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Netherfield war veterans to pay visit to National Memorial Arboretum to mark anniversary of D-Day landings

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Netherfield war veterans to pay visit to National Memorial Arboretum to mark anniversary of D-Day landings

A group of war veterans from Netherfield will be among a group of 50 embarking on a trip to the National Memorial Arboretum on Wednesday (May 22) to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Nottinghamshire County Council is organising the visit as part of its Veterans Together scheme, where groups of veterans aged over 65 meet around the county to socialise and take part in activities and commemorative projects.

Since the scheme was launched in June 2017, projects have included photography, gardening and cookery sessions. One of the four groups currently running is based in Netherfeild.

The National Memorial Arboretum is a 150-acre site which acts as a place of remembrance which is administered by the Royal British Legion to honour this country’s fallen.

 Cllr Keith Girling, armed forces champion at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The Veterans Together Network is an excellent project which brings older veterans together and helps to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

 “The trip to the National Memorial Arboretum will be a fantastic way for the veterans to commemorate the anniversary of the D-Day landings, which takes place in June, and share their own memories from their time in the armed forces.”

The cost of the visit is being funded by the NCC and breakfast and lunch are included.

 You can also find out more about the Veterans Together scheme by visiting: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/supporting-armed-forces or phoning 0300 500 80 80.

REVIEW: Fairport Convention at Lowdham Village Hall

Gedling Eye Reporter
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REVIEW: Fairport Convention at Lowdham Village Hall

Another spring, another Warthog Promotion’s Fairport Convention gig.

The Lowdham leg of the band’s spring tour has now become a tradition. That said, the band have enviable canon, which, largely thanks to Chris Leslie’s song writing, is constantly growing. Thus, each Lowdham visit provides a different menu.

For this show the stage was bedecked with banners for Fairport’s annual music festival, the Cropredy Convention, in August and for Dave Pegg’s recently released memoir, Off the Pegg. Fiddle player Ric Sanders jokingly remarked, ‘The kind of book that once you put it down it’s hard to pick up again!’

One audience member pointed out that he had bought an LP, The History of Fairport Convention (perhaps a premature title!) in the mid-70s and by that time there had been dozens of members of the band. The current line-up of Leslie (multi-instrumentalist and vocals), Pegg (bass and vocals), Simon Nicol (guitar and vocals), Sanders (fiddle) and Gerry Conway (drums and percussion) has been stable fixture for some decades, however. For this gig Conway had pared back his normal drum set up to a synthesised drum, Cajon and a variety of percussion instruments.

Newer songs included Shuffle and Go, about an Oxford Teddy Boy, DIY themed Devil’s Work, and Moondust and Solitude. Leslie confided that as a boy he had an interest in the Apollo missions and Moondust had formed from his vision of astronaut Michael Collins orbiting the moon whilst Armstrong and Aldrin made their landing. Leslie also introduced My Love is in America a story of a young, courting Irish couple who both left their home country to find work. He to England and her to America. Written from the man’s perspective, it is a story unresolved. ‘I’ll leave you to make up your minds how it ends,’ challenged Leslie.

Nicol shared that they always aim to play something from the seminal Liege and Lief album. To this end, the atmospheric Crazy Man Michael made a welcome return to the set, as did Ralph McTell’s Girl from The Hiring Fair, much to the delight of Mike Hoare, chief Warthog. The rest of the repertoire spanned the Fairport career with mentions of folk luminaries such as Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick, Sandy Denny and Julie Matthews.

Mid show, Sanders delivered a short stand up comedy interlude featuring one-liners on stair lifts, Donald Trump and funerals. Tim Vine would have been proud! At the end of his stint Sanders introduced Jonah’s Oak, an instrumental which celebrates a famous tree in the Cropredy field with plaques in memory of folks who had associations with Cropredy. There are ashes of some spread beneath the Oak.

‘This is our now legendary 19 verse but two chord finish,’ announced Nicol, before launching into Matty Groves. An encore of Thompson’s Meet on the Ledge in memory of passed friends broth the evening to a close.

‘We’ll hopefully see you again next year,’ was Fairport’s comment. I’m sure we will.

Six Sikh ceremonial swords stolen during burglary in Mapperley

Gedling Eye Reporter
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A family have been left ‘distraught’ after six Sikh ceremonial swords were stolen from their home in Mapperley.

