The member of parliament for Gedling has announced he will take to Facebook Live next week to answer constituency questions.
Conservative MP Tom Randall said he will be holding the online question and answer session at 4pm on Tuesday, May 12
The recently elected MP wants to maintain contact with constituents despite the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
PICTURED: Tom Randall is the Conservative MP for Gedling
Mr Randall said: “If you’re a Gedling resident and have a question, I’ll be hosting a Facebook live Q&A session from 4pm on Tuesday May 12 to answer them”
Questions can be asked in advance on email before the live session.
The MP added: “Email me with your name, address and question to tom.randall.mp@parliament.uk by noon on Monday with the heading ‘FB Q&A’.
The Haunted Museum in Mapperley is, unsurprisingly, home to a number of spooky happenings and these are now being captured on live cameras during lockdown.
The museum on Woodborough Road is one of the borough’s top tourist attractions but has now been forced to close its doors temporarily during the UK-wide lockdown.
To help keep it operational, the venue has installed a number of HD cameras covering the most haunted parts of the museum and these are now available to watch via the attraction’s website, for a fee.
The new cameras went live yesterday and have already attracted attention from across the globe.
Museum owner Steve Wesson said he hopes the cameras will help plug the museum funding gap caused by lockdown.
The live webcam at the Haunted Museum in MapperleyPICTURED: The museum on Woodborough Road in Mapperley
He told Gedling Eye: “We had to close six weeks ago and we haven’t had any relief from anywhere and the bills are still coming in.
We thought it would be a great idea for people that visited us from around the world and people that can’t visit the museum to see what Nottingham does have to offer so we set up 12 live cameras in the museum.
“It’s been a challenge and taken nearly five weeks to complete but we are pretty much live now.”
Luke Hird threatened to hurt the officers with it if they didn’t leave before he went into his bedroom where he continued to be verbally threatening and aggressive towards them.
The officers began to negotiate with the 19-year-old to try and de-escalate the situation. Hird threw the axe down but then started throwing objects at them.
Shortly after he spat in the face of one officer and also spat at another.
After making more threats towards them one of the officers discharged their Taser and Hird was restrained.
The incident happened at Carlton Square on the night of April 13, 2020.
Hird, of no fixed address, went on to plead guilty to four counts of common assault of an emergency worker.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 6 May 2020) he was handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
It comes after other recent cases which have seen offenders being jailed for up to 12 months for spitting at key workers, including frontline police officers, during the Coronavirus outbreak.
This latest conviction and sentencing also comes after emergency services workers across Nottinghamshire came together to launch a joint video asking people to treat key workers with respect – following a spate of over 60 incidents where frontline workers have been coughed on or spat at while on the frontline of dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.
The video was recently launched on social media by doctors, nurses, paramedics, police officers, prison officers, firefighters and other frontline workers from across the county as they continue to work hard to spearhead the nationwide response to the outbreak.
DBH House (PICTURE: Gedling Eye)IMAGE: Police surround DBH House in Carlton during the incident (Used by kind permission of Sophie Mardell)
Chief Superintendent Rob Griffin, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We will not tolerate assaults on police officers and other frontline emergency workers. They should not have to suffer violence at any time and as they continue to serve the public in these challenging times.
“I find it disgusting that anyone would ever think to spit or cough at an emergency worker.
“The messages are loud and clear that anyone who commits offences of this nature can expect to be dealt with appropriately, and swiftly, and that Nottinghamshire Police and the majority of the Nottinghamshire are right behind our key workers as we work to defeat the virus together.”
Local police teams have seized eight vehicles and reported others for motoring offences as they target uninsured drivers across Gedling borough.
Those caught were hit with a £5,000 fine and six penalty points on their driving licence.
Three cars have been seized over the past two days during incidents in Carlton.
Police officers are keen to stress to the public that ‘no insurance means no car’.
Most of the vehicles were seized by Specials – a team of volunteer police officers, who hold tha same power of the law, wear the same uniform and perform the same duties as their full-time counterparts.
The specials across Gedling were recently singled out for praise by Nottinghamshire Police chiefs. In April alone, the team have already racked-up more than 1,000 hours between them – and responded to over 100 incidents and removing 12 illegal vehicles from the borough’s roads.
