Bridge ward monthly report 78

Slightly taken about that it snowed in Nottingham this month (first time in 6 years?) – twice.

New NCH houses and bungalows were made available, although there is still some works to do and another check a week or so on ought to be able to see most of the remaining works done.

The first of the new housing along Arkwright Walk (pictured) has also become available.

A planning application to redevelop County House is welcomed in principle, cos the grade 1 listed building is a mess.  But, there are concerns already from neighbours about potential noise from drinking proposed for the courtyard at the rear.

The City Council agreed its budget, with cuts of £25million, but asserted the Government’s model of financing local government is broken, as inspectors came from outside to take over the running of Conservative controlled Northamptonshire County Council.

Nottingham Labour took a second seat in the previous Conservative stronghold of Wollaton West.

2070 matters reported to me since October 2011, from probably around 863 clients.

The manslaughter of Mariam Moustafa in Nottingham city centre from an assault in the city centre in February, following a previous assault last year, is a tragedy and is begging questions.

We were sorry to lose former Nottingham City Labour councillors, Ken Williams and Marie Yuill this month.  Also former Trade Union General Secretary Brenda Dean.

Sad too that Stephen Hawking passed away, but incredibly grateful for his science, his support for the NHS and the Labour Party, and for him living so long given the disease he suffered from.

The Nottingham University Hospitals have launched a new Breast Care Research Centre and it was noticeable to see concepts used across the world in the understanding and treatment of the disease were named after Nottingham.

At times, news about the future of Britain outside the EU was pitiful.  The news of an attempted murder using a nerve agent for the first time in Britain was wrong, outrageous and astonishing.

Some great local events including the St.Patrick’s Day parade and the Puppetry Festival.   Plenty of interesting films too, although my aim to become a credible film critic using a rating system of my own design fell apart as it announced that the best film of the previous 12 months had been “Paddington 2“.   La de da.

A privilege to see the naming of H.M.S. Trent, a vessel to provide coastal defence and is being “twinned” with Nottingham.

And now we might look forward to an attractive memorial carrying the names of the Notts fallen from WWI.

The Importance of Beng Earnest

Turns out that I knew the pun but not the play.
Of course it’s ridiculous (Cecily Cardew falling for someone and getting engaged in her own mind before she’d met her “Ernest”), and the posh people are very off-putting.
But some of the lines will live forever and it’s nice to see in a local theatre delivered with local enthusiasm.
Excellent costumes (John Gill), lace, peacock feathers – and eyebrows (Courtney Kelham-Giddy).
(For a proper review, see this by Kev Castle.)

Ward Walk – March 2018

Checking around Arkwright Walk and ending on Willersley Drive, where new housing is being made available to their new owners in the next 2 days.

Curating modern art

Called on to discuss “The Square“, a film directed by a curator of modern art, in which the lead character is a curator, the Director of Nottingham Contemporary, Sam Thorne, was left slightly bewildered as he came to realise that so little of what he does actually features in the film.  indeed, the film doesn’t even feature showing art at any stage as a success – hardly anyone seems to see the exhibitions.
Instead the art featured goes back 25 years to when the focus was on shocking people. People involved, especially sponsors, are viewed upon with some disdain.
Still some of the stories do draw upon real events.  Cleaners mistaking art for material left to be cleared away; an actor playing a wild dog during a dinner.
Other insights – tha film features a Sweden which no longer has a royal family with some really entertaining consequences, but kinda lost if the point never crosses your mind.

The Square

Many stories use slightly not credible events and twists to make an interesting story.  Some of the events in The Square are drawn from real events at a modern art gallery.
This movie was doing fine, if becoming unpleasant, until the main character pushes a kid down some stairs; the actions that result are completely not credible and attempts to draw big life lessons are a nonsense.
(r:6.3; e:2, s:3, p:4)

County House

A grade 1 listed building on High Pavement, opposite Galleries of Justice (prev. Shire Hall), in a disastrous state as for a period, the roof was not keeping the water (nor the pigeons) out.
The latest owner now wants to repair it and renew it – to provide a restaurant, a private members club and some accommodation.
The planning application is currently under public consultation.

Nottingham tackling Breast Cancer

Speakers at the new University of Nottingham Breast Cancer Research Centre.
This first public event of its kind in Nottingham designed to raise awareness and to present information on the science of their research.

 

Two of the significant concepts in understanding and tackling the disease are named after Nottingham –
– the Nottingham grading system;
– the Nottingham prognostic index;
and the efforts are led by one of the top 20 cancer specialists in the world.

Nottingham Puppetry Festival

A new reason to love living in Nottingham.

Thunderbirds Are Go

I went to see this movie having seen it on TV and possibly even youtube times before, and knowing it wasn’t great.
Gerry Anderson got this movie wrong.  It was in his character that he was trying to do new things in this first attempt at a “Supermarionation” movie; e.g. the Cliff Richard & the Shadows.
(r:5.7;  e:3; s:2; p:3)
So why even go?

 

As part of  Nottingham’s Puppetry Festival, Gerry Anderson’s son and one of the original crew came to talk about the puppets, and brought Titan and Scott Tracy.
Scott Tracy even walked!
A member of the audience – a man of my age – even said it was because we were still 9 years old.
But it really isn’t.  I was born in 1961.  The Thunderbirds are part of my earliest memories.
– The first TV I remember – the trailer for Thunderbirds when Virgil slides down the ramps to join Thunderbird 2.
– The second memory of school – all the kids from 5 to 11 running in a line around the yard each being a different Thunderbird – all having our arms swept behind us.
– The shock when I was told by one of the bigger girls that they were puppets and that you could see the strings – I’d had no idea.
– My mates getting Thunderbirds uniforms for their birthdays and all the memorabilia that Christmas.
Powerful memories, flavoured by the sense of mission, which makes you reflect on all that’s come since.

Pitiful

UK passports to be made in France.  And they made such a fuss about them being blue!

Despite the optimism I heard a Conservative MP say that the potential for a deal seems in place, a lot is still not agreed and some of the agreements embrace positions that Brexiteers thought they we getting away from.

Owen Smith MP says – “The UK will be paying billions over to the EU despite having no say in its decisions, free movement will continue, the European court of justice will be able to issue instructions to British courts for at least another decade, the common fisheries policy will still apply to Britain – the list goes on.”

The article has triggered a sacking, disappointing all around since my Corbynista General Secretary shared it with satisfaction, whilst many Remainers were hoping the focus could stay on the markets rather than another referendum.

Andrew Adonis says – “Why am I still a Jeremy Corbyn optimist on Brexit? Simple. When Mrs May presents her Withdrawal Treaty to Parliament at year end, Jeremy has to vote for it or against it. He can’t possibly vote for it & there is only one other credible option. So get ready for 2019 referendum!“