Massive Cannabis Grow, The Great Gatsby, Precinct Carpark Changes & More

Happy Friday readers, the weekend is in sight as we reach another Friday morning.

I hope you have something nice planned for the weekend but until then .... grab a brew, a Jaffa Cake and have a read of today's newsletter covering all things Bassetlaw and surrounding areas.

Todays thought for the day ... "The sense of wonder—that is our sixth sense." – D.H. Lawrence

Enjoy the read and have a great weekend wherever you are reading this.

Justin Doddy, Editor

P.S. If someone forwarded you this newsletter, click here to sign up to get quality local journalism in your inbox.

Museum prepares for a magical evening of outdoor theatre

Bassetlaw Museum is preparing to step back in time and experience the glamour of the 1920s at a truly magical outdoor theatre event.

Visitors are invited to enjoy an evening beneath the stars, as touring company This is My Theatre brings its production of ‘The Great Gatsby’ to the museum’s gardens.

Booking is now open for the event taking place on Friday 11^th September, with Amcott House providing a stunning backdrop to this adaptation of the famous F Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel, capturing the spirit of the jazz age.

Dr Mike Galer, Curator at Bassetlaw Museum said: “Come and join us in our historic garden for this timeless classic that still resonates today.

“Bring a picnic, settle in with family or friends and enjoy this special evening of live theatre.”

Guests are invited to bring along a picnic, blankets or chairs to watch the performance bringing Jay Gatsby’s glittering world to life, packed with glamour, guile and plenty of gorgeous music.

Sarah Slater, Director of This Is My Theatre said:

“We are very much looking forward to our summer tours this year. We have created this adaptation to be fun and vibrant to capture imaginations and engage audiences of all ages.

“We are really excited to be continuing our summer tradition of magical, family-friendly performances in historic places and atmospheric spaces.”

Doors open at 6:30pm, with the performance beginning at 7pm at Bassetlaw Museum, Grove Street, Retford. To book your ticket visit www.tickettailor.com/events/cuemarketing/2240005

For more information on forthcoming events and exhibitions please visit www.bassetlawmuseum.org.uk or sign up to the Bassetlaw Museum newsletter Bit.ly/BassetlawNews.

Extended parking options at Prospect Precinct

New parking conditions at Prospect Precinct have been amended in a direct response to feedback from customers and businesses.

At the beginning of June, Bassetlaw District Council introduced pay and display parking at Prospect, as part of a district-wide parking strategy, which included an hour of free parking.

This is to ensure that spaces are available for people who use the businesses and services located at the shopping precinct, with longer free parking passes available to customers of The Innings and Roots Hair Salon.

However, taking account of public feedback and further consultation with businesses and stakeholders, visitors to the precinct can now make multiple free visits each day.

Cllr Alan Rhodes, Cabinet Member for Corporate and Financial Services at Bassetlaw District Council, and Ward Member for Worksop North East, said:

“We have listened to the concerns of businesses and visitors to Prospect and have expanded on our original conditions.

“Our primary aim of these changes is to ensure that the people who use the precinct have spaces to park in during the busiest parts of the day. With this in mind, visitors can now make multiple visits to the car park each day at no cost.

“We want to ensure that this is a positive change for visitors and businesses and will be monitoring the situation closely. We will also continue to have a constructive dialogue with businesses within Prospect precinct.”

As part of the revised conditions customers can now:

· Use the one-hour free parking multiple times a day. Visitors must get a free ticket for each visit.

· Customers parked in a disabled bay displaying a valid blue badge do not need to obtain a free ticket at any time.

· Options to park for longer are available via a cashless pay and display ticket, in line with charges that are consistent across the district.

· The conditions apply between the hours of 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday. Any visits outside of these times do not require customers to display a ticket, including Bank Holidays, but excluding Good Friday.

Between 2^nd June and 30^th June, more than 9,085 recorded visits were made to Prospect Precinct, showing a healthy usage of the new system.

All signage at Prospect Precinct has been updated to reflect these changes.

58 Football Fields Transformed: Green Charity Celebrates Incredible Year for Nature!

Green charity improves green spaces equal to 58 football fields

Regional charity Groundwork Five Counties has announced it has improved 415,964 m² of land in 2025/26, equal to 58 football fields. The organisation manages dozens of green spaces around the East Midlands, supported by community volunteers.

Rish Mills, Environment Delivery Manager at Groundwork Five Counties, says:

"We manage parks, walking trails, nature reserves, woods, and other public spaces. We create open, easily accessible areas that offer increased biodiversity for the wildlife to thrive in and for visitors to enjoy.

