91Èȱ¬

Alcohol sales at petrol stations...
I am amzed that some local petrol stations are being allowed to sell alcohol. Some are clearly given permission on the pretext that the "shop" attached is a min-supermarket but the BP CONNECT station on the A610 at Nuthall??? It is irresponsible for alcohol to be sold at a petrol station, it links drinking with driving: a link that no right-minded person wants to see. Who is responsible for this? The Petrol company? The shop owner? (at least these two are out to make money), but what about the local council - presumably they have had to grant a license?

Robert Steadman
Matlock/Nottingham


In reply to Robert Steadman Alcohol sales at petrol stations
The proximity of alcohol and a petrol station really has little to do with drink and driving even as you have pointed out there are in the same shop. The next logical suggestion is that alcohol cannot be sold with in a certain distance of a petrol station, which makes as much sense as taking that one step further and as no sales of alcohol to be permitted within a certain distance of any highway. Perhaps the better solution is to prevent sales of petrol/diesel with in a given distance of the sales of alcohol, (smile) The sole responsibility is with the person who drinks and drives, not the supplier or the location of the point of sale of alcohol, we are all responsible for our own actions, not others

John Foster
Arnold Nottingham

In reply to John Foster and Alcohol Sales
I agree with John, although it would appear we have both forgotten that we live in a blame culture and everyone else is at fault except ourselves.

Anthony
Nottingham

Reply to Alcohol and Petrol stations
THta's all well and good to say it's up to the individual but I'd rather not be killed or have my family killed by some lunatic who has bought booze whilst filling up and then drunk it. It makes drinking and driving easier and is not needed - there are enough places where alcohol can be purchased - this is unneccesary. It is pure greed by the retailer and a lack of thought by the council/magistrate granting the license.

R Steadman
Matlock/Nottingham

skateboards
I know you probably won't read this and just think i'ts a stupid kid askin for a skate park but i'll say it any way. We have tried so maney times to get a skate park and we never get one. if you are so botherd about us skating in town and other public places why don't you build us a skate park. I know you will say drug users will take over it like the one in kirkby, well why don't you build it in a decen't place i also got told that you was thinkin about building one in Lady brook well that's where all the druggies are. All you need to do is put a cctv camera up and drugies won't go there. you could even put a fake one up and that will scare them away. and you allway's say there isn't enough skaters so there wouldn't be much poin't of building one, so why is this such a big problem? they also told us that if skate board's wen't out of fashion it would of been a waste of money, well if ! sk! ate board's arn't in fashion something else is always in fashion like snake boards, roller blades, scooters, bmx's etc. I also heard that the council are worried that the number of children over weight is very high, well if you build a skate park it get's children out off the house and some exercise. it also keep's children out of trouble, that's why i toook up skate boarding.We don't want much all we want is a couple of ramps and grind rails. all these youth worker's try to get us youth clubs but we don't want a youth club we wan't a skate park. i know you probably wont email me back because you think it's just a stupid kid but actually i'm talking for hundreds of people because my friend carry'd out a petition for a skate park and he got 234 signatures. I would appreciate it if you could email me. thanx for listening to me if you did.

shaun lloyd
mansfield, notts, england

skateboarding
i wd like to applaud shaun for his determination to get a skate park. where we live there is a tiny one that isn't really that good but AT LEAST IT EXISTS.It's a great place for meeting people.

tumaina
huddersfield england

skateboards
I totally disagree with the whole idea of skate-boarding. When walking through Nottingham, im usely barged of the pavement by some spotty little pre-pubescent youth wearing some ludicrous clothes who couldn't give a damm about anyone other than himself. Its a stupid American culture, why not fund something more worthwhile.

Bill
Halifax, England

Hunting
We've just experienced the hunting community "enjoying" their biggest day of the year - Boxing Day. Clearly their Christmas Spirit is short-lived. Or maybe their spirit is a trifle selective! How can anyone go out killing at this time - or any other time for that matter? Nevertheless, Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to ALL.

Tony Ashford
Nottingham

Fox Hunting
In support of Tony Ashfords comments. The whole process of the so-called "Sport" of hunting is an obscenity; it could be partially understood if the so-called hunters ate their prey after they had killed the animal. But they just stand by whilst the hounds just tear apart the body of the animal they have chased to its death. I find it very difficult to believe that as a society we still permit any blood "sports" in the UK, there must come a time when we as human beings will out grow this most basic of instincts of the requirement of chasing and killing of another animal. I wonder if the present government will ever deliver one of the promises it made when it was first voted into government. Which was a free vote on the banning of Fox hunting, they have had plenty of time to make good this promise, how much more do they need?

John Foster
Arnold Nottingham

Colwick hall falling down
I would like to agree with the gentleman who mentioned the poor state Colwick Hall. It is currently the focus of a disagreement between the council and a brewery. While they argue the place is falling apart. It has squatters and vandals. The house has wonderful history related to lord byron and much more, this should not be left to fall apart. The hall could be a wonderful attraction for the city which has limited historical houses in the inner city.

