The Beestonian Issue 29

ISSUE 29: YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY FREE

Could Beeston Square soon be graced by a watery centrepiece? We donned our Macintoshes and went to find out.

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uch has been made of the lack of ambition in the plans for post-tram Beeston, especially when it comes to Henry Boot’s redevelopment presently taking shape. The worry is that we’ll have something practical, but aesthetically lacking. Better than the monstrosity that has been ripped down, but dull, uninspiring and lacking pizazz.

Beeston West Councillor Greg Marshall thinks so too, so has initiated a plan to get something very special in Beeston, “I would like to promote a redevelopment of Beeston town centre to include a ‘Nottingham Market Square’ style water feature or indeed a water feature similar to that of Erewash Borough Council (West Park). The feature would present a unique, interactive, fun and free attraction for the people of Broxtowe.

“An appropriate and sympathetic design need not be intrusive, and could still retain an open space for markets and public events. Any cost assessment should include capital and revenue (maintenance) costs.”

Councillor Marshall’s ambitions don’t stop there, however. As part of the proposal he calls for “… street art / installations at tram stops through the

we want?

Photo: NCC Minerals Local Plan Consultation

University of Beestonia / BESTonian / Honey to the Bee / Hardcore mourn / How now... / CODEWORD / A fund farewell / Food for thought / Waxing lyrical / Kitty empire / Get your 5K a day? / The Beest / Beeston Beats / The Grey Matter 1/2 Hour / Any last words?

Water

borough. These should reflect Broxtowe’s heritage and local / community stories. A local competition should be also be launched in conjunction with schools and local artists for street art installations.”

Critics may complain about any costs such projects would incur. Yet with huge dollops of money that have been thrown around Beeston in the past few years to enable people to get to the town, surely a fraction of that spent on making the place look like somewhere worth travelling to is a no-brainer?

It is clear that Beeston’s future will be strongly boosted by the wealth of creative industries springing up at an exponential rate. And anyone and everyone knows, especially long-time local residents and, hopefully, regular readers of The Beestonian, will be all to aware of the wealth and breadth of the heritage and “community stories” we’d have to draw from.

A celebration of this, set in stone (or any other material!) would surely be a fitting celebration, and tell visitors, newcomers and passing commuters rumbling in on the tram that we, Beeston, have something very distinctly special for them to stop and take a look at; spend their money on, even.

What do you think? Would a water feature and a cohesive collection of installations inspire Beestonians and visitors alike? Do let us know.

LB

HeX Productions

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The University of

Beestonia Prof J returns from digging up the Jordan desert only to go an algorithm too far for many (OK, us, we mean an algorithm too far for us)...

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f you add a metric for this to the league table for that, divide by the survey results for the other thing and multiply by the number of years since you passed the threshold score for that activity what do you get? Clarity or confusion? Success or failure?

How do you define success in this equation?

Is that another arbitrary line you have to draw, or can you mark it based on where your competitors are today, or where you think they might be in five years time?

Too many questions here and not enough answers, and yet it seems that an educator’s lot is now a metricated one. Targets come down from somewhere on high, often asking everyone to move to above average (which is of course unattainable) and ultimately requiring everyone to work more and/or work harder. We could try and work more efficiently, but that never seems to be part of the model; systems may have gone too far for this to be a realistic solution.

The importance of league tables in particular means that results of exams, student satisfaction

surveys etc. become as much a game to play as an opportunity to reflect on what could be improved or changed.

All students, of all ages, and all the people that educate them are different, and have different needs. An exam result, for example, relative or absolute, should therefore not be the only measure of how well a student or teacher has done.

Striving continuously for this kind of quantified success is an unhealthy pursuit, students and staff are struggling to keep up and stay well (there’s probably data to prove that somewhere). The numbers are a useful guide, but there’s a hypothesis that if you let people do the job they signed up for, the numbers would take care of themselves, so maybe we should set up an experiment to test this? Either way, when we’re mulling over the spreadsheets we should at least remember there are people and reasons behind the statistics.

Prof J

“Targets come down from somewhere on high, often asking everyone to move to above average (which is of course unattainable).”

The shame is many of the important things are difficult to measure, if not impossible. I have a science background and I like data, but having worked with archaeologists over recent years I appreciate that people are complicated and therefore, from a data point of view, complicate things. There is no simple model for anything when people get involved.

Somewhere, about 100km west of ISIS, a Beestonian academic sits down in a dusty tent and reads Dave Eggers’ novel The Circle… he may be still under the influence of this experience!

BESTonian: Beeston’s finest The Flower Barrow in The Square Image: Lord Beestonia

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greener environment, such as the adjacent church yard. Maybe then it would look more at home.

to display their wares, meaning Stumpy is now surrounded by an explosion of colour and foliage, complementing its pale marble form.

That hasn’t yet happened. But something else has, and we salute it thoroughly.

A glorious, serendipitous summer treat.

That article suggested Stumpy’s problem lay in its situation: it has been incongruously plonked outside Peacocks and the surrounding dull, outdated architecture of the Square.

This summer, the Flower Barrow was forced to move from their usual pitch outside Argos to the precinct area next to Stumpy, while Henry Boot carried out the revamp of part of the Square (which is now very much in earnest). In doing so, they’ve appropriated Stumpy’s plinth

t may have its critics, but we at The Beestonian have a soft spot for Stumpy, or, as it’s correctly known, ‘Water Head’.

Tamar wrote a fascinating article about its story a few years back, in Issue 9 (available to read online – see back page for details).

Tamar suggested it be placed in a more natural

Yet when summer fades, or when the precinct re-opens, poor Stumpy will once again be left with a grey, urban backdrop.

