Retired and semi-retired residents in Calverton will soon have a new University of the Third Age (U3A).
Following a successful recent launch event, at which around 100 people voted to form the Calverton & District U3A, the inaugural meeting will take place at the recently opened Calverton Village Hall (Park Road, Calverton NG14 6LE) on Wednesday, July 24, at 1.30pm.
The U3A is a great opportunity to enjoy a new hobby or skill, enjoy great speakers, have fun, and meet lots of new friends.
Special interest groups can be as diverse as walking, ukulele playing, art, dining out, theatre visits, science, dancing, learning a language, craft work –it all depends on what the members decide to set up!
The motto of the U3A is “Learn, Laugh and Live” so why not come along and find out more?
If you wish to join the U3A and pay your annual subscription at this event, please bring along cash or your cheque-book as the branch are not yet able to take card payments.
For further information email mhdkad@gmail.com or call 0115 9652376
Abellio UK take over the franchise from Stagecoach on August 18 and it will become East Midlands Railway (EMR).
The franchise is due to last until 2027 with possible extensions. However you won’t notice any changes for a while, and many of the train service alterations will not be introduced until 2021.
So here is a summary of what is planned:
1) An 80% increase in the number of seats into Nottingham, Lincoln and St. Pancras in the morning peak.
2) A trial of hydrogen fuel cell trains on Midland Main Line.
3) A C16.8 million station improvements fund, including 6 stations with zero emissions.
4) Nottingham to Skegness. Additional peak services between Grantham and Nottingham and early morning and later evening Nottingham to Boston services. Enhanced all year Sunday service and refurbished modern trains.
5) 2 trains per hour between Nottingham and Newark Castle for a longer period each day. 2 Lincoln to St. Pancras and return trains per day.
6) A new Nottingham to Grimsby service, with some continuing to Cleethorpes.
7) New Sunday services from Nottingham to Worksop, Lincoln and Doncaster (direct), and the Lincoln to Grimsby service will operate all year.
8) Ticket purchasing facilities will be introduced at all stations, and flexipass tickets will be available for regular passengers who travel less than 5 days per week.
9) Derby to Crewe services will be extended to Nottingham, and I have heard that they will continue to Newark in place of the Matlock trains – which is not so good.
10) The Norwich to Liverpool service will be split at Nottingham, with trains from Norwich continuing to Derby, and possibly Matlock.
11) All trains will be replaced by new or refurbished stock between 2020 and December 2022. At the end of 2019 the single class 153 units will be withdrawn to be replaced by 156 (2-car) units cascaded from East Anglia, so the end of 1 coach trains.
12) Extra cycle spaces. Perhaps Carlton will finally have cycle spaces. There is more, but I have tried to list what affects us.
Carlton Station news
The flowers in the station garden have this year been sponsored by Netherfield Eco Action Team (NEAT) who are keen to promote greener methods of transport, and hope the flowers will brighten up the station. NEAT hold plant stalls in Netherfield, and in the past have had a cotton bag campaign.
They are keen to help the environment and provide help and support to those who wish to make changes to this end. They would love to hear your views and ideas how NEAT could be a hub of green change in our area. They have a facebook page – Netherfield Eco Action Team (NEAT) – please drop by and leave them a message.
I did a couple of early morning visits on Tuesday May 14 and Wednesday 15 and saw all nine trains between 06.01 and 09.05.
On 14, there were 99 passengers (87 on and 12 off) and on 15, 109 (97 on and 12 off). This compares with Wednesday, May 9, 2018 when I saw 99 (85 on and 14 off). So not much change.
Very few come to work in our area as there are no direct trains from the Derby direction until 08.58, and no trains for people who start work at 08.00. Some off-peak trains have good numbers, with 24 joining the 09.05 on Wednesday, June 5. I also saw 19 adults and 5 children joining the 10.07 Matlock on Saturday, May 11. A couple of Thursdays I noticed 23 off the 16.55 Newark.
Nearly every week now the 11.24 Saturday Carlton to Leicester is crowded, so if possible use the 11.08 and change at Nottingham for Leicester.
