THE BEESTONIAN ISSUE 63 by The Beestonian

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Issue No. 63

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Adventure J Awaits... (so get up!)

This issue:

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ian) eeston b e h t of (and how to st copy avoid it by st e t a l e aying indoors with th

inside this adventurous ish...

look around you beeston picture quiz!

beeston runner at the london marathon

out and about with beeston sea scouts

Beestonian The

G GOT A

A FRESH APPROACH

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et out! Yes, you, get out. Go. Well, read this first, then go.

stories that make this town, see the future in the changes underway.

There are few finer things for the soul than getting out and getting about. Whether it’s a short stroll to the bottom of the garden, or an epic peregrination over mountains and under various weathers, being outdoors is a fine thing.

Because once you begin to understand your town, you come to appreciate your town, and when you appreciate your town you are more likely to want to make it better, and therefore be part of the community. So going for a walk isn’t just an idle excursion: it’s a radical civic act we all should do more of.

There is plenty of outdoors in Beeston. Not just your usual streets and pavement type of outdoor, but a rich variety of parks, pathways, wooded spots and river-paths. Neatly tucked in beneath Bramcote Hill and beside the Trent, a walk in Beeston can take in the hustle and bustle of the high street one minute, bucolical bliss the next. Once you begin to spend a little attention on what is out there, the town changes, becomes much richer. History starts to seep out of the brickwork. Trees, that you’ve always just taken for granted, become guardians, longlived observers of the changes that keep this place vibrant and vital. You begin to read the

Plus, it’s getting warmer. The magnolia near The Crown has already flowered and shed petals across the road, the fairy-rings of crocuses in the church yard have bloomed and down on the Nature Reserve the sand martins are returning to munch the emerging insects. We are blessed with plenty of country walking in the immediate vicinity, so go top up your vitamin D. This issue aims to help you enhance that experience a little, to encourage you to strap on your boots and get exploring. But yeah, after you’ve read this, ok? MT

EDITORIAL Lord Beestonia; lead writer and founder...

I Am Beeston

beeston quirks Christine Rimmer

A A Quiz Quiz

Marie-Louise Denham Sales Negotiator

Can find you the all? m

How well do you know your Beeston? Can you locate these features, which are all within a short walk of Beeston centre?

was born in Beeston and went to Beeston Manor and Alderman White Schools. When I left school I went to work in an estate agency; then in 2006 I moved to a local optician. I’m now back working in an estate agency. This time its Robert Ellis.”

“There are lots of things that I love about Beeston. The Victoria for its food, ales and whiskies, the farmer’s market, especially Sue’s Cakes stall and walking between the Marina and Attenborough Nature Reserve. Although I am a fairweather walker. I also like taking photographs on my mobile phone, especially of the swans and my pets. I have three cats and have rescued a hedgehog.” “Beeston is an up and coming area, with a buoyant housing market and great transport links. We are finding that developers are moving in from other areas. It’s a shame that we have lost a lot of the small, independent shops, which have been replaced by the larger chain stores and supermarkets. But I think we will always have Hallams.”

Look up!

“A lot of people know me and even an old teacher of mine called Mrs Jones still recognised me. Some people have called me ‘The Face of Beeston’.” CDF

re-ing! spi n

And finally: where can you find these letters?

P po rett rt y ico s:

Pixies live here… and pirates!

The Yorkshireman Speaks SCOTT BENNETT This month the Yorkshireman looks at how children are an inspiration

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Currys / PC World + Are you au fait with all the latest technology?

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+ Can you troubleshoot basic IT hardware and software problems?

ablo Picasso famously said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”

We recently went on a family holiday and I’m using the term “holiday” loosely. There is no such thing as a holiday when you have a young family, it’s essentially just stress on tour. You go from your house, where you all have your own space and comfort and go and live together all in one room, for two weeks, like the Bucket Family in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. That isn’t a relaxing break, that’s like you’ve been temporarily rehoused after a flood. They shouldn’t give you duvets, just foil blankets, you don’t need room service you need the Red Cross! You don’t realise how noisy your kids are until you all have to sleep in one room. How can a two-year-old snore? They are T-Total, have hairless nostrils, yet mine sounded like Gollum with a head cold! Your bedtime is their bedtime too, that’s so weird. My wife and I were laid next to each other in the dark, all wired and awake, “I can’t sleep” she said, “neither can I it’s ten to seven, the One Show hasn’t even started yet!” People said to us, try keeping the kids up. No, we’ve tried that they go feral, they start fighting and crying, screaming at each other across the hotel lobby whilst people are trying to check in, it’s like a hen night without the gin. As parents most of your holiday is spent huddled in the bathroom, that’s like your own little apartment. It’s ten o’clock at night and you find yourself sitting there on the toilet, just drinking a box of wine, eating a buffet off the side of the bath. Rockstars chop out lines of cocaine in a hotel bathroom, I’m cutting carrot into sticks. You get jealous of the childless couple in the room next door, “they’re loud aren’t they? I wonder what they are doing?” “Each other probably, like we used too, remember that?” you both stare wistfully into the distance, imagining what that would be like, then one of you breaks the silence, “fancy another game of travel Scrabble?” “yeah, whose legs are we balancing the board on?” We came back shattered too, because the youngest always came and slept in bed with us. She’d always say, “Daddy I’m scared, I’ve had a nightmare” I felt like saying, “So, have I mate, what’s yours about? mine started in 2016, looks exactly like you and it doesn’t end even when I’m

awake. But why don’t you pop in here with us and for the next eight hours, just use my back as a treadmill. I love the way you position yourself just at the perfect height to kick me repeatably in the kidneys until the sun rises. She’s doing so many miles on my back at one point I swear my wife started sponsoring her. I always know when the holiday is coming to an end because it’s the same day, I start to see blood in my urine, that first wee of the morning was like Darth Vader’s light sabre! The kids just gradually take over the bed, it’s like sleeping with a military occupation. They are like dictators in Peppa Pig pyjamas. I spent the whole night clinging on to the edge of the bed. The only thing that kept me there was the suction from my own clenched arse cheeks. It was on this holiday however, that I noticed this zest for life that the children have and it made me re-evaluate my attitude to things. We had a key card for our hotel room door and this blew the kids minds. A simple plastic card, a door handle and a little green light, that was like Disneyland to them. Every day they had to take it in turns, one of them would take the card, we’d all have to leave the room. They then would approach the door, put the card in, we’d marvel at the little light, they would open the door, we’d all walk into the room, one child one give the card to the other one, we’d then back out of the room again and repeat the process again….six times a day. We spent more time in that corridor than we did in the room!

+ Have an ability to work in a target-driven, highly pressured environment? + Can turn out delicious hot Indian food for hungry customers on demand?

