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Your local voice for Gedling borough since 2015
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Vandals have targeted one of the horse statues outside Colwick Racecourse.
One of the statues was attacked with white paint; the other two statues were left untouched.
It’s not known when the attack took place.
Nottingham City Council were quick to react and a member of their cleaning team was called to the scene this morning to clean up the damage.
The popular statues were installed on the roundabout back in 2018 during works to improve Daleside Road.
For listeners to the BBC Home Service in the late 1940s, the sound of the BBC Show in the late 1940s the sound of the BBC Show Band playing the popular tunes at the time were a nightly pleasure. The leader of this band was Cyril Stapleton.
Stapleton was born in Mapperley at the start of the First World War on December 31, 1914.
At the age of seven, Cyril started to study the violin and by 12 he had made the first of many broadcasts on the radio. This first transmission to feature Stapleton was on 5NG, the local Nottingham Radio Station and the youngster soon became a firm favourite with the BBC and regularly performed from their studios in Birmingham.
Cyril’s talent was quickly recognised and he travelled to Czechoslovakia to study under the famous violin teacher Otakar Sevcik.
Returning to England as a teenager, he found employment playing in the ‘Pit Orchestras’ of local Nottingham cinemas.
In 1931, aged 17, Cyril won a scholarship to Trinity College of Music and started his band career proper when he joined Henry Hall’s Dance Band while still at college. He can be heard on recordings of the BBC broadcasts made by this band at this time and on old 78” records made by Henry Hall in 1932.
Shortly after this brush with fame, Cyril returned to Nottingham and again worked in the cinema orchestras, but he was soon back in demand and joined the Jack Payne Orchestra when it toured South Africa. Records made by the Payne Orchestra in 1936 featured Cyril’s playing.
Stapleton left Jack Payne just before the Second World War to form his own band in London, appearing in local clubs and in 1939, the band debuted on the BBC.
During the war, Cyril served in the RAF as an Air Gunner. He was also in the RAF Symphony Orchestra.
After leaving the RAF he continued to pursue a classical career playing with three symphony orchestras.
In 1947, he reformed his own band and started broadcasts on the BBC again.
In 1952 Cyril became the conductor of the BBC Show Band and appeared in some of the earliest TV transmissions. The band attracted top visiting stars including Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. At this stage in his career, Cyril Stapleton was now a household name.
Cyril and the band appeared in the 1955 film Just for You as well as having chart hits in 1956 and 1957 with the Italian Theme and the Children’s Marching Song.
When the BBC Show Band was disbanded in 1957, Stapleton again formed his own band and toured all over the country, playing to packed houses during throughout the 1950s and 60s.
Touring took its toll and in 1965 he became Artists and Repertoire Manager for Pye Records. However, he soon missed the band life and reformed his band, yet again, and they continuing to tour until the 1970’s.
Cyril died suddenly on February 28, 1974 aged only 59, leaving a wife Sheila and three children and a long musical legacy.
Chase farm, on the outskirts of Gedling, is currently one of the largest developments anywhere in the county.
But building the multi-million pound development has been complicated, and the progress of the whole site has, from the start, depended on the Gedling Access Road.
We’ve put together all you could need to know about the development, and what’s happening there over the coming months and years.
Eventually there’ll be 1,050 – and outline planning permission has been granted for all of those.
However this depends on the completion of the new Gedling Access Road (more below).
Currently, detailed plans have been approved for the first 506 houses – just under half of the total.
A separate application has also been granted for an additional 46 new homes immediately next to the new development.
About 20 percent – 180 have so far been built by developers Keepmoat.
From the start, this development has hinged on the Gedling Access Road.
Developers aren’t allowed to build all of them until the new road is finished.
There is currently a cap of 315 homes, but developers have asked that this cap be lifted, in light of work on the GAR starting.
Keepmoat Homes has planned the development in three phases:
The A6211 between Mapperley Plains and Colwick Loop Road in Gedling has been subject to an increasing amount of traffic and is one of the most heavily used roads in the region, carrying over 15,000 vehicles a day.
