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Kicking off 2015 with a bang made from a mix of
blue-screen, live-action and Ray Harryhausen
style Claymation, is the inaugural, and hopefully
first of many, Beeston Film Festival. Good friends
of the Beestonian, OXJAM organiser and web
designer James Hall and local film producer John
Currie have been working ruddy hard to bring
this to Beeston over the last year. They’ve
trawled through over 40 hours of film from 150
filmmakers all over the world.
John said “It is going to be wonderful to have a
film festival on our doorstep; people in Beeston
and the wider Nottingham area will be able to
come along and enjoy the wonders of local and
international film. As a film lover, I’m thrilled that
we’re able to do this.”
We think it’s fair to say that it was our good
influence that has helped bring this brilliant event
to Beeston. It was during Lord Beestonia’s own
Café Roya Film Club that he introduced James
and John, setting in motion that year of hard
work. That being said, we can’t take too much
credit, as our own film “Beestonia: The
Movie” is opening the festival and we don’t
want to be accused of nepotism.
The festival will be held at White Lion Bar &
Kitchen, kicking off at 13:00 on Saturday 24th
January and will conclude on Sunday 25th at
22:30 treating Beeston to some of the best
independent short films. If you want to come
along, and we highly recommend you do, you
can see the full festival schedule and buy tickets,
priced at £4 for adult and £3 for students per
day, on their website;
www.beestonfilmfestival.com.
Christian Fox
Reelin’ them in since 2011
BeestonianThe
Issue no.
34
FestivalThe
BeestonFilm
had the pleasure of meeting this issue’s Bestonian, Martyn Poliakoff,
two months ago at a celebration for the 100th Birthday of noted scientist
Professor Dan Eley. The first thing you discover upon meeting Martyn,
I’m slightly hesitant to say, is that he is absolutely brilliant in every way.
From the fact that he resembles a mad professor with his shock of white hair
like a cumulous cloud around his head and thick bottle rim glasses, to his
quite ingenious mind – Martyn’s scientific career has spanned decades and
focussed on gaining insights into fundamental chemistry and on developing
environmentally acceptable processes and materials – to finally his
completely viral mass appeal – Martyn is the narrator of the wildly
successful Youtube series The Periodic Table of Videos which are widely
regarded as entertaining, educational and delightfully funny.
Professor Poliakoff has a long
history with Beeston as well.
He’s been an active member
of Beeston Continuum since
its inception and he’s always
popping up in science related
articles in the Beestonian as
well.
To think that such a great
mind came from Cambridge,
where he was born and
studied, and decided to come
to Beeston (admittedly he
came to Nottingham
University, but hey) says as
much about the greatness of
this town as it does him.
Martyn is a real asset to this
community and someone of
whom we all should be proud.
So it really doesn’t come as any surprise then that after being knighted for
his contributions to chemical science in January who should receive the
even higher honour of being named Issue 34’s Bestonian? Of course it is
Martyn Poliakoff. I genuinely can’t think of anyone more deserving of such
recognition.
Poliakoff issued a video statement about his knighthood, so surely it
follows that we’ll not be waiting long for a video acknowledging his new
honour as well. Well done Sir, or should I say… Sir.
CF
Lord B adds: congratulations Sir Martyn. Glad to see your work with
Beeston hasd been recognised, although Christian seems to believe it’s
something to do with your day-job. Whatever. Arise!
ou may not immediately
consider Nottingham a
‘sporting’ university. In a recent
Which? University survey for ‘top sporty
unis’, Nottingham didn’t even make the
top 12. But think again. Our pedigree is
much stronger than you realise.
The university has had top 10 finishes in the national British Universities
and Colleges Sport leagues for twenty consecutive years plus the highest
number of teams of any UK university. Remember the London 2012
Olympics? Well, Olympians among our graduates include Timothy Baillie
and Etienne Stott who won Gold in men’s canoeing, and other medallists
in hockey and rowing. If you were paying attention you’d have seen the
university was ranked 7th for sport in The Times Good University Guide
2014.
And all of this is for good reason. Nottingham offers over 70 student
sports clubs alongside an all-inclusive membership programme with
unlimited facility and fitness centre access, firmly following the ethos of
‘sport for all’. Whilst the university might not currently have the wide
reputation for sporting achievement it deserves, a new £40m state of the
art David Ross Sports Village, opening late 2016, should change all of
that.
