The Result

I must start with a thank you to all those who participated in the vote for the next monthly series on the Ilkeston Cam (www.ilkcam.com) site. To be perfectly truthful the vote was somewhat flawed in that it pitted one city walk against two town walks, a number of individual village trails and numerous country walks. On face value the country walks topped the poll with the city walk a close second but if all the votes cast for the town and village trails are added together, then the the vote share was roughly equally spread with about a third for each category.


From a practical point of view the city walk is the easiest to plan for and better suited to a monthly series than the country walks so my plans for 2010 mean that I have opted for the Derby Heritage Walk which will feature on the site during the third or fourth week of each month. I will continue to cover the usual annual events like the Walk of Witness at Easter, Carnivals and Fairs etcetera but will pull in as many country walks as possible on an ad hoc basis. I may also add a town walk with Long Eaton being the most likely or perhaps a village trail around Little Eaton which attracted most votes from the villages listed. I also hope to continue with the First Impressions series which has presently stalled at the end of Millership Way.

All in all it looks as though I have a busy year ahead, planning routes, researching information and taking the photos but I'd like to think you'll join me each week as we explore more of the East Midlands in and around Ilkeston. So with that in mind let me wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. - Steve Jobs (1955 - )

It Wouldn't Be Christmas Without ....

There have been heavy snowfalls mainly down the eastern side of the country this week and I heard one weather forecaster say that it wouldn't be Christmas without snow. I don't think that is strictly true as a white Christmas in the UK is not that common but it set me thinking about the things that make for a modern Christmas.


For many people it isn't Christmas without hearing carols or popular songs including old favourites like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas", Harry Belafonte's "Mary's Boy Child", Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song" or Judy Garland's "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". Then of course there are more recent offerings from the likes of Cliff Richard, Wham, Wizzard, the X Factor winners and not forgetting the perennial "Merry Christmas Everybody" by Slade.

For others it's a Christmas film that makes the season - "Holiday Inn", "White Christmas", "Miracle On 34th Street", "Elf", "Santa Claus - The Movie", "The Grinch" - need I go on? There's TV regulars too like the Queen's Speech, Christmas specials of popular shows, endless repeats of programmes we've seen several times before but who would miss a Morecambe and Wise Show? "The Great Escape" or "The Eagle Has Landed" will probably be on at least one channel even if it is a satellite station and many would say that it just wouldn't be Christmas without "The Sound Of Music" - again!

For yet another group of people, it's the shopping, the baking, the turkey and the stuffing, the drinking, the merry-making and the family gatherings and while all the above contribute to making a good Christmas, isn't it time this week in particular to focus on the REAL reason for the festival - the birth of Jesus? However you celebrate, don't leave "Christ" out of "Christ"mas. After all it really wouldn't be Christmas without Him.

It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One! - From 'A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

Recycled Scarecrow

When I was in West Hallam in July for the Well Dressing Festival and Scarecrow Trail, there was a figure outside the Old Post Office dressed as Guy Fawkes. Now as Christmas approaches, the figure has had a change of costume and is now standing beneath a small umbrella that offers a little protection against the elements.


I'm not sure whether the umbrella is a subtle comment about global warming but it seems "change" is the operative word - a change of clothes, a change of character and of course climate change. Whilst world leaders gather in Copenhagen to discuss the reduction of harmful emissions and attempt to thrash out an agreement the sad fact remains that whatever your view on the science surrounding the changes in the weather, you can be sure someone will have the opposite opinion.

Let us take things as we find them: let us not attempt to distort them into what they are not. We cannot make facts. All our wishing cannot change them. We must use them. - John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801 - 1890)

Christmas Characters

It's surprising what you see and who you meet in the town centre at this time of year but in case there are any children viewing this, let me just confirm that these Christmas characters were not the real Elf, Santa or Frosty the Snowman.


They had in fact, arrived in town from the Festival Inn at Trowell and were promoting their new menu for Christmas. They were also distributing gifts in the form of mince pies to passers-by but as I was getting my camera ready to take this photo someone came along and snaffled the last one. All they could offer me was best wishes for Christmas - gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "It's better to give than receive" but I wished them well and went on my way.

