Ilkeston Life Newspaper June 2018 by Ilkeston Life

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EREWASH MAYOR’S AWARD WINNER

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JUNE 2018

A community publication for Ilkeston and surrounding area

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Farewell to Kirk Hallam’s Albert Wright, aged 95 T here was standing room only at the funeral of Albert Wright, former school teacher, singer, pianist, golfer, footballer and proud Yorkshireman.

He had prepared his own farewell service at All Saints Church, Kirk Hallam with the instruction that the hymns were to be sung with gusto. On 27th August 1922 Albert was the seventh of eight children born into the Wright family. He attended Alton C of E School and soon joined the Alton Church choir as a boy soprano. He was later to become a York Minster chorister. In adult life Albert has been in demand as a fine tenor singer, as well as an accomplished pianist. As a youngster, he was a keen footballer and caught the eye of Manchester City, playing in their junior side. He later trialled with Arsenal but was not signed professionally by them. He did though play with Bristol City. Golf was a later sporting passion. He was a member of the Erewash Valley Golf Club serving as Captain, Secretary and President over the years. Fellow teammate Ernie Trynor said in his tribute that Albert was an outstanding golfer but he was always very modest about his game. Albert had been introduced to Erewash Valley Golf Club by Wilf Bush, headmaster of the newly built Kirk Hallam Junior School (later renamed Dallimore). The school opened in 1957 to cater for children on the growing council estate, and Albert was also joining the staff there. A number of ex-pupils were in church to say their goodbyes. Albert’s advice to those he taught was ‘make the most of your talents and whether you win or lose, do your best.’

Later he taught at Ladywood Primary School. Susan Newnham read a family tribute: “Uncle Albert had seen many changes over his 95 years—as a boy he hardly ever saw a car—but he was always willing to embrace the new. He had served in the RAF and had enjoyed a varied and active teaching career. “Music played a big part in his life. One of his fears as he grew older was that he may lose his ability to play the piano. “He never married but was totally devoted to his family, taking a keen interest in everything they were doing and keeping in regular touch right until the end.” When in 1968 Albert became a freemason, he ended a long standing lodge tradition by becoming their resident singer after amazing them with a ’stunning’ rendition. The funeral service, led by Rev Christine French, took place on 21st May and was followed by cremation at Bramcote.

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Editorial office: 1 Bath Street, Ilkeston, DE7 8AH Tel: 07539 808390 Editor: Robert Attewell news@ilkestonlife.com Staff feature writer: Patricia Spencer patricia@ilkestonlife.com Staff photographer: John Shelton john@ilkestonlife.com

Don’t miss these coming events Saturday—BH Monday 26th to 28th May: Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association 50th Anniversary Rally at the Great Northern Basin, Langley Mill, NG16 4AA. Tour the pumphouse, Visit the dry dock, Trade boats, Real ale beer tent, Stalls and attractions, Musical entertainment in marquee, Children’s activities. Free entry Saturday 2nd June: Street Side Youth Showcase, Victoria Park, 2 till 8pm. Confirmed acts: Crooked Lords, The Young, Live Jukebox, Tommy Yates, Streetdance and Streetside Youth. Live music, art demos, activities, food stalls. Free entry. Saturday 9th June: Ilkeston Lions Carnival at the Rutland Recreation Ground, West End Drive, Ilkeston, 12 noon till 5pm. Lots of stalls on the ground, as well as food and drinks, and funfair rides . In the arena: tug of war competition, a magician, the Dance Divaz, Erewash Valley Gymnastics and the Flying Angel Dakos.Due to a change in police policy there

will be NO PARADE through Ilkeston before the start of the carnival. If you are interested in having a stall please contact Sue Birch on 0115 9447737 or email sa.birch@talktalk.net Saturday 9th June: West Hallam Animal Charities Open Day, Kings Corner, Stanley, 10.30am—3pm. Saturday 16th June: Woodside Festival. A day of live music, art, wild activities and good food and drink; all in support of local wildlife. Staged at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's Woodside Farm, Pit Lane, Shipley. More info: https:// www.woodsidefestival.com/ Fri/Sat. 29th/30th June: A Night at the Oscars with Kerry Ledger School of Dance, Belper School—see advert in paper. Saturday 30th June: Kirk Hallam Church Summer Fete at the Kirk Hallam Community Hall, 11 to 3pm. Stalls, games, auction. See advert in paper. Sunday 1st July: Kirk Hallam Lakeside Festival. Stalls and various activities around the lake off Godfrey Drive. 12noon till 5pm. See advert in paper. Sat/Sun 7th/8th July: Elvaston Steam Rally— see advert in paper.

conducted a drugs search on a flat in Friar’s Court, Ilkeston yesterday evening, Wednesday 16th May. Drugs, believed to be cocaine, cannabis and synthetic canna-

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While every care is taken to be accurate, we are only human and mistakes do occur occasionally. If you are unhappy with any of the content in the paper, please contact the editor in the first place. We accept news and information from correspondents in good faith and cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies. We try not to include stories which may cause distress to anyone. If you have a view on any of the articles, please write and let us know. Your letters are always welcome, but we reserve the right to withhold or edit. Anonymous letters will only be printed in exceptional circumstances.

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but don’t leave it till the last minute! The absolute deadline for adverts and editorial Is always the 15th for following month’s paper (unless by prior arrangement). Send to us by email if possible. We prefer to receive images as jpegs. Email us: news@ilkestonlife.com letters@ilkestonlife.com stories@ilkestonlife.com poems@ilkestonlife.com sales@ilkeston life.com Ilkeston Life is registered with the British Library. ISSN 2515-1231 Current circulation: 10,000 copies

lowed by various designs during the period 1776 – 1879 with the 1st combat submarine fitted with an explosive probe being ‘The Hurley’ in Sandiacre and District Probus Club 1864, with Robert Whithead developheld their monthly meeting in St. ing a torpedo in1875. Giles’ Church Hall on Wednesday, Doubts as to the use of the submarine 18th April 2018. in warfare were expressed by the 1st After welcoming members and con- and 3rd Sea Lords but the 1st British ducting the official business of the submarine was built in 1902 for day, President Peter Barber introcoastal defence. The design and duced the speaker of the day, Graham activities of the various class of subHayes to give a talk entitled ‘Above marines during the two world wars, the Waves’. actions and losses were explained and As the title implies Graham’s talk illustrated. was about British Submarine warfare In conclusion Graham gave the memgenerally during the period 1900 – bers a review of the life on board a 1945 with many illustrations. The submarine, with the food/rum ration first submarine was experimented etc. experienced by his father. Of with by a Dutchman in 1620 folthe 278 submarines in World War 2,

Sandiacre and District Probus Club

Chips for breakfast

binoids were seized, along with cash and various drug paraphernalia. The two men, aged 32 and 26, were arrested and taken to St Mary’s Wharf Police Station in Derby where they were later interviewed. They have now been released under investigation. INFORMATION

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Sergeant Damien Shannon, who is in charge of the team, said: “The search was conducted as a result of information provided to us from the community. “The action shows we will always take positive action when we receive such intelligence as we realise the detrimental effect such activity has on local residents.” If you have any information about this or other similar issues contact your local Safer Neighbourhood team on 101 or send them a message online by visiting the Contact Us section of our website www.derbyshire.police.uk/ Contact-Us You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, by phone, 0800 555 111, or visit www.crimestoppersuk.org online.

Webmaster: Adam Newton adam@ilkestonlife.com

13th—20th July: West Hallam Well Dressings—see advert in paper. Sunday 22nd July: Summer Sounds in Victoria Park. Bring a picnic and enjoy the free entertainment. Sunday 12th August: Ilkeston Heritage and Classic Vehicle Show. The town’s biggest attraction apart from the Annual Charter Fair. A fantastic nostalgia day out. The Market Place and surrounding area is packed with retro vehicles and stalls of interest. re you organising an event In July, August or September? Let us know and we’ll include in the next coming events list. Send to news@ilkestonlife.com Better still, get really noticed with a display advert in the paper: contact Paul or Christine: sales@ilkestonlife.com

Two arrested in Ilkeston police drug search wo men have been arrested in connection with alleged drug offences after a search by our Ilkeston Safer Neighbourhood Team. The arrests came after the team

June 2018

73 were lost. A vote of thanks was given by Denis Dumelow for a very informative and interesting talk and giving his own impression of his visit to H.M.S. Alliance World War 2 submarine open to the public in the museum at Gosport, Portsmouth. Graham was presented with a cheque which he said would be donated to his cancer charity. The raffle of the day winners were Sid Tidmarsh, Trevor Singleton, Arthur Belfitt and Denis Dumelow. In his closing remarks President Peter Barber thanked the stewards of the day, Maurice Wilks and John Cosslett on coffee and John Kingsbury and Fred Bromley on the raffle and

We always have fish and chips from Jackson’s chippie on Market Street on a Friday night. He always puts a naked haddock in the fryer for me as I have to have gluten free and cannot tolerate the batter. There are always a lot of chips and I leave a few to throw to the birds on a Saturday morning. A couple of weeks ago, I looked out of the back window to see a crow guarding the chips from the blackbirds and sparrows. He shooed them off before carefully lining them up in a row so that he could fill his beak with three or four of them before flying off into the distance towards a large tree to what was once Sam’s farm on Quarry Hill. I presume he or she had babies to feed, So, Dennis, I can categorically say, Your chips are a hit with the birds! Patricia Spencer Denis Dumelow for setting out the room. Sandiacre Probus Club is a friendly club which welcomes applications from retired gentlemen living in the local area (not limited to Sandiacre itself). The club meets at 10am at St. Giles’ Church Hall for coffee and a presentation from a wide variety of speakers. In addition there are social events and lunches to which our ladies are invited. For more information about the club please contact our secretary Anthony Taylor on 0115 877 8669 or Anthony.taylor10@ntlworld.com or just come along to one of our meetings without obligation. Denis Dumelow

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June 2018

he new Mayor of Erewash is CouncilT lor Chris Corbett, who was formally New Mayor of Erewash elected to the role for the 2018/19 civic year during Erewash Borough Council’s annual meeting on 17th May.

Councillor Corbett has represented the Wilsthorpe Ward on the borough council since 1999 and was Leader of the Council from 2007 to 2017, when he stepped down to take up the role of Deputy Mayor. He also serves on Sawley Parish Council. During his mayoral year, Councillor Corbett will be supported by his wife Linda and has chosen to support two local charities during his term of office – the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and Erewash Voluntary Action (Community Volunteer Service). Councillor Corbett, together with his wife Linda, is looking forward to representing the residents of Erewash over the next year: “We are thrilled and honoured to be Mayor and Mayoress of our wonderful borough for the 2018/19 civic year and look forward to meeting the many kind-hearted residents who work so tirelessly to help others as well as contributing to the rich community spirit of our towns and villages. “We are also keen to help and encourage new and existing

businesses and to promote economic regeneration throughout Erewash.” Councillor Corbett was brought up in Sandiacre and enjoyed a 30-year career in banking that saw him work in Yorkshire and Scotland before returning to Erewash when he took early retirement. He is a life member of the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association, having been at its first public meeting in 1968 and was a founder member of Sandiacre and Stapleford Round Table 981. He is now a member of Long Eaton Rotary Club. Councillor Corbett and Linda have known each other for over 50 years and were married at St Helen’s Church in Stapleford. They have two sons and four grandsons. In their spare time they enjoy travelling and socialising with their friends and family. Deacon Terry Street, of Trinity Methodist Church, Long Eaton, will be the Mayor’s Chaplain during his year in office. The new Deputy Mayor of Erewash is Councillor Sue Beardsley, who represents the Little Hallam Ward.

More skiing success for Justin D erby College Sports student Justin Taylor-Tipton (17) from West Hallam recently returned from Switzerland with a clutch more medals in Freestyle Skiing. Justin, a former pupil at Kirk Hallam Community Academy, is studying Sports Coaching at the College’s Broomfield Hall campus and spends the winter season training in Switzerland. He competed in the British Freestyle Championships in Laax, Switzerland, where he won gold in the Men’s U18 Big Air, silver in Men’s Big Air - taking second place on the Overall Podium out of 50 competitors, gold in the Ritblat Endeavour Award for Best Trick Men’s U18 and bronze in the Men’s U18 Half Pipe event. He competed at LAAX Switzerland this March in a Swiss Slopestyle competition against International Athletes from around the World and finished inside the top 12. Justin also represented GB at the junior world championships in Italy last year and is part of the Team GB Park and Pipe Development squad with his sights set on competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Justin started skiing at Swadlincote Ski Centre when he was seven and progressed onto Freestyle Skiing five years ago – training weekly at Stoke-on-Trent and Hemel Hempstead. He said: “I love Freestyle Skiing as it is such an adrenaline rush doing flips, spins and particularly the jumps which feel like flying. “I am pleased with my performance at the British Championships but had to cut short the rest of my training and miss one camp and my last Europa Cup of the season as I had a bad concussion and needed to come home to rest. “The conditions were very challenging with

GIFT TO ILKESTON HOSPITAL.

Wedding day fun A Royal Garden Party to mark to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place at Erewash Museum. It was organised by Ilkeston Methodist Church and included games, dressing up competitions and cream teas in the stables. Photos: John Shelton

Maggie meets Littlewick Patient Participation Group th

On the evening of 19 April, the Littlewick Medical Practice hosted a meeting with Maggie Throup.

lots of fresh snow and 25km winds which is not conducive to Freestyle Skiing. “It has been a good season though and I am now concentrating on my College work and UK-based training before heading back out to camp in December. “My goal is to become a professional and back this up with coaching.” Derby College Sports and Public Services Team Manager Nick Ramsden concluded: “Justin is amongst a group of elite athletes in a wide range of sports who study with us at College. “Our previous students have included Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty so we are geared up for supporting these young people to not only fulfil their sporting potential but to gain good qualifications which will support them during their future careers.” Justin is supported in his training and development by Hemel Hempstead Snow Centre, is an Ambassador for Sportsaid supported by TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme) and an Ambassador for The Rob George Foundation.

Adrian Perkins, President of Church Wilne Rotary Club, recently presented a garden spade and a cheque for £200 to Philippa Chapman, an Occupational Therapist at Ilkeston Community Hospital. The money will be used to provide resources for the hospitals rehabilitation groups. The groups are to assist and encourage patients from the Erewash area to regain their independence, reduce falls and improve their quality of life. Philippa said: ”We are currently trying to set up rehabilitation groups, including a gardening group. We hope these groups will encourage patients to socially interact, regain skills, take their mind off their pains and open their minds to making a change to improve their quality of life.” Church Wilne President Adrian said ‘Unfortunately, the NHS is unable to fund the resources required to run these groups. Staff have been covering the costs out of their own pockets. Therefore, it is our pleasure to be able support Philippa and her colleagues and to know that our donation will make a difference to the lives of local patients.’ Gay Evans

The event was organised by the Littlewick’s Patient Participation Group. Several doctors from the practice also attended. The Erewash MP shared with the group her interest in medical matters and talked about her role when she was on the Health Select Committee and hat she does now as a Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care. She then listened to a presentation from the floor covering the following topics: the PPG’s role, Littlewick from a patient’s perspective, local health provision, appointments and continuity of care. All of these topics were discussed at length, along with medical care from the GP’s point of view. The event was described as extremely successful and in highlighting both the positive attributes and the concerns of al, it provided Maggie with ample material to take back to Parliament. This could, in effect, contribute to the NHS provision in the future for our area.

Circus Week at Museum Giant Bubbles will be part of the fun for children with the return of Circus Week to Erewash Museum. Taking place during half term, from Tuesday 29th May to Friday 1st June, there will be free crafts for children on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, from 11am to 3pm. Youngsters will also be able to enjoy family circus skills workshops and giant bubble blowing demonstrations. On the Thursday (31st May), there will be a special circus party, costing £1.50 per child (over the age of two), giving little performers the chance to try their hand at circus skills. There will be giant bubble workshops taking place throughout the day. Councillor Mike Wallis, Lead Member for Culture and Leisure, says: “We are delighted to be holding circus week again at Erewash Museum. There is a wide variety of circus activities which always prove very popular with children and parents. It is a great way to keep youngsters entertained during half term. The children enjoy learning new skills and showing them off to friends and family.” Erewash Museum is in Ilkeston town centre, a short walk from the Market Place. Contact 0115 907 1141, email museum@erewash.gov.uk or visit the Facebook page /erewashmuseum .

