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Writer's pictureMichael Edwards

Report to Mapperley Branch Labour Party, with notes on a history tour, September 1996

Published 3rd September, 1996. Unemployment

The June figures are 626, 13.3%; down a bit.

Cases - 51 in 1996

Carrington Sports Ground

Arrangements are still being made to provide a lease for the Hyson Green Sports Club.

The latest move was to extend the lease to part of the Bowling Green.

Mapperley Hospital

After an informal chat with the Chair of the City's Planning Cttee., the belief in re-using the younger half of the hospital is diminishing.

Woodborough Road TROs

The County Council have announced plans to change the traffic regulations orders (no parking, waiting times etc.) along the length of the road.

Notes from a trip around England and celebrating our radical history The Cotswolds

Idyllic England, its development frozen when the wool trade declined in importance and now dependant on the indigenous Edinburgh Woollen Mill shops and antiques.

I worry about tourism. The truth is so often glossed over.

Arlington Mill, Bibury

An honourable exception was this mill, in what William Morris described as the most beautiful village in England.

It described the Swing riots, led by the mythical "Captain Swing"; when farm workers, made redundant by new technology, sought to sabotage the equipment.

Sounds familiar? es, very like the common perception of General Ludd and the Luddites.

The Swing riots took place all over rural England.

Kilnscot Manor, by the Thames

The home of William Morris, I was unfortunately challenged for trespassing (wrong day and outside opening hours - "this is now private property").

Bleinham Palace

I visited the birthplace of Winston Churchill, a palace given to the Duke of Marlborough in recognition of his military triumphs over the French in Europe.

You can understand that Churchill might have thought he was raised to lead the country.

Stonehenge

Disappointing. Smaller than I'd been led to believe, and an entrance fee of £3.50!

Nottingham

Lottery nonsense

We are of course guilty of the tourist myths. The latest nonsense is to use Lottery funds to put a drawbridge in front of the castle gates, when no such bridge ever existed.

Myth

We celebrate Robin Hood - who didn't exist (though derived from a pagan fertility God who lived in a tree.). Maid Marian did exist - as a leader of robbers in Kent who took from the rich to give to the poor - and put her in the role of the defenceless Princess.

Luddites

The Luddites didn't smash new technology - the frames' technology was 200 years old. They attacked firms who produced shoddy goods (pieced together stockings) employing people on low wages.

Roundheads

We have Standard Hill - yet the people of Nottingham refused to support King Charles when he sought to raise an army.

Chartists

We had the first Chartist MP; and earlier, campaigners for reform destroyed the Castle that we now want to rebuild.

We have a proud and radical history to tell - why can't we sell the truth? I have an 8 page print of the full text of the manifesto, which is said to contain much more than the emphasis on the five promises suggest.

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