A gift, with a kind countenance, is a double present. - Thomas Fuller (1608 - 1661)

Rainbow's End

Have you ever wondered about that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Well I've got news for you - I know where it ends and what the gold is used for.


And here's the evidence which shows the rainbow coming to rest at a property on Market Street. Anyone familiar with Ilkeston will realise that those premises house a dental practice so the next time you see someone with gold fillings in their teeth, you'll know exactly where they've been!

And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow. - Jerry Chin

Country Walks

The object of this exercise was to decide on a new monthly series to begin in the New Year but one benefit I didn't expect was that it forced me into rationalising all the leaflets I have accumulated and put them into relevant categories.


I've already discussed the options of cities, towns and villages so all that remains can best be described as "Country Walks". The vast majority of the leaflets I have collected at various times fall into this category with at least twenty walks described in the Erewash area, another eighteen in Amber Valley to the north plus getting on for another dozen in Broxtowe to the east. Some of the walks cover only short distances and could easily be accomplished in one week's images but other longer walks would need a longer period to do them justice.

I will of course be going just where the fancy takes me most of the time and showing the results on the site but I am planning for a regular series (or two) to be featured the same week each month so now it's over to you. Please make your preference known to me by casting your vote on the home page of Ilkeston Cam. Note that although your vote is recorded it may not appear straight away as the results are only updated every hour.

Life is like getting dropped off in the middle of the woods, and then year by year, gradually walking home. - April Foiles

Villages

The decision so far for a new monthly series has been fairly straightforward between the heritage of Derby or a town walk through either Long Eaton or Belper. Now the choice becomes much more difficult with the inclusion of a number of village trails. A village to quote Wikipedia is a "human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city."


There are already a number of Village Trails on the Ilkeston Cam site and several of them are based on a series of leaflets produced a number of years ago with funds from the Groundwork Environmental Fund supported by the Department of the Environment. Villages in this series that I have not yet covered include Little Eaton (above), Morley (left) and Draycott and Wilne.

Also to be thrown into the mix are Milford (near Belper); Darley Village just to the north of Derby and in the Derwent Valley Heritage Corridor; a cluster of villages to the north of Ilkeston with a rich industrial heritage centred on Riddings (right), Ironville and Jacksdale to say nothing of Shardlow and Breadsall in the opposite direction.

Cities, towns or villages and that's not the end of it - there's more to come.

I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn. - Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

We Will Remember Them

Armistice Day - 11th November 2009

The Second Option

Last week I started to outline some of the choices and options for a new monthly series and suggested a look at Derby's heritage as the first possibility. The second option is a photographic tour of a local town similar to the Ilkeston Town Walk I conducted a few years ago.


In this category there are two contenders - Long Eaton and Belper. Among all those leaflets I mentioned last week, I have one first published in 1995 detailing a route and identifying places of interest for Long Eaton, the second in a series of which the first was the "Ilkeston Town Walk". Although this is nearly fifteen years old and there are bound to be some changes, much of the information contained in the leaflet is still current and would easily form the basis of a series.

For Belper I have two "Heritage Walk" routes published in 2006 as part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and these could easily be combined to form a circuit around the town.

So that's Derby, Long Eaton or Belper and next week I'll outline some of the villages that also come into the equation.

Everything you do in life, every choice you make, has a consequence. When you do things without thinkin', then you ain't makin' the choice. The choice is makin' you. - Mark Steven Johnson

A MINUTE FOR MADELEINE

Madeleine disappeared on 3 May 2007 while on holiday with her family in Portugal. Madeleine is now six years old We know that there is someone out there who knows who is involved in her disappearance.

They may be keeping this secret out of fear, misplaced loyalty or even love. Keeping this information secret only increases the anguish of Madeleine's family and friends and increases the risk to other children.

If you know who is involved and are keeping this secret remember that it is never too late to do the right thing.