Police are now appealing for witnesses and information following the house burglary in Kenrick Road, between May 3, 2019 2.30pm and May 6, 2019 10pm.

The kirpans stolen in Mapperley

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Six kirpans (Sikh ceremonial small swords) have been stolen which has left the victim distraught as the items have a significant meaning to the family.

“A kirpan is a small sword or dagger originating from the subcontinent, carried by Sikhs.

They added: “It forms part of the religious commandment given by Guru Gibind Singh in 1699 in which he demanded that Sikhs must wear the five articles of faith at all times. The kirpan being one of the 5Ks.

If you have any information please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 888 of 6 May 2019.

Police appeal after theft of mountain bike on Carlton Hill

Gedling Eye
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Police appeal after theft of mountain bike on Carlton Hill

Police are appealing for witnesses and information following a robbery of a mountain bike on Carlton Hill.

The incident happened at 5.55pm on May 12, 2019 in the lower car park of Tesco.

Tesco-Carlton
PICTURED: Tesco on Carlton Hill

The mountain bike is a black Carrera Vengeance mountain bike with white details, they include the name of the victims name on the rear left triangle and a silver coloured peace sign sticker on the stem.

There are also black and white plastic spoke covers on both wheels.

Anyone with any information is urged to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 636 of 12 May 2019 of 12 May 2019, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Teenager to appear in court after being found in possession of knife in Arnold

Gedling Eye
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Teenager to appear in court after being found in possession of knife in Arnold

An 18-year old man from Mapperley is due to appear in court on Monday, following an incident in Arnold last night (May 17).

Nottinghamshire Police say they were called at around 8.30pm yesterday to a report of a man in possession of a knife outside a residential address in Stanhope Crescent, Arnold.

Officers attended the scene and arrested a 18-year old man in connection with the incident. A knife was also recovered nearby by officers at the scene.

Jadon Carnelly-Morris, 18, of Sandford Road, Mapperley, was charged with possession of a knife and a public order offence. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday, May 20. 2019.

REED POND NATURE RESERVE: MP calls on wildlife group to keep site in Lambley open to the public

Gedling Eye Reporter
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REED POND NATURE RESERVE: MP calls on wildlife group to keep site in Lambley open to the public

A local MP is calling on a wildlife group to reconsider plans to sell off Reed Pond nature reserve in Lambley.

Last week Gedling Eye revealed Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust are planning to auction off the site due to lack of funds to maintain its upkeep.

The site is a popular beauty spot and also home to wildlife, including birds and fish.

The decision sparked outrage in the local community, with residents criticising the Trust, who were given the land by previous owners the Burks family to keep it in public use.

MP for Sherwood, Mark Spencer has now raised concerns about plans to sell off the nature reserve, which lies in his constituency.

He also revealed that the Trust are planning to auction off the Osmanthorp Orchard nature reserve in Edingley – also in the Sherwood constituency.

Reeds Pond Nature Reserve (PICTURE: David Hallam-Jones)

The Trust have said that both sites would be sold off through an auction process.

Mr Spencer said he is now lobbying the Trust to keep both sites open.

He said: “I have been contacted by many residents over the last couple of weeks regarding these two fabulous natures reserves which are currently owned by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. It is regrettable that NWT are to have the two sites valued and then sold through an auction.”

“I am reassured that Reed Pond in particular is not for development and that NWT are assuring me that they want the sites to stay in use for public enjoyment.

“I am disappointed that NWT have chosen to sell these two sites and the feeling of dismay and concern amongst residents of Lambley and Edingley just shows that nature reserves are there for the people to use and enjoy and therefore it may be possible to think about getting ‘community bids’ together and of course all Parish Councils are on-board and aware of the situation.”

Mark Spencer MP

The MP is now advised local residents to get in touch with both him and the Wildlife Trust to let them know their feelings on the proposed sell off of the nature reserves.

He added: “I am liaising with NWT and local Parish Councils and will keep constituents up to date via press releases and social media.”

Last week a spokesman for Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust said the decision had been ‘difficult’

He said: “Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust can confirm that we have advised Lambley Parish Council of our decision to offer the land adjacent to Reed Pond House Lambley for sale.

“This very difficult decision has been made because we need to prioritise our commitments and generate additional funds to ensure our work across the county remains sustainable.

“We recognise this decision has caused considerable concern locally but claims that we are selling the land to developers are misleading. The land is not being sold as a development site.

