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www.ilkestonlife.com ILKESTON LIFE December 2021 9
A Conversation long ago
By Cath Haywood
“Ey up mi duck, Ow yer bin?”
“Awreet mi duck, how’s yersen?”
“Ee, mi gums are geeing me jip,
Ah canna gerrany kip.
It’s sorta gerrin’ mi dahn,
But the missis sez the dentist at top o’ taarn
’ll sort me aart and I’ll be rayt.
I ’ope so cuz ah’m gerrin’ in a state.”
“I ain’t seen your Gert for nigh on years. Ayergorrerweeyer?”
“Aye, she’s ovver there, gone inta pub gerrin us a beer.
She’s a good’un is my Gert, never bin a bother.
Ay, look up there be’ind yer, duck. It’s reet black ovver Bill’s mother.”
“So it is, it’s gonna rain. I’d better get back to wok.”
“Well, when yer dun, cum rernd an’ giz a knock.”
“Ar will mi duck, ta-ra for naar. An’ get some tea int’ pot.
Ah’ll see ya later and dunner fuss, cuz fost ah’ll change mi shot.” Erewash Sound presenters were out and about captur-
“Come as ya are, mi duck, ya know it mecks no odds to us.” ing the atmosphere at the Christmas Lights Switch-ons
in the borough. Above: Amelia Salmons and Lewis All-
“Okay, will do, I’ve gotta run, else look, ah’ll miss mi bus.” sop in Long Eaton; top right: Kerry and Derek Wheatley
“Tarra mi duck, ah’ll sithee then sum time later on.” with the Erewash Sound Bear in Ilkeston; bottom right;
“Aye, say ta-ra to Gert from me, mi duck, Tell her yerve just sayn John.” the lit-up Ilkeston Town Hall and some of the crowd
enjoying the attractions on the Market Place.
Christmas Mayhem With trolleys fully laden with food were no longer plenty. By the time your food has been
they’ll never use
quickly packed away
by Thomas Hosker A squabble then broke out be- Around the beers, wines and spir- You start to realise some items
its congestion quickly grew
tween two late shoppers At this time of year looking for have been missed on the way.
It was Christmas Eve in the super- Fighting over the last turkey their favourite brew Pushing through the crowds to the
market amazed by onlookers. Ready for Christmas cheer and awaiting car outside
The place looked like the start of Taking stock for a moment as full New Year celebrations ahead Your thoughts keep saying never
World War Three trolleys passed by Indulging in their favourite tipple never again
People pushing and barging by I watched the mayhem unfold and probably a sore head. Until the following Christmas
one another
To get the last minute bargains before my very eyes The sound of busy checkouts comes around
The vegetable racks were virtually
they could see. all empty came quickly into view And the same thing happens all
over again.
As every busy outlet trails long
People jostle looking stressed in And the last Christmas puddings impatient queues
Family engineering company celebrating
a bumper year of business
A specialist welding and engineering Other major schemes include:
company based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire is A design and build scheme for Uniper UK
enjoying a record year with a number of to enable the construction of a new power
high-value orders. generation unit at Cottam Power Station in
Rayden Engineering Limited has continued Lincolnshire.
to work through the Covid-19 pandemic Providing a new gas pipeline and two
nationally on projects worth many millions above ground installations (AGIs) for a
of pounds, because the projects in question new power generation unit at Carrickfergus
are considered to be essential works. in Northern Ireland, for EP UK.
Established in 1979, the family company Enabling works for National Grid Gas at
specialises in manufacturing and installing various sites in the Midlands, by providing
high pressure pipework systems. It operates support to its specialist team on inline in-
in specific market sectors such as the gas, spections of the high-pressure transmission
oil, petrochemical and water industries. system.
Rayden is experienced at working through- All this is on top of an already full order
out the UK and abroad to extremely high book at its base and engineering works at
standards for businesses that are big name Wentworth St, Ilkeston.
market leaders in their fields, some of them To help support its workload, Rayden has
being household names such as National made heavy investments in new HGVs and
Grid Gas. specialist equipment.
The year started off in style with the award In addition, it has recently refurbished the
of a major contract for Northern Gas one remaining British Rail building on the
Networks for a pipeline diversion and a former British Rail site at Wentworth Street
new above ground installation (AGI) in the to create high-tech workspace for 18 extra
North East of England, which involves the staff.
diversion of various gas pipelines and also Managing director Richard Hayden is
includes a micro tunnel 24 metres deep and delighted that the company has won major
160 metres in length. contracts during difficult times caused by
This is part of a Highways England scheme the coronavirus crisis which hit so many
to widen and re-structure a four-mile industries and projects.
section of the A1dual carriageway near the “Despite the pandemic we carried on in the
Angel of the North statue in Gateshead. face of adversity in 2020 and this year also,
The £220m scheme when completed will because these critical contracts are crucial
ease congestion and cut journey times. as essential infrastructure work,” he said.