“We are very proud of the work that we do, 58 football fields of improved land is a huge achievement for our small team. This includes the creation of 107 new wildlife habitats, planting 11,393 native hedges, and making 169 biodiversity improvements.

“We couldn’t do it without the support of local volunteers, 367 people joined us last year. We also work closely with ‘Friends of’ groups and local authorities to ensure that we get the full picture of that space’s history, future plans, and local significance.”

Groundwork Five Counties recently celebrated its 35th anniversary, having started as a small Nottinghamshire-focused grassroots charity. It has since expanded to also include Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Rutland.

The charity’s original mission of empowering communities to look after their local green spaces and bring positive change from within is still going strong, as we face new environmental challenges.

Rish says:

“Improving biodiversity and supporting native species is vital to life as we know it. Our team’s expert knowledge of local flora and fauna helps to achieve the best possible habitat management outcomes for each space.

“Volunteering can take on many forms, from litter picking at your local park and counting species to repairing pathways and installing infrastructure. We host regular nature volunteering days around Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and welcome people to try a taster session.”

Content & Image courtesy of Groundworks

Tour of Britain Routes Through Lincolnshire Revealed

By: Jamie Waller, LDRS

The Lincolnshire legs and routes for Britain’s top cycling event have been revealed.

The Tour of Britain will hold the first and second legs of the men’s event in the county on Wednesday, September 2 and Thursday, September 3.

There are plenty of points for spectators to witness the peloton as it comes to the county for the first time.

The first 113-mile leg will begin in Lincoln’s Castle Square before venturing out into the Lincolnshire Wolds, taking in Market Rasen, Binbrook, Caistor and Waddingham.It will conclude with five laps around the Lincoln Grand Prix circuit, including the gruelling climbs up Michaelgate, for a total of 1315 metres of ascent.

The next day, cyclists will head to Boston for a flatter 111-mile route, passing through Woodhall Spa, Horncastle and Wragby, and Louth.They’ll then ride to Mablethorpe, make one last climb up Langton Hill, finishing with a sprint finish towards Skegness.It’s hoped that the council-backed event will provide a windfall of publicity and tourism for the county.

Councillor Natalie Oliver, who is in charge of culture at Lincolnshire County Council, said:

“It’s incredibly exciting to be welcoming the Tour of Britain to Lincolnshire this year.

“Lincoln is no stranger to world-class cycling, proudly hosting the Grand Prix every year, and this latest event further cements our reputation as a premier destination for the sport.

“Bringing such a prestigious race to our area will be hugely inspiring for our children and young people, giving them the opportunity to see elite athletes up close and encouraging them to get involved in cycling and lead active, healthy lives.”

The following three legs of the men’s event will take place across Yorkshire and the Scottish Borders.The organisers claim last year’s race led to £40 million of benefits across the host areas.

Our three interesting facts for today ....

Male spiders in the 'Salticidae' family have fangs longer than their body

Sea urchins have 10 feet

Knights Templar were not allowed to wear pointy shoes or speak to women

Force's largest ever cannabis seizure as £5m drugs farm dismantled

An officer who followed his nose led to Nottinghamshire Police's largest cannabis seizure and a drugs factory worth almost £5 million being dismantled.

More than 4,800 plants, all at varying stages of maturity, were found inside a disused industrial unit in Botany Avenue, Mansfield.

Six men have now been jailed for their role in the industrial cannabis farm.

An officer from the Mansfield neighbourhood policing team was on patrol near the Bold Forester pub when he came across an overwhelming smell of cannabis coming from the neighbouring industrial estate on 2 May.

Returning the next day with support from dogs, drones, neighbourhood, response, and tactical support group officers, police launched a large operation to raid the unit.

They were forced to break into the building after finding the property had been deliberately sealed off.

Inside, police discovered an extensive cannabis growing operation on the first floor with a sophisticated irrigation system, lights, fans, and CCTV cameras installed to monitor the site.

In total, 4,863 plants were seized, with an estimated street value of £4.8m.

Officers found significant steps had been taken to avoid detection, with entrances bricked and boarded up, and two steel doors welded shut to make access more difficult.

The facility consisted of two large growing rooms, a drying and production area, a living quarters with six beds, a kitchen, and a shower room. The electricity supply had also been dangerously bypassed.

During a search of the building, all six men attempted to hide throughout the premises before they were arrested, with one found under cardboard boxes by Police Dog Chaos.

All six men pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of Class B drugs when they appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on 2 June and were remanded into custody.

They each denied a second charge of possession with intent to supply the Class B drug, which were all left to remain on file.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on 30 June, they were sentenced to a total of more than 13 years in prison.

