Saturday 16 December 2017

PARKINSON’S UK

Long Eaton and District Branch
Christmas celebrations began on 4th December with the annual carvery at Trent Lock Golf Centre. Around 80 members attended and all enjoyed a lovely meal of turkey, beef or salmon with a huge range of vegetables. This was followed by the Christmas Social on 14th December at Risley Memorial Hall. The Salvation Army led the carol singing, and further entertainment was provided by Bob Stokes, a singer / guitarist originally from Dublin. He covered a large range of musical styles and took requests from the audience. At the end, he was joined at the microphone by one of our newer members! The afternoon closed with a buffet and a grand raffle.
The next branch meeting will be on Thursday 11th January 2018 at 2pm at Risley Memorial Hall. Anyone interested in joining the branch, or the exercise classes, please contact John Shirt (Chair) on 0115 9728085 / 077030677949.

DOVEDALE YOUNGSTERS ARE CHAMPION


Pupils at Long Eaton’s Dovedale Primary School are continuing to work with Erewash Borough Council’s Arts Development Team on some key events in the borough. Dovedale is a ‘Champion School’ for the council’s annual Erewash Festival of Light programme and pupils and teachers have been a part of the events in 2107 and now into 2018 as well. The Festival of Light is a rolling programme of activities, free festivals and events celebrating a range of traditional and culturally diverse celebrations from September to February each year – including Harvest Moon, Diwali, the Civic Bonfire and Fireworks display, the Christmas Lights Switch On, Winter Solstice and Chinese New Year. This year, Dovedale Primary are starting their journey towards Arts Council England’s Artsmark accreditation, a creative quality standard for schools that promotes bringing learning to life through arts and culture. The school was keen to work with the Arts Development team across the Festival of Light programme. Sarah Houseman, the school’s Head teacher, says:

“We have been delighted to take part – not only is it excellent evidence for our Artsmark application but, more importantly, the children and teachers have learnt new skills, had great fun creating their masterpieces and really enjoyed extending the school’s community links”

Councillor Mike Wallis, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture and Leisure, has welcomed the school’s work with the council:

“We are delighted that Dovedale teachers have so enthusiastically embraced this opportunity to work with our Arts Development team. The children have learnt new skills through this connection and they have so willingly grabbed the chance to take part in some of our biggest community events. Well done to all.”

Pupils have enjoyed activities and workshops with a range of artists and performers, including:

A Diwali residency with Sanjukta Sahu teaching pupils a group Indian dance and the story of Diwali through movement culminating in a performance before family and friends at Friesland Performing Arts Centre. Creating lanterns with Ann Levett for a display at the Civic Bonfire and Fireworks event in West Park, Long Eaton. Making snowmen themed lanterns in workshops with Anna Roebuck for an illuminated procession during the Christmas Lights Switch-on event in Long Eaton town centre. Discussions are now underway for Dovedale’s creative involvement for the Chinese New Year celebration in Erewash. The school will take part in activities culminating in a Long Eaton based finale performance for family and friends.
 
Meanwhile, residents can join Year of the Dog celebrations on Saturday 17th February with lantern making workshops at Erewash Museum between 12.30pm and 5pm (£1.50 per person) followed by a lantern procession moving up to Ilkeston Market Place for dragon dancing and Chinese music.

 

Tuesday 12 December 2017

LET THERE BE LIGHT



 
Residents living in the Wilsthorpe ward of Long Eaton now have their own decorated Christmas tree to celebrate the festive season. The official ‘switch-on’ was held on Friday 15th December to light up the tree, which is at the Wilsthorpe Tavern site on Wilsthorpe Road. The Deputy Mayor of Erewash and Councillor for the Wilsthorpe ward, Councillor Chris Corbett, was joined by Councillor Michael Powell, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning and a fellow Councillor for Wilsthorpe, for the ceremony.
The tree and decorations were provided by Costain Galliford Try, the company that is working with Highways England to transform the M1 stretch between junctions 23a and 25 into a Smart Motorway. The company’s Senior Community Relations Manager, Richard Paddey, was at the ceremony as was Wilsthorpe Tavern Landlord Sam Taylor, with the pub having supplied the space for the tree and the electricity for the lighting. Councillor Chris Corbett, the Deputy Mayor of Erewash, says:

“As local councillors we have had a long-standing ambition to provide a Christmas tree for the centre of the Wilsthorpe ward and our grateful thanks go to Costain Galliford Try for making this possible. We know the local residents greatly appreciate the new tree.”

The third borough councillor for Wilsthorpe, Councillor Kewal Athwal, who is also a Derbyshire County Councillor, also helped work in partnership with Costain Galliford Try but was not able to attend the lighting-up ceremony.
 
PHOTO: Pictured left to right are Councillor Michael Powell, Wilsthorpe Tavern Landlord Sam Taylor, Councillor Chris Corbett and Richard Paddey, Senior Community Relations Manager at Costain Galliford Try.
 

