The
Beestonian Reelin’ them in since 2011
Issue no.
34
The Beeston Film Kicking off 2015 with a bang made from a mix of blue-screen, live-action and Ray Harryhausen style Claymation, is the inaugural, and hopefully first of many, Beeston Film Festival. Good friends of the Beestonian, OXJAM organiser and web designer James Hall and local film producer John Currie have been working ruddy hard to bring this to Beeston over the last year. They’ve trawled through over 40 hours of film from 150 filmmakers all over the world. John said “It is going to be wonderful to have a film festival on our doorstep; people in Beeston and the wider Nottingham area will be able to come along and enjoy the wonders of local and international film. As a film lover, I’m thrilled that we’re able to do this.” We think it’s fair to say that it was our good influence that has helped bring this brilliant event
Festival
to Beeston. It was during Lord Beestonia’s own Café Roya Film Club that he introduced James and John, setting in motion that year of hard work. That being said, we can’t take too much credit, as our own film “Beestonia: The Movie” is opening the festival and we don’t want to be accused of nepotism. The festival will be held at White Lion Bar & Kitchen, kicking off at 13:00 on Saturday 24th January and will conclude on Sunday 25th at 22:30 treating Beeston to some of the best independent short films. If you want to come along, and we highly recommend you do, you can see the full festival schedule and buy tickets, priced at £4 for adult and £3 for students per day, on their website; www.beestonfilmfestival.com. Christian Fox
BESTonian:
Martyn Poliakoff I
had the pleasure of meeting this issue’s Bestonian, Martyn Poliakoff, two months ago at a celebration for the 100th Birthday of noted scientist Professor Dan Eley. The first thing you discover upon meeting Martyn, I’m slightly hesitant to say, is that he is absolutely brilliant in every way. From the fact that he resembles a mad professor with his shock of white hair like a cumulous cloud around his head and thick bottle rim glasses, to his quite ingenious mind – Martyn’s scientific career has spanned decades and focussed on gaining insights into fundamental chemistry and on developing environmentally acceptable processes and materials – to finally his completely viral mass appeal – Martyn is the narrator of the wildly successful Youtube series The Periodic Table of Videos which are widely regarded as entertaining, educational and delightfully funny. Professor Poliakoff has a long history with Beeston as well. He’s been an active member of Beeston Continuum since its inception and he’s always popping up in science related articles in the Beestonian as well. To think that such a great mind came from Cambridge, where he was born and studied, and decided to come to Beeston (admittedly he came to Nottingham University, but hey) says as much about the greatness of this town as it does him. Martyn is a real asset to this community and someone of whom we all should be proud.
So it really doesn’t come as any surprise then that after being knighted for his contributions to chemical science in January who should receive the even higher honour of being named Issue 34’s Bestonian? Of course it is Martyn Poliakoff. I genuinely can’t think of anyone more deserving of such recognition. Poliakoff issued a video statement about his knighthood, so surely it follows that we’ll not be waiting long for a video acknowledging his new honour as well. Well done Sir, or should I say… Sir. CF Lord B adds: congratulations Sir Martyn. Glad to see your work with Beeston hasd been recognised, although Christian seems to believe it’s something to do with your day-job. Whatever. Arise!
The University of
Beestonia Y
ou may not immediately consider Nottingham a ‘sporting’ university. In a recent Which? University survey for ‘top sporty unis’, Nottingham didn’t even make the top 12. But think again. Our pedigree is much stronger than you realise.