Keyboard Warriors Beeston Facebook groups urgently need even more curmudgeonly sorts who can antagonise, intimidate and target ordinary people. If you like to pour scorn on the efforts of people reaching out to others in an effort to improve the local community, have no sense of humour or irony, and like to tread the fine line between bigoted opinion and outright hate speech, we have a role for you. Would particularly suit impotent, balding, overweight men who have an image of a sports car as their profile picture. No previous experience necessary, just a willingness to spread regurgitated poisonous bile and the ability to type ‘free speech!’ when called out on it.

I have realised the best way I can be a role model to my kids is to approach life with positivity and joy, what other choice do we have? As adults we need to be more like the kids with the key card, reconnecting with those experiences in life that make us happy. So, I’m making changes, tomorrow morning I’ll be up at eight, singing and whistling and marvelling at the majesty of that bin lorry from my window. @scottbcomedyuk | scottbennettcomedy.co.uk Find The Scott Bennett Podcast on SoundCloud and iTunes SB

Given the perceived demand for a shoe shop in Beeston town centre, an opportunity has arisen for a joint community venture. This involves residents investing some of their own money into this exciting new retail prospect. If you think a new shoe shop would make a sound financial investment in these times of declining high streets, financial uncertainty and increasing online sales, we’d love to hear from you. Invest from as little as £100. Ref: www.beestonsituationsvacant. com/4239540

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Beeston Brew need an experienced Barista/ Barrister!

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Due to increasing demand from government to further massage employment figures, we need to recruit thousands of people currently out of work to a variety of service roles which will meet the minimum standard number of hours per week required to add them to the ‘employed’ totals.

An exciting opportunity has arisen in a new coffee shop shortly to open in Beeston. We need someone punctual, reliable, smart, able to serve high volumes of hot beverages, and provide specialist legal advice on employment law.

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Flannell and McPushey are recruiting several new positions for one of our Blue Chip clients:

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Shoe Shop Franchise Share Opportunity

If you know your Dells from your daals and your Macbooks from your mango chutney, get in touch and you could be earning up to £90 per shift including overtime.

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If you did this as an adult people would tell you to grow up! I feel that they do need to reign in this excitement. Life is going to be such a disappointment. If they carry on like this, the first time they do drugs their heads will fall off and no doubt a plastic card will be involved there too.

The successful applicant will have the right mix of skills that allows them to juggle the demands of virus removal and battery replacement with managing a kitchen which caters for up to 60 covers at any one time.

Constituency Member of Parliament Beeston and the surrounding parliamentary constituency of Broxtowe will soon require a new MP. Hours to suit the successful applicant. No requirement to live in or close to the area, but a high media profile is beneficial. Political persuasion, ethics, and moral compass not necessarily required, as self-interest will determine your every move.

Outdoor Service Convertor Specialists Earn uncapped commissions by selling a variety of home and utility services from prime town centre locations. Would ideally suit persistent, sharply dressed slimeball who thinks nothing of operating in the margins of decency, preying on the politeness of the average passer-by in order to sign them up to things they already have. Charity Muggers (Chuggers) Ever thought you could emotionally blackmail a skint pensioner to commit to a direct debit of £25 per month? If you can then there’s a hefty bonus in it for you. It doesn’t matter which global brand you are representing, it’s for charity, which means that you can get away with even more sharky behaviour.

Good salary, excellent expenses, and generous pension awaits.

Telesales Parasites Applicants must be used to making a large volume of outbound calls, mainly due to the number of people who hang up after swearing at you. The role involves calling people who have registered with the Telephone Preference Service to not receive cold calls and try to persuade them that they took out PPI on a mortgage in 2004, despite only being 12 years old at the time. Successful workers will progress on to the accidental injury team, where knowledge of the fictitious whiplash claims process is essential.

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REASSURINGLY HURT’S Chapter 11. Spring is Sprung...

pring is sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where the birdies is’. My Dad used to recite that line to me when I was a child, and if I replace ‘birdies’ with ‘pinot grigio’ you have exactly my sentiments about the approaching warmer weather. I’m a big fan of a pub garden, of early evenings sat outside while the children play in the paddling pool and run through the wheat fields before leading the country into the abyss. Wait, that’s just Teresa May, my bad. I adore the good weather, I’ve lived and worked in central Europe and being outdoors suits me entirely. My issue with the approaching summer is that my kid is an only child, which means that I am her playmate, which means no wine, no sitting down, and absolutely no relaxing thank you very much. Despite a social life which would make the Kardashians recoil in exhaustion, my kid wants to play with ME. Which is great, because she still thinks I’m cool enough to play with (time is ticking on that front) but it flies in the face of wine-drenched relaxation in the garden. The first green shoots of Spring signal the end of my peaceful hibernations indoors, and the start of my Olympic training regime in such sports as Kick the Ball Loudly

into Next Door’s Fence, Help Me Up on to this Swing, and Mum Can I Have an Ice-Lolly. I need to get fit, quick, these are blood sports and I’ve neglected my training. Having an only child is an absolutely magical thing. They (maybe a tad patronisingly) allow you to become an honorary child again while they set the rules and run you ragged. I adore it. We can’t have any more kiddos, so this girl will be forever thrust into other people’s gardens, picking up neighbourhood waifs and strays to play with while we are out and about. I don’t think this is a negative thing, and I’m grateful that I’m active enough to keep up with her while she shouts rules at me and berates my obvious athletic inadequacies in public. From what I hear from people with more than one kid it seems to be more of a lion-taming situation anyway, more Chris Pratt with the raptors in Jurassic World and less The Waltons. I’ll never know, but sometimes I feel a pang of gratitude in Autumn when the nights draw in and we can legitimately stick a DVD on under a blanket and ignore the outside world completely. Summer is great, but dear sweet baby Jesus I’m shattered already. DL

t’s a day when things could get steamy in Broxtowe. 10°C over the average for February, and the MP has just resigned from her party while claiming the right to stay on as our representative at Westminster. Maybe it’s a good day for the Beestonian to go and look for something that is reassuringly a good thing. G.H. Hurt & Son on the Chilwell High Road is just the place. You may have visited them when they open on Heritage Days in September, but not know they also open to the public on Saturday mornings (10am – 12noon). They inhabit an old seed mill, built in 1751, which remains a thing of beauty from the outside, but you may be more interested in their famous baby shawls, which suddenly came into the worldwide media spotlight in 2013, then again in 2015 and 2017, when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepped outside the Lindo Wing in London with their newborns wrapped in Beeston’s finest. No-one was more delighted to see their choice than Gillian Taylor, who is in the fourth generation of Hurts to own and manage the business since its inception in 1912.