Sunday 10 December 2017

CHAMBER OF TRADE CHRISTMAS DINNER

The Long Eaton Chamber of Trade held its Christmas dinner at Apple Tree Catering on Elm Avenue on Thursday evening 7th December when they enjoyed Christmas menu and a musical carol quiz. This resulted with everyone joining in at the end of the evening with a sing along. There was a prize for the best and worst!! 
The Long Eaton Chamber of Trade has had another good year linking up with the Long Eaton Carnival, a special launch of Long Eaton "UK Centre of quality Upholstery Manufacture" support by Erewash Borough Council, the charity stalls at the switching on the Christmas lights and a few new members. For more details go to www.longeatonchamber.org.uk

Friday 8 December 2017

HAZELWOOD FAMILIES PETITION COUNCIL

On 6th December 2017, families and campaigners challenged plans by Conservative run Derbyshire County Council to close Hazelwood, the last council run care home in Ilkeston. A petition signed by 3813 people was presented and families and campaigners asked questions from the public gallery. Catherine Atkinson, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Erewash said: “You can’t do this to vulnerable elderly people at Christmas. Today the Cabinet member ignored our specific questions and just gave a vague answer, it was totally unsatisfactory. I can’t decide whether the way the Tory Council are handling this is incompetent or cruel.” “I asked why DCC was reneging on its promise to the people of Ilkeston that it would continue to have a council care home in the town. They gave no answer and no commitment that residents would be able to stay in Ilkeston should it close. The Conservative Cabinet member admitted that closing Hazelwood would be breach of their manifesto promise “not to close an existing old people' s home until a new one was available for residents”” Georgina Thornley said: “We are a strong united campaign and will continue to fight the planned closure for the sake of all our relatives, who want to stay there.
We are asking the Council administration to stop, and change their minds now, so our families don’t have this ruin their Christmas.”
Background: The previous Labour council administration had pledged to keep Hazelwood open. Before that, the previous Conservative administration had tried to close every care home in Derbyshire. For further details contact Catherine on 07786462990.

Top: Campaigners at Derbyshire County Council in Matlock. Including families of residents of Hazelwood care home. Family member Georgina Thornley presenting petition to the Cabinet member Cllr Jean Wharmby. With Catherine Atkinson, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Erewash. Danny Treacy, Erewash Borough Councillor for Cotmanhay. Left: Catherine Atkinson puts Councillors on the spot with a question from the public gallery.

Friday 1 December 2017

CHURCH WILNE ROTARY

The members of the Rotary Club of Church Wilne welcomed Graham Hayes to its speaker meeting at the Royal Oak in Ockbrook on Monday 27th November. Graham’s subject was British Submarine Warfare 1900 to 1948 coupled with details of much earlier attempts to successfully construct one. The first Submarine was around 1620 was produced by a Dutchman who demonstrated it to James 1st but was just like two rowing boats stuck together. Other examples were spoken about from the Nautilus in 1800, the Hurley in 1864 and the first torpedo by Richard Whitehead in 1875. In 1900 Britain’s first Sea Lord said that the submarine was unfair and unbritish and was a weapon of a weaker nation. At this time France and Germany were steadily building up their own fleet Graham spoke about Britain’s first five A class built in 1902 when trials around the Isle of Wight 4 broke down and reliability was a problem From this the C and D class were developed which again were very limited until the D Class which was much more reliable and had a range of 2,500 miles with a radio and 6 torpedoes onboard. The members heard the improvements over several years including a sea trial of K13 when the crew of 3lost their lives. WW1 saw the domination of the German U Boats and in September 1914 a U Boat spotted 3 British ships and torpedoed and sank them with 1,450 losing their lives. The Lusitania was sunk on 7th May 1915 which resulted in America hardening their stance against Germany but they didn’t actually enter the war until 1917 Graham moved onto WW2 when in 1939 we suffered three server blows when HMS Thetis sank when being launched in Liverpool harbour and 99 lost their lives with just 4 surviving. Then the Royal Oak was sunk in Scapa Flow by a U Boat with 833 lost at sea and then HMS Triton and the HMS Oxley lost its bearings and was sunk by HMS Triton. Life at sea created a strong bond of the 50 crew who were all very young and the oldest being the Captain who was near to 25. There was little sense of night or day and it was very unpleasant like the tropics. The waste and rubbish was dumped in the sea overnight and within 10 days at sea the only food remaining on board was in cans. During WW2 we lost 73 of our submarines with over 3,500 loosing their lives and Churchill said “Of all the branches in the force there are non better that those on the submarines” The Club’s vote of thanks was given by Mick White who said it had been a thought provoking and interesting talk and having been around a submarine he found it very compact and life must have been most difficult.
 