Or maybe the florist will choose to stay in their new home and keep Stumpy bedecked in verdant loveliness… ?

LB

Honey to the

Bee

buy locally, and if a community acts collectively they are a huge force to be reckoned with.

Whilst Beeston is well populated with chain stores and supermarkets, there are plenty of alternatives in which to vote with your cash.

Unsurprisingly, they are massive fans of charity shops, as well as the wide range of independent retailers in and around The Square and beyond.

Beeston is not short on creative, but one couple have caught the buzz more than most – meet Mrs and Mr Honeybee…

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uite rightly, much has been made of the groundswell of creativity within Beeston, manifesting itself in numerous guises. Two local faces which look certain to become familiar to those who appreciate the homemade, the crafty and the up-cycled are Debra and Pete Urbacz. Starting from the refreshingly simple perspective of attempting not to make any sort of impact on the world unless it is positive, between them this friendly and laid back couple produce a wealth of beautiful objects from recycled and sustainable materials.

It all started many years ago for Debra when her favourite pair of jeans came to the end of their wearable life. She couldn’t bear to bin them, and made them into a bag instead. After making a few of these for friends, she began selling them at craft fairs and then moved to selling online (its-in-the-beehive.co.uk).

Debra is full of energy, enthusiasm and positivity about many things – the future of Beeston once it is released from the paralytic grip of the tramworks, the power of communities to shape their own destiny, and the potential uses for the everyday things folk chuck away without a second thought.

she says is quite fitting for someone who is constantly busy. It’s a shame that Beeston isn’t named after the essential little creatures, but you can’t have everything! You are likely to have seen her stand at craft fairs in the Pearson Centre or at Bartons excellent monthly NOT The Camden Market events.

Debra’s husband Pete is a local lad who is also a hands-on creator of the useful and beautiful, with wood being his primary material of choice. Among other things he has turned out mixing desk cabinets for DJs, and whilst he has also produced many beautiful items of furniture, his proudest creation is a beer carrier made from an old skateboard. A skateboarder since the 80’s, Pete has used old skateboards in plenty of his work, much of which is proudly displayed on the its-in-the-beehive website under the Splinter Cell moniker.

Pete is passionate about producing high quality furniture using traditional woodworking techniques, particularly using reclaimed materials. He proudly showed me his workshop which was nearly full with current work in progress, a bed-frame which manages to look both sturdy and beautiful at the same time. This is clearly a chap who is happy in his work.

If Debra and Pete have one wish for their fellow Beestonians, it is that where possible you should

Originally from the rural Amber Valley in North Derbyshire, Debra reckons her upbringing as a community-orientated village girl has shaped her approach to consuming and producing.

She says she ended up living in Beeston ‘by accident’, but is very much at home here now.

Crafting and sewing is the perfect contrast to Debra’s day job as an academic coach at a school in the city.

Debra actually means ‘bee’ in Hebrew, which

A beer carrier made by Pete from an old skateboard deck.

Don’t bet against Debra and Pete becoming further involved in the continuing cultural improvement of Beeston. They aren’t the first people to mention to me the need for some kind of over-arching umbrella organisation which can really channel all the creativity bubbling under the surface, pulling strings to organise and publicise events, getting people involved, and guiding Beeston into becoming a destination for those seeking the handmade, the unique, the quirky and the desirable. If such a collective approach is to be taken, they would make ideal candidates to drive things forward.

Poolie

Hardcore

mourn Image: Joe Earp

Joe Earp, tries to keep his usual historian cool as he fills us in on a recent Beeston dig.

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t is a sad fact that most archaeology these days is ‘rescue digs’ that are paid for by developers or local government ahead of development or engineering projects like the tram works. Not all archaeological sites and finds prove to be ‘exciting’ but are still worth the effort, as all offer to add to our knowledge of our ancient and not so ancient past. Such is the case for the work at Beeston.

At Beeston the tram lines to the terminus at Bardill’s island pass through the heart of the old village and run around the edge of the parish church of St. John the Baptist. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not record the presence of a church at Beeston, but it is generally believed that there would have been a small ‘timber’ building on the site at this date. The population of the settlement at this time has been estimated at between 70 and 80 persons. Like so many of our parish churches, as the population grew the old wooden structure was replaced by stone. By 1300, records show that St. John’s was under the control of Lenton Priory which appointed its vicar and collected the main tithes.

For a brief time during his war against the French, Edward III, – who wished to restrict the powers of foreign monastic orders, – took-over the living. It was at this time that a great disaster struck Beeston when 40% of its estimated population of 300 to 350 people, died of the plague. Their remains were buried in a ‘plague pit’ on the eastern side of the churchyard.

Fortunately the tram works do not disturb this side of the churchyard. With the end of the French war, the living of St. John’s was returned to Lenton Priory where it remained until the Dissolution in 1538. Once again in Crown hands, the church was rebuilt by Henry

“Evidence that the gate may have been an imposing structure was the presence of large blocks of stone forming three sides of a niche or alcove “ VIII using stones from the 14th century church.

Except for the chancel, the church was rebuilt again in 1843 by Sir George Gilbert.

It is evidence of this last phase of building that has been exposed in a utilities trench alongside Chilwell Road. Here was a long section of the foundations or first few courses of the churchyard boundary wall either side of the original entrance. Also exposed on the Beeston side of the gate was a brick lined stone vault or funerary monument, – other grave stones were also recovered bellow what would have been the road surface on the Beeston side.

