Future of Wetherspoon pub confirmed with announcement
Plus: BBC releases images from second series of Sherwood
Good morning and welcome to the Thursday briefing of Ashfield News. This week, the future of a Wetherspoon pub has been confirmed and the full list of General Election candidates is out.
Plus, stills have been released by the BBC for the second series of Sherwood, which is due to air later this year.
Below this you will also find an update about Ashfield News and how the newsletter will run from July.
If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to this newsletter and get it to your inbox every week by clicking the link below.
Ashfield News future
Good morning. Ashfield News has now been running for just over six months and in that time the response from you and many others has been phenomenal, with people joining up as subscribers every week.
I am incredibly grateful for your support, whether that is through subscribing to Ashfield News, sharing it with your friends and family, or simply clicking a link on Facebook to our page.
Going forward I am aiming to produce more news and in-depth articles focusing on the area we live each week.
I want to provide more news and in-depth articles to ensure communities across the district are kept fully informed.
In order to do this, we will be bringing in a new paid subscription model from the start of July, with a small fee for full access to the newsletter. But don’t worry, there will still be plenty of free elements and a free trial period.
I will provide you with all the details in the coming weeks but for now, thank you again for all your support.
New owners of Wetherspoon pub
The new owners of a town centre pub have announced plans for a new menu, live entertainment and sports screenings.
The Regent in Kirkby-in-Ashfield was one of a number of bars put up for sale by Wetherspoon, along with the Widow Frost in Mansfield.
It has now been confirmed on the pub’s Facebook page that new owners will soon be in place at the venue, although their identity remains unknown.
In an online post to customers, they said: “Many of the current staff are staying with us so you will have a lot of familiar faces greeting you upon your visit.
“We have got so much planned to improve and bring the venue to a more community standard, We will also be bringing new items to the menus along with a traditional Sunday roast dinner.
“We will be bringing in Sky Sports, TNT Sports for all your live sport fixtures on several screens located across the venue.
“We have plans to bring in live entertainment on the weekends too from DJ's to Live Artists and Bands.
“We cannot wait to get stuck in and meet our fellow community members of Kirkby-In-Ashfield.”
The owners aim to have the new pub ready for July.
Members of the Mansfield and Ashfield branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), asked for plans regarding the pub’s selection of cask ales and real ciders.
The were told the selection “shall be staying”.
Fire crews called as car destroyed in blaze
A car was destroyed in a fire in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
A fire crew from Ashfield station was called to the incident in Dalestorth Drive, Sutton, on Tuesday afternoon, June 11.
Firefighters used one hose reel jet and a dry powder extinguisher to bring the blaze under control.
New leisure facilities for village
More leisure facilities could be opened up to people living in a rural Nottinghamshire village.
Under new plans being discussed by Ashfield District Council next week, more activities would be provided at Selston High School for public use in the evenings and at weekends.
The authority is working alongside the high school and Selston Parish Council to create a greater leisure provision for residents.
Providing more activities is part of the short-term plan to improve the village’s offering, according to documents from the district council.
Its short-term aim also includes opening up a synthetic pitch on the school site for more community use.
On the plans moving forward, the council documents state: “In the medium-term the small synthetic pitch will be replaced with new carpet and fencing and will be open for community use outside of school hours.
“The council is submitting an application to the Football Foundation’s Playzone programme for funding, this site is one of seven planned across the district which are due to be installed next year.
“Phase 2 will see the school invest in a new four court sports hall with studio space as part of a comprehensive programme to transform the school’s facilities. The leisure facilities will be run by an operator on behalf of the school at evenings and weekends for community use. Works are aimed to be started in 2027.
“The council is also working with the school, parish council, Notts. FA, the Football Foundation and Selston Football Club to develop a funding application for a full size 3G pitch which will provide training and match facilities for local teams as well as daytime use for the school.”
New images from Sherwood set released
The BBC has released the first set of images from the second season of hit BBC drama Sherwood.
The series first aired in June 2022 and was viewed by more than seven million people.
It was created by James Graham and was based around two murders close to Annesley Woodhouse in 2004.
That July, Robert Boyer shot former miner Keith Frogson with a crossbow and then went on to hack him to death with a sword before setting his home on fire.
Later in July, Terry Rodgers shot and killed his daughter Chanel in her home.
The second season of the show will see David Morrissey return as Ian St Clair along with a stellar cast including Lesley Manville, from Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, and Black Mirror actress Monica Dolan.
More details have also been released about what viewers can expect in the latest season.
The BBC website states: “The second series further explores the powerful themes that made the first so resonant to audiences across the UK.
“Set in the present day it introduces two new families that find themselves entangled with the Sparrows, entering a complex web of local gangs, old rivalries, revenge, and betrayal.
“Meanwhile, a newly appointed Sheriff of Nottingham is passionately fighting against a proposed new mine for the area, which brings the promise of much-needed jobs and prosperity but also unwelcome reminders of the legacy that has mired the community for so long.”
Sherwood is due to air later this year.
Full list of General Election candidates
The full selection of candidates for the General Election on July 4 has been confirmed.
In Ashfield, the following candidates will be standing:
Lee Anderson (Reform)
Alexander Coates (Green)
Daniel Holmes (Lib Dem)
Rhea Keehn (Lab)
Debbie Soloman (Con)
Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind)
For Sherwood Forest, which encompasses areas including Hucknall, the following candidates will be standing:
David Dobbie (Lib Dem)
Sheila Greatrex-White (Green)
Helen Rose O’Hare (Reform)
Mark Spencer (Con)
Jeremy Paul Spry (Ind)
Lee Waters (Ind)
Michelle Welsh (Lab)