Ilkeston Town Centre

It’s a ‘Smart’ move

Erewash Borough Council’s Pride in Erewash Campaign is spearheading a new move to stamp out the menace of cigarette butts and chewing gum dropped on pavements in Ilkeston and Long Eaton town centres.

State-of-the-art ‘Smartbins’, which have been specifically developed for the safe and proper disposal of gum and cigarette ends, will be sited in 18 ‘hotspot’ locations around Long Eaton and Ilkeston shopping centres at the end of this month.

Councillor Barbara Harrison, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for the Environment, says:

“These bins will be conveniently located and will mean there is now absolutely no excuse for smokers to throw their cigarette ends on the floor or for people to drop chewed gum on the pavements.

“The move should be seen as a clear demonstration of this Council’s continued commitment to cracking down on litter of all kinds. I know the majority of residents share our outrage at those irresponsible people who think it is acceptable to dump litter and leave it for someone else to clean up.

“Well our message is a simple one – litter will not be tolerated in Erewash, we have provided the bins so use them. We will continue to take a hard line approach on littering and if any of our wardens see someone throwing rubbish to the floor, they will have no hesitation in issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice.”

The ‘butt and gum’ ‘Smart’ pods are known as micro litter bins and are designed to wrap around lamp-posts, sign posts, railings or bollards as well as fitting on to bus shelters and flat walls.

The Council’s Pride in Erewash Campaign is the driving force behind the installation of the bins – which will be sited on the eve of the Campaign’s major ‘Borough Blitz’ event. The Blitz will run throughout March and will see residents, groups and schools get involved in litter picks and other clean-up events throughout Erewash.

The Council’s 24-hour confidential PRIDE-line is an answer phone service which allows residents to report environment offences and offenders without the need to speak to a member of staff and with no requirement to leave their personal details. Tel: 0115 850 8383 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Heritage Day at Museum

Erewash Museum hosts a Heritage Day on Saturday 28th January to give visitors the chance to find out more about the many local history and community groups in the borough.

The special day will run between 10am and 3pm and residents will have the chance to meet representatives of the groups and view displays and information on the work they do in local communities.

The Friends of Erewash Museum will be one of those taking part and visitors can find out how to get involved in the work of Erewash Borough Council’s award winning Museum – which was recently voted Derbyshire Museum of the Year.

Councillor Mike Wallis, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture and Leisure, says:

“There are so many local societies and groups in the borough that work at preserving our heritage and that study local history. These volunteers are enthusiastic and provide such a valuable role in the community – certainly our Friends of Erewash Museum give vital support to our service all year round. This is a fantastic opportunity for residents to discover the wide range of opportunities available to get involved.”

Erewash Museum is just off the High Street in Ilkeston Town centre, a short walk from the Market Place. Admission is free and it is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am-4pm.

Enter the Dragon

Residents and visitors have a chance to join the sparkling celebrations to mark Chinese New Year on 21st January - the finale of Erewash Borough Council’s annual Festival of Light.

As part of the festivities, Erewash Museum will be holding workshops and art activities for children of all ages to make Chinese lanterns and other Chinese crafts between 10am and 3.30pm.  Anyone interested can just call in on the day and there will be a small charge of £1 for lantern making.

Long Eaton town centre will host a celebration of traditional dragon dancing by young adults from Long Eaton Youth Services and ribbon dancing by children from Sandiacre Children’s Centre at 2pm.  

The grand finale will be a colourful lantern procession to launch the Year of the Dragon through Ilkeston Market Place, where there will be a celebration of dancing and entertainment for all the family.

The lantern procession will start from Erewash Museum at 5.30pm and will feature a Chinese dragon, and dragon and Lucky Fish puppets made by pupils in local schools with the help of a professional artist.

The parade will make its way to the Market Place where the celebration will feature:
•    students from Ormiston Ilkeston Academy performing a traditional Chinese New Year dragon dance with a dragon made by pupils at            Friesland School in Sandiacre.
•    a Lucky Fish dance performed by young adults from the Cantelupe Group in Ilkeston.
•    Dancing accompanied by live Chinese percussion music and singing by students from Field House Infant and Nursery School   

      in Ilkeston, all led by a classically-trained Chinese musician.
 
Councillor Mike Wallis, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture and Leisure, says:
 
“Our annual Chinese New Year celebration has become a firm family favourite and is both fun and a great spectacle for everyone. It is a wonderful finale to our Festival of Light programme that takes in all the winter celebrations from Bonfire Night through to this event.

“Once again, we have young people of all ages taking part within local schools in readiness for the day and we hope to see lots of children at the Museum workshops for some fun craft sessions. And, of course, we know residents will love seeing the ribbon dancing in Long Eaton and the procession at Ilkeston.”
 
Erewash Museum is in Ilkeston Town centre, a short walk from the Market Place. Normal opening hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am-4pm and Monday to Saturday during school holidays. Last entry is 3.30pm.
Admission is free. For more information contact 0115 9071141 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ghost of a chance

Only a few tickets now remain on sale for the next late-night Ghost Hunt at Erewash Museum on Saturday 4th February.

The event is strictly for adults only as it is a serious exploration into ghostly activity led by a specialist paranormal investigation team – and runs through the night from 8pm to 1.30am.

Ghost Hunts at Erewash Borough Council’s award winning Museum – voted Derbyshire Museum of the Year – have been a big hit and are always sell-outs.

Those taking part will gain access to unseen areas of the Museum building, including the cellars, and visitors will also be provided with professional ghost hunting equipment to record any activity.

Erewash Museum is based in Dalby House at Ilkeston, a late Georgian building with Victorian extensions. It was both a family home and school accommodation before becoming Erewash Borough Council’s museum in the 1980s. The building has a reputation for being haunted, with staff and visitors over the years reporting mysterious and unexplained happenings.

Councillor Mike Wallis, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture and Leisure, says:

“My advice is to act quickly if you want to secure any of the last few tickets available for the latest Ghost Hunt. But remember, it’s not for the faint-hearted . . . it is a serious paranormal investigation and most people who take part say they experience some form of ‘ghostly’ and unexplained activity.”

Tickets for the Ghost Hunt on Saturday 4th February are £28, refreshments included. Contact 0115 907 1141 for more details.

Erewash Museum is just off the High Street in Ilkeston Town centre, a short walk from the Market Place. Admission is free and it is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am-4pm.