Construction of the new facility is due to commence March 2015 and expected to be ready for the 2016-17
The university has had top 10 finishes in the national British Universities and Colleges Sport leagues for twenty consecutive years plus the highest number of teams of any UK university. Remember the London 2012 Olympics? Well, Olympians among our graduates include Timothy Baillie and Etienne Stott who won Gold in men’s canoeing, and other medallists in hockey and rowing. If you were paying attention you’d have seen the university was ranked 7th for sport in The Times Good University Guide 2014. And all of this is for good reason. Nottingham offers over 70 student sports clubs alongside an all-inclusive membership programme with unlimited facility and fitness centre access, firmly following the ethos of ‘sport for all’. Whilst the university might not currently have the wide reputation for sporting achievement it deserves, a new £40m state of the art David Ross Sports Village, opening late 2016, should change all of that. The new complex will incorporate existing sports centre while adding an array of modern facilities, including a 200-station fitness suite, two huge sports halls, an indoor sprint track, a climbing wall and an all-glass squash court. Dan Tilley, Director of Sport said: “The investment is part of our ambition to create an outstanding, inspirational and accessible sports infrastructure for all. We want to encourage people of all abilities to get involved in sport and activity, with the chance to train alongside some of the country’s leading athletes”. Many of the new facilities have never previously been available at the University, and at three times the size of the current centre, the lively and inclusive environment of the Sports Village should increase participation in sports at all levels and provide the support people need to develop and excel, from casual players to elite athletes. Construction of the new facility is due to commence March 2015 and expected to be ready for the 2016-17 academic year, and is generously supported by Nottingham Law alumnus David Ross. For more information or to get involved with fundraising, visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport Guest Contributor, Lee Chrimes
Packham 'em in I
Lord Beestonia
stumble out in the should hate Chris Packham, I really should. The guy is submits your morning, absent handsome and incredibly well-preserved for his age, has questions to Chris mindedly heading a dream job, and is love and admired by legions of somewhere, and you Packham... women, men, and most pertinently, my wife. She see something that suddenly decides that she must accompany me to meet him may be there every day when he comes to Beeston, after my scheduled reporting bit doing something partner drops out. I at first find this strange; she never seems that keen to accompany me when I go off on jobs such as spending a day at remarkable, then that’s something I Rylands sewage treatment works. I then remember that the coiffed telly enjoy a lot more. I have tawny owls naturalist has an effect on some that makes them want to spy on him with near me, and at the moment they are displaying, so every night I hear binoculars, fervently taking notes of his behaviour. them going crazy at each other in The event is ran by Beeston Wildlife group, whose very own Mike Spencer the garden each night. It’s a call I’ve writes a column in these pages. It’s the second time they’ve lured Chris up been hearing all of my life but I turn to give a talk, something of a coup for a relatively small group like BWG. the tv off, and sit by the window Yet he arrives full of smiles, and we grab him for a few questions before he listening to this frenetic tawny owl gives the talk. We asked our Facebook group to supply us with questions: calling…I just really love hearing that sound. The geese flying overhead is another, I agree: it is so unexpected when it happens. Broxtowe Borough Council’s crest has on it bears, bees and badgers. Do you believe in bringing back mammoths by cloning (Edward Jenkins)? Could you put them in order of preference? (Caroline, Beeston): No. I’m fascinated by the science but no is the answer. It would be Well, it would have to be badgers first. They are much maligned trying to get an animal back that has long been extinct, and we and I am in vehemently opposed to the badger cull: it is a should be spending that effort in trying to stop the animals stupid, short –sighted thing. They are our largest wild we have from going extinct.. Otherwise we’ll have to spend carnivores in the UK, and wonderful creatures with a Bears? Well, I don’t a lot more money and effort bringing what we have now complex social life. Bees – bumblebees especially - are think many people in back from extinction in the future. also under attack from colony collapse and Beeston would be too neonicotinoids (a group of agricultural pesticides which happy with one of those Chris then gives a fascinating, highly amusing, utterly have been strongly linked to bee deaths, banned in many compelling talk to the full Pearson Centre. His passion countries but not in the UK) and need all the support we strolling through the for nature is unbound, and his calls to get kids out in the can give them. Bears? Well, I don’t think many people in town at night. countryside; to spend more time considering the beauty we Beeston would be too happy with one of those strolling have; and the way we should ‘re-wild’ the UK by introducing through the town at night. They’re best left on the crest. lost carnivores such as wolves makes you want to strap on a pair of all-weather boots and get hitting the muddy paths. It finishes, bizarrely, Will you marry me (many, many people. Possibly including my wife)? (Blushes slightly) I’m keen to remain unmarried, it would too much of an ….a, with slides detailing his pet poodles poo habits, which have the audience well an incumberance such of that wouldn’t be good right now. But thank in scatological stitches. A great evening, and credit to BWG for organising it. them anyway! Honking Geese flying overhead never fail to stop me in my tracks, look up and smile like a loon. Apart from Always Being Right, what occurrence in nature makes you stop and smile (Tamar, Beeston) ? It’s anything. I always enjoy the everyday things you typically overlook. If you travel somewhere and go away for the weekend to the coast to watch birds, it’s like going to an art-gallery: you know you’re going to see birds. But if you
While I think it is premature to rename our local gem ‘Packham Nature Reserve’, Packham does follow in David Attenborough’s footsteps as a great communicator of nature and conservation; and a passionate advocate of that simple, free pleasure: getting out in nature. Get out there: a Really Wild time awaits. LB
The ‘Flying’ Boot N
o one can have failed to have noticed the sudden rise in popularity of cycling in all its forms, as both a sport and leisure activity. It cannot be a coincidence that this rise began shortly after Bradley Wiggins stunning win of the 2012 Tour De France. But, as they say, for cycling in Britain, ‘the best was yet to come!’
