. Notts Leisure Archives - Wilcop Media

Here at P.E.C.S. we have been open since January2017, offering a range of facilities from free weights, pin loaded machines, plate loaded machines and fitness classes. Our ethos is to help the community to realise the benefits of a healthy exercise and nutritional lifestyle.

We have not stood still in these seven years of business, we have survived covid and expanded twice since opening. We have future developments to make this a very exciting time to be a member.

We are continually striving to introduce new concepts and classes.

The gym is co-owned by Stephen Edwards and Tracy Kidsley. Stephen has been in the fitness industry for over forty years and brings a wealth of experience. Tracy has been in the industry for seven years and is currently exploring the impact of peri-post menopause fitness benefits. They are both local to the surrounding area and offer personal training sessions at very competitive prices.

One of our main target groups at PECS Fitness is the growing Diabetic population in today’s society. Stephen Edwards co – owner was diagnosed 33 years ago and has first-hand knowledge and understanding of diabetes. Now at the age of 60 he manages the condition through his own specialist diabetic program of exercise and low carb diet. Adapting training techniques with his own substantial training experience to pass on knowledge to members at P.E.C.S. Fitness (Prevention Exercise Cure Solutions) Gibb Street, Long Eaton, NG10 1EE.

We at P.E.C.S. insist that the exercises do not need to be complex or complicated. The first is just to be more active by moving more. You can incorporate an exercise routine using a chair if mobility is an issue. Basic bodyweight exercises and resistant bands can be used to progress to a more active stage.

What is Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is the result of the body losing the ability to control its sugar levels properly. The level of sugar is critical, to high and it can cause damage to the body. Control of sugar levels is the job of a very important hormone called insulin which is produced by the pancreas. Insulin sends the sugar to cells in the muscles, liver or converts it to fat for storage. When someone is type 2 diabetic those cells have become resistant to insulin therefore sugar levels remain elevated and dangerous.

Factors such as ethnicity, high levels of stress, a diet high in processed foods and refined sugars, very sedentary lives all increase the chances of becoming type 2 diabetic.

What is important to be aware of is that type 2 diabetes can be effectively managed and even reversed. Making dietary changes such as reducing consumption of processed foods and refined sugars, increasing daily activity and managing stress effectively can help the body to become more insulin sensitive again which lowers sugar to healthier less damaging levels. Over time medications can be reduced or even stopped and the person classed as non type 2 diabetic.

2023 is a very special year for Loughborough based Paul S. Winson Coaches as it celebrates its 40th birthday, having been established by Paul & Margaret Winson in 1983 with just four coaches. Substantial business growth followed year-on-year and the company now enjoys the enviable reputation as being one of the most admired businesses within the UK coaching industry. The company is a member of the coveted Guild of British Coach Operators as well as receiving accreditation from the DVSA as an ‘Earned Recognition’ operator, an accreditation only bestowed upon the best in the business.

Since the retirement of Mr. & Mrs. Winson, the company is now managed by their three sons, Paul, Anthony & Matthew. However, Paul Snr is known to arrive unannounced to ensure the business is still operating to a high standard!!

The company operates an extremely popular Coach Holiday & Day Excursion programme with a variety of exciting destinations, with pick-up points in both Leicestershire & Nottinghamshire* (Holidays only*). The 2023 brochure can be viewed at www.winsoncoaches.co.uk/holidays-and-excursions or call us on 01509 230499 for your copy.

The most extensive activity of the business is Private Coach Charter, with clients ranging from local schools/colleges to Blue-Chip corporate clients. The company operates a high specification fleet of Touring & Executive Coaches ranging from 33-53 seats, along with 72-80 seat high-capacity vehicles for the student market.

To obtain a competitive Private Coach Charter quotation, please email sales@winsoncoaches.co.uk or call us on 01509 232354.

Over 3,000 people are taking part in swimming lessons across Gedling Borough Council leisure centres, the highest number of participants since the centres opened.

Over half of the swimmers are using Arnold Leisure Centre for lessons, which is seeing its highest membership in its 40 year history. More than 1,500 babies, young children and adults are taking part in lessons ranging from basic water safety awareness to competitive swimming. Swimming lessons are an essential part of a child’s development as it teaches them important skills around water safety and drowning prevention, while also keeping them active.
A wide range of lessons for all ages and abilities are being offered at the three leisure sites, Arnold, Carlton Forum and Calverton. The lessons start at the earliest stages with baby and toddler sessions, junior and programmes for people with disabilities right up to adult lessons and private lessons.