The family has stayed true to its roots, producing fine knitwear that includes men’s and women’s scarves, and caring about their employees as much as they care about their customers and products. While Gillian hadn’t previously known the royals had their shawls, she had no reason to be surprised, because if the royal family is supposed to represent our country’s core values, then a firm like Hurts surely helps us decide just what those values are. And they are proof that every generation must face its own challenges; for Gillian it has been to adapt to an increasingly internet-dependent and computerised world. For her father, Henry Hurt (who in his 80s still takes an active part in the family firm) it was to take on the challenge of moving from hand looms to mechanisation when he was barely out of his teens, and he would go on to be awarded an MBE for his services to the knitwear industry. Henry’s own father Leslie had to deal with two world wars, injury and serious illness. It was Gillian’s greatgrandfather, George Henry Hurt, who started the whole enterprise in 1912 when he took the step of acquiring the mill so that local knitters could bring their manual handframes together under one roof, and take advantage of shared marketing and production.

KAREN MEDD On one of Beeston's oldest businesses In the 1980s everything could surely have been lost, when the area was surrounded by similar-seeming businesses, some of which were buying their products from China. But Henry Hurt wasn’t going to compromise on quality or discard his legacy. According to Gillian it was he who said that if they stuck to their core values and loyal customers then one day perhaps even China would decide to buy from them. With a trade fair in Ningbo, China coming up in April, then ‘perhaps even China’ will be customers for the fifth generation of Hurts? KM

BEESTON SEA SCOUTS

t’s Friday night between April and September, you’re walking along the banks of the Trent away from Beeston Marina in the direction of Long Eaton and suddenly, the quiet area is interrupted by a splashing sound. Where is it coming from? What’s happening? And most important, who’s making it? Hint - it’s something to do with Scouting. Give up? The noise is coming from Barton Island (not to be confused with Barton Buses). What’s happening is some kayaking/canoeing/ rowing activity. And the people making it are the 2nd Beeston Sea Scouts. Barton Island is really an Island within an Island in the Trent which is a bit confusing for some of us. Half of it is owned by the 2nd Beeston Sea Scouts and the other half is nobodies (technically it is in Rushcliffe). It is used by Scouts for a wide range of activities such as

kayaking, canoeing, rowing and sometimes land activities like camping, fire-lighting, pioneering or even all of them in one! It is only accessible by boat, unless you fancy a dip in the river. The island also hosts a handful of buildings and designated areas. These include a boat shed for storing boats and paddles, a divisions area where the flagpole and bell are, camping huts for storing bags and sheltering in bad weather, an explorer scout only area and a galley used for cooking. At least one day a year in the summer the scouts hold an open day on the island for everyone to come and see the fantastic facilities available. Barton Island is also available to be used by community groups and businesses. For more information about 2nd Beeston Sea Scouts and Barton Island, visit www.2ndbeeston. org.uk EC

EWAN COOPER Scouting around at Barton Island

The Seats of

CHRISTOPHER FROST Beeston's Town Hall

Sand

Democracy

eing a journalist on the Beestonian brings you into contact with all sorts of people with different stories to tell. And someone with quite a few stories to tell is Dawn Reeves, facilitator, trainer and author of a coffee table book all about various town halls across England; their history, uses and future. That universal symbol of local democracy seems to be under threat from the very councils that they belong to. Beeston’s is a prime example. But more on that later. We arranged to meet at Greenhoods, and so over a hot drink I chatted to Dawn about herself, her interest in town halls and the purpose of the book. “I was born in London, but moved to Nottingham with my family. I got a job with Nottingham County Council, and then as a manager with Ashfield District Council. W o r k i n g in those buildings made me realise how important they are to communities, and not just for paying bills. I’m now back in Beeston and love it. I love the creativity of the town.” Turning to her generously illustrated volume ‘Town Hall: Buildings, People and Power’. “Working in local government, I realised that there are three main architectural styles of buildings that are used as town halls; the grand Victorian palaces like Bradford, Birmingham and Todmorden; the art deco styles of Torquay, Hornsey and Nottinghamshire and the postmodernist structures at Newcastle, Mansfield and Worcestershire. Although this book is broken down into themes, rather than styles. I touch on four general themes: ‘Purpose’, ‘People’, ‘Power’ and ‘Future’.”

Nearly 30 councils and their town halls are described and evaluated in the book, that includes some eye-catching photography, I asked Dawn how she got the book completed. “I have some friends in Yorkshire, and around the country and I just basically roped them in to either write about their town hall or take photos of it. I am planning another volume. One, which should feature Beeston’s original building. The book is self published through Shared Press and with financial assistance from CCLA.”

Martins

TIM SEXTON

The story of Beeston’s town hall would make a worthy inclusion in volume two. How Broxtowe Council sold the building off for £425,000 to the Cornerstone Church, whilst ignoring other interested parties, including Beeston’s Civic Society; who wanted to turn it into a community resource for weddings, arts and theatre events and similar community celebrations. Very much like Brent’s does with theirs. But it was sold, even though the residents of Broxtowe will be out of pocket by some £155,000, as the council will be spending £533k on moving computer servers to it’s newer building, legal fees and doing up the building before the church moves in. But the council claim that it will be saving £85,000 a year on maintenance and repair costs. It is understood that the building will only be available to its church members, therefore excluding the citizens of NG9, whose past relations would have paid for the town hall to be built through their rates bill.

ristotle once said; ‘one swallow does not a summer make’ and with this is mind, we perhaps shouldn’t get too excited about the news of a single sand martin spotted at Attenborough Nature Reserve on the 12th March – two weeks earlier than we would typically expect.

Last year the Civic Society collected over £5000 from residents t h r o u g h crowd funding to raise a legal challenge. But the findings from a barrister suggested that this challenge would not be successful. The group are currently working on some Freedom of Information requests about how the council had reached its unpopular decision on whom it selected to have the building.

Dubbed the ‘Sand Martin Hotel’, the nesting bank and viewing hide, situated at the end of the Attenborough Nature Centre’s wildlife garden, first opened its tunnels to its feathered guests in April 2014. Funded through a Heritage Lottery Funded ‘ACE’ project (Access, Community, and Education) the bank provides nesting opportunities for up to 150 sand martins each summer. While the integrated ‘sunken’ bird hide provides panoramic views across Coneries Pond and enable visitors to watch the sand martins at close quarters as they feed over the water and return to their nests.

At around a week old, each of the chicks is fitted with lightweight, uniquely numbered ring by members of the South Notts Bird Ringing Group. The information gathered by the ringing scheme enables us to learn more about the sand martin’s incredible migration journey, how long they live for, and indeed if any of the chicks return to visit us in subsequent years to start a family of their own.

Sand martins make an incredible 2000-mile journey to the UK from the Sahel, a region of Africa to the south of the Sahara Desert, where they have been over-wintering.

