Carlton defence generally kept Eastwood at bay.

In the second half the Millers were in complete control.  Alex Howes extended the lead with 14 minutes remaining when he rifled into the corner of the net from the right hand side of the penalty area.

Six minutes from time Khyle Sargent wrapped up the win when he followed up his own shot that had hit the post to tap in.

Carlton Town: R Stainsby, J White (D Freeman 46), L Durow (N Hylton 46), L Gorman, D Brown,  J Brittain (J Holmes 46), N Watson, K Dixon (K Sargent 46), B Wells (K Dixon 62), T Blake (K Tomlin 73), K Tomlin (A Howes 46).

Goals: J White 37, T Blake 42, A Howes 76, K Sargent 84

Police concern over man missing from Mapperley

Police are appealing for help in finding a man who has gone missing from Mapperley.

There are concerns about the safety of 35-year-old Nicholas Wallace after he was reported missing from the Mapperley area on Saturday (21)

Nicholas is described as slim build, 6 foot 1 with a shaved head, wearing black framed glasses.

He was last seen wearing a ¾ length wool coat

A police spokesman said: “If you have seen Nicholas or know where he might be, please call us on 101, quoting incident number 271 of 21 January 2023.

“You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Bringing cake into the office as ‘harmful as passive smoking’

Britain’s top food watchdog chief is warning that bringing cake into the office could be as harmful to workmates in the same way as passive smoking.

Chairwoman of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Professor Susan Jebb, is urging doctors to be more willing to discuss a patient’s weight and offer dietary help, saying it was bad for the nation’s health that medical professionals “mostly ignore it”.

The professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford spoke personally and not on behalf of the agency, in which she argued that while the two issues were not identical, passive smoking inflicted harm on others “and exactly the same is true of food”.

Just over a third of adults are overweight in the UK, while a quarter (25%) are obese, according to obesity statistics from the UK parliament. By the time they start school, a fifth of children are already overweight, with most people in Britain now too heavy by the age of 25.

Speaking to The Times, Susan Jebb said that it was not enough to rely on the “extraordinary efforts” of personal willpower needed to avoid overeating in a society that is constantly advertising junk food.

She said: “With smoking, after a very long time, we have got to a place where we understand that individuals have to make some effort but that we can make their efforts more successful by having a supportive environment. But we still don’t feel like that about food.”

Jebb urged medical professionals to warn patients when they needed to lose weight and offer them help in doing so.

“If a doctor comes across somebody with high blood pressure, they would feel, culturally, by training, by guidelines, by practice, that they must offer this patient treatment for their high blood pressure and explain to them why it was important,” she said.

“At the moment, if a doctor comes across a patient who is overweight, they mostly ignore it. The status in medicine comes from treating rare diseases with very expensive medicine and technology, and obesity isn’t either of those.

The problem, she said, was to change a “culture in which people, health professionals, doctors, and particularly the sort of powerbrokers in the system, are pretty reluctant to go there.”

She added: “We can change that. We’ve changed it with smoking. It took a very long time.”

Professor Jebb then reflected on her comments and the research, emphasising that comments were made in a ‘personal capacity.’

“I want to make it very clear that the views expressed in The Times article are not those of the FSA Board nor do they reflect current or planned FSA policy in any way whatsoever,” she said.

“As The Times article points out I made the comments in a personal capacity and any representation of them as the current position or policy of the FSA is misleading and inaccurate.”

The news comes as Tesco has partnered with a raft of retailers and suppliers to call on the government to take “meaningful” action to cut childhood obesity, after a series of backtracks on public health commitments.

Gedling MP Tom Randall calls for ‘brownfield-first’ approach to new house building

Gedling MP Tom Randall has urged local councils to adopt a ‘brownfield-first’ approach to house building in a bid to protect the greenbelt from developers.

Following the publication of the State of Brownfield Report, Gedling Member of Parliament, Tom Randall, met its author Paul Miner from the Council for the Protection of Rural England to discuss the report and the opportunities for more brownfield development. 

Mr Randall MP said: “Our green spaces are precious and once they have been built on, they are gone forever. That is why I join with residents in wanting to ensure that our beautiful Green Belt and green spaces surrounding Gedling are protected from housing. It is also important that any new housing is built on brownfield sites and the design of new houses match the surroundings. This is exactly what the Government’s new laws, that I have voted in favour of, will deliver.”