Local timetables are available in the Waiting Room Coffee shop, which is now open opposite the station. Travelling in the Nottingham direction and you can pick up a drink (be eco-friendly and provide your own container) and wait there until the level crossing barriers come down for your train. 8.30am to 3pm weekdays and 9am to 1pm Saturdays.
No trains for three days at Carlton
On Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, August 24-26, the railway crossing at Newark, where the Nottingham to Lincoln line crosses the East Coast Main Line, is being renewed. This means a replacement bus service between Nottingham and Newark and Nottingham and Lincoln.
Buses for stations to Newark will call at the No. 44 bus stop on Victoria Road (Gedling direction), and for Nottingham at the stop opposite Garnet Street (Colwick direction). Journeys will be extended and times are available on line, with poster timetables on the station nearer the time.
Netherfield Station news
On Thursday, May 14, 26 passengers (17 on and 9 off) used the three morning trains. 26 again on May 15 (16 on and 10 off). On Wednesday, 9, it was 28 (15 on and 13 off), so not much change. However the 08.33 Liverpool now has more joining, quite often in double figures and on Wednesday, June 19 a record 28 joined. Unfortunately this was the day a tree was on the line at Newark and the 08.08 Matlock was cancelled, so for many the 08.33 is their plan B.
As you will see, we should get more trains at Netherfield from 2021, with extra trains planned on the Nottingham to Grantham line, as per the franchise commitment.
It pays to talk
Recent research has shown that people who talk to strangers on buses and trains, find it gives a boost to their wellbeing. Of course the other person has to be communicative, but you can soon tell when you open up a conversation, usually about the weather, if the other person wishes to continue. So give it a try, I can vouch for it! Years ago Central Trains encouraged passengers to talk to each other.
One Saturday a lady got off the 09.55 from Nottingham and asked directions to Carlton Square. An hour later she reappeared to catch the 11.08 back to Nottingham. “I’ve been to look at a flat I have bought”, she said, which seemed to be to her satisfaction. “I’m now returning to London I thought that moving from London to Carlton would be quite a difference.” I pointed out all the advantages of the area. However she had actually bought the flat to rent out, so I was able to give her information useful to whoever rents the flat from her. Just one of many conversations I strike up in my role of Station Adopter.
I think my ‘job’ will be secure, as the new franchisee has promised to extend Station Adoption. So if you want to join us, now is the time.
ACCESS MAP: A new “Access Map” for passengers with mobility issues has been published so they can obtain information about accessibility at stations – accessmap.nationalrail.co.uk —–
WALKWAY CLOSED: The walkway from Lister Gate to Collin Street through the Broad Marsh shopping Centre will be closed overnight from 19.00 to 07.00 for work on the redevelopment of the Centre. Alternative route via Maid Marian Way, so allow extra time if walking to the station
NO DEATHS: 2018 was the 11th consecutive year during which no passenger was killed in a derailment or train collision on the national rail network
DERWENT LINE: A new Derwent Valley Line Activity Book is available, which also gives walking trails from each station. I have copies, whilst stocks last.
RAIL HUB: a £2bn Midlands Rail Hub project has been announced to cut journey times between the East and West Midlands. Nottingham to Birmingham to be 59 minutes and a new Nottingham to Coventry via Leicester service in 63 minutes. Planned to be completed in stages between 2026 and 2033. Midlands Connect has submitted the business case to the Dept. for Transport and requested £25m to bring the project to the outline business case.
A body has been recovered following a house fire in Arnold.
Emergency services were called just after 8pm this evening (July 1) to reports of a house fire in Merton Close.
A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “The house and two adjoining properties were evacuated as fire crews tackled the blaze which was extinguished.
“Sadly a body was recovered from the property.
“Next of kin have been informed.
“The formal identification process is yet to have taken place and enquiries are ongoing.”
A joint Fire and Police investigation is now taking place to establish the cause of the fire.
If you have any information please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 907 of 1 July 2019.
In August 2018, I wrote an article for the Gedling Eye in which I explained why so much more could be done to address the problem of litter across Gedling Borough, which has become such a blight on our streets, parks and open spaces.
In the 10 short months since I wrote that article so much has changed.
