Review of the year part one: A look back at what made the news in the Newark Advertiser from January to June 2024
From floods to beer and cider festivals, the Advertiser has looked back on what was a busy and momentous year for news across the area.
Today we are looking back to what happened in the area from January to June.
JANUARY
January began with flooding brought by Storm Henk, which flooded properties, open spaces, and roads.
The storm delivered significant amounts of rainfall into an area already saturated following Storm Babet and months of continuous rainfall.
The major incident led to evacuations and road closures, however it also brought communities together to support each other as water levels peaked.
Historian Raymond Greaves presented a new theory that could shine a light on a Roman mystery.
A Roman dodecahedron, one of just 33 found in Britain, was uncovered by Norton Disney History and Archaeology group during a summer excavation.
It appeared on BBC2’s Digging For Britain with Professor Alice Roberts on January 9 and has also been on display at the National Civil War Centre in Newark, inspiring the historian to present his theory that the object would be used as a ‘night candle clock’.
Popular cafe and bistro Stray’s moved into The Ossington on Beastmarket Hill, three years after Zizzi’s pulled out of the town during the Covid pandemic.
Dale and Holly Harvey, of Nottingham who have taken part in over 2,000 pub crawls across the country, visited 20 pubs in Newark in eight hours.
Dale said: “There are some brilliantly unique places in Newark. I mean, not many towns can boast an actual barge as a pub, can they?”
The Reindeer at Hoveringham was one of the 20 restaurants to be awarded a Bib Gourmand accolade. The pub was the first in Nottinghamshire to receive an award from the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland.
FEBRUARY
Residents cheered as Queen’s Road, Newark, a road plagued by sinkholes due to a damaged culvert, reopened after being closed for nearly a year.
The road was first closed in April 2023, when a sinkhole appeared. It reopened for a few days after repairs, before closing again due to a second sinkhole.
High rainfall caused multiple delays to the project.
The 39-apartment development at the warehouse complex on Victoria Street, Newark, by Jinny Yang of JYD Group and business partner Cura Haus, officially opened.
Opened by the now mayor of Newark, Diane Ledger, she said: “Seeing the warehouse being brought back to life is uplifting.”
Newark also welcomed its first African and Caribbean food shop — To Joy’s — located in a former piercing shop on Appletongate.
The shop was opened by couple Joy Alohan and Wellington Olotu, selling a wide variety of products from spices and sauce, fruit and vegetables to meat and fish and other products that can be hard to find nearby.
The market town also saw its first bubble tea and poke bowl shop open at Paxtons Court, Newark, as the owner of GA Sushi in Oakham, KC Lee, decided to expand the business.
The Wheatsheaf, on King Street, Southwell, which had sat empty for many months, welcomed customers after having been freshened up by the new owners.
MARCH
The month started with crowds gathered at railway stations across the area and along tracks to catch a glimpse of Sir Nigel Gresley, one of the most iconic steam locomotives still operating today.
The locomotive steamed through the Newark Northgate station, to which witnesses only saw the train for several seconds as the locomotive which set a speed record in 1959 passed by.
A sweet love story saw Amedeo Ingala open a second restaurant in Newark following the popular Bella Vita in Ollerton.
La Vita Mia, an authentic Italian restaurant, opened in the former Newark Castle railway ticket office.
Its name is a tribute to the owner’s late wife, who he described as a “fantastic pasta chef”, who loved Newark and the people.
A Newark mum, Lisa Walsh, started Queens Teens, a series of disco events for teenagers aged 13 to 17.
The idea behind the new business is to provide entertainment to young people and tackle anti-social behaviour.
Pupils at Highfields School and Newark Archery coach Mandie Elson were featured on I can do it, you can too, a show that airs on CBeebies.
APRIL
A weekend of events brought crowds flocking to Newark.
Among the visitors was an 18ft inflatable whale delivering an important message about the impact plastic has on the environment. The inside of the whale was home to puppets, comedy, music and performances from the company Circo Rum Ba Ba, which explored the tale of sea creatures and their battle to survive in an ocean full of rubbish.
The longest paddleboard race in the country — Race to the Castle — also reached the town as 166 paddleboarders raced 40km downstream from Nottingham’s Victoria Embankment to the historic Newark Castle.
Also attracting the crowds was the Nottinghamshire County Show at Newark Showground, which pulled in the crowds with its mix of agriculture and entertainment.
In the latest blow to Newark town centre, another national chain — GAME — ceased trading at its premises on Saint Marks Place, where it traded for more than 20 years.
A new hovercraft business, Lokiy Hoverflights, was hoping to provide a lift for tourism in the area, offering a new and exciting activity to Newark visitors and residents.
The hovercraft, named Invincible, is piloted by the business owner Kiyth Fotitt, and it is capable of running on land or water.
MAY
Councillor Diane Ledger, described as a ‘legend’ by fellow councillors, was appointed the new town mayor at the annual mayor-making ceremony, which was held at Newark Town Hall.
As Deputy mayor, Diane Ledger had already stepped in to fulfil mayoral duties early after Pamela Ball stepped down due to ill health.
She said: “I am honoured to have this position and I will do my utmost to represent Newark in the best positive way.”
This month also saw another woman step into power as Labour’s Claire Ward was voted in as the first-ever Mayor of the East Midlands.
In a good night for Labour, Gary Godden was also voted the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire.
Hundreds of Steampunks flocked in their finery to Newark over the bank holiday weekend to showcase their imagination.
The Newark Steampunk Festival took place in the Market Place over the weekend with over 100 arts, crafts and food stalls, a fashion show, a gala ball held in Newark Town Hall and a Victorian picnic in the gardens of Newark Parish Church.
Pensioner Geofrey Hoe, 75, of Bottesford, won the People’s Postcode Lottery just one month after signing up.
He was urged by his granddaughter Holly Chapman to join after she won a few £10 prizes but kept forgetting until she reminded him again and less than four weeks later, Geoffrey, won £111,111.
Environmental protesters from Newark and Sherwood Extinction Rebellion dressed in hazmat suits and masks and took to the streets to march both in Newark and Southwell.
The group aimed to raise awareness about air pollution in the district and handed out leaflets and spoke to the public, sharing information about their concerns and how to work towards cleaner air.
JUNE
More than 300 people attended a black-tie gala ceremony at Newark Showground to see the winners of this year’s Newark Business Awards crowned.
The annual awards are organised by the Advertiser.
Winners and highly commended were presented across 11 categories and along with fun, food and drinks, the event raised a total of £1,137.73 for Newark Community First Aid.
Newark’s Market Place had a new summer look that aimed to add colour and animate the town centre.
The overhead display, which features an array of handcrafted and recyclable artworks including bees, butterflies and sunflowers, aims to spread a positive message about biodiversity and the environment.
Chantelle Costall, a 20-year-old from Newark, saved the Fish King shop on Hawton Road, Newark, from closure.
Having worked at the business since the age of 16, she reopened it under a new name — Frydays — and promised to bring it back to its former glory.
The annual Armed Forces Day event went ahead with live music and activities and its parade which departed from the London Road Car Park and ended at the Market Place.
The event was a chance for residents to show support and provide a much-valued morale boost for the men and women who make up the armed forces community, past, present and future — currently serving personnel and service families, veterans, and cadets.
