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www.ilkestonlife.com ILKESTON LIFE February 2022 2

All hands on deck (from P1)
Local From the Library shelves

Independent by A Borrower RPL. Now that they are moving Alliance (ramp access works) and
Crown Plus (deck and steps).
on to other projects we want to
Fresh The London Train develop into an organisation that The funders of the project were:
Entertaining not only cares for the viaduct but • Railway Heritage Trust
one which can continue to improve
• Historic England
If you don’t get a copy through Tessa Hadley access to it. The successful conclu- • HB Allen Charitable Trust
your door, Ilkeston Life is available sion of this project is by no means • Charles Hayward Foundation
online and from various outlets A recent Radio 4 programme husband she unexpectedly gives the end of the story.” • Pilgrim Trust
including newsagents, shops, cafes, looked at the part trains have up her teaching post, takes a job Pascal Perin, President of the • Broxtowe Borough Council
post offices, supermarkets and played in film and fiction : Mur- working in the library in Cardiff
libraries in our growing circulation Chalons-en-Champagne Comite de • Railway Ramblers
area. Besides Ilkeston, we are cur- der on the Orient Express; Brief and announces that she is going to Jumelage (twinning committee of • National Lottery Heritage Fund
rently supplying many surround- Encounter; The Railway Chil- live in Cardiff until the restoration Ilkeston’s twin town). • World Monuments Fund
ing towns and villages: dren. Readers will compile their work has been completed. “Formidable!” • The Headley Trust
We also give free copies to Ilkeston own list. Tessa Hadley’s novel, At first it is difficult to see how CAMPAIGNERS • Severn Trent
Hospital, nursing and care homes, The London Train, is part of this the two parts of the novel connect • Sylvia Waddilove Foundation
doctors waiting rooms, schools, tradition. except for the fact that they share Veterans of the early campaign to • Railway Paths
etc. and mail out copies to sub- It is a novel of two halves. In the locations and the two protago- save and restore the viaduct were
scribers. first part the protagonist is a man nists are trying to come to terms quick with their comments. Keith WATCH DAY
We are grateful to our many Reedman, who spoke up for the
correspondents and out volunteers called Paul who lives in the Welsh with the death of a parent. In both viaduct on behalf of the Derbyshire To celebrate two years on the
for their help in fund raising, countryside, near Cardiff, with his cases death seems to have caused World Monuments Fund Watch
distributing the paper and raising second wife and their two young a major emotional upheaval and a Archaeological Society at the pub- List the Friends will be holding a
awareness of it. daughters. He makes a living by kind of mental stocktaking. Broken lic enquiry when the viaduct was community Watch Day under the
writing and reviewing although relationships lie at the heart of both threatened with demolition in 1980 viaduct’s western (Ilkeston) end on
Editorial office: 1 Bath Street, we don’t actually see him doing storylines. However, discerning gave his reaction. “Sometimes Sunday 20th February. The Friends
Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE7 8AH much of either. readers may have picked up the the things which we fought for will be joined by other communi-
but with diminishing expectations
Tel. 07539 808390 His first wife lives in London clues and worked out what the come to a satisfactory conclusion. ty and heritage groups and local
with their daughter who is a uni-
more dramatic connection might
Editor-in-chief: Paul Opiah versity student. be between Cora and Paul. I am delighted that others took up schools. There will be hedge-lay-
Editor: Robert Attewell Paul adores his two younger Only Children is a more engag- - after a bit of a gap - where I (and ing demonstrations, guided walks,
news@ilkestonlife.com others) left off and completed the activities for children, musical
Reporter: Rod Malcolm children but has a rather strained ing section of the novel probably entertainment, a chance to meet the
rodmalcolm@ilkestonlife.com relationship with his eldest because both Cora and her hus- project so admirably.” World Monuments team and much
Feature writer: Patricia Spencer daughter perhaps because he has band, Robert, are drawn in a more WITH THANKS more. Ilkeston Life readers will be
patricia@ilkestonlife.com been a mainly absent father. interesting and sympathetic way. able to get details of the day from
Photographer: John Shelton The two locations for both parts However, both sections show that The main contractors for the the Friends of Bennerley Viaduct
john@ilkestonlife.com of the novel are established in coming to terms with the death of a Bennerley Viaduct project were: website and social media.
Advertising: Christine Chell the first half: Cardiff and Lon- parent can be a life changing event. Ackroyds (repairs and restoration);
and Paul Opiah, don. Paul uses the train to travel Paul says that only children want
sales@ilkestonlife.com between the two. more and this suggests another How we’re doing in Erewash
Distribution: Paul Opiah Paul’s mother has recently died. connection between Paul and
paul@ilkestonlife.com He is adjusting to life without Cora. Hadley is not judgemental
Webmaster: Adam Newton her and feeling some guilt that about our failures and betray- he Erewash economy is being ducing and is now below pre-pan-
adam@ilkestonlife.com
he did not make more effort to als but writes about them in an Theld back by a lack of devel- demic levels in Ilkeston.