Gedling Borough Council has positively reached out to a number of local voluntary community groups and established effective partnerships with them, which focus on a shared goal of decreasing the unacceptable levels of litter across the Borough.
The Borough Council’s commitment to these groups has been enshrined within its Gedling Plan 2019 / 20, with an undertaking to promote and support community ‘clean-up’ initiatives.
My own group, the Willow Farm Action Group, has removed 117 bin bags of litter and large amounts of other rubbish from the area of Gedling that is bordered by Lambley Lane, Arnold Lane and Wood Lane. That is 117 bags of litter and rubbish that would still be laying where it was discarded, had it not been for the efforts of our volunteers who are, after all, simply local residents who have pride in the area in which they live.
In Carlton, Kate and Anthony Carver – Smith have established the Carlton Community Street Cleaners. This dynamic group of volunteers have come together and established a network of local residents, who have adopted a number of streets within Carlton and are out most weeks cleaning up the litter dropped by others. They are also engaging with local businesses to seek and encourage their support in reducing the amount of litter in the area.
To their credit, Gedling Borough Council have responded
positively to this tide of enthusiastic volunteers by establishing a Steering
Group, chaired by their Chief Executive Karen Bradford and the leader of the
Council, Councillor John Clarke, to coordinate the efforts of the Borough
Council and the community groups, thereby ensuring that a close partnership is
maintained. This partnership will continue to evolve in the coming months, but
has the potential to make a huge difference to the places in which we live.
A cake found dumped on WIllow Lane back in May (IMAGE: Philip Oddie)
As an example of what can be achieved, In March this year, the Gedling Big Spring Clean event resulted in five tonnes of rubbish being removed by volunteers and council staff.
This initiative was directly supported by Karen Bradford, Cllr John Clark and other Borough councillors, who turned out to support community groups in their activities on the day. It was a great success and it will be repeated in the next few months.
So, you may ask, is this the solution to the problem of
litter across the Borough? It is not!
Week after week community volunteers and Borough Council staff are investing time and effort to pick-up the litter deliberately dropped by others. It is a never-ending battle.
In truth, we should not need a Borough Council to spend large amounts of taxpayers money or volunteers to give up hundreds of hours of their time to collect the rubbish discarded by selfish, arrogant and irresponsible people who routinely throw their litter onto our streets and parks and then expect someone else to pick it up.
Imagine what your local area would look like if no one picked up this discarded litter.
We are, of course, frustrated by the attitude of others, because
it is so easily remedied if these people simply changed their behaviour and
placed their litter in a bin!
To illustrate the problem we face, on May 26 this year I was out collecting litter when I found a large bin bag full of food cartons, boxes and a the remains of a birthday cake dumped on Willow Lane, Gedling.
A 23rd birthday celebration had taken place and the resultant rubbish, instead of being placed in a bin, was simply discarded on the Lane, without a thought for the environment or local residents. Celebrating a 23rd birthday is to mark a special occasion BUT why did it have to end with such an irresponsible act?
It seems that we now accept the discarding of litter on our
streets as ‘normal’ and ‘to be expected’; but why? Why do we not strive to make
this socially unacceptable? In the face of this decline in standards of behaviour,
we can all make a difference if, with
determination, effort and a refusal to
accept the ‘inevitability’ of litter, we encourage, educate and demand
improvements in behaviour from those who are responsible for blighting the
areas in which we live and work.
Clearly, the solution for this problem rests with those that
discard the litter and not with the voluntary groups or, indeed, the Borough
Council, who collect it.
A woman who made a daring escape from the Nazis eighty years
ago has been honoured today by people in the town that welcomed her as a
refugee.
Eve Leadbeater was one of the many Jewish children who made
it onto kindertransport trains destined for London so they wouldn’t perish at
the hands of the Nazis.
She landed at Liverpool Lime Street station on July 1, 1939,
all alone after making her solo escape across Europe.
Eve was greeted that day by teacher Minnie Simmonds, who would
create a new home for her in the town of Netherfield.
Her brother, Tomy, was due to make the same trip days later,
but his train was cancelled. He and the rest of the family were instead sent to
Auschwitz and would never be seen again.