The GAR will provide a safer, less congested and faster route for this through traffic.
The existing route will remain to provide a quieter route for local traffic, buses, cyclists and pedestrians.
Upon completion of the GAR, the new road will become the A6211, and the existing route will be declassified, save for Colwick Loop Road which will be reclassified as a ‘B’ class road.
Of the 506 homes which have permission, 36 are expected to be built using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
This essentially means large parts of them will be built off site, and then they’ll be transported on the back of lorries and loaded onto concrete bases.
These require minimal finishing and connection to services before they can be lived in.
Already six have been built, out of the 180 total houses already constructed.
The long-term plan is for business units, as well as a drive-through eatery and a pub/restaurant.
A primary school and community centre have also been mooted.
Gedling Borough Council has granted outline planning permission for business units and a pub/restaurant, subject to the applicant entering into a legal agreement.
The timescale for the submission of the building plans is currently unknown.
However the units cannot however be brought into use until the completion of the Gedling Access Road (GAR) as this is needed to access the land.
A new pedestrian crossing has already been installed outside the site to help new residents safely cross the road and it is understood that the speed limit on Arnold Lane will be reduced to 30mph by the Highways Authority, Nottinghamshire County Council.
The GAR, which will serve the Chase Farm development, is expected to be completed next summer.
Keepmoat say all phases of the development will be finished by 2035.
There will be connectivity between the Keepmoat development and Gedling Country Park.
To construct the new road a small proportion of Gedling Country Park will be required. This land will however be replaced with a larger area of neighbouring land. The country park will therefore increase in size as a result of the scheme.
The GAR includes provision for several access points for pedestrians and cyclists along the south-west of the country park including from the Keepmoat development and Lambley Lane Recreation Ground.
The simple answer is yes. Homes currently for sale start at £239,995, and range up to £299,995.
Councillor Jenny Hollingsworth is the portfolio holder for growth and regeneration at Gedling Borough Council, and represents the Gedling ward for Labour.
She said: “The Chase Farm development is one of the biggest and most ambitious sites we’ve had in the borough and will provide much needed housing but also new business and employment opportunities too.
“We have worked very closely with the developers to ensure it has met the criteria set out in the local plan and we will continue to work with them to make sure the development complies with our planning regulations.
“The site has also benefited from the construction of the Gedling Access Road which we are very proud to have been able to finally bring forward and it is now underway and being built by Nottinghamshire County Council.
“This site along with several others in the borough has helped ensure we are achieving the objectives set out in our Gedling Plan – to deliver key housing sites, develop additional housing across the borough as well as support business growth and create jobs.”
Colwick-born boxer Carl Froch wants to come out of retirement to take on old rival Joe Calzaghe later this year.
The 42-year-old, who first began training at Phoenix ABC in Carlton, is keen to get back in the ring despite hanging up his gloves back in 2015 and has now challenged Calzaghe to a bout later this year, reports MailOnline
Froch said he always fancied fighting the Welshman during his career, but the champion had always ignored his repeated requests for a fight.
The prized fighter said he now has the bug for a bout with his rival after being approached by his former promoter Eddie Hearn regarding a virtual press conference during the coronavirus lockdown.
Froch explained on his ‘Froch on Fighting’ Podcast: “Eddie Hearn sends me a message saying, ‘I’m doing some virtual press conferences, I’m thinking about getting you and Calzaghe on.’
“I thought, ‘He’s probably not gonna get Calzaghe on, he probably won’t fancy it.’
“I said to him, ‘Forget the virtual one, we’ll do the press conference, but if we can get him out of retirement, I fancy a bit of that.’
“I’ve always said I’ll come out of retirement for the right dance partner. Obviously I’m not gonna jump in there with a current world champion who’s been active, but someone like Joe Calzaghe, I mean, I’m not being funny.
“I don’t wanna be horrible or disrespectful in any way, but it’s gonna sound like I am, even though I’m not, but have you seen the state of him?
