Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Mia O'Hare

The Nottinghamian: Christmas markets and gorilla gets a new home

Stay up to date with all the latest stories across Nottinghamshire in the daily Nottinghamian newsletter. You can receive the newsletter straight to your inbox every weekday by signing up right here.

Here is The Nottinghamian from Friday, November 4:

Hello,

Happy Friday! Today's edition of the Nottinghamian brings news of a Christmas market at Nottingham Castle for the first time. We will also take a look at the departure of a familiar site at one of Nottinghamshire's garden centres.

Plus a school boy wins a competition run by Victoria Centre to celebrate its 50th birthday and I give a recommendation of somewhere to try this weekend.

Christmas at the Castle

Nottingham Castle is to host a free three-day winter craft market with late-night shopping opportunities for the first time ever. Visitors will be able to keep warm with a glass of mulled wine while they browse the stalls offering food, drink and art from Friday, November 25 to Sunday, November 27.

Nottingham foodie favourites Doughnotts will be in attendance along with local artists offering gifts such as DUKKI and Ellastrated. The festivities will also offer the chance to enjoy a wintery walk around the castle grounds or enjoy a warm drink in the two cafes.

The Christmas craft market will open from 4pm until 8pm on Friday then 10am until 8pm on Saturday. The gift shop will also be extending its hours in the Christmas run-up, staying open until 8 pm.

Weather and trivia

Weather: Cloud and occasionally heavy rain, with strong winds sweeping eastwards through Saturday. Drier by the evening, but cloudy. Maximum temperature 12 °C.

UV: Low

Further reading: Fireworks and bonfire night events in and around Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

Trivia question: Which Nottingham football club was the first to ever wear shin pads?

The answer to today’s trivia question is at the bottom of the newsletter.

Recommendation

Ugly Bread Bakery in Hockley serves freshly made sandwiches, pizzas, pastries and cakes (Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)

Name: Ugly Bread Bakery

Address: 34 Carlton Street, NG1 1NN

Cuisine: Bakery and deli

Walking through the heart of Hockley, you will find this little bakery tucked between the many restaurants and shops. Ugly Bread Bakery will welcome you with the warming smell of loaves and fresh ingredients. The counter at the front of the cafe displays their many offerings, and it will be hard to decided what to pick.

All the sandwiches are lined up in the display counter, making it easy to know what to expect... after all they are not an ordinary sandwich. They come in an array of different breads including flatbread which can be warmed up under the grill for a perfectly crisp finish. If that doesn't appeal, Ugly Bread Bakery also serves salads, pastries and pizzas.

As any cafe, they have a wide drinks menu. To round off your meal, I cannot recommend their sweet selection enough. They supply the Beeston Brownie Company, which is certainly a treat! And of course, being a bakery means there are plenty of breads to purchase too. Ugly Bread Bakery has been serving Nottingham since 2014 and their cafe has indoor and outdoor seating, providing the ideal pit stop for a day spent in the city.

New home

The giant Gorilla statue, affectionately named Xavier, was loved by customers at Brookfields Garden Centre in Mapperley (Brookfields Garden Centre)

If you have ever been to Brookfields Garden Centre in Mapperley I am sure you will be familiar with the giant gorilla statue, after all he was hard to miss! But customers are now saddened by the news Xavier is set to depart his spot at the garden centre.

Having 'created memories for 65,000 people' during his ten years at Brookfields, he is now leaving for a new home. The towering figure was sold to a customer for their family, but the garden centre has told fans to look out for a replacement in the New Year.

Julie Dachey-Jenkins, Brookfields Garden Centre's marketing manager, said the towering 2.8m Gorilla had been posed with and sat on by around 20 people per day. She added: "He was great for the kids and we've had a fantastic response from people sharing their family memories that involved him. We'll be moving our polar bear into his place, but there will be a new special statue coming soon."

Winning design

A Bulwell school pupil will have their name engraved on the historic Emett Clock as part of a competition run by the Victoria Centre to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The winning design was created by 11-year-old David Weglinski from Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary Academy.

The creative competition saw entries from more than 70 primary schools with pupils encouraged to submit a design for a new butterfly to join the others on the clock. There were more than 800 submissions for the competition, with 100 shortlisted.

Winner David was awarded a hamper of toys from The Entertainer and his design will be built into a new information plaque which will sit in front of the newly refurbished clock. His name will also be added to a special golden butterfly to mark the anniversary at a later date.

That’s all for this week

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 football club was the first to ever wear shin pads, is Nottingham Forest.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.