Book - Book reveals paths into past (Jacksdale)

A JACKSDALE history group has published a booklet containing a treasure trove of their research into the area’s industrial past.


The Portland Path is an account of the early 19th Century Nottinghamshire Railway and the collieries it served.

It will be launched at a special event in Jacksdale on June 3.

Martyn Taylor-Cockayne has been chairman of the JACHs (Jacksdale Area Culture and Heritage) group since 2000.

He said: “We have been successful in many historical-based projects throughout the village, one of which was the return of our Soldier on the Jacksdale memorial in 2009.

“We have always worked with and alongside many other groups to help achieve goals to make our community a better place to live, work and visit.

“We are currently carrying out a three-year project to record the history of our villages over the last 100 years, which will culminate in 2014 and reflect what we have done with the ‘legacy’ left by those who made the supreme sacrifice during the two world wars of the 20th Century.”

The group’s Portland Path Project is a Heritage Lottery-funded project that has researched an early horse drawn railway that ran from the Codnor Park Ironworks, across the parish of Selston and on to the colliery complex once known as the Portland Pits in Kirkby-in- Ashfield.

The project has found many previously unknown and unrecorded pieces of historical information regarding the development of early railways in the upper Erewash Valley by the Butterley Company, based at Codnor Park and Butterley.

Martyn said: “We are placing way markers and interpretation boards along the former route of this railway, as well as producing a leaflet showing the route with brief explanations.”

The 69-page A4 booklet will be launched on June 3 on Jacksdale Soldier Day at the Jacksdale Miners’ Welfare Club. All proceeds will go back into the Portland Path Project. The group is working to have the slag block embankment structure that formed part of the Portland railway as it passed through Jacksdale made a scheduled monument.

From: http://www.eastwoodadvertiser.co.uk/news/eastwood-kimberley-news/book-reveals-paths-into-past-1-4570056

Event - Ashfield Heritage Bus Tour (September)

8th/10th & 16th September

A rare opportunity to visit interesting and exciting historic sites across Annesley, Kirkby, Selston, Skegby, Sutton and Teversal with a running commentary. The tour includes several stops and a lunch break at Teversal. You can bring your own picnic lunch or purchase a snack at the Teversal Trails Visitor Centre. It is essential to book a place as there are limited spaces on the minibus. FREE

Ashfield Heritage Bus Tours are organised by Ashfield District Council and last for about six hours and take you through the main heritage aspects of the district with the exception of Hucknall. Check our Events Guide or our Events Page for dates and further information or email tourism@ashfield-dc.gov.uk or phone 01623 457426 for more details

From: http://www.ashfield-dc.gov.uk/cfusion/events/more2.cfm?more=1922

News - New library plan not good enough (Notts Libraries)

CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to reduce opening hours at libraries across Ashfield say a council rethink to inject more cash into the service is still not good enough.

Huthwaite Library had been earmarked to have its hours cut from 19 to eight hours – but Nottinghamshire County Council has now proposed to set aside extra funding to take it back up to nine-and-a-half.

The news has been given the thumbs down by villagers and the Huthwaite Community Action Group, which took part in a two-hour read-in ‘protest’ at the library as part of national Save Our Libraries Day on Saturday.

Sutton West district councillor, Ray Buttery, said the small extension to opening hours would not make any difference and fears the library could eventually close.

“If the hours are cut so much people will not bother coming,” he said. “Once the footfall goes they will close. Elderly people will not want to jump on a bus and go to Sutton.

“I just wonder if it will stay open on a Saturday. All the councillors have surgeries here on a Saturday and if people are working during the week the only time they can get to the library is at the weekend.

“We have a children’s reading corner here. They need to have reading books because computers just are not the same.”

More than 50 people – including Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero – attended the read-in on Saturday and Coun Buttery said it had been a successful event.

“Lots of people came and some took out 18 books to emphasise the fact that the libraries should not be shut. It was a brilliant morning and everyone was together – that is what it is all about.

“Many people signed a petition, which we have given to the county council. Now we have to wait and see.”

Annesley Woodhouse, Jacksdale, Selston and Skegby libraries would also all have their hours reduced – but not by as much as had been expected due to the county council setting aside more than £70,000 for libraries following a public consultation.

But Ms De Piero, who is also Shadow Libraries Minister, dismissed the cash injection and pledged to keep up the pressure on Ministers to do more to save libraries.

“These cuts are directly as a result of budgets set by the Tory-led government in Westminster,” she said. “While I understand that difficult decisions have to be made, I have a particular issue with how Nottinghamshire County Council is distributing these cuts.

“The council says it has listened to feedback from the community but Huthwaite Library is still having its hours slashed by 50 per cent. At the same time, Ken Clarke’s rather more affluent constituency of Rushcliffe seems to be faring better – the council is spending £4.9m there on the library in West Bridgford.”

Under previous county council proposals, the annual book fund was reduced from £1.6m to £387,000. This has now been revised and 25 per cent of the fund restored, taking it to £793,000.

Added Ms De Piero: “I’m also worried that halving the book budget will mean libraries are left with older books on the shelves. Libraries need investment to stay alive and thriving, and new books draw people in to libraries – people who can’t necessarily afford to go out and buy the latest bestseller.”

The county council’s assistant head of libraries Philip Marshall said it was heartening to see the strength of feeling among folk who ‘valued their libraries so highly’.

He added: “We appreciate their concerns and also their right to publicly protest against the reduction in library hours.

“However, you’ll appreciate that with the severe financial pressures the council is under, we’ve had to make some tough decisions – we need to make savings of £87m next year, reinvesting £42m of that largely in services for the most vulnerable.

“Regrettably, libraries have had to take their share of the impact, but unlike many other local authorities, we have no plans to close any of our 60 libraries and we are still investing in capital projects including the £3.4m refurbishment of Mansfield library.

“We have consulted the public on options for library opening hours and listened closely to that feedback. Recognising their value to the communities they serve, we have lowered the reduction in opening hours for 28 of our smaller libraries and also put money back into our fund used to buy new books.”

From http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/new_library_plan_not_good_enough_1_3063962