Just four years since Attenborough’s ‘Sand Martin Hotel’ first opened its doors to visiting birds, staff at the Nature Reserve were delighted to announce the arrival of the nesting bank’s 1,000th chick.

This species has suffered a number of major population crashes in the last 50 years, mainly due to droughts in their over-wintering sites – which means many birds can’t build up enough energy to help them cross the Sahara. Within the UK they are also under threat from habitat loss, where natural nesting sites have been destroyed through development, dredging and bank stabilization along rivers.

With the early arrival of the birds this spring we are hoping for an extended breeding season and the biggest number of chicks raised to date. Why not pop over to Attenborough and enjoy some of the early signs of spring for yourself? You might even spot one of our sand martins.

With local elections coming up in May, it remains to be seen as to whether the sale will actually go through by then, or maybe a change of administration may have other ideas. Besides writing about town halls and training businesses, Dawn has also written a couple of novels, ‘Hard Change’ and ‘We Know What We Are’. Also printed by Shared Press. These are urban thrillers that also include the shady dealings of fictional local councils. If you would like to hear Dawn talk about her love of town halls, then she is appearing at the amazing Five Leaves Bookshop in Nottingham on the 10th of April at 7pm. Admission will be £3, including refreshments. CF

This small hirundine, a cousin of the swallow and house martin, is often one of the first spring migrants to arrive back on the Reserve’s each year. Despite many birds being considered to be the herald of spring, it is the sand martin’s appearance that is met with the most excitement at Attenborough as it means that not only is summer drawing closer, but also the artificial nesting bank at the Reserve will come to life again.

Sand martins nest colonially. Colonies can

range from just a few dozen pairs to groups of several hundred. In a natural environment they use tunnels in sandy banks along rivers and surrounding lakes. The birds dig the tunnels themselves using their long sharp claws. The nest holes are usually between 35cm and 1m in length and are excavated by both parents over a period of two weeks. In our artificial bank, clay pipes filled with sand will be embedded in to the walls to simulate the bird’s natural nesting habitat. By mid-April, it is hoped that the sand martins will begin nesting in the artificial nesting bank again. Throughout the breeding season, volunteers carry out weekly nest record checks to monitor their progress. From the moment the first twig is taken in to the bank, to the first egg being laid and first chicks hatching and fledging, every detail is recorded. The data gathered has already provided us with a fascinating insight in to the Sand Martin’s nesting ecology – including early indications that some pairs may in fact raise three broods during their short stay in the UK.

Latest from Attenborough Nature Reserve

DEBRA URBACZ Beautiful Things are Possible

Creative Beeston A

s we rapidly approach spring, buds are bursting, branches are blossoming and the spikes of green that have been shooting up through the earth are now sporting their familiar yellow bonnets. If like me, you are always delighted by these markers of new life, then you may also be one of those Beestonians who enjoys the abundance of green spaces we have surrounding our town. Warmer days, with longer periods of daylight, encourage us to leave our cosy homes and embrace the opportunity to get a bit of fresh air and sunshine between the showers. Featuring a culturally varied line up that reflects the diversity of our wonderful town, the first of these took place on Wednesday 30th January at The Berliner, with the second Cultures Crossing evening taking place at Synergy NG9, 60 Attenborough Lane, Chilwell, on Wednesday 27th February 6.00-8.30pm. With the threat of climate change almost at its most critical point, it is clear that fast action is needed to preserve nature’s treasures. There are a number of national campaign groups that work tirelessly towards this but there are also positive things happening right on our doorstep. Making the least impact is key to our planet’s survival, so it makes sense that stopping some of the harmful activities would have the biggest impact. The Climate Coalition is the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action on climate change – they have 15 million members from all over the UK. Launched in 2015 and promoted by stunts such as turning the BT Tower green. The #show

the love campaign has led to some positive and dramatic changes. On Valentine’s Day in 2015 a cross party pledge was made to tackle climate change and this was pivotal in the UK taking a global leadership role in reaching the first international climate commitment – the Paris Agreement.

The #show the love campaign has been championed by institutions such as Lords Cricket Ground, which announced a switch to 100% renewable energy in 2018. By which time the movement had reached 126 million people. 100,000 of them made, wore and shared green hearts and 80 MPs got personally involved. An incredible 600 community events happened over the UK in 2018 and the first Green Heart Hero Awards were held in Speaker’s House. Beeston’s own ‘buzzing branch of the women’s institute’ have extended their creativity to promote Show the Love 2019. The (aptly named) Hive WI is just entering its second year and from the beginning saw a lot of interest in environmental issues among the members. Litter walks and wildflower planting have been just some of the suggestions already put forward, so a national project like this immediately attracted their attention. Jenny-Marie Gale, president of the The Hive WI spoke of her passion to combine creativity and projects with purpose. She believed #show the love was an important way to ‘raise awareness about damage done ignorantly, not really consciously or maliciously, to our planet.’ She felt that now is the time to focus on reversing that damage, ‘not just for the sake our wildlife, but also for future generations.’

She also pointed out that The WI is all about education, so a campaign like this fits well with that. Education starts with conversation.

One of the members Rosa Davies was attracted to The Hive WI by their ‘strong environmental focus and involvement in campaigns like #show the love. She feels that ‘the WI is no longer seen as outdated and has a strong modern message’ which resonates with many people in society currently. If you follow the news you will no doubt be aware of the climate marches that are happening all over the globe and that Greta Thunberg a 16 year old Swedish political activist has just been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. It’s big news people! Rosa mentioned the Trees of Beeston section in the Beestonian and how a simple idea like that encourages people to be aware of and appreciate their natural surroundings. And this is what the #showthelove campaign is all about. ‘Where you end and the environment begins is a really blurry line. Whether you are able to see plants and green spaces in your day-today life is proven to have an effect on your mental health.’ The handmade hearts that symbolise this love for our environment are shared with the community to prompt a response - to encourage people to start a discussion. The collection of handmade hearts took about two months to make and members found the process itself both mindful and ‘addictive!’ They were put together by the sub groups

The Hive WI

who meet at the Wednesday Café Society or for a Saturday Crafternoon. The intention is, now that they have made a set of hearts to display, that they keep adding to them to increase their impact each year. When I went along to watch the ceremonious hanging of the hearts, at Rudyard’s Tea House, I was inspired by the individual messages conveyed in each one. Many are cut out of verdant green felt in various shades but there are also handknitted hearts, all have been lovingly embellished. I spied a miniature tree, a stag, a rainbow and flowers embroidered in vibrant colours. Of course there is one dedicated to Beeston. The effort that has been expended on every single heart makes it that bit more meaningful, each representing an element of nature that we hold close to our own hearts. You will be able to enjoy them in situ until the end of April. Making a commitment to collectively save our planet is something we can all get involved with by making conscious changes that show how much we really do love this incredible spinning sphere of rock, gases, minerals, water and carefully coexisting ecosystems. You can find out more online at www.theclimatecoalition.org DU

enny-Marie started thinking about The Hive WI in March 2017 following the death of her mum. Her world had suddenly become very small and she wasn’t meeting new people or trying anything new. The Beeston WI was also launched around the same time but it was somewhat oversubscribed so she decided to start one of her own. She gathered together a collection of people from the Beeston WI’s waiting list and via social media, with their support, and the idea went from ‘shall we?’ to an actual launch night with ninety ladies in attendance! She is proud of what has been achieved so far and feels privileged to preside over such a great team. It’s the empowering nature of the group that feels the most rewarding to her. People have come along and ‘developed a love for craft’ which proves that she has succeeded in creating a space for creativity, community and chat – that all important ‘me time’ that is so important when our lives are so busy and fraught with stress.