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Get in touch with your views — Email: letters@ilkestonlife.com Post: The Editor, Ilkeston Life, 1 Bath Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE7 8AH

Family business and Gas works tragedy remembered I was very interested in the painting and article by Betty O'Neill: ‘Bostock’s OffLicence’ last month as that is my family.

watching the trains shunting up and down parallel with Rutland Street. My uncle Bill worked in the signal box. He had an illness The Bostocks were my maternal family and that prevented him going to war. I enjoyed spending the night at my grandthere were eight children altogether, three boys and five girls. The off-licence they ran parents as my aunty Kath would take me up was popular with workers at the Gas works to bed by candle light, there was no electricity. There was only one lavatory down the and the Town railway station. The boy mentioned was Tom who was pre- back yard, so you can guess what was kept under the bed! viously a cobbler and worked from home, There was a tale told of my mother who having his front room set up with all his wanted to stay on at school and go to colgear. The grandson who died was his son Philip. Sadly none of the siblings are alive lege. The headmaster came to see my grandfather who disagreed, saying that only boys today. could stay on at school so my mother and all There was quite a tragedy some years ago her sisters were sent t to work at the factory. when there was an explosion at the Gas works which were next to my grandparent's This was Armstrong's Mill down at Ilkeston Junction. home. Being such a large family and both grandparents running the business, it is not I was at school (Hallcroft) with Betty O’Neill and always admired her art work; surprising that they had a 'live in maid'. she will remember me as Margaret HenThe cellar was flooded and the maid who shaw. had been holding my mother passed her to one of the family and minutes later she was Sadly I have lost touch with some of my drowned. I believe the story can be found in cousins. a book about Ilkeston. Margaret Turner My own memories of Rutland Street were

Disagreement over quiz answer On the 1871 census there were already houses on Eyres Gardens. I believe that the Reverend Nash Eyre became vicar at St. Mary's around 1873. According to the 1871 census Rev. Nash Eyre was living in Hampshire. Therefore Eyre's Gardens I have met him on several occasions, both could not have been named after him. through the Ilkeston Local History Society I would like to think that Eyres Gardens and through family connections. was named after my ancestors, builders of However, I believe that his source on the some of the first houses on there. facts on Eyres gardens may be incorIn fact my father was brought up on Eyres rect. For the past good few years I have Gardens, and there were members of my been tracing my family history (Eyre). branch of the Eyre family from shortly My great, great, great grandfather Thomas after 1871 to 1978 living there. Eyre, a mason by trade, built several houses My Grandfather James Eyre, the last in the on Eyres Gardens. I believe his family had family to live there, passed away in 1978. land in that area. Even perhaps gardens Marion Newbold (maiden name: Eyre) belonging to the Eyre family.

Referring to the How Well Do You Know Your Ilkeston quiz in the May 2018 issue of Ilkeston Life, I have great respect in Danny Corns, an avid follower of the history of Ilkeston.

What’s your verdict on train station? Now that the new train station has been in I for one believe it has been a success and a operation for over a year, I would be inter- big plus for Ilkeston. ested in hearing people’s views about it. I would love to see extended services to A number of people are saying they use the service to Nottingham, the only complaint being the train is sometimes overcrowded. (Just like the buses at certain times— inevitable.)

Derby and excursions, etc., though there is an increase this year - Portsmouth -YorkBeamish etc . Come on Network rail and other operators, give us more!

Bill Smith

June 2018

Last call for relatives of submariners killed in action Since becoming aware of these two WWI Submariners graves in the late 1990's the Derbyshire Submariners have undertaken a short graveside service of Remembrance every year proving W e Will Remember Them. However, extensive enquiries to trace descendants of the men – ERA1 JOHN BROOKS d/269639 and Signalman CHARLES A BUTTLE D/J9244 - who both have untended Commonwealth War Graves in Nottingham Road Cemetery, Derby, have proved fruitless. On this centenary of their deaths in action this will be the final attempt to trace any relatives and to invite them to our Annual Graveside Remembrance Service, where this year we will again mark the hundredth year of their loss with a Wreath Laying ceremony. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

ERA John Brooks was aboard Submarine C16 when it collided with the destroyer HMS Melampus and sank in sixty feet of water. Signalman Charles Buttle died when Submarine C25 came under machine gun fire when attacked by five German seaplanes. He is known to be the son of Mrs Janet Buttle of Normanton Road, Derby. The centenary of ERA Brooks was last year and featured on the BBC Midlands News with very good coverage. The Signalman this year will, I hope, get the same high profile reporting. Further details can be obtained from Terry Hall, Honorary Secretary, Derbyshire Submariners. Contact Derby.Submariners@yahoo.co.uk, or telephone 07749 359211. Terry Hall, Stanley village

Stanton book to be republished Twenty years ago, Danny Corns and Andrew Knighton pubished a book called Bygone Stanton, which took a look at Stanton Ironworks, Hallam fields, new Stanton and Stanton Gate through the camera lens.

of the area and pictures of groups of Stanton employees, some of whom may be your family members. The society needs to charge £8 for this book due to the large number of photographs and it will be on sale at the U Choose Smoothie Bar on Bath Street and Blinkinks on South Due to demand and with the authors’ permission, the Ilkeston and District Local His- Street, along with the society stalls throughout the summer. tory Society have decided to republish this book which contains nostalgic photographs Ilkeston and District Local History

Could you be a volunteer at Treetops? I have been a volunteer at Treetops Hospice Care for 10 years.

A variety of entertainments are arranged regularly. We have had choirs, jazz bands, pantomimes, exotic pets and at Christmas last year we even had a festive pony who stood patiently all morning being fussed and groomed by the guests! At about 11.30 we offer drinks followed by a wholesome lunch at 12.30 with a choice of menu each day. We are happy to assist the guests with their lunch if they wish. After lunch we offer tea and coffee and further activities or guests are free to please themselves before being driven home on the Treetops buses or by a volunteer driver at 3pm. The hospice relies so much on volunteers and regular training courses are offered. There are volunteer kitchen assistants, day care assistants, receptionists, administrative staff, gardeners, drivers to bring the guests in and take them home and shop assistants in the Treetop shops. Treetops fundraising and lottery also uses volunteers and volunteers assist in the Cheetham Centre which offers support for adults and children. The amazing "hospice at home" service provided 39,500 hours in people's homes in 2016/17. There are also proposals to build a 12 bed inpatient unit. It's very worthwhile volunteering. Many of the guests attend regularly so we really get to know them. We enjoy the experience of helping others in a relaxed and caring environment. We believe that every day counts. Treetops has grown and developed so much since I started back in 2007 and it goes from strength to strength offering a wonderful and invaluable service in our community. If you would like to volunteer contact Treetops Hospice Care on 0115 9491264 or see their website for vacancies.

It's a place where people of all walks of life come together to receive physical and emotional support for themselves, their carers and families and benefit from meeting and interacting with others who are facing similar challenges. They are referred by their G.P, hospital trust or district nurse or they can refer themselves. I help in Day Care on Thursdays in a large, warm, bright and comfortable room where guests are invited on a regular basis - usually in groups of 12 to 15. There are generally about 6 volunteers assisting the full time qualified nursing staff. Regular and volunteer drivers bring the guests in around 10 am. We offer tea and coffee, biscuits and home made cakes or toast on their arrival and assist with transferring them into our chairs. Everyone is friendly and welcoming and guests soon relax. There is no pressure but they are free to join in at the craft table where Leah organizes different crafts and art work. This can be anything from planting their own hanging baskets, making bird boxes or shopping bags or attempting some drawing and painting. If a guest suggests something they would like to do Leah tries to make it happen. There are also various activities and games such as playing cards, scrabble, dominoes or they can join in the very popular quizzes. Some people prefer to read newspapers or books to attempt a crossword or simply chat to each other. Many of the guests have been coming into Treetops for some time and have made good friends and there is always lots of chatter, laughter and banter. Guests can join in the art therapy and complimentary therapies both are referred services. The volunteers Pam Stevenson also offer hand massage and manicures.

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Sweet herald of Spring Throughout my childhood in Ilkeston, I came to associate the appearance of rhubarb in my puddings with a change in the season. We were fortunate to live near an excellent source of this much anticipated treat. During April and into May, I would be dispatched, a sixpenny piece in hand, on the short walk down to the junctions of Little Hallam Lane, The Triangle and Corporation Road. From this point, Farnsworth`s Jitty (Farny`s Jit) was a footpath taking you away from the roads. Just on the right, near the entrance to the jitty, was Mr and Mrs Farnsworth`s house and, to me at the time, huge garden. A knock on the house door would bring out

Mr Farnsworth, to respond to my request for “rhubarb please”. After he`d pulled a good amount, and removed the leaves, we then returned to the house. Here, the treasured pink sticks would be wrapped in newspaper by Mrs Farnsworth, and I handed over my sixpence, ready to return home with my precious armful. Then, it was a matter of peeling, stewing, pastry making and looking forward to rhubarb pie with custard! I did know a few folk who liked to eat a raw stick, dipped in sugar, but the pie was definitely my preference! As many a radio and stage performer would say, “ rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb”! Margaret Dawson

Trust in memory of West Hallam youngster Would you like to know how you can help improve mental health awareness in your local community? The Will Garvey Trust Foundation was founded last year in memory of Will Garvey, a charismatic young man born and raised in West Hallam who was lost to suicide in 2016. Living locally, Will went to Scargill School before attending Trent College in Long Eaton. Suicide is the leading cause of death in young people, with as many as 200 schoolchildren taking their own lives each year in the UK. Suicide is often linked with depression and anxiety – 1 in 4 of us will have experienced some sort of mental health issues over the last year. Our aim is to raise awareness of suicide and mental health, especially in local schools and the community, with our central mantra based on the slogan W.T.F – Why Talking Fixes. Suicide and mental health can be difficult subjects to approach, but it is vital to facilitate

conversation around these matters to tackle the stigma which surrounds them. It is important for young people to realise that it is okay to experience mental health issues, and that they are not alone. This is something that we are highly likely to encounter in our daily lives, and often without realising it – 1 person in 15 has made a suicide attempt in their life. This needs to change, and it can. We want to make our communities suicide safe – you can help us! If you’re interested in finding out more, please contact info@willgarveytrustfoundation.org.uk Chrisopher Milner

June 2018

Farewell to Dorothy When Marie (Dorothy Haywood’s cousin) asked me to do her farewell tea I thought at first maybe there would be 50 people to cater for – wrong!! Michael, Alan and Roy arranged 157 chairs and tables thinking this would be enough. We filled all the chairs and still had approximately fifty people standing. People had travelled from all parts of England, and Jill the nurse had flown in from Scotland to pay her respects. Several teachers from Chaucer School came with a story of Dorothy to tell, and what stories they were. Dorothy told stories of Jesus to children up until just before she died – who will follow her example? The flowers I bought from the ladies group were her favourite colours, white and yellow. The buffet was as she liked it – ‘no fancy food’. We all dressed in colours, all thing bright and beautiful, no black. Her favourite organist,

Mario, took time off work to play for her. Between him and Rev Stephen, they were our undoing. Mario softly payed Tell me the stories of Jesus as Rev Stephen talked softly about Dorothy, causing some tears to fall. Dorothy was a worship leader and she produced some talks as good as a minister’s. She needed no prayer book to pray, it came from her heart. Her life was devoted to St Andrews and children. Sometimes we challenged her ideas and plans for the church, but she usually won in the end. I cannot think of any one person who has gained as much respect as she did. Her packed Service of Thanksgiving proved that. I was privileged to walk life’s rocky road with her. So rest in peace, Dorothy, your work is done. Thank you to everyone who helped to mark this special day. Sylvia Gething

Thank you for help with attempted murder case I would like to echo the sentiments of one of our senior officers who has thanked the public for their help in connection with the Ilkeston attempted murder investigation. On Wednesday, April 18, Anthony Dealey was charged with alleged attempted murder, rape, sexual assault and robbery following the attack on a woman in November last year. The investigation has involved many appeals to the public for their help to provide information that has helped our officers with their enquiries. Superintendent Tracy Harrison wanted to thank the public; she said: “I would personally like to thank the public for their help

and support during this investigation. They have worked with our officers in the community and provided information that has led to a man being charged for this horrendous offence. “I would also like to praise the victim, it has been a long four and a half months but she has worked with our officers and shown her bravery.” Anthony Dealey has been remanded in prison custody and will next appear at Derby Crown Court in May. Damien Shannon Derbyshire Police

6 ‘Aspects’ history exhibition is well attended Ilkestonlife.com

OUT AND ABOUT

three day event entitled “Aspects of Ilkeston” proved to be a great success with over 300 visitors attending. The event, held at St. Mary’s Church, Ilkeston, was held over the May Day bank holiday weekend and featured an exhibition on local history with a wide range of subjects covered such as Bennerley Viaduct, the local branch of the Royal British Legion and celebrated Ilkes- was originally printed nearly 20 years ago and complements the book “Stanton - Gone ton musician Stanley Hawley. The event also enabled visitors to find out about the history of St. Mary’s Church – including being able to visit the bell tower and ring the bells. The event was a joint venture between The Ilkeston and District Local History Society and St. Mary’s Church. Russell Gough (Secretary of the Society) said “We were offered the use of the venue by the Reverend Carole Lloyd and were overwhelmed by the gesture. The venue proved perfect for us being at the centre of town with parking nearby and bus services available. “It enabled us to promote the launch of our latest publication “Bygone Stanton” which

But Not Forgotten. An added bonus for the Society was that we were also able to attract new members to the organisation.” Rev Carole Lloyd ,Vicar of St. Mary’s, said “It was wonderful to be able to host ‘Aspects of Ilkeston’. St. Mary’s Church was buzzing with conversation all weekend about the life and times of Ilkeston. It was good to learn about the rich heritage of the town and the church which has been at its heart for nearly nine centuries.” The event included personnel from both the Church and Society being available to answer any queries visitors might have on either the history of the Church or the topics on show at the exhibition.

Half way there: Local firemen took part in a bed push up Bath Street in aid of Ilkeston Community Hospital League of Friends who raise cash for the work of the hospital. They took it in turns to push the bed and collect donations from shoppers.

Kids in plastic clean-up

Members of The Messengers, a drama and singing group from Ilkeston Methodist Church (Nottingham Road and St Andrews churches) performed the story of Jonah and the Whale in five local schools after Easter. The message was: If God tells you to do something, do it!

Ilkeston Town football fans in fancy dress for their match at Chelmsley Town. They have a tradition of dressing up for their final Saturday away match of the season. The West Midlands club appreciated the fun and the boost in spectators at the ground. Visiting Ilkeston supporters have often outnumbered home fans this season. Ilkeston won the game 2-1.

June 2018

Chaucer Junior School children took part in the Daily Mail’s nationwide ’Great plastic Pick Up’ last month and were featured in the paper. The Year 5 pupils were joined by Erewash MP Maggie Throup, Mayor (at the time) Cllr Mary Hopkinson and Cllr James Dawson as they scoured fields and footpaths near the school, picking up any rubbish they found. Kerry Wheatley, who runs the school’s gardening club said: “It was a wonderful community effort. The children, helped by a team from Erewash Borough Council, enjoyed the experience of working together and learned once again to take pride in the place they live. They all did a brilliant job filling several bags of plastic bottles, etc.” The Daily Mail estimated that 12,000 people all over Britain took part in their campaign to clean up local communities.

Journey into Faith Motoring Comment by Ken Calder

DRIVER`S NIGHTMARE! I never really like to travel that route. I cannot explain it but I sense something bad might happen. Time and again I try to find an alternative but somehow always finish up at that junction – a busy railway crossing, where cars, trams and trains all converge at the same hectic spot. What if I break down crossing that wide, multi-track system? What if a train thunders down on me? When the traffic lights are green I always hit the accelerator hard and surge, as quickly as possible, across those snaking rail lines. Yes, I admit to an uneasy glance, in both directions, in case one of those metallic monsters springs a deadly surprise as it hurtles in or out of the busy city centre. Well, that nightmare spectre now rears its ugly head because the unthinkable happens! Mine is the lead car in a long line of waiting vehicles and as the traffic lights change we surge onto the railway crossing; a dashboard warning light suddenly flashes, the acceleration dies and the braking system is automatically applied. My little silver car is now lurching wildly, as though weighing the internal

command to shut down the engine with its owner`s desperate demands to proceed. We stagger over the first set of rails at barely 5 MPH – everything in slow motion. I stare down, hypnotised by those gleaming, metal rails sneering up at me. Within a micro-second impatient drivers behind are tooting a fanfare on their horns but I am helpless, trying to coax a `tortoise` to the other side of those numerous tracks. How could this be happening? I am in mortal danger! A train could thunder through this junction any minute now! Am I experiencing some bizarre retribution for all the times I neglected to read, “Thomas the Tank Engine” to my pyjama-clad children? Is this now my bedtime – my big sleep? As a church minister my favourite prayer is, “Grant me never to be in the wrong place at the wrong time”. Yet, here I am, at any moment expecting tons of snarling metal to plough into my little car, showering glass and bodywork in all directions, while the odd, forlorn wheel trim bounces across the rails, hotly pursued by a battered clerical collar! The strains of the “Hallelujah Chorus” do seem appropriate but finally, thankfully, the car judders, agonizingly, over the last set of rails and crawls onto the tarmac road beyond. Phew! That was hairy! I catch a glimpse of myself in the rear mirror – the face is ashen with a decidedly older look. I wipe my clammy brow and forage for my breakdown membership card; that`s strange, it feels quite damp – can plastic perspire too?

