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Here is the Nottinghamian from Tuesday, January 3:
Hello,
Happy New Year! To kick off 2023, the Nottinghamian features news of potential progress in Nottingham gaining a new bridge across the Trent. It comes as demand is 'definitely there' for a fourth bridge to be built.
We will also take a look at one man set to open his dream business as well as a Nottinghamshire village ranked as one of the poshest in the country. Plus how a ferret rescue centre is aiming to raise awarenress of the animal's needs and a look back into Nottingham's past.
Demand there
Nottinghamshire's transport chief says demand for a fourth River Trent crossing is 'definitely there' after the Government recently said it was looking into the project. Campaigners have been calling for the bridge to be built for decades, but the issue came to a head in February 2020 when the closure of Clifton Bridge eastbound for emergency repairs caused journey times to be lengthened by hours.
Councillor Neil Clarke, cabinet member for transport and environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "I have to say that the debate comes and goes and it's in peaks and troughs all the time. I've been involved in discussions about it for probably 25 years or more.
"But the demand is definitely there, the issue is where the funding comes from because it is a major investment and that is an ongoing discussion. It's going to be a long road to go down in order to see if we can persuade the Government to make such a major investment."
The issue came up at a recent Westminster Hall debate on Nottinghamshire transport led by the Gedling MP Tom Randall. A Department for Transport minister at the time said that she 'recognised the points made' about the need for a fourth crossing. Read more here.
Raising awareness
The owner of a ferret rescue centre has expressed her anger after two animals were found dumped in a box in a park. Jayy Walters, who runs Marley's Ferret Rescue and Rehoming in Jacksdale, said: "It angers me because no matter how full a rescue is, there is always somebody out there to help you. There is always someone to get in contact with. To dump them is the most ridiculous thing."
The two ferrets, called Jekyll and Hyde, were only 17 months old when they were found and are just some of the many Jayy has taken into her centre. Jayy used her own knowledge to set up the centre in her home with the rescue in her garden and a ferret hospital upstairs and is caring for around 50 ferrets.
Recently, Jayy has noticed a rise in ferret owners who don't know how to care for them. She said: "People will see them looking very cute on TikTok, dancing and doing all the jumping, but they don't realise they need an exotic vet and it does cost a little bit more than a normal vet. If they get illnesses they will cost more than a cat or dog.
"People need to do their research when they are going to get a ferret. With Jekyll and Hide, clearly there was no research done otherwise they would have known babies need nip training and they can be a handful. It makes me sad that people do not understand how much work goes into it. It's like having a puppy, you have to put the work in." Read more here.
Weather and trivia
Weather: Windy at first on Wednesday, but easing through the day. Often dry with sunny spells, but a risk of showers. Maximum temperature 12 °C.
UV: Low
Further reading: Over 300 patients with flu and Covid in Nottingham hospitals as service under immense pressure
Trivia question: What year was Nottingham granted its city status?
The answer to today's trivia question is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Notts nostalgia
For the latter half of 1993, you could travel Nottingham in taxis almost exclusively crewed by women. It was called Lady Cars, the brainchild of Kate Bowles and Patricia Davidson. Based in Radford, the message was "women drivers for women", giving the option of a female driver at all hours of the day.
"When you have had a few drinks, the last thing you want is for a taxi driver to come on heavy", said Bowles. "Now women can actually feel safe". The first couple of cars did good work, picking up a couple of friends who had been mugged at the time, and helping a new mother get a rare night out.
Then pranks began. Just one day in, Kate Bowles told the Nottingham Post about someone requesting a driver "in stockings". "We'll just ignore them or put the phone down", she said. In December, they'd picked up a rival. "One taxi company keeps ringing us up and giving us hoax calls," said Lady Cars at the time. "I think someone is having a bit of fun with us but it shows that we are a real threat".
The dirty tricks and taxi firm success continued into 1994, until Bowles, now the sole owner after Davidson left, announced that she was shutting down all because of paperwork. The licence was in Davidson's name, who inadvertently took the licence with her when she left. "All the drivers cried about it - it's such a stupid way for the firm to close", Bowles said at the time.
Opening a dream
As fans of Big Mike's Artisan Cheesecakes know, the shop on Carlton Hill closed on Christmas Eve after two-and-a-half years due to the cost of everything 'going through the roof'. Yet, the shop won't be empty for long as in a few weeks' time, Project Pies will be opening.
It's a name already familiar to pie lovers since founder Dan Lione used the premises to sell his wares on a Monday during the summer when Big Mike's was closed. The 41-year-old first started making pies as a sideline during lockdown at the weekend when he wasn't at his job in a butcher's shop. He advertised the pies for sale on Facebook and Instagram, starting off on a small scale.
He's not deterred by the current economic climate, which drove his predecessor to close. Dan said: "There is always going to be something in the world it seems at the minute and there is never going to be a perfect time. It's my dream to have a shop and I just think I've got to go for it." Read more here.
'Chocolate box'
A Nottinghamshire village has been deemed one of the poshest in the country for its 'chocolate box' appeal. Colston Bassett has again been named in the Telegraph's 54 Poshest Villages in Britain list, with the average house price costing £786,955.
Colston Bassett is a small, quaint village with just a handful of homes, meaning despite it being one of the country's poshest, only so many people can enjoy living there. This is not the first year the village has been recognised for its desirable location, high house prices and local amenities.
These include a school, the Martin's Arms pub, the Little Day Retreat spa and Colston Bassett Dairy Ltd, which produces some of the traditional blue cheeses that the village is famous for.
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 year was Nottingham granted its city status, is 1897.
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