The WI was originally founded by women to provide empowering activities for women and The Hive WI branch is a proud member of the Nottinghamshire Federation of WIs. They meet every second Wednesday in the month to share and learn new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities. With a honeycomb as their emblem, it is clear to see they have their roots firmly in the natural world. Jenny-Marie tells us: “The response to the hearts has been brilliant, from simply being asked why they are there to starting people talking about our planet and how to make small personal changes to conversations about people craving community and wanting to be involved in organisations like The Hive WI. We have had people talk to us about not knowing how to find real community, consequently we have had a few visitors and enquiries about joining. So a community event about global problem is in turn creating more opportunities for community. Love it!” And so do we Jenny-Marie. If you would like to find out more about The Hive WI then please get in touch, they would love to hear from you Email: thehivewi@gmail.com Website: www.thehivewi.com Facebook: Facebook/thehive DU

Creative

Beeston

POTTLE

POETRY

We caught up with Jen Pottle, to see how the micropub’s monthly poetry event is going...

JADE MOORE On Beeston's poetic soul...

aaaaay back in July 2018, in micropub The Pottle, ‘Pottle Poetry Open Mic’ was born. This gave Beeston its very own regular poetry event, taking place on the first Sunday of every month. Those of you who organise your social lives using our Poetry Round-Up (see right) will already be familiar with the event, but for those of you who may not have come across this brilliant little gathering of poets, fear not. The event was originally set up as a response to the fact that Beeston used to be a prime location for poetry events, often welcoming poets from outside the town to come here and perform. The Pottle Poetry may be ‘micro’ in location, but has been a big hit since it started. I popped into the micropub to catch up with Jen, and find out how it’s been growing over the eight months that it’s been running. “There’s a solid regular group of poets that come, some of them every month, which is nice,” says Jen. “But there’s also been some of the pub regulars who have come to listen to bits of poetry. One of our regulars, who isn’t really the poetry type, was even inspired to write their own poem!”

The Fighting Nightingales

When I originally spoke to Jen before the very first event, she anticipated that by having it take place on a Sunday afternoon would make the perfect slot to read and hear poetry. So, was she right?

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She says: “They’ve been relaxed, comfy afternoons, with a friendly crowd of people who are very accepting. I’ve been quite surprised by how many people are interested in poetry, and it’s nice to see people just wandering into the pub.”

POETRY ROUND-UP

POTTLE POETRY: MY YOUNGER YEARS

Sunday April 7, Pottle of Blues micropub 4pm A free, open mic poetry afternoon, everyone welcome! This month there's a theme: My Younger Years. Do you have any poetry from your youth? Or indeed poetry about your youth! Come along and share your words, or just listen.

VOICES EXHIBITION

Tuesday 2 – Tuesday 23 April, Beeston Library A thought-provoking collection combining poetry and photography, created by people whose voices are rarely heard. For more details: www.inspireculture.org.uk/voices

Jen starts to tell me about one of the regular performers who does autobiographical poetry. “He asked if he could have musical accompaniment, so then for the next event he came with his dad and brother, and they did a musical poem. There was Spanish guitar and interesting percussion instruments involved.” After this, they asked if they could do a longer performance at the next event. As a group, they’re known as The Fighting Nightingales, and describe themselves as delivering ‘progressive jazz/funk chit chat and tall tales set to strange music’. Jen says: “They came back and did a fantastic afternoon of music and poetry, and a huge crowd came to see them.” She also tells me that the group teamed up with regular poet Will Kummer, who comes to every Pottle Poetry event. I got in contact with him to ask him what it is about the Open Mic that he loves. He said: “I would recommend Pottle Poetry because it's a small and welcoming event. It's actually where I did my first open mic performance and I think it's great for those who are new to the poetry scene. A wide range of people attend and Jen usually opens with a piece of her own. It's a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon and an event that I'd be sad to miss.” The next event will take place on Sunday April 7, and has the theme ‘My Younger Years’ attached to it. “Someone challenged me to do this,” says Jen. “I was looking at my childhood poetry from when I was a teenager and thought it was awful. We are asking people to bring in childhood poetry to read it, or to write poetry about their younger years, if they want to!” Even without the theme, Jen tells me there’s all sorts of types of poetry being performed, including: funny poems, light-hearted poems, limericks, serious and silly poems. So, whether you consider yourself a poet or not, it’s worth wandering in. JM

STUNNER! SPOKEN WORD NIGHT

Wednesday 1 May, White Lion 19:30 – 21:00 £3 entry Stunner! is a Short, Sharp Shock, hosted by Chris McLoughlin. Three Incredible Poets. Twenty Minutes Each. This Moment; Bunsen Burner, Electric Bloodstream, Overdue Exhale. Part of the Nottingham Poetry Festival

WORD! FEATURING JOELLE TAYLOR

Tuesday 25 June, Beeston Library 7pm £6/£4 (booking advised) 16+ WORD! – one of the longest running poetry nights in the UK – features the award-winning spoken word artist, poet and playwright Joelle Taylor. Compered by Lydia Towsey and guests. To perform on the open mic email: hello@wordpoetry.co.uk.

The Pottle of Booze Gary Morgan There are laughs by the barrel in the old candle shop As a couple of affable scallywags Tempt us into their wobbly world of backroom breweries, upcycled guitars and vinyl for wallpaper. You've been in piano bars But here the bar is a piano. You'll be rocking in the rocking chairs Revelling in your sorrows Diluting them in the watering hole with soul. There's a fizzy lager embargo For they sell beer that tastes like... something! Bitters with the complex notes of a fine wine Fruity IPAs strong enough to banjax a Burton shirehorse Amaretto stout leaving you velvet-mouthed and felt-headed

The Beestonian is...

