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Here is The Nottinghamian from Tuesday 15 November, 2022:
Hello,
Today's edition of the Nottinghamian kicks off with the opening of Nottingham's Winter Wonderland. The countdown is officially on and stall holders are prepared for all the festive celebrations.
We also have news of a top London chef making his way to a Nottinghamshire kitchen and a city tailors latest move. Plus we take a look back into Nottingham's past.
Countdown on
The countdown to Christmas has begun with Nottingham's Winter Wonderland bringing a sprinkle of festive cheer to the city on a wet and miserable day. The annual event is back in full force since being curtailed by the pandemic from Tuesday November 15 until New Year's Eve.
Old Market Square and Long Row have been taken over by Swiss-style chalets selling Yuletide gifts, filling Yorkshire pudding wraps and warming hot chocolate or mulled wine. Sara Hall from Selston has been bringing the Helter Skelter bar to Nottingham for more than 10 years. She said: "I’ve been here from day one. We are local to Nottingham and we just love our home city. We have the same people come to visit every year. It’s great to be back.
“Once it get’s going it’s a lovely friendly atmosphere. It’s a shame it’s a bit wet but we have nice friendly customers. It’s starting to get a bit Christmassy now.” Debra Hanes, from Boston is running Gifts 4 the Soul. She said: ‘’There is a great assortment of stalls with the pull of the bars and rides. People love it. We get a lot of repeat customers."
Colleen Mason, 80, from Carlton added: “I come every year. I like the diversity of the stalls and I like the jewellery stalls and knick knack for Christmas presents. I think people will come (despite the cost of living crisis) but they might not spend as much. I think the aerial skating will be amazing."
Next level
Top London chef Michael Carr is leaving the capital to bring his gastronomic talents to Nottingham. The former Fenchurch head chef has worked at some of London and Yorkshire’s best Michelin-starred restaurants and has starred on BBC2 competition Great British Menu.
He will become executive chef at pubs, the Old Vol in Caythorpe and the Reindeer in Hoveringham, which is set to reopen shortly. Both are owned by Nottinghamshire businessman Sean Reddington, the CEO at Thrive, a learning and skills platform provider.
Mr Reddington said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to bring one of the country’s best chefs to Nottingham and inject innovation and daring into its culinary scene." Mr Carr added: "We want to take the Nottingham food scene to the next level, and I’m so excited to be joining Sean on this venture."
Weather and trivia
Weather: Wednesday starting rather dull with mist and low cloud clearing by afternoon. Chance of showers but a lot of dry weather with some afternoon sunshine likely. Winds freshening later. Maximum temperature 11 °C.
UV: Low
Further reading: Giant screen at World Cup fanzone in Nottingham
Trivia question: Which Nottingham city street was once described as the ugliest in Europe?
The answer to today’s trivia question is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Notts nostalgia
Even as temperatures start to drop, I doubt we will dip low enough for the River Trent to freeze over. In the very slim chance it did, anyone skating on the ice would be moved off or rescued by officials.
In the winter of 1895, the river froze solid for ten days. Youngsters took to the ice to walk, skate and even ride bikes. It looks like they were having a lot of fun - however, a number of fatalities due to thin ice were reported on the river.
Today, we can take up ice skating all year round at the National Ice Center and can even skate laps of Old Market Square during the Christmas celebrations. Whilst I am sure it was a thrill, I am glad health and safety has improved!
Looking sharp
A good suit is a good investment so it's always worth finding a trusted tailor. Black Butterfly is a one-stop shop for sharp suits and expert alterations. The shop which was on Long Row, has now moved to brand new premises on Derby Road in Nottingham in a former art gallery.
Co-owners Milan Georgiev and Yanits Georgieva opened Black Butterfly eight years ago when they relocated to Nottingham. "It's just five minutes outside of the city centre. People don't mind walking for five more minutes to see a good tailor," Milan said.
"We love Derby Road and this is the perfect location for us. The business has been open for eight years since I came to Nottingham with my wife and it's been quite successful. I started tailoring when I was 16 so I've been doing this for 30 years."
The team at Black Butterfly work with Italian and British cloth, of which examples of the suit styles line the newly-painted walls. They offer a little bit of everything from made-to-measure, suit alterations and even wedding dress alterations.
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, which Nottingham city street was once described as the ugliest in Europe, is Maid Marian Way.
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