A wise person knows there is something to be learned from everyone

All Saints Church, Kirk Hallam

SUMMER FETE GARDEN PARTY Saturday 30th June and

Kirk Hallam Community Hall, Kenilworth Drive 11am to 3pm

New—12 noon Summer Auction Refreshments CD, DVD & bookstall Hook a duck - Cake stall - Tombola Brick-a-brac - Raffle

Come and have fun supporting your church

Ilkestonlife.com

June 2018

ROYAL WEDDING STREET PARTY AT ALL SAINTS, KIRK HALLAM Susan Brown, Joan Nicholls and Ann Rowland at the ‘Have you photo taken with Prince Harry and Meghan’ stall next to the vicarage.

The Diary of a Vicarage Cat Dear Diary, Well you would have thought I’d dragged a baby unicorn into the house by the look my guardian gave me last week. She looked horrified and then she started to smile as she reached for the kitchen towel and approached me with lots of those soft absorbent squares. What was her problem, yes I was a little wet, well completely soaking; and yes I had got a little grass tangled on me, well actually I was covered in rather a lot of pond weed, which does have rather a strong smell to it, well actually it stinks of fish poo. But what she failed to realise is that at last I won the game. I’d been playing ‘tag’ with the fish who live in the pond in our garden, it’s not easy – when they see me, they swim down to the bottom of the murky water and hide, sometimes for ages. I’ve spent many hours sat by the pond waiting for them to come up to the top, so I can gently tap them and meow ‘tag’ and then the rules of the game are that they then have to chase me. Today the edge of the pond was slippery because of the recent rain. When I saw a little gold fish come up to the surface right next to me, I couldn’t resist, so without thinking my paw swiped out in front of me and into the water so I tagged it, and I did. It may have only been for a brief slip second, but my paw did touch it. As it shot away in surprise I felt

my back paws slipping on the dampness and my front paws getting colder and wet as I slide down the side of the pond and into the cold, muddy water. The fish darted about, to my left and then to my right, it was very confusing and what only lasted a couple of seconds seemed to happen in slow motion. Quick as a flash I regained my balance and jumped quickly out of the water, bringing the various pond plants out with me. Although cold and wet and a bit smelly, I was rather pleased with myself – because all the fish ran away, none of them tagged me, so that means I won the game. I don’t think my guardian appreciated my victory, I did try to tell her but all she wanted was to pull all the weeds off me and wrap me in those squares of soft paper. Not exactly the home coming for a champion that I expected – or deserved. Once she’d finished cleaning me she gave me lunch – tuna – perhaps she did know after all that I had beaten those sneaky slippery fish at long last. Sometimes in life we do need to take chances, things don’t always go how we expect, but I’ve not let that put me off trying. – maybe one day I’ll even get to win at tag with the squirrels.

Bye for now - Florence

Church but not as you know it Activities, music and a simple meal for you and your children

Get messy here this month Wednesday 30th May: IMC @ Nottingham Road, 10am

Saturday 2nd June: Ilkeston URC (Green Spire) 4pm Saturday 30th June: Sandiacre Methodist Church, 4pm (The healing of the paralysed man) If you like Messy Church, how about trying the Toddlers Service at the Green Spire church (URC). It’s always the first Friday of the month, 10am. It’s like Messy Church but only half an hour and specially for families with very young children. Drinks, biscuits and toys to follow.

Ilkestonlife.com

Clouds A distant rumble of a lone aircraft Turned my attention towards the sky Where the greatest show on earth Circles our planet from on high Clouds of many shapes and colours Drift by has the heavenly winds blow Causing my imagination to go on overdrive Filling my body with a warming glow Some clouds appear like cotton wool Drifting along on a sea of blue While others look dark and threatening Giving signs that rain is due These heavenly winds distort the clouds In a strange and curious way Giving much pleasure to many people Around our planet every day A drifting cloud could be an elephant Looking strong and powerful in the sky Then quickly changing shape again To a beautiful butterfly My thoughts are viewed by many But very seldom is ever said Has most people keep their private thoughts Safely locked inside their head Thomas Hosker

A Strange Little Town This is a strange little town, There's plenty of eccentrics, The bus drivers getting told off, By card carrying geriatrics. And we've a Punk window-cleaner, Who calls everyone, 'Ken', Once you have seen him, You won't forget him again. There's a bloke called Trooper Hunt, Dressed in full army camouflage, He's on his own special mission, But he won't do you no harm. And if you walk up Bath Street, Without gasping for breath, You're a true Ilkestonian, It's kind of a test. When you get to the top, You'll see St.Marys at full height, The door standing open, If you're looking for the light. And there's plenty of cafe's, Serving full English with a slice, 'Get that down ya duck, it'll soon put ya right'. Saturday at the football, With loads of rowdy noise, Six-hundred plus supporters, Shouting for the Ilkeston boy's. Yes, there's a rise in unemployment, It's not just reminiscent of here, The youths sitting aimlessly, Drinking super strength beer. We've now got a train station, But we used to have three, It's still handy for the shoppers, Who want to visit the City. And Bennerley Viaduct,

That opened in 1878, The Germans tried to bomb it, But left it too late, The structure was too strong, They couldn't bomb that out the way, It's still standing as a testament, To this very day. It's an old mining town, People once slaved in the dark, Theres a mock up of the head-stocks Visible over Shipley Park. And the Industries might be gone, But the people remain proud, There's no time for self-pity, It's not really allowed. And just like any place, It's had its ups and its downs, But i'll always call it home, This strange little Town. ©Steven Michael Pape 2018

A View from a pew Vicars preaching in their cassocks, As congregations kneel in hassocks. The vergers hand out the hymn books To choir boys with funny looks. Christmas, Easter, Whitsun, feasts Are special days for flocks and priests. Christening parties round the font, To join God’s family is what they want. Some come to hear the organ play, To search for God, to kneel and pray. Drawn to the church by peal of bells, In many houses where God dwells. At early morn or Evensong, They come in droves, the many throng. Kneeling in communion line, To eat the bread and drink the wine. Jesus rose up from the dead, From that cross above your head. God sacrificed his own Son, To show the war o’er death is won. This was done for all our sakes, To help redeem our past mistakes. All earthly folk are full of sin, Cast out the bad, for good must win. Fill your hearts with faith and love, And put your trust in God above. As sermons from the pulpit ring, At harvest time their gifts they bring. Some don’t come unless they must, When ash to ash turns dust to dust. Some only come when they need to use, No matter what their point of views. Come any time of year or season, No matter why or what the season. Look to find the poor church mouse, Who lives right there in God’s house. Tell him I know where he’s at, And you’ve been talking to the cat. Derek Wheatley

A New Day Every day I wake to the beautiful sound of the robin singing his heart out, blackbirds, blue tits, finches all chirping and having a feast on insects to feed their young.

Beautiful—a new day, rain, sun, it’s still new. I walk into my kitchen that becomes...

The window to my new day—Nursery children with their mums or dads

giggling, older children walking to school, the elderly going shopping, and all the birds singing, wonderful. Neighbours walking their dogs and stopping to say ‘Good morning’ and have a chat, waving to friends on their walk. Yes,

A New Day.

The day passes and once again there’s the sound of chil-

dren’s laughter as they come back from the nursery, older children return laughing from a day at school, cheerfully going to their safe haven of love and warmth ready for the next...

New Day, to be watched from my window with love.

Mrs J Mahon

June 2018

Your Space Do you enjoy writing creatively? Lots of local people do, so why not share your poetry, stories, songs, sketches, limericks, memoirs, humour, etc., with other Ilkeston Life readers? Preferably send by email to poems@ilkestonlife.com. Alternatively, drop in/post to The Editor, Ilkeston Life, 1 Bath Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE7 8AH. We look forward to hearing from you.

I sat and watched an ant today I sat and watched an ant today, going about its work. It was soon joined by some more of them, they never, ever shirk. Some more joined in, it wasn't quite an army, but they all followed in the first ones path, they certainly weren't barmy. He, she, it, not sure which, carried on to the next cracked brick. They all disappeared inside it, they certainly aren't thick. There must have been something good inside, they called a for a back-up plan, then some more came scurrying towards them, as quick as they possibly can. It was quiet for a time, but I kept on watching, just in case of motion. Then three came out, pulling hard and making a commotion. What had they found buried in that hole in the brick? Then all was revealed as they pulled out a grub, very very thick. “That's dinner for them tonight,” I thought, plenty of grub for them all. Then all went still as I studied, “Just another brick in the wall.” Isobel Sisson

A Remembrance Poem Remember those who fought and died, Each November, comrades cried, Each one there for all the dead. Remember those under fire, Or held captive in barbed wire, Remember those in their tomb, Those who did not make it home. Remembered in the bloom of youth, The never really knew the truth, Why they went to fight and die, In foreign fields where many lie. Five long years of war and pain, Pray to God, please not again. Remember those who made it back, Who could not get their lives on track, Scarred minds that will not heal, We cannot know just how they feel.

Jangled nerves, no normal life, They cannot cope with daily strife, A plague of nightmares, broken dreams, The sound of bombs and tortured screams. Whilst honoured for their bravery, They see war in its futility. Please remember them. Mr D and Mrs K L Wheatley

Goodbye my friend Thank you my dear friend, My love and thanks I send, I will miss you every day, For you have gone away. To a place I cannot go, Where buttercups and daisies grow, Never to come back, Your closeness I now lack, But I will remember you, And all the things you’d do, Precious is your memory, You meant a lot to me. I didn’t make a fuss. About the two of us, But special was the tie, And this is such a sad goodbye. Farewell my faithful pet, I never will forget. Robert Anthony

Ey up mi duck If ever you come down Nottingham way, And you’re short of something new to say, Don’t be afraid, don’t turn away! Just say ‘Ey up mi duck.’ This is a greeting both noble and kind, A more apt greeting you shall not find. So return this welcome, keep this in mind, And say: ‘Ey up mi duck.’ Even if you go to border towns, You’ll find this greeting has great renown, In Derbyshire too you hear these sounds, ‘Ey up mi duck.’ So come and join us with this refrain, We shall understand so don’t explain, Receive our welcome and don’t abstain, Come say ‘Ey up mi duck.’ Michael Harvey

Sorry, some poems have been held over till the next issue

Ilkestonlife.com

They talk like us in Sweden!

The picture shows the no way up sign for a downward coming escalator on the metro in Stockholm (where I work). Ej upp is pronounced 'Ey up'! - Robert Jackson

EBC litter crackdown continues Four litterbugs who dropped their cigarette ends onto the pavement must now pay hefty court bills after they were caught offending and then failed to pay their Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) fine. The litter culprits are the latest to be prosecuted by Erewash Borough Council as it continues its crackdown on environmental crime. All four litterbugs had their cases heard at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court after they failed to pay the FPNs they were issued with by the council’s Neighbourhood Wardens when they were spotted dropping their cigarette ends and leaving them on the pavement. Shareen Morris (28), of Clifton, was found guilty of dropping a cigarette end and leaving it on the pavement on Bath Street, Ilkeston. Lindsey Alexander (48), of Nottingham, was found guilty of leaving her cigarette litter on the pavement on Market Place, Long Eaton. They were each fined £220 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and the council’s full costs of £127.50 – a total bill of £377.50 each.

Dominic Moreman (21), of Ilkeston, admitted leaving his cigarette litter at the town’s Albion Shopping Centre. Kimberley Wilson (29), of Mansfield, admitted dropping and leaving her cigarette on the pavement on Bath Street, Ilkeston. They have each been fined £40 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and the council’s full costs of £127.50 – a total bill of £197.50 each. Their fines were lower to reflect their guilty pleas. Councillor Garry Hickton, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Environment, says: ”This is another clear demonstration that this council will not tolerate environmental crime of any sort. Throwing cigarette ends onto the pavement and walking away is not acceptable – that cigarette litter does not compost down and it costs the taxpayer in terms of the street cleaning we have to do. “All litter should be disposed of properly. If you do that – as all responsible residents do – then you won’t be out of pocket. We will take action if we see offenders.” The latest prosecutions follow six other offenders that were prosecuted by the council earlier this year for similar offences. The council appeals to the public to help the crackdown on environmental crime by reporting offenders and supplying information through the council’s confidential PRIDE-line number 0115 850 8383 or email prideline@erewash.gov.uk

Littered window grill prompts storm of comments. When we posted this photograph on our Facebook page, the response was enormous. The space between a window and its protective cover on King Street has been filled with litter. It is part of the Maltby's Creative Mill building, formerly a cash and carry warehouse and before that the Aerial Pressings and Carr Fastener factory. Comments ranged from ’disgusting’ to ’street art’. It was also labelled a fire hazard. It was viewed by well over 5,000 people and commented on by 33.

Local history meetings this month Ilkeston Local History Society members will hear about A Day in the Life of a Victorian Governess on Tuesday 5th June when they meet at the lower meeting hall, Ilkeston United Reformed Church (Green Spire) at 7.45pm. Liz Keeley is the speaker. Nonmembers are welcome— admission £3. Sandiacre History Group have a talk by Gay Evans on Thursday 21st June, 7.30pm. It is entitled ‘Before the Welfare State: Institutions, Remedies and Quack Doctors’. It is at the Methodist Church Hall, Butt Street, Sandiacre. Doors open at 7 for a 7.30 start. Coffee, tea and biscuits available before the talk begins. Visitors welcome: £2.50 admission.

June 2018

The story of some of the Non-Conformist Churches in Ilkeston later date. A note in the church records for 1851 states that since the church was founded, in 1770, 150 members had joined, but 35 of them were excluded for misconduct! You could be excluded for missing three consecutive Communion services, but One of the features of Independent as they took place only once every two Churches was always an insistence on disci- months, that would mean you had probapline. An Independent Church member was bly not been to church for six months. expected to live a good clean life and to set an example of proper Christian behaviour Revd John to the community. Angell The church records of the 19th century are James, who tantalising: they show many exclusions, as preached people’s behaviour came under the spotthe sermon light and was found wanting, but they rare- at Revd Savly give any details as to what was the prob- age’s induclem. No-one was exempt: in the 1830s, one tion in 1830 of the founding fathers of the church, Francis Ball, was excluded! But he was reconciled and welcomed back into the fold at a

The Independent (Congregational) Church in the 19th century

Revd James Adolphus Savage, minister from 1830 to 1857

Music, then as now, could be a contentious matter. In the early days, metrical psalms would have been chanted, probably very slowly, and there are records of trouble and strife when a musical instrument was introduced, with Joseph Straw and John Clay being excluded for their objections. In 1830 more instruments were brought in, and those who didn’t like that were excluded!

Ruth Allen

Ilkestonlife.com

June 2018

The enduring mystery of the

Missing Mapperley Miner O NE hundred years ago this month, undermanager Thomas Severn went down Mapperley Pit and never returned to the surface. The mystery of his disappearance has never been satisfactorily solved. No body was ever found, even after extensive searches helped by Ilkeston and Mansfield Mine Rescue teams.

What had happened to this 43-yearold father of five who lived with his second wife at Park Hall, Mapperley village? He had descended the mine at 6am and had been seen doing his rounds around 11am. After that … nothing. Had he been buried in a sudden rock fall? Had he been murdered and his body disposed of? Had he somehow exited the mine unnoticed and emigrated? One can imagine the conversations in the local public houses: The Old Black Horse, The Candlestick and The Punchbowl. All recent rock falls had been examined. The other two theories were hard to swallow. Although as an under-manager he may have had some opponents, he was generally known as a decent man with religious convictions. He was a member of the church choir and of the Home Guard. Why would anyone want to kill him? And why would he want to abandon his new wife, family and fairly comfortable way of life as an under -manager? These were hard times. The country was at war and most

 lax in its implementation of safety measures,  involved in a cover up over what had happened to Thomas Severn,  found to have paid out hush money. His theory is that Thomas Severn had for some reason entered a dangerous roadway which should have been closed off. He had then been overcome by blackdamp, or choke people in this mining community Thomas Severn. He revealed he damp, a deadly occupational hazard were far worse off. had been paid to keep silent about of the time, occurring in poorly A letter arriving at the office of the it. Now fearing he was about to ventilated coal mines. Essentially, meet his Maker, he felt he needed Ilkeston Advertiser on 18th June the victim is starved of oxygen and 1988 was to throw new light on the to come clean. Unfortunately, he quickly suffocates. died of heart failure before he could mystery. The sender, Ray HuthTwo men later came to seal up the waite, said he was one of only two reveal lucidly what exactly had opening. Had they seen Thomas happened. people alive who had been told Severn’s lifeless body on the what had really happened to Thom- Mr Huthwaite said the above conground ahead of them but decided it as Severn. Actually, the revelation fession had been told to them in the was too risky to enter the area to try was incomplete, as you will see if strictest confidence and they had and help him? Were they more you read on. sworn upon the Holy Bible that interested in their own safety and they would not say a word to anyEditor Peter Pheasant arranged to carrying out their urgent instrucmeet him. He was to discover that one about what Mr Wain had said tions to seal the entrance post haste until after his death. George Wain before the Mines inspector came? Ray Huthwaite and an unnamed associate had been in conversation died in 1981. Maybe they feared losing their jobs with a man called George Wain (a Hector Tyler, a miner himself, has if they failed to do as they had been pit deputy at Mapperley at the come to is own conclusion and instructed – men had been sacked time). Ray Huthwaite knew his written a book called The Mysteri- for much less - and so decided to informer and respected him comous Disappearance of Thomas Sev- seal the entrance and leave Thomas pletely as a ‘very upright man who ern, with the subtitle The Solution Severn to his fate. He may well would not tell a lie’. to a Derbyshire Mining Tragedy. have been beyond help anyway. George Wain (also a first aider of Through his research he believed The men, it seems, had then struck the St John Ambulance Brigade) that the Mapperley pit had been: a deal with management to keep told them he had been attending a  at the time struggling financially, quiet. Although struggling finanman who had collapsed at the pit cially, the pit owners had no option top. Realising he was dying, the but to agree, or they would have stricken man wanted to clear his been in deep trouble themselves for conscience and told his helper what not having sealed off the deadly he knew of the disappearance of

Left: Library picture, not Mapperley. Above: the cover of Hector Tyler’s book. Right: the road approaching Mapperley village today.