A vehicle seized this weekPolice seized this vehicle across the weekend
Special Sergeant Ashley Wagstaffe, who heads-up the team, said: “Many of us hold down full-time and challenging careers already, but policing allows us to give something back to the local community, and that giving back is more important than ever.
“We know how people are feeling due to the current restrictions on their day-to-day lives, but we also know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“We’re determined to help keep the borough safe during these difficult times, because we also know that some people will continue to commit crime, often exploiting the vulnerable.
“As a team, we want to be public facing and community-focused, but we’re also keen on tackling those who choose to cause misery across our neighbourhoods.
“Our message is clear: we are behind everyone in the borough but we will target and go after those who do deliberately commit criminal offences, and take any action that is necessary to bring their endeavours to an abrupt end.”
The team come from a range of backgrounds which include a Personal Trainer, a Service Manager, a business owner, policing degree students, and an engineer.
Nottinghamshire Police said the team are trained to an exceptionally high standard, which enables them to see incidents through in their entirety – from initial point of contact, through to prosecution stage, where necessary.
Angie Keyworth is a relative of The Godfrey family, who were wealthy landowners in Carlton at the turn of the last century and were responsible for building Park House. She has been covering their story in Gedling Eye.
I have recently transcribed my Great Grandpa John Godfrey’s diaries, which run from 1894 to 1919 and they are delightful.
John and Emma moved to Holly Bank, on Greenhill Rise in Carlton in 1894 and at the back of the first diary there is a list of new furniture and fixtures and fittings which they bought for the new house.
John’s diaries takes me on a journey through Carlton, family, social and world history.
John died in December 1920.
John had been a very popular figure in Carlton, serving on many committees, including the Missionary Committee, the Nottingham Sunday School Union and he was Chairman of the first School Board. Many photographs in my care, family/church/business gatherings are without a date, but I found reference to many of these events beautifully described by John in his diaries.
A typical fortnight of entries in the diary may include comments on the situation in the Boer War, a visit to the Paris Exhibition, a ride on the Trent followed by tea at Colwick Hall, the children collecting the pears from the garden, the selling of corset lace, the weather, the price of coal, corn and a pair of boots, buying of land and houses in Carlton and the Education Bill. I was enthralled and entertained.
In 1894 John was in partnership with his brother Samuel as Lace finishers, working from premises on St Mary’s Gate, next to St Mary’s Church in the Lace Market. Sadly, although many of the fine old buildings have survived, a few, including the Godfrey building have been demolished and new buildings stand in their place.
In the early 1900’s John and Samuel moved to business premises at 3 – 5 High Pavement in the Lace Market. This building thankfully is in a conservation area and is directly opposite the Pitcher and Piano Pub, the former Unitarian Chapel.
There is an alley to the side of the building which leads to the factory. I can imagine horses and carts delivering goods to the factory collected from the railway station or large lace manufacturing business’ and home workers’ nearby.
When I discovered the building, although I had always known of its existence, it was being renovated. I was able to enter the building from the side and had a look around what would have been the factory.
The photo enclosed is an old picture of the front of the building and more recent photos.
PICTURED: 3 – 5 High Pavement in the Lace Market. Top, as it is today, bottom, as it was in John Godfrey’s day
Graham Godfrey, grandson of John’s brother, Samuel Godfrey remembers 3 – 5 High Pavement well.
He said: “I knew the building well and used to visit my grandpa there. Going in by the front door on High Pavement you meet the large winding staircase that gives access to the three upper floors. There were always rolls of unfinished lace on the floor of the first floor, ideal for a young boy to play among.
“It was also used as a packing area and office. This is where my father Wilfred worked. Access to the second floor was by a large staircase situated in the centre of the room. It was there that my grandfather had his office. The top floor was occupied by three ladies who worked as finishers.”
The following is taken from a eulogy for John Godfrey which featured in the United Methodist Magazine, dated March 1921. It includes an insight to his mother and father, John and Ann Maria Godfrey. It seems John and Samuel’s parents played a large part in encouraging a good work ethic in their two boys.