In 1954 Ray won the Manx International Road Race and in 1958, a Gold Medal in The British and Commonwealth Games, Road Race in Cardiff. However, Ray’s best achievements came in ‘time trials’ and endurance.
Between 1954 and 1958, Ray competed in the 12 Hours Championships, - distance covered in 12 hrs. Ray won the Championship every year and twice set the record, - 1956, = 265.66 miles and 1958, = 266 said that miles.
The ‘Boot’ completed the course in an amazing time of 3hrs. 58mins. 28secs., beating the future professional rider Stan Brittain by 12 mins. With the Bath Road event, Ray had broken the elusive 4 hour barrier. Modern cycling athletes ride purpose built light-weight cycles, - Ray achieved his records ridding a Raleigh bicycle with an 84 inch fixed gear.
The 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, On the 3rd Sept. the same year ‘The Flying Boot’ saw the greatest ever success for ‘It is had his chance to beat his 4 hour record. This Team G.B. Who can forget Sir Ray achieved for time he was competing under Road Record Christopher (Chris) Hoy’s Ray competed in the 100 miles Association Rules. This is a ‘straight-out’ 100 mile dominance in the Velodrome? road cycling what Sir National Championship trial, which allows competitors to take advantage The names of the medal Roger Bannister did between 1954 -1959 and again of tail winds and gradient drop. Ray had also winners, both male and female for track-running’ was Champion for the changed his cycle for a machine with have rightly passed into history whole period. He first set Sturmly Archer hub gears. Ray and their golden legacy is to be the record in 1955 with a completed the course in a time of 3 treasured. ‘...a record time of 4hrs. 4mins. 30secs., hrs. 28 mins. 40 secs., - a record which was to which was to stand for 34 years In all sports the success of current athletes can braking this in 1956 with a time of until it was beaten by Ian only be built upon the generations who have 4hrs. 1min. 52secs. stand for 34 Cammish. gone before! For cycling, there is one man’s years’ name that should be written large across the On a blazing hot August Bank Sadly, Ray died on the 25th Aug. 2012. page: Raymond (Ray) Charles Booty, a.k.a. ‘The Holiday Monday, - 6th Aug. 1956, - Ray entered The Bath Road event. This was a time Yet his legacy lives on. The next time you Boot’. trial ‘out and back’ over a distance of 100 miles. peddle down the road, think of the Ray was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, the son of a The course was from Reading, - through Theale, achievements of Raymond Charles Booty, the Ministry of Transport vehicle examiner. The Pangbourne, Wallingford, Shillingford and Flying Boot! family moved to Peterborough and then, when Abingdon, returning to Reading via the A4. He JE Ray was 15, to Stapleford. On leaving school the had already cycled from Nottingham the dayfollowing year, Ray joined Ericsson's, the before to take part in the event. electronics firm, whose headquarters were in Beeston. He studied for his higher national diploma. A neighbour got him interested in riding a bike seriously, and it was in the colours of Beeston's Ericsson Wheelers Cycling Club that he rode to his great time-trial victories. It is said that Ray achieved for road cycling what Sir Roger Bannister did for track-running, - as Bannister broke the 4 minute mile record, - Ray broke the 100 miles in 4 hours record. Ray was a ‘road cyclist,’ who began competing in events for the Army Cycling Union during his time in the army and later for Ericsson’s Wheelers Club. Ray proved himself a ‘born’ road cyclist and endurance rider. He held ‘The Season Long, - Best All-Rounder,’ title three times between 1953 and 1957, given for average speeds of 50 m.p.h. over 100 miles.