Sally Murray
Nottingham

Colwick Hall
In reply to Sally Murray.
Regarding the state of the Colwick Hall, I work on the Colwick Industrial Estate and often walk around the lakes in the Colwick Park during the lunch hour. I have watched the steady decline over the last 30 years of Colwick Hall and also the joining church and church yard. Colwick Hall for a brief period was brought back to life as a public house 1892 when the Colwick Racecourse was opened. The Colwick Hall has closed and reopen several times but has now been left to fall into ruin for many years. Colwick Church (which is in ruins is a later version of a church which has stood there for centuries) was built by Sir John Musters during the 16th century when he bought Colwick Hall. There is also an old farm (Colwick Farm) which is virtually a ruin, which is on Mile End Rd. I find it very difficult to believe that the Gedling Borough Council and also the Nottingham City Council permit this to happen. I understand the land that all 3 buildings stand on are very desirable for housing. The owners of the land stand to make a great deal of money in either selling the land for building or developing the land them selves, if or should we say when the local authority give permission for the land to be developed. I understand that central government has issued an instruction to all local authorities that they must achieve certain targets i.e. build so many new houses in a 5 year period. So perhaps these wonderful old buildings are destined to be some civil servants pat on the back for achieving the targets for the Nottingham City Council and Gedling Borough Council, and the owners of the land a very healthy bank balance. Perhaps I am just being cynical?

John Foster
Arnold Nottingham

speed camera avoidence
Hi does anyone have any info on non photographic number plates.

Jay
london

numberplates
They're illegal. 3 points on your licence. You're better off removing your rear plate and claiming "it fell off guvnor", you may avoid the points on your licence. Alternatively stick to the limit like me.

bert fegg
notts

91Èȱ¬ News: - Head defends the worst school
Looks like I was right the head of the worst school in England (Mr. Godfrey Davey head master of The William Crane School located in Aspley Nottingham) as stated "its not as bad as its made out", right ok. Question is then how would he describe being last? An excellent opportunity to succeed?
"The league tables don't tell the whole story" I bet they don't.
It is stated that Mr. Godfrey Davey "Likes a challenge"
This being the case how long has Mr. Godfrey Davey been the head at this school?
How much progress if any has been made and how likely is any to be made now?
I suspect the comment don't hold your breath is in order.

John Foster
Arnold Nottingham

In reply to John Foster's comments on City Schools
I would be interested to know what John actually does for a living, because no doubt he will be fantastic at it and will never be able to be criticised in any aspect. How dare you criticise the work teachers do in our schools. Have you ever actually been in school lately? They are full of over-worked, under paid individuals who are trying desperately to support children in their learning. League tables are not accurate at all, they do not tell the full picture, they give one side of the coin. They do not take into account parents who encourage their child to stay off school and shoplift; or parents telling kids to go and play on the estate and do whatever you like because they do not give a damn; nor the general attitude of some kids that is why should I be at school because the state will look after me. What a load of rubbish to accuse teachers of not doing anything. People like you are driving would be recruits away and therefore further enhancing the teaching shortage we have at present. Working in a school from 8 am until 6pm every week day is horrible, the amount of paper work we do is terrible. There is so much paperwork to be completed and filled in that we do not have as much time as we want to just teach. School holidays are often spent preparing for when we start back and I am deeply offended that you accuse us of not caring about the pupils in our schools. Should we care when they throw chairs at us? When they spit on us? When they swear at us? When they assault fellow pupils and disrupt lessons? When they dont give a damn about their education? Of course we should and we do. However, there is only so much we can do. I notice you fail to acknolwedge that many City schools have been performing well. Fernwood - 68%; Trinity - 58%; Bluecoat - 55%; Top Valley - 39%; Big Wood - 48%; Greenwood Dale- 49% ad Manning 32%. Achievement of schools should not be based on one factor. The new 'value-added' scheme will provide a much better, more accurate way of comparing schools. Finally, since you live in a county catchment area, why are you that bothered anyway? Or is it just that you want to hide the fact that your council covered up the problems in City schools when they ran them?

An offended teacher
Nottingham

In reply to "Offended teacher"
I have worked in the mechanical/electrical industry for the last 40 years to answer your question.
I have been criticised and no doubt will be again, and I have not been inside a school for at least 10 years. But non-of the above facts prevent me from having an opinion based on the facts/information as presented on the 91Èȱ¬ Nottingham news site. If the schools in question were a business they would not survive very long at all, as in the real world failure to provide a good and competitive service means you soon loose your customers and therefore your business fails.
Schools and the employees of the schools should be accountable; the teachers of the school are responsible for the children's education that is from what I understand is their job i.e. to teach.
I accept that some children are very badly behaved and it must be very difficult. But that apart this cannot be used as an excuse for Nottingham being the 147 out of 150 schools, or are you suggesting that the children of Nottingham are by far the worst in the country regarding their behaviour?
Regarding your working hours 8am to 6pm, I think you will find many people work hours longer that this.
I would make the following final comment, I have three friends that are teachers. One has always worked in a school and holds similar views as your self, the other two worked in industry they both say the same thing, that being a teacher is the best thing they have done and easier than the job they held in industry.