On the photo of workers’ in the warehouse. Harold Godfrey is wearing the white waistcoat.
The eulogy read: “Mr Godfrey owes much to his parentage. His father was kind and gentle, reverent and devout, while his mother embodied in herself the practical, shrewd and industrious. I think of her now, at over eighty years of age, scorning the help of tram or car, in making her journeys to and from Nottingham.”
Considering that John’s mother was living at the post office in Carlton Square, it was a jolly good walk up Carlton Hill to Nottingham. One very determined great-great grandmother indeed!
John and his family moved to Park House in 1909, although they had been very happy at Holly Bank.
Part of the reason for the move was that John was getting older and he thought of owning a carriage which Holly Bank couldn’t accommodate.
There was ample room on the Park House site for two cottages, one of which was for the gardener and there was also a stable which was used for two ponies but as far as I know John never did own a carriage.
John and Emma did however take a drive out in a motor car in 1910. A diary entry read: “Emma and I had a lovely drive with Mr and Mrs J Grove today in their motor. Went to Charnwood Monastery . Farmhouse for tea home again soon after 7 o’clock, It is wonderful how far you can get in 4 hours.”
Taken from John’s diary on December 5, 1904… “I bought a field from Thomas Huckerby to be conveyed to me on 25th March 1905. A little over 5 acres.” This extract followed in March…
March 25th 1905 Took possession of the field. Put in hedge at the top.”
This is the field and orchard which was behind Park House. It appeared any man of means owned a field.
There is still a Huckerby Field near the Carlton Academy. My Mum’s maternal Grandma was a Huckerby.
There was also an aviary, a tennis court and two summer houses at Park House. Emma enjoyed taking afternoon tea in the summer houses. The house had many stained glass windows. The glass came from Vienna and tiles and mosaics came directly from Italy.
When Emma left Park House in 1929 she sold the park land for building. This is where Redland Avenue is today.
John told me in his diary of his wish to see his children and grandchildren live in the house, but it wasn’t to be.
A hospice in Mapperley has set up a new dedicated helpline offering swift support to those affected by coronavirus deaths.
GriefLine – which went live on Monday and will be fully operational from next week – will take calls from anyone affected by grief during the pandemic. A team of trained advisers will provide a supportive ear before signposting callers to other services if appropriate. Each caller will receive a guaranteed call back within two hours.
The hospice – approached to set up the GriefLine service because of their expertise and experience in bereavement support – aims to support those who have lost family or friends due to the virus or through other causes during the pandemic. It will also support healthcare workers and care home staff who have seen large numbers of deaths over a short time span.
Nottinghamshire Hospice Chief Executive Rowena Naylor-Morrell said: “There’s an unprecedented need for support due to the volume and speed of death being experienced. This is immediate support capable of responding to intense sorrow and sadness being caused by the speed of Covid-19 deaths.
“We are in extraordinary times and we are hearing daily that people are alone and can’t find help at the immediate point following death. The deaths themselves are overwhelming, for families and loved ones and for NHS colleagues and care home staff. One care home alone reported 20 deaths last weekend.
“While support may be out there, it is disparate, uncoordinated and difficult to find in the moment of grief. GriefLine will triage and connect those who need help with those able to give it.”
People phoning the helpline will only need to make one call and will receive a call back within two hours from someone from an appropriate agency or a member of Nottinghamshire Hospice’s Bereavement and Carer Support team.
“GriefLine is a rapid in the moment service to help people in that moment of crisis. Most of those using the service will then be able to move into the natural grieving cycle without further support, but those seeking extra bereavement support will be signposted to relevant services,” Rowena added.
PICTURED: Nottinghamshire Hospice
“Without our support, during this crisis, patients would have no alternative, the NHS is stretched to breaking point and relies on a network of providers to ensure bereavement support is in place for support and care in usual times. Our services prevent families experiencing extended mental health issues following a death.”
If there is concern that extreme grief which poses a threat to life, calls will be transferred to emergency mental health services or 111.