Eve was one of the lucky ones.
Now, on the eightieth anniversary of her arrival in
Netherfield, people from the town came out in force to recognise her bravery
and also the work she has done since to highlight the plight of child refugees.
PICTURED: Minnie Simmonds, Eve’s foster mother who brought her to Netherfield
During the event, held at St George’s Centre, Gedling MP Vernon
Coaker presented the 88-year-old with a framed picture of a new kindertransport
memorial which has been installed at Liverpool Lime Street to remember those
who managed to complete the journey to London.
Eve told people gathered at the centre she hopes other
children fleeing war will now be helped by the Government. Last year she went to Number 10 with other
migrants to call on Teresa May to take in more child refugees.
She said: ‘’I was given a chance in life because the British
government allowed me in and I was offered a refuge here. I now hope more
unaccompanied child refugees nowadays could be given a similar chance.”
PICTURED: Eve Leadbeater, aged eight
Mr Coaker expressed his admiration for the Netherfield pensioner
during the event.
He said: “Eve was only eight years old when she travelled
unaccompanied on Kindertransport to a country where she hardly knew the
language.
“I personally feel that this day should never be forgotten,
not only locally, but nationally and internationally. She left behind her home
and family in order to escape the atrocities of the Holocaust, atrocities that
her family were not able to escape from.
“We should all pay our respects and remember all those
people that suffered, that were tortured and killed during the Holocaust. There
should be no place for prejudice and hate in society today. Eve’s history
should be a lesson to us all.
“We should celebrate the amazing Eve Leadbeater and her
compassion, her kindness, her strength and her intelligence.
“Eve has a continued relentless drive in her work, standing up for those suffering from persecution and hate, including refugees and asylum seekers.
He added: “Eve’s work has crossed many borders, locally, nationally and internationally. I am proud and honoured to call Eve a friend and it is only right that we celebrate this remarkable woman on such a pertinent day in history. Eve has not forgotten her history and neither should we’
Mobile phone customers in Gedling borough can now switch
providers using a single text under new rules which have come into force.
To switch suppliers, customers currently have to ring their
mobile phone provider to obtain a PAC code – something watchdog Ofcom thinks
puts people off from leaving.
It’s during these calls that customers often find themselves
dealing with unwanted attempts by the companies to persuade them to stay.
But now, those wanting to switch can text “PAC” to 65075 to
begin the process.
Their existing mobile phone provider will then respond to
the text within a minute
The customer is then sent their switching code (PAC), which
will be valid for 30 days
Ofcom say the provider’s reply must also include important
information about any early termination charges or pay-as-you-go credit
balances. There may be early termination fees if you leave before the notice
period of your existing contract.
The customer then gives the code to their new provider, and
their new company will the be responsible for arranging the switch within one
working day.
While most people want to keep their mobile number when they
switch, about one in six do not. These customers can text “STAC” to
75075 to request a “service termination authorisation code”.
Ofcom says the new text-to-switch process will make it
quicker and easier for people to leave their mobile company.
It will also give them control over how much contact they
have with the firm.
Ernest Doku, mobile expert at uSwitch.com called the move ‘a step in the right direction’.
For too many mobile phone customers the process of switching
to a different network can be difficult and frustrating, especially if they
want to keep their existing phone number.
“Disappointingly, people who are out of contract are
overpaying by nearly £100 a year on their current deal, in many cases still
paying for a handset that has long been paid off. And this doesn’t take into
account that there are likely to be deals existing with more data for less
money since they last took out a new contract.
“By ensuring that a consumer doesn’t have to call their
provider to tell them they want to leave, the hassle of switching has now been
reduced, and with potential savings available for millions of customers,
comparing what offers are available on the market should make this an absolute
no-brainer.
“With end-of-contract notifications also on the horizon, and
set to arrive in early 2020, mobile users will now find it easier than ever to
change to a better deal, with Text to Switch making that process even simpler.
“However, while this
will certainly help, these measures do not go far enough. In the energy and
financial services sectors, the switching process is handled entirely by the
new provider, but phone users will still have to do the legwork themselves,
even if it is now easier.