The Gedling Swim Stars programme helps children aged 4 and above to progress with their swimming skills through various stages while achieving Swim England badges at each stage. Children who take part in the Gedling Swim Stars programme from stage 3 upwards will be celebrated at a special swimming gala at Arnold Leisure Centre this month.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said:

“We’re thrilled to have so many people currently signed up to swimming lessons within the borough, and we are seeing the highest number of participants we have ever had taking to the pools at our three centres. As a council, we are very proud to be able to provide affordable swimming lessons that will help keep people healthy as well as providing a vital survival skill. One of our main priorities is to provide opportunities for people to have healthier lifestyles and to support physical activities and, despite us working through a pandemic, we are meeting those priorities with these schemes.”

Parent of two children enrolled in swimming lessons, Dan Surgey said: “My son first started coming to swimming lessons at Arnold Leisure Centre about 5 years ago in the disability sessions. He loves it and the instructors have all been great with him. My daughter also recently started swimming again and has progressed into stage two sessions.
Swimming is a life skill, you really need to know how to swim because you never know what might happen. They’re both happy and like coming to the lessons, plus it helps keeps them active”.

To find out more about swimming lessons and how to take part in them, people can visit www.gedling.gov.uk/leisure or call one of the leisure centres. Anyone who signs up for swimming lessons in December will also be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a children’s party at one of the leisure centres.

Kieran Powell (Alan-a-Dale)

It is a delight for all the family, from the youngsters all the way up to the grandparents in the audience. This year the Theatre Royal has pulled out all the stops to give families a brilliant Christmas evening out with their production of Robin Hood with amazing sets, fabulous song and dance routines, bright and colouful costumes, lots of ventriloquism and off colour jokes to try and explain to the kids on the drive home, delivering an inch perfect panto

This year’s must-see pantomime stars X Factor champ Matt Terry as lead Robin Hood, TV Stars Tristan Gemmill (Sheriff of Nottingham), Matthew Kelly (Dame Tilly Tuck) and Jodie Prenger ( Spirit of Sherwood) . Joining them are Dance act Flawless, Phil Walker, Kieran Powell, Lucy May Barker and special guest Denis Remnevfor an eye watering circus act.

Brought to you by Crossroads Pantomimes, Robin Hood features a fabulous cast and orchestra, laugh out loud comedy, stunning scenery, special effects and plenty of boos and hisses for all the family to enjoy.  

 Robin Hood is high energy and infectiously good fun from the moment the curtain goes up in act one. There is a constant stream of local references, great dance routines, plenty of laughs and a high energy performance by Tristain Gemmill playing villain The sherriff of Nottingham.   

 Robin Hood runs at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Sunday January 9th with tickets available now.   You can book online at www.trch.co.uk or by calling the box office on 0115 989 5555

Images credit – Whitefoot Photography



Step into an awe-inspiring prehistoric adventure

The creators of the award-winning Lightopia Festival present, Dino Kingdom: an epic prehistoric exploration landing in Nottinghamshire from 15th– 31st October.

Step back in time and explore roaring and moving Dinosaurs and state-of-the-art 3D and AR technology. Immerse yourself in unforgettable interactive activities and enjoy a range of thrilling fairground rides, delicious food and drink and much more.

Dino Kingdom is dinosaurs like you’ve never seen them before…

Sink your teeth into a spectacle like no other

A new reign dawns this autumn as the beasts of prehistory roar back to life. Wade through the long grass, part the reeds, step into an ancient kingdom, and behold… Thoresby Park is now the domain of the ancient kings and queens of prehistory. This is Dino Kingdom.

Let your imagination run wild

Roam in the footprints of giants, trekking through this vibrant, prehistoric kingdom and experience our regal beasts in all their majesty.

Dino Kingdom is a place of marvels, majesty and wonder, perfect for friends, family and children of all ages.

Tickets on sale

Tickets to Dino Kingdom are available now. Due to the wide interest in Dino Kingdom, we advise booking early to guarantee that you don’t miss out.

To enter the competition simply send your name and contact telephone number to competitions@nottingham-now.co.uk by Friday 15th October at 5pm. Two winners will be selected at random. Each winner will receive a family ticket to Dino Kingdom vaild for any day time visit between 10am and 4pm with a 3 hour window on site from 16-31 October 2021. Each family ticket will admit 1 adult and 3 children or 2 adults and 2 children.

If you are unfortunate enough not to win the family tickets you can buy tickets from www.dinokingdom.com/tickets/

Good luck!

The train company LNER is consulting on proposals to reduce the ticket office opening hours at Berwick-upon-Tweed; Darlington; Doncaster; Durham; Edinburgh; Grantham; London King’s Cross; Newark North Gate; Newcastle; Peterborough; Retford; Wakefield Westgate and York train stations.

The proposals would see the ticket offices at these major stations open later and close easier, and in many cases would lead to a significant reduction in opening hours.

RMT is calling on the passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch to oppose all of the proposed cuts to ticket office hours and for LNER to withdraw its proposals.

Why is this important?