The new complex will incorporate existing sports centre while adding an
array of modern facilities, including a 200-station fitness suite, two huge
sports halls, an indoor sprint track, a climbing wall and an all-glass squash
court. Dan Tilley, Director of Sport said: “The investment is part of our
ambition to create an outstanding, inspirational and accessible sports
infrastructure for all. We want to encourage people of all abilities to get
involved in sport and activity, with the chance to train alongside some of
the country’s leading athletes”.
Many of the new facilities have never previously been available at the
University, and at three times the size of the current centre, the lively and
inclusive environment of the Sports Village should increase participation
in sports at all levels and provide the support people need to develop and
excel, from casual players to elite athletes.
Construction of the new facility is due to commence March 2015 and
expected to be ready for the 2016-17 academic year, and is generously
supported by Nottingham Law alumnus David Ross.
For more information or to get involved with fundraising, visit
www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport
Guest Contributor, Lee Chrimes
BESTonian:
Martyn Poliakoff
I YConstruction of
the new facility is due
to commence March
2015 and expected to
be ready for the
2016-17
The University of
Beestonia
should hate Chris Packham, I really should. The guy is
handsome and incredibly well-preserved for his age, has
a dream job, and is love and admired by legions of
women, men, and most pertinently, my wife. She
suddenly decides that she must accompany me to meet him
when he comes to Beeston, after my scheduled reporting
partner drops out. I at first find this strange; she never seems that
keen to accompany me when I go off on jobs such as spending a day at
Rylands sewage treatment works. I then remember that the coiffed telly
naturalist has an effect on some that makes them want to spy on him with
binoculars, fervently taking notes of his behaviour.
The event is ran by Beeston Wildlife group, whose very own Mike Spencer
writes a column in these pages. It’s the second time they’ve lured Chris up
to give a talk, something of a coup for a relatively small group like BWG.
Yet he arrives full of smiles, and we grab him for a few questions before he
gives the talk. We asked our Facebook group to supply us with questions:
Broxtowe Borough Council’s crest has on it bears, bees and badgers.
Could you put them in order of preference? (Caroline, Beeston):
Well, it would have to be badgers first. They are much maligned
and I am in vehemently opposed to the badger cull: it is a
stupid, short –sighted thing. They are our largest wild
carnivores in the UK, and wonderful creatures with a
complex social life. Bees – bumblebees especially - are
also under attack from colony collapse and
neonicotinoids (a group of agricultural pesticides which
have been strongly linked to bee deaths, banned in many
countries but not in the UK) and need all the support we
can give them. Bears? Well, I don’t think many people in
Beeston would be too happy with one of those strolling
through the town at night. They’re best left on the crest.
Will you marry me (many, many people. Possibly including my wife)?
(Blushes slightly) I’m keen to remain unmarried, it would too much of an ….a,
well an incumberance such of that wouldn’t be good right now. But thank
them anyway!
Honking Geese flying overhead never fail to stop me in my tracks, look
up and smile like a loon. Apart from Always Being Right, what
occurrence in nature makes you stop and smile (Tamar, Beeston) ?
It’s anything. I always enjoy the everyday things you typically overlook. If you
travel somewhere and go away for the weekend to the coast to watch birds,
it’s like going to an art-gallery: you know you’re going to see birds. But if you
stumble out in the
morning, absent
mindedly heading
somewhere, and you
see something that
may be there every day
bit doing something
remarkable, then that’s something I
enjoy a lot more. I have tawny owls
near me, and at the moment they
are displaying, so every night I hear
them going crazy at each other in
the garden each night. It’s a call I’ve
been hearing all of my life but I turn
the tv off, and sit by the window
listening to this frenetic tawny owl
calling…I just really love hearing that sound. The geese flying overhead is
another, I agree: it is so unexpected when it happens.
Do you believe in bringing back mammoths by cloning (Edward Jenkins)?
No. I’m fascinated by the science but no is the answer. It would be
trying to get an animal back that has long been extinct, and we
should be spending that effort in trying to stop the animals
we have from going extinct.. Otherwise we’ll have to spend
a lot more money and effort bringing what we have now
back from extinction in the future.
Chris then gives a fascinating, highly amusing, utterly
compelling talk to the full Pearson Centre. His passion
for nature is unbound, and his calls to get kids out in the
countryside; to spend more time considering the beauty we
have; and the way we should ‘re-wild’ the UK by introducing
lost carnivores such as wolves makes you want to strap on a pair
of all-weather boots and get hitting the muddy paths. It finishes, bizarrely,
with slides detailing his pet poodles poo habits, which have the audience
in scatological stitches. A great evening, and credit to BWG for organising
it.