The line of the wall corresponded to the current edge of the churchyard running alongside of

the road, with the apparent gate aligning to the modern path leading to the main church door. Comprised of un-mortared ashlar blocks, the wall stood to the height of around ½ m. Evidence that the gate may have been an imposing structure was demonstrated by the presence of large blocks of stone forming three sides of a niche or alcove. The wall on the Chilwell side of the gate stretched for around 7m; the Beeston side was slightly shorter with clear evidence that it had been ‘robbed-out’ at an earlier stage. Without date-able finds it is difficult to date stonework accurately. On my first visit, an archaeologist working on the site stated that the wall was possible late Victorian, around 1900. However, if this is the case, it’s possible it was built along the original boundary using stone recycled from the Tudor/medieval church. We must wait for the publication of the full archaeological report for more detailed information.

On a subsequent visit to the site I asked what would happen to the wall after completion of the ‘dig’. There were two options, either it would be removed and displayed in another part of the churchyard, or would be crushed and used as road fill. A visit to the site a couple of days later answered my question. The wall had been removed and the stones crushed.

The gravestones will be re-buried within the churchyard and the funerary monument will covered with soil, disappearing beneath the re-landscaped churchyard.

JH

Joe’s book ‘Nottingham from Old Photographs’ is available from all good bookstores (and Amazon).

Wind and wondering Heard of Martin Erasmus Spunt? No, us neither. But Christian Fox weaves for us his a (not so) merry tale. We hope you have salt - and maybe more than a pinch...

A farmer tending the cows noticed Spunt’s interest/disgust.

“If I could I’d plug up the buggers,” he called out, “but they don’t like that.”

Spunt was quite sure he agreed, the thought of his rectal orifice being plugged by a brown fingered farmer was unappealing indeed. But, Spunt thought, ever the scientist, what if there could be a use for the gas?

Martin Erasmus Spunt was as much an inventor as a scientist. Only the year before he’d presented to the Royal Academy his blueprint for a type of shoe, the sole of which grew in height when crossing deep puddles or streams. It was met with riotous applause.

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Naturally Spunt’s investigation into the uses of methane gas led him directly to the growing automobile industry. Three years before Karl Benz had wowed the world with his motorwagen, but the things were expensive and years away from mass production. The combustion engine alone was costly to run, but what, thought Spunt, if he could alter it to run on something cheaper than fuel.

Spunt was born outside the front door of number 9 Ellis Grove on 20 January, 1868. His mother was a bag girl at the greengrocer opposite on Chilwell Road. That morning, mid-bag, her water broke and, not wanting to get the veg dirty, she rushed home. Grahama, named after her father Eliot Graham Spunt, birthed out her little baby just before she got the door open. According to the queue of people who waited in a snaking line outside the greengrocer, she marvelled in delight for a minute at the tiny male Spunt she held in her arms, then promptly tore the cord with her teeth, threw him through the door and was back bagging veg before the grocer even knew she was gone. To this day however one question remains. Did she wash her hands?

What if he could run it on methane? A brilliant idea, no?

Well, no.

f course there are so many well-known pioneers of science and invention in the annuls of Beeston’s esteemed history. But reader, be ashamed that alongside those well known names, you do not also know that of Martin Erasmus Spunt; genius, pioneer, jewel of the Victorian era, and most importantly – Beestonian.

We’ll never know, but isn’t it amazing that from these humble beginnings Martin grew up to be one of the cleverest men of his generation before tragedy tore him from the history books?

It was in 1889, aged just 21 and an alumni in Advanced Engineering, Physics, and Business Studies from The University of Nottingham, that Martin came up with an idea that would have the potential to change the landscape of Britain for centuries to come.

Spunt was a walker, a massive walker. He took short walks, long walks, walked until he couldn’t walk any more. And it was on one of his more lazy walks that Martin Spunt found himself passing by a field of cows.

Historians argue over where the field was, I don’t think it matters. Spunt was immediately struck by the smell that emanated from their back passages. Mighty ripping winds of gas thrust forth into the atmosphere.

CODEWORD

Spunt perhaps should have gone down in history as a great inventor, favourite of the Queen. He should have lived a brilliant academic life full of wonder and invention.

As it was, he died trying to shove a tube into a cow’s gaseous winking brown eye. Spunt was found on that late autumn afternoon in 1889, by a passing dog walker, his brains hanging out of the back of his head, his right hand still gripped to the tube, hanging out of the back of the now hysterical cow. Details aside, let us just say that Spunt’s family was denied an open casket.

So the methane bus never took off, never made it past the theoretical stage, but the dream still lived on. Years later Thomas Henry Barton would rediscover the idea, changing methane for the far safer hydrogen (safer that is in terms of how far up an animal you have to reach to get it) and would garner success from it.

The tale then is a tragedy. Spunt was denied the fame he surely deserved, was pushed into the backwaters of history to be forgotten. He would have been survived by his children, if he had had any.

Humble beginnings, ignoble end. His grave in Beeston Parish church, otherwise unmarked, says only his last words, muttered out of a mangled mouth to the dog walker.

“I misjudged.”

CF

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(Closing date: 28 August)

A fund farewell…

A life led well and full of love is often legacy enough, even for those who die young. For Trevor Gerry, there would be more.

sight problems, helping them adjust to an independent life. His deep care for those he was assigned to enable shone through, instilling confidence, putting his charges at ease with an encouraging smile.

He worked in this field for 15 years, before some bad news struck. Trevor had been experiencing abdominal pain for some time, he was diagnosed with pancreatitis and sent away advice to lay off the booze a bit. Unfortunately, it was a lot more

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Image: justgiving.com

t’s possible you’d recognise Trevor picture.