Letter

Let’s talk about politics There is much talk of the need for political reform. I have for some time been interested in what form this might take and how we might make a start with it here in Ilkeston. There seems to be a strong need for something less polarised and more collaborative but what would this look like and how might we begin to have an experience of it? To be truly democratic this will need some kind of forum where all voices can be equally heard and equally listened to. What might this mean in practice as well as in theory? If you are interested in looking further at this then come along to an initial meeting at the U Choose Smoothie Bar on Bath Street, Ilkeston on Saturday 16th June at 11am. The meeting will be upstairs and you can get refreshments before or afterwards in the café below. Richard Shaw

Elton John told me a joke last week ....I have to admit its a little bit funny. John Allen

Thomas Severn—disappeared area sooner. The sealed-up road would not have been explored by the search teams because it would be claimed that it had been sealed before Thomas Severn had gone missing. (Searching every blocked off road would have been an impossible and too dangerous task to carry out.) With the passage of time, maybe we will never know for sure what happened, but Hector Tyler’s theory seems as good as any. His knowledge and experience as an underground worker have convinced many that he could well be right. Mapperley pit is now closed and gone. The tragedy of Thomas Severn remains a talking point and a subject of conjecture to this day.

Ilkestonlife.com

Train spotters... Our railway correspondent Bill Smith informs us that The Flying Scotsman will be passing through Ilkeston Station on Saturday 30th June at approximately 11.30am hauling The Yorkshireman charter to York.

June 2018

As part of the national commemoration to mark the centenary of the end of The Great War, a weekend of Reflection and Remembrance is being organised in Sandiacre from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th November centred on Saint Gilesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Church. The weekend will include exhibitions, displays, music and poetry while the church will remain open on Sunday after the morning service for quiet reflection. The day will end with the bells Ringing out for Peace as part of the national celebration. It is intended to decorate Saint Gilesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Church with swathes of poppies in remembrance of the local and national soldiers who lost their lives in the conflict. In order to bring this idea to life, one thousand handmade poppies, whether knitted, sewn, felted, crocheted, ceramic or created from paper will be needed. All poppies are unique so although knitting patterns can be supplied, please feel free to develop your own ideas if you wish to contribute to the display. The only stipulation is that, however the poppies are made, they are 'life size' and of the correct colouration If you would like a knitting pattern or further information on making and creating poppies for the display please telephone 0115 939 8057 or contact stgilesPCC@outlook.com. Completed poppies can be left in the collecting box at Sandiacre Library on Doncaster Avenue. If you are a descendant of, or have any information about, any of the 69 casualties named on the Sandiacre War Memorial which could be used in the exhibition, please contact Sandiacre Heritage Group on 0115 939 8057 or sandiacrehistory@hotmail.co.uk. Sheila Hickingbotham

Ilkestonlife.com

Acorn Corner

A page for younger readers

Students appointed as anti-stigma champions

June 2018

Serving prisoners visit school erving prisoners visited Saint John S Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy to talk to students about life behind bars.

Three inmates serving crimes ranging from fraud to death by dangerous driving warned students about the consequences of committing crime. More than 180 students from Years 9 and 10 attended the sessions in school run by the charity Prison Me! No Way! The aim is to raise awareness among young people about the causes, consequences, penalties and impact of crime. Prison officer Graham Holgate led the sessions and introduced students to three female prisoners. He told students: “I have worked in prisons for coming up to 32 years and I’ve locked up men, women, young and old. I have no choice about who I lock up. Some of them are coming to prison for 20 or 30 years and a lot of them have mental health issues. Some are very poorly and don’t understand what’s going on.” The three prisoners who accompanied Graham were serving sentences of up to three years and four months. One of the female prisoners talked about how she had been convicted of death by dangerous

driving following a crash in which a man died. She said: “I was travelling at 45mph, which was within the 50mph speed limit. There were four lanes of traffic and I was in the slow lane and the traffic was moving. I put my mobile phone on to charge and I was distracted for five seconds. I didn’t see the car that was stationary in the lane I was travelling in and hit the back of it.” Graham talked to students about the dangers of being linked to crime through friends’ actions and how crime can affect people connected to you. He said: “Crime doesn’t affect just the person involved, it affects everyone around them. Probably the person who gets locked up gets the easiest time, it’s the people outside who have to keep everything going.” Student William Holt, 14, said he found the session extremely valuable. He said: “I don’t think I really thought about how many people can be affected by a crime rather than just the person who is involved in it. It can affect your family and friends as well. I think hearing the talk also makes you think about who you are hanging around with and hopefully what we’ve heard today will help people from going down the wrong path.”

well as display them in school we are hoping to take them out and display them in the local community possibly at the library, the council offices and supermarkets.” The anti-stigma champions and staff are holding a coffee morning at the academy, in Kayleigh Whitehead, Rebecca Smith, Tom King George Avenue, from 10.30am to White, Martyna Kluch and Josh Morley, 12.30pm on April 26th , to promote their from Years 7 to 10, volunteered for the roles. campaign and to raise money to go towards They have received specialist anti-stigma the cost of reproducing the posters. training, carried out assemblies in school Tom, 13, said: “I wanted to get involved talking about mental health, met with the because it’s something that I hadn’t really academy’s Senior Leadership Team to disheard about before and it’s important that cuss their ideas and organised a poster com- young people feel they can talk about mental petition. health and any issues that might be affecting Students were asked to design a poster to them.” raise awareness of mental health issues and Martyna, 14, said: “We have already done the anti-stigma champions chose three win- assemblies and run the poster competition. ners. They were Elli Brown, Kimberley We are also working on creating a dedicated Crowther-Moore and Tynan Eggleston and room at school where students can go to have their posters will be produced and displayed a bit of time out or talk to us or a member of around the academy. staff.” Louise Craven, safeguarding officer at Mrs Craven said she was proud of the efforts OIEA, has been working with the students along with OIEA learning mentor Jo Birkin. of the anti-stigma champions so far. She said: “We’ve really been letting them They are both keen to promote the posters lead on this project and we want them to take within the wider community. ownership of it. Students need to know that Mrs Craven said: “The students have taken it’s good to talk. Statistics show that mental the lead on this awareness raising initiative health is just as important as physical and they chose 10 posters that they thought health.” were the best and then selected the top three. Photos: Five anti-stigma champions and We would like to reproduce the top 10 and as three poster competition winners.

ive students have been appointed as anti-stigma champions at Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy to raise awareness of mental health issues among young people.

.”

Teacher completes London Marathon teacher at Ormiston Ilkeston EnterA prise Academy completed the London Marathon and raised £2,600 for charity with

the support of staff and students. Lesley Lowe finished the race in just under six hours and the money raised will go to the charity Health, Poverty, Action. Students and staff had supported Mrs Lowe’s fundraising efforts by taking part in a nonuniform day, coffee morning and a sponsored fitness challenge. They travelled as they could in 10 minutes on cross-trainers, bikes and treadmills as part of a staff versus student challenge in the academy’s fitness suite. Mrs Lowe said she was thrilled to surpass her £2,000 target and wanted to thank everyone who supported her. So far, she has raised £2,600. She said: “It was amazing. The crowds were phenomenal. My name was on my top and as I ran past people were shouting my name which was lovely. It was so noisy at Tower Bridge. I struggled at about 18 to 20 miles and I walked for a bit. I managed to see my family at eight, 18 and 22 miles which gave me a real boost. I also saw three other people running for the same charity as me and I saw the people from the charity at about 22 miles. “It was hot but there were lots of showers and water stations along the way and the fire service were out spraying people with water. That was great because it was like going through a rain storm. It was difficult seeing people who were struggling. Obviously we

had all been training in cold weather so the heat on the day was a bit of a shock. “When I came around the corner at the 26mile point and it said 385 yards to the end I just burst into tears. The whole event exceeded my expectations and I was pleased with my time considering the weather. The next day I was hobbling around in school, my legs felt like they were broken. I was so pleased to reach my fundraising target. I don’t think I would do any other marathon but I would do the London Marathon again.” Nia Salt, Principal at OIEA congratulated Mrs Lowe on her achievement. She said: "Mrs Lowe is an inspiration to us all. She shows us that working hard and sacrificing is sometimes what you have to do to achieve your goals. We are all so proud of her".

The Way We Were

Pines Youth Club

Above: Another page from the Trade Section of the Ilkeston & District Directory of 1965/66

Ilkestonlife.com

hese photos from Lesley Farr show members of the Pines Youth Club on Stanton Road, Ilkeston around 1950, including her dad Eric Wright. Bell ringers: l to r: Fred Wright, Keith Symes, Bill Booth, ? , Eric Wright, somebody Stevenson. Scene makers for a Dick Whittington pantomime: George Tuck, ? , ? , Eric Wright and Fred Wright. Pair in top hats: On the right is Eric Wright. Colour picture: Entrance to the Pines building, now a nursery, photographed by Garth Newton.

June 2018

Ilkestonlife.com

Erewash Valley could be the new Atkinson, the Labour candi‘Silicon Valley’ C atherine date for MP in Erewash has called

Local Nature Notes High Summer, and the peak growth period is very much upon us. The verdant flush of Spring is now passing and the species of plants and animals that thrive in the higher temperatures and benefit from the longest days now come to the fore. In the plant kingdom, as we wander in the countryside or in our local nature reserves, we tend to notice the brighter, colourful flowers and marvel at their beauty. Orchids are usually associated more with tropical climates and some of their blooms are truly amazing, but we do have our own, native orchids here in Britain, albeit most of them are not quite so spectacular in our temperate latitudes. We have a small number of species in our area, including the impressive Bee Orchid that grows in just a few places, but our commonest orchid is the Common Spotted Orchid and it grows locally in modest numbers; it prefers open, damp ground but it will also turn up on ‘waste land’ and even roadside verges occasionally support this impressive plant. The orchid takes its name from the dark spots that usually adorn its long, fleshy leaves, and in June the plant throws up spikes of pale pink or sometimes more mauve flowers on rigid stems. In a few places in more marshy ground

the flower spikes can grow to some 20cm or more and look impressive, especially if there are several in a small colony. It is worth taking a close look at the individual flowers: they have evolved into a special structure with sepals like miniature angel wings, a small hood formed by the petals, a lower lip and a rearfacing spur with a front opening. All this fascinating and complex natural design is dedicated to a special partnership with certain insects, usually bees, in order for the plant to be successfully pollinated when it is visited for nectar. Take that closer look – they really are just as beautiful as their tropical cousins!

Wayne’s world of

entertainment

for a fair share of Government investment people in our area getting the lowest govin economic development for the area.

ernment spending on economic developSpeaking on the Sunday Politics programme she said: “I made the point that the ment and transport in the country. “With a fair share of investment in Erewash Tory Government has betrayed us, with we could see projects like the regeneration of the Stanton site get off the ground. By supporting our tech businesses and attracting new ones, the Erewash Valley could even become the new Silicon Valley of the East Midlands. “It’s all about giving local people the opportunity of high paid jobs for the future. But without a change of Government we won’t get the fair share of investment that’s needed.” Photo left from BBC TV coverage of the discussion :Catherine Atkinson (right), Pauline Latham MP (left).

June 2018

CINEMA PICK Two films this month, both worthy of being at the top of my favourite films of the year list. Firstly, the epic AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. Any fears I had that the film would be too big with too many characters were, thankfully, put to rest. The action is non-stop, the interaction between the different superheroes is brilliant and there's a great balance of drama and humour. The highlight of the film is Thanos, the big bad guy. His character and backstory is so well built that you find yourself almost cheering him on.... if it wasn't for the fact that he wants to literally wipe out half of the universe. This is a definite must-see film. My other cinema pick is the outstanding A QUIET PLACE. This sets a new level for horror films. The world has been brought to ruination by monsters that hunt by sound. If you make a loud sound then you instantly attract the monsters and your life is short-lived. The use of sound, and more importantly the lack of sound, in this film is the best I've ever come across. You find yourself holding your breath from the very first few minutes and it's relentless. You will be afraid and you will be quiet. STREAMING PICK LOST IN SPACE is a Netflix remake of an old TV series about a family of colonists that leave Earth after some sort of worldwide disaster has struck. Unfortunately, the space station they are on is attacked and they find themselves crash landing on an unknown planet. The series tells their story as they strive to survive and try and get back to the space station.

Jim Steele

West Hallam Animal Charities German Shepherd Dog Rescue – Open Day At King’s Corner, Stanley DE21 4RG On Saturday June 9th 2018 (10-30 am to 3-00pm) The Open Day of the GSDR arranged on May 12th unfortunately had to be cancelled, due to a number of problems, not least of which was the waterlogged field used for carparking. The event has been rearranged for Saturday 9th 2018. As always there are huge amounts of clothes, books, furniture, musical instruments, dog related goods and general bric-a-brac for sale, there should be something for everyone. Refreshments will also be available.

I really enjoyed this. The production quality is top notch as is the acting. The robot has had a big makeover from the original series and there are a few more twists that they have made this time around. The iconic "Danger Will Robinson" is still there though. The series is only 10 episodes long so it won't take long to watch and it's definitely worth your while to do so. ONES TO WATCH June sees a return of the Jurassic World franchise with JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM. This time around it looks like it's the dinosaurs turn to be rescued and there may be more of a horror element to it than in the previous film. Also, look out for the JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION game that is also due out at the same time on Xbox, Playstation and PC. This is a park management game with dinosaurs, naturally. My streaming pick for June is something a bit different. GLOW Season 2 is based on a truelife story about a group of women, who all have their own quirks, who come together in order to start their own TV wrestling show. The first season was very good and was a refreshing change to the usual drama that often dominates Netflix. Watch the first season now to prepare yourself. You can read more of my reviews on my website at www.crapornotcrap.co.uk and you can get in touch with me on twitter @ilsonfan. Please let me know what you think and what films/tv you have been enjoying. Wayne Morledge

Look out for the Friends’ display in Ilkeston public library during the month of June. One of the glass cabinets will contain a range of merchandise and some information about the history (natural and otherwise) of the nature reserve. Older readers might remember the days when it was used for opencast mining. Even before that it was the site of the West Hallam sewage works. The community is fortunate that the Bor-

ough Council stepped in to carry out the restoration which has made it possible to gain Local Nature Reserve status, and to win the Green Flag award year after year. The Friends meet quarterly and hold occasional workdays. New members are always welcome. Find the Friends on Facebook or visit friendsofstrawsbridge.co.uk. Jeff Wynch

lovely vets and I have, more recently, started suffering from random seizures, as if I don’t have enough health problems to contend with. Remarkably, I cope quite well with some of the chronic Little Lewie, the Chihuahua Dog here again - let me continue my Doggy Tails pain symptoms and post seizure fatigue. with you. I previously mentioned a med- A friend of Ona’s recommended a teaspoon of honey to help soothe my ical condition that I have which limits nerves, so, I look forward to this sweet the amount of exercise that I can take. Despite being a tiny dog with little legs treat on some of my ‘off colour’ days, to match, my determination to make full but, I must say, there are plenty of very use of all the comfy cushions and blan- good quality days in between these poorly episodes which amount to a wonkets dotted around the house soon had derful and full life for me. With the me climbing, clambering, hopping and summer upon us, I am getting out and jumping from footstool to sofa, from about a little more often and recently we sofa to chair and back again. Ona (our all went for a photography session (that human carer) kindly arranged resting is we, the canine ‘we’, all five of us! I places consisting of stepping levels to did pity the photographer!) The photo accommodate Chihuahua dog size and that is featured this month is my most abilities but oh no, I often ignore these favourite solo pose. strategically placed stepping routes so that I can access ground floor level This quote from Lord Byron ought to be much more quickly, especially so when my motto, in light of the health probthe back door is open and next door’s lems I suffer. ‘Courage without Ferocidog is ‘calling’ to us in that noisy bark- ty, and all the virtues of Man without his ing fashion which only dogs understand Vices’ (chuckles). the logic of. It was during one of these acrobatic manoeuvres that I slipped a disc, that’s not to say that I slipped on a disc, more like, I felt a sudden movement happen in my back which warned me that life may never be the same for me again! Nowadays, I am a little more cautious and (mostly), avoid the gymnastics, rely on a regular dosage of medication from our