While I think it is premature to rename our local gem ‘Packham Nature
Reserve’, Packham does follow in David Attenborough’s footsteps as a
great communicator of nature and conservation; and a passionate
advocate of that simple, free pleasure: getting out in nature. Get out there:
a Really Wild time awaits.
LB
ILord Beestonia
submits your
questions to Chris
Packham...
Packham 'em in
Bears? Well, I don’t
think many people in
Beeston would be too
happy with one of those
strolling through the
town at night.
o one can have failed to have noticed
the sudden rise in popularity of cycling
in all its forms, as both a sport and
leisure activity. It cannot be a coincidence that
this rise began shortly after Bradley Wiggins
stunning win of the 2012 Tour De France. But,
as they say, for cycling in Britain, ‘the best was
yet to come!’
The 2012 Olympics and Paralympics,
saw the greatest ever success for
Team G.B. Who can forget Sir
Christopher (Chris) Hoy’s
dominance in the Velodrome?
The names of the medal
winners, both male and female
have rightly passed into history
and their golden legacy is to be
treasured.
In all sports the success of current athletes can
only be built upon the generations who have
gone before! For cycling, there is one man’s
name that should be written large across the
page: Raymond (Ray) Charles Booty, a.k.a. ‘The
Boot’.
Ray was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, the son of a
Ministry of Transport vehicle examiner. The
family moved to Peterborough and then, when
Ray was 15, to Stapleford. On leaving school the
following year, Ray joined Ericsson's, the
electronics firm, whose headquarters were in
Beeston. He studied for his higher national
diploma. A neighbour got him interested in
riding a bike seriously, and it was in the colours
of Beeston's Ericsson Wheelers Cycling Club that
he rode to his great time-trial victories.
It is said that Ray achieved for road cycling what
Sir Roger Bannister did for track-running, - as
Bannister broke the 4 minute mile record, - Ray
broke the 100 miles in 4 hours record.
Ray was a ‘road cyclist,’ who began competing
in events for the Army Cycling Union during his
time in the army and later for Ericsson’s
Wheelers Club. Ray proved himself a ‘born’ road
cyclist and endurance rider. He held ‘The Season
Long, - Best All-Rounder,’ title three times
between 1953 and 1957, given for average
speeds of 50 m.p.h. over 100 miles.
In 1954 Ray won the Manx International Road
Race and in 1958, a Gold Medal in The British
and Commonwealth Games, Road Race in
Cardiff. However, Ray’s best achievements
came in ‘time trials’ and endurance.
Between 1954 and 1958, Ray competed in the
12 Hours Championships, - distance covered in
12 hrs. Ray won the Championship every
year and twice set the record, - 1956,
= 265.66 miles and 1958, = 266
miles.
Ray competed in the 100 miles
National Championship
between 1954 -1959 and again
was Champion for the
whole period. He first set
the record in 1955 with a
time of 4hrs. 4mins. 30secs.,
braking this in 1956 with a time of
4hrs. 1min. 52secs.
On a blazing hot August Bank
Holiday Monday, - 6th Aug. 1956, - Ray
entered The Bath Road event. This was a time
trial ‘out and back’ over a distance of 100 miles.
The course was from Reading, - through Theale,
Pangbourne, Wallingford, Shillingford and
Abingdon, returning to Reading via the A4. He
had already cycled from Nottingham the day-
before to take part in the event.
The ‘Boot’ completed the course in an amazing
time of 3hrs. 58mins. 28secs., beating the future
professional rider Stan Brittain by 12 mins.
With the Bath Road event, Ray had broken the
elusive 4 hour barrier. Modern cycling athletes
ride purpose built light-weight cycles, - Ray
achieved his records ridding a Raleigh bicycle
with an 84 inch fixed gear.
On the 3rd Sept. the same year ‘The Flying Boot’
had his chance to beat his 4 hour record. This
time he was competing under Road Record
Association Rules. This is a ‘straight-out’ 100 mile
trial, which allows competitors to take advantage
of tail winds and gradient drop. Ray had also
changed his cycle for a machine with
Sturmly Archer hub gears. Ray
completed the course in a time of 3
hrs. 28 mins. 40 secs., - a record
which was to stand for 34 years
until it was beaten by Ian
Cammish.
Sadly, Ray died on the 25th Aug. 2012.