A well-known figure around town for many years, he was charming, mannered and carried a glint in his eyes that suggested a freespirited sense of mischief. He first moved here in 1988 with his partner David, who I meet over a coffee to chat about Trevor’s life.

‘We were restless when we first met, so needed to travel. We kept pushing further away from the UK – Amsterdam, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, until we realised we’d have to move to Antartica to go any further. Nottingham was a rather odd choice.”

“I’m not afraid of dying, just sad to be leaving everyone so soon.”

After working in a variety of temporary jobs, Trevor found a job in social services working with people with blindness and visually impairments.. After finding this rewarding work, he gained a diploma in Rehabilitation Studies and went on to work with people with

“Trevor’s legacy shines on in a manner perfectly fitting for the caring, humanist values he held while alive.” serious than that, and when the diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer finally came through, it was too late. This was in 2011. Trevor died in April 2012, aged just 50. His funeral ceremony was a celebration of his life: his coffin rolled behind the curtains to ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’. His ashes were scattered in Bramcote woods.

During those brief months Trevor resigned himself to his death, planning a humanist funeral and writing a two page stoic statement to his friends. I am given this to read, and it’s a fascinating piece: while Trevor had every right to wallow in self pity, he instead directed his concerns towards his parents and David, now his civil partner, insisting “I’m not afraid of dying, just sad to be leaving everyone so soon, so please try not to be too saddened or grieve for too long... I certainly have no regrets!”

After his death, David was determined to ensure Trevor’s good works would not die with him.

He contacted MySight, formerly known as the Royal Society for the Blind, who support

local blind and partially-sighted children and adults. Their work has been vital in ensuring those afflicted with sight issues can live full, independent lives.

Trevor’s legacy shines on in a manner perfectly fitting for the caring, humanist values he held while alive. Trevor was a great Beestonian, and you can ensure this good work continues by making a donation (details below).

A fundraising target of £1,000 was set in April 2013, as of this August that figure has been reached… and more than doubled. But David is looking to continue the fund, with events planned in the future. Watch this space for more details.

The Beestonian Film Club at Cafe ROYA will be running a night in aid of the charity soon, again watch this space.

LB My Sight Nottinghamshire is the new working name for Nottinghamshire Royal Society for the Blind (NRSB). Providing support, advice, information to adapted leisure activities, they rely heavily on donations All money raised stays within Nottinghamshire. mysightnotts.org.co.uk justgiving.com/trevorgerry

Food

for thought Beeston is currently enjoying the greatest quantity – and quality – of restaurants in its recent history. And soon they may be joined with another place where a lot of thought – a whole book’s worth, in fact – has been put into the food. Lord Beestonia had an aperitif or two with the man behind the concept.

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here are a couple of things we all, as humans, do. In fact there are around ten, but some are best not discussed here, so let’s stick with two of the main ones. We eat; we think.

Patrick De Souza is fascinated by both.

Originally from London, he moved up to Nottingham as an undergrad in the eighties and fell in love, “London was drab, back then, Nottingham felt much more vibrant. I fell in love with the place, and decided to make my home here.” Patrick was always a fan of food, but it took until 2002 before he experienced a culinary epiphany, “I was walking up Wollaton Road, and saw this restaurant I’d never noticed before. I felt instinctively drawn in; and I was hit by an incomparable sensory experience: its look, its aroma, its ambiance’.

shy away from the platitudes and daft, pseudopsychology trotted out in the name of ‘Self-help’.

Pat writes with verve and self-deprecatory examination. Including more than 70 recipes he developed with Mattias as an added treat, it’s a multi-faceted banquet of food and thought.

The book was only one element of the wider plan. Pat’s ambition is to open an utterly unique restaurant, somewhere in Beeston, which will take the stuff that provoked a reaction as strong as that he experienced on his discovery of La Toque, “Avant garde, world tapas. High quality but not high prices. Quirky service, good music: a full on sensory experience. Edgy, with surprise and delight.”

They are in negotiations right now with a couple of local venues (all obviously hushhush) but the fruits of these talks could see The Veranda (Pat’s chosen moniker for the venture) delighting Beestonians, and those from further afield, very soon.

LB

Waxing

lyrical

That was the bijou high-end eaterie that was the late La Toque, which went on to become The Library before latterly turning into Table 8.

La Toque was a curiosity in Beeston, attracting reviews from Matthew Fort in The Guardian (who loved it), but seemingly content to be exclusive not just in its servings, but also its visibility.

He befriended the Swedish chef responsible for the restaurant’s wonderfulness, Mattias Karlsson. Mattias was awarded the accolade of ‘Chef of the Year’ in his homeland in 1995, and had gone on to forge a career which took in cooking for the Queen and King of Sweden, being mentored by the Roux brothers and running kitchens in Michelin-starred restaurants. Mattias wasn’t just a chef, but an expert on the aesthetic: dining was not just about the food, but the whole experience; the service, the atmosphere, even the cutlery placing was imbued with a complex excellence.

Many years later, another life-changing thought struck Patrick, “I was watching ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, and something in the film clicked a switch in my brain. I knew I had to write a book, a book about food, but also about my life and how the two intersected. I immediately sat down and wrote a book on self-development, about food, and how the two meet.”

It’s a cracking read as well, even if, like me, you

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Image: candlestickpress.co.uk

n a recent trip to our capital my partner and I came across the most wonderful little pamphlets of poetry. Intrigued, we investigated and found a wonderful booklet containing ten poems about gardens, “The perfect gift for my mum”, my partner said, and so we bought one much to the approval of her mother. Who wouldn’t love to receive what seems like a greetings card only to discover that what you have actually been given is a pamphlet of beautifully compiled poetry? Little did we know that the creator of these wonderful gifts was Jenny Swann, a proud Beestonian.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jenny this week to discuss how she came to own and run her very own poetry press in the heart of Beeston.