Doggy tails

Ilkestonlife.com

June 2018

A life across the centuries Warning Issued By Derbyshire Forensic David Potter takes a jour ney thr ough a family history. 1. 1925-1944 Born in the Derbyshire town of Ilkeston at Christmas 1925 to William (Bill) and Beatrice (Bea), Frank Cottam’s story is a fascinating insight into life and history as it evolved and passed from one century to the next. Mother and father raised a family of eight children, five girls and three boys, always a struggle during that harsh period between the two world wars when relief at the ending of the first was overshadowed by the increasing inevitability of the second. Bill combined coal mining with farm labouring, and he and Bea could feel proud that all their children were eventually launched to make their own differing ways into a world that contained no small degree of uncertainty in the historical and social background in which they were brought up. Frank attended Hallcroft School in Ilkeston and confesses to hating almost every moment of it aside from the football and cricket; finally leaving with no qualifications just after the outbreak of the second world war in 1939. Another war of which many were told would be “over by Christmas” During those schooldays one teacher in particular, having been himself involved in the first Great War, was confidently predicting the second one long before it happened. Indeed pupils were often told that it would be to their benefit should it break out sooner rather than later as they’d have a better chance of it being over before becoming caught up in the fighting. His predictions became inevitabilities when crises began to build from 1936 onwards as Hitler marched into the Rhineland and followed with the annexations of Austria and, progressively, major areas of Czechoslovakia. After leaving Hallcroft early signs began to indicate young Master Cottam’s eventual career path as he became an avid collector of the political and military news of the time in the form of newspaper clippings and cartoons but his immediate priority was to get a job. A hard task initially but one which became easier as the war increasingly created various opportunities for labour to replace the forces now being deployed in the fighting. Spurning an initial opportunity to go down the mines he eventually found himself working alongside several of his sisters as a warehouseman in one of the many local hosiery factories in Ilkeston. Any spare time he had was spent playing football and, in his own words, “chasing the girls”. Another rather more productive activity was keeping and breeding rabbits for meat having learned first hand from father Bill how to “skin, gut and joint them in five seconds flat”. As the war progressed several of the family now found themselves in employment at Stanton Ironworks which by that time had started bomb production. Frank however was determined to keep the pathway open to his chosen career in the Army and did all he could to avoid any work in an industry which would have exempted and, by definition, disqualified him from doing just that. He emphasised his intentions by joining the Army Cadets in 1942 while biding his time until he could volunteer or be called up, whichever opportunity came first. A year later at the age of 18 he applied to join the Marines and got himself down to the recruiting centre on London Road in Nottingham where he passed his medical and then sat back confidently waiting to be called up at any moment. However due to the impending D Day operations the recruiting emphasis had by now switched to a primary requirement for infantry and his long awaited call up was delayed even further, a period in which he desperately tried to avoid being drafted to the mines or the land as a “Bevin Boy” which would again have jeopardised his chances of joining the army. At last the long awaited call up papers arrived and Frank set off in the footsteps of his elder brother Les on what, so far, would be the longest journey of his life from Ilkeston to the New Barracks at Lincoln. Much longer journeys were to follow…..

Psychologist Over Online Dating Risks

A forensic psychologist from Derbyshire, who has recently appeared as an expert TV commentator on new documentary, Swipe Right For Murder, has issued a warning to local women and men meeting potential partners online. Dr Ruth Tully from Derbyshire landed the top spot on the brand-new and exclusive series being aired on REALLY, which lifts the lid on the terrifying side of online dating by examining some tragic, heart-breaking murder cases in the UK and worldwide. Now the expert in her field is warning Derbyshire women to meet online users with caution, after seeing some of the crimes committed when people met potential partners online. This is something which hit the headlines last June, when Molly McLaren was stabbed to death by a man she met on Tinder after only knowing him for a few days, and the Midlands case of schoolgirl Kayleigh Haywood who was groomed online before being tragically killed, with this case featuring in the series 'Swipe Right for Murder'. Ruth filmed for the gripping documentary in London, and said “I have worked hard to try to communicate to the public about forensic psychology and complex issues relating to crime and risk, and after being asked to give expert commentary for news channels like Sky and the BBC, alongside giving input to documentaries and new dramas in recent years, I was delighted to land a spot on ‘Swipe Right For Murder’, but it did make the risks seem all too real." "Statistics show that one in five people between the ages of 25-34 now meet their partner online. and the online dating industry has grown into an industry worth over £1.7bn. Online dating can be a great way to meet new people, but it opens users up to huge risks if they don't try to protect themselves." Ruth Tully's Top Tips For Online Dating Include: 1. Don’t pick a username that can identify you. Make sure that you choose a username which doesn’t include details such as your surname, where you work, or where you live. 2. Set Up A New Email Address Use a separate email for online dating so that you do not unwittingly reveal your surname. If you have a separate email address for online dating, it also makes it easier to delete should you no longer wish to talk to someone that you met online. This also works if you encounter abuse from a potential match. 3. Report unusual or abusive behaviour. If you’re being pressured into revealing intimate details or being asked to do anything that you are not comfortable with, then report the person to the online dating service. This helps to not only protect yourself, but other users. A common way of sending inappropriate pictures to people is to entice them away from the dating site to messaging on WhatsApp and text, where it is easier to send inappropriate or harmful content. Be aware of this if the person is asking to message you directly. 4. Always Meet In A Public Place Always meet in a public place and never go back to someone's house on date one - or allow them back to your house. Until you know this person, be very careful about telling them where you live. It might feel as though you know the person well as you could have been chatting on the dating site for some time, however, remember that people may find it easy to lie or mislead you online, and that the details and information they have disclosed might not be genuine. 5. Tell A Friend Or Relative Always tell a friend or relative where you are, who you are meeting and where, and send them a screen shot of the person's dating profile and other contact details if you have them. Such details could save your life, should the worst happen. Ruth continued: "Crimes related to online dating have risen by 382% between 2011 to 2016, with The National Crime Agency reporting that reports of rape have risen six-fold in the same time period. Whilst the responsibility for sexual or violent offending lies with the perpetrator, being aware and taking precautions if meeting people online is the sensible thing to do.”

Comic Characters (Page13) Clockwise starting from top left: Dennis the Menace and Gnasher, Desperate Dan, Korky the Cat, Winker Watson, Minnie the Minx, Brassneck, Lord Snooty, Plug, Black Bob, Tricky Dicky, Ginger.

It’s written in the stars Stars for June 2018 – Localised to Ilkeston area. ARIES ~ 21 MARCH – 20 APRIL Although You may feel compelled to instinctively ‘Do What You Gotta do’- Second thoughts could well prove to be the key to success on some issue. TAURUS ~ 21 APRIL – 21 MAY You could well have some new insight into your domestic scene. This could include an important financial aspect, like a business idea. Gardening, possibly? GEMINI ~ 22 MAY – 21 JUNE With the Sun and ‘Mind planet Mercury’ together in your sign, it looks like the perfect time to transfer your practical thoughts and ideas into action! Go for it Gemini. CANCER ~ 22 JUNE – 23 JULY Your natural gift for helping others to solve problems, by working with them, could be a main point of focus this month. Your sense of values should keep you on track for success. LEO – 24 JULY – 23 AUG Understanding the difficult nature of a certain problem being suffered by another – and offering your typically big hearted help, could be really important this month. You could also get extra support for this around the 16th of the month. Good luck Leo! VIRGO ~ 24 AUG – 23 SEPT You could well be in the limelight around the 18th - 20th of the month. The probable reason for this smattering of stardust, looks to be a certain welfare issue, and your way of handling it!

by Richard Servante

LIBRA ~ 24 SEPT – 23 OCT Something good, possession-wise, seems to be coming your way, Libra. It looks to be arriving around the 20th, so ‘Keep ’em peeled’ ~ as the proverbial policeman said! SCORPIO ~ 24 OCT – 22 NOV Communication looks to be your watchword this month, Scorpio. Although using your natural investigative talent often leads to the correct, logical conclusion, it may be best to double check the facts this time. SAGITTARIUS ~ 23 NOV – 21 DEC There looks to be some kind of security issue needing your attention. Using your fine diplomatic skills could be very important now. CAPRICORN ~ 22 DEC – 20 JAN This could be a very sensitive time for your creative talents. A helpful and supportive female could give your efforts a positive boost. AQUARIUS ~ 21 JAN – 19 FEB Finding a new way forward, for a personal care issue, looks like getting the well deserved support you need. Energy wise, it’s the perfect time for taking care of business! PISCES ~ 20 FEB – 20 MARCH A Relationship matter looks to be the point of focus this month, Pisces. One good thing’s for sure. You don’t forsake your ideals in this area, regardless of your circumstances.

Ilkestonlife.com

The NHS, before and after By Danny Corns th July 2018 marks the 70th 5 anniversary of the birth of the National Health Service. As early as 1912 William Beveridge, a leading economist and social reformer devised a plan for a possible welfare state.

It was not until 1942, due to many events over the following 30 years that he produced a paper called The Beveridge Report on Social Insurance and Allied Services. This report formed the basis of the NHS which was introduced in 1948 by the Atlee government. Service men and women returning from the Western Front following the first world war were told: “You will be returning to a land fit for heroes.” As we know, many of them were suffering from shell shock, PTSD as we know it today. Others had limbs missing, some were blind and some were suffering from gas poisoning. To some extent, their injuries were ignored by a few politicians, “we had won the war” after all, but not all. Many had fought in the war, some carrying injuries themselves. They knew, however, the country had to change. The days of Victorian and Edwardian Britain had gone forever for working class families, or so it seemed. The big problem was the war had left the country pretty well bankrupt. Workers returning to their old industries found that unemployment was growing, particularly in the mines, textiles and shipbuilding industries, which tended to be in the Midlands, north of England, Wales and Scotland. There was the 1926 General Strike and the Jarrow Hunger March. Along came the world depression in the early 1930s with over 3 million unemployed in Britain, along with people being means tested. This period was followed by the second world war. Difficult times. Beveridge, however, had not forgotten his plans for a welfare state. Even at a dangerous time in WW2 he introduced his latest report on Social and Allied Services which formed the basis for the welfare state including the NHS. With the war ending in 1945, the newly elected Atlee government finally introduced the NHS in 1948 with Aneurin Bevan as Minister for Health. The NHS was launched at Park Hospital in Manchester (today known as Trafford General Hospital). With Britain being once again nearly bankrupt, it had to borrow billions of dollars from America, called the Marshall Plan. This took around 60 years to pay back. Clement Atlee, the Prime Minister during the post war years had been badly wounded himself during the first war, serving as a Major on the Western Front. Without being political I regard introducing the NHS during those years of austerity following WW2 as a remarkable achievement.

A personal memory Being born in Crompton Street in 1935 I well remember the days before the NHS. Visits to hospitals

ands doctors had to be paid for. My mam had a box which she called her hospital box. She put half a crown per week into it (twelve and half pence in today’s money). A fair amount out of my dad’s wages of £5 a week at Stanton Ironworks. There were many large families around who struggled to find that sort of money. Mothers, however, were crafty in those days of 1940s Britain. A youngster on Crompton Street with a bad cough or chesty cold was told to go and sniff the tar pipe dipping tanks at Stanton. It seemed to work and I love the smell of fresh tar to this day. Most kids were treated to a daily spoonful of castor oil, cod liver oil or Scott’s Emulsion. Can you still get it today? We were told it strengthened your bones. If hospital treatment was required which Ilkeston Hospital couldn’t provide, my surgery sent its patients to Nottingham General on the Ropewalk in Nottingham. The big problem was that every patient received their appointment for 9am, but a wait until 4pm to see a consultant was common. This carried on to the 1960s to my knowledge. My dad had a very serious accident at Stanton around 1944. I remember him leaving the house at 6am to catch a workers bus to Nottingham, hoping to be one of the early ones to get treatment so he could return to work in the afternoon. Time off in those days meant no pay. Most streets had someone a family could call on to give some form of medical treatment to avoid a doctor’s visit. Crompton Street had Mrs Clews, an elderly lady who seemed to know what to do. She would sit all night with a patient if required and go to work the following day…a wonderful woman. Of course, people didn’t have phones or cars. The nearest phone box to us was at the top of Crompton Street, nearly half a mile away. At least they didn’t get vandalised in those days. The post war years still saw rationing. Parents went without to feed their kids, particularly mothers. It was also a dangerous time with infectious diseases such as TB. As kids we were sent out to play with other kids who had measles, but not mumps. Something to do with enlarging part of a lad’s body, I believe. I had German measles during the war and was worried the spots would look like swastikas. That’s how kids thought during the war. Kids with scarlet fever or diphtheria along with other infectious diseases were sent to the Sanatorium Hospital on Longfield Lane, a simple wooden building with a long veranda – it became Longfield Children’s Hospital in 1948. I remember waving to a couple of pals who had scarlet fever as they sat on the veranda. We were sledging in the next field where Hallam Fields School is now. We called that ‘Sanatorium Field’. During the 1940s and early 50s polio was our biggest fear. A friend caught the disease and although he survived he always had a very bad limp. For some reason, a lump of sugar was our only treatment although I believe it had

something in it. At Stanton Ironworks, its workers were pretty well catered for. Its first small medical centre was opened in 1919, catering for basic injuries sustained in the works. Later on, it had its own doctor, dentist and physiotherapy department along with a team of nurses spread throughout the works. During Victorian times, a horse and cart would take a badly injured worker to hospital providing the horse could be found roaming in the nearby fields. A Stanton worker could only get a doctor’s paper for three days absence then. On the second day Nurse Broad would be knocking on the worker’s door to see if he was skiving.

The early post war years Around the time of the birth of the NHS in 1948, the population of Britain was, I believe, over 20 million less than it is today. This makes a big difference to the cost of running the organisation. For the first time, hospitals, doctors, nurses, opticians, dentists and pharmacists came under one umbrella. This was to provide services that were free for all at the point of delivery, financed entirely from taxation. Nevertheless, people were expected to take care of their own health and fitness as much as possible. Great advances in medicine and treatment had been taking place for over 100 years. The 1950s saw, in my opinion, the most rapid discoveries and treatment in history, probably because of the introduction of the NHS. A few milestones were: 1952 – Charges of one shilling (5p) introduced for prescriptions; 1953 – DNA discovered by James Watson and Francis Crick; 1954 – Smoking and cancer link established; 1954 – Daily hospital visits for children introduced. Previously only for one hour on Saturday and Sunday allowed; 1958 – Polio and diphtheria vaccinations launched; 1962 – First full hip replacement by Professor John Charnley.

June 2018

Local Performing Arts Scene by Lindsey Rice

Nurse Mary (May) Broad in the first medical block opened at Stanton in 1919. Photo: Danny Corns

Stanton’s first motor ambulance with driver Jack Sisson, 1921. Photo: Danny Corns.

Conclusions The NHS and Welfare State will never have enough money. With continuous advances in medicine, treatments, replacement joints, transplants, screening, research and development, along with a growing population of elderly people, how can it? The NHS is the largest employer in the country. I believe, however, that millions could be saved by reducing waste. If what I’ve heard is true, a procurement manager who allows £1,500 to buy a pot a moisturising cream or pay £150 for the installation of a light bulb needs to find another job. A private company would go bankrupt in no time. I did voluntary work in the NHS for many years so I’m well aware of the waste that goes on. Visit any hospital department or doctor’s surgery and there will be a notice showing how many appointments have been missed over the previous month. It can be as many as fifty. In these days of telephones, this a disgrace. Many in today’s snowflake society seem to

want to blame everyone else for their heath problems, including the NHS. It’s not perfect but it’s all we’ve got. Do we want a country like America where 28 million people are without health cover? I don’t! I have German friends who pay 30 per cent of their income on health insurance – do we want that system? I don’t! The NHS rightly gets criticised when they are to blame for things that go wrong but are rarely praised for its achievements. If I had one wish it would be that politicians would stop using the NHS as a political football and come to a cross-party agreement to decide its future. The 1948 principles must never change. For working class families, I believe the NHS is the most important organisation ever devised. We must not ruin it!

Matron Dean (in black) and nurses at the opening of Ilkeston Hospital, 28th February 1984. Photo: Margaret Slater.

Nurse Cooper who worked at old hospital on Station Road before transferring to the new Ilkeston Hospital on Heanor Road. Photo Margaret Slater.

