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Here is today's edition of The Nottinghamian:
Hello,
Today's edition of The Nottinghamian focuses on a Nottinghamshire village welcoming home Aiden Aslin. The 28-year-old was released yesterday after being captured by Russian forces whilst fighting in Ukraine.
We will also discuss the return of panto season with a star-studded cast bringing the tale of Snow White to the Theatre Royal this Christmas. The cast has been speaking about Nottingham and what audiences can expect from the show. Plus we have today's street style and everything you need to know about Goose Fair.
Welcome home
The village of Balderton has welcomed home a prisoner of war who had been sentenced to death after he was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine. Aiden Aslin was one of five UK prisoners of war released yesterday.
Aiden has landed in the UK and was met by family members at Heathrow Airport. Neighbours in his home village of Balderton are thrilled to see his safe return, and say his family must be "over the moon." The 28-year-old was fighting for Ukraine in Mariupol before being captured.
Neighbour to Aiden's family in Balderton, David Lane, 80, said: "It's great for the family. I've known him since he was a little boy, he's a great guy, he never did anything wrong, not in my eyes anyway. I'm just glad and happy for the family. I couldn't believe it when it came up on the television. We are very very pleased."
Retired, Jean Taylor, 73, of Balderton, said: "I heard it on the radio this morning, it's brilliant. It must be such a relief. That's fantastic, that is amazing. It's really good news, it's nice to have good news for a change. I thought he would be executed. He's been out there quite a while before it happened, he had a girlfriend and he was in the army." Read more reaction from Balderton here.
Panto season
Panto season is back and the Theatre Royal has announced its new star-studded line-up for their 2022 Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The production will feature exciting twists and turns such as giant magic mirrors, costumes, classic songs and dance.
Comedian Joe Pasquale will play Muddles and will be joined by Steps star Faye Tozer who will play the Wicked Queen. Dame extraordinaire David Robbins will join the cast with actor Jamal Kane Crawford who will play the prince. Snow White will be played by Lucy Ireland who will make her Nottingham stage debut in the show.
Joe has been performing for over thirty years and is back by popular demand after audiences loved his performance as Smee in 2018. He said: "I've performed in Nottingham quite a lot and I absolutely love it here. The Theatre Royal is brilliant acoustically and there isn't a bad seat in the audience either. Even though it's quite a big room, it's still great for comedy." The comedian enjoys going into the Lace Market for shopping, especially when looking for Christmas presents.
Faye Tozer, who has been in panto since she was six and enjoys playing a villain, said: "It feels good to be back in Nottingham as I've been here so many times. It actually feels a bit of a home away from home as I've been here so many times. I am excited to see what's going on in the present day because we've done gigs here and arena tours but it would be nice to see how it's changed."
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves starts on December 3 at Theatre Royal and runs until January 8. Tickets are on sale at the online box office ranging from £21.50 to £42.00. Read more from the cast here.
Weather and trivia
Weather: Bright and sunny towards the north of the region, cloudier towards the south on Friday. Isolated showers developing in the afternoon. Cooler than yesterday. Maximum temperature 18 °C.
UV: Medium
Further reading: Plan for 'rough and noisy' old pub known for 'fights and music'
Trivia question: In what year was the iconic Raleigh Chopper introduced?
The answer to today’s trivia question is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Street style
Nick Hill from Redhill was in Nottingham today wearing a casual outfit. When asked how to describe his style he said: "I have no idea, I guess casual." The 48-year-old's outfit inspiration comes from "whatever is in the wardrobe". He said: "I like the skater look mixed with a bit of casual French chic." Nick's piece of style advice is to not look at other people and "do not feel uncomfortable just to look good."
Outfit breakdown:
Hat - TK Maxx
Jacket - White Rose
T-shirt - Next
Trousers - Next
Shoes - Vans
Goose Fair returns
Roll up, roll up. Goose Fair is back for the first time since 2019 and is bigger than ever. This year, the fair will be a 10-day event for the first time in its history. Forest Recreation Ground will be transformed from Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 9, by 250 rides and attractions at one of Europe's largest travelling fun fairs.
You can expect all the Goose Fair classics such as Gallopers and the Cake Walk, which is the only ride still operating that featured when the fair was still held in Old Market Square. New rides include the ‘Void Extreme’ as well as lots of returning favourites such as ‘Ice Jet Matterhorn,’ ‘Star Flyer’ and two ‘Giant wheels’ giving panoramic views across the fair and the city beyond.
As always there will be lots of side-show games such as Hook-a-duck and traditional fairground food. Goose Fair staples of mushy peas and mint sauce, Grantham gingerbread and Cock-on-a-Stick will return. If that is not your thing, you can eat your way around the world with a diverse range of food from Spanish Churros, handmade Italian pizza, Mexican tacos, Nigerian fried plantain and Hawaiian Poke bowls, to name but a few.
The Nottingham Post will be offering 50p off ride vouchers, which equates to £20. They can be found in the paper on Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th September, Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th October. Vouchers can be used during the opening hours from Monday to Thursday and from 4.00pm until 6.00pm on Fridays. The vouchers are not valid after 6pm on Friday or on Saturday and Sunday.
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, in what year was the iconic Raleigh Chopper introduced, is 1969.
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