Makers’ Night is Back

Almost two years after the last Ruddington Makers’ Night, in December 2019, this much loved arts and crafts evening across our village is set to return this September. With the easing of restrictions due to the Coronavirus pandemic – which had caused Ruddington Village Centre Partnership (RVCP) to cancel its last three planned Makers’ Nights on public safety grounds – this gathering of creatives will go ahead on Friday 10th September 2021 assuming all goes to plan regarding COVID-19. Organised by RVCP in collaboration with the Framework Knitters’ Museum and the new Debbie…

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Record Breaking Train Reaches Ruddington

In October 2019 RUDDINGTON.info reported that two former Midland Mainline Inter-City 125 Powercars would be coming to GCRN – Great Central Railway (Nottingham) on a permanent basis thanks to leasing company Porterbrook. As planned, high speed trains 43048 and 43089 were both duly handed over The 125 Group at the end of their careers with East Midlands Trains to be based in Ruddington – with the intention of running passenger trips between the Heritage Centre and Loughborough (eventually to Leicester North). We understand they are still in storage. Meantime, their eventual arrival here has been trumped…

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Forward Thinking at Ruddington’s Railway

A brand new fund to develop one of Nottinghamshire’s leading heritage attractions has been launched in our village today (Friday 9th July). ‘The Forward Fund’ aims to provide new visitor facilities, including a new station building at ‘The Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre’ in Ruddington. It will also raise money to upgrade tracks and bridges on the nine mile section of the historic Great Central Railway through the county. Guest of honour for the launch was Rushcliffe MP, Ruth Edwards – who is a patron of The East Midlands Railway Trust (EMRT), the…

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‘Behind The Scenes’ at Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum

Villagers and visitors are being given the opportunity to view the progress on an ambitious project enabled by National Lottery cash and other funding sources to double the size of a unique Ruddington heritage site on Chapel Street. From Sunday 6th June to Saturday 12th June there are tours ‘Behind the Scenes’ at the Framework Knitters’ Museum as part of ‘National Lottery Open Week’ 2021. It’s a chance to see how the expansion work is progressing into the recently purchased ‘Gunn Cottage’ – which sits between the existing museum and its…

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Heritage Railway’s ‘Money Match March’

Whilst villagers and visitors eagerly await the reopening of Ruddington’s Great Central Railway (Nottingham) attractions post ‘lockdown’, which is due to start on April 12th, there’s a major fundraising drive this month to rejoin the tracks between Ruddington and Leicester North. As the Reunification Appeal continues, during March, every pound you give, either online, by existing or newly established standing order – or by cheque through the post – will be matched pound for pound, up to £100,000, by a mystery donor. Railway volunteers are reporting that already tens of…

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Museum’s ‘Victorian Life Swap’

Back in July we reported how Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum had reopened with a more personal and ‘socially distanced’ visitor experience – having been shut for four months due to first COVID-19 ‘lockdown’. With full Coronavirus restrictions sadly now back on, once again the doors are firmly closed to the public until at least December 2nd. However, with spare time on their hands once more, staff at the popular village visitor attraction began to wonder what life must have been like without many of the things we take for granted. How…

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Christmas Market Cancelled

It’s been announced that Ruddington’s 2020 Christmas Market and Fayre has had to be called off due to continuing concerns about COVID-19. Ruddington Village Centre Partnership (RVCP) took over the responsibility of organising our village’s biggest, annual, festive event from Ruddington Parish Council earlier this year – and had ambitious new plans to host gazebo stalls and street foods all along Church Street and High Street, along with further food, drink and makers stalls at multiple indoor venues around the village centre. However, despite an easing of government restrictions, it…

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Heritage Centre Reopens – But Without Trains

Directors at Great Central Railway (Nottingham) have announced that no vintage steam or diesel trains will be running from Ruddington until Easter 2021 at the earliest. Passenger services last ran from our heritage site during the February half-term before all trains were cancelled and the centre closed to visitors due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak. The charity reveals that, over the last couple of months, The Office of Road & Rail and The Heritage Railways Association have been working with heritage railway groups up and down the country to determine ways…

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Have a Ruddy Good Day Out!

Following months of closure for much of Ruddington’s usually bustling village centre, due to the unprecedented COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ in March, it’s now ‘back to business’ for most traders! With face coverings required in shops from today, coupled with ‘social distancing’ measures already in place to keep us safe, visitors are now returning in force. Ruddington has always been a popular destination for shoppers wishing to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city and seek out our wide variety of independent retailers – most of them unique to the village – at a…

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Museum Reopens for a New Chapter

Having been closed since ‘lockdown’ began in March, Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum is reopening on Wednesday July 29th.* During closure, the team has been developing a more personal and ‘socially distanced’ visitor experience which it’s promised will be fun, interesting and safe. From this date, anyone visiting will be able to book the whole site for two hours to explore it with their family or social bubble. To make the tour as safe as possible, visitors will be asked to wear (knitted) cotton gloves as they explore the workers’ cottages…

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