Welcome to Issue 308, 10th May 2008 of our FREE newsletter
Violence Crack Down
Long Eaton Police have said that more pubs in the area could be closed if violent crime in the town does not decrease. Inspector Matt Thompson said: "Alcohol consumption is definitely a cause of assaults and other violent crime, and I intend to look at the licensing enforcement. The town centre is a problem, We have just shut the Venue and I suspect that won't be the last. We do suffer with a large consumption of night time venues which means more people in the town centre at night. I have put police officers down there to try and prevent it but we're not up for spoiling people's nights." During April there have been at least 35 recorded assaults with injury. Mr Thompson also said that there is more binge drinking or people getting drunk at home before going out because of the opportunity to buy alcohol outside of pubs. He added: "It seems to me the aim is to get drunk rather than having a good time. When you are drunk you are more likely to get involved in violent crime and more likely to be a victim." He added that women make up a chunk of the group who are going out just to get drunk and he said that people involved in violent crimes is beginning to change, and that the assaults are generally by known offenders, friend of friend, and they end up regretting it in the morning.
Hunt Is On
The search is continuing for the person to be this year's Long Eaton Carnival Princess. The Carnival Committee are looking for one special youngster who has made a positive contribution to the area in the last year. Any girl aged 18 or under can apply. To apply, write in no more than 100 words stating the reason why you should become the Carnival Princess. The address is: Carnival Princess Competition, 52 Babington Lane, Derby DE1 1SX. This year's Long Eaton Community Carnival takes place on Saturday, June 21st and will begin with an official ceremony at West Park in the town. Carnival bands competing this year are: The Canine Freestylers, The Long Eaton Militaires and The Breaston Highlanders. Country and Western singer, Katie Rhode will be performing and will be supported by the Double "B" Linedancers. Other activities lined up include a funfair, twisted crazy golf, sumo wrestling, a train ride and a hop-on-go-cart. There is still time for people to book a stall on the carnival site to promote your community group or business. For bookings telephone 01332 872195 or 0115 9726795.
New Management
Glyn Stacey and Mark Harvey have been confirmed as the new management team at Long Eaton United in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. The duo bid farewell to South Normanton Athletic, who are in danger of folding if they fail to find a new committee to run the club next season. They will replace Craig Weston, who quit Grange Park last month. Stacey previously managed Long Eaton for more than three years before leaving in July 2005. He rejoins the Blues having resolved his differences with chairman Jim Fairley. "I had my problems with the chairman last time around but that has all been sorted out now," said Stacey. "There was a breakdown in communication but that was three years ago. We have all moved on now." Fairley said: "We are very pleased to have Mark on board and happy that Glyn is coming back too, we have both moved on since he was here before and there are no grudges. The two of them have a good record of attracting players and the lads at South Normanton can't speak highly enough of them. I think they will bring a little bit of a personal touch and the players will like playing for them." Stacey and Harvey's target now is to achieve promotion from the Northern Counties East Premier Division to the UniBond League. Stacey and Harvey admitted they were both sad to be leaving South Normanton.
Mayor's Award
Local community minded residents and groups have been recognised at a special ceremony at this year's Erewash Mayor's Awards. Representatives of three groups and seven caring individuals were presented with an award and certificate by the Mayor of Erewash, Coun Eileen Knight. The scheme is held each year to recognise groups or individuals who undertake vital work in their community without expecting anything in return. The successful recipients of a 2008 Mayor's Award in the Long Eaton area are: Mrs Mary Lenton, of Bonsall Court in Long Eaton. Mary has been a member of the St Laurence Church for over 50 years and during that time she has been involved in the running of the cub pack, as well as being a member of the parochial church council and a church warden. Sharon Stansfield, of Neale Street in Long Eaton. Since 2000, Sharon has been the musical director of the Long Eaton Silver Prize Band. This organisation is over 100 years old and when Sharon took over it was not in the best of health. Sharon has worked tirelessly for the band and more importantly for the community in securing the future of the band by her positive approach to fund raising. Chloe Pinchess, of Linden Avenue, Long Eaton. Chloe is only 10 years old, and in less than a year she has raised nearly £2,000 in memory of her granddad who died of cancer in June 2007. And finally, Mr Alan Read of Romorantin Place, Long Eaton. Alan has been a founder member of the Happivale Social Centre for over 40 years. He has devoted his life to Happivale and to his late brother Stuart, who had Down's Syndrome. Alan has been a volunteer leader for over 30 years.