Ilkestonlife.com

Local Walking Groups Where they are going this month Erewash Ramblers Visit website for more details or contact Yvonne Ashby, 0115 930 4054. Saturday June 2nd. 10.30am. 5 miles. Trent Meadows. Meet at Trent Lock car park, Lock Lane Sawley. (SK489312, NG10 2FY). Leader Gordon Thompsell. Monday June 4th. 10.30am. 6½ miles. Dovedale, Lindale, Tissington. Meet at Narlows Lane car park. (SK163504, DE6 2AT). Leader Tony Beardsley (07989 314242). Wednesday June 6th. 10.30am. Short walk. Spondon Area. Meet at Bluebells Ice cream parlour, Brunswood Farm. SK406374. Leader Brian Marshall. Saturday June 9th. Coach trip to Cannock Chase and Lichfield. Sunday June 10th. 10.30am. 9½ miles. Bonsall – Grangemill. Meet at Bonsall main car park (SK280579, DE4 2AD). Leader Brian Marshall. Wednesday June 13th. 10.30am. Short walk. Trent Lock and garden visit. Meet at Trent Lock car park, SK489313. Leaders Fay and John Blackburn. Thursday June 14th. 10.30am. 7 miles. Ashbourne-ThorpeMappleton. Meet at Tissington Trail car park, off Mappleton Road, P&D (SK175469, DE6 1FD). Leader Simon Edmonds. Saturday June 16th. 10.30am. 5 miles. Heights of Abraham. Meet at main car park Bonsall (SK280579, DE4 2AD). Leader David Bricknell. Monday June 18th. 10.30am. 7 miles. Dovedale Area. Meet at Ilam Hall N/T car park, P&D (SK131506, DE6 2AZ). Leaders Daphne Eaton & Barry Wallace (07546 236066). Wednesday June 20th. 10.30am. Short walk. Breaston. Meet at Blind Lane. SK459335. Leader Brian Marshall. Evening Walk Wednesday June 20th. 6.45pm. 3 – 4 miles. Meet at Carpenters Arms, Dale Abbey (SK436389, DE7 4PP). Chip cob at pub afterwards. Leader Joyce Mold. Sunday June 24th. 10.30am. 8 miles. The Silver Circuit. Meet at Barton Marina, rear car park (SK197181, DE13 8AS). Leaders Linda Hunt and Dave Bird. Wednesday June 27th. 10.30am. Short walk. Nutbrook Trail. Meet at Straws Bridge car park, West Hallam, SK452413. Leader Sandie Jones. Thursday June 28th. 10.30am. 5½ miles. Mugginton area. Meet at Cock Inn car park (SK287439, DE6 4PJ). Leaders Fay & John Blackburn. Saturday June 30th. 10.30am. Little Eaton to Makeney circular. Meet at Bridge Inn, Duffield Bank (SK350429, DE65 4BG). Park at the back of pub car park. Leaders Sandra Davison & Alice Dixon.

Ilkeston Rambling Club More details about Ilkeston Rambling Club from Jim Cresswell, 07747 419380. Thursday June 7th: Programme meeting at The Prince of Wales, South Street, Ilkeston, 7.45pm. Sunday 17th June: Park at Stone Centre car park, Wirksworth for a nine and a half mile walk with lunch at the Miners Arms, Brassington. Leader: Clive Unwin. Thursday June 21st. A short leisurely evening walk. Destination to be revealed on the night. Leader: Steve Palmer. Cars leave Pimlico car park at 6.30pm.

Audition Notice Blind Eye Productions - The Picture of Dorian Gray The story of Dorian Gray has been chosen by this relatively

new company, Blind Eye Productions, to be their first play due to the undercurrent of the story which is similar to today’s modern society. Being obsessed with youth and regret, this story really fits in with Blind Eye’s ethos which is to bring topics to the forefront and which most people would turn a “blind eye” to. Auditions will take place at Bunkers Hill (next to Nottingham Ice Arena) from 12pm to 2.30pm on Sunday 24 th June 2018. It is an open audition for anyone over the age of 18 with lots of enthusiasm to help bring the story to life! Rehearsals will take place every Wednesday evening from 7.00pm – 9.00pm at Bunkers Hill. The show will take place at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton on the 14th & 15th November 2018. To book an audition slot and receive an audition pack please contact blindeyeproductions@outlook.com or alternatively you can contact them via their Facebook page. Tickets are available now for this production either through their website or by contacting the Duchess Theatre Box Office.

Sanctum – Horror Ballet Duchess Theatre I was invited along to see “Sanctum” at the Duchess Theatre on Thursday 19th April. This Production was put on by Infrared Arts who are a Production Company made up of three performance groups from 5yrs to adult professionals. Infrared Arts was formed over 10 years ago but is only now being recognised. It’s always very difficult introducing original work as the majority of audiences are comfortable with seeing things they’ve already touched base with. Infrared Comedy Theatre perform original musical comedies and visit the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They also take Principal roles in the sell out adult pantomimes and family pantomimes. All of their productions are written, directed, choreographed and produced by Sara Lim-Smith. Everything is hers - lyrics and all. The Company has won awards for achievement and best Director for the Pollard Shield. Infrared Youth are aged 5-11 and are taught all aspects of Theatre and performance and get the chance to audition for musicals and pantomime. The group is designed to encourage confidence, individuality and skill in dance, vocals and acting before performing. When they reach the age of 12 they are then selected for either the Comedy Musical Company or the Contemporary Dance Company and in some cases they are so skilled they join both. The adult part of Infrared Arts is the Contemporary Dance Company - Adoci Dance Theatre. This gives dancers the chance to work on a full scale horror ballet written and choreographed by Sara. Infrared Arts is geared towards performance. It is not a school. They are not worried about the ability of a performer, they look for the dedication and willingness to learn and create new Theatre. Sara trained at London Contemporary Dance School and London Studio Centre. Credits include appearances in the West End, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and national and international tours with both Dance Companies and Theatre productions. The aim is to have her work seen on a larger scale and introduce original and innovative work to the mainstream. I’ve never seen a Ballet before, this was a first for me, and what a way to be introduced to it. The music was certainly well thought out and fitted the subject matter perfectly. It was also a great asset to have the story narrated by Sara Lim-Smith (Choreographer, Director & Producer). Cathrine O’Brien & Lauren Frost both played “Demons”. These two gave a spellbinding performance. Their timing was impeccable which made them a joy to watch. Maya Cooper Evens played the main character who was “the girl who lost everything”. Maya provided us with some superb dancing and expression for someone who looked quite young of age. Ethan Chambers played “the Sanctum”. Ethan was a pleasure to watch and I hope to see more of him in the future. He put his part across very well indeed. Sara Lim-Smith played “Hope”. She was clearly very popular with the audience and received a rapturous reception. Her dancing was phenomenal. The rest of the Company was made up of the younger children and whilst the aim of the show was a horror ballet, you really couldn’t help thinking how cute they all looked in their lovely outfits. They all tried incredibly hard especially to keep to their character. I am now a ballet convert and cannot wait to see what they do next. I was enthralled by this performance and would recommend that if you see promotion for their next show that you get yourself a ticket and support this wonderful group. I would also like to pay special thanks to Adrian who looked after me so well on my arrival!. Their website is now up and running so look out for more information from them there www.infraredarts.com

June 2018

Local Performing Arts Scene by Lindsey Rice Local theatre groups—if you would like me to come along and review your show for the paper, please get in touch. Lindsey Rice. Email: lindsey@ilkestonlife.com

WI Blues Duchess Theatre Friday 4th May saw me back at the lovely Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton to see The Arcade Players “WI Blues”, a comedy about five members of the WI and their lives, each one with a different story to tell. There was some lovely acting throughout this performance which was directed by Christine Hewitt who did a great job especially in view of the fact that there were only five members of the Company in this play! The main character, Grace played by Sheila Poyzer was an incredibly strong character, that could be likened to Hyacinth Bouquet! Fiona played by Eva Aguiriano was delightful in her role, incredibly funny and energetic with brilliant comedy timing and of course all the while maintaining her Spanish accent. Jane played by Carol Lawson gave a great performance of someone giving the impression that they really couldn’t care less whether they were at this meeting or not but it became apparent that actually, she rather liked being in the WI! Pippa played by Becki Charnley was fabulous in this part, playing the part of a “WAG” when in fact her marriage and lifestyle were collapsing around her. I had recently seen Becki in “Annie Get Your Gun” so it was nice to see her in something very different. Finally, Hazel, played by Julie Taylor was a woman who was trying her best to deal with the fact that she had just been diagnosed with a serious illness and this, she did very well. The whole play was set in Grace’s living room, the set design for which was excellent, there was therefore not a lot of scenery change which made Stage Manager Geoff Wolley and Stage Crew Trevor Taylor’s jobs fairly easy. Sound and lighting were done by Mike Beedham and Maureen Burrow, both of which were well carried out. I really enjoyed this play. It was about friendship and all that goes with it. Although it was based around the WI and of course reference had to be made to “Jam and Jerusalem”, it was the friendship element of the group that shone through for me. We are all guilty of talking behind our friends backs about certain things and a lot of this went on in this play after all Grace’s husband had just left her, Fiona’s husband had had an affair, Pippa’s high profile marriage was failing, Jane was forever falling for the “wrong men” and poor Hazel had just found out she had got a serious illness. I left feeling as if I’d watched an episode of a new sitcom and wondering what was going to happen to the characters next time. Congratulations to all five of the women that were in this play. You did a fabulous job. I have it on good authority that there are some talented men in the Arcade Players too and I can’t wait to see what’s coming next! Riverside Drama Company will be pr esenting A Bunch of Amateurs by Ian Hislop and Nic Newman fr om 21st – 23rd June 2018 at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton. Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steel arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford – only to find that he’s not in the birthplace of the Bard, but in a sleepy Suffolk village called Stratford St John. Instead of Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench, the cast are bunch of amateurs trying to save their theatre from developers. Jefferson’s inflated ego, vanity and insecurity are tested to the limit by the enthusiastic am-dram thespians. As acting worlds collide he discovers some home truths about himself – along with his inner Lear. The play was first a film starring Burt Reynolds, Samantha Bond, Sir Derek Jacobi and Imelda Staunton. It was chosen in 2008 for the Royal Film Performance, and Her Majesty apparently enjoyed it so much that she requested a screening at Sandringham that Christmas. Its writers have penned scripts for the likes of Harry Enfield and Spitting Image, and Ian Hislop is probably best known for being the editor of Private Eye, and a regular panellist on Have I Got News For You. Although Riverside are an amateur company, our cast consists of several members who have already trodden the boards at the Swan Theatre in Stratford, as part of the RSC Open Stages season. Tickets are available by calling 0115 972 1826, online www.riversidedrama.com or at the Duchess Theatre coffee morning from 10am – 12. The theatre is located at Chatsworth Centre, West Gate, Long Eaton, NG10 1EF. There is ample free parking for evening performances.

Ilkestonlife.com Dear Gardeners… How time flies, it’s June already and summer is here! June is a wonderful time in the garden as flowers are starting to appear in abundance and in the vegetable garden some things are starting to be harvested such as early new potatoes. Oh I do I do love this time of year and with the longest day this month we have to make the most of the extra light and warmth so enjoy and happy gardening everybody! Here are some jobs for you this month… Prune flowering shrubs such as Deutzia, Kolkwitzia, Weigela and Philadelphus after they have finished flowering. Plant out annual summer bedding plants now the risk of frost has passed. Lift and divide clumps of snowdrops and bluebells once the leaves start to go yellow. Keep newly planted trees and shrubs well watered whilst they establish a strong root system. Continue to earth up potatoes as they grow. If you're growing potatoes in tubs just add more compost to half way up the plant stem. OUR DAY TRIP TO COTON MANOR On Saturday 21st April we headed out again on our garden visits and this month the destination was the wonderful Coton Manor In Northamptonshire. Coton Manor is a 17th century manor house originally laid out in the 1920's by the grandparents of the present owner, the garden has been developed and extended by successive generations capitalising on its natural setting, attractive views and abundant water. The 17th century manor house acts as a central focus for the garden, its walls supporting many roses and shrubs, while the surrounding terraces are populated by numerous colourful pots and containers. Highlights for us were the wonderful blossom on the trees and a spectacular Magnolia on the lawn by the pond. Throughout the garden there were different Tulip varieties planted in assorted planters and troughs. There was a lovely bank of Cowslips (Primula veris) providing a mass of yellow and down in the bottom garden were four flamingos attracting lots of interest. Coton has an extensive nursery stocking many of the plants that were found within the garden and

many more!! Unfortunately due to the colder spring the Bluebell was closed to visitors which was a real shame, but we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Before Coton we stopped off at Barby Nurseries for coffee and plants! A traditional nursery specialising in bedding plants and hanging baskets it had a large duck pond and very well laid out plant area and coffee shop it was an ideal stop off. Our usual thanks go to Ryan, Kelly and the team at the Seven Oaks for the super breakfast and To Colin at Harpurs Coaches for the comfortable journey If you enjoy visiting gardens, flower shows, botanical gardens, stately homes, garden centres and meeting new friends and wanting a great day out why not book on our next coach trips which is to…Garden’s of Shrewsbury on Saturday 23rd June. See further on for more information. COSSALL OPEN GARDENS SUNDAY 10TH JUNE 1 - 5PM Go along to the Cossall Open Gardens, there will be fourteen gardens opening around the village. There will be a range of gardens this year including the grounds of St Catherine's Church. Stuart Dixon, one of BBC Radio Nottingham’s gardening expert, will give a talk in St Catherine's Church and answer any of your gardening questions. Stuart will also make a tour of some of the gardens. Tea and cakes in The Old School Room and refreshments at some of the gardens. Bric-a-brac, raffle tickets on sale and local produce sales outside. Additional attractions include displays from Nottingham Fuchsia Society and local artists in the church. Plant sales can be found at several gardens. Refreshments and seating along the way to help revive those tired legs! There will be free car parks and a mini bus service too to help you around. Proceeds from the entry fee go towards refurbishment of The Old School Room community building and St Catherine's Church. Cost: £3.50 per person, children under 12 free. Tickets available from the car park entrance, at any of the gardens and in the Old School Room. Contact the organisers via

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

County Councillor John Frudd Member for Ilkeston South will be holding a Members Surgery on Saturday 9th June 2018 10am—12 noon At Ilkeston Town Hall, Ilkeston, DE7 5RP

June 2018

Life in the Garden with Steve Walton

Email: cossallopengardens@gmail. com DAY TRIP TO THE GARDENS OF SHREWSBURY SATURDAY 23RD JUNE Join us on our day trip to Shrewsbury which is the county town of Shropshire, in western England and sits inside a loop of the River Severn. Our first port of call is Country Garden Roses a rose garden and nursery with a tea room. The Country Garden Plant Centre specialises in selling over nine hundred varieties of potted roses. It is then on to the centre of Shrewsbury which is often referred to as the "Town of Flowers". Time can be spent here exploring this wonderful town. It is fortunate to have its own 29acre parkland known as The Quarry. At its centre lies The Dingle, a formal floral masterpiece created by world renowned gardener Percy Thrower - during his 28 years here as Parks Superintendent. It’s a beautiful sunken garden landscaped with alpine borders, colourful bedding plants, shrubbery and water features. Continuing on the floral theme, the town’s streets are dripping in hang-

rosette of simple leaves. This is a lovely Primula, Primula bulleyana is one of a group known as Candelabra Primulas, called this because of the tiered arrangement of their flowers. The erect stems bearing 57 whorls of orange - yellow flowers make a beautiful show in early summer. Looks great planted in groups in flower beds and borders, cottage gardens, rock gardens and they love the damp conditions around a pond or stream. It has been given an Award of Garden Merit (AGM) which is for plants of outstanding excellence. Flowering period: Early summer Height and Spread: 60cm x 60cm (2ft x 2ft). Soil: Acidic, fertile and moist Hardiness: Hardy Propagation: Division in early spring ing baskets and containers provid- Pruning: Deadhead faded flowers ing colour for all its visitors. after flowering The town featured recently on BBC Pest and Diseases: May be attacked 2 Britain In Bloom programme by aphids, vine weevil, slugs and showing the amazing work carried glasshouse red spider mite out by the Shrewsbury bloomers! The town yet again went on to win Remember please keep getting in the prestigious gold award. touch with your stories, photos, To finish off the day we will be events, general gardening advice calling at the Percy Throwers Gar- and help with plant identification den Centre. just email me With a full day ahead of you, your at gardenersteve24@live.co.uk day starts off with a breakfast roll Look forward to hearing from you and a hot drink from the Seven and See you all in July. Oaks Inn, Stanton By Dale which is where the coach will depart. Cost Gardener Steve for this trip is £30.00 price includes breakfast and travel For more information or to book your place, You can call the booking line on 07413 408751 or email me at gardenersteve24@live.co.uk Places are limited and very popular so early booking is advised. I look forward to welcoming you on our next outing. PLANT OF THE MONTH: PRIMULA BULLEYANA (Candelabra Primrose Bulley's Primrose) Primula are herbaceous or semievergreen perennials, with flowers appearing on stout stems from a

West Hallam Amateur Gardening Society

e had a treat in April, a celebrity speaker, Bob Brown. Bob writes for Gardening Which?, and has appeared on television many times and runs “Cotswold Garden Flowers Nursery”. His subject was “So many plants so little space”. Bob is famous for strong opinions and pithy comments, his advice and recommendations including what not to plant and whys as positive suggestions. His theme throughout was every plant must earn its space so we should choose carefully, not impulse buy. He warned against fashions and new, rare and unusual plants. These often “just aren't very good”, being difficult to grow or having a short period of interest. Recent fashions have included plants that “just look dead” such as Buplerum longifolium “copper”, some

grasses and dark purple or blackish flowers which can't be seen in most gardens. He does approve of many plants that flower arrangers have made fashionable, such as astrantias, hostas and umbellifers. He advised not to dismiss plants because they are common and seen everywhere; these became common because they are so good. Other tips he gave included choosing plants that have the RHS Award of Garden Merit, using evergreen and variegated foliage and planting two things in the same hole, one that flowers early and the other late. Some of his favourites are: Skimmia “Kew Green”, Heuchera “Citronelle”, Choisya “White Dazzler”, and Pachyphragma macrophyllum. Our next meeting is July 16th at

Photos: Above left: The Dingle in Shrewsbury. Above right: Plant of the month, Primula Bulleyana. Below: Blossoming trees at Coton

Ilkestonlife.com

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRS

ELECTRICAL

GARY PILKINGTON ELECTRICAL

Cyril Terence Stevenson Passed away 16th April 2018, aged 93 years. Husband of Joan, Dad of Angela and Terry, Grandad of Stephen and Rebecca, Great Grandad of Daniel and Joseph and brother of Betty, Derrick and Sylvia. Burial took place at All Saints Church, Kirk Hallam on 9th May. Loved and missed by all the family

Tel. 0115 944 4128 Mob. 07723 016702

Jean Fowler

Passed away on 27th April 2018. Wife of the late Gordon, cherished mother and mother-in-law to Jane and John. Funeral took place on 18th May at All Saints Church, Kirk Hallam. Loved and missed by family and friends

Small Jobs Welcome Your Local Electrician

MOTOR SERVICES

Sheila Hunter

CLEANING

Passed away 1st May 2018, aged 81 years. Funeral service and cremation took place at Bramcote on 23rd May. Will be sadly missed by all the family.

