Fair Week

Its Ilkeston Charter Fair week. In fact its the 757th Fair to be held in the town.
I dont normally get around to going as its very busy and costs parents a small fortune each year.
But last night we ventured (up town) as they say and I decided to take a few pictures of the various rides. Some of them are huge. The fair shuts off the whole town for the week and it really is a showstopper.
Traditionally held two weeks after the Nottingham Goose Fair which is slightly larger.


The rides are a lot different from when I was a teenager
There are still some old ones. The Cake Walk has been here since I can remember

A modern ride that I wont be going on

The old big wheel, another ride that I remember from my childhood

Helter Skelter made from wood

This one is called chaos

Make sure you have no loose change in your pocket

Rides everywhere

The fair lights up the whle town in a sea of neon

Dodgems

This one is just a blur

Pennine

Pennine Fellrunners is the club I mostly run for. Ive been a member for quite a while now and have enjoyed some great times with them. They are a brilliant bunch of people.
Our vests can be seen at most fell races whether it be a local Hayfield race in the Peak District or a British Fell Relay or even as far afield as Scotland and Wales. The club thrives because of the camaraderie and friendship that its members create between themselves.
We base our training runs in Hayfield on thursday nights and head out onto the fell at 7.00pm.
Although I live a good distance from Hayfield I still try to get over when I can do. Nothing feels better than doing a race with your vest on. It makes me feel proud to run for them.
We have some very experienced guys and gals at the club with many varied interests. Mountaneers, Cyclists, Orienteers, Walkers, you name it someone will have tried it.
We have British Champions right down to members who just have a plod on the fells.
I couldnt ever run on the fells with any other club
www.penninefellrunners.co.uk


One of the brightest vests in fellrunning
Running up the pipes in Wales at he Pipe Dream race

William Clough just above Hayfield. Many of our training runs head this way

The shooting cabin

We are a special club indeed

Half way up Ben Nevis, even there someone will shout cmon Pennine

Racing in Wales

On the tops

Relays

The famous Pennine Vest

Wasteland

As the demolition of the steelworks nears completion its now dawning on me just what a desolate piece of wasteland is being left behind. There wont be many more pictures left to take now of the once mighty industrial giant that the plant once was.

Not much left now, barely a shell

Badger takes a drink at our new found water spot

No more molten metal movements sadly

Would be interesting to know just how much steel there was in scrap. Must have been thousands of tonnes

This was the heart of the plant prior to closing. My father in law will know exactly what part of the plant this is. The Cupola was capable of melting iron 24hrs a day 7 days a week

The Wellman cranes awaiting there fate. Im told they are just going to be pushed off the end of the crane rails

You can hardly make out the CMP building now

From the back it looks even worse

The next lot od photo's will probably be the last

Bob Graham Cert

This weekend was the Bob Graham Clubs certificate presentation night for new members who have completed the round. The certificates are handed out every two years and its been a fair wait after completing the round in June 2008. The Bob Graham round was a fantastic experience and I dont want to go into too much detail as my memories are very precious to me. The people who helped me at Pennine Fellrunners and my BG partner remain very dear to me. Its an experience that cannot be bettered. The camaraderie and frendship that is created from the day you decide to train, reccy the route, pace others, spend thousands on fuel, cry, laugh, ache, cannot be described
I now have my certificate which I will take a photo of later. Its just a piece of paper really.
I will never forget the day i ran over 42peaks under 24 hours over the lakeland fells.

Laughing with one of my pacers
A familiar sight in June at Dunmail Raise

Pacers notes all filled in

Honister and im getting tired
A bit of rice pudding

Tea

Ive actually finished the round here and im looking a bit dazed

The view that all people waiting for a BGer experiences as they wait for the contender to run up to the Moot Hall

Finally touching the Moot Hall

PIPES

After the Bradbourne Fell Race a few weeks ago I decided to take Badger for a run around the hills and through the concrete pipe works which are near to my house. The concrete pipe plant isnt being demolished and the pipes make for an interesting run for Badger and myself

Bradbourne start.
On the way to the pipeworks

In the works, note the central melting plant in the background that is now being demolished

In the shade

Ready for me to throw it again

Erewash Valley

The Erewash Valley is under threat currently. Partly due to the demise of the ironworks. Its a worrying time for the greenbelt land that sits directly behind the works site. The area that the steelworks covers is very large and it seems inevitable that the land will be developed on. Talk of 4000 houses to be built and although this isnt really a problem its the road that the developers want to drive through the greenbelt land thats the major issue.
This proposed road will destroy the land and I for one cannot even think that anyone would even contemplate building it.
I suppose they call it progress. More of the protest later but for now the Erewash valley remains as beautiful as ever.
Signs like this have been erected across the proposed road route.

The terrain of the valley is very undulating


I think badger knows the valley better than me

The area is quite hilly in places and you can get some great views on a clear day.

The giant Ratcliffe Coal Fired Power Station