ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR

The 770th Ilkeston Charter Fair is coming to town in October bringing with it thrilling rides and fantastic entertainment for all the family. The Charter Fair is one of the largest and oldest street fairs in Europe and will transform Ilkeston Town Centre into an unmissable spectacle from Wednesday 19th October until Saturday 22nd October.

 Rides for all the family will fill the town, from white-knuckle attractions perfect for adrenaline seekers, to classic long-time favourites such as the big wheel and fun house. A new ride for 2022 - ‘The Sea Storm’ owned by showman Mr William Warwick- will be situated on Queen Street for daredevil residents and visitors to enjoy. The ride has been recently refurbished and is one of only two that travel the country. There will be a range of food stalls as always selling hot dogs, burgers and sweet treats like candyfloss and doughnuts. Residents can make the most of the annual event with £10 worth of discount vouchers for certain popular attractions in the autumn issue of EBC Today, the council’s community magazine. 

 As per tradition, the fair will have a ceremonial opening on Thursday 20th October starting at 11.15am when the Mayor of Erewash, Councillor John Sewell, will ‘ring the bell’ to officially mark the 2022 Charter Fair open. The ceremony includes the reading of the 1252 Charter which will take place outside the town hall. Local families and visitors will come together to join the Mayor, Leader of the Council, Councillor Carol Hart, Chief Executive Mr Jeremy Jaroszek, civic dignitaries from Derbyshire, and pupils from Parkside High to officially welcome the fair. The opening ceremony will be streamed live on the council’s Facebook page. Leader of Erewash Borough Council, Councillor Carol Hart, says: “As always, we are so proud to welcome back the Ilkeston Charter Fair. I look forward to seeing the town centre transform into an exhilarating pool of colourful lights, fantastic rides, delicious food and energetic music. The event is of great historic significance and I’m sure everybody in Erewash is as excited as I am to celebrate its 770th year.”

 The fair is situated in Bath Street, Market Place, East Street, South Street, Queen Street, Wharncliffe Road and Pimlico. Attractions are open from 6pm -11pm on Wednesday 19th October and from 12 noon -11pm Thursday 20th October, Friday 21st October and Saturday 22nd October. 

MAN STRUCK BY TRAIN IN LONG EATON

A man has died after he was struck by a train in Long Eaton on Wednesday, September 28th. The incident occurred just after 9.30am at Meadow Lane Crossing. The line closed and reopened at 1pm. A British Transport Police spokesperson said: " We were called to the line near Long Eaton at 9.36am on 28th September following reports of a casualty on the tracks. Paramedics also attended, and sadly a man was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner." 

BLOOMING CHAMPIONS

Erewash is celebrating another set of fantastic results at this year’s East Midlands in Bloom Awards. Both Ilkeston and Long Eaton have been awarded gold in the Large Town category. Draycott won gold in the Large Village category with Ockbrook earning the silver gilt. Erewash also took home four Judges Awards recognising the Friends of Straw’s Bridge, the volunteer Tree Wardens and Tree Officers in Long Eaton, the Draycott Street Champions and The Royal Oak.

The award winning performance was announced at the East Midlands in Bloom awards ceremony last week. The achievements are recognition for the teams and volunteers who constantly work hard to create a beautiful borough, from the themed floral displays to the environmentally conscious wildflower plantings. Councillor Carol Hart, Leader of Erewash Borough Council, says: “It’s another golden double for our towns and spectacular results in the Large Village category! I know the wonderful news will be welcomed by the residents of Erewash who take great pride in our floral displays and plantings. Well done to everyone involved, from Erewash Borough Council’s Green Space team to the local Friends Groups and volunteers. I know I speak on behalf of us all when thank you all for the remarkable work you do.”

Ilkeston has been shortlisted as a finalist in the national Britain in Bloom awards with results due to be announced next month.

STAPLEFORD BUILDING SOCIETY TO CLOSE

The Stapleford branch of The Nottingham Building Society will permanently close its doors before the end of the year along with another 16 locations across the country. A bank spokesperson said “Following a thorough review of how our members are using our network, it became clear that we have too many branches. Since Covid, whilst some members have returned, many have not, leaving a number of our branches with very low levels of transactions and usage. Therefore, we’ve made the hugely difficult decision to close 17 branches in locations where the level of activity in the branch has reached a point where it is no longer sustainable. The full list of affected branches locations are: Ashbourne; Bourne; Crystal Peaks; Fakenham; Leicester City; March; Matlock; Melton Mowbray; Rothley; Scunthorpe; Skegness; Spalding; Stamford; Stapleford; Thetford; Wigston and Wollaton. Following the closures, the Society’s branch network will consist of 31 branches across seven counties.

DRUGS SEIZED AFTER POLICE STOP CAR

A proactive car stop by police has led to a quantity of Class A drugs being seized. Officers on patrol pulled over the vehicle in Bilborough Road, Wollaton, at 3.22pm on Monday 19th September. A search of three people inside the vehicle led to the discovery of a bag of white and brown powder, suspected to be cocaine and heroin, and a large amount of cash. After the trio were detained, further searches were then carried out at a police station, where more Class A drugs, as well as cannabis, were found and seized.

Owen Thompson, 29, Theodor Foster, 30, and Ross Jones, 33, have all since been charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of Class B drugs. Thompson, of Derby Road, Long Eaton, Foster, of no fixed address, and Jones, of Montrose Court, Stapleford, have all been remanded in custody. They are next due to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on 19th October 2022.

Detective Constable Hannah Wilson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “I’d like to commend our officers for following their instincts, which ultimately led to the seizure of illegal drugs. We are constantly on the lookout for vehicles we believe could be involved in crime, so that we can make our communities a safer place for all who live here. Proactive stop-and-searches like the one used in this case play a key role in helping us achieve this goal. I’m pleased that these harmful drugs have been seized and taken away from our streets where they could’ve caused so much damage to people’s lives.”