Plan Unveiled
A revised scheme for the Duchess Theatre site has been unveiled. An appeal is being launched by the Long Eaton & District Arts Council to build a new arts centre in Long Eaton where the Duchess Theatre once stood. Graham Smith, consultant director for the Phoenix Fund, which was set up to raise money for the Duchess Theatre which burnt down in 2003, presented the new proposal to Erewash Borough Council. Mr Smith said: "Questions are being asked about what is happening on our site at West Gate, and it is hoped by sharing information that you will come to see that the Long Eaton & District Arts Council are determined to resolve their current problems and issues by taking positive steps to provide the community with a facility we believe they so richly deserve." The plan is to build a new site called the Chatsworth Community Arts Centre which will be built on the site of the existing steelwork. The existing steelwork will be reused or recycled, as will existing groundwork wherever possible. The arts centre will feature a 200 plus seater, all embracing, flexible venue with retractable raked seating, equipped with all the facilities associated with both a community centre and a theatre. To raise money for the new arts centre the remaining land left over will be sold for housing. A £500,000 appeal will also be launched which will commence on March 31st, 2009, and the new centre is planned to open in September 2009 or earlier if funding is in place. The Phoenix Fund are also hoping for help from Erewash Borough Council. Mr Smith added: "This revised plan offers real hope for the future of this project, and we feel this will also stop the speculation about what we are doing - and what we are not doing."
It's Grand!
Pupils from the Parklands Infant and Nursery School in Long Eaton are celebrating after receiving money to help pay for an outdoor classroom. The school, on Derby Road, has been awarded a grant of £1,000 from the Midlands Co-operative Society. The school's overall target for the classroom which will improve teaching and learning at the school especially in subject areas like science and art, is £4,050. Head teacher, Judith Mellor said: "The outdoor classroom provides seating, tables and shade for a class of 30 children. The outdoor learning facility close to our wildlife garden is ideal for an evolving curriculum, providing sensory experience leading to greater levels of creativity and understanding."
New Lease Of Life
The Old Stillage pub in Long Eaton is going to be turned into a new restaurant and nightclub. The pub, which is on the corner of Station Street and Main Street has been sold and work has already begun to restore it. The new owners have said: "It is going to be family orientated with food. There will be a bar and restaurant with live music." The owners are from the Leicester area and do not know about the area where the Stillage is situated, and they were worried about the prospect of coming to Long Eaton. They added: "We have spoken to the police and they don't see anything wrong with what we are doing. They have told us where to put the cameras and we have 16 in total." The bar and restaurant will be on the ground floor and there will be a nightclub upstairs. The new owners hope to split the age gap so everyone is happy with their company. The decoration is going to have an "art deco" theme, with black and white. The new bar will still be called the Stillage and hopefully will be opened by the end of May.
Gym Closed
Loyal members and staff at a Long Eaton gym have had their hopes of keeping their club open dashed after being told the business has folded. The bad news was broken to staff and members of the Gymophobics on Derby Road after being told just days before that they had won a reprieve. Manager of the gym Dee Cox, was told that a new owner had been found after the existing franchisee had been about to close the business. But she was later told that the new owner had pulled out and that the gym must close. Ms Cox said that members as well as staff were devastated. The sister businesses in Beeston and Derby, all part of the same Stafford based franchise operation had already closed and members of those clubs were told they should use the Long Eaton club instead. Ms Cox said: "I was inundated with calls from Derby and Beeston members wanting to book appointments. A spokesperson for Gymophobics said: "We regret to announce the owners of the Long Eaton Gymophobics have gone into receivership. As franchisors we have no control over their business. If we are able all memberships will be honoured in full. However if not, people concerned about membership fees will need to contact the receivers."