On 16th July 1914, the crew of U-9 reloaded her torpedo tubes while submerged, the first time any submarine had succeeded in doing so. On 1st August 1914, Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen took command. On 22nd September, while patrolling the Broad Fourteens, a region of the southern North Sea, U-9 found a squadron of three obsolescent British Cressy-class armoured cruisers (HMS Aboukir, HMS Hogue, and HMS Cressy, sardonically nicknamed the "Live Bait Squadron"), which had been assigned to prevent German surface vessels from entering the eastern end of the English Channel. She fired four of her torpedoes, reloading while submerged, and sank all three in less than an hour. 1,459 British sailors died.[4] It was one of the most notable submarine actions of all time. Members of the Admiralty who had considered submarines mere toys no longer expressed that opinion after this event.

Tuesday 28 November 2017

LIFE FOR SPONDON MURDERER

A husband has been jailed for life for murdering his wife after attacking her at the house they shared in Spondon.Paul Sherratt was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, November 27th after pleading guilty earlier this month to Jane Sherratt’s murder. He was given a life term, with a minimum tariff of 16 years.
Sherratt attacked his wife at their home in Avondale Road on January 7th before calling the police. He had also injured himself. The couple were taken to hospital, where Jane (60) remained with serious head injuries. She died in hospital on May 7th. Sherratt, 57, was discharged from hospital shortly after the attack and he was arrested and later charged with attempted murder. The charge changed once Jane passed away. Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Lesley Smith said: “The attack on Jane was an horrendous, brutal sustained assault committed by the person Jane should have been safest with; her husband Paul. The attack was totally unprovoked and Jane had no means to defend herself. Even though Paul did contact the after the assault and he offered Jane no aid as she lay severely injured. Jane tragically passed away after spending months in hospital fighting for survival. Paul Sherratt has never provided any reason as to why he attacked Jane, and chose not to plead guilty as the earliest opportunity. Jane was a muchloved sister, aunt, friend and teacher. Our thoughts are very much with Jane’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. We would also like to pay tribute to Jane’s brother, who throughout the whole investigation has shown incredible dignity.”

FREE 24 HOUR FESTIVE PARKING

Erewash Borough Council will once again offer 24-hour FREE parking in all its car parks, with the exception of Long Eaton Railway Station, over the busy festive season. The council has confirmed that its car parks will be free from Monday 11th December to Wednesday 27th December 2017 inclusive – an initiative aimed at giving a major boost for town centre traders and shoppers during the run-up to Christmas and over the festive break. Councillor Michael Powell, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning, says: “The Christmas free parking scheme remains a key part of our on-going drive to support our town centres and we know this good news will once again be warmly welcomed by traders, residents and visitors to the borough. We have excellent markets and shops in Ilkeston and Long Eaton - as well as local shops in villages across the borough - so we hope residents will use the free parking and shop locally to show their support this festive season.” All of the council’s car parks are part of the scheme, with the exception of the Long Eaton Railway Station commuters’ car park.

Sunday 26 November 2017

FESTIVE SCENES AT THE MUSEUM

The award winning Erewash Museum will be transformed into a Winter Wonderland of seasonal celebration during December leading up to the Christmas break. The three-week festive wonderland will see the stables area of the museum’s historic Dalby House home decked out with all things Christmas, creating a magical scene where children can take part in a themed activity trail until Saturday 23rd December. Visitors can drop in to see the displays between 10am and 4pm on each of the museum’s usual opening days. As part of the celebration the museum hosts its popular Christmas Fayre on Saturday 2nd December between 11am-3pm when visitors have a chance to pick up gifts from a range of craft stalls. Santa will also be visiting and there is a chance to meet some reindeer. Admission is £1.50 for children over the age of 2 – free admission for adults (16 and over) and babies. Father Christmas will return for three Santa Saturdays, on 9th, 16th and 23rd December when he will be in residence in The Stables between 10.30am-3.30pm. Children can visit him for £2.50, which includes a present to take home. Councillor Mike Wallis, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture and Leisure, says: “We love to deck out the halls of Erewash Museum every December and we know the whole wonderland and Christmas celebration is very popular with families. It’s a magical time and gives families a chance to get together and enjoy some festive fun in the lead up to the big day.”

Friday 24 November 2017

EREWASH CONGRATULATES ROYAL COUPLE

Erewash Borough Council has sent its warmest congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on behalf of the residents of the borough following the announcement of the royal engagement today. In a letter sent to Clarence House, the Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Mary Hopkinson, says: “As Mayor of the Borough of Erewash here in Derbyshire, it gives me the greatest of pleasure on behalf of the Authority and the citizens of the Borough, to write and offer our sincere congratulations to His Royal Highness and Ms Markle on their engagement. May we wish them both a lifetime of happiness together.”
The council has also confirmed that it will make a small fund available to help local organisations and groups host street parties to celebrate the royal wedding next spring. Councillor Carol Hart, Leader of the Council, says: “We share the nation’s delight at this wonderful news and we are pleased to be able to announce that a small amount of money will be available to help, wherever possible, those who organise street parties for this roya l occasion. I have no doubt that the Erewash borough will join the nationwide wedding celebrations to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan and wish them great happiness for their life together.” A similar fund for street parties was provided by the council for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.