Lead Writer/Founder • Lord Beestonia Co-Founder/Resident Don • Prof J Editor • Christian Design & The Beest • Dan Business Manager • Jade History Editor • Joe Earp

Top-notch contributors this issue:

Matt Turpin, Dan Cullen, Scott Bennett, John Cooper, Ewan Cooper, Christopher Frost, Daisy Leverington, Debra Urbacz, Jade Moore, Ruby Porter, Isaac Seelochan, Jo Norcup, Lulu Davenport and Christopher Frost.

It's a pub which pumps in good cheer Where strangers natter but you'll never hear 'Oi! Did you spill my pint?' What's the point of a bar where you're barred from making eye contact? It's a fact: size is no guarantee of quality. This microcosm of hops, hospitality and random tat welcoming to dogs and the odd meerkat can be found nowhere else. Success means a chain, one on every High Street But we don't want to share our special treat of a curated tipple on our doorstep. Stop off on the way back from Sainsbury's and let your cares and your chargrills defrost. If you spend enough time with someone you end up with the same laugh. Like our hosts have. And it's infectious.

Stockists:

Berliner, The Hive, Rye, The Hop Pole, The Crown, The White Lion, The Star, Mish Mash Gallery, The Malt Shovel, Broadgate Laundrette, Bubba Tea, The Bean, Beeston Library, Cafe Roya, Metro, Beeston Marina Bar and Cafe, Attenborough Nature Reserve, The Pottle, Greenhood, Beeston Nursery, The Victoria, Canalside Heritage Centre, Beeston Community Shop (formally Thorntons), Oxfam Books, L’Oliva, Two Little Magpies, Local not Global, John Flynn Opticians, Out of this World, lots of hairdressers and suchlike. ... If you’d like to be a stockist, let us know by emailing thebeestonian@gmail. com

1a Devonshire Avenue, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 1BS

A Beestonian Runner in

Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.30pm Saturday 9am to 5pm

Established in Beeston, Nottingham over 70 years ago, John Flynn Opticians is located on the corner of the leafy Devonshire Avenue and Chilwell High Road (opposite corner to Ellis-Fermor & Negus Solicitors). Director and senior Optometrist at John Flynn Opticians, Dr Sheeraz Janjua is one of only 25 Optometrists in the UK to be awarded the degree of Doctor of Optometry from Aston University for his research in Dry Eye Syndrome. He was also one of a select few nominated for the Optometrist of the Year award in 2018. Having been at the helm in Beeston since 2016, Dr. Janjua provides both private and NHS patients with the option to benefit from an enhanced eye examination using an OCT instrument to produce macular, retinal and optic nerve scans to aid early diagnosis of various ocular conditions.

With over 45 years of experience between us we have 2 goals: Provide a friendly, welcoming, homely environment with a passion for great customer service and to combine the best ophthalmic lenses from some of the most respected lens manufacturer’s alongside some of the finest hand-made frames from around the world.

We believe that the best spectacle frames are made by companies who just make spectacle frames. Sounds obvious?

Don’t take our word for it – here’s what our patients are saying about us:

RO AD ILW E

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Pharmacy

Open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm. Saturday 9am-5pm John Flynn Opticians welcomes the registration of new patients and parking is available in the practice’s own car park. Telephone 0115 9255051 to make an appointment. enquiries@johnflynnopticians.co.uk www.johnflynnopticians.co.uk

0115 925 5051

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ISAAC SEELOCHAN

n the 28th April, Beeston resident Stuart Baird will attempt to run the London Marathon to raise money for vital research on diabetes after his son James was diagnosed with type 1, the most severe form of the disease.

“It’s the first time I’ve done a marathon, even though I think I’ve done at least ten half marathons. I’ve already clocked up 180 miles in training over January and February. I’ll have to run next Sunday (3rd March) 16 miles, the next Sunday is 18, I do 3 lots of 20 miles and then one 22 and that’s just before the marathon,” he said.

“He lost a dramatic amount of weight in a very short period of time and he was rushed to the children’s hospital. it was a big shock. Nobody in the family has any history of diabetes,” said Stuart.

“If you are raising money for a loved one, the last mile and finish line can get quite emotional - it’s journey’s end.

Stuart is originally from Leeds but has been living in Beeston for almost 20 years. His love for the town is such that he has expanded his house twice since moving to the area in the late ’90s.

N VO

We also dispense specialist lenses for people with vision loss related to Glaucoma, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Diabetic Retinopathy and Macular Degeneration (AMD). These special lenses change the direction of light to alternative healthier parts of the retina. Combined with a special filter to improve contrast they have been a huge success with our patients.

“I came to John Flynn Optician through a recommendation from a friend and have never been to another opticians. My eye examination was thorough and explained to me very clearly. The team at John Flynns are very helpful and cheerful. Carry on the good work.”

We also supply the new Nikon Seecoat Drive an everyday lens coating with enhanced driving performance that can be paired with their finest lenses and available with Transitions/ Transition XTRActive.

For motorists that drive mainly in the evening we would recommend the Night Drive lens from Tokai or the Enroute Pro from Hoya.

“I’d heard that the glasses were great quality and the service was great at John Flynn Optician. The staff have been very helpful and gave me all the facts I needed. I love the personal touch and that you don’t have to ask for help - it’s just given. I love my new glasses - the style, the colour, the quality - everything. Dan and Annette have been brilliant from the minute I walked in the door. They are very friendly and provided perfect service in every way. I will be coming back and will share my experience with others.”

One of our most popular lens ranges year round but especially during the darker months are our Drive specific Lenses from Zeiss, Hoya, Tokai and Essilor.

“I was recommended to go to John Flynn Optician by family members. I love everything about the practice and I will now only ever use John Flynn’s. The glasses are well made, well fitted and I can see much better. My eye examination with Dr. Janjua was very informative and he put me at ease - very good. All the team at John Flynn’s have treated me well and I cannot fault them.”

Most ‘designer’ spectacle brands originate from popular fashion brands lending their name to a range of mass-produced frames, usually made in China from cheap materials. We stock handmade frames made by expert manufacturers, largely in France, Italy and Japan. The quality of these frames speaks for themselves. We also have a range of beautiful frames at a lower price point, so you can have a pair for every outfit!

Want to stay up to date with the latest news and arrivals? why not follow us on Instagram and Facebook @johnflynnopticians

London

At the start of his sons' treatment, Stuart was asked by one of the doctor’s if his son would be willing to take part in something called ‘the honeymoon trial.’ “It’s to test the functionality of the pancreas,” explained Stuart. “You're having to inject yourself before every meal with insulin and you end up with a continuous closed loop monitor, which monitors his blood sugars and that talks to a pump which feeds him the insulin he needs,” he said. The trial was funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) a charity which works towards funding type 1 diabetes research. According to JDRF, over 29,000 children in the UK suffer from type 1 diabetes, with Stuart hoping that the money raised will benefit them. “My target is £2000,” reveals Stuart. “The funds will directly help children on this research trial in Nottingham and elsewhere in the country. The reason why it’s so important to fund these projects is so that young people and children who’ve got type 1 diabetes, can be helped to control their blood sugar’s from a very early age, which means that they will live happier lives and will have just as long a life span as everyone else would,” says Stuart. Running the London marathon will be far from straight forward. At 26.2 miles, only the Paris marathon is bigger in Europe. In preparation, Stuart had been clocking up plenty of miles when we spoke at the end of February.