Nine years ago Jenny and her family moved from London to Nottingham, contacting a number of different estate agencies for advice and guidance on where might be most suited to their needs.

After the agencies tried to show them properties in West Bridgford and Mapperley Park, Jenny decided to get back in touch with a friend of hers, Alan Baker – the man behind Leafe Press (and another Beestonian). After visiting with Alan, Jenny’s mind was set on moving to this wonderful, thriving area. It has long been the mission of all of our contributors to put into words why exactly Beeston has such an attraction, and when questioned about it Jenny also struggled to pinpoint exactly what that made her set her heart of living here. “Beeston is not a beautiful place but there is a very academic and creative atmosphere.” Simply-put, but undeniably true.

Three years after settling in her new home Jenny set out to create her own poetry press, with a twist. Her mission was to use her years of experience to create something which made the world of poetry more accessible to the general public. And so Candlestick Press was born. By sifting through the plethora of poems in the various collections that line most of the walls in her house, Jenny was able to find the best of the best and group these poems together by subject matter instead of by author or period. A stroke of genius, quite frankly, because it achieved exactly what she had set out to do. By creating short collections based on basic subjects such as ‘cats’, ‘bicycles’, ‘gardening’ to name just a few, she had given the least poetry-savvy reader an easy way into this fascinating world of literature.

Jenny is proud, and rightly so, of her press’ ability to reach a large audience and promote poetry to the masses. But it also provides an important platform for promoting modern poets who have until now gone almost completely unnoticed by the wider literary community.

With local poets compiled into collections next to the works of such greats as Lord Byron and Carol Ann Duffy (a keen advocate of Jenny’s work), these pamphlets go beyond simply promoting poetry, they elevate the ‘nobodies’ in the literary world to a level where they are credited for great writing, not simply their credentials.

Maybe this concept is also what makes Beeston a thriving community of creativity and innovation? Maybe this is why people choose to live here?

Of course, Beeston is keen to celebrate the greats, but it also seeks to encourage and nurture new talent and creativity - giving opportunity, home and voice to creditable locals striking out in the world of literature, music and arts.

DK Candlestick Press’ poetry pamphlets collection are available from Waterstones and other good book sellers, as well as direct from the Candlestick Press website at candlestickpress.co.uk

Kitty

empire

Image: © Christopher D Frost

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ow quickly can someone fall in love? Well with me it took just mere seconds. I wasn’t in the Hop Pole or Café Roya, but a small room full of fifteen very cute and very mischievous kittens (fittingly known as the ‘kitten-playroom’). I was in Bulwell, interviewing Lotus Shephard, one of the foster mums who donate their time and energy to the Bramcote Animal Rescue.

The charity was started over twenty years ago by Amanda Purdy, at her house in the middle of Bramcote village. She started after working with Broxtowe Council’s dog warden in helping to rescue and re-home stray dogs. These days it’s not only dogs that need new homes, but cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, even chickens sometimes.

Usually, these animals come here after being bought irresponsibly as presents for children. Often kids get bored with their pet after cleaning and feeding becomes a chore, and so unwanted pets get handed-in or, unfortunately, dumped somewhere to be found by animal welfare or passers-by. Other reasons animals find their way here are when people go on holiday when they have no facility for the pet being cared for in their absence, and unneutered animals having litters.

The saddest story publicised on Bramcote’s Facebook page concerned a year-old cat called Nina. She was collected from another rescue and was all fur and bone, with a broken leg. With Lotus’ loving care, and Vergard’s vet skills at Beeston Vets4Pets, Nina’s last weeks of life were probably her happiest. Sadly, she died a few months ago. Lotus has kept her ashes in a box as a fond reminder of the favoured puss.

There are, thankfully, many happy stories too. Like Beanie, a Devon Rex who was born in March this year. She was bought to the rescue when she was just one day old. She wasn’t seen as a pretty cat, as she had big ears, and so had problems getting a new home. But as the weeks went by she grew into a glamorous feline, which of course everybody wanted to adopt. She now has a very loving home.

With all these animals arriving, the number of helpers has had to grow too. There are now eight women who help Amanda with the never-ending tasks of looking after the animals, running the Facebook page, doing home checks on potential new owners, and innumerable vet visits.

I asked Lotus, who is a bus driver with NCT, besides neutering their cats and dogs, what can owners do to look after the pets better? Vaccinations comes top of the list; especially for worms and fleas. Worms can actually

be passed from the infected mother into her babies, and fleas can hop onto newly born kittens. Both can cause the baby cats a lot of illness and distress.

Owners can find vet’s bills prohibitive, and so will just abandon the sick animal, rather than doing what they can to remedy or – even better –take preventative action before illness or suffering occurs.

Microchipping cats and dogs is even more important these days, with the rise in theft of pets. Besides tracing lost pets, microchipping can also help to ID cruel owners who dump or injure their pets.

Finally, I asked Lotus what the rescue is short of at the moment (besides money of course!). They are short of food, hay and wet food for kittens.

Their vet bill alone is £1500 a month. If any Beestonians would like donate funds, bedding or food to this small but very worthwhile charity then please do get in touch: Bramcote Animal Rescue Centre, 6 Ashtree Square, Bramcote, NG9 3HJ. (0115) 9220286.

10 am to 4 pm (viewing at the rescue is 1pm – 3pm (except Thursdays) ) Their emergency number is 07778 352351.

Their Facebook page (Bramcote Animal Rescue) showcases photos of their animals.