So if he agreed to give me a fight, to come out of retirement, because of my cheek, and because of the way I’m speaking about him, then I’d definitely fancy a bit of that.
“But he ain’t gonna wanna come out because he knows he’d get absolutely flattened, because I’m in good shape.”
Froch, who now works as a pundit, has a record of 33 wins in 35 fights with 24 victories by knockout while Calzaghe went through his career undefeated with 46 wins and 32 knockouts.
The outside of the Gedling Borough Council’s Humanitarian Centre in Carlton will be lit up blue as part of the nation’s recognition of our NHS staff and key workers who are working on the front line in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.
A 20ft banner thanking the NHS staff and key workers will be displayed on the side of the Richard Herrod Centre, Carton and it will be lit up blue on Thursday evening at 8pm to coincide with the national ‘clap for carers’ campaign.
The Richard Herrod Centre has been transformed into a Giving for Gedling Humanitarian Centre and ‘super food bank’ distribution point as part of the council’s response to the outbreak. Council staff have been co-ordinating food parcel deliveries from the centre for residents who are vulnerable and elderly. They have also been collecting food to distribute to the local food banks.
The council has now raised over £23,000 in just six days and all of the money is going to local food banks who are struggling with an increase in demand and a reduction in supplies. The council has also pledged a further £20,000 to go towards the purchase of food from local suppliers to be distributed to food banks from the humanitarian centre. At the outset of the Coronavirus outbreak the council provided all of the local food banks with a £2,000 donation each to help with their efforts.
The Leader and Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council will be at the centre on Thursday evening to take part in the clap for the NHS, carers and key workers, next to the building whilst ensuring they are adhering to the social distancing guidance set out by the government.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke and Deputy Leader, Councillor Michael Payne said in a joint statement:
“We want to show our appreciation to the incredibly brave efforts of our NHS staff, careers and all key workers including our own council staff. We will be lighting up our Humanitarian Centre blue on Thursday evening and clapping, alongside millions of people across the UK, to say thank you to everyone who is working on the front line and saving lives every day.
We are immensely proud of the work our staff have being doing over the last few weeks and we are also proud of our residents who have donated to our Giving for Gedling Food Bank Appeal and helped us raise over £23,000 in less than a week.”
Gedling MP Tom Randall is urging people across the borough not to break lockdown rules as the Easter holidays get underway.
In a message to Gedling Eye readers, Mr Randall said: “As we look towards the coming Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, I would like to reiterate the Government’s message of ‘Stay home, Protect the NHS, Save lives’.
“I know it will be tempting to meet up with friends and family as we normally would, but it is so important that we don’t mix with others outside of our own households and only leave our homes for essential shopping or daily exercise.
“As well as helping to slow the spread of coronavirus, this will mean less pressure on our police, who are currently experiencing higher callouts to reports of antisocial behaviour.
The MP for Gedling also thanked local emergency services who are working so hard to keep us safe at this very uncertain time.
He also paid tribute to the work of local volunteer groups, under the umbrella of the Giving for Gedling network, who are helping the elderly and vulnerable across our communities.
Mr Randall said “It is so important that we can rely on our emergency services at this time and I thank all those across Gedling who are working so hard to keep us safe. I am also heartened by the response to Giving for Gedling by people who want to help their neighbours through local isolation support groups.
“I wish all Gedling residents a very Happy Easter”.
I have often wondered what sparked my interest in computers: was it the engineer in me or was it genetic in some way?
In the 1920s my grandfather, like me, was into the latest technology of the time and in his case, it was radio.
Radio was a new thing back in the 1920s. Sets were expensive but you could buy a set of earphones and build yourself a crystal set, as they were called, and be able to tune in to the local transmissions. Magazines published instructions on how to put them together and my grandfather decided to take on the challenge of constructing a set. He was in his element with bits of wire, coils and the like taking over my grandmother kitchen.
In 1924, a new radio station transmitting from Nottingham went on the air. It was called 5NG and its studio was situated at 4, Bridlesmith Gate in the city. The building, which still exists today, was once the Dog and Bear pub.
