Monday Edition - Cheerleading Runner is Best in the World, Welbeck Farm Shop Crowned Champions, Jail for Worksop Shoplifter & More
Happy Monday to you all and I hope you had a great weekend. No Bank Holiday this week so it back to work today to make sure you get your daily news fix ..... so here is today's newsletter covering all things Bassetlaw, surrounding areas and of course - your daily puzzle fix.
Todays thought for the day ... "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard." — Tim Notke
Enjoy the read, please email us if you have a story for us and have a great Bank Holiday Monday wherever you are reading this.
Justin Doddy, Editor
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter if you haven't already and please forward the newsletter to a friend that you think may like it.
A Worksop shoplifter who brazenly stole from a number of shops has been put behind bars.
Three shops across Worksop were targeted by Joe Stanfield during his theft spree from 11 April to 28 April.
On three separate occasions, Stanfield stole items including shorts from Cockney Rebel Fashions in Bridge Place, and a pressure washer from Wickes, Babbage Way.
Police officers identified the 39-year-old from CCTV captured at each of the premises he targeted.The prolific shoplifter was then detained by Worksop officers after he was spotted in Bridge Street on 21 May.
Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday (22 May), Stanfield, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to three counts of shop theft.
Stanfield, the subject of a suspended sentence order from previous shoplifting offences, was jailed for a total of 28 weeks.
Did you know that a Retford man broke a Guinness World Record at the London Marathon in April, 2026?
George Carley is now officially recorded by the Guinness World Records as:
'The fastest marathon dressed as a cheerleader (male) is 2 hr 46 min 48 sec and was achieved by George Carley (UK) at the TCS London Marathon in London, UK, on 26 April 2026.'
He crossed the finish line in two hours and 46 minutes. The previous record was 3 hours and 1 minute.
Interviewed and reported on by Amelia Salmons of #rayoradio George said:
"I came up with quite a comprehensive list of feasible records that not only I thought I could beat, but also that I could still try and run quite quickly.
"A cheerleader just seemed like the obvious choice. It was quite similar to normal racing attire. I wore a skirt and my mum made me a DIY cropped top and pom-poms.
"This is my third marathon, but it all started when I watched my Dad run the London Marathon ten years ago. That is ultimately what got me into the London Marathon."
George ran the marathon in aid of the YMCA.
When asked if he would be tempted to try and break his record in the future, he told Rayo Radio:
"I would be tempted but maybe not that record again.
"I would definitely be tempted to try out some of the other more flamboyant records. You see people in all kinds of crazy outfits and I think that could be even more challenging.
"On my original list I was running as a wrestler or a tennis player. So, there are some that I would consider, but for now I want to revel in my current record before I consider doing any others"
Content courtesy of Rayo Radio and The Guinness Book of Records.
WELBECK FARM SHOP CROWNED REGIONAL ‘CHAMPION’ IN THE COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE AWARDS
The Welbeck Farm Shop has been crowned Regional Champion in the Countryside Alliance Awards in the Local Food/Drink category.
As a regional winner (for the Midlands), Welbeck Farm Shop, which sits in the heart of a vibrant food community on the Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire, will now advance to the grand final.
Fellow victors from across the UK will compete to be named the National Champion by a judging panel chaired by Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Tim Bonner. The winner will be announced at a Champions Reception taking place at The House of Lords on Wednesday 8 July 2026.
The Awards, often referred to as the ‘Rural Oscars’, are the Countryside Alliance’s annual celebration of British food and farming, enterprise and heritage. They are set apart from other award schemes because they are driven by public nomination.
Having been shortlisted by the public, the next stage of the judging process considered various factors such as: does the Welbeck Farm Shop champion ‘local food’ and support other local producers; is there a passionate commitment from the retailer; does it save or promote a traditional local food that may otherwise have been lost; and would winning this award help to tell a positive story about rural life.
Additionally, the Shop had to show how the local community has been put on the map by the quality and diversity of local produce being sold, and how it has helped to breathe life into the local community and economy.
Oliver Stubbins, Managing Director at Welbeck Farm Shop, commented:
“We are humbled to once again be recognised by the respected judging panel of the Countryside Alliance. It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Farm Shop team and the wonderful suppliers we work with, many of whom are based on the Welbeck Estate. This is an Award we were fortunate enough to have won 8 years ago, and we are honoured to be heading back to such an amazing venue with so many other fantastic rural businesses to await the announcement of the national winners.”
Since opening in 2006, Welbeck Farm Shop has earned a reputation for being one of the region's best farm shops. Much of the Shop’s product range is sourced from, or prepared on, the Welbeck Estate – it stocks the Estate’s own meat and game, and raw milk is sold in an in-store vending machine - it is also used to make the famous Stichelton blue cheese. Other Made at Welbeck range items include ale from Welbeck Abbey Brewery and bread from Welbeck Bakehouse.
Thousands on chauffeurs
BY: Eddie Bisknell
The Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Mayor has spent more than £9,300 on “luxury, executive, premium and high-end” chauffeurs in the past year.
Newly provided data from the East Midlands Combined County Authority shows Claire Ward, the region’s mayor, who has a salary of £93,000 and extra allowances, spent £9,328 on chauffeuring services between March 2025 and February 2026.
In October, the Mayor took on duties for public transport across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, which have now been passed over from the city and county councils.