We urge anyone who knows anything about the whereabouts of Madeleine or has any information regarding her disappearance to do the right thing and to give that information to their local police.



The message is available at ceop.police.uk and is in seven different languages English, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

Choices & Plans

This week sees the conclusion of the "Lock To Lock" series on the Latest Images page at Ilkeston Cam. Apart from the "Trees of Victoria Park" which is also nearing completion, the only other outstanding series is titled "First Impressions" and this is really a stop gap or fill in strategy for when there is nothing else of interest taking place. I am therefore looking for a new subject for a monthly series to add to the site.

Over the years I have accumulated a number of leaflets and brochures which have in the past provided me with the basis for the "Special Features" section of this site. These have included Village Trails, Town Walks and many other miscellaneous items. I now have several options so I decided to make a list before devising a plan of action, I was surprised by the amount of choice open to me. I will summarise some of the options here as time goes by. Any feedback or suggestions would be welcome either by email, in the guestbook or by comment here on the Blog.

Among those leaflets and brochures there is a fistful from the county town of Derby (above) detailing its heritage buildings, several city centre walks and a mini-guide. I would hope to combine all of these into a route to encompass most of the places of interest similar to the already completed "Historic Nottingham" series.

Next week, I'll list some of the possible Town Walks for your consideration and follow that with some Village Trails but if you have any ideas in the meantime, don't hesitate to contact me.

Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood...Make big plans, aim high in hope and work. - Daniel H. Burnham (1846 - 1912)

Planning Ahead

Ilkeston Fair was still in full swing when I captured this image outside a local fruit and vegetable shop where preparations were already in hand for the forthcoming event of Halloween with pumpkins being prominently displayed outside.


I'm not sure quite why or how the witching hour on October 31st and all the associated activities of Trick or Treating, dressing in spooky costumes and pumpkin carving has become so popular in recent years but suspect the commercial opportunities it presents have a lot to do with it. Never mind, the shops are already filing up with Christmas produce and I expect Cream Eggs for Easter to be on sale any day now.

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster. Your life will never be the same again. - Og Mandino (1923 - 1996)

Ilkeston's 757th Annual Charter Fair

Video clips and photos around the Market Place.

Charter Fair

Nice of the BBC to use this image on their website this week under the Derby area "Things To Do".


Just a shame they didn't add a credit for it this time round although they did in 2002 (link)! The original came from the 748th Fair in 2000.

Total Mayhem

In their wisdom, Derbyshire County Council decided it would be a good time to work at this exit of the large island at the end of Chalons Way into Stanton Road today. Traffic was at a standstill this morning and backed up into all the adjacent roads.


At the other end of town it has been decided probably by the local council for Erewash that this week would also be a good time to start to erect the Christmas lights on Bath Street. This week is also Fair Week which means that as from today all the roads in the town centre are closed to allow the rides and sideshows to be erected. Combined result - TOTAL MAYHEM!

People at a bus stop on Bath Street waiting for the half-hourly 23 service to Kirk Hallam were left standing for over an hour when I passed with still no sign of the bus. Don't get me wrong; I like the Christmas lights as much as anyone and the road works in the area have been going on (and off) for several weeks but surely the planners know when the fair rolls into town - it's a fixed time every year after all - so why didn't they plan their work to miss this week? It seems you don't have to be blessed with common sense these days to be in a position where your decisions create havoc for the general public.

Tuesday is the day every week when two lanes are usually coned off on Chalons Way to allow litter picking and/or grass cutting but today the cones were not there. Someone obviously got that decision right but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them appear before the weekend. And then no-one will be able to get into or out of Ilkeston at all.

At what age does an angry young man become a grumpy old one 'cos whatever it is I've reached it. - Me

To Chop Or Not To Chop

I am so pleased I still have this photo taken nearly two years ago of some of the trees on Chaucer Old Park ('Illy 'Oleys") as it shows a splendid example of a Horse Chestnut almost in the centre of the picture.