John Foster
Arnold Nottingham

In reply to John Foster
We live in a democratic society (or so we are led to believe) and I have no objections or quarrels with you voicing your opinion – it is your right. If we just accepted what we were told then nothing would ever change, since we would never question things around us. Schools are not businesses and are not run like them. They do not have to make profit in any way and are run by the local education authority – Nottingham City Council. Funding comes from them, which is then spent in schools. However, the money available to schools is extremely low when compared with investment around Europe. We have the lowest investment when compared to many countries, and even in the United Kingdom, more money is pumped into the south, whilst the money reduces the further you get away from London. One reason the 5 A%-C pass rate, which is the only thing these league tables consider, is so low in Nottingham is because Nottingham children have amongst the lowest levels of literacy and numeracy in the country. Indeed, general attainment in the City is low, due to the general low literacy of parents/guardians. I do not perceive that all parents lack any intelligence, but when considering literacy and numeracy, it is generally lower amongst our adults than compared with other areas in Britain. Moreover, the league tables do not take into account the number of schools in a particular education area. Rutland is tiny compared to Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County and is it right that if 50 pupils pass in Rutland (out of 100) – 50% and 50 pass from Nottingham (out of 1000) = 5%, then the figure will be much lower. There is no weighting to allow for fair comparison. Value added data allows us to monitor progress and see if individual pupils are achieving. It should be b! as! ed on whether an individual achieves and not a cohort of pupils. Unfortunately, even with only a few badly behaved children in a class, the time that is often spent dealing with incidents and disruption they cause can side-track teaching time and negatively effects the attainment of the rest of the class. Is it fair that a handful of individuals can downgrade the attainment and achievement of so many? There are sadly a lot of disruptive pupils in many Nottingham Schools and it is hard to remove them. Legal frameworks and the current ‘blame’ society, where parents challenge any suspension – even in serious incidents where pupils have admitted it – means we cannot exclude them, because under the Human Rights Act, everyone has a right to education, although when this is used in reverse against disruptive pupils, it fails at the start. I acknowledge that people work long hours, this is a general trend in the country, since Britain works the longest hours in Europe – but for the lowest pay. I enjoy my job and am not in it for the money. I enjoy educating children and ensuring they achieve their best abilities. I succeed with most pupils, and they are more knowledgeable when they leave school. However, in an job, there will always be times when things get in the way and disrupt work. It is a common myth that teachers work school hours and enjoy so many holidays. We do work long hours for very little recognition, generally the government!!

Offended Teacher

1st Skateboarder to be Prosecuted
I had the pleasure of being the first person in Nottingham to be prosecuted for skateboarding (in the Market Square). I am 20 years old and studying at University. I have now stopped skateboarding because I did permanent damage to my left elbow, such that I will never be able to have full use of it again. However I would not change a thing because my skateboarding years as I fondly refer to them were the best of my life. I was once skateboaring with the editor of a national skateboarding magazine who lived in Nottingham at the time. Two large, drunk men stumbled out of the pub, pointed to him and said "Why don't you get a real job". I am guessing that neither of them could boast a more respectable job then the editor of a national magazine. I can fully understand why some places are inappropriate for skateboarding, but the solution to the problem is not to build another pub in the hope that skateboarders will be converted to the drunken ways of their elders. Peace.

Ash
Nottingham

In reply to ash of nottingham,

Congratulations to being the first lets hope you not the last to be prosecuted. There is not a lot of difference between Skate boarders and cyclists, when it comes to being a danger to the public. Not knowing which direction yourselves are coming from. The concern is for the young children and Especialy the elderly, i am talking about being in an area that is not suited to the skate boarder and cyclist, ie where shoppers are going about there business.Also the damage done to property ,skate boarding along low walls, down steps ,metal banister rails naming but a few, so i am glad that you find it a pleasure to be prosecuted. I hope it was a large fine but that would be pushing it,you more than likely got a smack on the back of the hand. That is how the justice system works nowadays!!!

Steve
Nottingham

Pleasing to see that ASH is considering behaving like an adult now in giving up skateboarding. Skateboards are for children. ASH - perhaps you could get a scooter instead - but don't ride it on the pavement.

ben
nottm

Ash too bad you had to stop skateboarding. The legal systems really messed up innit. ok old people may think its intimidating.

I was recently told to "stop skating your making too much noise! why don't you go to somewhere thats made for skating!" But where am i suposed to go duh notts don't have a skatepark! and you guys gloating over Ash being prosecuted get f*@~ed!

David
Nottingham