Yet his legacy lives on. The next time you
peddle down the road, think of the
achievements of Raymond Charles Booty, the
Flying Boot!
JE
‘It is said that
Ray achieved for
road cycling what Sir
Roger Bannister did
for track-running’
Ray Booty.
Photograph Credit: Cycling Weekly Cycling Weekly/Cycling Weekly
N
The ‘Flying’ Boot
‘...a record
which was to
stand for 34
years’
Robert Howard, responsible for the excellent bit of cartography below,
has recently returned from several decade exile in Lenton, and
presented us with this map as he did. He also has started a rather
fascinating, and highly knowledgeable weekly blog about Beeston life
which you can find at http://beestonweek.blogspot.co.uk/. The map
below is a work in progress: Beeston is always in a state of flux: the
map will reflect that. If you have any suggestions, let us know at the
contact details on the back page.
Special Offer: 2 kebabs + 2 glasses of house wine or soft drink
all for just £24.90!(Available from Mon – Thursday until End Feb)
Takeaway service available.Yianni Restaurant, 132 Wollaton Road, Beeston, Notts, NG9 2PE
Tel: 01159229475www.yiannisgreekrestaurant.co.uk/yiannis-beeston
SportingBeeston
years ago, if someone tried to tell me what’s so special about
“running ” I’d have probably scoffed and said in a surly voice;
“yeah right – Can’t think of anything worse”! These days however
I’m one of those smug people who might actually come out with an
irritating sentence like that, because there IS something special about
running.
This is evident every Saturday at 8:50am, where a huge crowd of people
eagerly making their way along the canal and over the bridges to the weir
fields at the edge of our wonderful Beeston Rylands.
They’re a mixture of ages, abilities and sizes: the fluorescently clad,
seasoned runners displaying marathon achievements on t-shirts or local
club, mothers and fathers pushing children in buggies about to witness
Beeston’s countryside at considerable speed; and rather more surprisingly,
those attached by a contraption at their waist to a very lively looking dog.
They are not alone. This scene is replicated around the country as athletes
(though many will not refer to themselves as such), are making their way
to 299 different locations across the UK, (and 4 in Denmark) at the same
time every week to run 5km in timed conditions. From Inverness to
Plymouth, and Cork to Braband (Wikipedia it!) the Parkrun location map
is full of yellow links to a local, weekly event.
Like at any other, Beeston Parkrun includes all kinds of people, runners
accommodating a vast appetite (my category - another Mars bar, Tim?)
people who simply find running a less unpleasant exercise at 30 than they
did aged 13 under duress (and possibly in skin tight Morley’s gym knickers
at Bramcote Hills Comp– I fit in this one too); people who run to keep their
blood pressure down / keep their body conditioned / help lift their mood;
people who run seriously and competitively; and a friend of mine who
having joined Park Run and other sporting events in his fifties has now gone
on to compete in World Championships for his age group… all for fun and
all completely unexpected. Everyone is welcome and everyone fits in.
The fourth location in Nottingham, Beeston Parkrun has been running
since since April last year amd clearly has a market: its first ever event
attracted 302 people.
In those 8 months in 2014 1890 different runners attended Beeston
Parkrun events and not just from Nottingham. People from all over the
country - and indeed the world - have visited Beeston because of Parkrun.
“Tourists” from London, Scotland, Paris, Italy, Brisbane and many more
who are friends staying with local Parkrunners, Couchsurfers passing
through, and even some crazies who have set themselves a personal
challenge to attend EVERY Parkrun venue and have simply reached
Beeston on their list.
4Parkrun
Beeston also held a New Year’s day Parkrun event to kick off 2015,
amazingly attended by a crowd of 170 runners braving what was left of the
ice and snow.
A Not-For-Profit Organisation, where funding comes from sponsorship and
donations, sponsors PruHealth and Sweatshop must see benefits from their
association with such a popular community.
Now while I can’t say that every Saturday morning I jump out of bed at
8am full of joy, what with Saturday morning always comes after a Friday
night, but if I don’t go, I do miss it. Because part of what makes running
special is the feeling you get from being part of a community, knowing
that every week on a Saturday there is a place for me to go to at 9am. I’ll
probably talk to someone new, catch up with friends over a coffee and pay
my regards to Tony at the Riverside Café, and if I’m really lucky I might
achieve something I didn’t believe my body could or would ever do
(though breaking the 27 minutes eludes me).