Artu Ruqu, aged 44, of no fixed address, was jailed for three years and four months.
Ardit Gjonaj, aged 37, of Crocketts Lane, Smethwick, was jailed for three years.
Lanti Avapi, aged 45, of no fixed address, was jailed for two years.
Elton Salihasi, aged 41, of no fixed address, was jailed for two years.
Robert Ruko, aged 48, of no fixed address, was jailed for two years.
Eldis Beneri, aged 34, of no fixed address, was jailed for one year and 10 months.

DC Charles Cawthorne, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

"This was a highly organised and sophisticated criminal operation intended wholly for the onward supply of cannabis.

"This also marks the largest cannabis seizure in the force’s history – an unprecedented find on a scale never before seen in Nottinghamshire.

"The lengths taken to secure the building highlights just how determined these individuals were to conceal their criminality.

"It was all the more suspicious that this was the only building with a visible electricity supply in an area of disused units.

"Acting on good old-fashioned policing instinct, officers were drawn to the premises by the pungent smell of cannabis, and they could hear the hum of fans and running water through the walls.

"Drug production fuels serious organised crime gangs and exploits the most vulnerable in society. We will continue to take robust action against those who harm our communities."

Worksop Bus Passengers Get a Free Ride in Clean Air Day Surprise

Worksop bus operator “surprises and delights” customers for Clean Air Day as a lucky passenger is chosen at random to receive a prize of a free 28-Day MegaRider ticket

Worksop bus operator, Stagecoach East Midlands, has celebrated National Clean Air Day by giving randomly selected passengers free travel for a month.

Each of the operator’s depots has given out a 28-Day MegaRider ticket to a passenger – selected at random – to highlight the environmental benefits of taking the bus.

Figures from Bus Users UK show that a brand-new diesel car with a single occupant can emit more Nitrogen Oxides than a new bus carrying 50 or more passengers, whereas a fully loaded double-decker bus can take 75 cars off the road.

In Worksop, receiving his free ticket from Duty Manager, Ryan Jest, winner Daniel Cook said:

“I like travelling on the buses because it's really easy. Whether I am going to town or over to work, it is so simple. I prefer the bus to driving the car.”

MegaRiders were also given out at other Stagecoach East Midlands depots around the region, including Lincoln, Skegness, Hull and Gainsborough.

Matt Cranwell, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Midlands, said:

"Our passengers are at the very heart of everything we do, so it has been a pleasure to choose a few of them to ‘surprise and delight’.

“Taking the bus is one small step that everyone can take to help to protect our local environment, and it is also a savvy and convenient way to get to work, go shopping, or else go out to meet friends and family. I hope that everyone, who was lucky enough to win, will enjoy their travel.”

Clean Air Day is the UK's largest air pollution campaign, aiming to reduce the 30,000 deaths associated with air pollution in the UK each year. The World Health Organization and the UK Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental threat to our health.

Morrisons Invests in AI as £940 Million Savings Reinvested into Stores.

Shoppers across Bassetlaw, where Morrisons has a strong presence serving communities including Worksop and Retford, could benefit from the supermarket's continued investment after the retailer revealed its use of AI, automation and data technology has helped deliver £940 million in savings over the past three years.

Rather than investing in artificial intelligence for its own sake, Morrisons says it has focused on practical innovations that improve efficiency while maintaining customer service.

Chief Executive Rami Baitiéh said:

"Many businesses are investing heavily in AI but often without a clear, genuine outcome."

He added:

"By empowering our teams with the right directions and knowledge while funding practical, grassroots ideas, we've unlocked massive value."

Mr Baitiéh said the retailer's "tech-driven vision" had

"materially contributed to the delivery of £940m over the last three years, all without compromising our customer experience."

The savings are now being reinvested into Morrisons' future, including improvements to its stores and digital services.

He added:

"My goal is to make Morrisons stores as easy to navigate and clear to understand as our digital website."

The retailer says improving stock availability, offering competitive prices and making shopping easier both in-store and online will remain key priorities as it continues its transformation.

Content courtesy of Grocery Gazette

Misterton & West Stockwith - July 2, 2026

CHILDREN ‘TRY OUT’ THEIR NEW SCHOOLS AND CLASSES

Children of Misterton Primary School will spend a week in their new schools or classes. They started at the end of June when, Year 6 children spent time in their secondary schools. When they returned, they are called Year 7 and will be based in the Library, making full use of the additional space the school is fortunate to have, such as the art studio, until the end of term on Friday 24 July.