Since then it has been chopped right back - I think the correct word is pollarded although mutilated is another word that springs to mind - and only the main trunk is still standing. I actually saw the men working on it one day earlier this year and thought they were just pruning it but was shocked to see how severe the cut back was the following day. I guess they know what they are doing as Horse Chestnuts throughout Britain are suffering from attack by insects and bacteria but it will be a long time before this one will be able to put on such a fine display again in autumn even though there are already signs of new growth. There is hope for Horse Chestnut trees though and there is a potential cure which actually treats the symptoms without the need for cropping but sad to say, it has come too late for this particular tree.

Trees, though they are cut and lopped, grow up again quickly, but if men are destroyed, it is not easy to get them again. - Pericles (490 BC - 429 BC)

Berries

A profusion of pyracantha and rowan berries caught my eye this week alongside a busy road in Ilkeston. This is just a fraction of the total display and my first thought was that there is a wonderful harvest here to help feeds the birds throughout the winter.


I was surprised to learn though that pyracantha berries are not poisonous and although they are very bitter, they can be cooked and are edible when made into jelly. Rowan berries too are again bitter and also make excellent jelly which is usually served with meat. They have several other uses including being soaked in spirits to form a liqueur or even made into wine and an infusion of the berries can be used as a gargle for sore throats. And here I thought they were just for the birds!

In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous. - Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

Bandstand Marathon

Band concerts took place all over the country on Sunday 27th September and twenty of them were in Derbyshire towns. Ilkeston Brass played in the Market Place outside the Town Hall as part of the national Bandstand Marathon.


The national event was part of the Cultural Olympiad which is a series of arts events to celebrate the run up to the 2012 Olympics. I believe one of the aims of the Bandstand Marathon is to bring bandstands back into use and Ilkeston is a prime example of where this is needed. The Victoria Park venue has not been usable for a couple of years and is in desperate need of repair and restoration. The local council were reported to be spending some money on it and I heard that some £20,000 had already been spent but it's difficult to see exactly where the money went. An application to the Heritage Lottery Fund was rejected in April this year because the bandstand "did not provide opportunities for learning" but Erewash Borough Council officials were trying to revise the bid to resubmit. So far nothing further is known but no news is good news so they say.

Unfortunately as winter creeps up on us it looks as though the bandstand will have to suffer the vagaries of the weather and suffer further deterioration which will then cost even more to put right. I may be naive in my assumption but surely a programme of preventative maintenance in the first place would have kept the bandstand in good order and made grovelling around for funds now avoidable! Derbyshire County Council’s Market Towns Initiative with funding also from Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership sponsored the Bandstand Marathon concerts and whilst this was welcomed by the participating bands, I question whether this was the best use of the money available. That money has now gone but investment in the structure and fabric of bandstands would have made sure that future concerts could take place in their right and proper place.

Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best. - Michael Johnson

Bean Feast

Well the end of the Autumn Footprints Walking Festival has meant we have been able to switch our attention to the garden and this morning we decided to take the bean row down. It's not been a bad season and as well as enjoying freshly picked produce, we've also stacked up for the winter by freezing much of the crop but still had sufficient to give some away to family, friends and neighbours. Now though the growing season is almost over but we were still able to salvage enough for a few more bags for the freezer and get plenty of seed for next year.


It seems strange now though when walking down the garden path. The garden seems a whole lot longer now that there is an uninterrupted view to the bottom and it also seems much lighter. During the growing season a combination of strong winds and a heavy crop had caused the bean row to list to starboard and overhang the path so much so that it was impossible to walk past it without stepping off the path onto the lawn. Also with the neighbour's apricot tree overhanging the lawn it was almost like passing through a tunnel. The tree was pruned a little while ago so there are no obstructions now to keep the light out! We can now see that there are still lots more jobs to do in the garden but we thought we'd save some for another day ....

The Challenge

Here beginneth the Ilkeston Cam guide to dieting and weight loss. Since taking the photo below on the opening day of the Autumn Footprints Walking Festival in Amber Valley and Erewash just over a fortnight ago on Morley Moor, I've walked in the region of 45 miles. Much of this has been on guided walks organised as part of the Festival and I've made some new friends and renewed old acquaintances
.