Undie Wars
A row has broken out between a long standing Long Eaton market trader and Erewash Borough Council over whether or not she was allowed to sell underwear on her market stall. Mrs Turner-Yorke, says she has been selling hosiery and underwear including knickers, pants, bras and vests on her stall on the market for the past 20 years. However, a few months ago Erewash Borough Council told her that although she was listed to sell hosiery, she was not formally listed to sell underwear. Mrs Turner-Yorke said: "I could not believe it. I was threatened with eviction for exceeding the council's knicker quota. I have filled forms in over the years and I have written letters saying specifically what I sell - hosiery, underwear, hats, scarves and gloves. Why has it become an issue now." She added that the council had been aware of exactly what she was selling for many years. Richard Ashley, neighbourhood standards manager at Erewash Borough Council said in response: "The line of goods identified by Mrs Turner-Yorke was hosiery. Under the old council definitions, hosiery did not include the sale of underwear. After further investigation it has been revealed that some definitions of hosiery are quite ambiguous and often include some under garments. In light of this, I decided that we could come to an agreement with the trader concerned."
Repairs Planned
Pedestrians and drivers are being put at risk by a run down building in Long Eaton which is in danger of falling down - it has been claimed. However, the owners of the building on the corner of Salisbury Street and Tamworth Road are planning to begin work on the property within the next month. The building started to collapse last summer and the owners in conjunction with Erewash Borough Council had to take immediate action to stop it falling down. Scaffolding was erected to shore up the structure. But Long Eaton people are claiming that not only is the building dangerous but the scaffolding is unsafe too as well as being an eyesore. A cordon was put around the scaffolding but some people claim that this is inadequate and that it was not lit at night. A spokesman for Erewash Borough Council said that they were making regular checks on the scaffolding and so was the company who had put it up. John Hornby, of Hathersage Avenue in Sawley pointed out that the scaffolding overlaps the roadway and that a passing car or lorry could hit it and knock it down. C. P. Walker & Son, chartered surveyors who manage to property for the owners said there had been a delay because planning consent had been necessary for the structural repairs needed and there had been a more ambitious plan. Also, the owner had wanted to try to sell the property without the work being done. However it had now been decided to carry out the work. Once the work starts, which will involve the rebuilding of the front of the building it shouldn't be long before the scaffolding comes down.
Woolworths Rumours
The Woolworths store on the High Street in Long Eaton has moved to quash rumours that it is going to close. There has been gossip circulating around the town that the chain store was to close its doors. However, a spokesman said there was "absolutely no truth in the rumour". She said: "The Woolworths store at 39 High Street in Long Eaton is a strong performer and has a bright future with the company. High Street stores are an integral part of Woolworths current and future business model and the company will increase the number of stores it has in 2008."
Licence Extension
A well known and popular club in Long Eaton has been granted an application to extend its opening hours by Erewash Borough Council - but only for two nights each week. The Zingari Club on College Street provides entertainment for its customers, and now its new hours on Friday and Saturdays are from 11am until 12:30am. The rest of the week opening times will remain the same which is 11am until 11pm. The decision was made by the council's licensing and public protection panel following opposition to the application from local residents. Concerns were made from people living on Upper Wellington Street about the increased levels of noise. The club's secretary, John Thomas, said: "We now have a full licence to open until 1am, but we won't use it because we are thinking about the residents." The council will monitor the venue over the first three months to make sure they adhere to the conditions.
Sensory Garden
Plans for a sensory garden at a Long Eaton school have been unveiled. Students and staff led by technology teacher, Abigail Shawyer, designed the garden for the Long Eaton School at its Thoresby Road site. The plans will be officially displayed at the school's Environmental May Day event with help from Groundwork Derby and Derbyshire. Local company, Marshall PLC have supported the community project by supplying materials for the garden. They will also be turning the first sod of grass when work starts on the garden in a few weeks time. Part of the plans involve a teaching circle where staff will be able to take classes to enjoy the outdoor environment.