At its best Parkrun will leave you feeling exhilarated, among friends and, if
you’re like me wanting to “high five” everyone you see on route, and at
its worst… well it’s pretty much the same!
MH
love walking. I find it better than other
exercise because it’s the only one, apart
from cycling, that I think can actually be a
means to an end. I walk from one place to
another; to the city centre, to visit friends and
family. Walking has a point. Well the other day
I was chatting to Julie Burniston, who told me
about Nordic Walking, which doesn’t
have just one point. It has two! Nordic
Walking, she told me is “the action of
normal walking with poles which push you
and help you to walk further and faster.” Not
just that, it also gets rid of 40% more calories
than normal walking. “It’s kind of the midway
between walking and running,” Julie told me.
The history of the sport is a strange one. Begun in
Finland in the 1930’s, Julie explained, it was
developed by skiers who wished to carry on their
training during the summer months. She tells me
that it’s simply a great all-round work-out, good
for everything from your heart to your posture.
Well, I’m sold. And I think you should be too. If
you start Nordic walking today, you can get in
training for the next British Nordic Walking
challenge at Wollaton Park on the 17th of May.
The only downside to competitive Nordic
Walking is you can’t slow other people down
by hitting them with your poles.
Julie hosts classes every Thursday at 10:30AM
and 7:00PM. Classes meet in the carpark,
before proceeding to Nordic walk around
Bramcote Park. Inductions and classes are £5
per person and poles are provided!
Facebook.com/nottsnordicwalking
CF
INordic Walking
here are a lot of people writing about sport in this
issue. I’m guessing that’s because it is a New Year and
(if the media and advertising are to be believed) everyone’s
thoughts have turned to “a new me”, diets and exercise. Plus Beeston has
a new fitness club too – so yay, there’s a “sports and exercise issue.”
I’m aware of the health benefits of exercise but seriously, if you have to jog,
pump iron or do a gazillion sit-ups in 90 minutes to work off the calories
provided by a Mars Bar then surely a better idea is just not to eat the
damned thing in the first place and spend that hour and a half doing
something that’s actually fun? Y’know, like reading, watching a good
movie, painting some miniature war-games figures or shooting some
computer-generated bad guys?
Sport too, for me, is mind-numbingly dull. I never got into team games due in
large part to my dreadful eyesight and not being allowed to wear glasses during
PE at school. I wandered around myopically, unable to see a thing until the ball
hit me, or I was knocked over by some lumbering hulk I didn’t see coming. Well,
that and I much preferred reading, chess and war-gaming and could never
understand why “games” lessons couldn’t encompass thoughtful indoor games
rather than just pointlessly running around in shorts on frozen grass in the rain.
To this day I have no interest in football, athletics, cricket, the Commonwealth,
or Olympic Games. You name a “popular” mass hog of TV schedules and I really,
really can’t be bothered to feign interest in it. I still feel slightly out-of-kilter with
most of society for not supporting “a team”, but it just seems that most people
get far too excited by other people running, jumping and kicking a ball around,
driving/riding round in circles or trying to swim a bit faster than the next person.
That said, Sal runs. She does a weekly park run and loves it,
even if it’s icy, wet, cold and miserable. It’s incomprehensible
to me (although I’m genuinely chuffed when she beats her
personal best or gets close to it) but then again she feels much the same
about me playing with little model spaceships, samurai or Zulus.
And in the interests of full disclosure I should admit I do have one, single,
lonely annual concession to “being a bloke” and watching a sporting event
on TV - the American Super bowl. Just the Super bowl mind you, never
regular season games and always with beer, plenty of snack food/ I believe
that American Football isn’t really a sport with “ebb and flow” anyway,
but actually a turn-based tactical war-game. The attackers and defenders
line up their troops, and then take a “turn” to see if they can get further up
the field. If they do, they get another go, if not the other side does. I can
relate to that (and the long ad-breaks, great for more snacks, nipping to the
loo or posting something on Facebook).
But here’s the weird thing. Last year as Robin Hood I really enjoyed being
very involved in the cycling Milk Race in the Market Square (they even
got me on an exercise bike to promote it), and the “Big Wheel” Cycling
event at the Embankment. I also loved the National Archery
Championships at Wollaton Hall where I was brought out as “guest coach”
by the phenomenal and genuinely inspirational American armless archer
(yes, truly; he’s called Matt Stutzman, look him up on the ‘net). And this
week I’m going to be “Robin Hood on Ice” to help encourage children to
take up speed skating. Except I can’t skate, so that should be funny, painful
and/or embarrassing rather than the impressive and skilled Rick Wakeman-
esque prog-rock spectacular I fondly imagine it might be…
So maybe I should try harder with sport? At least I’ll have an excuse for
eating all those Mars Bars.
