DUCKS AWAY

 ‘Easter Ducks Away 2024’ 

The 32nd Annual Duck Race will take place on Saturday 30th March  at Manor Park Toton. Starting at 1.00pm - courtesy of Broxtowe Borough Council and sponsored by Michael Key MOT, Servicing & Repair, Long Eaton . 

As you will be aware we had to cancel the race . It has always taken place on New Years Day, however this year the fields were flooded and the river was high and so in the interests of the safety of our staff, volunteers and the general public we took the difficult decision to postpone.  As usual we have invited the Mayor of Broxtowe, to start the race by releasing over 1300 plastic ducks into the River Erewash. They will swim down the river and be caught at the bridge approximately 600 yards downstream. The owners of the first 10 ducks to cross the winning line will receive a prize, all donated by local business. 

Since 2016 we have included a ‘Corporate’ race. We already have several local businesses sponsoring ducks and we are continuing to invite others to join this prestigious corporate event. For just £25 local business owners can sponsor a duck or 2 for the bargain price of £40. Each business will have an opportunity to win a prize to share around their employees. This race which takes place immediately before the main race has become a popular and integral part of the day!  

 

The Duck race is a great day for all the family, with a number of fun things to do. We will be serving  tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot dogs and delicious doughnuts. There will be a tombola, prize every time cuddly toy stall, hook a duck for the children and a chance, for a small donation. to own one of our ‘retired ducks’. In addition, this time we will be inviting attendees to choose a name for our charity mascot – our giant duck. For just £1.50 people can have the opportunity to sponsor a duck and win a prize. If you want to avoid the queues on the day it is possible to buy your duck race tickets on line – just go to our web site www.ageuk.org.uk/derbyandderbyshire  

We usually gather around 1pm and we aim to launch the ducks by 2pm. There is lots to keep everyone busy during the lead up to the race and we try to make sure that everyone who wants to purchase a ticket at just £1.50 can do so. Angela Barnes, fundraising manager for Age UK Derby & Derbyshire said, “The Duck Race has become a tradition and attracts hundreds of local people and many family pets. It is one of the few events that all of the family can enjoy together. And there is always a great atmosphere. The people in the Toton/Beeston/Long Eaton/Sandiacre, Stapleford, Nottingham and Derby area now attend as a matter of course and we hope that although we have had to change the day this year that our usual supporters will be there on the day. 

All of the money raised will be used to benefit local older people. 

To reserve a duck, go to our website: www.ageuk.org.uk/derbyandderbyshire or  

call Angela Barnes – 01773 766922/ 07745 191777 or email 

fundraisingteam@ageukdd.org.uk 

EREWASH MUSEUM

EREWASH’S museum has won praise from a top travel writer for being packed with fascinating exhibits that charm visitors and make it a great place to check out. The Daily Telegraph’s Gavin Haines saluted it in an article that was read around the world after being posted on the web network Yahoo. He told of calling in for a look round – and how he got to meet the granddaughter of the woman who founded the theatre group that Ilkeston lad Robert Lindsay attended before becoming a telly superstar. The travel expert declared in his verdict on the heritage hub near Ilkeston Market Place: “It’s a charming museum housed inside a fine Georgian building and filled with genuinely interesting exhibitions about local history.” 

Sophie Tilley – artistic director at the Studio Players – told him as he investigated what Ilkeston has to offer that its now-famous hole-in-the-wall is far from the only attraction. The hole – a feature in a brick wall beside a cashpoint on Bath Street – continues to make headlines after spoof TripAdvisor reviews saw it voted the No1 thing to see locally. Sophie, whose gran founded the Studio Players, said of people who mock Ilkeston as dull: “If you know where to look, there’s plenty going on. I say: ‘When was the last time you visited the market or went to the cinema or found out what’s going on at the museum?’” 

The travel writer’s article tells how the award-winning museum hosts “community events galore” and even boasts its own “beach” during the summer. 

It adds: “From the top floor you can see the iron lattice Bennerley Viaduct, a local landmark, in the distance.” 

His review of Ilkeston declares in its headline: “There’s more to this Midlands town than its famous cashpoint.” The article touts Ilkeston’s celebrated annual fair, its independent shops and its “pretty market place”. 

You can read the whole thing here: There’s more to this Midlands town than its famous cashpoint (yahoo.com) 

Erewash council’s Deputy Leader Beca Everett, who is the Lead Member for Community Engagement, said: “The museum really is a terrific place to spend time – as is Ilkeston as a whole. We’ve always known that but it’s great to now have a leading tourism expert saying so too.” 

Erewash Museum is open Thursdays to Saturdays from 11am to 4pm. 

LENS

 Ruth Boulton - Environment Agency 
will present a slideshow on 
Invasive Species 

 
Invasive species are of significant concern to ecosystems. They drive biodiversity loss and species extinctions. Learn how to identify them and how to mitigate their impact. 
Date Wednesday 28th February. Start at 7.00 pm 
Meeting at the United Reformed Church, Midland Street, Long Eaton NG10 1HQ.  
Cost £1.50 for LENS members, visitors £2.50. Tea and biscuits at half-time, all welcome. Email lensnaturalhistory@gmail.com 

  

Best wishes 

Marion Bryce 

Hon Sec LENS Wildlife Group 

DUCHESS THEATRE

 OKLAHOMA Yth Edition - LEOS Youth 

 Duchess Theatre, Derbyshire, NG10 1EF 

 Wed 14th February 2024 - Sat 17th February 2024 

 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration remains, in many ways, their most innovative, setting the standards and rules of modern musical theatre.   

 

In a Western territory just after the turn of the 20th century, a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides a colourful background for Curly, a charming cowboy, and Laurey, a feisty farm girl, to play out their love story. Their romantic journey, as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road, contrasts with the comic exploits of brazen Ado Annie and hapless Will Parker in a musical adventure embracing hope, determination and the promise of a new land.  
 

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma: Youth Edition is a one-hour adaptation of the beloved musical. In this adaptation, the content has been edited to better suit younger performers, but all the elements that make this show a classic remain.   
Come and be enchanted by this timeless story with its dazzling score. 

TIME RUNING OUT

 Time’s running out to tell council your views  

A Huge survey of Erewash residents about what they expect of the council will end in days – so local people are being urged to hurry to give their views. The online consultation ahead of the authority setting its new budget closes at 11.55pm on Tuesday 6 February. The questionnaire – which only takes a few minutes to fill in – is a chance for residents to tell the authority their priorities. It covers a range of issues from Council Tax to car park changes. 

The survey comes as Erewash is forced to follow other councils by seeking ever more savings amid an unrelenting squeeze on its finances. This has already led to a looming charge for emptying brown garden waste bins. The authority is confident it can balance its budget this year while pegging Council Tax at a below-inflation rise of 2.99 per cent. But without further savings or ways of generating additional income it faces a budget shortfall of £700,000 next year. There are fears this could rise to £2.5million by 2026. The questionnaire can be found here: EBC 2024-25 Budget Survey (snapsurveys.com) 

Councillor Gordon Thomas, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Resources, said the borough has long been given a raw deal in terms of funding. Compared to the average that councils have been getting since 2015 Erewash has lost out on a massive £2.3million a year. Cllr Thomas told how he and Leader James Dawson have been lobbying the government for a “fairer shake”. He said of the consultation with local people: 

“We really want to hear from residents – so please take the time to go online and fill in the survey. This is your council and there is no getting away from the fact that we are likely to face some tough choices – not least because local people have been short-changed for years in terms of funding.”