John’s Latest Ukraine Diary

Just a year after their first expedition to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine, a big hearted duo from a Ruddington pub have recently returned from driving further donations into the war-torn country. After the partial Russian invasion there, early in 2022, with millions of Ukrainians displaced and fierce fighting from its military trying to defend their country from bombs and bullets ever since, there’s no sign of Vladimir Putin’s ambition to seize more of Ukraine waning just yet. Consequently, Dave Frankie and John Noble (pictured top), the manager and owner of The Frame Breakers…

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New Chair Gets Ready For Remembrance

As Ruddington prepares for the annual Royal British Legion Parade and Service of Remembrance at our War Memorial, on Sunday 13th November 2022, the Ruddington and District Branch has a new Chairman. Malcolm R Greenberry (pictured above) was elected to the role in May this year following the sad passing of longstanding Chair, Ken Hicks. “Ken worked hard for the Branch, the county and Ruddington, and will be missed by many” says Mr Greenberry. “It was suggested to me that I might volunteer myself, which I did, and was voted in unanimously, with…

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Ruddington Aid Reaches Ukraine

A big hearted duo from a Ruddington pub, who decided to collect together a van load of humanitarian aid and drive it to Ukraine themselves, have just returned home safely. As previously reported, John Noble and Dave Frankie, the owner and manager of The Frame Breakers on High Street, set off last Sunday morning (20th March) on their epic return journey to Przemysl in Poland, near the Ukraine border. Thanks to generous donations from Ruddington and beyond, their hire van was stacked to capacity with food, warm clothing, sleeping bags, nappies,…

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Ruddington Rallies for Ukraine

Day after day we are continuing to witness horrific images on television and online of Russia’s shocking and unprovoked attack on Ukraine. Residential buildings and hospitals are among those being bombed in an apparent bid by The Kremlin to seize control of the independent, East European nation. The attempted invasion has already resulted in thousands of reported civilian deaths since it was launched on February 24th 2022, to the incredulity of most of the rest of the world. Whilst many thousands of Ukrainians have stayed behind to help their military, and try to…

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Helpful Hub For Our Armed Forces Community

A military veteran, who is now serving on Ruddington Parish Council, is welcoming a new online resource which supports our local Armed Forces community. Nottinghamshire County Council has just unveiled an accessible page added to its website called ‘The Armed Forces Hub’. In accordance with the ‘Armed Forces Community Covenant’, it provides those service personnel, veterans, and their families with information about help available from both internal and external sources. Cllr Graham Fletcher {pictured top}, who served our country for four years in the 1970s – including two tours of duty…

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Ruddington Restoration Dedicated to Fallen Soldiers

A vintage carriage took pride of place yesterday (Sunday 17th September) at Ruddington’s Great Central Railway – in an event dedicated to over a thousand troops who died during the First World War. On display in the open for the first time was the recently restored MS&LR 6-wheel carriage – which took 16 years for five volunteers at our local Heritage Centre to return to its former glory. It was dedicated in a special ceremony by Ruddington’s Vicar, the Reverend Andrew Buchanan, to the many employees who left the Great Central Railway to…

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New Lectern for Ruddington’s War Heroes

Parish Councillors have resolved to remember those from our village who died serving our country with a new lectern at Ruddington’s War Memorial. It will replace the one already there (pictured top) and will be a “Roll of Honour” to those who fell during the First and Second World Wars and in Korea. The proposal was put forward because the names carved on the War Memorial itself are still difficult to read despite the restoration work that was carried out in 2013. In addition, the current lectern in the War Memorial Garden which acknowledges Nottinghamshire…

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