CDF

Every Sunday is SAMBA DAY! Every 2nd Tuesday: Quiz Night (hosted by The Beestonian)

Every 3rd Tuesday: Open Mic Night

24 Middle Street, Beeston NG9 1FX

people through to the end of their lives.

Today we’re marking the half way point of this year long challenge with a group-run round the County Park. Unfortunately, and not at all conveniently, I injured my knee a few months ago, scuppering not only my chances of being the new Mo Farah, but ruling me out of running full-stop. I recruit newcomer to The Beestonian, Rylander Mel Heath, to do the running bit for journalism’s sake as I slouch on a park bench and catch some early morning summer sun.

The first runners complete the course in a ridiculously quick time, with Andy’s young son Josh coming in fourth. Andy puffs over the line in 25.37.

Once he’s caught his breath, I ask him his fastest time: ’23.59. But I have no idea how: it was a clear 20 seconds faster than the next quickest. When I first started the challenge I was always trying to set a personal best, but that proved impossible to come close to, so now I’m not always trying to top it’.

Get your 5K a day?

What’s been the most difficult run? Today it’s ridiculously warm and humid, surely that hurt? “It can be tough to motivate myself. I thought that would be the easiest bit, it would become routine, but after a hard day the prospect of having to push myself through a run is daunting. Weather wise, their isn’t a wrong weather, just wrong clothes. Though while you can stick on more layers if it’s cold, when it’s hot you can only undress so far within the bounds of decency. I’ve ran in heavy rain, ferocious wind, staggering heat. The first day of the challenge, I had to run through a sleet storm.”

Image: Andy Wallis and Mel Heath catch their breath (LB)

Andy Wallis is spending the year running 1,825 km for a very good cause. As he reaches the halfway point, we caught up with him. Or rather, waited at the finishing line for him to appear.

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unday morning, when most sensible folk are snoozing off the excesses of Saturday, I’m in Rushcliffe County Park where there is a large group of healthy looking people in lycra stretching, swigging water and looking like they definitely didn’t spend last night replacing their blood with claret. Healthy, yes, but few, I suspect, have quite gone through the level of endurance our host here, Bramcote’s Andy Wallis, has had to face over the last six months.

He even packed his running gear when he headed off for a couple of family holidays to Whitby ‘hilly!’ and Center Parcs “Smaller than you expect… I still managed to get lost though.”

Andy usually runs round Bramcote Park, a stone’s throw from his house.

To keep the run interesting, he switches routes and elevations, but eschews music after finding it too distracting, “I prefer listening to my breathing, feeling my pulse-rate. It’s sort of ….” Zen-like? “Yep, sort of Zen-like.” Being a professional photographer, he can take his mind off the run by looking, not listening.

“The first six months have seen him raise over £1,500, and he’s hoping the second half of the challenge either matches or beats that. ”

For those 182 days, every single one of them, Andy has ran five kilometres. That’s approximately Beeston Square to Nottingham Market Square, every day. It’s all for charity, Nottingham Hospice to be precise. Andy used to do a bit of work photographing for them, and donating the resulting prints, but felt like he had to do more. An avid runner, he set himself the challenge to help towards the hospice costs: it needs around £3,000,000 a year to continue it’s essential work easing

The first six months have seen him raise over £1,500, and he’s hoping the second half of the challenge either matches or beats that. “Once you go past 182 runs, I can start to count down, rather than count up. Now it’s running off each day, and bringing in more money.”

We say goodbye and head off, Mel telling me she chalked up a course best today, and me once again mentioning how my knee really is gammy…

Andy is looking for more sponsors, individual and corporate.

If you fancy supporting his feat of endurance, or run a company that will sling some deserved cash as the poor guy burns lactic acid into his hamstrings, and help keep the hospice ticking over, then go to justgiving. com/5kaday. Every penny donated goes directly to this great cause.

LB and MH

s t a e B n o t Bees A

gain, and with a futility similar to the England football team trying to do well at the World Cup, I am going to write about Jazz. There was a period of time where liking jazz became kind of cool again, acid jazz in the nineties helped a bit, but in reality just left us with The James Taylor Quartet making the same record again and again. Only last week I was talking to a pub manager who mentioned they had Jazz on at his venue, he pulled a funny face and said “I go out when it’s on” I looked at him a bit oddly only to get the response “Well you know it’s Jazz, it’s weird”.

Let’s be blunt – listening to jazz is not the equivalent of a monkey trying to read Noam Chomsky (for the aural equivalent of that listen to Leicester shit peddlers Kasabian), neither is it something that requires a handbook before listening. Alas folks just don’t seem to believe this. Sometimes the connotations that people seem to think come with certain genres puts them off. I understand this to an extent – I went to a folk festival recently and saw that the finger in the ear brigade hadn’t given up just yet, our party also politely got told to shut the fuck up by a Yorkshire Folk Nazi. To try and give all musical genres a bit of a level playing field, I like to remember this quote from Louis Armstrong “ All music is folk music. I ain’t never heard a horse sing a song”. In a strange way I slightly disagree with this- I heard Lord Beestonia sing once and it sounded like a horse suffering the unwanted advances of a man from Ilkeston (Get me?). (That’s the kindest review I’ve had so far - Ed) Back to the schedule- imagine someone sneaking cod liver oil in your baby food- That’s what I’m doing here. Remember when everyone liked Amy Winehouse – “Ooh she has that Jazz thing going off”. So you do like some Jazz- Singers make it a bit more like what you’re used to in mainstream music. Ok. you then got shit like Duffy, but let’s forget this.

In Beeston we have our own Jazz singer in the form of Jeanie Barton (I really wanted to call the article Jean Genie- but it sounded like a crap joke that could out-do our tweed covered editor ). She mainly did her thing in that there London.

From 2001 she has worked with the likes of bebop pioneer Laurie Morgan and opened among others for Georgie Fame (you can see

more details about Jeanie’s career on her website jeaniebarton.com). One thing I like is that she can count amongst her fans Shane MacGowan, of the Pogues fame (saying that, lots of toothless drunks have admired my musical career over the years (yeah, it’s great –Ed)). Jeanie now splits her Jazz singing between our locality and London. I thought it only fair to ask her some questions.

How did the singing start? Was Jazz your first influence, if so any influential albums artists or performances that got your attention?

“I started singing in school and won lead roles in Hollygirt’s annual musical which was put on at the Coop Arts Theatre. At 13 I joined Long Eaton Operatic Society and then the Nottingham Operatic Society as well as the Lace Market Theatre and also got a principle role in a UK tour with the National Youth Music Theatre. Numerous shows later, I moved to London in 2001 and stumbled on an open mic scene that pointed me in the direction of using the musicals’ repertoire in a gig format – I didn’t realise until that time that all the Gershwin, Cole Porter and Rogers and Hammerstein hits I loved were known as Jazz Standards… When I moved to Crouch End in North London in 2003 I made friends with a lot of jazz instrumentalists who further educated me with Bebop albums, Charlie Parker, Lambert Hendricks and Ross and the like, who I fell in love with and completely changed my listening passion. This inspired me to go back to college and study jazz harmony as well as improvisation with BBC award winning jazz singer Anita Wardell.”

You perform both in the Midlands and London. How is the Jazz scene different in these areas? Do you see much of a younger audience for the music?

“Sadly the audience in jazz clubs the UK wide is largely older but I do play at plenty of private functions, corporate events and weddings where the response we get, especially from the younger crowds is really encouraging. I am hoping to record a live album at some point with BoHoP, a local rhythm section of Neil Hunter on keys, Geoff Pearson on double bass and Ian Beestin on drums as they play so often together, they are a really a solid unit with whom I can take lots of risks. I also have regular guys I play with in London who are exceptional individuals but who perhaps don’t have the same intense relationship as a unit because there are so many more jazz musicians in that region to share the work around.”

How do you feel about the way Jazz music is perceived at present? I am still of the opinion that despite having popular performers such as Amy

Winehouse claim Jazz influences such as Billie Holiday, Jazz still gets conveniently chucked to one side with clichéd critiques – too intellectual, or the Fast Show jazz club skit.

I think a lot of people are put off by the word ‘jazz’ and the reputation it has gained for being intellectual and inaccessible, I wrote a blog on my site about this image issue recently called ‘Is Jazz Doomed?’

There are so many different types of music that can fall under the umbrella of Jazz; from Amy Winehouse to Earth Wind and Fire to Fats Waller – it is not really the best descriptive word. I would say I perhaps am a retro or vintage singer who improvises – after all the essence of jazz is perhaps improvisation, often around quite complex harmonies.”

Having heard you sing, it strikes me that you have a distinctly English edge to your vocals, I see this as a good thing. Care to elaborate?

“Thank you! It’s not the first time someone has made that observation. I sing as I speak, I think, some people are surprising when they start singing, their accent changes completely often to an American drawl. I think it stems from my early listening; I still adore the recordings of Vera Lynn as well as Noel Coward (not that I have a clipped English delivery like him!) But perhaps my listening was broad enough to mean I have not ended up impersonating any one singer and have developed my own sound all being well.”

You are involved in organising a Jazz Festival on 24

– 25 of October this year at Barton’s on Chilwell High Road, please tell us a bit about that.

“This is an extremely exciting project that I was asked to participate in alongside Ian Beestin, local drummer and co founder of Beeston Jazz Club (BeestonJazz.co.uk). We have booked acts both local and national, young and established, and also want to encourage dancing, involving of The University of Nottingham’s swing society and Happy Feet as well as local Lindy Hop groups – we want the atmosphere to be vibrant, fun and accessible, merging the popular vintage scene with the jazz scene to present shows with a vibe as close to that of Jazz’s hay-day in the 20s-50s when ‘Jazz’ was ‘Pop’.”

See below for details of the line up – tickets are now on sale at Bartonsplc.co.uk and on the door at Beeston Jazz Club 7.30 pm at The Star (next gig 3 September with The Dan Collective).

NOT The Montreux Jazz Festival @Bartons Plc 24-25 October 2014 61 High Rd, Chilwell, Nottingham NG9 4AJ | 0115 925 7766 bartonsplc.co.uk

Friday “The Future of Jazz” 24 October 2014 Tickets £9 online / £11 door 7.30 – 8.30 pm Trumpeter - Jake Labazzi 16 year old BBC Young Jazz Musician of the year 2014 finalist backed by The BoHoP Trio (the house rhythm section for Beeston JazzClub) Ian Beestin on drums, Neil Hunter on keyboards and Geoff Pearson on double bass. jakelabazzi.co.uk | BeestonJazz.co.uk 9 – 11 pm Gypsy Jazz Guitarist Remi Harris and his Trio A vivacious 26 year old guitarist and composer, he is widely regarded as one of the UK’s Top Gypsy Jazz Guitarists and has toured the UK, Australia and France as well as performing at Buckingham Palace and Live on BBC Radio 2. remiharris.co.uk

Saturday “Stompin’ at The Savoy” 25 October 2014 Tickets £14 online / £16 door 2.30 – 3.30 pm The Big Green Quintet An exciting, young brass lead jazz ensemble from Kings School Grantham.