Staffed ticket offices make the rail network more safe, secure and accessible for passengers. Ticket offices and travel shops provide a wide range of services and advice in addition to ticket sales that passengers cannot access from Ticket Vending Machines and online ticketing platforms.

RMT believes that LNER’s proposals to reduce ticket office hours at these 13 stations would worsen passenger safety, security and accessibility and make it easier to reduce staffing at these stations.

The cuts would also make it harder for passengers to get the cheapest and most appropriate tickets and restrict the advice they can access at the ticket office.

The cuts will also deter passengers from using the rail network and are completely at odds with the the UK Government’s climate change targets.

RMT believes that the cuts will be particularly damaging for some groups including disabled passengers, elderly passengers and people on lower incomes who may not have access to digital ticketing.

Transport Focus’ own passenger research, published in October 2020, found that ‘staff play a central role in helping passengers feel safe and secure’ and that passengers want to see more rather than less rail staff. Cuts to ticket office hours run counter to this.

For these reasons, RMT believes that the proposals must be withdrawn and the current ticket office hours protected.

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The Killisick Recreational Ground in Arnold will be refurbished with new equipment, including 30m zip line, basket swing, roundabout and multi play unit, as well as accessible play equipment such as a wheelchair friendly roundabout, pod swing, play house and more.

Works at the park start on 6 September, and are expected to be completed by the end of October.
Improvements can be made thanks to funding from FCC Communities Foundation, a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, conservation and heritage projects from funds donated by waste and resource management company FCC Environment through the Landfill Communities Fund. FCC Communities Foundation will be providing a grant total of £100,000.

The funding bid was made jointly by Gedling Borough Council and The Friends of Killisick Park, a local residents’ community group who undertook community consultation and identified a strong community need for the project. Cheryl Raynor, FCC Communities Foundation grant manager for Nottinghamshire said; “It’s always nice to see something we have funded start to take shape. We’re delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile project and look forward to it benefitting children across Nottinghamshire.”

Councillor Henry Wheeler, Chair of the Killisick Localities Initiative said; “In September 2019, myself and Councillor Marje Paling brought local residents together by holding an afternoon tea event to discuss how to get funding for new play equipment at Killisick Playground.

That initial meeting led to the formation of the Friends of Killisick group, and now two years on from that event, it’s fantastic to see that the hard work of Friends of Killisick has paid off and work will begin on Killisick Recreation Ground to replace the old play equipment. This will be fantastic for the health and wellbeing of children who I am sure will love the new play area.” Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor Michael Payne Said; “I’m excited to see that works have started at the site, and cannot wait for this new facility to open for our residents to enjoy.

A key priority for the council is to enhance our parks and open spaces and provide an attractive environment that local people can enjoy, and by working closely with local community groups and funding providers we’ve been able to achieve that here for the community in Killisick. I’d like to thank the Friends of Killisick Park for working with us on the funding bid for this new play area and to FCC Communities for providing the funding for what is sure to be a fantastic addition for the borough.

Nottinghamshire residents will be able to have their say on proposals to improve walking and cycling infrastructure.
The intention to run a public consultation on the proposals was granted approval at Transport and Environment Committee.

Nottinghamshire County Council has been working with the three other D2N2 local highway authorities to develop a D2N2 area wide Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). The next stage of the LCWIP development is to undertake public consultation and the Council has secured funding from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Capability Fund to undertake the consultation this year.

The County Council has also secured £50,000 from the DfT Capability Fund to start design work on the routes identified as priorities through the development of the LCWIP. This funding will help the county council to start to develop feasible and deliverable schemes along these priority routes in readiness should funding for their delivery become available in the future.

Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Chairman of the Transport and Environment Committee, said: “When the DfT suggested that local authorities should develop a local cycling and walking infrastructure plan, we decided to develop a D2N2 area wide plan in partnership with the other highways authorities in D2N2 area to help ensure cross-boundary links and consistency of infrastructure in the immediate area around Nottinghamshire. “Our collective strong commitment to improving cycling and walking infrastructure means that we have been able to secure £10,000 from the DfT’s Capability Fund to undertake a public consultation on the plan and its priorities in Nottinghamshire.

“This will be an excellent opportunity for our communities to comment on the proposed walking and cycling networks which we hope will make Nottinghamshire an even better place to live, work and bring up your family. “We are keen to stress that the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan will be a live document which will be reviewed regularly. This means that any scheme or route can be evaluated and assessed for inclusion in the network.

“Bringing this plan to life to put cycling and walking at the heart of our communities remains a priority for us and we look forward to hearing the views of Nottinghamshire residents once the consultation goes live later this year.”