Ray Booty. Photograph Credit: Cycling Weekly Cycling Weekly/Cycling Weekly
Robert Howard, responsible for the excellent bit of cartography below, has recently returned from several decade exile in Lenton, and presented us with this map as he did. He also has started a rather fascinating, and highly knowledgeable weekly blog about Beeston life
which you can find at http://beestonweek.blogspot.co.uk/. The map below is a work in progress: Beeston is always in a state of flux: the map will reflect that. If you have any suggestions, let us know at the contact details on the back page.
Special Offer:
2 kebabs + 2 glasses of house wine or soft drink all for just £24.90! (Available from Mon – Thursday until End Feb)
Takeaway service available. Yianni Restaurant, 132 Wollaton Road, Beeston, Notts, NG9 2PE Tel: 01159229475 www.yiannisgreekrestaurant.co.uk/yiannis-beeston
Sporting Beeston
Parkrun 4
years ago, if someone tried to tell me what’s so special about “running ” I’d have probably scoffed and said in a surly voice; “yeah right – Can’t think of anything worse”! These days however I’m one of those smug people who might actually come out with an irritating sentence like that, because there IS something special about running. This is evident every Saturday at 8:50am, where a huge crowd of people eagerly making their way along the canal and over the bridges to the weir fields at the edge of our wonderful Beeston Rylands. They’re a mixture of ages, abilities and sizes: the fluorescently clad, seasoned runners displaying marathon achievements on t-shirts or local club, mothers and fathers pushing children in buggies about to witness Beeston’s countryside at considerable speed; and rather more surprisingly, those attached by a contraption at their waist to a very lively looking dog. They are not alone. This scene is replicated around the country as athletes (though many will not refer to themselves as such), are making their way to 299 different locations across the UK, (and 4 in Denmark) at the same time every week to run 5km in timed conditions. From Inverness to Plymouth, and Cork to Braband (Wikipedia it!) the Parkrun location map is full of yellow links to a local, weekly event.
Like at any other, Beeston Parkrun includes all kinds of people, runners accommodating a vast appetite (my category - another Mars bar, Tim?) people who simply find running a less unpleasant exercise at 30 than they did aged 13 under duress (and possibly in skin tight Morley’s gym knickers at Bramcote Hills Comp– I fit in this one too); people who run to keep their blood pressure down / keep their body conditioned / help lift their mood; people who run seriously and competitively; and a friend of mine who having joined Park Run and other sporting events in his fifties has now gone on to compete in World Championships for his age group… all for fun and all completely unexpected. Everyone is welcome and everyone fits in. The fourth location in Nottingham, Beeston Parkrun has been running since since April last year amd clearly has a market: its first ever event attracted 302 people. In those 8 months in 2014 1890 different runners attended Beeston Parkrun events and not just from Nottingham. People from all over the country - and indeed the world - have visited Beeston because of Parkrun. “Tourists” from London, Scotland, Paris, Italy, Brisbane and many more who are friends staying with local Parkrunners, Couchsurfers passing through, and even some crazies who have set themselves a personal challenge to attend EVERY Parkrun venue and have simply reached Beeston on their list.