© Copyright 2022 spend time with her when she was even-handed way. She involves us opment land, high quality hous- “Nevertheless, the situation
The material in Ilkeston Life is pro- alive. He is also at an age when in the struggles of characters who ing and well qualified workers. remains uncertain and the full im-
tected by copyright. If you wish to he is taking stock of his own life are trying to find a way to deal The area’s weaknesses were listed pacts will not be known for some
reproduce anything, please contact the and struggling with regrets and a with their own emotional trauma time.”
editor. sense of failure. He is recognising but she also reveals the pain which in a report aimed at guiding poli- The report says there are “signif-
While every care is taken to be accu- cies to improve the borough for the
rate, we are only human and mistakes that he has been an unfaithful they are inflicting on those closest next four years. icant opportunities for economic
do occur occasionally. If you are husband, an intermittent father to them. On the plus side, it said that Ere- growth” and goes on: “The Stanton
unhappy with any of the content in the and that his career as a writer Hadley’s prose style is economical regeneration site is likely to offer
paper, please contact the editor in the seems to be floundering. and its apparent straightforward- wash should benefit from its cen- substantial industrial and ware-
first place. When his eldest daughter drops ness sometimes masks the com- tral location in England with good housing space and in the longer
We accept news and information from transport links and describes the
correspondents in good faith and out of university and goes missing plexities of her thought. She writes Stanton regeneration site as vital. term, homes along with a new
cannot be held responsible for inaccu- Paul takes the train to London in for adults about the difficulties of neighbourhood centre and green
racies. We try not to include stories search of her. In the weeks which being morally responsible grown- It points out that 4.3per cent of infrastructure.
which may cause distress to anyone. If follow we see Paul adrift, drawn ups and her novels are rich in adults are out of work, which is
you have a view on any of the articles, into the rather seedy environment psychological insights. lower than the national and East ENCOURAGED
please write and let us know. Midlands average. Taken together, “New office space is expected to
Your letters are always welcome, but in which his daughter is living The London Train and other nov- manufacturing and building em- be provided around the borough’s
we reserve the right to withhold or and attracted to a young woman els by Tessa Hadley are available
edit. Anonymous letters will only be who is part of the household. to borrow from Ilkeston Public ploys 25per cent of the workforce, town centres though this may
printed in exceptional circumstances. Paul is a rather difficult character slightly larger than the public require public intervention as the
If sending photographs, we prefer to like and so it is a relief when Library. sector and more than the regional market has failed to provide 42,900
them in jpeg format. his story seems to end and we Her latest novel, Free Love, was figure. square metres of the office space
COPY DEADLINE: 22nd. are presented with a new title published in January 2022 and is DOWNTURN target set out in 2014.”
Our print date is usually the first page and what appears to be an also available. The executive of the borough
Thursday of the month. Delivery The report says: “The pandemic council accepted the report and
from our printers to Ilkeston is the unrelated narrative called Only shut down large sectors of the
following day. So the paper comes out Children. Answers to Our economy from March 2020, espe- decided to get public views.
Answers to Our
on the first Friday of the month. In this the main character is a cially the hospitality and leisure Councillor Michael Powell, lead
Crossword Puzzle
The deadline for both adverts and woman called Cora, an English Crossword Puzzle member for regeneration, said he
editorial is always the 22nd for the fol- teacher in her thirties, who lives (Page 21): industry but also personal services was encouraged by the number of
(Page 21):
lowing month’s paper, unless by prior and non-essential retail. people working in manufacturing.
arrangement. (So, for example, 22nd in a very comfortable flat in A Across: “There have been effects on other
January for the February issue.) Send London with her husband, Robert. 1. Malt loaf; 6. Cog; 7. Shore; 9. parts of the economy, town centres He told the executive: “We are
to us by email if possible. We prefer Robert is a senior civil servant Ease; 11. Earn; 12. Rail; 14. Then; holding our own.”
to receive images as jpegs. We do not and an attentive husband. 16. Eerie; 18: Des; 19. Composes; in particular showed a marked Council leader Carol Hart added:
print discourteous letters or articles. Cora has recently nursed her Down: downturn in vitality and viability. “Erewash is doing reasonably well
All articles and adverts should comply “Despite this, the local economy
with the style and standards of the mother through a very difficult 1. Mackerel; 2. Lager; 3. Less; 4. has shown remarkable resilience, with employment and business.”
paper. We reserve the right to refuse final illness and is both physical- Ado; 5. Cellists; 8. Here; 10. Anti; Her deputy Wayne Major said:
or edit. ly and emotionally exhausted. 13. Andes; 15. Heap; 17. Roo. not least because of extensive gov- “This really does show the robust-
The best way to get your article in the While on sick leave she throws ernment funding, with no signifi- ness in the local economy and the
paper is to make it easy for us. For herself into the task of renovating * * * * * cant increase in vacant commercial wider East Midlands economy.
instance, when we are approaching a C Copy deadline for next month’s property or unemployment.
s
opy deadline for next month’
deadline, an emailed ready-to-use arti- what was once her parents’ house “New business creation is exceed-
paper: 22nd February
.
cle will always take preference over an in Cardiff with the intention of paper: 22nd February. “Indeed, despite a fall in town cen- ing business closures, which has
The March Ilkeston Life will be
article on paper that we have to key in. selling it. Much to the bewilder- The March Ilkeston Life will be tre footfall since the first national got to be excellent news.”
Email us: news@ilkestonlife.com ment of her patient and loving published on Friday 4th March lockdown, the rate of units is re-
published on Friday 4th March