MOTORING ADVICE- ZEBRA CROSSINGS
By?Arnold Butler With the amount of time I spend on the road teaching, I often see many dangerous and unbelievable things happen. I was with a pupil at one of the many pedestrian crossings (zebra crossing) in West Bridgford and on the opposite side of the road was a stationary vehicle. About two metres from the approach to the crossing, thus obscuring the one side of the crossing, the driver was leaning... Read More
GARDENING NOTES – APRIL
By John Draper Spring has definitely sprung and it’s time to attack the garden to ensure that everything is up and running ready for a beautiful summer. Spring flowering shrubs such as Japanese quince and viburnum plants are coming into flower. Shrubs, lawns and the vegetable areas need attention and you need to keep an eye on weed growth to ensure your hard work isn’t all in vain. Beds and Borders... Read More
GARDENING NOTES – DECEMBER
By John Draper The weather this year has been the gardener’s biggest enemy, along with the wet-weather diseases that have spoiled the flowers and Lawns to the army of slugs that have taken their toll of all manner of crops. Beds, Borders and Patio Tubs Growing plants from seed was a difficult job this year, especially where seeds were sown directly in garden soil outside. The heavy rains of spring... Read More
MOTORING ADVICE – VEHICLE CONTROLS
By Arnold Butler A few days ago I was stationary at the side of the road talking to a pupil and a gentleman came up to the car to ask me if I was the instructor who writes the article in the paper. I told him that I was and he explained he was a Ministry of Transport vehicle tester. He said much to his surprise some customers who bring their vehicle in for an MOT do not know where some of the controls... Read More
FOOD REVIEW – HAMMING IT UP IN IBERICO
By Roger Murrow Nottingham’s demand for tapas seems insatiable. To this end I braved the winter weather to sample the delights of the Iberico chain, which is situated in the Lace Market. I have to admit I have been suffering from ‘tapas fatigue’ due to the way this type of food has seemingly taken over Nottingham, but in the main I feel it was worth the effort and my cold tootsies. Finding Iberico... Read More
A HIDDEN GEM UP A BACK ALLEY
The Kean’s Head is a relatively recent recruit to the growing empire of Castle Rock, and is situated opposite St Mary’s Church in the Lace Market district of Nottingham. The name is unfortunately not due to the frothy top of a specialty beer, but rather commemorates “famous” 19th century actor Edmund Kean, who once performed at the original Theatre Royale, which also stood on St Mary’s Gate.... Read More
A TOUCH OF ESTUARY-MEDITERRANEAN COLOUR IN NOTTINGHAM
By Roger Murrow Jamie Oliver needs no introduction to foodies anywhere. He has now made his cooking philosophy available to the masses north of Watford through the development of a concept of Italian influenced restaurants. One of the latest has recently opened in Nottingham, where housed in a grand old building near the Lace Market, he aims to recreate what Italians are most proud of – rustic... Read More
BOOK REVIEW: ROOM (EMMA DONOGHUE)
By Jeff Day Wow – what a book! What a harrowing, joyous, gripping, nerve-tingling, life-affirming book. This is not a book for the faint-hearted, make no mistake there is plenty in it that is tough to read, but please do read it as there so much to marvel at. The harrowing core of the novel comes from the much-promoted plot. A woman and her five-year-old son, Jack, locked together in a room. There,... Read More
MARCH GARDENING NOTES
By John Draper Officially it’s the first month of spring and we now have plenty of opportunities to start serious gardening. There’s the vegetable patch to prepare, seeds to sow and the flower border to plan. Getting some jobs completed in March is one way to ensure your garden work doesn’t overwhelm you. Here are a few ideas for a plan of action that will get you a few steps ahead of the crowd. Beds... Read More
EFFECTIVE USE OF MIRRORS IN THE CAR
By Arnold Butler One of the items that appears on a driving examiners report form is “make effective use of mirrors”. This means you must not just look in the mirrors to see what is to your rear but to act on what is seen. I have two scenarios in mind. The first is as follows. When going to change lanes, you look in the mirrors and then signal regardless of other vehicles that may be approaching... Read More