Farewell

Thomas Moukodi

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STITCH IN TIME Curtains and Upholstery Leather Sewing—Loose Covers including for boats, motor homes, pubs

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Fuse Box Upgrades Sockets, Lights, Showers, etc. 18 years with EMEB Part P Registered Free Quotes

June 2018

Thomas Moukodi of Kirk Hallam, Ilkeston passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, 9th May 2018, surrounded by members of his family. Historically, Thomas served his community as treasurer for the Kirk Hallam Social Club and more recently was a member of her Majesty’s Court Services, where he served as a Magistrate in Derbyshire. Thomas’ farewell celebration will be held on 1st June, 2018 at 12.30pm at St Mary’s Church, Ilkeston, DE7 5HY. ALL ARE WELCOME! Donations to the Nightingale MacMillan Cancer Unit.

DEATHS

Albert Wright Passed away 22nd April 2018, aged 95 years. Albert was much loved by all his family and friends. Funeral service was held at All Saints Church, Kirk Hallam 21st May with cremation following at Bramcote.

IN MEMORIAM

Sian Brittain 10 years, 15th June. The happy times that we enjoyed, How sweet the memory still, But death has left a vacant place, This world can never fill. Though your smile has gone for ever, And your hand we cannot touch, We shall never lose sweet memories, Of you we loved so much. Love always, Grandma, Mum, Sarah and family. xxx

Anthony Collins 6th June 2008. 36 years. A picture of you. We speak your name. Special cherished times together. Ten years ago your life was taken. A shock to us all. And to understand why. As time passes by, we miss you more than you will ever know. Until we meet again. Love Mam, Dad, family and friends. Forest forever. xx To place a notice in these columns, please call in to our office, phone Paul on 07539 808390 or email sales@ilkestonlife .com

The Friends of Kirk Hallam Lake and Meadows are pleased to announce the date for the 2018

LAKESIDE FESTIVAL Sunday 1st July from 12 noon to 4 pm CIVIL ENGINEERS

The Festival will take place around the lake off Godfrey Drive and will have many of your favourite attractions, including the climbing wall, pony rides, fairground rides, Derby Serenaders and the Breaston Highlanders, plus birds of prey, and animal handling. New for this year is a Lego pit (for children and adults!) and Fresh Start for Hens. You can try your hand at all sorts of crafts and there will also be refreshment stalls including ice cream, baked potatoes, hog roast and samosas! Something for everyone!

Entrance to the Festival is free! Don’t miss this popular event!

Ilkestonlife.com

“Take it easy, and mind your heart.” Janet Gregory’s early time trials career

anet Gregory was the quickest member of the Nottingham Wheelers Cycling Club team that won the Best British All Rounder award in 1950 (Ilkeston Life, April 2018). Last month I concentrated on one of her team-mates, Marion Robinson. This is Janet’s story. Born in 1930, Janet spent her early life and young adulthood at Willow Lodge, Rushy Lane, Risley, where her father was a market gardener. In 1952 she married the champion cyclist Ken Joy. Ken died in 2013 and Janet now lives in Ilkeston. Over the last few months I’ve had the pleasure of poring over the photographs and press cuttings she’s saved, and hearing her talk about those years when she came to prominence in the world of cycling time trials. How did it all start? On a youth hostelling trip to Dovedale in 1946, Janet and a friend met some boys who invited them to join their cycling club – Derby Mercury. Janet decided to give it a try, turned up at the club room on Friargate and soon began to enjoy the social life and the club runs She only had a “roadster”, and racing never entered her head until one weekend later that summer when she was watching a 10 mile club time trial at Shardlow. A club-mate was taken ill, decided not to start and offered her his bike. A word with the starter was all it took to tag her on at the end with the women. She won in 30 minutes 42 seconds, and that was it – she was hooked, and cycling changed from being a leisure activity into a passion. But Janet should not have been racing at all. She had a heart murmur (still has!) and was not allowed, on medical advice, to exert herself as a young child. She got so frustrated with having to sit out PE lessons that she forged a note from her parents giving her permission to play sport, something for which they later forgave her. “My parents were very liberal and were happy for me to go youth hostelling at quite a young age, but they didn’t know I was racing until I brought home the cup for the 10 mile event!” Even though her doctors still advised against racing she had got the bug. Her parents let her get on with it, but every time she set off on two wheels her mother would say “Take it easy, and mind your heart.” What Janet needed now was a proper bike, so she cycled to Wolverhampton to buy a “P.T. Stallard” frame, riding back home to Risley with it over her shoulder. “I gradually acquired wheels, chains, handlebars as soon as I could afford them. Most of the equipment was second hand apart from the frame.” In 1947 not only did the newcomer register a number of local victories, including a “mountain” event and a 20 and 25 at Uttoxeter, she also won national honours in no fewer than three British League of Racing Cyclists events. Two of these were individual wins: the 25 mile Women’s National Championship in 1.16.53, and a race at Owler Bar, which she remembers as a hard climb. The third national triumph was a joint effort. The Derby Mercury team took part in of one of the first women’s “massed start” races in this country. It wasn’t on the roads, as this was still not allowed, but was over five laps (15 km) of Battersea Park. Janet was second to a team-mate, helping Mercury to win the prize. “I remember this race well,” says Janet, “as three of us could not afford the train fare to London, so we left on Friday evening and slept in a haystack, before racing on the Saturday.” The girls made their own team colours by painting a blue band on white t-shirts and embroidering the club’s

name on the front. “I wore a pair of old corduroy shorts as I had no proper cycling kit!” Derby Mercury also occasionally raced on grass tracks. With Janet’s help they picked up two team prizes at Stafford, and she came first in a half mile scratch event at Wellington, Shropshire. From 1948 Janet competed in National Cyclists’ Union (NCU) and Road Time Trials Council (RTTC) events. She did her fastest 10 miles to date (28.57) and won district medals for Junior Champion (21.344 mph); Handicap Best All Rounder (22.307 mph); BAR (21.248 mph) and Team BAR (20.540 mph). When she was sixteen Janet went to study at Derby Technical College. Ilkeston Grammar School, which she had attended since the age of eleven, did not allow girls to take science subjects in the sixth form, and Janet’s ambition was to be a pharmacist. She completed her secondary education at the college and in 1949 entered Nottingham University to start her pharmacy studies. By this time she had been invited to become a member of Nottingham Wheelers CC where she, Marion Robinson and Mary Aldred went on to dominate the district. You were allowed to compete for two clubs, and, a life long vegetarian, Janet was also in the Vegetarian Cycling Club, a national organisation based in London. In the words of Cycling, the journal of record for the sport, Janet was the “first youngster to break into the select circle of women TT champions”. Although she had won the 25 mile championship two years previously, it was in 1949 that she really began to take on and beat the more experienced, mature riders. Over the long season from April to September she had at least nine individual first places, four seconds and three thirds, and on ten occasions she was part of the winning Wheelers’ team. She finished up as the Central District record holder at 10, 25 and 50 miles, and was the District Best All Rounder at an average speed of 22.238 mph. The Nottingham Wheelers won the District Team Best All Rounder award at 21.331 mph. The high point of her season, described by the Nottingham Evening Post as “the best performance by a local girl cyclist in living memory”, came in the national 50 mile championship at Wisbech in August. She caused a major surprise by beating the country’s leading riders, including Eileen Sheridan and Susie Denham, in a time of 2.17.09. Not unusually for the fens there was a strong headwind for half the course and times were slower as a consequence, but Janet was the fastest at all stages and the win took her “right to the top of the tree in women’s cycling”. (NEP). 7000 people were present at the Empire Hall in London in December when she collected the cup at the RTTC Cycling Champions’ Concert. A couple of years later the BBC asked Janet to appear on a young people’s radio programme, “Under 20 Parade”. It entailed a visit to a studio in the heart of Soho, where she was interviewed about cycling, and the recording was played later on the Light Programme. I don’t know what she had to say on that occasion, but in a newspaper interview at about the same time she talked about her training methods. She thought that young riders did not need too much training and should be careful not to overdo it. “My pre-season programme (February – March) includes a daily ride to work and longer club runs on Sundays. Evening training begins about three weeks before the first club event….During the racing season my routine is as follows: Monday, no riding at all; Tuesday, ride to and from work (total 16 miles), followed by a 15-20 mile spin;

June 2018

By Jeff Wynch

Above: Janet Gregory in action, 1949. Left: Janet Gregory, 1948. Right: BLRC Champion’s Medal, 1947. Below: The championship winning Derby Mercury team. 1947

Wednesday 16 miles to and from work, 14 miles to the clubroom and back; Thursday ride to work plus 15-20 training spin; Friday, no riding; Saturday, ride to the event (up to 50 miles); Sunday, event and ride home (up to 100 miles). Average weekly mileage, 250.” Janet eased up on the training by June, as she could maintain her fitness level with the weekly events. She also

recommended plenty of sleep, and, “One thing is important. If you don’t want to go out training – don’t go!” Sir Dave Brailsford, please note! Janet Gregory’s story continues in next month’s Ilkeston Life.

Ilkestonlife.com

June 2018

YOUTH ON STAGE Above: Glennice Birkin has sent us this photograph of Cavendish Girls School pupils at their Nativity play presentation in Residents on High Lane East, West Hallam, had quite a surprise early in the morning on May 15th when they looked out of their windows. A balloon had just landed in one of the fields behind the houses. Dan, the pilot, and his girlfriend Abi had set off from Tibshelf.

1954. Below :Peter Ince loaned us copy of the Ilkeston Scouts Gang Show programme of 1973. All those who took part are pictured in the centre-spread. The show took place at South East Derbyshire College on Field Road, Ilkeston (now Morrisons’ supermarket site). 125 scouts, cubs, guides and brownies entertained in ‘The Gang on Show 1973’ presenting sketches, songs, music, dance, etc. on three nights: 5th, 6th and 7th April. There were 22 acts listed in the programme which sold for 10p.

Photos: Jeff Wynch

TRIP TO KELMARSH HALL on WEDNESDAY 13th JUNE There are still seats left on the West Hallam History Society coach trip to Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire. This is one of the hidden gems of England and well worth a visit so don't miss this unique opportunity. We will depart West Hallam at 9.45amand Ilkeston (Top of Derby Road) at 9.55am with a late morning break in Market Harborough en route. The cost is £25 including travel and entrance fees. To book please contact John on 0115 932 2356 - leave a message if no reply. Non members are very welcome.

ACROSS— 1. Derbyshire town (8), 6. Ilkeston for ‘ear’ (3), 7. Plant (5), 9. Relating to aircraft (4), 11. Gemstone (4), 12. A mine (1,3), 14. Greyish yellow colour (4), 16. Place in which one lives (5), 18. Branch of Armed Forces (1.1.1), 19. Woodland flower (8). DOWN— 1. Break (8), 2. Fast food item (5); 3. Mark on skin after a wound (4), 4. Not in (3), 5. Honest (8), 8. Fly high (4), 10. Looked at (4),

Our Crossword Puzzle

13. Rid (5), 15. Surrender(4), 17. Lubricate (3). Answers Across: 1. Ilkeston, 6. Tab, 7. Aster, 9. Aero, 11. Ruby, 12. A pit, 14. Ecru, 16. Abode, 18. RAF, 19. Bluebell. Down: 1. Interval, 2. Kebab, 3. Scar, 4. Out, 5. Truthful, 8. Soar, 10. Eyed, 13. Purge, 15. Cede, 17. Oil.

Do you have problems getting your copy of Ilkeston Life? We can post it to you. Your £5 cheque payable to Ilkeston Life brings you the next 4 issues. Each mailing is made up of the paper (30p), postage (79p), envelope (10p), handling (6p). Total £1.25. If this suits you, fill out the coupon on Page 23.

Ilkestonlife.com

Long Eaton Probus Club

LEGENDS FOR BEN’S DEN

Meeting Thursday May 3rd 2018 Speaker for this meeting was one of our own, member President Ken Pye. This was a very interesting talk by Ken who told the members all about the time he spent in Paupa New Guinea. Ken and his wife Liz had gone out to Paupa New Guinea, as volunteer teachers and remained there for two years. The members were regaled with the many experiences that befell them during the time they spent there. Speaker finder David Howley gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the members. Terence Brown

Put together a five a side tournament featuring the legends of the former Albion Leisure Centre followed by a Summer Sounds concert with Ellie Marie, Miss Bowie and no less than Starman, the East Midlands most famous magician (a.k.a. Carl Leek), and for an entrance fee of £1 you’ve got yourself a pretty good day out. It’s all happening at the “Stute” on Hallam Fields Road Ilkeston on Saturday June 23 commencing with the tournament at mid day and the concert at 7.00p.m. All proceeds will be going to the local children’s holiday charity Bens Den. Hungry and thirsty? No problem. The “Fillies” Prosecco Bar and a BBQ will take care of that and you can work up your appetite on the Bouncy Castle. Organisers Carl Tatham, Robert Roberts, Stuart Pearson and Darryl Peck are already half way to their target of raising £2,000 and you can help them get there and have a good time into the bargain. David Potter

David Howley and President Ken Pye

The Probus Club of Ilkeston Meeting - May 10th 2018 Our meeting this month continues to attract over 30 of our members, and another will be joining us shortly.. The presentation this month was provided by Bob Massey. The Arena Church once again provided us with an excellent meal, and the lemon meringue pie always goes down very well. Bob is a historian and retired Theatre Consultant who has planned many theatres and performance spaces throughout the world. He was, for 30yrs, Technical Manager of a Theatre in Nottingham, running shows and organising events for the visiting artists. As a lighting designer for over 40yrs, he lit all types of shows from drama to musicals. He has recently published three volumes of stories on the history of Arnold and Mapperley and the surrounding villages. Bob has, over the years put together a very impressive programme of talks, and currently, I’ve estimated it amounts to over 160 individual talks on a wide variety of subjects, many derived from the various lecturing courses he had run over the years. Today Bob’s talk was “ The Victorian Holiday “. Bob’s talk was based on a mix of slides and video clips in a Powerpoint presentation. His knowledge on the subject is very extensive and his lecturing background enabled him to present his subject clearly and articulately for a full 45 minutes. The Probus Club of Ilkeston is open to all retired / partly retired men who have a professional background and business men who would like to meet once a month, and for other organised events during the year. Partners of our members may attend any of the presentations and are warmly welcomed to our other trips and events. Our aim is to provide a convivial atmosphere, in pleasant surroundings, to meet for conversation and the development of friendships. We also provide an excellent lunch and a diverse range of presenters. If you wish to learn more, please contact Michael Slater, our Secretary, on 0115 932 6185 or email slater.kg8@btinternet.com. David Jones

Canal Trust Appeals For More Hands, Hearts and Minds The Derby & Sandiacre Canal Trust has launched an appeal for more local people to help them in their work to bring the former Derby Canal back to its former glory. The Trust was founded in 1993 with the ultimate aim of restoring a 12.5 mile stretch between Derby and Sandiacre to connect to the Trent and Mersey and Erewash Canals. This would create a 25 mile cruising ring with access to more than 2,000 miles of navigable waterways across the UK. Over the last ten years the Trust’s members have worked to keep the canal path clear and to restore canal bridges and other structures. Now with the accelerating progress being achieved at various sites along the path the call has gone out for reinforcements. The work to be done is varied – everything from physical work like bricklaying, building clearance, hedgelaying and landscaping to outdoor activities like surveying and managing wildlife, uprooting invasive plants to the more cerebral work of researching history, writing articles for Social Media and our website and manning the Trust’s stall at outside events in the summer. The volunteers have already achieved a lot, but with the current building work on cottages restoration at Draycott, together with lock restoration at Borrowash and Sandiacre and canal path clear up at Spondon the opportunities are growing. If volunteers can deal with the more straightforward tasks it frees up funding to bring in experts for the bigger challenges. Site working parties are organised on Wednesdays, Fridays and alternative Sundays, so volunteers can pick a convenient time. Training is available where appropriate – all that’s required is a willing pair of hands and an open mind. For more information on how to get involved in the work of Derby & Sandiacre Canal Trust please visit www.derbycanal.org Photo right: Volunteers at work on the canal towpath

June 2018

Dinner time at Chaucer girls school

innertime at Chaucer girls was always looked forward to by many of the children who relied on it for their one good meal of the day.