“For example, the Great North Run finishes with a mile uphill and just as you hit the top you see the North Sea, a beach and around 80,000 people cheering you on to the finish line. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

Beestonian to run London Marathon in aid of diabetes research

“When you have your name on your running number, people call out your name and encourage you. It’s a great feeling. I know not everyone can or wants to run but if you encourage others, it is so appreciated. You never know what that person is running for, or how hard it has been for them - a lot have lost children, parents or friends and are running for their memory, as well as raising money” said Stuart. So what does Stuart hope to ultimately achieve from attempting this mammoth task? “I want more people to know about type 1 diabetes and the challenges that those with type 1 have to face. It doesn’t just affect the person, but it affects the person’s family because you need to appreciate that they can’t just eat and drink and not care about what they're putting into their body. They need to constantly think about their insulin and blood sugar levels “I did run the London Landmarks half marathon for JDRF last year, but it’s not so much about me and running, it’s more about me running for JDRF because I’m a big believer in what they are trying to achieve and obviously James has directly benefited from the work that the NUH (Nottingham University Hospitals) team and JDRF have done. It’s just phenomenal really.” To support Stuart’s efforts visit: www.justgiving. com/fundraising/stuart-baird5?utm_id=26 IS

Stuart and his son James.

DR JO NORCUP Springtime, For the love of hedges and “weeds”

pring. The utter joy of it. Wandering Beeston, there are signs of its hopeful presence everywhere. All you need to do is slow down or stop and get your senses tuned in: look for the first buds, listen for increased birdsong, smell the first blossoms, watch nature return to our gardens and parks, the street trees, in the cracks in the pavement and the near smiles on folks faces when the sky happens to be blue and the sun is out. It is such a glorious season, full of the promise of new life and possibilities. Along the railway tracks, the Wild Cherry and Hawthorn have begun to blossom, and the Apple, Elder, and Silver Birches have begun to bud. These route-ways offer shelter, sustenance, and respite for diverse animal life that migrate along them including the humans who wend their daily commute, looking out of carriage windows beyond a phone or computer screen. This Trees Of Beeston piece is a broader reflection on how our ‘green corridors’: the plants in our locality, synergise, connect, and facilitate Spring to, well, spring. It considers how we might, with a little planning, tune into the seasons, tweak our garden maintenance patterns to ensure spring keeps returning, and to value those ‘out of place’ plants that assist Beeston’s flourishing biodiversity. A huge number of hedgerows have been ‘lost’ across the country in recent years, especially in the back gardens of urban settlements. Recent social media coverage of netted hedges and trees to stop birds nesting and examples of extreme ‘pruning’ is surely a sign of the meanest of human spirits. So this column reminds readers of what to do when rapid growth of vegetation in trees and bushes can make them ‘look’ untidy, and when humans, venturing back out into their gardens wish to ‘tidy things up’ ready for summer socialising and BBQing So what to do? Advice from the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) regarding hedgelaw is that between March and August there should be no cutting as this is the prime time period in which birds are making their nests, rearing their young and when their young are fledging. The RSPB website states:

“It is a criminal offence under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 to intentionally take, damage, or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being build, or to intentionally kill, injure or take chicks or adults, or intentionally take or destroy any eggs. It is an intentional act, for example, if you or your neighbour know there is an active nest in the hedge and still cut the hedge, damaging or destroying the nest or contents in the process” The RSPB recommend if you know someone is cutting a hedge during this period to: “… speak to them and politely mention the risk to the birds’ nests, and the laws protecting nests. If they proceed, and you know there is an active nest at risk, contact the police on 101, and ask for a reference number. If you are unsure what to do, contact RSPB Wildlife Enquiries on 01767 693690.” When it comes to dealing jointly with neighbours regarding a boundary hedge or trees, the RSPB advises: “Disagreements with neighbours often relate to the size and tidiness of the hedge and about cutting the hedge, particularly during the breeding season. A boundary hedge is usually the joint responsibility of both neighbours. Both must agree on major work, including removal, coppicing or laying. In theory, you need your neighbours' agreement even before trimming the hedge. If the hedge is just inside your neighbours' garden, they own it. You only have the right to trim any part which encroaches over your boundary line. Your neighbour should ask for your permission for access to trim the hedge on your property. Regardless of ownership, no-one can trim or cut a hedge if the action damages active birds' nests, and hence violates the Wildlife and Countryside Act. If tall hedges or trees put your garden in the shade, you can cut off branches which overhang your boundary. You can also prune back roots that invade your property, even if this is detrimental to the plant. You do not have the right to cut down vegetation on your neighbours' property, or apply weedkiller to destroy the plants.”

If door to door ‘tree surgeons’ call between March and August offering to cut down your trees, politely remind them that birds might be nesting. By all means, maintain your trees/ border plants. Plan to prune / cut back trees in the winter months when they are dormant and when birds are not nesting (between November and January), but for now, leave the hedges for the nesting birds. From hedgerow to cracks in the pavement. I know that many people dislikes “weeds” or the socially maligned wild plants that manage to survive in the harshest of conditions: in the cracks in paving, along verges, in the cracks of buildings (oh Buddleia, how do you manage it?). These plants offer sustenance to pollinating insects and provide the possibility of food for animals and humans alike (look at this lovely wild cabbage growing along Wollaton Road!). The dandelion should be celebrated: its tender young leaves can be eaten like rocket, and the root was used to make coffee substitute during World War 2. In these stricken ‘austerity’ times, many ‘weeds’ offer food and medicinal possibilities for animals and humans alike (Disclaimer: only ever eat plants you absolutely know are non-poisonous and are in suitable locations to ensure your own health isn’t compromised. Look up foraging and wild foods books in our fabulous Beeston Library. I would recommend Richard Mabey’s classic Food For Free). So please consider doing some exercise (or get someone else to do the exercise) and physically weed these plants you want to remove rather than

using weedkiller. Ideally remove them once they have flowered so the insects can thrive. Please don’t spray weedkiller. Nothing is sadder than shrivelled plants that were once food for pollinating insects (butterflies, bees) or offered scavenging possibilities for the birdlife of Beeston (you only need to see the joy of the Pied Wagtails near Beeston interchange in the carpark/ space where once Beeston Fire Station was to see their collective joys, calling to one another and feeding). In 2018, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust began a campaign, Nottingham For Nature, focusing attention on valuing wildlife in the city and its importance for keeping cities and urban habitats (Urbitats) habitable for humans, so humans have to do what they can to ensure space is created and maintained for plants and animals to thrive too. Their #WildlifeInTheCity hashtag gives more information on how to get involved. George Orwell wrote his essay (excerpt in the hedgerow below) in the early spring of 1946, post war, after a harsh winter, when austerity was at its most acute. Hope is very much needed, and ‘austerity’ in 2019 is harsh indeed. The plant and animal lives in our neighbourhood offer us so much. In order that spring can keep springing back, please consider doing your bit, where you can, to ensure the green corridors of Beeston thrive. Dr JN