An app now being rolled out by Nottinghamshire Police could help officers reach people in isolated parts of Gedling borough quicker.
The app, what3words, divides the world into a grid of three-metre squares, which are converted from co-ordinators into a three-word address.
It is hoped the app will make it easier and quicker for people across Gedling borough to share a precise location in an emergency, helping police better serve their rural communities.
The solution can be particularly effective for emergencies in rural locations like farms, fields or wooded areas where it can be complex, imprecise and difficult to communicate location without any addresses or points of reference nearby. And even in a well-addressed town or city, the person in distress may not be familiar with their surroundings, or able to share a location with accuracy.
Superintendent Paul Burrows, from Nottinghamshire Police’s Contact Management department, said: “If you didn’t know where you were you might turn to your phone to try and locate yourself via a pin on a map – but imagine trying to describe your pin to someone over a 999 call.
“In these moments, emergency services are forced to waste precious time and resources just trying to locate the person in need of help. At best, this can be frustrating, and at worst waste crucial minutes that are the difference between life and death.
“Now, in an emergency where a location is difficult to describe, callers are able to give their 3 word address from the what3words app.”
“We are moving away from the old style questioning – ‘Where have you come from?’, ‘Where are you going?’, ‘What can you see?’
“These questions take time and aren’t always that accurate. Asking for a 3 word address has meant we have saved valuable time locating incidents.
“The Control Room staff that have used what3words for an emergency call, have said how easy it is, and they were able to find the location a lot quicker than they previously would have.”
Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words, added: “Being in need of urgent help and not being able to easily describe where you are can be very distressing for the person involved and a really difficult situation for emergency services. Today people nearly always have their phone on them.
“We need to use the tools at our disposal to improve public services and potentially save lives. Just as you may have your In Case of Emergency contacts set up on your phone, we encourage everyone to download the app to make sure they are ready to quickly share accurate location information, should the worst happen.
“It’s free, it’s simple to use, and one day it might make sure you get the help you need, when you need it.
“We are continuing to work with emergency services across the country to get what3words enabled in their control rooms and to encourage the public to understand how to find and share their 3 word address so that they can be found quickly when they need it most.
“It’s been incredible to see UK police forces embrace technology to respond effectively and quickly to people in need.”
Officers will be seen dealing with a commercial burglary in Carlton during the series finale of TV hit Cops UK:Bodycam Squad.
Viewers will also see PC Karl Browne and PCSO Casey Ellis called to a collision in Sneinton after members of the public stopped a suspected drink driver from leaving the scene.
Fans favourite PC Keith Parkes is also back in action after a suspicious vehicle catches his eye.
The action-packed episode will also see PCs Dan Mottishaw and Anna Parkin in pursuit of a car which later rams into their vehicle before colliding with a concrete barrier.
Make sure you don’t miss the final episode of the series by tuning in at 9pm on Monday (July 1, 2019) on the Really channel (on Sky 142 or Freeview 17).
Police are warning residents in an area of Woodthorpe to be vigilant following a spate of overnight burglaries.
Officers from Nottinghamshire Police said there have been a number of burglaries or attempted burglaries reported over the past few days in the Woodthorpe area.
A spokesman said: “The burglaries have occurred overnight, most occurring in the early hours of the morning.
“Please can we ensure that properties are secured overnight and doors locked with keys removed from the door.
“If you have any questions regarding security please don’t hesitate to private to call 101 for advice.”
Nottinghamshire Police are being reminded to review their home security measures by taking the following precautions:
Close and lock all doors and windows even if you are only going out for a few minutes.
Leave a light on if it will be dark before you get home. Consider security lights. To a burglar, a dark house is an empty house.
Keep your valuables out of sight.
Don’t leave car keys near your door, letterbox or windows.
Always check who is at the door. Not sure? Don’t open the door.
Set your alarm when going out. If you do not have an alarm, consider installing one.
Always keep sheds and outbuildings locked and secure ladders.
A woman from Netherfield has documented the heartbreaking journey she went on following her mother’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease.
Dawn Fanshawe has written a book called ‘Lost Down Memory Lane’ to share her story and help others who may find now themselves in a similar situation.
Dawn cared for her mother at home after she was diagnosed with the disease.