Tim Pollard
Nottingham's Official Robin Hood
I believethat AmericanFootball isn’treally a sport
Bow
Selecta
T
Come and join us after 5pm for an early supper, food served until
6.30 on Thurs + Fri. We have a full beer, wines and cider list
including our own range of flying goose ales.
All ingredients are fair trade and organic where possible.
33 Chilwell Rd. Beeston NG9 1EH0115 9252323
NEW opening times:Thurs 10am - 7pmFri 10am - 7pmSat 9am - 4pm
Sunday Brunch 2nd Sun of every month
Beestonians if you need
advice on tax or accounts
then you are in luck...
Beeston grown account Rob
Murphy will be in the White Lion
(on Middle Street) once a week
from 8pm, answering questions for
free on accountancy and tax.
If you've paid too much, not
enough or simply just don't get it,
call in from 8pm on any Thursday
evening and ask Rob about it. You
can even book an appointment in
advance.
Rob will be offering a free service
to our community until the end of
Feb every Thursday so get in while
you can.
Ask him anything you like, for
example:
• I have received this letter from
HM Revenue & Customs -
What does it mean?
• I am thinking about becoming
self-employed, how do I
proceed?
• I run my own business, what
expenses can I claim?
• I think I have overpaid tax,
how do I get a repayment?
About Rob Murphy:
I am a Beeston lad and have lived
in Beeston most of my life. I have
been qualified as a Chartered
Accountant for over 10 years and
specialise in helping small
companies and self-employed
individuals with tax compliance
and planning.
... now’t so strange as folk they say, but when it
comes to Twitchers… WOW!
It’s a new year, so it’s a new list and top of every
serious twitchers’ list was a Little Bustard (note
to Editor – check spelling!) that popped up in
Yorkshire over the Christmas holiday. Not only
was it there in December, so making it onto the
2014 list, but conveniently it hung about until the
first day of January – so, Bingo! - there it is right at the
top of the 2015 list. So, definitely not to coin a phrase, and
remember you heard it here first folks, that has to count as “one
bird with two dates” - subtle or what? It’s the first time a Little Bustard has
been seen in this country since 1996 but a bit like buses, you wait forever
and then they all come along at once – another lady Little Bustard decided
to check out the nether reaches of Sussex. Perhaps she was planning on
a visit to her cousin the Great Bustard (really, I’m not making this up) who
hangs out around the Salisbury Plain area.
Anyway back to twitchers....
....it has been said, usually by this correspondent,
that if you scratch a twitcher you’ll find a train-
spotter hiding underneath. You see, it’s the same
obsession with lists. I’ll grant you train-spotters
tend to be fairly sedentary and rarely seen in
wellies and camouflage jackets but there they are
the twitchers ticking away at their lists – for them
it’s a lifetime list, a year list, a day list, a patch list for
a lifetime, a patch list for the year, a patch list for a
day, they’ll even have lists for their back garden – for a
day, a year and a lifetime – lists ad infinitum (ad nauseam)!
So the next time you’re wandering around the Attenborough Nature
Reserve and you see one of these ‘scope-carrying, binocular’ed,
camouflage-clad, welly-shod twitchers coming towards you and muttering
to them self along the lines of “the tit was up but I missed it” have pity –
it’s a compulsion, they can’t help it!
Mike Spencer
www.facebook.com/beestonwildlife
Mike Spencer –
Bramcote Wildlife Group.
