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Here is the Nottinghamian from Tuesday, January 24.
Hello,
Today's edition of the Nottinghamian takes a look at the public consultation currently open to Nottingham city residents regarding a proposed council tax increase. There is just one more day for residents to have their say on the plans.
We will also take a look at a Gedling man's dreams coming true after he appeared in a popular soap. Plus a plant shop is getting ready to double in size and we delve into Nottingham's past.
Time running out
Time is running out for people in Nottingham to have their say on plans which would see their council tax bill going up by the maximum amount allowed. Nottingham City Council revealed last month that it was planning to increase council tax by 5% and to cut 110 jobs within the authority to try and fill a financial hole of £32million for the next financial year, starting in April.
The new savings are so far worth £29m and they include reviewing fees and charges at car parks, leisure centres and museums, withdrawing the wheelchair hire service at the Victoria Centre and stopping the collection of household bins put out on the wrong day. Changes to adult social care are also being planned, including more independent living support instead of residential or nursing care, as well as the mothballing of two floors at the council's Loxley House headquarters.
The public consultation on the plans has been running since December and will close on January 25, with an online survey on the council's website being available to complete. Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: "There is just a day left to give your feedback on our proposals to balance the council’s budget for the forthcoming financial year. All views will be taken into consideration before proposals are put back before our Executive Board next month and ratified at March's meeting of the full council."
Dream come true
A Nottinghamshire man said it "felt like a dream" when he starred on BBC One soap EastEnders. George Codd from Gedling, was in the hit show last night after winning the opportunity to make an appearance as part of the BBC's 100-year celebrations.
To mark those celebrations, the BBC offered people the chance of a lifetime to appear in their favourite programme by making an application through a website. The broadcaster received more than 150,000 entries from viewers hoping to appear in programmes such as Strictly and Casualty.
EastEnders super-fan George applied for the long-running soap - and he was successful. He was told he had been selected in a surprise Zoom call from actor Natalie Cassidy, who plays Sonia Fowler. In the episode, George walked into the iconic Queen Vic pub before ordering a pint from Alfie and he appeared in the background of a scene with characters Jay and Linda. As well as the filming, George was given a tour of the set.
George said: "I feel extremely fortunate to see the magic behind the cameras, but extra fortunate to have filmed with the cast for an actual episode. It's a day that I will remember for the rest of my life." Read more here.
Weather and trivia
Weather: Cloudy Wednesday morning as a band of rain sinks southward. Becoming drier and brighter later in the afternoon with a northeasterly wind. Feeling rather cold, especially later. Maximum temperature 7 °C.
UV: Low
Further reading: Urn of pet ashes among strangest things left at Nottinghamshire Travelodge hotels
Trivia question: The National Justice Museum was formerly what?
The answer to today's trivia question is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Notts nostalgia
The former offices of the Nottingham Evening Post were quite a landmark, built by newspaper proprietor Thomas Forman on the corner of Sherwood Street and what was then known as North Street in the city centre.
He bought the plot of land in 1870 to relocate his Daily Guardian paper from Long Row. The building was completed in 1871 but within seven years it had a new title - the Nottingham Evening Post. Thomas Forman died in 1888, and in 1905 North Street was renamed Forman Street.
The Post moved to Castle Wharf in 1998. The Cornerhouse leisure complex was built on the site - a complete contrast in design with its very contemporary glass frontage. Building work, at a cost of £50m, took two years, with the complex opening in 2001. Today the five floors of entertainment including a cinema, bars, restaurants, a casino and adventure golf, attract around nine million visitors a year.
Doubling up
A popular Nottingham plant business has announced the launch of its second shop which is due to open in the city centre around March. The Little Plant Guys will keep their Beeston-based location alongside the new Derby Road store.
The Little Plant Guys will open in the premises which were once one-half of the historic Canning Circus Boots store. Nottingham based clothing brand Universal Works will open in the other half.
For owner Phill Gaskin, Derby Road made complete sense when it came to choosing the best location for a second store. He said: "It will be the same ethos and vibe with staff working in both so you'll see the same faces. It will be an extension of the first one as I always wanted it to be this calm, easy-going, not fast-paced retail place. It's slow retail where people can come, take their time and ask questions.
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, the National Justice Museum was formerly what, is Shire Hall, which was once Nottingham's main court and prison.
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