Free magazines and papers

When we lived in Mickleover last winter, we used to receive several free publications:

• a weekly copy of the Derby Telegraph (http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/)
• Country Images magazine, monthly (http://www.countryimagesmagazine.co.uk/)
• Mickleover Directory (http://www.mickleoverdirectory.com/)

Between the three of these, plus various local noticeboards and the internet, we had a pretty good idea of what was happening locally. Plus we had the chance to buy a daily copy of the Derby Telegraph, should we wish.

Now we have moved over to Allestree there are two free local publications put through the door every month:

• Allestree Life, produced by Warwick Directories (http://www.warwickdirectories.co.uk/Allestree-Life), which is delivered to over 7,000 homes in Allestree, Darley Abbey and Quarndon.
• Allestree Little Book, which is published and printed by Printhouse LB (Derby) Ltd.

These are both very useful, although Allestree Life does seem to have more information and advertisements and be a more glossy publication.  In it, there are also articles from our local Councillors, Jack Stanton, Philip Hickson and our MP, Pauline Latham.

Unfortunately, however, we don't receive the Derby Telegraph weekly free paper or the Country Images monthly glossy magazine.

I rung up the Country Images office to see whether we'd been forgotten and was told that this magazine was delivered free to many areas but unfortunately not Allestree.  A small number were taken to the Park Farm shopping centre for people to snap up, otherwise we'd have to pay about £13.00 a year for our own copy. 

When I queried this arrangement, as it was free in other areas, I was told that it would not be possible for it to be free everywhere, not even once or twice a year.

Luckily I was talking to a friend who lives in next-door area Darley Abbey and they receive a free copy.  So now she's very kindly offered to pass hers on to us when They've finished with it.  I do wonder, however, if Allestree is the only place in Derby which doesn't receive this interesting magazine.

I've just discovered through Twitter that Allestree has a theatre group - it's been going strong since 1961 - and their next production is:

Table Manners by Alan Ayckbourn

30 October to 1 November 2014

St Nicholas Church, Allestree Lane, Allestree

Table Manners is the first of three plays in Alan Ayckbourn's "trilogy", The Norman Conquests. 

All three plays (Table Manners, Living Together, and 'Round and 'Round the Garden) take place simultaneously - when one character leaves, say, the dining room setting of Table Manners, he/she walks into the garden or living room sets of the other plays and the action continues. 

Each play does stand alone, with Table Manners being the acknowledged "funniest" of the three (acknowledged by critics and Ayckbourn himself). The plays are set in England and are very "British."

http://web.mit.edu/mitcp/manners.html

https://twitter.com/AllestreeAmDram
http://www.allestreetheatre.co.uk/

Follow Allestree Community Beat Team on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/AllestreeSNT

Here's a link to the Derbyshire Constabulary itself which introduces the Allestree and Darley Safe Neighbourhood Team:

 http://www.derbyshire.police.uk/My-Local-Police/DDivision/DerbyNorthSection/Allestree-and-Darley/Allestree-and-Darley.aspx

I'm an avid Pinterest-er, if such a word exists and have recently ventured onto twitter where I came across 'thebestofderby'.  This is a site run by Jane and Michael and looks rather interesting, see link below:

Jane and Michael

@thebestofderby

As the owners of thebestof Derby we are passionate about promoting the best businesses in the local area. Visit our website for local offers and discounts

Derby, UK · http://www.thebestof.co.uk/derby

William Shakespeare's Comedy

A Midsummer Night's Dream

in the grounds of

Broomfield Hall, Morley

Friday 1 August 2014, 7.30pm

Saturday 2 August, 3.30pm and 7.30pm

Sunday 3 August, 2.30pm

Hermia loves Lysander and Lysander loves Hermia, but so does Demetrius.

In the woods Quince and her aspiring theatrical band try to find their mojo and Oberon is having a battle over a little Indian boy with Titania.

Tipsy bacchanals and battling centaurs are roaming the forest with some very opinionated fairies.

Box office 01332 255800

Online: derbylive.co.uk

Tickets: prebooked £8 (conc £7)

At the gate: £9 (conc £8)

This is an open air production so bring your own seats and a picnic

NEC Birmingham, Festival of Quilts - Aug 7 - 10 2014

exhibits - competitions - workshops - features

A celebration of quilting with over 300 exhibitors offering essential supplies, extraordinary galleries from international artists and a magnificent display of over 1,000 competition quilts – it’s the ultimate quilting experience.


See: http://www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk/

I have just been along to the St Nicholas Church 'Knit and Natter' group.  One of the projects they're involved with is the local Wirksworth Rotary Club's Aqua Boxes (see link below) for which the Knit and Natter group are making easy-to-knit T-shaped jumpers.   

this looks similar to the jumpers we're making

I'm going to have a go as it looks comparatively simple and apparently the best idea is to make these in fun brightly coloured stripes.  Here is the pattern:

T-shaped jumper for aqua boxes*
This is a pattern for older children

1. With 3mm (No 10) needles and double knitting wool cast on 60 stitches
2. Knit 10 rows garter stitch (all knit)
3. Change to 4mm (No 8) needles and knit 64 rows in either stocking stitch (1 row plain, 1 row purl) - or garter stitch.
4. Increase 1 stitch at each end of the next 5 alternate rows (70 stitches).
5. Cast on 25 stitches at the beginning of each of the next two rows
6. Knit 46 rows on these 120 stitches.
7. Knit 40 stitches, turn and knit two rows on these 40 stitches, cast off those stitches.
8. Rejoin the wool in the middle of the two to stitches left and cast off 40 stitches, knit to the end.
9. Knit two rows then cast off those 40 stitches.
10. Knit another piece exactly the same.
11. Sew up the side and the sleeve seams.

