Category Archives: Nottingham

Doug Scott obituary | Letter

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The mountaineer Doug Scott was a founder of Nottingham Moderns RFC, whose formation arose from the grip that grammar schools often held over rugby union in England. When you left school and wanted to play the game, but had attended a secondary modern school rather than a grammar, there was often nowhere to go. This was particularly the case in Nottingham, where a group of rugby-mad former secondary modern pupils, including Doug, and a motley crew of trainee Welsh school teachers formed their own club.

Doug had failed his 11+ and went to Cottesmore secondary modern, though his academic potential was soon spotted, and he transferred to the Mundella grammar (now Nottingham Emmanuel school) where he thrived. He became club captain of the Moderns for the 1958-59 season and is fondly remembered by many of his former team mates at the Wilford-based club, with many stories of his physical fitness and fondness for a Guinness or two still being told.

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Bike disappearance mars Banksy artwork in Nottingham

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City angered by apparent theft of bike chained to post near stencil of hula-hooping girl

A bicycle with a missing wheel accompanying a Banksy mural in Nottingham has vanished, prompting sadness and frustration in the city.

The artwork depicts a girl appearing to hula hoop with a tyre from the bike, which was chained to a nearby pole outside a beauty salon.

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Nottinghamshire to ban some alcohol sales after 9pm under tier 3 Covid rules

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Off-licence sales prohibition is first in the UK as beauty salons will also have to close in toughest rules yet

Nottinghamshire will be placed under tier 3 coronavirus measures from Friday, it was confirmed on Wednesday night, with a series of extra rules including the UK’s first virus-related ban on off-licence alcohol sales after 9pm.

West Yorkshire is set to follow suit within days – meaning more than 11 million people in England will soon be under the toughest level of restrictions.

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‘Judge me fairly’: man who starved to death’s plea to welfare officials

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Handwritten letter found in Errol Graham’s flat, where he died after his benefits were cut

Errol Graham, a desperately ill man who died of starvation when his benefits were cut off, wrote a moving letter pleading with welfare officials to “judge me fairly” because he was overwhelmed by depression.

The handwritten letter, seen by the Guardian, was released by Graham’s family as they launched a legal attempt to prove that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) acted unlawfully and put him at risk by failing to put in place effective safeguards to protect vulnerable benefit claimants.

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Female paedophile Angela Allen to be released next month

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Allen’s release will be subject to strict licence conditions and adherence to ‘exclusion zones’

A female paedophile who operated as part of a “sickening ring” of child abusers is set to be released next month, the Parole Board has confirmed.

Angela Allen was part of a ring including three other women, who were convinced by IT consultant Colin Blanchard to share photographs of themselves abusing children.

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Leaders in the north: HS2 is vital for our growth | Letters

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Northern council leaders say that HS2 will add billions to their economies and create half a million jobs; while Steve Rotheram, metro mayor of Liverpool, says it will be a game-changer for his city and region

HS2 is a once-in-two-century chance to rebalance the UK economy. It isn’t just about creating links to London. There are over 25 stops from Scotland to the south-east. It increases desperately needed capacity on existing lines, creating more space for extra commuter trains. It takes lorries off the road as freight moves to rail, creating more space for the driver on our motorways. There is something in HS2 for every traveller.

The report by the New Economics Foundation (Scrap HS2 and pour £56bn into regions, says thinktank, 20 March) ignores what cities including Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester and Birmingham have all been doing to make sure we benefit. Altogether, cities around the route have plans to create nearly 500,000 jobs, 100,000 new homes and add billions to the economy of the country. Poor connections between our major cities have been holding us back for far too long. Together HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and Midlands Connect will give us the links that will unleash investment and bring prosperity to the Midlands and the north.

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