To the experienced walker 45 miles in two weeks may not seem a lot but I've always led a relatively sedentary lifestyle. Now if you listen to the health experts, a combination of a good diet and exercise should lead to weight loss, not that I am overweight any way. The healthy diet is not a problem - my wife sees to that! So after a fortnight's walking I would have expected to have lost a few pounds but the bathroom scales this morning showed an increase of two pounds. I shouldn't be surprised really as some years ago I cut out sugar, sweets and biscuits in an attempt to lose weight after a period of inactivity due to a damaged ankle and I even put weight on then.

The Ilkeston Cam guide to weight loss then is a non-starter but I have to admit to feeling fitter than I did this time last month. I suppose the challenge now is to keep walking, enjoy my food and ignore the bathroom scales!

Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. - Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

Coming Together

Town and country folk came together one day last week outside the Guildhall in Derby. It's something they do on a regular basis when a Farmers Market is held on the third Thursday of each month.


The market may be a common sight but last week the stalls fell under the shadow of a 60m high wheel. That is they could have been in the shadow had the sun been shining. The wheel has not met with a universally positive response according to some of the comments by readers of a local newspaper who have several worries about the cost to the City Council. A similar wheel in the neighbouring city of Nottingham seems to have been a success though and it is hoped that the wheel in Derby will attract shoppers to the city too. Wheel or not, the farmers will be back next month with another array of mouthwatering produce and their market is always an attraction. The wheel will also be a bonus as the city celebrates on the 22nd September - the day designated each year as Derbyshire Day.

Farmers only worry during the growing season, but towns people worry all the time. - Edgar Watson Howe (1853-1937)

I Like This ....

Sporting Bias

It's been a week of mixed fortunes for Britain's sportsmen and women. Andy Murray lost to a player ranked much lower than him in straight sets in the US Open and the England cricketers contrived to go four-nil down in the seven match series of one-day internationals against Australia, this despite just beating the Australians to win the Ashes.

But it was the soccer players who grabbed most of the headlines. The ladies exceeded all expectations in the European Championships to reach the final and although beaten by the reigning World and European Champions, Germany, they had a really good tournament and pushed the Germans much harder than the 6-2 score line suggests. Obviously disappointed they will surely come back stronger for the experience. The headline on the BBC site of "Germany Crush England" is far from the truth and shows a journalistic naivete and bias hard to believe from such a usually well respected source.

Wembley Stadium

© Copyright Richard Croft and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The journalists also had a field day when reviewing England's two soccer matches last week showing favouritism and bias that was quite unbelievable. In a friendly match seemingly played at half pace against Slovenia which they won 2-0, the players were rated by several national newspapers and websites. Wayne Rooney missed a hatful of chances but received ratings averaging 8 to 9. On Wednesday Emile Heskey played a vital role spearheading the attack in a match that confirmed England's progress to the World Cup Finals in South Africa next year and he could possibly have scored at least one goal and maybe two but for two excellent saves by Croatia's goalkeeper. As for the ratings, those same papers and websites averaged 4 to 5 for Heskey. Now if that's not biased, I don't know what is.

I was not really in favour of a foreign coach for the national team but if coach Fabio Capello can continue to ignore this journalistic bias, then the team may well have a good chance next year. On the evidence of the last two matches though when they were content to play exhibition football they still don't have the killer instinct of the German Ladies. Half an hour here and there playing good attacking football which is all that we saw this last week will not win them anything in South Africa and then the journalists will be digging out those knives again and going for the jugular.

The biases the media has are much bigger than conservative or liberal. They're about getting ratings, about making money, about doing stories that are easy to cover. - Al Franken (1951 - )

Seventy Years On

Last Thursday, September 3rd, was the seventieth anniversary of Britain and France's declaration of war on Germany, a war in which 50 million people were to lose their lives. The war drew in all the powers of the world, spreading to all corners of the globe and lasting for six years - but did we really learn anything? Today there are still conflicts and there has hardly been a day since the end of the Second World War that shots have not been fired in anger somewhere in the world.