Mike is now living under a
new identity in anticipation of
being mobbed by hundreds of
local bird fans. They have
binoculars, and
everything…
in BeestonGoing Wild
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A FRESH APPROACH
fter last issue’s disaster with the QR codes (anyone notice in certain
issues they were all the same?) I am going for a technology-free
article this time around. In fact it’s an article about nothing, like
Seinfeld, the Comedy About Nothing.. After the Tweed -Covered One’s
rebuttal that no-one uses QR codes I decided to spend some time in my
other office (The Hop Pole) wondering what to write about. Whilst having
a few swift drinks I was approached by a Scottish fellow. Nothing unusual
about that, though he was drinking white wine; I thought blokes still weren’t
supposed to drink wine in pubs, although I have a feeling I may be stuck in
1977 (which explains the hair –Ed). So this bloke came up to me (Derek and
Clive fans can fill this gap yourself, in fact, why not stop reading this article
and listen to Derek and Clive?) and said words to the effect of “I’ve worked
in Paris for the past two years. I needed to take some off work. A colleague
suggested I should go and chill well; I got it wrong and booked a hotel in
Chilwell. I fear I have made a mistake”. We then went on to discuss what
there was to do round here that was cultural and interesting. I left in a bit
of a confused state, how could you really do that? Was this bloke spinning
me a line? I then thought of all the things I could have said to him … Imagine
if I’d have replied with “Well there’s so much music round here mate, you
could have thought you had moved to Beatston”… What a fucking awful
joke, that was nearly worthy of our very own Editor (if anyone ever sees him
in a pub again, ask him about his Ray Davies joke, or the naked garlic bread,
or the time he wanted to go for a drink with me at a secret location at two
in the morning, I think it was a park bench).
Crap jokes aside, there seems to be an awful lot of musical activity in
Beeston of late. There are more open mic’s than you could shake a stick at;
two a month at The Hop Pole (one featuring me, probably a reason to stay
home), The White Lion, and a new one at the Queens Hotel. Add to that
the Malt Shovel coming back with live bands on a Friday and Emma Bladon
Jones running their Sunday sessions of featured artists (have we ever
mentioned Emma before? Or my blues love child Joe Barber?). Beeston is
so musical in fact, that only the other day local songwriter and organiser of
the White Lion Open Mic, Alan Windsor, gave me a double CD of his past
twenty years of work. Can’t imagine that happening in that new trendy chill-
out resort Chilwell. I would like to imagine, Daniel Johnston style, he re-
records it for every individual. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
So brimming with music is Beeston that we even have a CD to review and
a guest reviewer. If anyone fancies having something reviewed, they can
always send it in (contact details on back page). Likewise if someone wants
to review something, then feel free. Thinking about it, if you like, you could
write this column for me, pretending to be me, and I can concentrate more
on my drinking career and sampling the music and culture of Long Eaton,
like Brian Jones when he went and recorded all that mountain music in
Joujouka. (I assumed this was already happening? –Ed)
Jimmy Wiggins
Sells guitars and stuff at The Guitar Spot, Chilwell Road and accepts
pints from strangers in all pubs.
A
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The Phil Langran Band - Still The HeartLet's be clear from the start. I'm not into folk. It's not that I dislike folk, just
that we've never had any sort of common ground. Which means that
when a good friend at the Beestonian asked me to write a music review,
and this EP from The Phil Langran band dropped through the door, I
started to get a little worried. How can you review when you have nothing
to compare against? I could say that Forsaken reminded me of mid-sixties
Dylan, except that (a) it didn't and (b) how would I know anyway?
Still the Heart is "Dedicated to the Good People of Beeston", and warmed
by their generosity I decided to approach this with an open mind. Listening
on a Sunday lunchtime, I can say with absolute honesty that this was an
unobtrusive yet pleasant complement to my wife's excellent lasagne, and
based on a sample size of two has a remarkably calming effect on children's
behaviour. In fact, I would go so far to say that it was perhaps one of my
favourite lunchtimes ever. Thanks Phil and co for playing your part.
I gave it a more thorough listen in the car and report no accidents or road
rage incidents. So far so good. I even find myself liking this in parts. Nothing
More stands out with its catchy chorus, and the band can clearly play.
So can I recommend this? Well I wouldn't buy it (sorry), but given my
relationship with folk that perhaps isn't a surprise. If I heard they were
playing locally, would I go and see them? Probably not, but then again if
I heard that Fairport Convention were playing the Malt Shovel, that
probably wouldn't be enough to tear me away from Location, Location,
Location. However, if I was in the Vic and I saw that this bunch was playing
tonight, I might just buy another pint and settle down for a listen.
Andy Fearn
ne of my favourite ways of
attempting to keep fit is to get out
and walk. It is simple, free and easy.
Beeston (and the area around it) is a wonderful
place for doing so, having many varied
pedestrianised routes, parks, canal towpaths,
riverside paths, woodlands and nature reserves
as well as lots of snickets and alleyways to make
things even more interesting. Last year, I went
on two of the tram walks organised by the
Beeston & District Civic Society, walking
alongside the ‘work in progress’ route with some
interesting stories being recounted by the NET
and city council staff – probably some of the
urban myths of the future!