He added: “No date has been set for the sale and we expect to have further dialogue with the Parish Council next week.

“We hope to find a solution whereby the site’s wildlife interest can be retained, but we do need to sell the land.”

  • Should the land be sold for auction? What can be done to keep it open? Let us know in the comments section below.

Newstead and Woodborough share the spoils in Tour of Britain ‘best dressed village’ contest

Emily Sanchez
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Two villages have shared the spoils in a competition rewarding those that transformed their communities in celebration of last year’s Tour of Britain event.

Newstead and Woodborough have been named as joint winners of the competition organised by Nottinghamshire County Council.

Both villages this week were presented with unique signposts honouring their victories.

Cllr Sue Saddington, met with local residents and parish council members from both villages during her final week as the Council’s Chairman to present the award.

She said: “The ‘best dressed village’ signposts are a legacy to these villages’ roles in making the Tour of Britain a real spectacle when it came to the County last year.

PICTURED: Newstead residents are pictured with their signpost outside The Pit micro pub

Residents in villages and towns across the county embraced the international sporting event and put up miles of bunting, flags, decorative yellow bikes and creative displays to welcome some of the world’s top cyclists as they raced 215kms through the county.

Woodborough resident Deborah Bliss decided to enter her village for the competition.

PICTURED: Woodborough residents (l to r) Simon Hall, Chairman, Margaret Briggs and Deborah Bliss

She said “We were very pleased to have jointly won and now have this signpost in place.   

“Our displays, which took several meetings in the local pub to plan, were inspired by community spirit, pride in our village and wanting to give the cyclists a warm welcome as they sped through Woodborough. 

“They included many yellow bikes, metres of bunting and a display of yellow hoops and wheels. 

“Scarecrow figures falling into hedges and other fun features were added by homeowners and Woodborough Wood’s Foundation School pupils. On the day, yellow twirling umbrellas among the huge crowd completed the display.

“We were supported by local residents, the Parish Council , Woodborough  Community Association and local businesses, in particular Timmermans Garden Centre and Woodborough Park Farm and their magnificent land art creations.” 

Newstead businesswoman, Lorraine Horrocks, runs The Pit micropub in Newstead. She entered the competition on behalf of her village.

She said: “Jointly winning this award was a very proud moment for this community and we hope it inspires others to join in with future community events and celebrations. 

“Everyone got involved and dedicated many hours of their time; from the local sewing group,  the local youth club, The Newstead Centre, The Pit Micropub, CAST Angling Project as well as other local residents and Gedling Borough Council.

“Newstead Parish Council provided hundreds of metres of bunting and balloons which adorned the length of the route through the village. We even have a permanent cycling-related installation created by live on the day by local artist Toz Flanders.”

The signposts are located on the Governor’s Field in Woodborough and next to The Pit micro pub  in Newstead

Pony tale will bring Bestwood Country Park’s mining heritage to life for youngsters

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Pony tale will bring Bestwood Country Park’s mining heritage to life for youngsters

A new interactive outdoor trail educating youngsters about the mining heritage of Bestwood Country Park is being launched next week.

Youngsters aged between two and eight can read the story of Peter the Pit Pony and then follow his trail using the sheet around the park to learn about its rich history in a fun and accessible way.

QR codes and items mentioned in the story are dotted about the trail and help bring the park’s incredible story to life.

Bestwood Country Park started out as a medieval hunting ground for royalty, but from 1872 to 1967, was home to a coal mine where miners dug up as much as 400 tonnes of coal an hour.

Peter the Pit Pony was a joint project between Nottinghamshire County Council, the Friends of Bestwood Country Park, Sandford Cascade project and Gedling Borough Council.

Winding-house-Bestwood-Park
PICTURED: The winding house at Bestwood Country Park

Laura Simpson, heritage tourism officer at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “Places like this deserve to be remembered as a valued piece of local history.

“I used to see a lot of parents out with their children around the park and they had no idea what used to be here or even what a coal mine was.  Hopefully the new ‘Peter the Pit Pony’ resource will educate them in an engaging, enjoyable and accessible way.”

Councillor John Cottee, Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Place Committee said he hopes the project will help bring the county’s industrial heritage and bring it to life for our younger generation. 