Nordic Walking I
love walking. I find it better than other exercise because it’s the only one, apart from cycling, that I think can actually be a means to an end. I walk from one place to another; to the city centre, to visit friends and family. Walking has a point. Well the other day I was chatting to Julie Burniston, who told me
about Nordic Walking, which doesn’t have just one point. It has two! Nordic Walking, she told me is “the action of normal walking with poles which push you and help you to walk further and faster.” Not just that, it also gets rid of 40% more calories than normal walking. “It’s kind of the midway between walking and running,” Julie told me. The history of the sport is a strange one. Begun in Finland in the 1930’s, Julie explained, it was developed by skiers who wished to carry on their training during the summer months. She tells me that it’s simply a great all-round work-out, good for everything from your heart to your posture. Well, I’m sold. And I think you should be too. If you start Nordic walking today, you can get in training for the next British Nordic Walking challenge at Wollaton Park on the 17th of May. The only downside to competitive Nordic Walking is you can’t slow other people down by hitting them with your poles. Julie hosts classes every Thursday at 10:30AM and 7:00PM. Classes meet in the carpark, before proceeding to Nordic walk around Bramcote Park. Inductions and classes are £5 per person and poles are provided! Facebook.com/nottsnordicwalking enquiries@julietodd.co.uk CF
Beeston also held a New Year’s day Parkrun event to kick off 2015, amazingly attended by a crowd of 170 runners braving what was left of the ice and snow. A Not-For-Profit Organisation, where funding comes from sponsorship and donations, sponsors PruHealth and Sweatshop must see benefits from their association with such a popular community. Now while I can’t say that every Saturday morning I jump out of bed at 8am full of joy, what with Saturday morning always comes after a Friday night, but if I don’t go, I do miss it. Because part of what makes running special is the feeling you get from being part of a community, knowing that every week on a Saturday there is a place for me to go to at 9am. I’ll probably talk to someone new, catch up with friends over a coffee and pay my regards to Tony at the Riverside Café, and if I’m really lucky I might achieve something I didn’t believe my body could or would ever do (though breaking the 27 minutes eludes me). At its best Parkrun will leave you feeling exhilarated, among friends and, if you’re like me wanting to “high five” everyone you see on route, and at its worst… well it’s pretty much the same! MH
Bow
Selecta T
I believe that American Football isn’t really a sport
here are a lot of people writing about sport in this issue. I’m guessing that’s because it is a New Year and (if the media and advertising are to be believed) everyone’s thoughts have turned to “a new me”, diets and exercise. Plus Beeston has a new fitness club too – so yay, there’s a “sports and exercise issue.”
That said, Sal runs. She does a weekly park run and loves it, even if it’s icy, wet, cold and miserable. It’s incomprehensible to me (although I’m genuinely chuffed when she beats her personal best or gets close to it) but then again she feels much the same about me playing with little model spaceships, samurai or Zulus.
I’m aware of the health benefits of exercise but seriously, if you have to jog, pump iron or do a gazillion sit-ups in 90 minutes to work off the calories provided by a Mars Bar then surely a better idea is just not to eat the damned thing in the first place and spend that hour and a half doing something that’s actually fun? Y’know, like reading, watching a good movie, painting some miniature war-games figures or shooting some computer-generated bad guys?
And in the interests of full disclosure I should admit I do have one, single, lonely annual concession to “being a bloke” and watching a sporting event on TV - the American Super bowl. Just the Super bowl mind you, never regular season games and always with beer, plenty of snack food/ I believe that American Football isn’t really a sport with “ebb and flow” anyway, but actually a turn-based tactical war-game. The attackers and defenders line up their troops, and then take a “turn” to see if they can get further up the field. If they do, they get another go, if not the other side does. I can relate to that (and the long ad-breaks, great for more snacks, nipping to the loo or posting something on Facebook).
Sport too, for me, is mind-numbingly dull. I never got into team games due in large part to my dreadful eyesight and not being allowed to wear glasses during PE at school. I wandered around myopically, unable to see a thing until the ball hit me, or I was knocked over by some lumbering hulk I didn’t see coming. Well, that and I much preferred reading, chess and war-gaming and could never understand why “games” lessons couldn’t encompass thoughtful indoor games rather than just pointlessly running around in shorts on frozen grass in the rain. To this day I have no interest in football, athletics, cricket, the Commonwealth, or Olympic Games. You name a “popular” mass hog of TV schedules and I really, really can’t be bothered to feign interest in it. I still feel slightly out-of-kilter with most of society for not supporting “a team”, but it just seems that most people get far too excited by other people running, jumping and kicking a ball around, driving/riding round in circles or trying to swim a bit faster than the next person.