Co-op Site Views
Following the decision by Riva Gaming to withdraw their application to turn the old Co-op store on the High Street in Long Eaton into a bingo hall, Long Eaton people have been speaking out about what they think the site should become. The residents had mixed opinions about what it should be but a lot think that it's a great opportunity to have a big retail store there. One resident said: "It should be a Marks & Spencers because that would bring people here. Major stores like that would bring people to Long Eaton and it already has a big car park." Another resident said: "I don't think it should be a bingo hall because that is encouraging gambling." Carol Stokeley, from Long Eaton said: "It doesn't bother me either way. I don't know what else it could be but I would rather have a bingo hall than a nightclub because there are lots of nightclubs about." Mr and Mrs Bell said: "The more shops we can get the better but I can't imagine anyone wanting to come. It should be a big name, if we can get them to come." Another resident believes that the supermarkets are overtaking the smaller stores and would be surprised if it would survive as a retailer. He said: "It used to be a nice Co-op, but it is the same as anything else with the Tesco and Asda about." Overall the thoughts of the people of Long Eaton is that it was the right decision NOT to have a bingo hall and they want to have something that will encourage more people into the town.
Sport Relief
Pupils and staff from the Wilsthorpe Business and Enterprise College on Derby Road put on their running shoes, and best fancy dress outfits to take part in a charity run. With the help from Derby based charity, Sporting Futures, and sports brand Mizuno, the school arranged two races - one in the morning with local primary schools, and the other in the afternoon with around 320 of its own pupils taking part to raise money for the national charity Sport Relief. Altogether the money raised totaled about £600.
Graffiti Overload
The Trent/Barton bus company who operate in the Long Eaton area are disgusted with the state of the bus shelters in the town - and feels it is discouraging people from using public transport. Almost every bus shelter in the centre of Long Eaton has been tagged with Graffiti. Areas around The Green, Derby Road, Station Road and Wilsthorpe Road are badly affected. Cherryl Holland from Trent/Barton said: "I have been in talks with Erewash Borough Council about the state of the bus shelters in Long Eaton and I report them on a regular basis. We try and encourage people to travel on public transport but the bus shelter is the first and last thing people see when they get on and off a bus. It's not giving a very good impression if they are vandalised." Phillip Wright, director of neighbourhood services at Erewash Borough Council said: "We work hard with our partners including Derbyshire County Council and Trent/Barton Buses to improve the situation. But graffiti is a major nuisance crime and it is an ongoing battle for our teams to clean up after the anti-social people who target sites such as bus shelters."
Floral Theme
The St Laurence Church in Long Eaton is holding a Flower Workshop during the month of April. Members of the Church of England Flower Arrangers Association will be visiting the church and Hillary Brian will be giving a demonstration on how to produce a spring basket arrangement and a continental style arrangement. Everyone is welcome to attend at the demonstrations.
Life Saver Praised
A Long Eaton control call operator has been praised by East Midlands Ambulance Service for helping to save a man's life. Kerry Kirkland, an EMAS control operator who lives in Long Eaton received a call from Mark Foster in November last year. Mr Foster said: "I was driving to work when I noticed a man had collapsed on the pavement. I stopped the car and ran over to him and saw that he was a deep purple colour. I rang 999 and spoke to East Midlands Ambulance Service." The man, Leonard Huntley, 72, was driving back from his son's when he started to feel unwell. He parked his car up and got out for a walk, but suffered a heart attack and collapsed on the pavement. The emergency call was answered by Kerry. Mr Foster added: "I've never given first aid before but thanks to Kerry's expert advice I was able to give the man Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation until the ambulance arrived minutes later. It was really reassuring to have Kerry's advice over the phone." Linda Huntley, Leonard's wife said: "I can never thank Mr Foster and Mrs Kirkland enough for their quick response. Without it my husband wouldn't be here with me today."
Road Works Relief
Road works on a main route into and out of Long Eaton did not cause as much disruption to businesses as had been feared. That was the verdict of the community of traders at Sawley Marina who have praised Leicestershire County Council's handling of the work. The traders had predicted that traffic jams because of the roadworks on the B6540 road would cause them to lose business. However, Steve Hands, of Hands On Marine said that the county council handled the works well. He said: "The workmen did their best to make sure cars could get into the marina. They had somebody working at the gate controlling the traffic so the entrance was not blocked. Credit where credit is due." Rod Grant, general manager at British Waterways Marinas Ltd. which owns the site said: "The B6540 is a very, very busy route but it all went smoothly. The workmen times things so well so that by the evening rush hour they had all cleared up and gone home." Mr Grant also said that the standard of workmanship on the newly re-surfaced road was excellent.