He said: “Our heritage is important and this project fits perfectly with the County Council’s aspirations to make even more of Nottinghamshire’s fascinating past and encourage even more visitors to our area, staying longer and enjoying  our sites and scenery. ”

“Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors and contributes £1.8 billion per year to the Nottinghamshire economy.”

Construction projects in Gedling borough make shortlist for prestigious industry awards

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Construction projects in Gedling borough make shortlist for prestigious industry awards

Construction projects in Gedling, Arnold and Lambley have been shortlisted for prizes at this year’s Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Excellence Awards.

Gedling Borough Council has submitted six construction projects to the awards, which recognise Local Authorities who work with developers, follow good practices and work to provide high quality projects.

All six of the projects were shortlisted for the regional finals which take place tomorrow in Leicester.

The largest business to business awards in the building control sector, the LABC Regional Building Excellence Awards recognise quality in all types of building project.

The six projects shortlisted for the awards include the large scale housing project at Chase Farm, Gedling where over 1,000 new homes are being built, and there’s nominations for two housing sites in Arnold, Hawksley Court and Bestwood Lodge Drive, for best social or affordable new housing developments.

There’s also a nomination for a recently constructed early years classroom at Robert Mellors Academy. 

The following projects have been shortlisted for awards:

Best Change of Use of an Existing Building or Conversion – Spring Lane, Lambley (Spencer Homes)

Best High Volume New Housing Development – Hawksley Court, Daybrook (Geda Construction)

Best High Volume New Housing Development – Chase Farm, Gedling (Keepmoat Homes)

Best Social or Affordable New Housing Development – Hawksley Court, Daybrook (Geda Construction)

Best Social or Affordable New Housing Development – Bestwood Lodge Drive, Arnold (Tanbry Construction)

Best Educational Building – Robert Mellors Academy (Arc Partnership)

The awards take place in Leicester on Friday 17 May, with the winners being invited to attend The LABC National Awards in June.

Gedling Borough Council’s Building Control Department is responsible for ensuring compliance with national building regulations to ensure health and safety standards are applied to building work, energy saving provisions are achieved and premises are fully accessible for use. This year, the team have been involved in over 400 projects across the Borough.

Chief executive of Gedling Borough Council, Karen Bradford said: “We’re very proud to see six finalists in this year’s awards and it’s a great example of how working together can produce excellent results.

“We have worked closely with all of the contractors to make sure they provide the best possible developments for our residents and I’d like to wish the nominees the best of luck at the awards tomorrow night.”

‘Spine of the county’: A614 upgrade planned with ‘pinch points’ being created to cut congestion

Gedling Eye Reporter
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One of the busiest routes in Nottinghamshire will see six key pinch points upgraded in a multi-million pound scheme.

Last year, the Government announced £18 million would be spent on the A614 and the A6097.

Described as the “spine of the county” the routes jointly go from the south to the north of Nottinghamshire.

New details have been revealed for how the funding will be spent, with the majority going on six junctions and islands which cause the worst snarl-ups.

From south to north, the junctions are: Lowdham Roundabout; Warren Hill Junction (where the A6097 and A614 join); White Post Roundabout; Mickledale Lane Junction and Deerdale Lane Junction (both near Bilsthorpe) and Ollerton Roundabout.

The latter of these has been well-known to cause lengthy tailbacks, and there have been repeated calls for decades for much-needed improvements.

The upgrades are at a very early stage, with planning permission and land acquisition yet to get underway.

It is not yet known exactly what the junction improvements will entail.

While the funding comes from the Department for Transport, the scheme will be run by Conservative-led Nottinghamshire County Council, which is responsible for most roads in the area.

Initial plans have now been released by the council, and are expected to be approved after a vote next week.

The council declined to comment ahead of the vote.

However when the £18 million was announced, the leader of the council, Conservative Kay Cutts, who represents Radcliffe-on-Trent, said: “We are delighted with the announcement as it shows what we can do as a local council, punching above our weight in partnership with the Government.  

“This funding will open up fantastic new opportunities for the county, bringing new jobs, housing and infrastructure to local communities and businesses.

“The A614 corridor is the spine of the county with new housing developments planned in Bilsthorpe, Ollerton and Blidworth so this investment is crucial to help meet these increasing demands as these are areas where even more of our residents what to live and work.

“The improvements will also give better access to key tourism sites such as the Nottinghamshire County Council-owned Rufford Abbey and Sherwood Forest Country Park.”

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