But here’s the weird thing. Last year as Robin Hood I really enjoyed being very involved in the cycling Milk Race in the Market Square (they even got me on an exercise bike to promote it), and the “Big Wheel” Cycling event at the Embankment. I also loved the National Archery Championships at Wollaton Hall where I was brought out as “guest coach” by the phenomenal and genuinely inspirational American armless archer (yes, truly; he’s called Matt Stutzman, look him up on the ‘net). And this week I’m going to be “Robin Hood on Ice” to help encourage children to take up speed skating. Except I can’t skate, so that should be funny, painful and/or embarrassing rather than the impressive and skilled Rick Wakemanesque prog-rock spectacular I fondly imagine it might be… So maybe I should try harder with sport? At least I’ll have an excuse for eating all those Mars Bars. Tim Pollard Nottingham's Official Robin Hood
33 Chilwell Rd. Beeston NG9 1EH 0115 9252323 NEW opening times: Thurs 10am - 7pm Fri 10am - 7pm Sat 9am - 4pm Sunday Brunch 2nd Sun of every month
Come and join us after 5pm for an early supper, food served until 6.30 on Thurs + Fri. We have a full beer, wines and cider list including our own range of flying goose ales. All ingredients are fair trade and organic where possible.
Going Wild
in Beeston
... now’t so strange as folk they say, but when it comes to Twitchers… WOW!
Mike Spencer – Bramcote Wildlife Group. Mike is now living under a new identity in anticipation of being mobbed by hundreds of local bird fans. They have binoculars, and everything…
It’s a new year, so it’s a new list and top of every serious twitchers’ list was a Little Bustard (note to Editor – check spelling!) that popped up in Yorkshire over the Christmas holiday. Not only was it there in December, so making it onto the 2014 list, but conveniently it hung about until the first day of January – so, Bingo! - there it is right at the top of the 2015 list. So, definitely not to coin a phrase, and remember you heard it here first folks, that has to count as “one bird with two dates” - subtle or what? It’s the first time a Little Bustard has been seen in this country since 1996 but a bit like buses, you wait forever and then they all come along at once – another lady Little Bustard decided to check out the nether reaches of Sussex. Perhaps she was planning on a visit to her cousin the Great Bustard (really, I’m not making this up) who hangs out around the Salisbury Plain area.
A proper excuse to go the pub! Beeston grown account Rob Murphy will be in the White Lion (on Middle Street) once a week from 8pm, answering questions for free on accountancy and tax. If you've paid too much, not enough or simply just don't get it, call in from 8pm on any Thursday evening and ask Rob about it. You can even book an appointment in advance. Rob will be offering a free service to our community until the end of Feb every Thursday so get in while you can.
So the next time you’re wandering around the Attenborough Nature Reserve and you see one of these ‘scope-carrying, binocular’ed, camouflage-clad, welly-shod twitchers coming towards you and muttering to them self along the lines of “the tit was up but I missed it” have pity – it’s a compulsion, they can’t help it! Mike Spencer www.facebook.com/beestonwildlife
Anyway back to twitchers....
Beestonians if you need advice on tax or accounts then you are in luck...
....it has been said, usually by this correspondent, that if you scratch a twitcher you’ll find a trainspotter hiding underneath. You see, it’s the same obsession with lists. I’ll grant you train-spotters tend to be fairly sedentary and rarely seen in wellies and camouflage jackets but there they are the twitchers ticking away at their lists – for them it’s a lifetime list, a year list, a day list, a patch list for a lifetime, a patch list for the year, a patch list for a day, they’ll even have lists for their back garden – for a day, a year and a lifetime – lists ad infinitum (ad nauseam)!
Ask him anything you like, for example: • I have received this letter from HM Revenue & Customs What does it mean? • I am thinking about becoming self-employed, how do I proceed? • I run my own business, what expenses can I claim? • I think I have overpaid tax, how do I get a repayment? About Rob Murphy: I am a Beeston lad and have lived in Beeston most of my life. I have been qualified as a Chartered Accountant for over 10 years and specialise in helping small companies and self-employed individuals with tax compliance and planning.