At the end of term, staff and pupils will be saying goodbye to Mrs White as she retires. Mr Gogh will be the full-time teacher in the Y5/6 class. As our Y6 class, is small, some Y5 children will be in this class and it will be based on their date of birth, with the oldest children in with Y6. In September, two new teachers join the School: Mrs Harris will be the new Y1 and Y3 permanent teacher and Mr Jackson will be the new Y4/5 teacher joining us for one year. He knows about our school from supply work at the school several years ago, his own daughter coming to the school, and his wife being the Headteacher.

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION THROUGH IMMEDIATE JUSTICE

Residents are invited to use a new scheme that sees offenders carry out meaningful local projects. Notts Police & Crime Commissioner, Gary Godden, invites residents to make referrals to the scheme through the website www.immediatejusticenotts.co.uk, which was launched to give residents a direct way of identifying locations affected by graffiti, litter, and other environmental issues that could benefit from visible reparation work. Immediate Justice is about delivering visible justice. Rather than simply passing through the criminal justice system, offenders carry out meaningful reparation work that directly benefits the communities impacted by antisocial behaviour.

CHESTERFIELD CANAL NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are needed for the Hollingwood Hub Information Centre & Shop and Tapton Lock Visitor Centre, which are open every day. This means that the Trust needs lots of volunteers to staff them for however many hours they can give. It’s ideal for anyone wanting retail and customer service experience. If you would like to help occasionally at either or both venues, e-mail publicity@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk

Maintenance volunteers are also needed. The Trust was awarded a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund to help recruit people to look after the restored sections of the Canal. This is a 2-year project to develop teams of volunteers, with the aim of maintaining and developing their local green spaces, both on the water and the surrounding environment. There are a variety of roles, some hands-on maintenance, monitoring the environment, conducting surveys, and keeping an eye out for areas that need attention. Training is provided. If interested or want to know more, e-mail maintenance@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk or phone 01246 477569.

BASSETLAW ACTION CENTRE: UPDATE

Bassetlaw Action Centre is continuing to help people in in the district. They need volunteers to help with a number of services where they will be given full training and expenses paid. The roles are:

drivers – using their own car or one of BAC’s vehicles (a wheelchair accessible vehicle or a minibus) to take people to appointments, shopping or on social visits

befrienders – creating friendships and talking regularly to people either face to face or on the phone

supported hospital discharge service volunteer – helping people who have recently been discharged from hospital to settle back home by doing odd jobs such as light cleaning or shopping or offering a short-term befriending service

administrator – general administrative duties within the Retford office.

Commitments can be as little as one hour a week and are structured to fit around the volunteer’s life. If you think that you might be a good match for one of these roles, or would like to ask some questions, please call 01777 709650, e-mail enquiries@actioncentre.org.uk or visit BAC’s website: bassetlawactioncentre.org.uk

BAC also offers trips in a fully accessible minibus. This is a door-to-door service, picking up from Misterton and West Stockwith. Membership is free for this service - just pay the cost of the seat on the bus, £12 for lunch club trips and £22.50 for day trips. In July, trips are:

Thursday 9^th Thoresby Courtyard Café – lunch club

Wednesday 15^th Downtown Superstore Grantham – day trip

Tuesday 21^st Monks Bridge Farm, Dinnington – lunch club

Wednesday 29^th Cleethorpes Beach – day trip.

To book, call 01777 709650.

MUSICIANS BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

West Stockwith Parish Church will host a concert on Sunday 13 September when musicians, who had played and sung at a candlelit event in the Church in May, will be back by popular demand. The concert is at 3.30pm. At the same time, there’s an art exhibition, drinks (bring your own alcohol), cakes, treats, and teddy bear stall, all open from 10.30am. Entry is £5. The folk musicians are from the Isle of Axholme are Treading Softly, Full Circle, and Dave & Dave (guitar, vocals, and violin) (pictured).

On Saturday 12 September, the Church is open for the annual Ride & Stride sponsored ride (or walk) around local churches. From 10.00am, cycle, walk, drive, push a pram, ride a horse – choose your method of transport! – around local participating churches. Half the sponsorship raised goes to the church of choice while half goes to the Notts Historic Churches Trust, which has supported St Mary’s in West Stockwith with grants towards building works.

Thanks so much for reading our local newsletter and for supporting us. We’re committed to providing Bassetlaw with the quality local news service it deserves, but sustaining this work may come with some challenges. Our team is currently discussing how to make Bassetlaw Today financially viable in the long term, and one option we’re considering is introducing a subscription model to help cover our costs.

We want to be open with you about these conversations so you’re aware that a fee may need to be introduced in the future. If that happens, we hope you’ll continue to stand with us and support the publication.

Have a great day and I look forward to seeing you read our next newsletter.

Justin Doddy, Editor