Sadly, Avril, passed away in 2011.
Gedling Eye has been given permission to run an extract from the book which is available now and it’s published below…
Yesterday Mum did so well with the new regime: the clothes were left out in the right order (as discussed with the Occupational Therapist) and down she came – all dressed and smiling.
(She hadn’t managed to change the underwear, so we’ll have to address that some other way. Donning clean stuff before bed is unconventional to me, but should work well enough) I felt so pleased. ‘Breakfast Mammy?’
In the evening we tried another of the O.T.’s suggestions: I gave her a long broom and asked her to sweep the kitchen. She seemed happy and, after I moved precariously balanced potential disasters, I left her to it, to do my exercises before Simon returned.
Mammy had swept the floor and there was a satisfying pile of debris to show for it. Full of praise, I issued her with a dustpan and, with lots of direction, she managed to finish the job. Success number 2.
The cover to the new book by Dawn Fanshawe, which is available now.
Then she forgets and moans, “Can I do anything?” (I wish she wouldn’t phrase it like that.) “I’m just hanging about again!”
“Conor is watching TV; I suppose you could find the sitting room and join him.” I suggested.
She found him this time.
But this is a new day. A screen of long hair sways behind another screen of cereal boxes: the boy is shoveling his way through a bucket-full of breakfast. The boy is Josh, my oldest son. He is 12 years old and enormous. He doesn’t have the same people-skills as others, but he is talented, clever and lovely. He has Asperger’s’ Syndrome, but it’s not always obvious. They call him ‘The Tree’ at school. He’s a handsome, hairy, 5’ 10”, size 11 shoe, hormonal, a ‘GREB’, apparently.
Conor is stirring, but he’ll have to go to school alone today, now Simon is working out of the house. Conor is 10 years old and an entertaining charmer. Simon now has a job at the Science Park, just a stone’s throw from Gibbons Street, where the mechanics’ yard used to be that my Dad and Grandad owned.
On automatic pilot I open the dishwasher to begin the ritual of emptying and making the lunches.
It’s ‘Broad Glade Day Centre’ today and they collect anytime between 8.30 and 9am. ‘The Broad Glade Day Centre’ is a recently built Residential Care home and Day Centre, just a twenty minute walk from our house. Mum is taken there by minibus on Thursdays and Fridays, but she doesn’t like to go. I cannot leave Mum in the house alone and I need a break from her sometimes.
I’d better see how she’s doing with the dressing today.
“There you are at last!” she sighs with that inimitable ‘hard-done-to’ tone. “I wondered where you were. It was a long night.”
“Mammy, why didn’t you get up and get dressed? We left all your clean clothes there for you to put on when you got up; – like you did yesterday. You did really well yesterday!”
“But you didn’t come. I was waiting for you. And nobody came. So I went back to bed.”
“Remember the Occupational Therapist? You want to be independent with getting yourself up and dressed in the morning, so you don’t have to wait for anyone. Yesterday you did it really well. Here are your clothes for today… I’m making sandwiches; you get these clothes on and come down for breakfast. OK?”
Grump. Sulk. She’s not happy. But I’m not going to let anyone get to me today.
Josh is late – why do children hate wearing waterproofs? I suppose Josh loves the rain and can’t see what’s wrong with wearing it all day. And Conor just likes to be stubborn and contrary.
Mum’s not down yet, so I’ll intervene.
Good, the nightie is off, but the top is inside out and she looks upset.
“Shall I put that the right way round, Mammy? It’s a bit tricky like that!” We’ll try teamwork today. I’ll leave her to don her slip-on shoes independently and I’ll put the landing light on.
“I’ll go and make your breakfast, Mammy. Come down when the shoes are on.”
Conor is very cuddly this morning; he’s been good and got dressed, shoes on and hair brushed.
“Conor, when Nana comes down, go and greet her, cos. she’s a bit grumpy this morning!”
“Morning Nana?” he beams, sidling up and giving her a warm hug.
Conor is so good with her. He’s a bit cheeky, but he gives her so much time – mutually beneficial of course, as he needs an audience and she needs entertaining. It couldn’t have been better really.