A FRESH APPROACH At RM Tax & Accountancy we like to do things differently to most other accountants. There is no tie, no expensive office, no hidden fees or unexpected invoice. Your tax affairs will be dealt with from start-to-finish by a fully qualified accountant. All our fees are agreed up-front and paid month by month to spread the cost of your accountancy and tax needs. We make ourselves available around our clients hours; if a 7pm call suits you better than anything 9-5, then it suits us too. Find out more: www.rmtaxandaccountancy.com Give us a call: 07900 555383 or email us: rob@rmtaxandaccountancy.com
BEESTON
BEATS A
fter last issue’s disaster with the QR codes (anyone notice in certain issues they were all the same?) I am going for a technology-free article this time around. In fact it’s an article about nothing, like Seinfeld, the Comedy About Nothing.. After the Tweed -Covered One’s rebuttal that no-one uses QR codes I decided to spend some time in my other office (The Hop Pole) wondering what to write about. Whilst having a few swift drinks I was approached by a Scottish fellow. Nothing unusual about that, though he was drinking white wine; I thought blokes still weren’t supposed to drink wine in pubs, although I have a feeling I may be stuck in 1977 (which explains the hair –Ed). So this bloke came up to me (Derek and Clive fans can fill this gap yourself, in fact, why not stop reading this article and listen to Derek and Clive?) and said words to the effect of “I’ve worked in Paris for the past two years. I needed to take some off work. A colleague suggested I should go and chill well; I got it wrong and booked a hotel in Chilwell. I fear I have made a mistake”. We then went on to discuss what there was to do round here that was cultural and interesting. I left in a bit of a confused state, how could you really do that? Was this bloke spinning me a line? I then thought of all the things I could have said to him … Imagine if I’d have replied with “Well there’s so much music round here mate, you could have thought you had moved to Beatston”… What a fucking awful joke, that was nearly worthy of our very own Editor (if anyone ever sees him in a pub again, ask him about his Ray Davies joke, or the naked garlic bread, or the time he wanted to go for a drink with me at a secret location at two in the morning, I think it was a park bench).
Sponsored by
PNDesign. Crap jokes aside, there seems to be an awful lot of musical activity in Beeston of late. There are more open mic’s than you could shake a stick at; two a month at The Hop Pole (one featuring me, probably a reason to stay home), The White Lion, and a new one at the Queens Hotel. Add to that the Malt Shovel coming back with live bands on a Friday and Emma Bladon Jones running their Sunday sessions of featured artists (have we ever mentioned Emma before? Or my blues love child Joe Barber?). Beeston is so musical in fact, that only the other day local songwriter and organiser of the White Lion Open Mic, Alan Windsor, gave me a double CD of his past twenty years of work. Can’t imagine that happening in that new trendy chillout resort Chilwell. I would like to imagine, Daniel Johnston style, he rerecords it for every individual. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask. So brimming with music is Beeston that we even have a CD to review and a guest reviewer. If anyone fancies having something reviewed, they can always send it in (contact details on back page). Likewise if someone wants to review something, then feel free. Thinking about it, if you like, you could write this column for me, pretending to be me, and I can concentrate more on my drinking career and sampling the music and culture of Long Eaton, like Brian Jones when he went and recorded all that mountain music in Joujouka. (I assumed this was already happening? –Ed) Jimmy Wiggins Sells guitars and stuff at The Guitar Spot, Chilwell Road and accepts pints from strangers in all pubs.
The Phil Langran Band - Still The Heart Let's be clear from the start. I'm not into folk. It's not that I dislike folk, just that we've never had any sort of common ground. Which means that when a good friend at the Beestonian asked me to write a music review, and this EP from The Phil Langran band dropped through the door, I started to get a little worried. How can you review when you have nothing to compare against? I could say that Forsaken reminded me of mid-sixties Dylan, except that (a) it didn't and (b) how would I know anyway? Still the Heart is "Dedicated to the Good People of Beeston", and warmed by their generosity I decided to approach this with an open mind. Listening on a Sunday lunchtime, I can say with absolute honesty that this was an unobtrusive yet pleasant complement to my wife's excellent lasagne, and based on a sample size of two has a remarkably calming effect on children's behaviour. In fact, I would go so far to say that it was perhaps one of my favourite lunchtimes ever. Thanks Phil and co for playing your part.