* see http://www.aquabox.org/

Allestree Library is to be closed on Thursday 10 July 2014 as part of national industrial action over pay:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27980502.

For

School closures:  http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/education/schools/term_dates_school_holidays/school_closures/default.asp?VD=schoolclosures

Fire fighters: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Derbyshire-firefighters-strike-consecutive-days/story-21329594-detail/story.html

Council website: http://www.derby.gov.uk/whats-happening-in-derby/news/strike-action/

Park Lane, Allestree

Not to be confused with Park Lane in London!

It's a pleasant residential suburban street which links two of the main thoroughfares in Allestree - the A6 and Birchover Way.  

A tiny shop's just opened at the end nearest to the A6:  The Little Shed, it seems to be a great place for all sorts of gifts, jewellery, scarves and lovely fragrances.  There's parking right outside which is very convenient.

Here's an article which was in the local Derby Telegraph last month.

Also see: (see: https://www.facebook.com/thelittleshedallestree and https://twitter.com/The_Little_Shed on Twitter)

Nearby, on the junction with the A6, there are also: 

• two dental practices
• a doctors' surgery
• two hairdressers (one of which also advertises beauty, nails and sunbeds)
• a fireplace shop
• a drink shop
• chemist
• an estate agents
• an osteopath 
• petrol station with shop (closed at present); 
• garage
• a small Methodist Church

So there's lots going on and, although on a busy road, there's also plenty of parking.

Community Tea Party

It seems it's not just me who takes a dim view of the two hour limit on parking at Park Farm shopping centre in Allestree, this article was in the Derby Telegraph (June 30 2011):


“A word of warning if you are shopping at Park Farm Allestree! If your errands/library visit/shopping/coffee break/trawl round the charity shops etc are going to take more than two hours in total, and you are driving there, DO NOT USE this shopping centre!! 
Although this shopping centre has two separate car parks, they are 'classed as one' for parking penalties, even though there is NOTHING AT ALL to tell you this, on either of the car park signs. They are both operated by the same private company whose head office is down south. 
My 60+ friend, who is unemployed at the moment and on a low income, went for a job interview at one of the shops in the centre. She parked on the ground level open air car park for less than two hours. After the interview she fancied a coffee in a local cafe, to relax, then wanted to do some shopping, which she did. The time was getting towards two hours and she still had not had time to browse round the four charity shops, so BEFORE two hours was up, she moved her car to the other car park which is on the roof of the shopping centre, thinking she could then have upto two hours there. Returning to her car after about an hour she was dismayed to find she had been given a penalty parking ticket for £50. 
The employee of the parking firm confirmed that nothing on her recording equipment differentiated between one car park and the other, so in effect they are classed as the 'same' car park! Her advice was to speak to the centre manager, who just did not want to know. He said he used to have permission to use his own discretion and get tickets cancelled, but no longer did this. Full stop. The parking company head office also told her to contact the shopping centre manager. He told her to take it up with the company. (Bit like Wimbledon really...) So she was left with the choice of appealing with little hope of winning, whilst the fine increased week by week, or paying up under protest. As she is still without a job, she chose the latter.”

and two comments:

PS I can understand the centre management wanting to 'discourage' parking by university staff and students, also people parking at Allestree then walking or bussing into town, but this parking policy is discriminating against people who genuinely are just using the facilities of the shopping centre and spending their money there, but who cannot dash round the many shops quickly enough. I cannot carry much shopping at one time, due to arthritis in hands which also means I cannot easily pull a full shopping trolley, so when I go there, to shop, I have to return to my car several times depositing more shopping from each shop. Park Farm Shopping Centre has the most convenient Wilkinsons and Farmfoods with their cheap prices etc and a selection of other shops, cafes, library etc, but in one trip there is just not time for everything within the two free hours parking time permitted. There is NO OPTION to pay and stop for any longer than two hours. And now I realise you cannot move your car to the other car park without risking a penalty charge, I use the centre much less often. You can no longer stop for lunch there in one of the cafes and still have time to visit all the shops, so in fact the centre is losing trade because of this stupid rule. I used to visit with two friends every week but now it's about once a month, watching the clock at all times, not a very relaxing shopping experience, and I have moved much of my custom elsewhere. In these days of very expensive petrol, it makes sense to try to do as much as possible in one trip out, instead of several separate journeys. I WONDER how many other people have been caught out like my friend!? Please post a comment here if so. Thanks. (Afterthought.....Come on Wilko's and Farmfoods, let's have some new branches in Chad, or even at Meteor centre, with free parking, then I can stop visiting Allestree altogether! Sorry Allestree, no offence meant!)

Maybe they should just make it 1hour across the board and then introduce a small £1.20 per aditional hour as is the case with other carparks?

Surely introducing parking charges, especially at the rate of £1.20 per hour, will only discourage people from using Park Farm at all?!

Read more: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/discussions/word-warning-shopping-Park-Farm-Allestree-errands/discussion-12856908-detail/discussion.html#ixzz36nNzmSp8
Read more at http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/discussions/word-warning-shopping-Park-Farm-Allestree-errands/discussion-12856908-detail/discussion.html#dJPVM4w28tkVMzWy.99