“Brownfield land is land which has been previously developed that is not currently in use. Brownfield land for 1.2 million homes is currently lying dormant and more than half a million homes on brownfield with planning permission are waiting to be built.

“There are 23,000 brownfield sites identified by local Councils that await development. These sites must be prioritised over our precious Green Belt and green spaces.”

In December 2022, the Government announced that new laws will be introduced that remove housing targets for Councils, making them advisory.

Green Belt protections will also be strengthened as part of the Government’s ‘Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill’, with new guidance setting out that local Councils are not required to review Green Belt to deliver homes.

Speaking in Westminster after the meeting Tom Randall MP said: “A consultation is now taking place, following December’s announcement on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. I look forward to working alongside colleagues in Parliament, through a new All-Party Parliamentary Group, to share the views of our residents with the Secretary of State and Ministers.”

Locally, Gedling Borough Council are responsible for decisions relating to house building and planning.

Back in December, Mr Randall joined with local councillors Sam Smith and Councillor Mike Adams to call for green belt land at Stoke Bardolph to be protected from future development. Gedling Borough Council eventually removed the land from the consultation.

The Government has now invited local councils to bid for a share of £60 million from the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2, which will help to bring neglected urban areas back into use, support regeneration projects and boost local economies.

Following this announcement, Tom Randall MP said: “This is another part of the Conservative Government’s plan to prioritise brownfield land for new housing, transforming underused sites into places where people want to live and work, while protecting our cherished green spaces. Should they be eligible for the funding, I encourage Gedling Borough Council to apply for it.”

Charity appeal for donations to help pay for refurbishment of steps at Netherfield Lagoons

A charity that manages a nature reserve at Netherfield is appealing for donations to help pay for the refurbishment of stairs at the popular site.

Gedling Conservation Trust, who run Netherfield Lagoons, launched the appeal on their Facebook page.

They hope to raise enough funds to replace stairs near the Ouse Dyke entrance to the site.

Netherfield_Lagoons

The Trust posted: “Those of you who visit the site may have noticed that both sets of steps require refurbishment.

“Ideally, we would like to replace them all using recycled plastic boards which require no maintenance and are sustainable (similar material to the benches at the site).

“Not only do the steps currently look unsightly, they are clearly a safety concern. It’s really important to us that the lagoons are safely accessible for everyone so we would like to start work as soon as possible.

“We are seeking donations, big or small, to help with the cost of this work.”

The Trust, which relies on public support to carry out work at the Lagoons, estimate that it will cost around £850 to replace the stairs.

Those wanting to donate can make a payment online via the following link: https://www.gedlingconservationtrust.org/support-us/ 

Arnold couple tie the knot at Nottingham hospital after devastating leukaemia diagnosis

An Arnold couple who had been together 20 years have tied the knot in a ceremony at a Nottingham hospital after one of them was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Mick and Nicola Cutforth exchanged their vows at Nottingham City Hospital in an emotional ceremony before family and close friends.

Staff from Toghill Ward and Hayward House joined forces to decorate Hayward House’s hall for the ceremony.

The wedding took place at Nottingham City Hospital

Mick, a driver for T&S Heating, was admitted to hospital with breathlessness last month but was diagnosed with leukaemia and given the devastating news that his condition was terminal.

Mick and Nicola, of Arnold, have five children between them: Nicola’s are Joshua and Charlotte and Mick’s are Luke, Scott and Lindsey, who made their wedding cake.

“It was better than any of us could have imagined!” said nurse Megan Kearney, who cared for Mick on Toghill.

“There were lots of happy tears and grateful hearts – all made possible by the staff in the NHS pulling together to support their patients.

“It was a privilege to be able to make Mick’s wish come true and a real honour to be able to be part of such a special occasion.”

The couple chose Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You for their wedding song, as it perfectly captured their feelings for each other.

“The staff that organised and supported the wedding have been amazing,” said the new Mrs Cutforth. “It wouldn’t have been such a special day without them – I can’t thank them enough.”

History of Bestwood, Newstead and Calverton covered in new Notts audio walks series

Villages in Gedling borough are to feature in a series of new audio walks designed to give residents and visitors a guided tour of settlements near Sherwood Forest.

Sherwood Voices is a series of six audio walks written and directed by local performer Andy Barrett.

Episodes feature personal stories, experiences, and points of view from people who live in areas near Sherwood Forest.

Calverton-sign
Calverton is featured in the new series

The walks will be available to download and stream from the start of National Storytelling Week on Saturday, January 28.