Nottingham is classed as a ‘must visit’ city – not just by UK residents, but by many travellers, from worldwide origins, too. Numerous shops (including designer fashions), independents and high street names, are located in Nottingham. World-class entertainment and venues, including the National Ice Centre, Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, attract many visitors. The Old Market Square has events and various markets throughout the year, being transformed at Christmas time, with its own ice rink adding to the splendour. With the Castle, Robin Hood, Caves, River Trent, Sports, plus inns, taverns, eateries and restaurants, there is something for everyone, all year through.

I had a particular recommendation for fine-dining at The Maharaja’s Retreat. Close to the Castle, Old Market Square and the Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, it is ideal for pre and post-theatre dining, also. Utilising the most finest and freshest food and ingredients, The Maharaja’s Retreat is often booked well in advance.

Authentic Indian regional dishes include Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Lamb Cutlets, Punjabi Vegetable Samosa, Amritsari Masala Fish and more. I chose Tandoori Mango Prawns (King prawns in a marinade of fresh mango, Kashmiri chilli, ginger, garlic, fresh coriander). This proved to be an excellent start to the evening’s dining, with the taste buds duly recognising and appreciating the complementing flavours.

Timeless classics and favourite main courses include South Indian Seafood Biryani. I opted for Chicken Tandoori (Fillet of chicken breast marinated over night with an eclectic mix of freshly pounded herbs and spices, hung yoghurt and cold press mustard oil. Served with fresh leaf salad and a side sauce). The flavours for this dish were outstanding. Absolutely, ‘Compliments to Chef’.

Gulab Jamun with Pistachio and rose water kulfi delivered the ‘end of meal sensation’, perfectly.
The range of drinks has something for all palates – including Maharaja’s Lager (4.9ABV). Vegetarian and vegan dishes are available also, as are rice, breads and sundries, plus Chefs Specials, collections, deliveries and gift vouchers. The 20% ‘early bird’ dining discount is an added bonus. Many thanks to Shindi and Savita for exemplary service throughout. Highly recommended.

The Maharaja’s Retreat, 28 Maid Marian Way, Nottingham, NG1 6GF Tel: 0115 958 0115
E-mail: info@maharajas-retreat.co.uk www.maharajas-retreat.co.uk

Dino Kingdom, Nottinghamshire 15-31 October 2021

A rare chance to walk among the dinosaurs on a Jurassic journey of discovery in a brand new immersive outdoor experience is coming to Nottinghamshire. Dino Kingdom takes over Thoresby Park for two weeks this autumn with 100 prehistoric beasts set to be unleashed to roam across the plains and woodlands of the beautiful historic landscape.
The epic adventure will bring ancient history back to life with jaw-droppingly realistic dinosaurs including the gigantic T-rex, King of the Jurassic era, and all kinds of other animatronic creatures that can move and roar!

Coming from the creators of the award-winning Lightopia Festival, this will be a chance to journey back millions of years to the time when these majestic beasts reigned over the land and see them as they would have lived in a natural outdoor habitat.

Technology will bring the prehistoric world to life with loads of innovative features packed into the state of the art experience from 3D anatomy mapping to a nerve jangling encounter with holographic dinosaurs hiding amongst the ancient woodlands. Offering a perfect blend of education and entertainment, Dino Kingdom visitors will discover all kinds of things about these amazing creatures inside and out as they are brought to life in a completely new and exciting way. A Dino Kingdom app has been created for the Jurassic journey with loads of content to give a unique insight into how dinosaurs lived, millions of years ago.

As well as the natural outdoor setting, there will be indoor activities including lots of fun interactive features from designing a dinosaur to see it come to life in a virtual kingdom or feeding the hungry beasts in a Dino Keeper VR experience.

An excavation sand pit for budding paleontologists, dinosaur eggs, fossils, smouldering volcanoes, a giant dinosaur skeleton head and a walk-through fossil tunnel as well as fairground rides for all ages and plenty of family friendly food and drink look set to make this an unforgettable experience. With more than two thirds of the tickets for the inaugural Dino Kingdom opening in Manchester already sold three weeks ahead of the opening date, organisers are confident the event will be welcomed by dinosaur fans of all ages when it arrives in Nottingham.

Dino Kingdom creator Ian Xiang said: “We can’t wait to bring our Dino Kingdom to Nottinghamshire as we know how much families and friends will appreciate the chance to enjoy a safe outdoor experience together that will capture the imagination of all ages. Forget the dusty museums of old, this is a totally new way of getting up close and personal to these fantastic beasts that will last long in the memory.”

A sign up page offering access to early birds tickets is now live . Sign up here www.dinokingdom.com to secure a 20 percent discount on tickets, and to keep with all the latest updates. Dino Kingdom Thoresby is coming for two weeks only from 15 to 31 October 2021 with pre-booked timed slots available every day. Advance tickets are priced at £15 for adults, £13 for children (under 3s are free) and £54 for a family ticket.
Join the Jurassic journey here:
www.dinokingdom.com
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