Why is it that the human race cannot live together in peace? The simple answer is that we ARE human and far from perfect but it is a fact that our humanity enables us to remember those who gave their lives in the pursuit of peace and to honour them. A simple act of remembrance took place at the War Memorial on Ilkeston's Market Place on Thursday morning where Merchant Seamen who made the ultimate sacrifice were also remembered. The act of remembering will not stop wars but it does give us just a moment in time to ponder our actions and the impact on our collective futures. If we cannot stop the fighting, maybe we should start a worldwide campaign of remembrance. Maybe, just maybe, it may make people think twice before picking up arms.

Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul.Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people. - Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 - 1964)

The Boy Done Good!

Borrowing a phrase often uttered by football pundits on TV "The boy done good" despite its grammatical errors seems a good way to describe the achievements of one of Ilkeston's own, Robert Lindsay. The town welcomed back its famous son for a special event last week.


The Olivier and Tony award winning actor, star of stage, screen and television has never forgotten his roots or his home town and he returned to follow in the footsteps of the late Diana, Princess of Wales who opened the Community Hospital in 1987 to perform another opening ceremony, that of a new operating theatre.

Robert has certainly done well for himself in his chosen profession but knows that when he returns to Ilkeston, he will not be hounded as a celebrity but just treated as one of our own of whom we are justly proud. However this was a special occasion and the trappings of celebrity were all around following his arrival in a chauffeur driven white Rolls Royce as he was filmed for the TV news bulletins. Accompanied by his 85 year old father Norman, also seen in the foreground of the above picture, Robert was quick to acknowledge the fund-raisers of the Rotary Club and the League of Friends. It was they who raised the money to cover the cost of the theatre and its equipment. The new facility at the hospital will enable local people to undergo minor surgery on hands, eyes and skin growths.

Robert also said that Ilkeston is a town with a great sense of community, something that he misses but something he can always come back to. He was also acutely aware that unveiling the plaque in the hospital was just a minor deed when compared to the efforts of the fund-raisers but his good deed in performing the task adds another dimension to that hackneyed phrase "The boy done good!"

The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become the best that you can become. - Harold Taylor (1914 - 1993)

Customer Service

I don't know whether they are still in use or not but I spotted these old-fashioned petrol pumps at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre at Ruddington early last week. It set me thinking about when pumps like this were commonplace and garage hands actually came out and filled your vehicle's fuel tank for you. Those were the days when "customer service" meant something and the term was not just a pseudonym for "Complaints Department".


In many cases these days I've found that "customer" would be better replaced by "lip" for if you dare to complain about something, then you are often made to feel the guilty party. My judgement has probably been clouded by the fact that I lodged a complaint at a local superstore some fifteen months ago and despite following up several times since, I have still not had a response from the management. I'm not saying which store but a little acknowledgement would have been appreciated because as we all know, every little helps.

Always render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be. - Og Mandino (1923 - 1996)

Weatherproof

You'd normally expect to see dust covers on library books but the whole of Ilkeston's Library is covered at present. I'm not sure what's going on under the covers but no doubt all will be revealed in due course. In the meantime, as we've had more than our fair share of wet weather this summer, it looks as though the library has donned waterproofs.


Back in April this year we were warned that there was a 65% chance of a heatwave and we should look forward to a 'barbecue summer'. That 65% chance turned out to be 100% wrong and although there was one hot spell and there have been plenty of fine days, the original forecast was not that good. Later in July it was revised to say that the unsettled weather would continue until the middle of August so we await the next couple of weeks with bated breath. Weather forecasting by its very nature cannot be an exact science but when these short term forecasts for a couple of months ahead are often incorrect, it's no surprise that people are sceptical about the dire warnings of climate change and the impact it will have 40 or 50 years from now. And have you noticed that the term 'global warming' has been dropped in favour of 'climate change'? Of course the climate is changing and the globe is warming - it has been doing since the last ice age! The human race may not be helping the situation and it will take a global change to make a difference and it may take those 40 or 50 years to achieve it. I'm not saying we should ignore the evidence the scientists put before us - but it would be nice if now and again all the prophesies were not so doom-laden.

Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation. Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930)

Locked Up

I spent some time behind bars in a custody cell at Ilkeston Police Station this weekend - but they let me out again! I wasn't charged with anything although as I was wearing a purple shirt and a yellow sweater, it was suggested I had committed a Crime of Fashion (that's 'fashion' not 'passion').


It was an open day where residents had a chance to learn more about the Derbyshire Constabulary and to find out more about their local police team. With much to keep visitors to the event busy including operating the various warning sirens on a parked police car and controlling CCTV cameras, 'prisoners' could also have their mug shots and fingerprints taken whilst being given a guided tour of the building. Having spent a little time behind bars though, it is not something I want to make a habit of.

The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear. - Aung San Suu Kyi (1945 - )

Apricot Tree

Whilst watching a TV programme a few weeks ago, both my wife and I were surprised to hear a so called "gardening expert" say that he had never heard of apricots being grown outdoors in England and had only ever seen them under glass. He himself was surprised to see them outdoors in the south of the country. He must have led a very sheltered life!


This is a picture taken this week of an apricot tree growing in a neighbour's garden where it has been for almost twenty years and it is fully laden with fruit just about ready for picking. We have often noticed when travelling to the south of England that it is usually warmer than here in the East Midlands. In fact a phrase we often use is that it is "a top coat warmer down there" and I've often noticed when looking at sites such as Cornwall Cam that when flowers are in bloom there it is about three weeks later before they flower here. So my advice to that "gardening expert" not that he will ever read this, is to get out more and come a bit further north than the Watford Gap. He might learn a thing or two and then can truly be regarded as an expert!

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. - Marcel Proust (1871 - 1922)

The Singing Postman

In 1966 a novelty song by Allan Smethurst who was known as the Singing Postman entered the charts and stayed there for nine weeks. That song, sung in the Norfolk dialect was called "Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boy?" as Allan, although born in Lancashire in 1927, was brought up in Sheringham in Norfolk. He went on to record many more songs before quitting the music business in 1970.


Allan died in 2000 but when I saw the above notice scrawled on a newly erected board outside the Larklands Hotel my first thought was "The Singing Postman is alive and well and performing in Ilkeston." On second thoughts, it's probably just a spelling mistake but a few months ago when passing a pub in Spondon and unfortunately unable to take a photo as I was on a bus at the time, I did spot another sign there advertising a "femail vocalist". Mail or femail, I just hope their song delivery was not second class! But mistake or not, it did serve to remind me of the delights and songs of Allan Smethurst.

Mistakes are the portals of discovery. James Joyce (1882 - 1941)

Green versus Red

Whilst at the Lakeside Festival at Kirk Hallam last week I was approached by representatives of Green Squeeze and asked if I would sign a petition about the proposed access roads into the Stanton Ironworks redevelopment site.



Now whilst the developers who are proposing upwards of 5000 new houses plus some light industrial units are to be congratulated on the use of former industrial land, their proposals for access require much more consideration. Take a look at this map on the Green Squeeze website and in particular at the proposals for the red and pink routes. Both of these link into a new junction on the A52 and would be fine for traffic to and from Derby and the west. But any traffic heading towards Nottingham and the east or north and south via the M1 would, human nature being what it is, surely use the existing road network through Stanton-By-Dale, Sandiacre and Risley among others.

Furthermore the red and pink routes would forge a way through the rolling countryside such as that seen above between Dale Village and Stanton-By-Dale and have a huge negative effect on the environment. The green and blue routes provide a much more sensible approach but as we all know, common sense is often ignored when financial considerations are involved and red would probably be cheaper in the short term than green. It appears some routes have already been rejected making the cheaper options more likely so I would encourage all local people to explore the Green Squeeze website to read more about the proposals and to make their feelings known to the powers that be before our landscape is ruined forever.

It is a bad plan that admits of no modification. Publilius Syrus (1st century BC)