Last year my hubby and I also started on the
walks in the Pevsner Architectural Guide of
Nottingham. It is a great book full of information
about the city centre’s architecture and heritage.
We have only done a third of the walks (West
and South city centre, commercial Nottingham,
the Lace Market and the Park) and no longer
travel to the city centre without looking up at the
magnificent buildings and the palpable history,
seeing a greater depth to the city.
It is therefore brilliant that there is work afoot to
produce a guide to the 34 Blue Plaques installed
by various groups comprising the Southern
Broxtowe Blue Plaque scheme. An authoritative
explanatory guide is now in preparation, so we
should have our own historical trail to help us
with Beeston hiking in due course.
Information on local walks organised by the
Civic Society and the Blue Plaques scheme at
www.beestoncivicsociety.org.uk
Pevsner guide to Nottingham
ISBN 978-0-300-12666-2
KA
Historic walkingO
CODEWORD
The Beestonian is...Editor/Lead Writer/Founder
• Lord Beestonia
Co-Founder/Resident Don
• Prof J
Design
• Dan
Associate Editor
• Christian
Editorial Assistance
• Mel
History Editor
• Joe Earp
Top-notch contributors this issue:
Tim Smedley, Joe Earp, Christian Fox,
Christopher Frost, Tim Pollard, Mel
Heath, Ric Salinger, Karen Attwood,
Andy Fearn and Deman.
Illustrators: Mouni Feddag and Tim
Smedley
Printed by Pixels & Graphics, Beeston
Stockists:Belle & Jerome, The Hop Pole, The
Crown, The White Lion, The Star, The
Greyhound, Flying Goose, Mish Mash
Gallery, Attik, The Guitar Spot, Relish,
Broadgate Laundrette, Bubba Tea, The
Bean, Beeston Library, Cafe ROYA,
Newsagent on Chilwell Road, Metro,
Beeston Marina Bar and Cafe,
Attenborough Nature Reserve.
Huge thanks to all of our contributors,
sponsors, stockists, regular readers
and anyone who has picked this up
for the first time.
Scan QR code & subscribe to Lord
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The Beestonianc/o 106 Chilwell Road
Beeston
Nottingham NG9 1ES
1. Who were the first two World
Heavyweight Boxing Champions in
the late 19th century?
2. Super Flyweight is a weight division in
professional boxing (sometimes
referred to as Junior Bantamweight).
What is the maximum weight a boxer
can be and still be classified in this
division? Plus or minus 1kg (Plus or
minus 2 lb)
3. Since the Open era in tennis, which
six men have reached the singles final
of the US Open the most times? One
point for each correct answer.
4. Which biennial sporting event was
postponed in 2001 following the
September 11th terrorist attack on
New York?
5. Where were the US Open tennis
championships held between 1924
and 1977?
6. The name of which Olympic host city
translated means 'Northern Capital'?
7. Which male tennis player lost a four
US Open singles finals in 1976, 78, 80
and 81?
8. In September 2010, former
steelworker Philippe Croizon swam
the English Channel, completing the
challenge in just less than 14 hours.
The record at that time stood at 6
hours, 57 minutes and 50 seconds, so
why was Croizon's crossing so
amazing?
9. Due to superstition, what didn't Bjorn
Borg do at Wimbledon?
10. Which two countries were part of the
first official international cricket match
held in 1844 not known for their
cricketing history or prowess. Which
ones?
11 Pro wrestler The Iron Sheik was the
assistant coach to which countries
Greco-Roman wrestling team in the
1972 Munich Olympics?
12 Which sportsman name is an anagram
of Yore One yawn?
13. In which city does ice-hockey’s
Penguins play their home games?
14: When was the first publicised
spectacle of mixed martial arts?
The
GREY MATTER
ANSWERS: JOHN L SULLIVAN AND 'GENTLEMAN' JIM CORBETT/115 LB (52.2 KG, 8.2 STONE)/3. IN ORDER:
IVAN LENDL AND PETE SAMPRAS (8), JIMMY CONNORS (7), ANDRE AGASSI (6), ROGER FEDERER (6) AND
JOHN MCENROE (5) (AS OF 2011)/ THE RYDER CUP/5. FOREST HILLS (THE WEST SIDE TENNIS CLUB)/
BEIJING (PEKING)/ BJORN BORG/HE IS A QUADRUPLE AMPUTEE/SHAVE/CANADA AND THE
USA/USA/WAYNE ROONEY/PITTSBURG/1887
NEWS FROM TRAM