Dawn Tomlinson, of Nottingham, whose mother passed away in a care home last week, said: “Losing a parent is terribly sad at any time, but grieving at a time like this is especially hard. It was heart-breaking not to be able to see my mum in the days approaching her death. I was able to visit the day before for 15 minutes wearing head to toe PPE so I got a chance to hold her hand and say goodbye.”
Other family members said their goodbyes through the window, and one family member who lives abroad has not been able to travel to the UK during lockdown, so could only communicate via Facetime.
“There will be so many people feeling intense grief and other distressing emotions at the moment, so having a phoneline to ring with a listening ear on the other end of the phone will help people,” Dawn added.
Nottinghamshire Hospice was approached to set up the helpline because of its track record in supporting families through terminal illness and death. They have compiled a directory of organisations to refer people to ranging from Age UK Silverline, the Children’s Bereavement Centre to Wellness in Mind and the Samaritans. Also on the list are faith groups and the Nottinghamshire Coronavirus Community Support hub.
Mr Andrew Taylor, Consultant Trauma Orthopaedic Surgeon at Nottingham’s Queens Medical Centre, said the Grief Line would be a welcome resource for members of the public and healthcare workers alike.
“A single point of contact for people to go to when they are experiencing any type of grief as a result of the pandemic will be helpful to many people who are confused about where to turn. Nottinghamshire Hospice are experienced in grief and bereavement support so are well placed to offer this service.”
Mr Taylor, himself on the mend after contracting Coronavirus last month, added: “Several of our team are now seconded to the Covid-19 wards. I know they are finding it difficult. Caring for patients who are so unwell, many of whom will not survive their illness, can be extremely stressful.”
GriefLine is currently staffed from 7am to 10pm but due to be a 24-hour service from next week. The number to call is 0800 1114451
Police have carried out two warrants in Bestwood to tackle drugs supply.
The enforcement action took place in Aidan Gardens today (5 May) as part of Nottinghamshire Police’s ongoing commitment to tackling the production and supply of drugs across the county.
As this footage shows, a large police presence arrived in the area to carry out the warrants on two addresses in the same street. Tactical support vans and police cars arrived in the area before officers visited the houses.
Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for the area, Chris Pearson, said: “I hope activity like this shows that for us, it’s business as usual and we’re still getting stuck in to proactive police work despite the lockdown.
“If anything, people who are dealing drugs are standing out more at the moment – and we’re doing what we can to put them out of business.
“The community is wanting to tell us more and more about drugs supply. It’s a priority for local people and it’s information that we always act on, whether that’s straight away or we have to do work behind the scenes first.
“Drugs are often the root of other crimes and so the impact they have on an area can be huge. That’s why Nottinghamshire Police is committed to tackling drugs supply and work like today’s warrants is continuing during the coronavirus outbreak.
“I urge local people to continue to tell us about their concerns and pass on any information they may have about drug dealing in their area. I can assure you that something will be done about it.”
No one was arrested as a result of the warrants but a substance was seized for testing.
Nottinghamshire Police’s Neighbourhood Team for Gedling, Operational Support and Neighbourhood Search Units were all involved in the enforcement action.
One of the largest development projects in Nottinghamshire is set for a significant infrastructure boost next week, as £3 million is expected to be committed to upgrade surrounding roads.
The Top Wighay Farm development just to the north of Hucknall – and west of Linby – is expected to take up to nine years to complete.
It is hoped to create up to 1,000 jobs with around 800 homes, and a new ‘neighbourhood centre’ complete with a new school and possibly a medical centre.
In the words of Councillor Chris Barnfather who represents Newstead on the county council, said the project had “been on the horizon for many, many years”.
However significant upgrades were needed to the infrastructure around the development in order to make it commercially viable.
Now, regional development agency D2N2 is expected to commit a further £3 million towards the project.
At a meeting next week (Monday, May 11) the D2N2 Investment Board is likely to add its financial backing to the scheme, which already has the backing of Homes England and Nottinghamshire County Council.
A D2N2 report on the funding states: “The Top Wighay Farm site is located just north west of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire and has been allocated for housing and employment development since 2005.
“Several attempts have been made to bring this forward but the private sector has failed to deliver the site due to the infrastructure requirements.