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I gave it a more thorough listen in the car and report no accidents or road rage incidents. So far so good. I even find myself liking this in parts. Nothing More stands out with its catchy chorus, and the band can clearly play. So can I recommend this? Well I wouldn't buy it (sorry), but given my relationship with folk that perhaps isn't a surprise. If I heard they were playing locally, would I go and see them? Probably not, but then again if I heard that Fairport Convention were playing the Malt Shovel, that probably wouldn't be enough to tear me away from Location, Location, Location. However, if I was in the Vic and I saw that this bunch was playing tonight, I might just buy another pint and settle down for a listen. Andy Fearn
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Historic walking O
ne of my favourite ways of attempting to keep fit is to get out and walk. It is simple, free and easy. Beeston (and the area around it) is a wonderful place for doing so, having many varied pedestrianised routes, parks, canal towpaths, riverside paths, woodlands and nature reserves as well as lots of snickets and alleyways to make things even more interesting. Last year, I went on two of the tram walks organised by the Beeston & District Civic Society, walking alongside the ‘work in progress’ route with some interesting stories being recounted by the NET
and city council staff – probably some of the urban myths of the future! Last year my hubby and I also started on the walks in the Pevsner Architectural Guide of Nottingham. It is a great book full of information about the city centre’s architecture and heritage. We have only done a third of the walks (West and South city centre, commercial Nottingham, the Lace Market and the Park) and no longer travel to the city centre without looking up at the magnificent buildings and the palpable history, seeing a greater depth to the city.
CODEWORD
It is therefore brilliant that there is work afoot to produce a guide to the 34 Blue Plaques installed by various groups comprising the Southern Broxtowe Blue Plaque scheme. An authoritative explanatory guide is now in preparation, so we should have our own historical trail to help us with Beeston hiking in due course. Information on local walks organised by the Civic Society and the Blue Plaques scheme at www.beestoncivicsociety.org.uk Pevsner guide to Nottingham ISBN 978-0-300-12666-2 KA
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The Beestonian is... Editor/Lead Writer/Founder • Lord Beestonia Co-Founder/Resident Don • Prof J Design • Dan Associate Editor • Christian Editorial Assistance • Mel History Editor • Joe Earp Top-notch contributors this issue: Tim Smedley, Joe Earp, Christian Fox, Christopher Frost, Tim Pollard, Mel Heath, Ric Salinger, Karen Attwood, Andy Fearn and Deman. Illustrators: Mouni Feddag and Tim Smedley Printed by Pixels & Graphics, Beeston
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GREY MATTER 1. Who were the first two World Heavyweight Boxing Champions in the late 19th century? 2. Super Flyweight is a weight division in professional boxing (sometimes referred to as Junior Bantamweight). What is the maximum weight a boxer can be and still be classified in this division? Plus or minus 1kg (Plus or minus 2 lb) 3. Since the Open era in tennis, which six men have reached the singles final of the US Open the most times? One point for each correct answer. 4. Which biennial sporting event was postponed in 2001 following the September 11th terrorist attack on New York? 5. Where were the US Open tennis championships held between 1924 and 1977? 6. The name of which Olympic host city translated means 'Northern Capital'? 7. Which male tennis player lost a four US Open singles finals in 1976, 78, 80 and 81?
8. In September 2010, former steelworker Philippe Croizon swam the English Channel, completing the challenge in just less than 14 hours. The record at that time stood at 6 hours, 57 minutes and 50 seconds, so why was Croizon's crossing so amazing? 9. Due to superstition, what didn't Bjorn Borg do at Wimbledon? 10. Which two countries were part of the first official international cricket match held in 1844 not known for their cricketing history or prowess. Which ones? 11 Pro wrestler The Iron Sheik was the assistant coach to which countries Greco-Roman wrestling team in the 1972 Munich Olympics? 12 Which sportsman name is an anagram of Yore One yawn? 13. In which city does ice-hockey’s Penguins play their home games? 14: When was the first publicised spectacle of mixed martial arts?
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USA/USA/WAYNE ROONEY/PITTSBURG/1887 BEIJING (PEKING)/ BJORN BORG/HE IS A QUADRUPLE AMPUTEE/SHAVE/CANADA AND THE JOHN MCENROE (5) (AS OF 2011)/ THE RYDER CUP/5. FOREST HILLS (THE WEST SIDE TENNIS CLUB)/ IVAN LENDL AND PETE SAMPRAS (8), JIMMY CONNORS (7), ANDRE AGASSI (6), ROGER FEDERER (6) AND ANSWERS: JOHN L SULLIVAN AND 'GENTLEMAN' JIM CORBETT/115 LB (52.2 KG, 8.2 STONE)/3. IN ORDER: