Nottingham Now Issue 1

Issue. 1 - July 2018 0115 6972670 | www.nottingham-now.co.uk | sales@nottingham-now.co.uk

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Inside this issue: Care - Weddings - what’s on

Appeal after aggravated burglary in Ravenshead

Detectives are appealing for witnesses and information after an aggravated burglary in Ravenshead on (Monday 2 July 2018). The police received a call at 10.10pm after three men, claiming to be armed police, broke into a property in Kirkby Road threatened the occupants and demanded money from them. A male occupant was punched in the face and a female occupant was threatened with knife as the suspects demanded to know the location of the money. The woman managed to escape and ran to a nearby Sainsbury’s store where she called the police. The offenders left the house shortly after.

Thankfully the occupants weren’t seriously injured.

Three mobile phones were taken from the address but were later recovered. The suspects also took the key to a vehicle and a kitchen knife. The car wasn’t taken.

Two of the suspects were wearing face coverings throughout. The third, who wasn’t initially wearing a face covering, is believed to be aged in his 30s.

All three are black and were wearing dark clothing.

Detective Sergeant Matt Scott, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Our investigation into this incident is ongoing and we’re following several lines of enquiry.

"We’ve carried out house-to-house enquiries, we’re examining any possible CCTV footage in the area and forensic examinations are still being conducted.

"I would like to reassure the community that we are making every effort to locate the offenders involved."

Anyone with any information about the aggravated burglary is urged to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 1127 of 2 July 2018, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Man charged with assault and attempted theft of motor vehicle

A 20-year-old man has today been charged with assault and attempted theft of a motor vehicle following a report of a man trying to take a car while the occupants were still inside. Morgan Matveev, of Sutton-in-Ashfield, was bailed to appear at Mansfield Magistrates' Court on 19 July in connection with the incident in The Bluebells, Sutton-in-Ashfield, at around 4.50pm yesterday (Saturday 30 June).

Officers responding to Lower

Parliament Street assault Nottinghamshire Police were called just after 4.10pm on (Saturday 30 June) to a report of a serious assault in the Lower Parliament Street area of Nottingham city centre. Officers, who remain at the scene, responded within minutes to arrest a man in his sixties in connection with the incident. A man has been taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries. The extent of his injuries are not yet known. Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 600 of 30 June.

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Detectives investigating following Radford shooting Detectives are investigating following a shooting in Radford which left a 17year old boy with injuries to his chest and hand. Nottinghamshire Police were called just after 10.50pm on 29th June to the report of the incident at the junction of Ireton Street and Portland Road. The boy’s injuries are described as potentially life-altering but they are not believed to be life-threatening at this time. Nottinghamshire Police has deployed a number of officers to carry out reassurance patrols in the area, while detectives continue their work to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. No arrests have been made in connection with the investigation to date. Detectives are appealing to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area, or who may have dashcam footage of the incident, to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 1137 of 29 June.

Nottinghamshire officer in running to be next Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Local police officer Phill Matthews has announced that he is to stand for the forthcoming election to head the Police Federation, the staff association that represents all rank and file officers across England and Wales.

Phill is already a prominent National Board member and Regional Representative for the Eastern Region, including all the East Midlands forces. He was previously the Chair of the Nottinghamshire branch of the Federation and currently leads on national conduct and performance matters while campaigning for officers to be treated more fairly in the disciplinary system. He has presented at the Federation’s annual conference for the last two years. Having spent most of his career in front line operational policing roles, Phill says that he

will bring that hardworking, honest, pragmatic and inclusive approach to the role if elected and promises to ensure the voice of ordinary officers is heard loud and clear by government and chief officers alike.

Voting, which is now open to approximately 120,000 Federation members (officers from constable to Chief Inspector) and closes on Monday 30 July 2018 with the winner starting in post on 1 August 2018.

For further information, contact Phill on phill.matthews@polfed.orgFollow Phill and his campaign to be elected on Twitter @PFEW_Phill

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45,000 LED street light Dog zones at Gedling Country Park th

highlights County Council investment Nottinghamshire got its 45,000th new LED light this week, marking the latest stage of the County Council’s street light replacement project to convert all old-style, low pressure sodium lights to new, efficient LEDs. Mansfield residents, including Lonan Close, Forest Town, where the 45,000th LED light was fitted, are benefitting from a full conversion of all 13,500 lights to new energy-saving LED street lights and up to 500 new columns across the town. The £3.2m project in Mansfield started earlier this Spring and is due to be complete

by April 2019. Overall, the Council has invested £9.2m in the street

light upgrading/ replacement project.

Nottinghamshire County Council’s energy-saving project to replace half of the county’s 94,000 street lights is already saving tax payers around £1.5m each year in reduced energy bills – which is enough to power over 3,500 homes for a year or drive an electric vehicle more than 2,200 times around the world. Carbon emissions have been reduced by 12,000 tonnes.

Overall savings since the beginning of the project total more than £5.4m.

This major work is being overseen by Via East Midlands, who manage the County’s highways network on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council.

Nottinghamshire County Council Communities and Place Committee Chairman, Councillor John Cottee said,

“The old-style orange lights in Mansfield were becoming inefficient and impossible to repair. LED lighting generates savings in terms of reduced energy bills, benefiting Nottinghamshire tax payers.

“The new LED’s require very little maintenance, are generally between 60-70 per cent more efficient and have a longer lifespan. “Good-quality street lighting is vital to having an excellent, safe highways network, which is a priority for our administration.”

“In fact we have made additional £20m funding available to help improve our highways across the county.

“The additional investment is targeted mainly at residential areas with schemes to improve road surfaces and introduce new safety features where they are required; such pedestrian crossings and interactive speed signs on routes used every day by people to get to and from home.”

Gedling Borough Council is to introduce dog zones at Gedling Country Park as part of ongoing improvements to make the park accessible to all.

The 240 acre country park will have three zones; red, yellow and green.

The red zones will be where dogs are not allowed to enter, the yellow zones will ask owners to keep dogs on leads and the green areas are where dogs can be let off leads but must be kept under control.

The zones are being introduced to improve safety around the park most notably the children’s play area, visitor centre and car park, as well as protecting livestock and wildlife in the park enclosure. The zones also stop owners from allowing their animals to swim in the lagoons, which can cause harm to wildfowl such as swans, which is an offence under the

Wildlife and Countryside Act. The plans will be presented to residents through the official Gedling Country Park Facebook page and the Friends of Gedling Country Park group for feedback. The park receives hundreds of visitors every month, many with dogs. The proposed zones will make sure that visitors are aware when dogs should be on leads and where they can be exercised off lead but still under control.

The green zones, where dogs can be let off their leads, accounts for a large part of the former colliery land and provides acres of natural habitat for dogs to enjoy, without damaging the ecology of the park.

The zones were introduced after incidents in the park of dogs attacking the livestock and complaints of dogs not being kept under control in the park near the children’s play area.

Councillor Michael Payne, Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council said; “We’re introducing these zones so that everyone who comes to the park can enjoy its fantastic views, walks and café with or without animals. Most visitors control their dogs exceptionally well but we have had incidents where dogs have been entering livestock enclosures, damaged the ecology and causing concerns around the play area and visitor centre, which we cannot allow.

The zones will provide visitors with clear guidance that will improve their experience and remove any uncertainties about how users should control their pets within the park.

We welcome any feedback on these proposals and we think many people will find the changes an improvement to what is already, a great destination park.”

Nottinghamshire residents have another chance to collect Veolia. Free paint will be available to free paint - thanks to the Community RePaint scheme run collect on the following dates:

by Nottinghamshire County Council’s waste contractors Newark Recycling Centre, NG24 2EG - Tuesday 10th July - 5-7pm Beeston Recycling Centre, NG9 1PF Thursday 26th July - 5-7pm Calverton Recycling Centre, NG14 6NR - Thursday 9th August - 5-7pm Warsop Recycling Centre, NG20 0JG - Wednesday 22nd August - 5-7pm Newark Recycling Centre, NG24 2EG - Tuesday 4th September - 5-7pm Beeston Recycling Centre, NG9 1PF - Thursday 20th September 5-7pm Don't miss out - book in a time slot by calling Nottinghamshire County Council on 0300 500 80 80. (Pre booking is essential) An estimated 50 million litres of the 320 million litres of paint sold in the UK each year go to waste.

This paint is either thrown away or stored in homes or garages despite more than half of it still being usable. Last year the Community RePaint scheme added colour to the lives of over 316,000 people across the UK, including groups, charities and residents from Nottinghamshire who took part in the scheme. The scheme

accepts unwanted/surplus paint from Nottinghamshire residents at the recycling centres in Warsop, Newark, Beeston and Calverton. Any tins that are at least half full of reusable paint are stored separately in the shelved reuse container and are given away for free to registered community groups, schools and charities and at special one off events to members of the public.

Lea Hawkes, General Manager for Veolia in Nottinghamshire said: ‘We

welcome Nottinghamshire residents to donate their unwanted paint at the 4 Recycling Centres, which we in turn distribute freely to Community Groups and residents in a bid to support the community, help the environment and save people money.’

As usual when visiting a Recycling Centre please wear sturdy, closed toe footwear and it’s a good idea to bring bags or boxes to protect your vehicle when transporting the paint home.

Free paint on offer for Notts residents - additional collection dates announced

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Owzat! National land art competition

launched at Trent Bridge for the Tour of Britain

Organisers of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, the UK’s most prestigious cycle race, have called on Nottinghamshire and the rest of the country to bowl them over with eyecatching land and water art alongside the route of this year’s 1,140-kilometre event.

The tradition of creating land art masterpieces along the route has long been the practice at the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, as well as other cycle races around the world, but this will be the first time that The Tour has held a competition to find the best piece of land art, with the winner due to receive a trophy and commemorative Tour of Britain prizes.

Community groups, schools, businesses and land owners across Britain will be encouraged to take part in the competition during the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, which takes place from Sunday 2 to Sunday 9 September with Nottinghamshire hosting the longest and penultimate

stage on Saturday 8 September.

The national competition was launched at the iconic Trent Bridge Cricket ground, which is on the route of the Nottinghamshire stage which will starts in West Bridgford and due for a thrilling finale in Mansfield. More than 60 pupils from West Bridgford Junior School geared up for the competition by forming a bike shape - using giant parachutes as wheels - on the Trent Bridge cricket pitch. The race route will pass close by to the school.

Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council said; “It’s a great testament to the success of last year’s race that national organisers have chosen our county to launch this exciting competition. Nottinghamshire people came out in their thousands to line the race route which added a tremendous sparkle to the event.

“At 223kms, we are hosting the longest stage - so our county has a fantastic opportunity to get involved and hopefully a winner will be found

here in Nottinghamshire “Last year we had so many examples of magical landart moments provided by schools such as John Blow Primary School in Collingham and Newstead Primary School, not to mention Girton Sailing Club’s bike made of boats and the much-talked about sheep creation

by Coddington-based farmer Des Allen.”

Attending today’s launch, Des, whose sheep-based land art went viral on social media during the 2017 OVO Energy Tour of Britain, added: “We were staggered by the response that our small efforts received last year. We did it as a bit of fun and the response was fantastic. I would urge people to have a go; from a little bit of effort it is sometimes amazing the response you receive.”

Find out more and how to register your planned land art with race organisers where you can also find some useful tips and advice to aid your creativity, plus a ‘best of landart 2017’ video clip

Reduce single use plastics

and join Refill Rushcliffe Rushcliffe Borough Council is looking for environmentally minded groups or individuals to help the authority join Refill Rushcliffe - a scheme encouraging outlets to enable the public to refill their reusable water bottles free of charge and reduce single-use plastics.

The authority is exploring the award winning ‘City to Sea’ scheme where businesses and community venues can act as a filling up point for thirsty passers-by so they can refill their bottles, signposted by stickers in participating outlet’s windows and via the scheme’s app. Volunteer coordinators are now being sought to help engage local communities with the scheme and register venues and businesses who wish to support the

initiative. Parkwood Leisure, Glendale and Severn Trent Water which supplies water to all dwellings in Rushcliffe have given their backing to the scheme.

The Leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council Cllr Simon Robinson said: “We hope local outlets will embrace this scheme to join us in our drive to reduce the volume of single use plastic water bottles, as residents and visitors to the Borough alike choose to use a reusable cup. “As a Council we recently gave all councillors the option to use multi-use cups at our sites for meetings and would like to see as many people as possible refill their reusable water bottles at outlets that sign up, rather than purchase a one use water bottle. “We’re urging volunteers to come on board too and

help us role out this scheme. They would help register businesses or outlets near high footfall areas in our communities or busy transport stops and commuter routes. “If you’re a business owner, signing up will reduce single use plastics in your part of Rushcliffe and help do your bit for the environment.”

To express your interest in the scheme or if you wish to sign up, email media@rushcliffe.gov.uk or call 0115 914 8555.

which features the Coddington sheep art as well as Girton Sailing Club’s bike of boats, plus a field with a giant ‘Retford’ sign at www.tourofbritain. co.uk/land-art.

A panel comprising Mick Bennett;

ITV4 presenters Matt Barbet and Yanto Barker; and representatives from race organisers SweetSpot will decide the top three pieces of art at the end of this year's event.

“We are delighted to be adding this land art competition to the ways that communities across the country can get involved in the race this September,” said OVO Energy Tour of Britain Race Director Mick Bennett.

“Last year’s Nottinghamshire stage in particular saw several fantastic examples of land art created by community groups, and this has inspired us to encourage people across the route this year to show their support and get creative. Over the coming weeks we will see countless examples of land art during the Tour de France, which will inspire people’s creativity.”

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club all-rounder Paul Coughlin said: “We

are lucky to regularly play in front of big Trent Bridge crowds, so I know the riders are going to really enjoy coming to Nottinghamshire for the Tour of Britain, where I’m sure spectators will come out in force.

“The land art competition is a fantastic initiative to spark interest in the race, and one that everyone can get involved with. I’m looking forward to seeing what people in the county come up with for their entries.”

The winner will receive a trophy and commemorative Tour of Britain prizes, presented in person by Mick Bennett, while the runner-up and third-place finisher will also take home trophies for their efforts.

The race, Britain’s most prestigious international men’s stage race on the UCI calendar, is sponsored by OVO Energy, the UK’s largest independent energy company for the second successive year.

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project complete in Hucknall A £430,000 project to reduce the risk of flooding on a Hucknall street has been completed by Nottinghamshire County Council.

The project involved the installation of a 450mm diameter surface water pipe and new gullies on Thoresby Dale, which will take flood water away from the low point on the road into existing storage tanks.

These measures were designed following an in-depth study which was carried out by the County Council in partnership with Severn Trent Water, the Environment Agency and Ashfield District Council following the 2013 floods.

The latest works complement the flood relief culvert that formed part of the Hucknall Town Centre Improvement Scheme.

The funding was thanks to Flood Defence Grant in Aid (£50k) and Local Levy (£380k) which are funding schemes administered by the Environment Agency.

More than £6.4 million of external funding investment is available to support the Council’s main programme for flood protection schemes in the county. Councillor Phil Rostance, ViceChairman of the Council’s Communities and Place Committee said: “The residents on Thoresby Dale have already suffered two major flooding incidents in the last ten years, so these improvements will give them extra protection to help prevent further flooding.

“This project forms part of our long-term flood risk plan, which also includes a flood prevention scheme due to start on Titchfield Park Brook in the town.”

Thoresby Dale resident Bill Ward was instrumental in pushing for the improvements. He said: “There has been flooding on this road pretty much all of my life but in recent years the flooding has got much worse and has gone into people’s houses.

“It’s heart breaking to see all the damage the flooding causes – the ruined flooring and plastering and everything.

“I could see how things could be improved and the Council has listened to my suggestions which is great. There is not much more they could do to stop flooding here in the future.”

Sentence for fly tipper who

posed as council worker on Facebook A fly tipper who claimed to work for the council and used Facebook to arrange for the removal of waste from residential properties has been sentenced by the courts in a cross border operation between Gedling

Borough Council and Rushcliffe Borough Council. Mr Lee Foster of Highfield Drive, Carlton, Nottingham was prosecuted by Gedling Borough Council in a joint operation between the two councils with support from

the Nottinghamshire Police, to save resources, court time, costs and to avoid duplicity. Foster was tracked down after officers found multiple documents which contained information and addresses. These led officers to the residents who had hired him to safely dispose of their waste and provided witness statements which helped to prove the offences.

The initial investigation by Gedling Borough Council found that Foster had replied to a Facebook advertisement in January 2017

for a “man with a van” to dispose of household rubbish. In his response to the advert, Foster stated he worked for a council and would dispose of the waste correctly for a charge of £60. In this instance Foster fly tipped the waste including household items, a metal bed frame, breakfast bar stool and others in a fly tipping hotspot in Gedling. Foster’s fly tipping continued and a further two investigations by Rushcliffe Borough Council discovered that Foster replied to another Facebook advertisement in April 2017 which led to fly tipping of more waste including an estate agents board, a bath and panelling, bathroom flooring, a toilet seat, a child’s chair, toys and household furniture. In this case Foster charged £120 to dispose of the waste and fly tipped the waste in East Bridgford. The third offence occurred in Radcliffe on Trent in

May 2017 where CCTV equipment had been in place to catch fly tipping incidents and identified a partial vehicle registration number on a van that had been used to fly tip two sofas and a mattress. This partial plate and unique markings on the van seen in the CCTV footage, and with assistance from Nottinghamshire Police, led officers to track down the van which was owned by Foster.

At Nottingham Magistrates’ Court, Foster admitted the offences and was sentenced to a 12 month community order with 80 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay compensation and costs and a victim surcharge.

Councillor David Ellis, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection said; “We’re very pleased with the Courts’ decision and that perpetrator has been given an appropriate sentence. This prosecution is a great example of

councils working together to tackle the issue of fly tipping. The extensive investigative work carried out by both councils shows the commitment to bring culprits to justice and this case sends a very clear message to people that we are working hard to rid our boroughs of fly tipping.” Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Deputy Leader Cllr Debbie Mason said; “We will wherever possible prosecute those found to be blighting our communities in Rushcliffe by not disposing of their waste responsibly and will always robustly follow up those breaking the law.” “We were pleased to work in partnership to bring about justice and the best outcome for the residents of both boroughs.” Residents can help to ensure fly tipping does not occur by ensuring they only use Environment Agency registered waste carriers and keep a receipt for waste that is taken.

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New school crossing Robin trail ready for take-off

patrol in Kimberley Pupils at a primary school in Kimberley are enjoying a safer journey to school following the introduction of a new School Crossing Patrol.

Commonly known as "lollipop" people, school crossing patrols help children and adults to cross the road safely on their way to and from school.

There are over 140 patrol sites in Nottinghamshire and are primarily provided for children aged 5 to 11.

Starting last week, Via East Midlands in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council began a new School Crossing Patrol service on Maws Lane, Kimberley, serving Hollywell Primary School.

The introduction of the crossing comes after a review of the road safety measures at the site following feedback from parents, local residents and councillors. The patrol will be operational daily with hundreds of crossings expected to take place each week. Road Safety continues to be a high priority for us, particularly around schools across the county where our young people can be vulnerable.

Other recently introduced measures include a second CCTV road safety car to tackle dangerous and

inconsiderate parking outside schools in the county, along with a regular county-wide road safety education programme in schools.

Councillor John Cottee, Committee Chair for Communities and Place, at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "Road safety around schools is a high priority for this administration and we are doing a lot of work in this area.

We are very pleased that a new school crossing patrol has been introduced to benefit everyone connected with Hollywell Primary School." School Head Denise Pilkington said: "We are delighted with our new School Crossing Patrol and would like to thank all the parents, local residents and councillors who have contributed their efforts to put this in place." This new scheme comes as Nottinghamshire County Council make an additional £20m funding in roads across the county.

The additional investment is targeted mainly at residential areas with schemes to improve road surfaces and introduce new safety features where

they are required; such as pedestrian crossings and interactive speed signs on routes used every day by people to get to and from home.

Work will also be carried out to reduce traffic congestion and provide economic benefits which, in turn, increases the money available to reinvest in public services.

Proposed First World War

memorial design revealed A design for the new memorial to remember Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s fallen from the First World War has been chosen after an extensive design competition and public consultation. The monument is part of the 100 year centenary commemorations of the 1914 to 1918 First World War. The winning design, proposed by Letts Wheeler Architects, will display the names of the 14,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and civilians at Victoria Embankment, incorporating a roll of honour for armed services fatalities from the whole of the county and will be the first of its kind.

The chosen memorial is an elevated, circular design allowing a protected space for reflection. A 5 metre high monument will feature in the middle of the memorial, explaining the purpose of the memorial and with space lower down for poppies to be placed in the lead up to Remembrance Day and other events. Lighting underneath

these holes will create a stunning effect at night for visitors.

Currently, there are hundreds of individual memorials to Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s Great War fallen, scattered across the county and further afield in parks, workplaces, churches and other locations – but nowhere that brings together all of their names in one place.

Names of the fallen will be etched into the circular stone surrounding the monument, with lighting atop the ring to illuminate the surface and the names to attract visitors and to allow quiet reflection at any time. Space has been built in to the monument for wreaths, poppies and memorials, and the names will be visible for both able and disabled visitors.

The winning design, one of three options to be shortlisted, was a favourite amongst public and politicians. The memorial is being commissioned by Nottingham

City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, working with the seven district and borough councils, Gedling, Rushcliffe, Newark and Sherwood, Bassetlaw, Ashfield, Broxtowe and Mansfield. £50,000 still needs to be raised for the project.

Local businesses and residents from across Nottinghamshire are being encouraged to contribute, which can be done online. Colonel Tim Richmond, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, said: “I believe this Memorial which honours the Fallen from our City and County in the Great War will be a fitting tribute to their sacrifice. Bringing together the names from some 700 Memorials across the City and County and some names which have never been recorded on a Memorial, together with the County’s Roll of Honour which is online, records the details of all those who died their names will truly live for evermore.”

Councillor Jon Collins, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “The proposed memorial is a respectful and fitting tribute to the fallen of Nottinghamshire. The little details like space for poppies show that a lot of thought and consideration has gone into this design, so now the fundraising efforts are important to make this a reality.”

Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The winning design was the overwhelming favourite amongst everyone I spoke to and I am delighted it has been chosen. It will serve as a powerful and poignant reminder about the ultimate sacrifice those 14,000 people made for us. I sincerely hope the public and businesses of Nottinghamshire get behind the project by making a donation, however small, to help us make this wonderful memorial a reality.”

The Robins are ready and the Hoodwinked trail is set to fly! On Saturday 7 July, Nottingham will launch its summer game of hide and seek as 33 giant Robin sculptures take pride of place in the city centre.

The Hoodwinked sculpture trail is a mischievous twist on the tale of Robin Hood, Nottingham’s infamous outlaw and master of disguise. For 12 weeks this summer, there will be a flock of quirky and colourful Robins hiding from the outlaw’s arch-enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham, in the city’s streets and shopping centres. Each sculpture is sponsored by a business and has been painted individually by an artist.

One of the Robins will appear in the ultimate disguise – as the dastardly Sheriff himself. He will stand guard outside Nottingham Castle throughout the trail, from 7 July to 30 September.

This avian depiction of the Sheriff has been designed and painted by Jodie Silverman, the Manchesterbased artist who also created the original Robin Hood version of the Hoodwinked sculpture.

The Hoodwinked trail also includes more than 50 BookBenches created by local primary schools through the Robin’s Tales education programme, supported by Boots. Trail followers will find the benches in intu Victoria Centre, intu Broadmarsh and Central Library as well as in 18 neighbourhood libraries and leisure centres.

Councillor Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Localities, said: “In preparing for this unique trail we have been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic support of businesses, the astounding talent of the artists and the wonderful

c r e a t i v i t y of our city’s schoolchildren.

Now it’s time to unveil the trail to Nottingham and the world!

“The Hoodwinked trail is a great activity for schools, a brilliant treasure hunt for all the family during the summer holidays, an attraction for tourists and a fresh way for students to find their way round their new city. We hope that many thousands of people will take this opportunity to get out and about while enjoying the company of our 33 Hoodwinked Robins and admiring 55 beautiful BookBenches.” Trail maps will be available from various outlets including the Tourist Information Centre, Boots stores, intu shopping centres, libraries and leisure centres.

There will also be a Hoodwinked 2018 app to download, giving access to special offers as each sculpture is visited and ‘unlocked’ with a code.

Souvenir guides will be available to buy from the Tourist Information Centre in Smithy Row. The trail will also raise money for the Hoodwinked charity partner, Nottinghamshire Hospice, through fundraising activities and an auction of the sculptures in October.

Rowena Naylor-Morrell, Chief Executive Officer of Nottinghamshire Hospice, said: “The Hoodwinked project has reached a key milestone in going ‘live’.

Our partnership working with Wild in Art, sponsors and Nottingham City Council has been fantastic and together we are bringing 33 amazing modern masterpieces to

the streets of Nottingham.

“Our patients and their families have enjoyed designing artwork and painting the ABSN sculpture, and the proceeds from the auction will make a real difference to our ability to continue to care for them. I hope our communities have fun, feel joyful and smile as they explore the amazing Hoodwinked trail – there really is a twist and reward in every stop on the trail!” Hoodwinked is led by Nottingham City Council in partnership with Wild in Art, a leading creative producer of spectacular free public art events through the creation of uniquely-painted sculptures.

Ben Reed, Head of Creative Development at Wild in Art, added: “Hoodwinked celebrates the city’s people and places, and together with the Council and Nottinghamshire Hospice we’re proud to have helped bring businesses, artists, schools and communities together to make it happen.

“A showcase for the power of creativity, the colourful art trail promises fun-filled days for residents and visitors alike. We can’t wait for everyone to start discovering the spectacular Robins and BookBenches, and sharing the magical stories the artwork inspires.” www. hoodwinked2018.co.uk

Food bank organiser is Sales E: sales@nottingham-now.co.uk | T: 0115 6972670

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latest Nottinghamshire community hero He has supported residents with his own food bank which distributes food from a local supermarket and now he is being recognised for his community work by Nottinghamshire County Council. Richard MacRae, from Ilkeston Road, Stapleford, has been named as the latest Chairman’s Community Hero by county council Chairman Councillor Mrs Sue Saddington – her first award of its type since taking office in May. Nottinghamshire County Council recently launched its search for the Chairman’s Community Heroes, in order to celebrate and recognise the efforts of unsung community heroes who do outstanding work in their local area. Councillor Saddington had to choose from around a dozen nominees and was impressed by the efforts that Richard puts into his local community, as Chairman of the Stapleford Community Group. Among his achievements include helping local people with food and provisions from a local supermarket every week, helping reduce anti-social behaviour in the town and organising jobs fairs in the local community. Councillor Saddington said: “Richard clearly does a lot of diverse work in his local community and he is a very worthy winner of this award. I have read with interest about the various projects that he is involved in and he can be rightly

proud of his achievements which help make a real difference to Stapleford.”

The Stapleford Community Group is an action group which meets regularly in different residents’ houses and is committed to improving life in the town. Richard, 46, said: “I am delighted to receive this award.

There are lots of volunteers who do great things to help in their local communities and I feel that this award is for everyone who helps others and is not just for me.

I also hope that this award can encourage others to think about volunteering and getting involved in community projects. It is a great feeling to receive this thank you.”

Richard was nominated for the award

by Stapleford Community Group Secretary Donna MacRae. She said: “Richard runs Stapleford Community Group for which I am the Secretary.

He collects surplus food from the supermarket and makes sure it goes to others which he has been doing for over a year now and which in turn has helped hundreds of people.

“He is in the process of organising his 14th job fair in the town which helps get many people back into work and training. He works with the youngsters to help them get away from anti-social behaviour, organises bus trips, estate tidy ups and litter picks, teaches CPR all over the place, and has helped

to have community defibrillators installed all over the town. He will and does work with anyone to help make Stapleford a better place.”

He also worked with the local young people’s centre to invite the Chayah Development Group to come and talk to young people. The Chayah group was formed in 2012, by a group of young people and founder Hyacinth Francis who had had enough of the ‘street’ lifestyle, and is committed to making positive improvements in all aspects of their lives. Nottinghamshire County Council is still looking for community heroes. Some ideas for nominees are those who help

vulnerable people with shopping, or providing a lift to a medical appointment, supporting young people in their community, or leading a local community project which has made a difference to people’s lives.

Every two months, the Chairman of the County Council will select one person who they believe deserves an extra special thank you and will meet and receive the Chairman’s Award.

The nominations criteria is as follows: • Nominees must live in the county • Nominees must work or volunteer within the county • Nominations should not be party political

• Nominees and those nominating would feature in awards’ publicity The awards will be reviewed on a regular basis by the Chairman of the County Council and the Chairman’s award will be presented to a successful

Rushcliffe Arena’s car park is set to be extended following the success of the facility’s leisure centre and conference and meeting facilities.

Despite being open for just 18 months, Rushcliffe Borough Council have decided to expand the car park, due to the demand of spaces during peak periods.

Many more free spaces will now be created for Arena users, including some with electric car charging points.

Bays for disabled drivers will increase and the flow of traffic around the site will be improved.

From Monday, June 11, phase one of its expansion will commence and take around eight weeks to complete.

Rushcliffe Borough Council’s

Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Business Cllr Andy Edyvean said: “The success of the rebuilt Rushcliffe Arena has been exceptional. We’re pleased residents love using the leisure centre and demand is high for our conference and meeting rooms.

“The plan was always to review car park usage when we opened in December 2016 and it quickly became clear customers like what they see at the Arena. “This additional car parking is an investment in the site to ensure that users have the best possible experience.” The work will mean

individual nominated for the award.

To nominate someone, please visit: w w w. n o t t i n g h a m s h i r e . g o v. u k / council-and-democracy/get-involved/ nottinghamshire-community-heroesaward #nottsheroes on Twitter.

Car park expansion for popular Rushcliffe Arena

temporarily reducing the number of spaces available for Arena users meaning there could be reduced availability for parking, especially at peak times.

Council staff who use offices at the multi-purpose site are now increasingly walking and cycling to work or car sharing to help increase the number of parking bays available.

To book a conference or meeting room at Rushcliffe Arena email communityfacilities@rushcliffe. gov.uk or call 0115 914 8553.

New £2.7m broadband Sales E: sales@nottingham-now.co.uk | T: 0115 6972670

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boost for Nottinghamshire 2,500 premises in Bassetlaw and Newark & Sherwood to get ultrafast broadband speeds as Council awards £2.7 million digital infrastructure contract to Openreach People living in some of the most rural parts of Nottinghamshire are set to benefit from a further £2.7 million boost to fibre broadband.

More than 2,500 homes and businesses in the Bassetlaw and Newark & Sherwood districts will be included in the next phase of the Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire (BBfN) scheme, after Nottinghamshire County Council awarded Openreach, Britain’s largest telephone and broadband network, a contract to deliver a third phase of work.

It will move Nottinghamshire closer to every home and business having access to broadband and further enhance the county’s position amongst the most digitally connected areas in the whole of the UK. Around £30 million has been invested in Nottinghamshire’s digital infrastructure since the start of the BBfN roll out in 2014.

Phase three of BBfN will see a further £2.7m investment, including £1.3 million from Nottinghamshire County Council, the government’s BDUK

broadband delivery programme and £1.4 million from Openreach.

The work will build on the 97.5 per cent of premises across the county that can already access faster broadband (speeds of 24 Mbps and above), thanks to the first two phases of the BBfN programme and Openreach’s own commercial rollout.

Councillor Reg Adair, Deputy Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Our latest investment in the county’s digital infrastructure will see Nottinghamshire pushing towards 100% broadband coverage, which is great news for residents, businesses and the local economy.

“More than 50 per cent of homes and businesses in the areas where we have rolled out our scheme have already signed up for faster broadband, which clearly shows demand is there.

“Broadband plays such a huge part in our lives these days, so good availability is one of the top priorities for people looking to buy a home, start a business or invest in an area.

Nottinghamshire is already amongst the best areas for availability in the country and our on-going investment keeps us ahead of the rest.”

Detailed planning and survey work for phase three will get underway shortly,

with the roll out expected to begin in Spring 2019 and take around six months to complete.

And there’s further good news for the 2,500 properties included, with Openreach looking to use Full Fibre technology for this third contract in Nottinghamshire, meaning ultrafast speeds of up to 330 Mbps – around ten times quicker than the current UK average – available to all 2,500 premises.

Homes benefitting from ultrafast broadband speeds can download a two hour HD film in just 90 seconds, a 45 minute HD TV show in around 16 seconds, or a nine hour audio book in just three seconds.

Steve Henderson, Openreach’s regional director for next generation access, said: “Our work in Nottinghamshire is making a huge impact throughout rural communities.

We’ve already reached close to 74,000 premises through our work with the county council, and we’re looking forward to going even further with this new contract. We know it’s important for people to be connected to faster broadband, and Openreach’s expertise, as well as being able to provide residents with the choice of internet service providers, is good

news all round for the people of Nottinghamshire.”

Work carried out as part of the Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire programme is in addition to Openreach’s own commercial rollout in the county.

Openreach provides the telephone and broadband network used by the likes of BT, Sky and Talktalk. So in

Nottinghamshire, this means residents and business owners will still be able to choose from a wide range of broadband deals - they are not restricted to just one supplier.

Openreach recently launched an ambitious ‘Fibre First’ programme that aims to reach three million front doors across the UK by the end of 2020, with an ambition to extend

this to around 10 million premises by the mid-2020s, and ultimately, with the right conditions to invest, to the majority of homes and businesses across Britain. You can find out more at openreach.co.uk/ultrafast To find out more about the Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire programme, visit www. nottinghamshire.gov.uk/broadband

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Latest report highlights improved cash-flow and

oar-some investments at Holme Pierrepont Country Park Council investment, which is making Holme Pierrepont Country Park an even better place to visit, together with annual savings worth £850,000 were highlighted at Nottinghamshire Council County’s latest Communities and Place committee. The Country Park, which is managed by Holme Pierrepont Leisure Trust on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council, is home to the world-class National Water Sports Centre. With its topclass training facilities and beautiful countryside, it attracts thousands of visitors each year from around the country. As part of the Council’s and the Trust’s aims for the venue to be an ever-improving, high-quality family activity and sporting centre, members were updated on the recent council investments at the site in partnership with Holme Pierrepont Leisure Trust.

The latest phase of improvements worth £280k include a new café, shop refurbishment, a new playground, better camping facilities, new shower block and disabled toilet. These improvements are ongoing, with the project completion date set for the summer holidays. The County’s investment also marked a cut in management fees paid by the Council each year to the Trust once these improvements are all completed, which is due to be later this year.

The report also confirmed that over the duration of the contract to manage the Country Park, annual savings in running costs are worth more than £850,000, as a further benefit to the taxpayer.

Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of Communities and Place Committee said, “We all know what a fantastic place Holme Pierrepont Country Park is. It’s a flagship venue and one our county is very proud of. It certainly highlights why Nottinghamshire is such as great place to visit.

“It’s vital that the County Council continue to invest in the park as not only will this mean long-term savings for the taxpayer in terms of a return on investment, it is helping make it an even more attractive place to visit.

“Market research into the leisure industry suggested a new café and a revamp of the campsite will generate further growth, particularly as demand for accommodation has almost doubled in recent years, so I’m sure that the venue will soon reap the rewards. Brian Taylor, Chairman of the Holme Pierrepont Leisure Trust said: “The country park has had an amazing 12 months with record numbers of visitors to its major attractions plus the introduction of the hugely successful Lagoon Wipeout obstacle course.

This investment from the Council will help us to enhance our already attractive leisure offering to visitors from near and far. On top of the investment, the team at the park has managed to achieve the near impossible, running more services but reducing running costs.

We’d like to thank the Council for their continued backing of the country park, and we look forward to another successful summer season at Holme Pierrepont.” Councillors also heard

more on Holme Pierrepont Leisure Trust’s improvements and plans at the Country Park, as part of its annual presentation, which included: • An increase in online bookings for white water rafting and skytrail activities • Increase in the popular Lagoon Wipeout bookings • Improved gym facilities • Boost in numbers for the half-term Adventure Holiday Club The venue is also due to host the World Championship Freestyle Canoeing event in 2021.

Meeting with police chief about knife crime

A crucial meeting involving local MP, Leader and Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council and the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police agreed the following local plan to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and to reassure residents: • Accelerating the setup of police base in Arnold, in addition to the one already in place at Carlton.

• The council investing in additional CCTV and improved lighting in and around the town centre.

• There will be an increased Neighbourhood Warden presence around the borough. The wardens will be granted extra powers to approach people on the streets. They will also have access to police radios and police briefings.

• The council also has made commitments to work with the police in schools around educating young people about knife crime and will provide funding for youth engagement in the community.

• The council is also applying for funding from the Home Office Community Fund which has been set up to support community projects to work with young people about the dangers of carrying knives.

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “I’d like to thank the Chief Constable and his fellow police officers for attending today’s very productive meeting.

Today’s meeting has set out some clear actions that should reassure residents that we are all doing everything we can to make our streets safer. We work closely with Nottingham Police and the actions agreed today will further strengthen this relationship.”

As well as the local action plan, Vernon Coaker Member of Parliament is demanding tougher sentences and extra resources for the police.

Vernon Coaker MP said: “I am writing urgently to the Home Secretary and the Justice Secretary. The Home Secretary needs to provide the resources for the

police to deal with these issues, both in the short and long term, to ensure we have an increased number of police on our streets.

The government needs to introduce tougher sentences for knife crime and these tougher sentences must be used by the courts.”

Supt Ian Roberts, who oversees operations in Arnold, said: “We recognise that the recent incidents may have caused concern, due to short space of time and similar location in which they happened, but we do know that they are not linked and offenders have been identified and charged in two of the offences, and the third remains under investigation. We have no reason to suspect the public are at risk, but to offer extra reassurance to the community we will be maintaining high profile patrols. I would encourage people to approach and speak to our officers and staff if you see them, as they are there to help make you feel safe.”

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Severn Trent puts an extra 300 million litres of water

into its pipes but demand is still going up in the hot weather With the region still basking in the hottest June for 40 years, demand for water has increased massively and, while Severn Trent has ramped up production at its treatment works, it still needs its customers to consider how they’re using water.

While there’s still loads of raw water in the company’s reservoirs, customers are pretty much using treated water the second it’s pumped into the pipes.

Doug Clarke, Severn Trent’s water efficiency expert, said: “We need people to think about how they’re using water – using a sprinkler might green up your lawn but that water would be better used for drinking or washing.

“We’re going to continue producing as much water as we can – and yesterday (WED) we produced a whopping 300 million more litres than we’d normally expect to – but our pipes are can only carry so much water. And that’s why we just need people to think long and hard about their water usage while this hot weather continues.”

Demand for water is still extremely high, and the hot weather is set to continue at least until the weekend, so Severn Trent is giving people some top tips to help prioritise their water usage: • Put your garden sprinkler away – a sprinkler can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour – which is more water than a family of four would normally use in a whole day; • Take a shower rather than a bath - it uses 40 litres less water and it’s quicker, which means you can get back out and enjoy the sunshine.

• Avoid washing your car, but if you have to, use a bucket and sponge rather than a hose. If you clean your car for 30 minutes you’ll use 50 times less water with a bucket instead of a hose.

“This is all about being neighbourly,” said Doug.

“Just think about whether you’re making the absolute best of the drinking water we’re producing for you and your neighbours.”

A full list of handy tips is available at https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/ hot-weather-tips/ and you can get water saving devices at www.stwater. co.uk/savewater.

Virgin Landline Faults and Lifeline Service We have been made aware there have been faults with Virgin landlines across Ashfield. This has a knock-on effect on our service users’ ability to use any Lifeline and Assistive Technology equipment that they may have installed.

If you are a Lifeline service user or know a Lifeline user within the district whose telephone landline is with Virgin Media please perform a test call to establish whether the service has been affected. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact out 24 hr Support Centre on 01623 608990.

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Riverside Library opens its doors

The Mayor of Derby, Councillor Mike Carr, has officially opened Riverside Library at the Council House as Derby City Council continues to develop a successful modern and sustainable service for library users.

To mark the opening we’re giving

visitors the chance to explore its services with a host of free taster sessions and author talks and this morning, pupils from Beckett School attended a session with poet Chris White as part of the run up to the Summer Reading Challenge

whilst babies and toddlers took part in ‘Shake Rattle and Rhymetime’ Visitors can expect a bright and open space, including a children’s area for families, access to computers and space to sit and read and as well as receiving a service they are used to, such as borrowing books, customers can expect more events and activities from their city centre library which will also offer a self-service system and longer opening hours.

Councillor Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, said: “We are going beyond loaning books and more towards providing a hub for the local community.

The Council

wants to provide people of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to learn and maybe even discover talents they never realised they had.

Sessions will give customers the chance to meet new people and talk to others with similar interests. We’re also pleased Riverside Library is opening in time for starting this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, which we know so many children in Derby love to get involved in. We hope to see lots of them on 14th July as part of Chris White’s interactive poetry and cartoon roadshow.” Councillor Alan Grimadell, Cabinet Member for Leisure Culture and Tourism, said: “We look forward to welcoming people through the doors at Riverside Library where Derby Libraries will continue to offer a valuable service for the local community. With more sessions to suit a variety of interests, including reading, writing and computers, the library will be a place for people to discover something new, as well as borrow books.” Riverside Library will specialise in providing resources on culture, literature and art as part of a

decision for every Council run library in Derby to have a specialist theme.

Customers can find out more about this by talking to library staff at the library.

Riverside Library will be located on the ground floor of the Council House and opening times will be: • Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm • Saturday 9.00am to 1.00pm.

The following activities will be taking place as part of the opening and booking is not necessary: • Poetry night with Trevor Wright and other local poets – Thursday 12th July, 6.00pm to 7.30pm

• Mischief Makers Summer Reading Challenge launch: Chris White’s interactive poetry and cartoon roadshow, Saturday 14th July, 11.00am to 12.00noon • Code Club Taster Session, for children looking to learn about computer coding, Saturday 7th July, 10.00am to 11.00am and 11.30am to 12.30pm For more information, including details of the sessions, please visit our website https://www.inderby.org. uk/libraries/our-libraries/riversidelibrary/

Upcoming rail disruption

affecting services in the Midlands

Temporary timetables will soon come into play for all train services to and from Derby as work takes place at Derby Station between Sunday 22nd July and Sunday 7th October to allow for major track and signalling work.

The work is part of a £200 million scheme of improvements that will make the station more efficient, and offer improved, and quicker services between Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham and London. Included in the improvements are a new 320-metre platform, new track and new signalling.

During this 79 day period of work

some train services will be replaced by buses. Temporary timetables have been released, and include the pickup and drop off locations for all rail replacement bus services so you can plan your journey.

Here are some key dates to look out for: • Sunday 22nd July – Monday 3rd September (No trains between Derby and Uttoexter and no Cross Country trains will call at Derby Station) • Monday 30th July – Monday 3rd September (No Trains between Derby and Nottingham and no trains between Derby and Chesterfield/Sheffield)

• Monday 30th July – Sunday 7th October (London bound services may be affected) • Saturday 25th August – Sunday 7th October (No trains between Derby and Matlock) Work will also be taking place at London Euston on the first phase of HS2, which includes a revamp and expansion of the station. Due to this London Euston will be closed over two weekends in August and one in September. This will affect people travelling by rail around the country including west and east coast services in the Midlands.

• Saturday 18th August – Sunday 19th August • Saturday 25th August – Sunday 26th August (Bank Holiday Weekend) • Saturday 1st September – Sunday 2nd September For details on how your journey may be impacted, visit the Derby Resignalling website, or National Rail.

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Derby manufacturing firm relocation creates new jobs Derby based composite manufacturing firm Pentaxia has relocated into new premises to facilitate development plans and expand the company. A finance package including a loan from the Derby Enterprise Growth Fund (DEGF) has enabled the growth which has delivered 16 new full time equivalent posts.

The team behind Pentaxia believes in continuous investment in the plant and its highly skilled workforce. With a customer base across the aerospace, automotive, motorsport and defence industries, the company recognised an opportunity for growth through attracting new aerospace clients.

Already outgrowing the previous

premises, the management began to look for an alternative site where they could realise expansion plans.

The former Rolls Royce purpose built composite facility on Alfreton Rd provided the ideal location.

A funding package was completed by a loan from the DEGF managed

by Derby City Council. Now firmly

Active 10 app helps adults get active this summer

Summer is the perfect time of year to spend a little more time outside and to be more active, but the busy nature of modern life means that it is often difficult to fit physical activity into our days.

But the good news is, brisk walking counts as a form of intense physical activity and just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference to your health, both in the short and long term – it gets the heart pumping faster, can make you feel better, more energetic and

improve your mood. Over time, brisk walking can help to lower the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It’s for these reasons that healthcare professionals are recommending high intensity physical activity, like brisk walking, in order to improve their patients’ health.

To help you on a journey to a healthier you, Public Health England is encouraging adults to download the free ‘Active 10’ app to help complete your 10 minutes of brisk walking

daily and to gradually build this up to multiple ‘Active 10s’.

The app is the first of its kind to show how much brisk walking you’re doing and when you are doing this at a high enough intensity and long enough to get health benefits.

So, this summer, why not join the 600,000 people who have downloaded the Active 10 app so far and get walking to a healthier you?

Search ‘Active 10’ online to find out more and to download the app.

established in the new premises, Pentaxia is delighted to celebrate ten years as a market leader in the composites manufacturing industry.

The new premises delivers more capacity than required by current expansion plans, so the company is looking to the future and even more exciting developments.

Managing Director Stephen Ollier tells us, “We are delighted with the support that we have received from the Derby Enterprise Growth Fund.

We used the funding to supplement our own money to complete a really comprehensive upgrade of the facilities to meet the demands of our customers. We have invested in the latest equipment and technology and we believe we now have one of the best composite facilities in the country, our customers seem to think so. The advanced composite market is due to grow rapidly over the coming years and we are now ideally placed to meet that growth. That means more highly skilled jobs for Derby and Pentaxia making a real contribution to the local economy, which is exactly what the DEGF sets out to achieve!”

Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration Councillor Matthew

Holmes commented: “The DEGF funding scheme managed by Derby City Council is actually one of the most successful of its type in the country. To see it used to create more job opportunities to benefit the local economy is really great news.We wish Pentaxia every success with their plans for development and are delighted to have been able to assist and support them in moving forward as a business based here in Derby.”

DEGF is now entering a new phase with the distribution of £12 million of recycled loan funding. Applications are invited from businesses with plans for growth and job creation in Derby and Derbyshire. Further funding is being sought to enable this fantastic scheme to be extended to more businesses in Derbyshire in the near future.

To find out more visit the Derby City Council website, call 01332 641628.

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Arriva marks Clean Air Day by looking to the future Arriva was today joined by Councillor Jonathan Smale, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Streetpride, as it marked National Clean Air Day by demonstrating the very latest in hybrid bus technology at Derby Bus Station.

Showing support for the annual awareness day, which is designed to encourage people to take action to improve air quality throughout the UK’s cities and towns, Arriva showcased the next generation Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) in the city centre in order to highlight the huge steps the bus industry is taking in tackling air pollution.

The new HEV models, designed by Wrightbus, combine Micro Hybrid technology, conventional internal combustion engines, and electric propulsion system to provide fuel savings and CO2 emission levels 34% better than buses with Euro 5 engines, whilst also offering excellent value for money over its lifetime. Raj Chander, General Manager for Arriva Derby, explained: “It’s widely known that buses consistently emit the lowest amount of air pollution from any form of road transport. For example, one full double decker can take up to 75

individual cars off the road, so we can already confidently say we are playing our part towards tackling climate change, but we know we can do more.

“We are committed to positioning bus travel as a viable alternative to car travel. In order to do this we need to ensure that our customers are given access to transport that meets their growing expectations in terms of technology and comfort, but that also delivers with regards to environmental standards. “HEV’s have the capability to deliver on that requirement, so we were keen to share what we believe could be the most attainable next step for the sustainable evolution of bus travel in Derby with our partners at the City Council, who have always been incredibly forward thinking and supportive when it comes to future proofing local transport.

“We have incredibly impressed by these new buses, and welcome their introduction to the market. We are sure they will make a huge difference to air quality across the UK once they start to be introduced into service.”

Councillor Jonathan Smale, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Public Protection added: “Air

pollution is a serious public health issue, and we all have a part to play.

Small changes in the way we travel each day will contribute, but it has to be a citywide effort”. “One full single decker bus can take up to 40 vehicles off our roads each day, so really do

offer a great option to tackle both congestion and air pollution around our city”.

“It has been a real pleasure to see firsthand, this brand new next generation vehicle, and see the efforts that the bus industry are taking to tackle air

pollution, and what types of vehicles we could see on the city streets in the near future”. Now in its second year, National Clean Air Day offers people the chance to find out more about air pollution, share information with friends and colleagues, and help

make the air cleaner and healthier for everyone. For more information, or to get involved visit www.cleanairday. org.uk. For details about Arriva services in Derby and advice about travel planning or tickets, visit www. arrivabus.co.uk/midlands.

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Get involved with interactive theatre in Derby this summer Get in on the action with Derby LIVE’s interactive theatre this summer, flex your detective skills with Whodunnit?!, catch the Golden Thief on A Wild Walk, or improve your musical theatre skills with the Summer Musical Theatre Workshop.

As part of Derby LIVE’s Outdoor Theatre and Cinema Season families can take part in Babbling Vagabonds’ A Wild Walk: The Golden Thief of Markeaton Park. Families can pit their wits against riddlers, puzzle makers and a tricksy wolf to discover the rascal who has been stealing the King’s apples. This outdoor theatrical walk will take the participants around Markeaton Park on a one hour uniquely interactive experience.

A Wild Walk will be taking place between Friday 27th and Tuesday 31st July at Markeaton Park; tickets are £5 in advance, £8 on the day and free for under 3s.

Big Adventure Theatre Company’s Whodunnit?! puts the audience at the heart of the action. In every performance of this brand new musical murder mystery five lucky audience members will get the chance to get on stage and work alongside the show’s detective to try and solve the mystery. At the end of the show the whole audience will get to vote on who they think the culprit is. This one of a kind theatrical experience will be taking place on Wednesday 4th to Saturday 7th July at the Guildhall

Theatre, tickets are available for £13.25, with concession prices from £11.25. For the chance to appear as one of the ‘detectives’ email bigadventurestheatre@hotmail.com Young people aged between 8 and 16 can get involved with theatre this summer at the Summer Musical Theatre Workshop. This week-long series of workshops are aimed at improving young people’s musical theatre skills.

Enchanted Entertainment’s workshops centre on singing, acting, and dancing performance techniques, as well as general stage craft. At the end of the week the children will put all of their hard work into two performances on stage in front of a live audience on Saturday 4th August, at the Main Theatre in Deda. The workshop will be taking place on Monday 30th July to Saturday 4th August, and places cost just £150 for the whole week.

Tickets can be purchased through the Derby LIVE Box Office on 01332 255800 or on derbylive.co.uk. They can also be purchased at the Sales and Information Centre, on the Market Place, Derby, DE1 3AH.

Repeat offender sentenced to community service

in Trading Standards illicit tobacco operation An investigation led by officers from Derby City Council Trading Standards team has led to the prosecution of a shop owner who had illicit tobacco products in his possession for sale.

Rizgar Latif, owner of Zielona Zabka, 15-17 Sinfin Lane, Derby plead guilty in the case at Derby Magistrate’s Court in June 2018.

This was not a first-time offence for Latif. He was previously prosecuted by the Council in October 2016, following a seizure of illicit tobacco products.

Derby Magistrate’s Court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the 5,340 cigarettes, 1.1kg of hand rolling tobacco, and was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £3,671.20.

Mr. Latif was sentenced at Derby Magistrate’s Court. His sentence reflected how seriously these cases are taken; he has had his personal license suspended for three months, and has been sentenced to a 12 month Community Order (200 hours of unpaid work). Latif was also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the 1,620 cigarettes and 100g of hand rolling tobacco.

In addition to this, Latif was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85, and total costs of £2242.07.

The illicit tobacco market is now estimated to make up around 15% of overall tobacco consumption in the UK, increasing from 8% in 2014/15.

Derby City Council’s Trading Standards Team Leader Fakir Osman said: “We take the supply of illegal cigarettes very seriously and we will vigorously pursue those who sell them.

This is an excellent result for a repeat offender. The team is thrilled with the sentencing, as it sends a strong message to how seriously the Council, and the courts take this issue.”

Councillor Matthew Holmes, Deputy Leader of the Council added: “The illicit market is thought to result in a loss of £2.5billion per year to the HMRC in duties; that’s a vast amount of money that could be used to fund vital public services rather than being lost to fraudsters.

“The Government is considering track and trace regulations, that will put in place a new method of tracking the sale of legitimate tobacco products through the supply chain, and that’s something that we would welcome here in Derby, as we continue, and step up our crackdown on illegal traders.”

If you would like to report the suspect sale of illicit cigarettes confidentially, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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£7m Government grant allows new moorland conservation work to get underway A new injection of Government cash will help support the restoration of England’s iconic peatlands.

Two successful bids in the north will fund peatland conservation from the Peak District to the Scottish border.

The vast project area spans almost 4,200 hectares; the same size as more than 6,700 football pitches.

Northern greenhouse A panel of experts and Defra officials assessed the projects and awarded the funding based on the value to wildlife and the potential for carbon capture.

The fundamental work will contribute to the UK’s climate change goals by helping the peatland landscape to lock in carbon, instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. Defra has allocated a total of £10million between four peat restoration projects in England, including over £7.4million to two in the north: The North of England peat partnership, led by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, will restore 394 hectares of lowland raised bog and 1,679 hectares of blanket bog across 21 peatland sites through eight partners.

Dr Tim Thom, Peat Programme Manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: “It’s fantastic to see peatlands on the Government’s agenda and getting the recognition they deserve – both in terms the benefits they bring and the parlous condition we have let so many of them reach.

“This funding will enable us to restore some of the most important and beautiful sites across the north– from

England’s largest lowland raised bog in South Yorkshire all the way up to Northumberland’s highest point near the Scottish border.”

Moors for the Future Partnership will deliver conservation work on seven sites, in the Moor Carbon project, covering more than 2,100 hectares of blanket bog peatlands.

The Partnership hopes to venture into new territory; into the newlydesignated West Pennine Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as well as across the Peak District National Park and South Pennines. It will invite stakeholders in moorland areas stretching from Buxton in the Peak District National Park, to near Burnley in Lancashire, to become part of this project.

Chris Dean, Head of Programme Delivery at Moors for the Future Partnership commented: “Our peatlands are wild places that mean so much to so many people. We will use these strong emotions and attachments as a guide to carrying out this conservation work. We look forward to working together in partnership with other organisations across the north of England, to ensure that generations to come can benefit from and enjoy our amazing blanket bogs.”

Carbon capture. The work will ensure that more than 14,700 tonnes of carbon per year is locked down into the blanket bog moors… the same amount of carbon as an average car driving non-stop for over 65 years!

Peatlands across northern England have been badly degraded by decades of industrial pollution and wildfires.

Acid rain and wildfire has killed off vital bog-mosses called Sphagnum, leaving the peat beneath bare and exposed. On healthy peatlands, special plants help the peat to suck in carbon out of the air, like trees do. But when

the peat is bare, carbon is released into the atmosphere. The conservation work taking place will help to make a big difference to the UK’s target; to reduce carbon emissions by at least 80% of its 1990 levels by 2050.

To do list… To achieve this ambitious goal, conservation works across the 28 moors will protect areas of bare peat

and allow moorland plants to flourish.

The new plant life will help the peat to store carbon, and provide a vital habitat to special animals.

Steps will also be taken to make the moors wet again, by constructing dams to trap water. This will help to stop peat being carried off the hills by rainwater into streams and reservoirs;

reducing water treatment costs for utility companies before it flows into taps at homes and businesses throughout northern England.

The stone dams will also help to increase the water level – known as the water table – on the moors, to support plant and animal life, and reduce the risk of flooding downstream.

A retrospective planning permission for a track on Midhope Moor has been refused Paul Ancell, chair of the Peak District National Park Authority’s planning committee, said: “National Park designation is given to the best and most important landscapes in the UK and Midhope Moor contributes to this quality landscape. “In fact, this area is protected by both UK and European law: it is in the South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation, and forms part of the Peak District Moors Special Protection Area, and is in the Dark Peak Site of Special Scientific Interest. This means it is internationally important for the habitat it provides and it is our job to help protect it. “The decision to refuse the retrospective planning application for a track on Midhope Moor was taken due to the overriding need to protect the open moorland habitat and because of the unacceptable impact the track has in the landscape of the Peak District National Park.

“As an Authority we are working together with moorland owners and land managers to improve how proposals for development are worked up. We welcome more efforts to work together to better understand each other’s long term ambitions and ensure that planning permission is sought prior to development being undertaken. We are keen to support shared endeavours to care for and enhance the special qualities of the Peak District National Park.

“It is important that where development such as tracks are necessary for the

sustainable management of moorlands, grasslands or woodlands, they must be located and constructed in the best possible way to reduce impacts on the National Park’s protected landscape,

wildlife and habitats. “We have produced guidance about the need for permission for tracks and this is available on our website.” www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/trackadvice

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Ketton and Tinwell

Neighbourhood Area Application

Residents are being asked to comment on proposals that could lead to the creation of a joint neighbourhood plan for Ketton and Tinwell.

Rutland County Council has received an application to create a Ketton and Tinwell Neighbourhood Area, which is the first stage in the neighbourhood planning process.

The plan area covers both Ketton and Tinwell parishes.

Local residents now have until Monday 30th July to share their views as part of a public consultation.

Any comments should be submitted to Rutland County Council and can be sent via email to: localplan@rutland. gov.uk. Comments can also be made in writing to: Planning Policy Manager Rutland County Council Catmose Oakham Rutland, LE15 6HP Full details of the Neighbourhood Area Application can be found online. Application documents can also be inspected at Rutland County Council’s offices.

After the consultation has closed the Council will consider any responses received before making a final decision on the application.

If approved, the proposals would allow a Neighbourhood Plan for Ketton and Tinwell to be prepared to help shape development in the area.

Rutland Benefits From £1.32m Business Fund Two local businesses have received nearly £100,000 to help them grow, thanks to Rutland County Council and Opportunity Peterborough. Parker Farms, which is based in Ridlington, has been awarded £49,570, while Oakham-based Simmons Optometrist has received £44,754. The money will help expand what they do and potentially employ more people.

Rutland County Council, together with economic development company Opportunity Peterborough, helped to secure £1.32 million of LEADER funding which is administered by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The programme is being delivered with support from a Local Action Group (LAG) made up of 14 local volunteers from a variety of sectors and professions. The LAG approve funding for projects with the aim of improving the overall prosperity of the area. The money is designed to boost rural economies, from supporting tourism and small business growth to aiding the development of agriculture, farm diversification and forestry. In the case of Parker Farms it will help buy a Direct Drill to improve cultivation and the sustainability of soil. Simmons Optometrist, which is based in Burley Road, will use the money to fund an extension.

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St George's Barracks The consultation on the future of the St George’s Barracks site has now reached the halfway point and some key issues and themes are emerging from the feedback that we have received so far.

As we have said from the start, we want to be open and honest with residents. Most of all, we want to make sure we continue to communicate and engage, as we have done so far. There are questions about why 3,000 homes are needed, what the benefits are for Rutland and how the County will cope with an influx of new people. These are all understandable and legitimate issues and I very much welcome the debate. I know that people care passionately about the County’s future and want the best for it. On that point we can all agree because that is the reason why every single councillor at Rutland County Council sought election, including myself.

The Council’s role here is to try and secure the best deal for Rutland and our communities. We need to balance the need for new homes and investment in public services with development that is sustainable and right for the county as a whole.

We cannot simply turn our back on development on this site, the likely result of which would be the loss of a very expensive planning appeal, loss of control and loss of our ability to plan for the services and infrastructure that Rutland needs. The ultimate consequence of that would be many more homes built than is currently planned. You only have to look at other developments such as the former RAF Oakington site in Cambridgeshire to see an example of this, where 9,500 homes are planned on a 490-hectare site (the St George’s barracks site is 300 hectares).

Instead I believe that we need to use this as an opportunity to make this work for Rutland – not for ourselves because some of us won’t be around when the development is finally

complete in 30 years’ time, but for our children. Just like our predecessors had to think about this 50 years ago when the county had half the current population, we need to look 50 years into future to think about the type of housing, schools, healthcare, public transport, jobs and roads that we need.

The MOD have made clear that no development, or returning the land to farming as some have suggested, is simply not an option. Not when you consider the requirements of National Planning Policy, the requirements of the Government to tackle the national housing shortage (something that has political consensus across Westminster), and the requirements of the Ministry of Defence to maximise best value from the site to reduce the national deficit. Rutland also has to continue to do its bit to help solve the national housing crisis. We are required to build 160 homes per year as an absolute minimum. Instead of looking at piecemeal development across the county without the ability to really invest in infrastructure and public services, my hope is that we can make this work for Rutland and secure the best deal and the best investment for our children.

I firmly believe that development at St George’s barracks would create the investment that the County needs in transport, schools, healthcare, affordable housing, green space and business/employment growth. Which of these do Rutlanders not want?

People have expressed strong feelings to us throughout the consultation and we know there are some serious misgivings about the possibility of a sizeable development taking place on the St George’s site. We are grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their thoughts and concerns so far, and we will use the feedback to inform our discussions with the Ministry of Defence and local Parish Council representatives. This is the reason why we are holding an

informal consultation at this early stage.

All of the feedback from this first, informal consultation will be analysed and published after the consultation is complete and there is no doubt that changes will be made as result of what we have heard.

Key points so far The following key points have been raised by a number of people as part of the consultation so far: Why do we need development at all, or could we accept far fewer homes?

The St George’s Barracks site belongs to the Ministry of Defence, which is required, under the National Defence Review, to relinquish the site and secure the best value from it. The Ministry of Defence has been set a target of securing £1 billion from land sales while contributing to the Government’s wider target of delivering 160,000 homes by 2020.

Rutland County Council has chosen to enter into a partnership with the Ministry of Defence because we want to see sustainable development that compliments Rutland’s character with significant open space, a buffer with existing villages and appropriate investment in public services and infrastructure. If we opposed development or sought substantially fewer homes, the Ministry of Defence could sell the land to a developer, the result of which would probably be a planning application coming forward for many more homes.

If there were substantially fewer homes it would hinder viability and our ability to secure the investment that the county needs in schools, public transport, roads and healthcare.

Car Park Resurfacing Works South Street Car Park in Oakham will be closed temporarily for improvement works on Saturday 7 July 2018.

The works are part of a scheduled programme of phased resurfacing to be carried out in Oakham car parks over the next five weeks.

Temporary closures are needed in order to complete the works quickly

and safely and are not expected to last all day.

There will also be clear signposting to alternative car parks.

The work is being carried out at weekends when there is capacity in other car parks, such as Catmose, rather than during the working week when demand for parking is much

higher. In addition to South Street, resurfacing works will be carried out on Brooke Road, Catmose and Westgate car parks on the following dates: • Brooke Road – Saturday 14th July 2018 • Catmose – Saturday 28th July 2018 • Westgate – Saturday 4th August 2018

It would also not secure the return that the MoD would find acceptable under the terms of the National Defence Review, potentially resulting in a land sale to a developer.

What is the benefit of development to the local community and Rutland as a whole? We believe that Rutland needs sustainable, controlled development to protect and preserve the quality of life in the County. There is a significant shortage of affordable housing across the county that is hampering the ability of younger people to live and stay here, and raise their own families. We want to ensure that development at St

George’s contributes to the investment that the county needs in roads, public transport, schools, healthcare and business growth. Without growth, vital village services, such as shops, schools, pubs and transport links will become vulnerable. Where will the money come from to pay for the infrastructure that we need?

We are only at the very earliest stages of the master-planning process because we want the community’s involvement in what public services and improvements are needed and where they should go. We fully recognise the need to improve road links, public

transport (including the long-term possibility of providing a railway station near North Luffenham). These issues are at the front of our thinking and no development will occur without investment in public services.

That is one of the reasons why Rutland County Council is through to the final stages of a bidding process to secure part of a £3.2 billion government investment fund that would help to pay for new infrastructure and could be recycled again and again in future. The quantity of development planned will also help to pay for the improvements that are needed.

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Are you festival ready?

Make sure you’ve had your measles jab With festival season and tramlines just around the corner Sheffield City Council are asking festival goers to make sure they have had their measles jab. The ask comes after concerns have been raised by Public Health England about an increase in measles cases across England, particularly in young people over the age of 15 years.

In 2016 there were 52 measles cases linked to music and arts festivals in England and Wales. Nearly half of these cases were in young people aged 15 to 19 years and several individuals who acquired measles at one festival subsequently attended another festival while infectious, resulting in multiple linked outbreaks. Greg Fell, Director

of Public Health at Sheffield City Council said: “Young people are more at risk of contracting measles when they are mixing in close environments, such as festivals. “Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can lead to serious complications and sometimes death. “Many 15-25 year olds may have missed out on the MMR vaccine when they were younger. It is important that if you are attending a festival this summer that you check with your GP that you have had two doses of the MMR vaccine.” Measles symptoms to be aware of include: • high fever • sore, red, watery eyes • coughing

• aching and feeling generally unwell • blotchy red rash Councillor Jackie Drayton, cabinet member for children and young people at Sheffield City Council said: “Sheffield enjoys one of the very best festival calendars in the country and we want to make sure everyone is able to enjoy them to the full this summer. Please make sure you check your vaccines are up to date – and have a great time!” If you are attending a festival this summer, our drugs and alcohol team advise: • There is no safe way to take drugs: the safest option is not to take them at all. However if you intend to use drugs, see http://www.drugwise.org.uk/harmreduction-2/ for safety advice.

• If you’re intending to drink alcohol: drink in moderation, alternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks, choose lower strength options, and stay with your friends.

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The elm tree and the butterfly “It’s almost like the title of a book: ‘The elm tree and the butterfly,’” said Liz Ballard.

The story of the elm and the butterfly began 120 years ago, when planners of Sheffield’s affluent suburbs chose a popular ‘Huntingdon’ elm hybrid for the junction of Chelsea and Union Roads in Nether Edge.

The tree grew rapidly, and attracted a white letter hairstreak butterfly colony to its higher branches. When a virulent strain of Dutch Elm Disease killed millions of British elm trees in the 1970s and 80s (especially the ‘English elm’ species) the Huntingdon elm on Chelsea Road survived. In the 1990s, however, the tree was ‘topped’ which eventually left several higher limbs and branches rotten. Recent inspections judged the tree Damaging (to roads and pavements) and Dangerous (to people below), at which point the elm and the butterfly started appearing in national and local media and featuring on the ‘Tree of the Year Awards 2016’ TV show with Ardal O’Hanlon.

“So many people being so interested was fantastic,” said Liz Ballard, CEO of Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust. “But there was a lot of confusion about what exactly the story was.”

Last week Liz joined her colleague lepidopterist Ben Keywood and Sheffield Council biodiversity officer Angus Hunter to look round Nether Edge’s elm trees and shed some light.

The white letter hairstreak has been in national decline largely as a result of Dutch Elm, said Angus, but is not especially rare around Sheffield and Rotherham, with significant colonies in Nether Edge, Fox Hagg, Norfolk Park and Anston Stones Wood, the latter thanks to Ben’s own work as a teenager. (He collected white letter hairstreak eggs from diseased elms and stored them in the family fridge before ‘translocating’ them to branches of healthier trees.)

The same technique was used this

spring in Chelsea Park, where a few years ago Angus and team had planted two disease-resistant ‘New Horizon’ elm cultivars. In February, some of the rotten shaded branches of the Chelsea Huntingdon elm were pruned, and the felled twigs and branches were examined for tiny butterfly eggs by Streets Ahead staff, Trust volunteers and local street tree lobbyists, who eventually found four, two of which appeared to be fertile and hatchable.

(Butterflies usually lay their eggs on healthier sunlit branches, noted Angus). “We celebrated with a box

of twiglets,” said Ben. The egghosting twigs were tied to the young Chelsea Park elms, and this week it was confirmed that characteristic leaf nibbling had taken place – it’s hoped that the two hungry hairstreak caterpillars had grown and moved up the tree before falling prey to predatory harlequin ladybirds. (Keen volunteers now scouring Chelsea Park for hairstreaks will find out soon).

Sheffield is host to lots of wych elms, added Angus, a northern British elm species which also supports white letter hairstreaks – wych elms can

evade detection by disease-carrying beetles by ‘hiding’ among other trees, said Ben Keywood.

“The wych elm flourishes here because we’re a green city with lots of areas of woodland,” he said.

One of which, Greno Wood, hosts a Wildlife Trust experiment to grow new varieties of Dutch Elm-resistant trees in a woodland setting.

Angus is also working on new disease resistant elms for the Outdoor City – 150 cuttings from the Chelsea Road tree are being grown on by a specialist nursery, with an 80-90% success rate

so far. In a few years, these clones of the Chelsea Road elm can be re-cloned and planted out across the city for years to come.

“Whatever happens to the Chelsea Road elm, in terms of biodiversity, it’s a win win for Sheffield and all the species that live on our elm trees,” Angus said. Some of which are preparing to emerge any time now and flutter around the treetops of Nether Edge. The moral of the ‘elm tree and the butterfly’ story is simple, said Liz Ballard: “Working together is better for wildlife.”

National games agency announces

Sheffield’s Castlegate area as its new HQ

The BGI, the new national agency for games modelled on the British Film Institute, is opening its national headquarters at the Sheffield Kollider, a new hub for creative and technology industries currently being developed in the stylish former Co-op Castle House in Castlegate, the historic heart of Sheffield. The Kollider building is being renovated with DCMS funding as part of a wider push by Sheffield to create a new cluster for high growth industries in Castlegate and the wider City. The BGI is one of the first arrivals from a range of creative, technology and biotech businesses expected to locate in Kollider over the next 12 months. BGI will also move the National Videogame Arcade from

its current home to the new premises.

BGI will maintain an educational and research facility in Nottingham, where it will also run the GameCity festival later in 2018. The NVA will close to the public in Nottingham in midSeptember, before opening again in Sheffield in late October 2018.

The NVA is the country’s only playable museum, and the first ever permanent cultural centre for videogames. A unique visitor attraction which welcomes over 50,000 visitors per annum to learn about games culture and development, it enjoys a 90% average rating on TripAdvisor. The NVA’s work with the public on videogame culture has been recognised globally and its first

book was published earlier this year.

Education and outreach is particularly important to the NVA, welcoming hundreds of school visits every year.

Rick Gibson, CEO of BGI: “Our move to Sheffield is a big statement for BGI. After looking at multiple locations across the UK, we’ve chosen Sheffield because it has a vibrant creative technology sector, a fantastic track record in games led by Sumo Digital, one of the best games universities in Sheffield Hallam and a growthfocused culture. The Kollider building is a unique opportunity for BGI to be at the heart of a growing creative cluster in the North with outstanding support from the City, wider region and DCMS.” Adrian Hackett from Kollider said: “We are delighted that BGI is joining the Kollider community. It’s a huge step forward for us. With a museum filled with school children learning about what games mean and how they are made, the Arcade is all about empowering and guiding young people from all backgrounds to achieve their potential as coders, artists and creators.”

Iain Simons, Culture Director of BGI, said: “The NVA was proudly born in Nottingham, so it’s bittersweet to be leaving. Whilst we’re opening a new chapter in Sheffield, through the

continuing work with Pixelheads and our other education programmes, the GameCity festival and our forthcoming research facility, Nottingham will remain an important centre for BGI activity.” Councillor Mazher Iqbal, cabinet member for business and investment at Sheffield City Council, said: “We are delighted to be able to announce this major development in our new digital and tech space in Castlegate, right in the heart of the city. Castlegate is on track to become a thriving digital industry quarter that is creating new opportunities and cementing Sheffield’s status as the fastest growing digital sector in the country, supporting more than 22,000 jobs and growing the economy by millions. The further announcement of a new home for the National Video Game Arcade continues a rich legacy for our city which spans from early innovators like Sumo Digital and Gremlin who started here to the multi-faceted industry we see in the city today.” The video games sector is worth £1.5bn

a year to the UK domestic economy.

16,000 developers make games professionally in the UK today for a global market worth over $110bn per annum. The UK games development workforce has been growing at 7% each year since 2012. Only 22% of the sector’s workforce is based in London and it is a textbook export-driven knowledge economy industry with a 40 year track heritage of leading the world, including the creation of the best-selling entertainment product of all time, Grand Theft Auto V. The BGI is a new national games

agency. It is an industry-led initiative that was announced in January 2016 to win new funding for cultural games production, games as culture projects and games production and commercialisation skills. Following lengthy consultation with over 120 games, arts, investment and educational stakeholders, it proposed its programme to government in September 2017. The BGI announced its intention to merge with the National Videogame Foundation in February 2018, which merger will complete later in 2018.

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EXPLORE OUR FANTASTIC COMMEMORATIVE TRAILS Lincoln BIG today challenged people to don their walking boots or hop on their bikes and explore the city and county in celebration of the centenary of the RAF. The Business Improvement Group and its sister organisation Visit Lincoln want people to have fun discovering eight exciting new trails – four for walkers and four for cyclists. All have been devised as part of this year’s RAF100 events and attractions. The 100 Voices Trails will be ready for families and individuals to enjoy from Saturday, May 5 and will stay in place through the Summer, until the end of September.

Each of the routes will feature 100 voices on “wings” – groups of eyecatching information panels, relating the stories of people who have experienced life in the RAF from its foundation in 1918 through peace times and during conflict, which led to Lincolnshire becoming known as Bomber County. The stories on the “wings” – which are displayed throughout the walks and cycle rides are based on information compiled through research carried out for the special “100 voices” project. These fantastic trails include walks and

cycle routes which are designed to appeal to both occasional hikers and cyclists to ardent enthusiasts. The walking routes include: The Spitfire Trail (1.5 miles); Hawk Trail (1 mile); Lancaster Trail (4.5 miles); Sopwith Camel Trail (6 miles) and the Proctor Trail (12 miles). The shortest walks (Spitfire and Hawk) are based around Lincoln City Centre and take about an hour to complete. The Lancaster Trail takes walkers in the vicinity of the International Bomber Command Centre just south of Lincoln and the Sopwith Camel trail is an urban hike with hidden surprises. The circular Cycle Routes include: The Proctor Trail (12 miles); Handley Page Trail (45 miles); Hampden Trail (38 miles) and Tiger Moth Trail (55 miles).

Lincoln BIG Chief Executive Matt Corrigan said: “This year’s centenary of the RAF (RAF 100) has given us an unmissable opportunity to devise some new trails which are designed to attract walkers and cyclists.

“We are also proud that we have been able to make them educational too, by creating the display “wings” which will tell people much more about the life of the RAF and its importance

to Lincolnshire over the decades, through to the present day. The cycling trails explore the countryside around Lincoln and take riders to places which have a rich association with the RAF – from former airfields to today’s operational sites and the RAF “school” at Cranwell. As an added attraction, those taking part in the Trails have an opportunity to “earn their wings” by completing questions on five of the routes.

Once participants have collected their five wings, they can pick-up their “pilot’s licence” from the Lincoln Visitor Information Centre in Castle Hill, Lincoln. See our Trail leaflets and the website: www.visitlincoln.com/100voices for more details.

Visit Lincoln Chief Executive Lydia Rusling said: “Following on from the Lincoln Barons’ Charter Trail and the Lincoln Knights’ Trail, these new trails complement our RAF Lincolnshire activities this year. They will hopefully get visitors and locals alike exploring the city and county in more depth. All follow an RAF theme which is so important to our county.”

The Official Trail Sponsors are: Hawk Trail – Lincolnshire Co-operative; Lancaster Trail – GAME Engineering; Hampden Trail – University of Lincoln; Handley Page Trail - St Marks Shopping Centre; Proctor Trail – Stagecoach East Midlands; Sopwith Camel Trail – Burton Road Chippy; Spitfire Trail – Siemens and Tiger Moth Trail – The Petwood Hotel.

Top tips to stay well in a heatwave Most advice on beating the heat is common sense. For some people, such as older people, those with underlying health conditions and young children, the summer heat can bring real health risks.

So please keep an eye on those you know who may be at risk this summer. If you’re able, ask if your friends, family or neighbours need any support. In the meantime, here are some top tips from Public Health England: • Look out for others, especially older people, young children and babies and those with underlying health conditions • Keep indoor spaces cooler, close curtains on rooms that face the sun to and remember it may be cooler

outdoors than indoors • Drink plenty of water as sugary, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks can make you more dehydrated • Never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals • Apply sunscreen, It sounds simple but wear a hat and if you can walk in the shade. Try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm • If you’re on the coast, take care and follow local safety advice, if you are going into the water to cool down • Avoid too much physical exertion, especially in the hottest parts of the day • Take water with you if you are travelling You can keep updated on the weather condition by visting the Met Office website.

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LINCOLNSHIRE: BASTION IN THE AIR EXHIBITION Wednesday 4 April 2018, RAF Scampton Dambusters Hangar 11am – 2pm. Important information: This is a formal event, you must adhere to the dress code, bring photo ID and pre-register your attendance with Charlotte@VisitLincoln.com Lincolnshire will play a key role in this year’s national celebrations for the centenary of the Royal Air Force, and the county’s headline Heritage-Lottery funded exhibition ‘Lincolnshire: Bastion in the Air’ will officially open for a VIP press day on Wednesday 4 April 2018, 11am to 2pm at the Dambusters Hangar at RAF Scampton. The RAF Scampton launch is the first of the two major exhibitions commemorating the First World War and Lincolnshire's heroic contribution to the defence of the country from the air. The launch, inside the Dambusters

Hangar, will unveil a unique recreated WWI airfield complete with fighter aircraft of the time, and a fully grassed area depicting life and working conditions on an airfield in France during World War One. The three aircraft on display will be a British DH2 Fighter, a Sopwith Camel (under construction), and a German Rumpler C VII reconnaissance

aircraft. The exhibition will also tell visitors the history of Scampton during the First World War, while dramatic stories of local service personnel will bring the period to life.

In addition, local company Ferry Ales Brewery is launching a pale ale named ‘Bastion Beer’ made from a 1916 recipe, and Lymn Bank Farm Cheese will be launching a Red Leicester cheese under the name of ‘Bastion in the Air’.

Both companies will attend the launch and will be available to answer any questions on their products and explain why they have pledged their support to the exhibition.

This Heritage-Lottery funded project entitled "Lincolnshire: Bastion in the Air" is supported by Lincolnshire County Council, West Lindsey District Council and the Royal Air Force.

The exhibition will open to the public at RAF Scampton on 6th April 2018 and includes free tour tours up to 31st August 2018. Please book in advance at www.rafscampton.co.uk as prior booking is essential for entry.

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How many songs do you know that show off the marvellous city of Nottingham?

Well, here are a couple that have been recorded by Brian Lund and Richard Williams, with videos shot in and around the city. The first, Nottingham Take Me Back, looks at Nottingham’s major attractions and involves Robin Hood, while the second, Long Long Gone, is a tale of romance, historical

research – and trams.

Both viewable on youtube Brian and Rich youtube Nottingham Take Me Back http://youtu.be/FV848bkMZPl Brian and Rich youtube Long Long Gone http://youtu.be/vLXG3fS6Mls

Mary and Brian Lund, of Keyworth-based Reflections of a Bygone Age, have been running fairs in Nottingham for postcard and cigarette card collectors for 38 years. Venues have included Neales of Nottingham’s auction showrooms, Lakeside Pavilion at the University, Harvey Hadden Sports Centre, Bilborough College, and the current one, at King’s Meadow Campus, Lenton Lane (formerly Carlton TV studios).

Postcard collecting is amazingly popular, with people looking for vintage (preferably pre-1920) cards of places they are familiar with or subjects in which they’re interested – for example railways, football or cats.

More modern cards can be of interest, too, with postcards of Butlin’s Holiday camps proving popular at the moment.

The postcard shows are partexhibition (millions of examples on show) and part-retail – all the cards on show are for sale.

Lots of other collecting hobbies – trade and cigarette cards, programmes, books, maps and so on – are catered for at the events. Next one is on Sunday 2nd September and it’s open from 10am to 4pm (admission £1.50).

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Roll up roll up Brooke Farm summer fun day

offers activities galore!

Activities for all of the family and barbequed food are on offer at a summer fun day at Linby’s Brooke Farm on Saturday 7 July.

Cakes and craft stalls, children’s games, a bouncy castle, live music and a dog show with prizes are being held at the event, which includes free entry with some activities having a charge.

The event is open from 10am to 4pm and attendees can also pick their own raspberries at £2.90 a kilo. The farm is run by Nottinghamshire County

Council and employs staff with mixed abilities and offers training to people with disabilities. Also on offer is a self-service café and seating area for refreshments for visitors.

Councillor Stuart Wallace, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee, said: “Last year’s event went down a storm and we’re hoping for a nice day to attract even more people to this activity-packed event.”

The farm shop offers a range of home-

grown produce for sale including, free range eggs, seasonal vegetables, salad and fruit, flowers and plants along with locally-sourced products such as bread, milk, preserves, pickles, cakes and biscuits. Produce grown at Brooke farm is sold at the farm shop in Main Street, Linby, and is open Monday to Thursday 8am to 3.45pm, Friday 8am to 3.15pm and Saturday 8am to 3pm.

For further information on the shop call 0115 963 2638 or visit bit.ly/ brooke-farm

D.H Lawrence Birthplace Accredited As A High Quality Museum EASTWOOD’S D.H Lawrence Birthplace Museum has received full accreditation by Arts Council England for their high quality standards to governance, managing collections and user experience.

Accredited Museum certificate on D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum pianoAccreditation is a national scheme run by Arts Council England and sets out agreed standards for UK museums in three key areas: • Governance – to show that we manage and plan the service correctly • Managing Collections – to ensure that we caring for the collections correctly and ethically on behalf of the public.

• Users and their experiences – to show that we have high standards of customer care and an inclusive learning environment.

Chair of the Leisure and Environment Committee, Councillor Shane Easom said: “It is a real honour that the Arts Council have recognised the high standards and dedication that goes in to running the museum. I’d like to thank the Museum Team whose hard work makes the museum such a fantastic attraction, as well as all of the people who continue to visit and support the Museum.”

“The museum receives overwhelmingly positive reviews on Trip Advisor, as well as glowing comments in the guest book from visitors from all over the world. I’d

urge anyone to come and experience this gem of a museum for themselves” added Cultural Services Manager, Alex Khan.

The Museum is one of 1,800 museums who are part of the national scheme.

The D.H. Lawrence Birthplace

Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.

Visitors are transported back in time to view the authentically restored Victorian miner’s cottage, home of the world renowned author.

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Notts gears up for the return of Tour of Britain Nottinghamshire has been chosen to host the penultimate - and longest - stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain cycle race.

The biggest free-to-attend sporting event returns to Nottinghamshire this year on Saturday 8 September starting in West Bridgford and ending in Mansfield.

The announcement comes on the back of last year's successful event which attracted 210,000 supporters on the day - one of the biggest turn-outs across the eight stage race across the UK. The race boosted the Nottinghamshire economy by more than £3.4m.

With a global TV audience of millions, once again the eyes of the world will be on Nottinghamshire when 120 of the world’s top cyclists race the longest stage which is approximately 223 km long (139 miles) The route will take in key Nottinghamshire landmarks such as the new Sherwood Forest Visitor centre, Newstead Abbey, Clumber Park and Trent Bridge Cricket Ground.

The race will travel through many town and villages in the south of the county as well as taking riders over the iconic Trent Bridge for the first time.

Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council said: "We are absolutely delighted that the race will be returning to our great county on Saturday 8 September – and will take in every district, including the City area.

"Last year's event really was a fantastic

day and shows that Nottinghamshire has what it takes to host a sporting event of this scale.

"We hope even more residents and visitors will turn out in force to experience this fantastic event this year - and let's hope the county reaps even bigger economic benefits" Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain Race Director added: "The turn-out for the Nottinghamshire stage last year really was incredible.

The viewing figures for ITV4 show that Stage Four was popular with the audience at home too, with half a million people tuning in to watch the highlights– attracting the highest ratings of any of the other seven highlight shows. "So we are delighted to be returning to Nottinghamshire as this year’s route makes it seem like a completely different county!

We are taking in a lot of new areas, approaching a significant part of 2017’s route from the opposite direction as well as having hillier sections this time." The route will take in dozens of towns and villages including Ruddington, Cotgrave, Radcliffe-onTrent, Southwell, Retford, Worksop and Hucknall. Commenting on West Bridgford being chosen to host the start of the race, Councillor Simon Robinson, Leader of the Rushcliffe Borough Council said: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome such a unique, prestigious event to the borough for the first time.

"We are proud of our heritage in sport and it’s fantastic we have been chosen

Panto in the Park Throughout August, Talegate Theatre in association with Bassetlaw District Council, will bring you, not one, not two, but three productions on the Performance Area in Kings’ Park, Retford.

Oh Yes They Will! With colourful costumes and humour, magical moments and suspense, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Starting with ‘The Giant’s Loo Roll’ on Thursday 2 August, 2pm.

This musical adaptation of Nicholas Allan’s much-loved book, tells the story of a giants runaway loo roll bouncing down the hill to the village below.

Sure to bring you lots of laughs and of course, flying toilet paper.

On Tuesday 14 August at 2pm we go down the rabbit hole with Alice as she takes a whirlwind trip around Wonderland. With magic, songs and all your favourite colourful Wonderland characters. Finally, on Wednesday 29 August, 2pm The Wind in the Willows.

Join Rat, Mole, Badger and of course, Mr Toad as you are transported to Toad Hall and along the riverbank in this enchanted classic novel by Kenneth Grahame.

All events start at 2pm and are free to attend.

as a host county and that so much of the stage will ride through Rushcliffe."

Kate Allsop, Executive Mayor of Mansfield, said: "We are very pleased and proud that Mansfield has been chosen as a host for the second year in a row – this time for the exciting finish.

"As it is on a Saturday, we hope this

will enable even more people than last year to line the streets and provide a huge welcome for the cyclists as they make their way to the finish line."

The economic impact report [PDF] commissioned by national Tour of Britain organisers showed that spend on food and drink was by far the biggest contributor to the local

economy last time (almost £1.13m) followed by accommodation costs (£611k). More than 39 per cent of those who turned out to watch the race had travelled from outside the county – therefore attracting around 81,000 visitors to Nottinghamshire.

Other figures shown in the report include:

• Average daily spend for day visitor was more than £27 • Overnight visitors spend more than £101 on average • Almost two-thirds of spectators said the race had inspired them to cycle more • Half of those attending came with their families.

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Chairman to attend Major

Oak Woodland Festival Nottinghamshire County Council Chairman Councillor Mrs Sue Saddington has a busy calendar of events this week. She will be hosting Bassetlaw Primary School’s Council here at County Hall on Tuesday, at midday, as pupils get the chance to experience local democracy in action.

On Thursday at 4.30pm, the Chairman will attend the Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay at the Victoria Embankment in Nottingham.

On Saturday, at 7pm, there is a visit to The Together Again concert, at the Crescent Centre, in Bull Farm, Mansfield. Musicians Julian Cleff, piano, and Victoria Gray, mezzosoprano, have recently been on a tour managed by Lost Chord, where they have performed in nursing homes to help people suffering with Alzheimers, and the concert on Saturday will see some of these inspiring stories shared with the audience. There is a Queen’s Birthday concert taking place at Southwell Minster on Sunday at 9.30am, and at 2pm on Sunday, the Chairman will be at Sherwood Forest for a special festival dedicated to the world-famous forest. The Chairman will join the Sherwood Forest Trust for a very special weekend celebrating the life and history of the great British woodland, as it holds the

annual Major Oak Woodland Festival in the heart of Sherwood Forest.

With demonstrations and displays throughout the weekend, the public will see the traditional and modern

day management techniques that have shaped the Sherwood Forest we see today. The event is in partnership with the county council, and key sponsors are two local companies, the

Bowring Group and the Woodhead Group, both based in north Nottinghamshire. The event organisers are proud and privileged to have the support of both companies and thank them for their financial contributions which make it all possible.

BELVOIR CASTLE OPENS ITS GATES FOR NEW FLOWER SHOW Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire will open its gates for the first Belvoir Flower & Garden Festival on 14 and 15 July. Set within the beautiful castle grounds, the event will feature around sixty exhibitors including nine show gardens, along with a wide range of popular nurseries, trade stands and much more. Perennial, the UK’s only charity dedicated to looking after all those who work in horticulture, is the show’s beneficiary charity.

The show will be a fantastic day out for anyone that enjoys gardens.

Highlights include the Perennial Garden, designed by Chris Gutteridge, which represents a calming place of sanctuary and a show garden for Rainbows Hospice by Karen Gimson and David Greaves. There will also be a host of well-known nursery and floral exhibitors in the grand Lakeside Pavilion such as Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants, Peter Beales Roses, Brooklands Nurseries, Coopers Nursery, Flowers from the Farm, The Hardy Plant Society, Thompson & Morgan and NAFAS, as well as Barcham Trees and CED Stone.

There will be a Gardeners’ Q&A panel headed by John Stirland of BBC Radio Nottingham, with Mark Smith of BBC Radio Derby, Sean Murray, winner of the Great Chelsea Garden Challenge, Nick Hamilton of Barnsdale Gardens, son of the late Geoff Hamilton, garden designer Andrew Fisher Tomlin and more. There will also be plenty of opportunities for shopping with a

wide range of trade stands brimming with garden products, sculptures, gifts and more. The show will be officially opened by Her Grace, the Duchess of Rutland on the Saturday morning.

Military charity Highground, which provides horticultural therapy for injured service personnel, will also be there and local schools will be competing in the 'sow and grow' competition, encouraging young people to get into gardening.

Event organiser Andy Tudbury says: “We are very excited about opening the doors and welcoming visitors to the first ever Belvoir Flower & Garden Festival. We have got a fabulous line up of exhibitors creating some stunning displays that will offer plenty of gardening inspiration and ideas to take home. With the spectacular backdrop of Belvoir Castle and its estate, this is set to be a great day out for all the family.”

Visitors can explore the show’s different zones including an educational area and a craft and floral marquee. A varied programme of live music from local performers will entertain the crowds in the music zone and a wide choice of food and refreshments will be on offer in the food zone including everything from prosecco, quality coffee and artisan cakes to burgers from a master butcher.

Laura Garnett, Senior Development Manager at Perennial, says: “We are delighted to be involved with this new event that is set to become a highlight

of the calendar for garden lovers. It is great to have the opportunity to raise the profile of Perennial among the garden loving public in the Midlands and beyond. The Perennial Garden, created for us by Chris Gutteridge, shows how Perennial can help people overcome crisis to reach a place of reassurance and calm.”

Perennial is the only charity dedicated to helping everyone working in and retired from horticulture and all of its related industries. Its services are a lifeline for those coping with difficulties caused by debt, injury, illness, bereavement and other crises in life. All services are free, confidential and continue for as long as needed.

The Belvoir Flower & Garden Festival Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th July Address: Belvoir Castle, Grantham, Leicestershire, NG32 1PE Tickets cost £15 for an adult, £5 for a child (4-16yrs) and under 4s are free. Purchase online at: https://www. belvoircastle.com/the-belvoir-flowerand-garden-festival/

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WATCH WORLD-CLASS New Beginnings Art Group WHEELCHAIR TENNIS FOR FREE THIS JULY! BRITISH OPEN – NOTTINGHAM TENNIS CENTRE 17th – 22nd July Don’t miss your chance to see the world’s top wheelchair tennis players in action for free at this year’s British Open in Nottingham! Taking place from Tuesday 17th to Sunday 22nd July at Nottingham Tennis Centre, the tournament will feature Wimbledon Men’s Doubles Champions Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewitt, alongside a host of top wheelchair tennis players from across the globe. Organised by

Britain’s leading tennis charity, the Tennis Foundation, the tournament will feature competitions across the men’s, women’s and quads divisions, as well as a junior event. With play scheduled from 9:30am-6pm each day, there’s plenty of time to head down to watch the action unfold!

Tickets are free of charge and are available to purchase via www. tennisfoundation.org.uk/world-classevents/britishopen/. To keep up to date with all of the latest developments,

Do you like to paint or have always wanted to have a go? Are you are no longer able to work due to ill health.

If so, New Beginnings Art Group could be for you. We are a group of enthusiasts who meet to improve our artistic skills.

We use a variety of mediums including watercolour, pastels follow the Tennis Foundation on acrylic, etc. We are of social media! mixed abilities Twitter: @TennisFndation and encourage Instagram: @tennis_foundation each other all the Facebook: Tennis Foundation way. We engage visiting tutors to guide us through our development and are presently opening up our Group to new members. Meeting at the Oasis Centre, Beeston, facilities include

level access and disabled toilets.

Refreshments are provided. We keep costs very low at £20 per half term.

Check out our website at www. newbeginnings art.co.uk

The Oasis Christian Centre Union Street, Beeston, Nottingham. NG9 2LU Entrance next door to the Malt Shovel Pub info@newbeginningsart. co.uk 07951 08039494, 0115 9251300

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Unusual Wedding Venues If you’ve never considered yourselves to be a conventional couple, check out our list of top alternative wedding venues in the U.K. Some are fun and quirky, some are downright odd.

The Gherkin Boasting the best views over the city of London, The Gherkin is the capital’s most iconic modern building. The London landmark also offers a very high standard of hospitality with some the biggest companies choosing it as the venue for their lavish parties. The Gherkin can be seen for miles around so your guests certainly won’t have any difficulty finding your wedding venue.

A Cave. Wookey Hole in Somerset, who recently appointed a new resident witch, offer couples the opportunity to exchange their vows deep underground in one of their spooky caves. There are a selection of caves to choose from, the largest can accommodate 120

guests, all of which are fully licensed for civil ceremonies.

A lighthouse. West Usk Lighthouse is situated halfway between Newport and Cardiff in South Wales.

The lighthouse is privately owned and has been restored to a very high standard with a hot tub, four-poster beds, an exquisite spiral staircase and a beautiful roof garden with views across the Severn Estuary. Your ceremony can be conducted on top of the lighthouse in the open air. The building is steeped in history being over 180 years old and grade ll listed; keeps your eyes peeled as many of the local farmers have spotted UFO’s in the area.

Editor’s Office We’re not sure why, but the offer is there. Media enthusiasts (if there is such a thing) can choose to commit themselves to each other in the Editor of The Daily Mirror’s office in Canary

Wharf, London. Aaah, the romance! If you’re a busy career couple, this maybe the perfect venue as you can tie the knot during your lunch break; even better if you happen to work at The Daily Mirror.

Theatre. It’s expected that the newlyweds are the centre of attention on their big day, however privately owned Clonter Opera Theatre in Cheshire offers couples the opportunity to wed live on stage.

They have a selection of 5 separate reception rooms to choose for your reception. The theatre enjoys an idyllic setting surrounded by bluebells woods and lush parkland.

London Eye. Climb aboard your own private capsule with your family and friends and hold tight.

A full revolution takes half an hour and by the time you’ve reached the highest point of the wheel 135 metres above the city, you’ll be married. If you choose the Platinum Package you’ll also be treated to a complementary ride on the Eye to celebrate your fist wedding anniversary.

Absolut Ice Bar. Set in the heart of London this sub zero venue will certainly give your guests an occasion to remember. The aisle is constructed out of the purest ice harvested from a river in Sweden. This bar is far from being a novelty venue as they also offer a very high standard of catering courtesy of their award winning chefs.

TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF ORGANISING WEDDING

TRANSPORT via http://www.nationalweddingshow.co.uk

The Kings Ferry tells us how to take the stress out of organising your wedding transport! How do we get to the venue? Is there going to be enough parking? How will Nan and Grandad get there? Sorry we are running late!

These are not things you want to hear on your big day, but getting guests to your venue without a hitch can be difficult and one the of most stressful parts of wedding preparation. There have been numerous discussions on how to best deal with the stresses of travel on your wedding day, and here are some of the regular hints and tips: • You invitations should state your exact ceremony/reception time • Is your venue accessible enough for both you and your guests?

• Organise extra parking facilities with the venue/or find out about local parking areas for your guests to leave their vehicles. Make sure your venue can be found using a Sat Nav (and if not, give alternative directions!)

Although these pointers are good (and some of them you definitely need to do), it is still not going to stop the questions. The bigger your wedding, the bigger the worry is and the last thing you want to be doing is rushing around checking your guests are okay when really you should be getting yourself ready. So we have created the perfect solution for you.

LUXURY GROUP TRANSPORT Give your guests a taste of the high life on-board a VIP coach with premium

features such as: a star-lit rear lounge, state of the art sound system, RGB colour mood lighting, catering and hostess service and much more. When your guests step onto one of our state of the art coaches, they will be able to sit back and relax in leather, air craft style seating and pop open some bubbly to help start the celebrations.

The coach’s layout is perfect for onboard mingling, so forget the awkward silences between courses and after dinner, your guests will be well acquainted and ready to enjoy your

big day when they arrive in style to your wedding venue.

To avoid guests being late and to make sure no one is left at home, we can organise dedicated pick up and drop off points for your family and friends. This can be a single, central location, or we offer a shuttle service, so no matter where they live, your guests are picked up and dropped home safely at the end of the night.

So what are you waiting for?

Take the stress out of wedding day transport for both you and your guests by using our luxury group transport services. To find out more, visit The Kings Ferry website: http://www.thekingsferry.co.uk and to have a look around one of our beautiful VIP coaches, head over to stand V1 at this years National Wedding Show at London Excel.

Fairytales Castles for your dream wedding Edinburgh Castle The jewel in the crown of the Edinburgh skyline. It’s difficult to imagine a more dramatic venue for your wedding. Tie the knot in one of Scotland’s most famous landmarks and have a magical wedding day. Choose from a variety of packages and suites; all of the function rooms are immaculately restored and offer sumptuous surroundings with breathtaking views over Princes Street and Frith of Forth. If you choose to exchange vows in The Gatehouse Suite you’ll also benefit from a private

terrace which looks out onto the historic Royal Mile.

Pendennis Castle This enchanting Castle in Falmouth, Cornwall, commands panoramic views across the sea. Your ceremony will take place in the Tudor Castle Keep surrounded by candles, ancient tapestries and flowers of your choice.

Dinner can be served in the impressive Royal Artillery Barracks before which guests can take champagne and canapés on the grassy “chemise.”

This magnificent building is at its most

striking when it’s floodlit after dark. Warwick Castle is a truly majestic venue. Framed by mature sweeping trees and an idyllic lake, you really couldn’t hope for a better backdrop for your wedding photographs. The venue is also renowned for its high standard of hospitality and excellent catering facilities.

Drinks can be taken in the Peacock Gardens surrounded by fountains. Your reception can take place in either The Great Hall or the State dining room. Leeds Castle. Despite its name this Castle is actually in Kent. It enjoys a secluded location as it’s marooned on its very own private island in the middle of the River Len. The Castle is exquisitely decorated and also has an aviary, small golf course and even a maize to keep your guests amused.

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Fairytales Castles for

your dream wedding Edinburgh Castle. The jewel in the crown of the Edinburgh skyline.

It’s difficult to imagine a more dramatic venue for your wedding.

Tie the knot in one of Scotland’s most famous landmarks and have a magical wedding day. Choose from a variety of packages and suites; all of the function rooms are immaculately restored and offer sumptuous surroundings with breathtaking views over Princes Street and Frith of Forth. If you choose to exchange vows in The Gatehouse Suite you’ll also benefit from a private terrace which looks out onto the historic Royal Mile.

Pendennis Castle. This enchanting Castle in Falmouth, Cornwall, commands panoramic views across the sea. Your ceremony will take place in the Tudor Castle Keep surrounded by candles, ancient tapestries and flowers of your choice. Dinner can be served in the impressive Royal Artillery Barracks before which guests can take champagne and canapés on the grassy “chemise.”

This magnificent building is at its most striking when it’s floodlit after dark.

Warwick Castle. Warwick Castle is a truly majestic venue. Framed by mature sweeping trees and an idyllic lake, you really couldn’t hope for a better backdrop for your wedding photographs. The venue is also renowned for its high standard of hospitality and excellent catering facilities. Drinks can be taken in the Peacock Gardens surrounded by fountains. Your reception can take place in either The Great Hall or the State dining room.

Leeds Castle Despite its name this Castle is actually in Kent. It enjoys a secluded location as it’s marooned on its very own private island in the middle of the River Len. The Castle is exquisitely decorated and also has an aviary, small golf course and even a maize to keep your guests amused.

Top wedding destinations abroad Las Vegas. America’s playground on the edge of the Nevada desert is a legendary wedding destination. It’s the city that doesn’t sleep where you can find casinos, entertainment and wedding ceremonies available 24 hours a day. Why not “do a Britney” and tie the knot in the world famous Little Wedding Chapel? They offer range of wedding services including the drive-through option, the Elvis and pink Cadillac option and the outdoor gazebo option. Guests who can’t make it can watch the ceremony as its streamed live over the internet.

Alternatively there’s a huge choice of immaculate hotels where you can hold both your civil ceremony and your reception.

Mauritius. Crystal clear water and miles of golden sandy beaches,

Mauritius is a mini paradise marooned in the middle of the Indian Ocean. No wonder it’s one of the most popular wedding and honeymoon destinations in the world. Couples can exchange their vows on the beach and drinks cocktails as the sunsets over the ocean.

The island is well equipped for luxury weddings with a selection of hideaway beach huts and 5 star resorts peppered all along the stunning coastline.

Sri Lanka. With its exotic location, tropical jungles, exquisite beaches and ancient cities steeped in history, Sri Lanka has much to offer as a wedding resort. With the help of a professional Sri Lankan based wedding planner, you will be able to organise your dream ceremony incorporating some of the local customs; make a dramatic entrance on your wedding day by

arriving onboard an elephant.

Kenya. This unique country rich with wildlife and mythical culture will provide you with a memorable experience you’ll cherish forever.

Kenya is renowned for its awe inspiring wildlife but its tropical coastline, which lies along the edge of the Indian Ocean, is often forgotten.

Many couples choose to have a beach wedding then a safari honeymoon.

Thailand. Thailand is legendary throughout Asia for the warm welcome and high standards of hospitality offered by Thai people.

Money goes a long way in Thailand making it an exotic destination, with an affordable price tag. The stunning scenery, idyllic beaches and vibrant cities make Thailand a very attractive prospect for brides and grooms-to-be.

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Booking A Church Wedding Ceremony:

Everything You Need to Know Saying your vows in a church is a traditional part of planning a wedding, and a quarter of couples plan on getting married in a religious ceremony. www. hitched.co.uk have put together the ultimate beginner’s guide to church wedding ceremonies, so you know exactly what you need to do.

What are the legal requirements for a church wedding? You can marry in a church wedding ceremony from the age of 18 onwards in a church wedding ceremony in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you’re aged 16 or 17, you will need your parents’ approval in England and Wales, but not in Scotland where it’s legal without consent providing there are two witnesses. Church wedding ceremonies must take place between 8am and 6pm and be witnessed by at least two people. You’ve probably heard about ‘having your banns read’ in connection to a church wedding – this is required before the marriage takes place as it signifies your intention to marry. Your banns will be read out in the parish where each of you lives as well as in the church where you’re planning on marrying for three Sundays during the three months leading up to the wedding.

If you’re marrying in a hurry it is possible to skip having your banns read, but you will need to apply for a common licence for this. They cost from £200. You may also need a licence if one of you isn’t a British citizen or currently lives outside of the UK. In Scotland you’re required to give 15 days’ notice with the local registrar.

Do the rules differ depending on where in the UK the church is?

Depending on where you are in the UK and what kind of church you want to marry in will impact what you need to do. Scotland has different rules relating to church weddings that England and Wales, as explained above, and there are stricter residency requirements for those planning a church wedding in Northern Ireland.

A Catholic church ceremony is different to book compared to a Church of England wedding too – for example, you will need a dispensation to marry in a Catholic ceremony if one of you is not Catholic, but you don’t have to have the banns read out beforehand. Do I have to attend the church to get married there?

The Church of England gives all British citizens with no former partner still living the right to get married in the parish church of the town where

they live, or where either of the couple are on the church’s electoral roll.

You can also get married in church to which you have a connection, such as: - Either of you lived in that church’s parish for six months or more - One of you regularly attended worship in that parish for six months or more - Either of you were baptised or prepared for confirmation in the parish - One of your parents lived in the parish/ regularly attended worship there for six months or more in their child’s lifetime - Your parents or grandparents were married in the parish. If you attend services at your chosen church for six months – even if you only attend a single service a month – that can help your case. Do I have to be religious to have a church wedding? You don’t have to be religious to have a Church of England wedding, however for a Catholic wedding at least one of you must follow the faith and you’re required to get a dispensation to marry there for the one that isn’t Catholic.

Anyone is welcome to have a Church of England wedding, regardless of their beliefs as the vicars understand that 'spiritual beliefs are complex and varied'. How far in advance should I book my church wedding ceremony?

It works the same way as booking a civil wedding ceremony in that places will get booked up months in advance.

Talk to your vicar or the church office as soon as possible, particularly if you’re hoping to marry in peak wedding season. Bear in mind most Church of England churches won’t host ceremonies during Lent, although this isn’t usually the case for Catholic ceremonies.

How much does a church wedding ceremony cost? It costs around £500 to get married in a church in England and Wales, so make sure you factor this into your wedding budget.

This cost covers the expense of reading of the banns, the certificate, the vicar and the use of the church itself.

Extra details such as flowers, having the bells rung or making use of the organist or choir will incur additional costs.

It’s worth noting in Scotland and Northern Ireland there is no fixed cost for a church wedding.

Can we use our own vows in a church wedding

ceremony? If you’re planning on writing your own wedding vows, a church ceremony might not be for you. In England and Wales you cannot change any part of the wedding vows, however in Scotland you can vary the traditional vows or write your own as long as the minister approves them.

You can include poems, readings or songs in your vows as long as your vicar is okay with it. Can I decorate the church with my own flowers? Most churches will be able to recommend someone from the parish who can decorate the church for you, but it shouldn’t be a problem to bring in your own floral displays. Just check with your vicar where you can have the flowers as you wouldn’t want a large arrangement to get in the way during the ceremony.

What is a wedding rehearsal? Lots of churches offer the chance to have a wedding rehearsal – this allows you, your partner and your bridal party to run through the service ahead of the big day so you know what to expect and when. Can we have confetti at our church wedding? This varies from church to church so check with your vicar and let your guests know in advance. If wedding confetti is not allowed, find out if they’ll allow you to use a natural or bio-degradable type of confetti instead. Can we have the reception in the church hall? Usually you can – check with the church office to find out. You can also have your reception at a different venue if you wish.

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Church Versus Registry Office Many women dream about their wedding day from childhood. Not only is it one of the biggest days of a person’s life, it is also likely to be the most romantic. Given the momentous nature of the all-important wedding, it should therefore come as no surprise that a lot of thought goes into the planning involved. And one of the most significant aspects of that is the wedding venue. While most people associate a wedding with a church and minister, tying the knot in registry offices has become increasingly popular over the years. Ultimately, however, the decision between church and registry office depends on the individuals in question.

A bride and groom-to-be could think about whether they want a traditional wedding versus modern. There is nothing more traditional than donning a lavish white wedding dress and walking down a long aisle flanked by scores of family and friends to the tune of Here Comes the Bride.

The tradition of having the father of

the bride accompany his daughter and give her away at the altar is one that many dads dream about. Having bridesmaids at the side of the wifeto-be is another comforting aspect of traditional weddings that is so engrained in our cultural identity. But such strict adherence to tradition is not everyone’s cup of tea — particularly those who are in no way religious.

Ultimately, marriage is a legal contract and what better way to seal that than by having a more official and straightforward ceremony in a registry office? As opposed to having passages from the bible recited and old religious hymns sung by guests, registry office weddings can incorporate a more modern set up consisting of clear and concise vows - that are not necessarily devoid of romance — along with songs that again, are not strictly religious. At the bones of the comparison between church and registry office is just how lavish you want your wedding to be.

For example, at a church there will be room for more guests, in which case

a big and extravagant ceremony is a possibility, but in an official office, only a handful of people can be present.

Brides feel more comfortable wearing a fabulous traditional wedding gown in a church, but in a registry office, a smart dress and jacket seems more apt.

A church wedding undoubtedly provides men and women — regardless of their religion - with the ultimate fairytale setting that is often considered more romantic and magical. But, on the plus side of the registry office, it can be an awful lot cheaper. There is also less wedding planning and stress involved, meaning that the bride and groom can focus solely on each other and the reasons why they are tying the knot, instead of being distracted by the drama surrounding the spectacle that is their big day. There is a lot to be said for couples who do not need to profess their love to the world by spending thousands of pounds on an over-thetop ceremony. Clearly all they need is each other.

How to Choose a Wedding Venue:

What You Need to Consider Finding the perfect venue is likely to be at the top of any newly engaged couples list. With the venue playing a vital role in the success of your day it’s the big decision you really need to get right. Just like viewing a new property it is easy to become overexcited and fall in love with a place without checking the venue can cater to your requirements, so hitched.co.uk are here to answer that question - how to choose a wedding venue?

Wait until you get the feeling Much like finding your dress, the shoes, a new home, it is true that when you view venues you will know if it is right for you. You need to be able to picture yourself there on the day and ensure the style of the building both exterior and interior will work with the theme of your wedding.

Finding the right venue in our opinion is the most important factor, once you fall in love with somewhere before rushing in to anything at the very least check the following match your criteria: Is it the right location?

Where will your guests be coming from? If they are not local, choosing a venue that is easily accessible, has accommodation on site or hotels in close proximity is desirable. If you have guests coming from abroad how far is the closest international airport?

These factors may play a role in your decision making.

Is the capacity right for you?

Think about whether you need a large capacity wedding venue or a smaller and more intimate wedding venue. The size of the venue is just as important, too small for your number of guests and the room will feel stuffy and overcrowded, too big and guests will feel lost and the space will feel cold. When a space is empty it is hard to imagine how it will look when filled

with tables. For this reason we would always advise viewing a venue when it is set up for a wedding. If this is not possible ask to see photographs, most venues should have a photo book or slide-show. Another tip is to ask for a seating plan of the room at capacity, this will give you a good idea of how much space there is and how comfortably your guests numbers will fit.

Ask about the flow of the day Make sure the venue representative talks you through how a typical day runs. The flow of the day is crucial, any long pauses or delays and your guests will become bored. If your ceremony and reception is in the same room how long does the turnaround take, where will the guests be and what will they be doing? This is also relevant between the reception meal and the evening dancing. The weather in the UK can be unpredictable to say the least! If it does rain does the venue have indoor space for the reception drinks? Do they provide a master of ceremonies/manager? This takes the stress off you and is the best way to make sure all your guests are where they are meant to be at all times.

Check the timings Planning the time of your ceremony is a big decision; when do the venue advise? In our experience weddings of 8-9 hours work well, any longer than this and the atmosphere dwindles towards the end, you want your wedding to end on a high!

Also bear in mind where the majority of people will be coming from on the day, leave plenty of time for people to get ready and arrive.

Also ask, what set up time is included in the hire fee, when will your suppliers have access to the room and when do things need to be collected?

Think about the lighting. Lighting plays an important part in any event, if your ceremony is during the day does the room have lots of natural daylight?

During the evening do they provide/ let you bring in candles?

Cameras will be a big part of your day so practise your smiles! Bearing this in mind what is the surrounding area around your venue like? Where will your photographs be? If you are looking at a central town hall where will you take outdoor photographs?

The view from the venue and any outdoor space is also a massive plus not only for photographs but for your guests enjoyment. Does the venue

have grounds or ample outdoor space – this is useful if you have children attending and for guests to stretch their legs for ten minutes after the reception meal. Check the finer details.

At the venue viewing stage you will not know every detail of your day however you must ask the venue what is not permitted…. If you envisage a romantic candlelit winter ceremony check the venue permits candles! If you are having your ceremony at the same venue can you throw confetti?

Finding these details out early in the planning stage before you book is essential, you are likely to have an idea of what your day will be like and

the venue needs to be able to live up to this, for this reason write a list of…..

Make a list of your non-negotiable's Before viewing any venues sit down with your partner and discuss any non-negotiable's these could include: Budget – will the venue be able to provide everything you need within your budget, is VAT included in the price, are staff gratuities added and if so are they optional? Catering – What type of cuisine would you like? Can the venue provide this?

Suppliers – do you have artistic friends that want to bake the cake or take the photographs? If so check the venue will permit this or do you need to use

their recommended suppliers?

Live music – if you would like a band does the venue permit this? If you would like a string quartet during reception drinks do the venue allow music outside?

Fireworks, sparklers, flame eaters etc. – if you have any different entertainment ideas check your venue will allow it. Finding your venue will be one of the big milestones in your wedding planning and will determine your date, location and therefore will impact a lot of your other wedding planning decisions. You may even want to consider finding a wedding dress that perfectly suits your venue.

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The Importance of Choosing the Right Colours for your Wedding

70% of the brides have no idea what colour theme to have for their big day, so if you fall into that 70% of the bridal population, you’re definitely not on your own. So the next time someone asks you, “which colour do you have in mind for the wedding theme?” there’s no need to jump at the first colour that springs to mind, take your

time and above all, take advice from experts such as those from Chaircover Depot, who will be able to guide you through the task of wedding colour coordination for your big day. Colours – Cool, Warm & Neutral. Colours have the ability to have a dramatic impact on our psychology, hence it is important to choose the right colours

for the weddings. Cool colours that are associated with water convey a calming effect. Moreover warm colours lead to excitement whereas neutral colours express unity and harmony. And there you were thinking that choosing the right wedding colour for your big day would be a piece of cake?!

As well as choosing a colour theme which reflects the right qualities for your occasion, the colour you end up choosing should compliment everything from your groom, right through to your venue (be it indoors or outdoors), the decor, the season you’re getting married and even your bridesmaids!

Choosing a Colour Palette. The foremost thing to be done is picking up a palette that will help bring the guests and you in the same colour zone. For example, red colour speaks out loud for itself symbolizing passion, love and strong affection, whereas pink symbolizes femininity and sensuality.

Blue stands for calmness and tranquillity, whites can prove to be jaw dropping and of course, white is a very traditional colour for weddings as it signifies purity and innocence. The list of possible colour combinations of course, endless, however a good place to start is to consider the tones and colours which you are most drawn to in your everyday life, as first and foremost, you want your wedding to reflect you and your partner as a couple. Good palette selection will

tie together all the decorating choices you make for your wedding, which is why it’s so important to choose a colour your really love as it will filter through into every area of your big day. Contrast is the new trend that has taken the limelight these days. People prefer a smart yet classy contrast like mint green with lavender, red and cyan.

The idea remains that the effect of these combinations should be stunning and eye popping in addition to having the right colour psychology. This contrast can be developed further with mapping many things you have in your wedding scene.

Your chosen colour scheme can be reflected in your wedding invitations, decors, flowers, wedding cake, chair covers, candelabras, favours, and even lighting. The use of colour can be subtle in many of these elements, with just a hint of your chosen colour theme carried through to create a perfectly coordinated impression without being overpowering.

Linking your colour scheme with the destination or theme of your wedding is a very popular option, with many

couples using their wedding venue as inspiration for their colour theme.

However choosing the right colours for destination weddings is extremely important. Choosing some noncontextual colours for a beach wedding wouldn’t go down well with the theme. Thus, a beach wedding would compliment well with sunset colours like orange.

Or a wedding on an island should preferably infuse hues of blue and turquoise.

If being different is your agenda then colours like hot pink, yellow may dominate the ceremony.

Your wedding memories, and also the all-important wedding snaps, will last a lifetime so don’t take any risks when it comes to choosing your colour scheme – make sure you take expert advice to ensure your wedding is picture perfect.

So seek the advice of the wedding planners and consider the colour that will make your wedding the most colourful occasion of your life. Just trust yourself and your wedding planners and you really won’t go wrong with this.

Pinterest sees a rise Wedding decorations in pork pie wedding cakes Latest findings by Pinterest suggest that wedding traditions are being turned on their head in favour of more creative ideas Pork pie wedding cakes are on the rise, as reported by Pinterest, which has seen a 20% increase in pins of the savoury alternative during 2016.

And this isn't the only unusual form of wedding catering that has grown in popularity with Pinterest users; gold pineapple wedding cakes, cheese wedding cakes and most notably,

geode wedding cakes (which have seen an increase in pins of 200%), have all proved firm favourites.

Uncovering a myriad of statistics that suggest couples are swaying towards more non-conventional weddings, further findings for 2016 include: Boho wedding hair pins - up by 47% Dessert tables - up by 13%, with macaron towers increasing by 52% in the last six months Alternative wedding attire - wedding dress jumpsuits up by 14% in the last

six months Engagement rings are also seeing a shift in convention, with brides opting for non-traditional designs such as morganite (up 62%), opal (up 42%) and pear shaped diamond (over 100% increase) in the past year.

However, classic wedding bands remain popular, with the most soughtafter designs over the last year including solitaire (up 27%), pave (up 24%), three stone (up 58%) and halo rings (up 11%).

on a budget

There’s no need to cut corners when it comes to beautiful decorations for your special occasion, all it takes is a little bit of lateral thinking, and a stash of sello –tape! Here are our top tips for creating your own unique wedding adornments on the cheap.

Table Centrepieces • Summer weddings or those which are taking place near the coast can take their inspiration, and their decor, directly from the sea. Collect an assortment of sea shells and fill clear or coloured vases full of the free ornaments. Your shells can also double as place name settings with a name tag delicately tied around an individual shell.

• There’s something about candlelight which makes it eternally romantic -plus candles are dirt cheap, and you’ll probably be able to get them even cheaper if you buy in bulk. Have a selection of different candles to create different effects.

A range of church candles of varying sizes arranged on top of a mirror adds an extremely glamorous touch to any wedding table. Alternatively you could have tea tree lights floating in a crystal bowl with a few choice petals or flower heads for an elegant centrepiece. If you have a bit of time of your hands, collect glass jam jars and decorate with coloured glass paint.

Pop a tea light candle in after dark and you have your own coloured lanterns.

• For inexpensive floral centrepieces choose flowers which are in season to

keep costs down. If you’re planning your wedding in advance, why not grow your own? Sweet peas are very easy to produce and grow like wildfire in the summer months, they come in a rainbow of colours too so you can coordinate them into you theme easily. You could also call on friends and neighbours for flowers from their gardens.

• Head to the park and pick up some

broken branches from any kind of tree, the more spindly the branch, the better.

Spray your find in either silver or gold and decorate with clear fairy lights.

• Utilise your bridesmaid’s bouquets by using them as the centrepieces for your table.

After the actual ceremony they have little need for their posies so why not put them to good use during the reception?

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Care provided by specialist cancer nurses helps improve life expectancy of patients with lung cancer, says new study A new study looking at the picture of lung cancer care in England finds that patients with lung cancer experience significantly better outcomes in terms of life expectancy, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions and managing the effects of treatment when cared for by specialist lung cancer nurses.

The research, entitled Can nurse specialist working practices reduce the burdens of lung cancer? was presented at the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) conference on 21 June 2018. The work looked at diagnoses between 2007 and 2011 and was undertaken by academics at The University of Nottingham and London South Bank University (LSBU) and funded by the charity, Dimbleby Cancer Care.

The research team used anonymised patient healthcare records available from Public Health England and a nationwide survey of lung cancer nurse specialists (LCNS), analysing more than 100,000 people with lung cancer and more than 200 nurses across England.

The findings, which have yet to be peer-reviewed, indicate that radiotherapy and chemotherapy patients have a lower risk of early death or emergency admission once they have received an assessment and care from a lung cancer nurse specialist (LCNS), particularly if contact began at the time of diagnosis.

Patients within this sample receiving radiotherapy treatment for their cancer were 17 per cent less likely to die in the first year when assessed by a lung cancer nurse specialist than those not assessed, while chemotherapy patients had a reduced mortality risk where nurses reported confidence in working with multi-disciplinary teams.

Patient outcomes These findings also significantly provide an evidence-base for workforce policies governing delivery of the Government’s Cancer Strategy for the UK. The strategy currently faces significant challenges posed by a lack of a substantial specialist cancer workforce. The advanced practice specialist nursing workforce is known to improve patient satisfaction and care quality, but little is currently known about their impact on patient outcomes.

The results of this study show the importance of the timing of LCNS assessment. Early LCNS assessments were associated with a lower risk of emergency cancer admissions for surgical patients, and for those who did not receive anti-cancer therapy, for example those receiving palliative care, this was also associated with proactive management of symptom issues. The results of this study elucidate areas in lung cancer care where improvement could be made, and identify opportunities to lessen the burdens lung cancer places on

healthcare resources and individuals with lung cancer.

Presenting his findings at the Public Health England (PHE) Cancer Services, Data and Outcomes Conference 2018, Assistant Professor Iain Stewart, of The University of Nottingham, said: “A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing moment and guidelines recognise the importance of specialist nurse support for those individuals. We are grateful to be able to use patient records from across the country, which demonstrated that timely nurse involvement and effective multidisciplinary team working can lead to a quantifiably better life with cancer. It is essential that workforces are empowered to deliver the best care.”

Tangible benefit Professor Alison Leary, Chair of

Healthcare Workforce Modelling, London South Bank University (LSBU), said: “This work shows the real tangible benefit of advanced practice nursing in cancer. It is clear that receiving care from a lung nurse specialist is fundamental to better outcomes for patients and families.

Patients with lung cancer nurse specialists not only had a lower risk of dying, but also had a lower risk of being admitted to hospital unnecessarily.”

Vanessa Beattie, Chair of the National Lung Cancer Forum for Nurses said: “The National Lung Cancer Forum for Nurses (NLCFN) welcome the research undertaken confirming the benefits to patients who have access to a lung cancer nurse specialist (LCNS).

This work demonstrates that LCNS are pivotal in the care for patients

and are at the frontline of cancer care.

An increase in the LCNS workforce is required in order to continue to deliver the high quality care of which is reflected in this work.”

Dimbleby Cancer Care was set up in 1966 in memory of broadcaster Richard Dimbleby and is based at Guy’s Cancer Centre in Southwark, London.

It provides practical and psychological support to people living with cancer and to their families and carers. The charity runs the UK wide online directory of support services www. cancercaremap.org which helps people locate care and support services in their local area wherever they are in the UK and has its own information and support centres at Guy’s Cancer Centre and Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup.

The Dimbleby Cancer Care Research Fund awards has awarded over £2.7million in funding since 2004 to research projects looking at all aspects of cancer care.

Jonathan Dimbleby, broadcaster and Chair of Dimbleby Cancer Care said: “This is an invaluable piece of research which shows the real need for a one to one support system can make to an individual’s prognosis.

Through the work Dimbleby Cancer Care does we know the damaging impact cancer can have not just on the individual but also on the network of support that surrounds that person.

By developing a system by which everyone diagnosed has access to a cancer nurse specialist has clear benefits for all. Everyone deserves the opportunity to receive the very best care possible.”

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Healthier options takeaway City tram named after reaches 150 outlet milestone Nottingham’s Nurse of the Year The 150th food outlet has signed up to a healthy food scheme organised by Nottinghamshire County Council.

Working in partnership with district and borough councils across Nottinghamshire, the county council has given a warm welcome to JM’s fish diner in Bassetlaw which has signed up for the Healthier Options Takeaway (HOT) scheme. Healthier options takeaways are committed to offering healthier ways of preparing, cooking and serving food and drink to customers to give them more nutritious choices. JM’s fish diner, based in West Street, Retford, completed a recent audit with Bassetlaw District Council’s environmental health scheme in order to sign up to the scheme. Managed by John Massey, the business has been trading for 16 years and has pledges on offering lower fat spread; offering a meal deal for smaller portion sizes and the introduction of a five hole salt shaker. John said: “It is good to be able to tell customers that we have healthy options available. Fish and chips enjoyed in moderation, and giving people details of the calorific value, mean they can form part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. “We are proud to be the 150th outlet to be signed up to the Healthy Options Takeaway scheme in

Nottinghamshire.”

There are lots of simple steps businesses can take to make their food healthier without compromising on taste, for example: • Offering to grill, bake, poach or steam food instead of frying • Removing salt from tables and counters so customers don’t just add it automatically • Switching to wholegrain pasta, brown rice or wholegrain bread • Offering a vegetable side or salad as a part of a meal option • Switching from double cream to single cream, yoghurt or half fat crème fraiche • Promoting water or low sugar drinks, or • Offering smaller portion options for adults.

The scheme forms part of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy which promotes healthy food and environments. It is part of the strategy aimed at delivering healthy and sustainable communities.

Businesses who sign up to HOT benefit from free marketing material to help promote the scheme as well.

Councillor Dr John Doddy, Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board, at Nottinghamshire County Council

said: “We are delighted to reach this milestone of 150 businesses signed up to Healthy Options Takeaway scheme across the county. Together with our district and borough council partners, we're aiming to increase the amount and variety of healthier options in takeaways across Nottinghamshire to help consumers to maintain a more balanced diet.” Councillor Sue Shaw, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing and HOT Champion at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “I am really happy that the 150th sign up to the HOT scheme is here in Bassetlaw and it’s great to see that healthy options are firmly on the menu. I’d like to commend John and his wife Susan, and all of the HOT outlets across Nottinghamshire for their approach. I hope this encourages other takeaways to sign up and think healthy.”

In order to proactively sign up, businesses need to have a food hygiene rating above 3 and want to make some changes. They need to contact their local Environmental Health Food team at their local district council.

To find a HOT approved takeaway near you visit http://www.nottinghamshire. gov.uk/care/health-and-wellbeing/ healthier-options-takeaways

Priority Lift Services Ltd – Local Stairlift Company Based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire we are a family run company specialising in the installation, repair and servicing of stairlifts across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The decision to install a stairlift is often a very difficult one to make, but when compared with the alternative of moving, or only living on one level of their home, many people have found a

stairlift to be their preferred solution.

The idea of deciding which stairlift is right for you, and having it fitted, can be a daunting one, however they can usually be fitted in a couple of hours and we promise to help and guide you every step of the way.

Having gone through rigorous checks to become members of Checkatrade, Age UK and Trusted Trader it means you are putting your worries in safe hands. We are a husband and wife team with hundreds of very happy customers. Jon has nearly 20 years’ experience in the installation, repair and servicing of all makes and models of stairlifts. Sarah has years of experience in customer care - putting customers at ease in a caring and sympathetic way – we 100% promise no pushy sales talk.

Together we work hard to maintain our reputation for quality, reliability and safety and pride ourselves on our levels of after-sales care. Our commitment to your safety and needs coupled with

our outstanding customer service and 24hr response line means that we’ll have you moving again in no time.

If you want to find out more, please give us a call on 0115 8492386 or visit our website www.priorityliftservices. co.uk – we would love to hear from you.

Nottingham’s Nurse of the Year has celebrated her award win by having a tram named after her. Luisa Avanzado who works as a staff nurse on Berman 2 Ward at Nottingham City Hospital, unveiled tram ‘220’ which was renamed in her honour, at the special ceremony held at Wilkinson Street tram depot this afternoon. This event was fittingly held just one week before the NHS’s 70th birthday celebrations.

Luisa, who is from the Philippines, received the most public votes and was therefore the overall winner of the Nurse of the Year Awards 2018. She also won the title International Nurse of the Year. Speaking at May’s award evening Luisa said: “This award is not just for me, but for all nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants all over the world.” Luisa, who has devoted a decade of her life to caring for patients with unique and complex needs, was accompanied by family and friends at the named tram unveiling today and described the latest accolade as “completely overwhelming”.

She said: “I am very pleased and overwhelmed by this experience as this is a once in a lifetime achievement.

I am proud to be named the Nurse of the Year and I feel very lucky and honoured to have a tram named after me today. I want to thank all members of Team NUH and NET for making it possible. I am completely overwhelmed and would like to thank all those who have supported me.”

Luisa comes from a family of nurses.

With five aunts working as nurses in America she said she knew from a

young age that she wanted to train as a nurse. Now aged 50 and having dedicated 16 years to nursing at NUH, Luisa says it is the backing of her friends and colleagues who have made her who she is today.

She added: “I’ve had big support from my family, friends and colleagues. It was the deputy ward manager Sonny who nominated me for my award and I am so proud of this achievement.

My commitment is really looking after patients who are really ill and this is my passion.” Sonny Mandac, Deputy Ward Manager for Respiratory Medicine, who works with Luisa said: “Luisa is lovely and provides excellent care for her patients, she is a super nurse and we are so lucky to have her working for us. She provides direct patient care and it was great to see that some of her patients were so pleased with her care that they voted for her for the Nurse of the Year award category.” The awards are aimed at highlighting the contribution of local nurses and midwives was organised by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), Nottingham Express Transit (NET) and the Nottingham Post. Mandie Sunderland, NUH Chief Nurse, said Luisa demonstrates all the qualities patients have come to expect from City Hospital nurses.

She said: “These awards demonstrate just how many truly exceptional and talented staff we have working across our hospitals and in the community who continually go the extra mile to provide the very best quality care to our patients and their

families. Many congratulations to Luisa our international Nurse of the Year winner and overall winner for 2018. Having Luisa’s name on a tram for the year puts nursing and our hospital right into the heart of the local community in Nottingham, where we have an important role to play.

The relationship between NUH, NET and Nottingham Post is unique in my experience and one that enables these fantastic awards which recognise the outstanding contributions of our nurse and midwives, to be possible.”

Adrian Wallace, Chief Executive of NET concessionaire Tramlink Nottingham, explained: “We’re proud to carry the name of a local nurse on the side of one of our trams as it’s a constant reminder of commitment, compassion and dedication that’s typical of the entire profession.

“The competition itself has also strengthened the close links between the city’s tramway and local hospitals.

In fact, the dedicated QMC stop is one of the busiest on the network, with thousands of people every day relying on the tram to get to work on the wards, make an outpatient’s appointment or to visit a loved one.”

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Latest call to parents

for funded free childcare Parents and carers of three and four year olds are being invited to find out if they are eligible for more funded free childcare for the coming autumn term.

All working parents with children aged three and four are now entitled to 30 hours a week, 1,140 hours a year. By helping with childcare costs, parents are now able to consider returning to work and/or increase the hours they currently work. The Government states that people must earn at least £120 a week and that each parent must not earn £100,000 or more a year.

People could still be eligible if they or their partner is on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, are unable to work if they have a disability or caring responsibilities. Single parents can

also apply. Parents of children born before 1st September 2015 can apply anytime up to the August 31 cut-off date, but we would advise that they apply before the end of July to be sure of receiving a code in time to start the autumn term.

Councillor Boyd Elliott, ViceChairman of the Children and Young People’s Committee, at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “It is coming up to the time of year that parents need to apply for September and the funding does help to reduce the financial burden of childcare.

“Nottinghamshire also has an excellent provision of Ofsted registered childcare providers providing a lot of choice and quality

New anti-clotting drugs linked

to lower risk of serious bleeding

New drugs used to treat serious blood clots, known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), are associated with reduced risks of major bleeding compared with the older anti-clotting drug, warfarin, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Nottingham. The findings, published in the BMJ, provide initial reassurance about the safety of DOACs as an alternative to warfarin for all new patients.

For many years, warfarin has been the main treatment for potentially fatal blood clots, known as venous thromboembolism (VTE).

But DOACs are increasingly being used as an alternative to warfarin because patients don’t need regular tests to check if they have the right amount of drug in their bloodstream. Clinical trials have shown a reduced or similar risk of major bleeding for DOACs compared with warfarin.

But such trials involve only carefully selected patients, so bleeding rates often do not reflect those seen in everyday, ‘real world’ clinical practice.

In addition, most observational studies have included only patients with irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation or AF), creating an information gap for patients without this condition.

To fill this gap, researchers at the University’s Division of Primary Care, set out to investigate the risks and benefits associated with the three commonest types of DOACs (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban) compared with warfarin in patients with and without AF. The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research.

Using data from two large UK primary care databases, they identified 196,061 patients who started or restarted anticoagulants (after more than a 12-month gap) between 2011 and 2016.

A total of 132,231 patients were taking warfarin, 7,744 dabigatran, 37,863 rivaroxaban, and 18,223 apixaban. Overall 53% (103,270) were diagnosed with AF and 47% (92,791)

were prescribed anticoagulants for other conditions. Patients were monitored for major bleeds leading to hospital admission or death, ischaemic stroke, VTE, and death from any cause (“all-cause mortality”).

After taking acount of several known risk factors, the researchers found that apixaban was associated with a lower risk of major bleeding, particularly brain and gastric bleeds, in patients with and without AF, compared with warfarin.

They also found a lower risk of brain bleeds associated with use of dabigatran in patients with AF - and with use of rivaroxaban in patients without AF - compared with warfarin.

Rivaroxaban and low dose apixaban were, however, associated with increased risks of deaths from any cause in all patients when compared with warfarin, which may reflect closer monitoring of patients taking warfarin or may be related to other underlying conditions, suggest the researchers.

Overall, apixaban had the lowest numbers needed to treat over six months to avoid one extra major bleed (182 patients with AF and 138 without), compared with warfarin. In contrast, rivaroxaban had the lowest numbers needed to harm to observe one extra death (202 with AF and 61 without).

The researchers point out that this is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and they outline some limitations, such as possible misclassification due to patients not taking their medication.

Nevertheless, they say their study shows that “the risk of major bleeding is lower in apixaban users regardless of the reason for prescribing, appearing to show apixaban to be the safest drug.”

“Our results give an initial, reassuring, indication of the risk patterns for all patients taking anticoagulants, in particular with respect to those prescribed apixaban,” they conclude.

childcare for parents and carers.”

For more information and to find out your eligibility visit: Childcare choices. Successful applicants will then receive a code which they then take to their chosen childcare provider as soon as possible. Funded free childcare places are available at a range of early years settings including nursery schools, day nurseries, pre-schools and childminders. For a list of the early years settings included in the Nottinghamshire Directory of Providers, visit: www. nottshelpyourself.org.uk Those applying late last year were unable to take up their extended hours until the following term – so please don’t delay.

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Work on new playing space for children of Bilborough begins The build started on a major play space for Bilborough yesterday, based on a wide public consultation and addressing a local need for accessible and safe places to play. The park will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the whole community to enjoy. There is currently no play area for the area so the project has been a blank canvas on which to work and explore ideas. It is envisaged the site will be open for the school summer holidays. After the consultation period, several designs were worked up and local residents were asked to choose the scheme they most preferred.

The result is a design with lots of opportunities for climbing, sliding, jumping, swinging, and exploring.

Many of the areas are designed for children to play together, encouraging role play, imagination and learning.

The community also wanted the site to be highly accessible. There will be wide spaces between areas and sections with wheelchair access. A sensory experience area has also been incorporated to allow those with visual impairments to play and enhance their

experience. This includes a solar powered sound experience where users can hear music as they swing.

Other highlights include the HMS Nottingham – Enter via the wheelchair accessible ramps to this interactive ship incorporating slide, tunnels and its own telescope as well as nets to scramble up. There will also be a giant trampoline which is more than large enough for a group of children to bounce together. This was one of the key requests from the community consultation. The various areas of the site will be linked by model road and roundabout systems which will encourage users to bring their bikes and scooters and to learn road safety.

This has been highly successful on the Victoria Embankment park site which opened around a year ago and it is likely there will be some road safety courses on the site.

The whole site will be linked to the Biba App which can be downloaded for free and does not require an internet connection once downloaded.

This means users can scan markers to unlock puzzles, challenges and

rewards as they play. The development will cost £130,000 in total with local company WREN contributing £60,000. WREN is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, biodiversity and heritage projects from funds donated by FCC Environment through the Landfill Communities Fund and Scottish Landfill Communities Fund.

Councillor Wendy Smith, Nottingham City Council Ward Councillor for Bilborough said: We are delighted that the project is now starting to take shape. It’s great to see our vision for this vital community facility moving closer to reality. We are extremely grateful for the funding WREN has given us and we’re looking forward to opening to the public.”

Cheryl Raynor, WREN’s grant manager for Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire said: “It’s always nice to see something we have funded start to take shape. We’re delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile project and look forward to it benefiting the children in the local area.”

Children’s Book Award celebrates 17-year anniversary!

The annual Nottingham Children’s Book Award has celebrated its 17th birthday in style. The awards, which were launched in 2001, have been targeted at pre-school children since 2008 and aim to get young children excited about reading.

Library staff and local school children whittled down the long list to a shortlist of three, and between February and June library staff visited early-years settings to read the books and ask children to vote for their favourite.

Families were also encouraged to read the Book Award books together in the library and vote for their favourite; sharing books is a great way for young children to experience stories and develop a love of reading.

Over 5000 children took part. The winner of the Nottingham Children’s Book Award 2018 is Neon Leon by Jane Clarke and Britta Teckentrup (published by Nosy Crow) Jane Clarke and Britta Teckentrup have written and illustrated well over

100 books between them and they won this year’s competition with 38% of the vote.

The runners up were: Bedtime with Ted by Sophy Henn (published by Bloomsbury) and Giraffe and Frog by Zehra Hicks (published by Two Hoots) Councillor Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Localities, said: “Nottingham Children’s Book Award is a great annual opportunity for young

children to let us know which books they really enjoy. Introducing children to books at an early age fires their imagination, entertains and educates – and can lead to a lifelong love of reading, as many of the children who voted in the early years of the book award would testify. Libraries remain a great source of free books for babies and young children and I would encourage parents to take advantage of all they have to offer.”

Sales E: sales@nottingham-now.co.uk | T: 0115 6972670

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Sales E: sales@nottingham-now.co.uk | T: 0115 6972670

raf recruitment No need to book an appointment, just pop into our office at Wheeler Gate just off Market Square in Nottingham.

Mon – Fri 0900 -1600 Or call: 0115 9572424 Or visit: www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment One of our friendly and experienced advisors will answer any questions you may have and let you know all

the options available to you. Bring a friend or member of your family with you if you wish.

• Receive high quality civilian recognised training at twice the average national pay for an apprenticeship.

• Heavily subsidised food and accommodation, leaving you even more spending money.

• Free medical, dental and Gym pass.

• Take part in adventurous training and sport.

• Do something positive with your life.

• Travel the world.

• Lots of time off to see your family and friends.

• Great career opportunities for all levels of education.

Fast-track your career into the healthcare profession

…work as a phlebotomist!

An increasing demand for skilled healthcare professionals has led to a shortage of allied healthcare workers, especially phlebotomists the skilled healthcare professionals who take your blood. Demand is at an all-time high with hospitals, clinics and GP Surgeries offering a golden opportunity for that “longed for” career change! If you have good people skills and manual dexterity, and like the idea of working in a busy healthcare environment, a phlebotomist job may be just the job for you!

Many people enter this profession when they are looking for a career change or a fresh start and they often have no previous qualifications or experience in healthcare. Phlebotomists can work part time (usually mornings) but also may choose to work full time as well as weekends, holidays and bank work.

Blood samples are usually collected before mid-day and then analysed in your local hospital’s Path Lab in the afternoon.

“We train people from all walks of life and all ages” explains Lauren, Geopace office manager. “We’ve had school leavers, shop assistants, receptionists, beauticians and dental nurses, as well as telesales staff, unemployed and the retired who are looking for a challenge. We also have referrals from JobCentres, who can sometimes fund your course in full” says Lauren.

Once you are on the healthcare career ladder there are often opportunities to progress into other areas, such as working in the hospital path lab or other departments. Promotion is much easier once you are “on the ladder” and have some experience behind you.

Many Geopace students are now working as phlebotomists throughout the UK and a few have even chosen to work abroad where there is often a similar shortage and growing demand for this specialised skill. An interesting booklet featuring student’s “Success Stories” is written by the student’s

themselves and looks at how they have made the move from wide and varied backgrounds to find themselves now working as phlebotomists. A copy can be downloaded from the Geopace website’s testimonials page.

If you like the idea of a challenging career in healthcare and particularly in phlebotomy then this may be the perfect move for you! The comprehensive training course last a full two days and culminates in the award of a nationally recognised and accredited certificate. “We practice taking blood from artificial arms”, says Lauren “and everyone on our course has a lot of fun! We get a great deal of satisfaction later on when we hear from our students that they are working for their local GP surgery or in their local hospital.”

If you would like to know more about phlebotomy as a career or to book a place on the course visit Geopace Training’s website at www.geopace. com

Sales E: sales@nottingham-now.co.uk | T: 0115 6972670

Clean Air Strategy The Government has published its Clean Air Strategy for consultation and can be found at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/ environmental-quality/clean-air-strategy-consultation Air pollution is a significant threat to public health, comparable to cancer, obesity and heart disease. The proposals, which aim to cut air pollution and save lives, include ambitious new goals for particulate matter in line with World Health Organisation recommendations and the introduction of new primary legislation, which will give local government new powers to improve air quality.

This is the UK's first Clean Air Strategy to commit to the comprehensive action required across all parts of Government and society to clean up our air. It is one of the first strategies to be published as part of the 25 Year Environment Plan.

The consultation closes on 14 August and details of how to respond are included in the consultation.

If you have any questions on this consultation, please email: cleanair.consultations@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Notts warning

for imported dogs

Nottinghamshire residents considering importing a rare breed dog from abroad are being urged to check that it has been vaccinated against rabies and parasites to avoid expensive quarantine costs. The County Council’s Trading Standards team has the powers to place an illegally imported dog, cat or other mammal into quarantine for a minimum 21 days if it has not been microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and parasites, or does not have a valid pet passport under current UK and European legislation. The Council recently worked with a local resident who purchased a rare breed dog from Eastern Europe only to find the animal was vaccinated earlier than the required 12 weeks as set out by law.

As a result, the owner will have to pay quarantine costs of up to £1,000 to protect the public. People who refuse to pay the costs in this situation could face the prospect of the animal being exported back to the country of origin or being euthanised. Councillor Gordon Wheeler, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Communities and Place Committee, said: “Where possible it’s always best to buy a dog in the UK where you can visit the breeder and check out the animal before buying. “However, if you’re buying from abroad you need to check with the breeder or importer and the paperwork that the dog has received the vaccinations at the right time along with the other requirements to avoid the heartache of the animal going into quarantine.”

The Council has the following tips when looking for a dog in the UK: • always go to a reputable breeder and be prepared to be put on a waiting list • visit the puppy at home with its mother to see how the puppy behaves and the conditions it is being raised in • buy from a Kennel Club Assured Breeder if buying a pedigree dog as these breeders must follow rules to protect the health of the puppies they sell • ask to see the relevant health test certificates for the puppy’s parents • consider rehoming an older dog from an animal rescue centre. People can report concerns about an illegal imported animal by contacting the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506.

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Four-Year-Old Golfer

Records Hole in One!

Lowest Golf Handicaps in the World Sales E: sales@nottingham-now.co.uk | T: 0115 6972670

IT SEEMS crazy to think that when Ian Poulter took the decision to turn professional he did so with a handicap of four. The Englishman had no plans to become a tournament golfer; instead he planned to work in a shop at his local club, maybe give a few lessons, sells a few golf balls and book some tee times. History will record that he went on to defy all the odds, becoming a talisman for Europe in the Ryder Cup, winning golf tournaments on both the PGA and European Tours.

But Poulter is a freak, a one-off. These days, anybody who plays off four would be best advised just to carry on playing the game for fun, because they will never make a living on tour.

A number of today’s PGA Tour stars have retained membership of various golf clubs, and you are not going to believe the handicaps they play off.

Bubba Watson plays off +7.7 at Isleworth Country Club in Florida, while Whisper Rock Golf Club in

Four-year-old Abhay Kapoor incredibly recorded a hole-in-one during a recent golf lesson at the 3 Hammers Golf Complex in Wolvehampton, stunning those watching. The youngster emulated the achievement of his hero Aaron Rai, who had done the same at the European Tour's BMW International just a day before.

Abhay’s dad Shiv couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing, especially after seeing Aaron hole out the day before, “Me and Abhay’s coach at 3 Hammers, Kyle Cooper, were speaking about Aaron Rai’s Hole in One at the BMW just before Abhay’s lesson. For him to then go and emulate his hero and do the same in that very lesson is incredible. I’m so proud of him.”

Abhay took up golf a year ago aged 3 and has proven to be a natural. He’s received coaching at 3 Hammers Golf Academy from Kyle but has also been greatly inspired by Aaron Rai, as Shiv continues, “Abhay’s met Aaron Rai a few times and was recently at a Q&A with him at 3 Hammers. Aaron spoke about focus and discipline and Abhay’s worked even harder on his game ever since. Straight after he got his hole in one he turned to me and said ‘Daddy, see! I work hard for you!’ I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!”

Abhay’s Hole in One comes straight off the back of his first ever tournament win the week before.

He secured top spot in the regional qualifier for the ‘Wee Wonders’ Golf Tour the previous week playing against 5 and 6 year olds, and while a tournament victory at the age of 4 might seem unlikely Kyle thinks that it will be the first of many for Abhay, “Seeing Abhay follow in his hero’s footsteps comes as no great surprise.

Winning his regional at the Wee Wonders and getting a Hole in One in the same week are fantastic achievements, but Abhay’s love of being on the golf course shines through as much as his ability. It’s exciting to see him achieving great things so early, but even more exciting to see the enjoyment and confidence he’s getting from the game.”

Next on Abhay’s radar is the Regional Final of the Wee Wonders on 25th July where he will take on the best 5 and 6 year olds in the area. With his first Hole in One in the bag and brimming with confidence, the last word goes to Abhay on his achievements, “I’m really happy I got a hole in one like Aaron and I’m going to work hard to get better at golf!”

For more information about 3 Hammers, visit http:// www.3hammers.co.uk.

Arizona boasts many Tour pros as members, including Phil Mickelson (+5.2), Martin Kaymer (+6.6), Paul Casey (+6) and Geoff Ogilvy (+5.8).

Remember that they will only play in competitions at those courses every once in a blue moon. Imagine what those handicaps would be if they played there every week.

The PGA Tour boasts “these guys are good”. They are actually better than that.

The harsh reality is that most scratch golfers would struggle if they were to tee it up on a course prepared for the PGA Tour. And if you gave them the chance to play at Augusta, as it is set up for The Masters, they would do well to crack 90.

Most aspiring professionals leave the amateur ranks with seriously low handicaps. Sergio Garcia, who was a prodigy from a very early age and played in a host of European Tour events as a young amateur, turned

pro with a handicap of +6, and that is not unusual. Phil Mickelson and Shaun Micheel were also off +6, while Jim Furyk and Ben Curtis joined the professional ranks when their handicaps were +seven. Jack Nicklaus was off +4, Annika Sorenstam +3 and David Duval +1. Oh yes, and some guy called Tiger Woods joined the paid ranks when his official handicap was +8. Just imagine adding up your score after 18 holes and then having to ADD eight shots. The next time your handicap is cut from 17 to 15, you might want to spare a thought for these

World Cup of Darts teammate Martin Schindler secured his passage to the last 32 with an emphatic 6-1 triumph over Dutchman Mario Robbe and he will now face Joe Cullen. Maik Langendorf was the fourth German qualifier to progress to the second day of action, seeing off PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour Order of Merit leader Michael Barnard 6-1 to set up a clash with Gerwyn Price. Michael van Gerwen will face in-form Ryan Joyce, who also recorded a 6-1 win over Mark Wilson, while second seed Michael Smith will take on Jelle Klaasen after the Dutch star's much-needed 6-3 win over Dragutin Horvat. Rene Eidams was the only other German player who failed to make it through to the second round, as he went down to Robert Thornton, who will now meet James Wilson. The final game of the night saw Luke Humphries hold his nerve to claim a vital 6-5 win over Ronny Huybrechts and he will now play Darren Webster. Andy Boulton beat Cristo Reyes 6-4 to set up a tie with in-form Steve Beaton, while Lithuania's Darius Labanauskas will meet Stephen Bunting after his 6-2 win against Belgian youngster Mike De Decker. Chris Dobey powered through to round two with a 6-1 victory over Jamie Bain and he will now take on

Kim Huybrechts.

World Champion Rob Cross will face Wiliam O'Connor after his 6-1 triumph over Martin Atkins, while Justin Pipe kept his hopes of making the World Matchplay alive with a 6-3 victory over Vincent van der Voort and he will now play Simon Whitlock.

Paul Rowley won through to the second round of a European Tour event for the first time thanks to his 6-3 defeat of Darren Johnson and he will now take on Players Championship 15 winner Mervyn King.

Jason Lowe edged a high-quality contest on his Euro Tour debut as he beat Keegan Brown 6-5 to set up a meeting with Jonny Clayton.

Russia's Boris Koltsov also enjoyed a winning debut on the European Tour with a 6-2 win over Robert Owen in the opening game of the tournament and he will now play Danish Darts Open winner Mensur Suljovic.

Saturday's second round action sees the 16 seeded players enter the tournament, with coverage to be streamed from 1.15pm and 7.15pm local time.

The European Darts Matchplay will be broadcast throughout the weekend for PDCTV-HD Subscribers, and through a series of bookmakers' websites worldwide.

guys. Being good is not easy.

Our current leader, Matthew Jordan making the infamous Road Hole look easy with a stunning approach. #LinksTrophy pic.twitter.com/zjviXfQEEh. — St Andrews Links (@TheHomeofGolf) June 11, 2017. Matthew Jordan, a young Englishman ranked eighth in the amateur world golf rankings, won the 2018 Lytham Trophy with a four-round total of 272, which was eight under par - this on a venue that is used to host The Open Championship. His reward? Young Mr Jordan now plays off +7! And he is only the eighth-best amateur in the world. And then consider that no matter how low you get, it can never guarantee you success. In 2011, the best golfers in Australia were John Begley and Matthew Giles, who both played off +5. Have you ever heard of either of them? Precisely.

European Darts Matchplay Day One ROBERT MARIJANOVIC produced the performance of the day with a 6-3 win over Jermaine Wattimena at the European Darts Matchplay, as the European Tour event began in Hamburg on Friday.

The German ace, playing in his second European Tour event of the year, threw an impressive 101.28 average to progress to the second round of the weekend's £135,000 event.

Marijanovic was one of four German qualifiers to claim first round victories as he started the game in blistering fashion, racing into a 4-0 lead over in-form Wattimena, who made backto-back Players Championship semifinals earlier this month.

The Dutchman fought back to reduce the deficit to 4-3, but it was to be Marijanovic's day as he reeled off the last two legs to the delight of the German crowd, and set up a round two tie with fourth seed Daryl Gurney.

"It is an amazing feeling to win in front of this crowd," said Marijanovic, who won his Tour Card at the start of the year. "I am so pleased that I performed on such a big stage and now I want to keep up this level.

"I can't wait to play in front of this great crowd again tomorrow and if I keep playing well I could go far this weekend."

Fellow-German Max Hopp also delighted the Hamburg crowd, defeating Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 to set up a meeting with Players Championship 16 winner Ian White in tomorrow's second round. Hopp's

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