PICTURED: Farmland will be used for the new development outside Linby
“The site is currently posed to bring forward the accelerated delivery of 805 new homes as part of a sustainable urban extension.
“Alongside housing provision, the site will encompass employment space, a primary school, a local centre and surrounding areas of open space.
“The site requires major highway and utility infrastructure, these include:
“The expansion of a roundabout on the A611/Annesley Road to accommodate traffic requirements to access the site.
A new signal-controlled junction to manage traffic flow and support the pedestrian cycle access.
A new three metre wide shared use footway and cycleway along the A611 for flexible and environmentally friendly public access to the site.
“The overall cost of the works is £10.3m, £5.8m has already been confirmed by Homes England.
“A precondition of the Homes England funding is that the public sector fills the remaining funding gap which is the basis of the application for D2N2 funding.”
Should the D2N2 funding be approved on Monday, the rest of the £10.3 million needed for the infrastructure upgrade will come from £1.5 million from Nottinghamshire County Council.
D2N2 has also given an update on the expected time table for works – which are to be carried out by Balfour Beatty, but warned that all dates are likely to be impacted by covid-19 restrictions.
It says currently the plan is to complete the infrastructure by March next year, and for work to start on the housing development in December 2021, with practical completion of the whole site by September 2029.
Councillor Jenny Hollingsworth is the portfolio holder for growth and regeneration at Gedling Borough Council, and represents the Gedling ward for Labour.
She said: “We welcome the news from D2N2 that they will be providing funding to the developers, Nottinghamshire County Council, for this site, to create the infrastructure needed for such a large development.
This list contains only the roadworks considered to be most likely to cause delays on key routes as well as those involving road closures and temporary traffic lights.
The list is not exhaustive and does not feature some minor or emergency repairs that come up after publication. Other roadworks may finish or start before schedule or be cancelled altogether.
All information from Highways England, local authorities and utility companies.
GEDLING
A612 Trent Valley Road
May 11 – December 20
Delays likely due to diversion route
A6211 Burton Road
May 11 – December 20
Delays likely due to road closure from its junction with the A612 to the bus turning circle
Stoke Lane
May 9 — 10 May
Delays likely due to road closure during level crossing testing. Hours of works 23.00pm – 6.00am
Labour Party members in Trent Valley have been putting their time on lockdown to good use by manufacturing protective visors for NHS workers in Gedling borough.
Trent Valley branch members have created a pop-up workshop to create the protective visors which are being given out for free to medical and front-line care workers who work or live within the area of Burton Joyce, Stoke Bardolph and parts of Gedling.
The first few masks have now been shipped and now the volunteers are hoping more people on the frontline will apply to receive one.
Branch member and Burton Joyce resident Lee Garland said the group were pleased they could play a small part in protecting frontline workers during the coronavirus crisis.
He said: “We were very keen to attempt to produce PPE, specifically visors, within the branch if we could.
“A laser cutter and the materials were purchased, which were funded by branch members and we are now in a position to supply visors free of charge, on a hyper-local basis to medical and front-line care workers who live or work within Trent Valley.
The first batch of visors have been sent out
This video shows the laser cutter in action
“Whilst we would love to extend the offer further, due to the voluntary and restricted method of production we want to assess local demand in the first instance.
“This is very much a cottage industry effort rather than commercial production, so we don’t want to over-promise, but feel able to supply those locally who are dealing either with no alternative supply or need to bridge gaps in official deliveries.
“We have been able to make our first supply via the practice nurse of a village surgery and have several requests within minutes of sharing the link to our online order form. We aim to deliver these as soon as possible this week.
He added: “It is not anything like the scale of the amazing efforts the Wilkins Group for instance have been producing, but we wanted to play our own small part in protecting our amazing frontline workers too.”
All production takes place in a sterilised area with the operator wearing a facemask and disposable gloves.
The design itself was created by Nottingham Hackspace who have shared their design online so that micro-production by volunteers around the country and beyond can be carried out by anyone with a laser cutter. They also have a visor design for 3D printing, and fabric patterns for face masks and medical scrubs.
Data entered will only be used to organise delivery of the visors; contact information is seen by one person organising the production and delivery, and then deleted.