The walks have been created through hours of conversation with people from across the Sherwood Forest area. Alongside storytellers, listeners will hear from shepherds, anglers, undertakers, park rangers, vicars, schoolchildren, and many others.

The location of each walk spans across Bestwood, Calverton, Clipstone, Edwinstowe, Newstead and Ollerton; each with their own story to tell.

The walks respond to the sights and sounds that visitors will come across on their journey, and delve into the past, the present and something of the future of their location.

Sherwood Voices is led by Excavate and supported by Inspire, Miner2Major, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England.

Presenter Andy Barrett said: “The recent experience of lockdown has made us all realise the importance of our local landscape as a place to walk and explore.

“These audio tours build on this as well as exploring what has been, over the past thirty years or so, a period of profound change for the area. Sherwood Voices digs into this change; exploring the past and present culture of the area, and in doing so reveals how we all make sense of the places in which we live”.

Steve Little, Scheme Manager of Miner2Major, said: “Sherwood Forest is steeped in history with many tales to tell. Thanks to National Lottery players Sherwood Voices brings to life local stories and connections to this wonderful area told by the people who live here”.

Peter Gaw, INSPIRE, Chief Executive commented; “Sherwood Voices is an exciting storytelling project that invites listeners to discover the rich heritage of Sherwood Forest through the unique stories and perspectives of the people that live there. Whether it’s rediscovering one’s own backyard or uncovering new sights, this project promises to inspire exploration. At Inspire Libraries, we are proud to support this project, as we believe that heritage plays an essential role in learning and education”.

The full audio walks will be available to download and stream for free from January 28 on the Inspire website.

You can access the Sherwood Voices booklet online or pick up a copy at RSPB Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre in Edwinstowe, Dynamo Café in Bestwood, Calverton and Clipstone Libraries, Lifespring Church in Ollerton, The Welfare Community Centre in Newstead and Nottingham Tourism and Travel Centre in Nottingham city centre.

Call the team at Ask Inspire for any further guidance about accessing maps and mp3 players on 01623 677 200.

Steve’s Bar in Carlton Square announces temporary closure plan

A bar in Carlton Square has announced it will be temporarily closed until early April while owners focus on a new venue they recently opened in Mapperley.

Steve’s Bar owner Stephen Charles made the announcement about the temporary closure of his Carlton Square venue on their social media channels.

The bar will shut its doors on Saturday, January 21 until April 1.

He posted: “Time and staff resources are limited since transforming the former ‘Tipsy Ts’ bar in Mapperley to ‘Steve’s Bar’ and running both is just not possible at the moment.

“January is a tough month financially for everyone, businesses included.”

“By the time April comes, the better weather will have arrived, Steve’s Bar Mapperley will be sorted and we will have more time.”

Mr Charles recently took over the former Tipsy T’s building, which has now been transformed into a new Steve’s Bar venue and is proving popular with Mapperley locals. It has become renowned for its live music offering.

Steve's Bar Carlton Square
PICTURED: Steve’s Bar owner Stephen Charles behind the bar at the venue in Carlton Square

Steve’s Bar, Carlton Square first opened it’s doors on June 26, 2021.

The Carlton Square venue is currently on the market however Stephen and co-owner Andrew have promised to re-open Steve’s Bar, Carlton Square on April 1, if not sold by then

The owners thanked everyone who has supported them so far.

Sainsbury’s in Arnold to lose Lloyds Pharmacy as closure announced

Lloyds Pharmacy located within the Sainsbury’s store in Arnold is to close, it has been announced.

The company is shutting all of its 237 in-store branches this year in response to changing market conditions which potentially puts more than 2,000 jobs at risk.

Individual branches will be put up for sale and the company said it was “working with colleagues potentially affected by the changes and has underlined its commitment to support them through the process”. It did not say how many roles could be affected.

The move comes just eight years after Lloyds Pharmacy bought the pharmacy network for £125 million and less than a year after the chain was bought by Aurelius.

Kevin Birch, chief executive of Lloyds Pharmacy, has said: “This decision has not been an easy one and we understand that our patients and customers may have questions about how the change will affect them

“We would like to thank them for their continued support and assure them that we are committed to providing a smooth transition over the coming months.”

The closure of Lloyds Pharmacy at Sainsbury’s means the nearest branch for Arnold residents will be on Mansfield Road in Sherwood.