biggreenquintet.co.uk

4 – 6 pm Nottingham Youth Jazz Orchestra An exceptional 20 piece youth big band. nottsnyjo.co.uk 6.15 – 7.15 pm ‘Stompin’ - A swing dance showcase feat: Nottingham Swing Dance Society happy-feet.org.uk

Nottingham University Swing Society swingsoc.co.uk Nottingham Lindy Hop nottinghamlindyhop.com

Revival Dance revivaldance.co.uk

7.30 – 8.30 pm Vintage Vocalist – Jeanie Barton and her Trio “Jeanie’s infectious smile, great diction and rapport with her audience make it a joy and a real pleasure to listen her” Chris Moore, BBC Radio ‘Jazz Incorporated’ JeanieBarton.com

9 – 11 pm Heavyweight saxophonist - Alan Barnes and his Band Popular raconteur and performer Alan recently featured on the Bryan Ferry Jazz Age recording and Great Gatsby soundtrack and has been touring with Paloma Faith as well the Guy Barker Orchestra. alanbarnesjazz.com

And now for something completely different…

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ssuming people actually remember anything I write, without wanting to destroy any memory of it after they meet me and realise what a tosser I am – you may remember me writing about the Madeline Rust in one of our previous issues. Well our serial-killer loving grunge buddies have done made a new album.

Guitarist Aly McNab kindly allowed me a preview listen to the new album Truth or Consequences. To just describe the band as grunge would be lazy, as whilst the album has an edge to it and some guitar work that could be put in that category there is a real ethereal quality to the sound – even a cello appears at one point. I think I would call it dark and panoramic; cinematic even – but you best go out and hear the songs for yourself. My current ear-worm is the track ‘Darling James’ (not just because it’s my Sunday name either).

A limited edition release on hefty red vinyl, Truth or Consequence is available to buy online at thoseoldrecords.co.uk (be quick about it) from 4 August, but if you’re the tight sort who doesn’t buy music, you could take a listen on YouTube and the usual websites. But then, you’ve probably not read much of my column about artists and making a living...

JW

Jimmy can be found selling all things guitar, and teaching Blues guitar, at The Guitar Spot,Chilwell Road, Beeston (and either The Crown or The Hop Pole of an evening. His is a lime & soda, though please...) theboozeworldofjimmywiggins. blogspot.co.uk

THE

GREY MATTER 1/2 HR PUTTING THE SUM IN SUMMER

1.

Who did Jamie Summers turn into to?

2.

Where is the Pope’s summer palace?

3.

Which one of Shakespeare’s sonnets has the opening line, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day”?

4.

Which musical features the song “Summertime”?

5.

What is an “Indian Summer” ?

6.

What forms the filling in a Summer Pudding?

7.

Which London art gallery hosts the annual Summer Exhibition?

Co-founder / Resident Don – Prof J

On which date does the Summer Solstice occur?

Design – Tamar

9.

Which cult British film made in 1973 was set on the fictional island of Summer Isle?

Associate Editor – Christian

10. In which year was British Summer Time introduced?

11. In which British university town is the suburb of Summertown?

12. What are referred to as “The Dog Days of Summer”?

Administration – Mel Top-notch contributors this issue: Jimmy, Joe Earp, Poolie, Christian Fox, Darren Kirkbride, Mel Heath, Tim Pollard, Deman, Ric Salinger, Christopher D Frost.

Printed by Pixels & Graphics, Beeston.

ANSWERS: THE BIONIC WOMAN/CASTEL GANDOLFO/SONNET #18/PORGY AND BESS/ A PERIOD OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE AUTUMN USUALLY AFTER THERE HAS BEEN A FROST./FRESH FRUIT/ THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS/ JUNE 21ST/THE WICKER MAN/1916/OXFORD/ THE HOTTEST, MOST SULTRY DAYS OF THE SUMMER.

42A MIDDLE STREET Whilst the tramworks are continuing to cause pain and discomfort, there are some quirky consequences to the diversions and signage for businesses and residents alike. Let’s just hope the workies allow the good people of 42a Middle Street keep the sign (right).

Poolie

Stockists: Belle & Jerome, The Hop Pole, The Crown, The White Lion, The Star, The Greyhound, Flying Goose, Mish Mash Gallery, Attik, The Guitar Spot, Relish, Broadgate Laundrette, Bubba Tea, The Bean, Beeston Library, Cafe ROYA, Newsagent on Chilwell Road, ATOS, Metro, Beeston Marina Bar and Cafe.

Huge thanks to all of our contributors, sponsors, stockists, regular readers and anyone who has picked this up for the first time.

LADBROKES

Scan QR code & subscribe to Lord Beestonia’s blog:

We’ve recently been covering the story of how Ladbrokes turfed out the local charity Young Potential from their shop, only to announce that they intended to leave it empty for years.

We eventually secured an apology and £5,000 for the charity from the bookies, and it now looks like they’ve pulled out altogether: the shop is back up for let. An expensive gamble for Ladbrokes, it seems.

LB

OXJAM

Editor / Lead Writer / Founder – Lord Beestonia

8.

Any last words?

Thanks so much to all those who bought along cakes, and who paid to eat them, at the Second Oxjam Beeston Bake Off. Huge thanks to our judges: Classy Cupcake’s Karen Attwood, last year’s champ Emma from Relish, teenage judge Lara Pustzai and the Nottingham Post’s Dan Russell. Cheers also to the Mayor of Broxtowe, Stan Heptinstall for opening the event and congrats to Harinee Selvadurai who scooped the top prize with her Raspberry Almond Tart, which proved so popular I didn’t even get to have a bleddy slice...

LB

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