This station was part of the new British Broadcasting Company and became the 16th local station to be opened around the country. 5NG was added to the service on September 16, 1924 and became Nottingham’s first local radio station transmitting from a single studio measuring 18′ by 35′ . This was fitted with a single microphone and the music was provided by a gramophone .
A second microphone had been provided by the BBC exclusively for use during the new outside broadcasts, with concerts and other events now being broadcast from venues around the city and the local villages. The Albert Hall in Nottingham was one of these, being used for concerts.
By 1926, the station was well established and more events from outside the studio were being considered. This boosted the audiences attending these shows and concerts as they all wanted to hear themselves on the radio and see this strange new media at work.
On Thursday, April 8, 1926 a musical play , the first of its type, was broadcast by the Nottingham station 5NG.
The play was called “Cupid The Pilot” and the details were listed at the time in the Radio Times as follows:
It featured local artists Miss L A Mumford as the Hon. Beryl Hermitage and Mr A.B Cragg as The Inventor. The show’s writer A.D Sykes played The Sheik.
Other parts were played by Mr J Henry, P Stansby, R Fenson, J Shelton, A.S Barnes, J.H Krause, and F Bunney. They were joined by Miss B Willamson, I Lees, J Mayfield, W Wells, A Herrod and Mrs E Weeley.
The music being provided by Billy Merrin and his orchestra.
William “Billy” Merrin was a local Nottingham band leader and Music Hall star.
This outside broadcast was transmitted live in front of an audience and all recorded using a single microphone.
Strangely, the venue for this ground-breaking work was not the 5NG studio or even the Nottingham Albert Hall, but none other than Burton Joyce Village Hall.
The local audience understandably packed the hall for the occasion as this was a major event in the Village. They came not only be entertained but to see this strange new medium, Radio, in operation. According to the report of the proceeding in the Nottingham Post, all present “received the rendition with great enthusiasm and applause”.
Why this particular venue was chosen for this ground-breaking work when theatres and cinemas abounded in the area is unknown. Burton Joyce can at least claim however to have been in the forefront of the latest in technology and entertainment of the day. This all for a short while in the 1920s at least, before returning to a more usual sedate condition. All of this a forerunner of things yet to come and the beginning years later of the present Radio Nottingham. Things often in history go full circle.
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of possession with intent to supply after drugs were found during a search of his vehicle.
Operation Reacher officers were on patrol on Sunday (April 5) near Ravenshead when they spotted a vehicle acting suspiciously around Longdale Lane.
Officers had seen a male near a van who then went running off into the woods.
A bit of perseverance paid off when officers saw the same van being driven north along the A614. The van was stopped and searched during which a package of drugs was found hidden behind one of the panels and the driver was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs.
A spokesman said: “The driver was also suspected of being under the influence of drugs when he was driving but refused a blood test at the Police station so has been charged with failing to provide a specimen.”
Businesses across Gedling borough can now access the government’s financial support package by visiting the council’s website and verifying their details.
Gedling Borough Council has begun paying out up to £18 million of grants as part of the Government’s financial support package following national restrictions imposed to reduce the spread of Coronavirus.
Businesses need to visit www.gedling.gov.uk/businessgrants and fill out a quick form that verifies their status and allows the council to send payments.
Businesses applying will need to have their business rates account number and a copy of their bank statement. They will also need to know the name of the business exactly as it appears on their business rates bill.
In March, the Government announced that grants of £10,000 and £25,000 would be made available to eligible businesses, with around 1,200 businesses in Gedling in line for the £10,000 grant and around 180 businesses qualifying for the £25,000 grant.
The grants available include:
In addition to these grants, the Government is providing a 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery businesses in England, which will benefit many businesses across Gedling Borough. The Council is processing this automatically and sending out revised bills, meaning businesses do not need to do anything.
Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor Michael Payne said;
“We are now able to begin making these much needed payments to business affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. It has taken a huge effort from our staff to be able to create the system in order to be able to ensure the correct payments are made and as quickly as possible. We appreciate everyone’s patience and we hope this can help our local businesses, who are the heart of our local economy, to be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
We are also offering a range of other measures including help with business rates, rental holidays and more which are all available to view at www.gedling.gov.uk/coronavirus.”
Pub companies are being urged to help secure the future of for our borough’s best-loved boozers by scrapping rents for local landlords during the coronavirus crisis.
A number of our local pubs now face an uncertain future with many of the big pubcos only agreeing to suspend rent during the crisis that will then be collected when business resumes – something landlords say they can’t afford if they aren’t trading.
Beer campaigners CAMRA are now calling for rent to be scrapped completely during the period of closure to give our pubs a fighting chance for survival when the government allows them to reopen their doors.
The industry regulator The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) , which regulates companies that own 500 or more tenanted pubs in England and Wales, has also contacted the pubcos this week asking for more to be done.
The PCA said: “The Covid-19 emergency creates a threat to the livelihoods of tied tenants.
“Those tenants will need the support of their pub companies if they are to survive in their pubs and to return to profitability once the crisis has passed.”
CAMRA told Gedling Eye that so far, only Admiral Taverns have cancelled rent for their tenants.
They said that Ei Group, Punch, Greene King and Star Pubs and Bars have suspended rent collection but have not cancelled rents.
Marstons have said they are suspending rent collection on a case by case basis
CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona today praised the PCA for putting pressure on the pubcos.
“This is a timely and encouraging intervention from the Pubs Code Adjudicator,” he said.
“From the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, CAMRA has called on pub companies to do the right thing and cancel rents. Admiral Taverns, and other smaller pub companies, have listened to tenants and pub–goers and have cancelled rent for their tenants.
“The rest of the big six pubcos should be following Admiral’s example. Deferring rent collection simply isn’t enough – the pub industry is facing unprecedented challenges and the survival of the trade as we know it is at stake.
“Pub companies pushed for the industry standard model that rents are based on turnover. As we have consistently pointed out, this means that closed pubs should not be having any rent levied on them at this time. Pubcos cannot have it both ways, and Ei Group, Punch, Greene King, Star and Marstons need to follow Admiral’s example immediately and cancel rent.”
Beccy Webster, who is landlady of the Black’s Head and Elwes Arms pubs in Carlton and the Gedling Inn said she feared for the future of her businesses if an agreement isn’t reached.
She said: “Both pub companies I deal with have suspended payments for now but the thought that I may owe in excess of 60,000 if we are closed for 12 weeks is frightening and I just won’t be able to sustain my business if they still want the full total.
“I understand they have a business to run as well so I’m hoping some agreement is made so that the local pubs are able to survive.
Drinkers across Gedling borough are now being urged to help pile pressure on the big pubcos by sending a letter calling for rent to be scrapped instead of suspended. An easy letter template has been created by CAMRA and can be found HERE
CAMRA National Director Ben Wilkinson is hoping people from across the borough will back the campaign.
He said: “When all this is over, lots of us are looking forward to getting to the pub for a pint with friends and family. As CAMRA members, we stand ready to support our locals once again – but we need to make sure that pubs survive this crisis, so they can re-open and thrive in the months and years ahead.
“That’s why thousands of our members will be making their voices heard to pub company bosses who haven’t yet done the right thing and cancelled rent payments for pub tenants.
“With publicans still being charged rent despite being forced to stay closed to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus, we fear for the future of many pubs and for the livelihoods of those tenants affected.”
Gedling Eye contacted the pubcos for comment about the rent claims.
Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs & Bars told Gedling Eye: “We are and will continue to do as much as we can to help our pubs. In addition to the Government’s support and grants to help cover rent, salaries and other fixed costs, Star Pubs & Bars has also suspended the collection of rent and associated charges from our leased and tenanted pubs until at least the end of April.
“We are working around the clock during this unprecedented situation. We know the support we provide on a pub by pub basis over the coming weeks will have a significant bearing on the future sustainability of our licensees’ businesses – and clearly we want to see our pubs thrive in the long-term.”
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