Hall In Spotlight
Work to secure the windows and install a ramp for wheelchairs at the Petersham Hall in Long Eaton will not be given the go ahead from Three Valleys Housing - it has been claimed. It was heard at a meeting of Erewash Borough Council's external affairs scrutiny committee that it had been difficult to secure permission from the housing association to undertake work on the premises on Grasmere Road. Local councillor, Bill Camm was also at the meeting and he said: "The hall itself has problems with the windows and they wish to do something with those to give them added protection against vandalism. They also want a permanent ramp to the main doors at the back to assist disabled people." Coun Camm has a personal interest in a permanent ramp because the hall is regularly used by Parkland's Stroke Club where he is the president, and a lot of their members are wheelchair users. The hall itself is owned by Thee Valleys Housing on a 125 year lease to Erewash Borough Council.
Charity Fundraiser
A Long Eaton man is holding an event to raise money for women who have had or are suffering from breast cancer. Lawrence Finney, who was born in Long Eaton is a qualified game angling instructor in fly tying and he is holding an event at the Formark Trout Fishery in Derbyshire on Saturday, April 26th and Sunday, April 27th. At the two day event Lawrence will demonstrate tying traditional Irish Lough flies including his range of Irish Dabblers and CDC May flies which have just been launched this year. There will also be an auction on the Saturday afternoon for five individually framed flies designed and signed by Lawrence, and the money raised will go to "Casting For Recovery" which is a non-profit support and educational programme for women who have had or have breast cancer.
Cars Collide
Two Volkswagen cars collided on a Long Eaton road. A Volkswagen Golf and a Volkswagen Passat collided whilst traveling along Fields Farm Road in Long Eaton. The passenger from the Volkswagen Golf was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham. She is believed to be a 20 year old from the Long Eaton area and she suffered minor bruising on her right arm in the crash.
New Look Store
The College Street Co-op store in Long Eaton has reopened with a new look following the completion of a £280,000 revamp which has created two new jobs. Pupils from the Highfield Primary School performed the ribbon cutting ceremony and were presented with a donation of £200 for school funds to mark the occasion. The Co-op store has been transformed with modern decor including a new "access for all" automatic door, new shelving and flooring, eco-friendly refrigeration plus a more shopper friendly layout. The emphasis is on chilled and fresh foods with the range doubling in size. A selection of in-store baked breads and pastries has been introduced and also a wider range of chilled beers and wines. The popular services including the cash machine, pay point and lottery have been retained. Store manager, Ken Husbands said: "We provide a much valued service for the local community and I am confident our shoppers will be delighted with our improved store and wider selection of goods."
Art Room
Two years ago the Long Eaton Art Room was opened as a pioneering new arts initiative and they are still going strong. The community centre set up by Mary Stewart and other volunteers has moved into larger, better equipped premises which has enabled them to run more open studio sessions and accommodate more people. They now also have the opportunity to run workshops for children during school holidays. The Art Room is run and currently funded by a dedication group of volunteers who believe in therapeutic benefits of arts and crafts. It is clear by the generous donations of equipment by the local community so far received that there is growing support for the club. However, they are still seeking funding to enable the valuable work to continue into the future. Activities available include throwing a pot on the potters wheel, spinning your own yarn, quilling, paint-a-pot and much more. There will also be opportunities to take part in larger scale pieces of artwork. The Art Room is located in the Harrington Mills, Leopold Street, Long Eaton and is open from Monday to Saturday 9am until noon and 1pm until 4pm. Also Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6pm until 9pm. For more information call 0115 9461661 or visit www.leartroom.co.uk.
Up For Battle
Six young bands entered the 2008 Battle Of The Bands competition organised by the Rotary Club of Long Eaton Dawnbreakers. The competition was held at the Wilsthorpe Business and Enterprise College on Derby Road in Long Eaton. The event was open to the public from 2pm until 6pm and the admission was free. During the judging competing bands plus members of the audience were in for a very special treat because making a guest appearance were previous competition winners, the Breaston based rock band Toxic Federation, who have gone on to greater things and this year will not only be touring the UK but also Europe.
News In Brief
For Your Amusement
First Schoolday
A mother greeted her little girl at the end of her first day at school: "Well dear, how did you get on? What did they teach you today?"
"Not enough I suppose," the little girl replied. "They say I've got to go back again tomorrow."