We got milk every day and the school dinners were quite nice. The teachers helped serve the dinners. You were not allowed to leave saucy plates, the only way to clear something from your plate if you didn’t like it, would be to slip it in your pocket, or wrap it in your hankie and tuck it into the leg of your knickers, which could be pretty messy if it was covered in gravy. The teachers were very good at Chaucer Girls, compared to other schools in the area, about the worse thing you would get was a good slap from the teacher, but on the other hand, they had very sharp tongues, and took no nonsense from anyone. I have in these articles often spoken of Ilkeston people of my parents and grandparents generations having an abundance of larger than life characters that were well known throughout the community. This type of person really very rarely emerges nowadays due

mainly to the changes from the insular society of yesteryear where much of their lives intermingled with each other as opposed to our changed global society today, where often people do not even know the names of neighbours living a few doors away. However one such person from my generation did emerge, and will long be remembered by thousands and generations of Ilkeston’s children and adults I am of course speaking of Dorothy Haywood who sadly passed away recently. I have known (as have many) Dorothy for most of my life. Dorothy who was born and lived all her life on Flamstead Road, would have sat at the tables in my picture and later was no doubt on duty there. When she left for her secondary education she passed her eleven plus and went to Hallcroft School. She left Hallcroft and trained as a nursery nurse, and when her training was completed returned to Chaucer. It was as if she had never left and there she stayed until her retirement. Dorothy was a kind, gentle lady, but a lady who firmly

and kindly guided her young charges into school life. Her distinctive voice made her a natural and mesmerizing story teller to children. She never really left Chaucer, she was still in demand even after her retirement. Dorothy will be missed and remembered by thousands. My husband was born opposite Dorothy on Flamstead Road. He and his Mum were living with his Mum’s sister and family whilst his dad was away at war. He recalls his Mum and Aunt saying that Dorothy was knocking on the door asking if she could take the new baby a walk as she did his cousins the day after he was born and she was only 6 or 7 years old herself. So Dorothy’s calling in life was in her from the very beginning I think. Dorothy’s father was also well known in Ilkeston and pictured in many Mayoral processions as the Mayor’s Mace Bearer. Dorothy cared for her father until his death.

Painting and narrative by Betty O’Neill

Ilkestonlife.com

Letter

Residents’ dismay at planning permission It was a bitter disappointment for the residents at the top of Derby Road and of Stanley Close when Erewash Borough Council Planning Committee approved plans by the Virtu owned Bristol Street Motors Nissan Garage to install spraybooth ovens and extractor fans at their De4rby Road site, a proposal they were opposing.

been made while the planning officers ticked all the boxes, planning permission was approved for Virtu to install one paint oven with three extractor fan chimneys and a commitment from Virtu that it would be a small operation with bodywork repairs only on second hand cars coming in to be resold, not as in the earlier October proposal for two spray booth ovens with seven extractor fan chimneys and work brought in from other Representatives from both Derby Road and sites in the region. Stanley Close attended the meeting to voice their objections and concerns on traffic con- On the surface it appears that some of the concerns of the residents have been noted gestion, diesel fumes and almost daily car and addressed. However, Virtu is a large transporter lorries blocking access to and and powerful consortium owning many garfrom their driveways. ages in this region and throughout the counStanley Close residents, having had experi- try. This compromise sets one thinking of ence of spray ovens and extractor fans from the old adages, ‘one step in the door’ and the late 1980s to 2000 when they were re‘from small acorns grow big trees’. Perhaps moved to a purpose-built unit on the Mana case of ‘watch this space’! ners Industrial Estate on the area provide by Meanwhile, the residents of Derby Road will the Council for this kind of work, voiced their objections and concerns on toxic pollu- continue to monitor the number of car transtants from the extractor fans as not all paints porters causing nuisance and blocking driveways, plus any increase in numbers arriving. are water based. Today some paints containing toxic solvents Lastly, although disappointed with the result, are still used – the reason for extractor fans residents would like to thank Councillor Sue Beardsley an efficient and committed counto take away the harmful fumes from the cillor who kept us informed throughout and, workshops. unlike her fellow councillors, put herself out Other concerns were noise pollution from to speak against the proposal on our behalf. the fans and workshops with extra men emA very disappointed resident ployed. After a period of seven months consultation (Name and address supplied) in which assessments and amendments have

Reflections of a vet Regular readers will be aware that I get a little annoyed at scientifically illogical arguments being applied to medical issues. Sadly the national media often creates sensational stories that result in people being worried for no good reason. One such occasion occurred recently, when there was an appeal on social media for dog owners who were worried about their dogs “getting autism from vaccinations”, or dog owners who had experienced this. There are two parts to this. The first is that there is no evidence that autism and vaccinations are related, or that there is anything that can be done to “prevent” autism in humans. The second is that autism-spectrum disorders are not identified as occurring in dogs. I strongly suspect that this was some bright spark of a media person’s idea to create debate around the subject of pet vaccination, and I don’t deny that this is something that should be discussed, but this was not a useful way to achieve this. There has long been a claim that vets are “over-vaccinating” pets and that vaccinations could be causing damage to pets. his has been taken up by the anti-vaccination movement as fact, but there is actually little to no evidence to back this claim up. I’ve been a vet for 11 years now, plus working in clinical practice for several years prior to qualifying. In that time I have seen one dog that had a serious health issue that was directly attributable to a recent vaccination - and that was due to the vaccine not having been stored properly prior to being given to the dog. I was dealing with the dog a year later, and on the advice of an immunologist the owner had presented her dog for his booster vaccination, as it was still important to protect him from potentially deadly diseases (of course, we knew that our vaccine had been stored and prepared properly at this time as well). I have seen rabbits occasionally a little off colour following vaccinations, but no more frequently than I would expect for rabbits visiting a clinic for any other reason - rabbits are very prone to stress-related health issues so can be a bit upset by journeys and visits to places that smell and sound of predators, but we do everything that we can to minimise these stressors, and continue to vaccinate rabbits because the dis-

eases against which we vaccinate them are very common and most often rapidly fatal. Obviously I’m not saying that there are never reactions to vaccinations. Of course there can be, and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (the organisation that oversees medicines in the UK), vaccine companies and vets all take these very seriously. Any time that a vet deals with a patient that is unwell after any veterinary medication, they report this to the VMD so that they can track potential adverse events (even though a lot of these events are unrelated to the medications). But claims that a proportion of pets that have been vaccinated become unwell in the months following vaccination need to be carefully considered. In a population of vaccinated animals, 25% of the illnesses that will occur in these animals will occur in the 3 months following that vaccination - this is simple mathematics. Additionally, some pet owners will wait until their pet’s booster visit to discuss health concerns with the vet, rather than making a separate visit at the time when an issue first arises. So the “statistics” detailed by the anti-vaccination movement should not just be accepted without further consideration. And what about the claims of “over vaccination”? For over a decade dog and cat vets have been using variable vaccination protocols, where we give annual vaccinations for those diseases where vaccines only give a year of protection, and for those diseases where protection lasts longer, they are given further apart. Yes, your dog or cat will still need an annual vet visit, but they won’t be given every vaccine every time. And it’s always a good time to discuss any concerns that you have about your pet’s health. Is over-vaccination a true issue? I don’t believe so, and I’ll share with you a true story that I share with my clients who are concerned about it. Last year when my little dog was due her booster, I had switched off my computer at work without checking which vaccines she was due to receive. Rather than waiting for my computer to restart so that I could check, I just gave her a full vaccine. I certainly wouldn’t do that with my own dog if I had a concern about her safety - and I wouldn’t be advising regular routine vaccinations for my patients if I had any concerns either.

he fourth Art and Craft Exhibition took place on Sunday 13th May at the Cantelupe Centre, Ilkeston. The retiring Mayor of Erewash, Cllr Mary Hopkinson, cut the ribbon to officially open the event. She welcomed visitors and explained this was her last official engagement, concluding her year of office as mayor. On display were a large selection of paintings in various media, hand made craft items including cushions, greetings cards, wooden and plastic items. Visitors were amazed at the high standard of work, mostly by local artists. Special thanks go to Harpur and Finch, Pam’s Hair and Beauty, Ashley Peake, Earl’s Hair and Beauty, Cartwright Plastics

June 2018

Ilkeston Art and Craft Exhibition and to everyone who kindly donated prizes for the raffle. This event has proved to be very popular to showcase some outstanding talent as well as being a fantastic social day. The Smoothie Art Gallery on Bath Street were thanked for their work in promoting and encouraging artists. The next proposed event will be the Christmas Fayre at the same venue, towards the end of October. Ann Sutcliffe

WINE: (MORE) GEMS OF AUSTRIA I continued my quest, searching for Austrian wines that have been recognised and acknowledged with awards, for their qualities, plus wines that, in my opinion, deserve to be.

Weingut Forstreiter is located in Krems-Hollenburg, a traditional wine growing village of the Kremstal region. The Forstreiter family has been producing wine since 1868. Forstreiter Grüner Veltliner Ried Kremser Kogl and Grüner Veltliner Tabor Kremstal Reserve are both extremely popular, classic productions. These splendid white wines have most pleasant bouquets. Both possess a good balance, with tropical fruit flavours, very acceptable mouthfeel and lengthy palate sensations. Forstreiter Riesling Schotter is balanced and refreshing. This great, dry, white wine, is chosen regularly for many dining occasions and is excellent for the mouth’s pleasures and on to the palate. These wines are wonderful accompaniments to a lot of cuisine, including fish, seafood, plus white meats and are just a selection of the Forstreiter white wines. Their ranges include outstanding reds, too. www.forstreiter.at Anton Bauer produces superb white and red wines. As the company says, “The wines are with soul”, every year. For my ‘wines of choice’ I selected the powerful Zweigelt and the Wagram Reserve Zweigelt Alte Reben productions. Dark fruits are very much displayed for the bouquets and lead, enticingly, to the mouthfeel and splendid palate sensations. Wonderful with red meats, etc. For a sweeter choice I found Kracher, that produces a fantastic range of wines. Burgenland Beerenauslese Cuvée ‘hit the spot’, for me. Absolutely divine, when a sweet wine is called for. The bouquet brings delight, plus the mouthfeel and palate will not be disappointed with this production, having luscious fruits in abundance. For all details of the full ranges www.antonbauer.at and www.kracher.at The Top Selection Company sources high-quality wines, spirits, plus drinks, from global origins and offers an exceptional portfolio. Their wines and other beverages can be located in top hotels and restaurants, plus many retailers. Top Selection also offers a complete service, including advice about cuisine pairings and winery visits, etc. www.topselection.co.uk

As always, enjoy. Trevor Langley

Sport

Ilkestonlife.com

June 2018

Matchman’s roundup of Ilkeston Town games

Sweet end to the season as Robins take the runners-up spot Tue 24th April 2018 - Midland Football League Division One

Walsall Wood 1 Ilkeston Town 4

half saw Maguire continue his heroics but on 54 minutes Ilkeston were awarded a free kick on the D of the Chelmsley penalty area. Tom Marshall fired the free kick through the packed goalmouth into the net to put Ilkeston ahead. In an excellent Ilkeston move half way through the second half, Billy Bennett’s run and cross was volleyed first time by Malachi Lavelle-Moore but it was inches wide. Ben Clark was then denied by a point blank save by Maguire and a Jordan Wheatley blockbuster was narrowly wide. For all Ilkeston’s dominance they could not score again but the three points were never in danger.

This was the big one, the eagerly awaited return match with Walsall Wood who had just been crowned Division One champions. Walsall Wood were unbeaten at home all season and for Ilkeston it was a chance to do the double against them having beaten them at the New Manor Ground. Andrew Westwood gave Walsall the lead after only two minutes but Tim Hopkinson levelled five minutes later when he reacted quickest to a loose ball in the area. Then on 16 minutes Ilkeston were ahead through Ben Fairclough who was fed on the left flank by Jamie Walk1st May 2018 - Midland Football League Division er and fired his shot low into the far corner of Tue One the net. Both teams had chances before half time and Ilkeston came nearest to scoring again when Alex Marshall’s header came back off the upright from Bill Bennett’s cross. Walsall started the second half determined to turn things round and Ilkeston’s defenders twice had to block efforts by Paul Sullivan. As the rain poured down Ilkeston started to take back control and with twenty minutes left Tim Robinson scored his second goal to give them some breathing space. The Robins were now playing with some authority and looking for a fourth goal and it came in the 80th minute when Charlie Jemson rose highest to powerfully head in Tom Marshall’s corner. It was Ilkeston’s night and the mighty Walsall Wood had no answer as the Robins produced an outstanding team performance and result. The Ilkeston fans were soaked but jubilant.

Cadbury Athletic 1 Ilkeston Town 1

The last game of the season turned out to be a bit of a fudge with neither side creating many scoring chances. A goalless draw looked like being the outcome until the final 15 minutes. Ilkeston dominated the majority Ilkeston went into this match needing three of the first half but without looking like turnpoints from their two remaining games to ing their ascendancy into goals. The Robins clinch the runner up spot. It took Ilkeston a almost went ahead through an own goal while to get used to the 3G pitch and when Cadbury centre back Sam Delaney Chelmsley took the lead on nine minutes nearly put Ben Clark’s cross past his own through Jamie Barrett with a fine volley. keeper. Then on 40 minutes Ben Fairclough Chelmsley keeper Peter Maguire somehow won a corner following which a Cadbury kept out a what looked like a certain equalis- defender had to head off the line. Cadbury er from Jamie Walker but on 32 minutes had created very little apart from Romario Walker finally beat him with a header to Rose’s header. It had been no picnic for the make it 1-1. From that point onwards Ilkes- Cadbury team but after the break they came ton controlled the match but Maguire was more into the game. Fairclough was guilty of stopping everything and when the interval a crunchie tackle which caused a Cadbury came the teams were still level. The second player to flake and forcing the referee to Sat 28th April 2018 - Midland football League Division One

Chelmsley Town 1 Ilkeston Town 2

wispa in his ear and show him a yellow card. Malachi Lavelle-Moore nearly put Ilkeston ahead when his first timer went just wide. Fairclough then went close after spotting Cadbury’s keeper Stuart Parsons off his line. Ilkeston brought on Ben Morris and within five minutes he put them ahead cracking home a loose ball in the box on 75 minutes. The lead was short lived though and three minutes later it was 1-1. Cadbury’s leading scorer, Stuart Butcher thrashed home a belter of a volley which Jamie Hannis got a hand to but couldn’t keep out. This gave Cadbury a boost and in the final five minutes they could have won it and been heroes. It took a wonder save from Hannis to keep out danger man Butcher’s close range volley and prevent them from going ahead. It was Cadbury who provided the big finish and Ilkeston had to settle for the draw before timeout.

Best supported team The Robins were consistently the best supported team in their league, and every match they played in had the highest attendance of the day. Biggest gate was the 1,889 who watched the home game against Racing Club Warwick in March, which ended 3-2 to Ilkeston. Biggest gate ever at the New Manor Ground for a league match was in 2009 versus local rivals Eastwood Town: 2,288. An even bigger crowd of 2,680 filled the NMG in 2013 for a pre-season friendly against Premiership club Chelsea.

Total Motion Midland Football League 2017/18

Season

FINAL TABLE

Under 12 players wanted

Price 30p

AFC Kirk Hallam are holding trials to add new players to their 2018-2019 under 12’s squad for the Young Elizabethan League Division 1 on Saturdays for next season. Having been together a year, the team have had some success by winning a section of the under 11’s Young Elizabethan League and would like to continue the squad’s development. We would like to add some level 1-2 players over the summer. We will be wanting to look at players over the close season period through training, friendlies, tournaments, etc.. If you or your child would be interested, please get in touch either by contacting me through Facebook or email at info@afckirkhallam.co.uk or telephone 07850 819629. Dave Morley

COO praises manager Steve Chettle and his team for memorable achievement The Robins’ Chief Operating Officer Anthony Redwood has expressed his delight at the way in which the club has performed in their first season since being rescued only a few weeks before the big kick-off. “I cannot really put into words my admiration for Steve, his backroom staff and the players. The achievement of finishing runners-up is one that will be remembered long after we’re gone, particularly when considering the starting point.” Although missing out on promotion to the Midland League Premier Division—only the top team goes up at this level— playing in a different league is still a possibility. Mr Redwood says: “We look forward to an improved 2018/19 campaign in the Midland Football League Division 1, but are still optimistic should any alternative prospects arise over the coming weeks. The much-publicised restructuring of the Non-League Pyramid is a process that may well present us, amongst others, with an opportunity to step up to the next level, although at this moment in time it is merely a possibility. Teams will be allocated towards the end of this month and we’ll let you know should anything change.”