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Here is The Nottinghamian from Thursday, November 24:
Hello,
Today's edition of the Nottinghamian brings news of the city council paying compensation to an activist. Julie Bindel was set to hold a talk at Aspley Library in June but was cancelled by Nottingham City Council one day before due to her views on transgender rights.
We will also take a look at the news of an Arnold chippy fighting to stop its demolition as well as a pub just over the Derbyshire boarder which is ranked one of the best in Europe. Plus we have the best street style of the day.
Pay out
Nottingham City Council spent more than £10,000 in legal fees and paid out £500 in compensation after it unlawfully cancelled a talk by activist Julie Bindel at one of its libraries. Ms Bindel, a feminist campaigner and author, was informed by the council her talk at Aspley Library was cancelled due to her views on transgender rights one day before it was due to take place on June 25.
Represented by Didlaw, London-based employment lawyers, she took legal action against the authority, having raised just under £40,000 through a Crowdjustice campaign. After three months of pre-action correspondence the parties reached agreement on mutually acceptable terms, including an apology.
In October, the city council apologised to Ms Bindel and admitted it had acted “unlawfully” in cancelling her talk, which had been organised by Nottingham Women for Change. An FOI request reveals the council spent £10,680 on legal fees and provided a £569.99 ‘settlement’.
The council says the £569.99 sum was paid to Ms Bindel, the organisers and ticket holders “in respect to their reasonable losses”. Ms Bindel says she had not asked for compensation and they were given “out of pocket expenses incurred”. Ms Bindel said: “I’m a socialist so I would never take money from a cash-strapped council. I wanted to teach them a lesson. I wanted them to know they were wrong. I wanted the ticket money to be put back to the women who had paid out." Read more here.
'Devastated'
The owner of a beloved Arnold chippy says he is 'devastated' that the council is expected to approve its demolition. Bambos Charalambous, 51, and his family have run Blue Circles Fish Bar on Front Street since 1990, but could soon see their shop knocked down.
The plan for 135-141 Front Street involves the creation of nine apartments as well as two new ground level shops after the demolition of the four existing shopfronts. Bambos was gutted when the plans came to light a year ago, citing that most of his 15 children had worked in the eatery at some point.
He said: "It feels very unfair, a lot of regulars would be as devastated as me, we've been here for a long time. Of course I would be gutted if we had to go." A petition against the plans with 1,735 signatories was received by the planning committee. Despite this public opposition Gedling Borough Council planning officers have recommended the plans get the go-ahead from planning committee members on November 30. Read more here.
Weather and trivia
Weather: Largely dry with good spells of sunshine throughout the day on Friday. Staying on the breezy side. Temperatures will be near normal. Turning chilly overnight under clear skies. Maximum temperature 10 °C.
UV: Low
Further reading: Tributes to 'loving and devoted' man who died in construction site incident
Trivia question: What is the name of the ice hockey team that plays at the National Ice Centre?
The answer to today’s trivia question is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Street style
Gemma Flinders looked stylish in her black outfit whilst visiting Nottingham. The 30-year-old from Cambridgeshire describes her style as "grown up alternative". Gemma gets her style inspiration from people she follows on Tik Tok but added: "Generally, I like to wear stuff that makes me feel good."
She said: "I am a big sucker for Dr Martens, I get my clothes from anywhere. A bit bad but from fast fashion places like ASOS, New Look and H&M." Gemma likes to wear clothes which are not restrictive such as smock dresses. When asked to give a piece of style advice, Gemma said: "What what makes you happy and do not care what anyone else says."
Outfit breakdown:
- Coat - H&M
- Dress - New Look
- Boots - Lamoda
- Bag - Zara
Praise all round
Just a 40 minute drive from the centre of Nottingham, you will come across one of the best rated pubs in Europe. The Holly Bush Inn, on Holly Bush Lane in Makeney, near Belper, achieved a perfect score from a trusted independent pub and bar reviewer.
The pub was given full marks by the European Bar Guide (EBG) after their representative visited on Monday, November 14. The anonymous reviewer was on a tour of pubs nearby when they visited Holly Bush Inn.
The review said: "Oh my word. Pub nirvana? Must be close. Three fires crackling, cosiest interior and tasteful extension, busy hubbub even on a Monday. Great pub grub that is customer not corporate focused. This may be... Nearly.. the best pub we've visited in England."
Alex Wilbraham, 42, runs the pub with her brother Chris. They doing things the old way while still moving with the times has been key to their success. She said: "It's not fancy, it's just a proper pub. We've got four open fires and there's old things on the wall. We've got a little room, no TVs... the Wi-Fi's crap! But we've got a great selection of beer, gins, wines. We've moved it with the times but still managed to keep it a traditional, happy public inn. That's what it is."
That’s all for today
Thank you for joining me for today's edition of The Nottinghamian. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did why not sign up to receive it directly in your inbox every weekday by clicking here.
The answer to today’s trivia question, what is the name of the ice hockey team that plays at the National Ice Centre, is Nottingham Panthers.
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