Spring is here... and they can't stop you enjoying it. This is a satisfying reflection. How many a time have I stood watching the toads mating, or a pair of hares having a boxing match in the young corn, and thought of all the important persons who would stop me enjoying this if they could. But luckily they can't. So long as you are not actually ill, hungry, frightened or immured in a prison or a holiday camp, Spring is still Spring. The atom bombs are piling up in the factories, the police are prowling through the cities, the lies are streaming from the loudspeakers, but the earth is still going round the sun, and neither the dictators nor the bureaucrats, deeply as they disapprove of the process, are able to prevent it.

George Owell (1946) Some Thoughts On The Common Toad.

References: Mabey, R (1972) Food For Free. Collins (also Collins Gem editions for handy pocket-sized guide). For more details on ‘pests’ in the garden, see Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust https://www. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/ get-involved/how-you-can-getinvolved/wildlife-gardening/ pest-or-guest For more details about their #NottinghamForNature campaign, see https://www. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/ nottingham-nature Orwell, G (1946) Some Thoughts On The Common Toad. See https:// www.orwellfoundation.com/ the-orwell-foundation/orwell/ essays-and-other-works/somethoughts-on-the-common-toad/ RSPB: https://www.rspb.org. uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/ gardening-for-wildlife/plants-forwildlife/garden-hedges/hedgelaw/

LULU DAVENPORT Purple Rain

oooo we have been lucky sausages!! Getting a lush, sneaky peek into what spring holds, and in early Feb too. Last year we were ten foot deep in snow (artistic license) and this year the whispers of BBQ bounced around faster than my falling back off the wagon post dryanuary. While in the midst of this cruel mini spurt of glorious sunshine and this issue of the very fine Beestonian being centred around the topic of Outdoors I had a brainwave (yes it does happen occasionally) about beautiful sunshine and beer gardens with fruity cider and hazy afternoon drinking, followed by only just making it home for a slap up Sunday dinner to soak it up, (ya can feel the beautiful summer glow on ya face right now I bet!) I arranged a meet up with a band from the local area, picturing butterflies and nature and a laid back photo shoot by the weir.... In reality though the best laid plans relying on the weather in late Feb early March is incredibly stupid, and my ideas turned as fast as a picnic by Skeggeh beach on a bank holiday. The early spring photo op turned into a lets go to the pub idea and what better pub to head to than the Jolly Anglers, with Andrew Sully, Ryan Richardson, Aaron Weedon, Chris Atkinson better known as Lilac Grove, the only band to play at the pub since, well maybe ever. The weather was shockingly horrendous as the rain made for a miserable Sunday morning coupled with the fact the night before I had attended a fellow Beestonian's hen party, (congratulations are in order by the way as this hits - the lucky couple will be sunning themselves on their hunnymooon. So here is a shameless CONGRATS to Claire and Mike.) Anyhoo back to the job in hand as it were. Despite the horrendous weather (I did mention that didn’t I?) the lads are in high spirits as we have a very chilled out interview style over a few pints of Pepsi and not so Pepsi.

Five star childcare The bands namesake Lilac Grove, being the road that connects Meadow to Humber Road and is home to various foods, floor and maintenance companies so why pick that name? The band says they had a few different names in the hat and that one stuck (although they didn’t elaborate which ones fell to the wayside). They all naturally passed the how Beeston are you? test, with talk of favourite hang outs of The Berliner and Hop Pole, coincidentally two of the venues also to host the band via the Micks music Festival and the annual must for music lovers Oxjam.

in the hear t of our community

Their previous gig at The Jolly Angler (also have you ever seen a jolly angler? Like ever?), became a thing as Lilacite? Aaron and his dad are regulars int’ pub while he’s not playing for the casuals. In fact the band are so Beeston, Andrew mentions that he went to school with Nactus Kunan (the last band I interviewed way back in issue 59) We randomly talk about music and mainly being influenced by Arctic Monkeys and how much they enjoyed their gig in Feb and looking forward to their return on March 29th. I would love to tell you more of their set but as Pete Doherty very rudely delayed me getting back to this neck of the woods as he was exceptionally late on stage on the same night I only managed to catch their last track. No need to panic though as they return at the Berliner on 5th May, Hop Pole 24th May and 7th Sep at The Crown. I can tell you that the pub was very busy and full of new faces I hadn’t seen before it was obviously a successful night as they have been invited back so quickly. News in the pipeline includes rehearsing over at eleven in Long Eaton (the former silver prize band) a brand spanking debut E.P. for release in May. So get down and support some local lads and the pub music scene, go on ya know ya wannna!!! LD

Call us now on

0115 7750185 to book a visit and find out why our families love us! www.beestonnursery.co.uk

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We’ve got a new website! And this one works! (No, honest - it

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THIS IS IT: THE HARDEST QUIZ IN BEESTON! DO NOT SPILL ITS PINT!

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1. This TV sitcom began in 1989, launching the career of Julia Louis-Dreyfus. 2. She went on to win countless awards portraying the Vice President of the USA in a show created by which Scottish writer? 3. That writer was also pivotal in the creation of which failed TV star and North Norfolk radio DJ? 4. The character, portrayed by Steve Coogan, based the name of his ill-fated TV show on a song by which pop group. 5. The Swedish group also had 2 films based on their music. Star Amanda Seyfried also played a minor role in the 2018 revival of which 90’s tv show. 6. That show centred around the mystery of a murder being investigated by which FBI detective? 7. David Lynch who wrote and directed most of the show has talked extensively about which technique to aid in writing and coming up with ideas? 8. Lynch turned down the opportunity to direct which film that would eventually come out in 1983? 9. At the beginning of that film, Leia’s strangling of Jabba was purposefully modelled to resemble the garrotting of Luca in which 1972 film? 10. Finally, that film was parodied in which episode of the TV show in question 1?

c heck o N e w w ut t h e e bs it e!

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ANSWERS: Seinfeld/Armando Ianucci/Alan Partridge/ABBA/Twin Peaks/ Dale Cooper/Transcendental Meditation/Return of the Jedi/The Godfather/The Bris

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