The payments were all made legally using a Government-issued corporate credit card, with new data disclosed following lobbying from the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The new data shows that between September last year and this February, the Mayor spent (£7,820.39) on chauffeurs, in addition to the £1,508 previously disclosed.
Of the £7,800, most (£7,300) was spent on the provider Pinnacle, based in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, which describes itself as a luxury, executive, premium and high-end provider, with the rest via Blacklane in the USA.
Pinnacle details that its fleet comprises Mercedes S-class and BMW 7-series saloons, both of which are valued at more than £100,000 and include in-car Wi-Fi.
Previously, the combined authority had defended the use of chauffeurs as being a better use of the Mayor’s time than driving herself to and from visits across the extensive Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire patch – discussing issues such as public transport.
It also said that as a public politician there are safety and confidentiality considerations to be made about the Mayor’s travel while on her duties, with private chauffeuring firms insisting on DBS checks for drivers.
A spokesperson had also said Ms Ward is not allowed to drive a pool car under current legislation.
The LDRS asked for a statement from Ms Ward in response to the new chauffeur payment data, but a spokesperson for her office responded instead. They said:
“While we make every effort to arrange the Mayor’s calendar to enable multiple engagements in the same part of the region, there are some days where that is hard to achieve.
“The East Midlands is a large region, and it is important for the Mayor to visit all parts of it over the course of her term of office.
“On those days when the Mayor needs to be in multiple places over a single day, we use a local car hire company which has enough seat space so that she can make calls and catch up on email correspondence.
“This is a better use of her time than spending three or more hours driving herself.”
The new data also included a number of flights via British Airways to the USA and to France, totalling £2,685, paid for in February.
Accommodation for these trips, booked via Bnetwork in February, totalled £4,277, the combined authority details.
A spokesperson said the USA trip involved the Mayor forming part of a visit with the British Consultant General to lobby for the region and engage with investors in three different states: Chicago (Illinois), Columbus (Ohio) and Detroit (Michigan).
Meanwhile a flight to France, along with a £682 payment to a French meeting space organisation platform, were for the Mayor’s attendance and ticket for the annual international business summit MIPIM, held in Cannes, France, in March.
In response, a spokesperson said:
“Regarding the expenses associated with travel overseas, Mayor Claire represents the East Midlands on investment and trade delegations, and the associated expenses are in line with those duties.”
The authority’s allowance policy says members are expected to travel by bus or standard class rail and to share journeys where possible, with taxis to be used in “rare circumstances”.
It says overseas travel should represent “value for money” and that staff and officials ought to take advantage of offers where possible.
The combined authority previously stressed that its use of corporate cards is in line with other authorities of a similar size and was not an outlier.
Our three interesting facts for today ....
The Queen used to take a monogrammed kettle with her on all foreign trips
The Hitler Youth only drank decaf coffee
The first bendy straws were designed for use in hospitals
Extreme Wheels Roadshows' Skatepark Jam 2026 is coming to Worksop
FREE 'Skatepark Jam' event at The Canch skatepark, Worksop on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
Running between 12:00pm and 4:00pm attendees can expect a range of fun activities, including Music, Free riding, Prizes and giveaways, Competitions & Pro demo riders.
Important information: Open to ages 9+, participants must be competent in skatepark riding to enter, helmets must be worn at all times by all ages in every wheeled sport, no open-toed shoes or crocs, bring your own helmet, BMX, scooter, skateboard or rollerblades.
Lincolnshire: Council's Update on State of roads
By Jamie Waller
It could take three years for Lincolnshire’s roads to be considered ‘better than average’ – that’s according to the county council.
The state of the highways – particularly smaller ones – has been one of residents’ big complaints with the authority for several years.
The Reform-led council says that there will be a noticeable improvement over the next 12 months, with more focus on preventing problems to avoid expensive and disruptive repairs down the line.
Lincolnshire’s A, B and C roads are now rated better than average for English authorities, according to council data, although unclassified roads are still lagging behind.
A report on highways presented to the council on Friday (May 22) shows the council’s ambition for the next few years.
“By targeting funding where it has the greatest impact, the council expects Lincolnshire’s road condition to be better than the national average across A, B, C and unclassified roads by 2029,” it says.
“Increased investment in 2026/27 is already delivering measurable improvements in asset condition, alongside early signs of improved public satisfaction, helping to make everyday journeys smoother and more dependable.”
It says a renewed focus on prevention “delivers better value for money, extends the life of the network and reduces the impact of works on commuters and families.”
Just over 21 per cent of unclassified roads currently require some sort of maintenance. The council’s target is to bring this down to 15 per cent by 2029.
188 miles of road are being resurfaced over a six-week period, and 99 resurfacing and patching schemes are underway.
The meeting heard complaints from councillors across the political spectrum about the condition of roads.
Reform Councillor Kenneth Bamford said repairs were “inconsistent, often dumps of tarmac patted down with a spade.
“There’s the perception that crews of workstaff spend more time travelling around Lincolnshire than working on road repairs.”
Council leader Sean Matthews said that the trial of a JCB Pothole Pro was helping to turn that around.
“It doesn’t fix potholes, it fixes whole stretches of road which is the way to go,” he said.
“Just filling in a pothole leaves the damage under the road. [The Pothole Pro] is a long-term improvement to the road surface.”
Can you figure out today's puzzle?
First figure out the nine letter solution and then find as many words as you can in today's panagram that contain the letter T.
Our last panagram was MANNERISM. Read our next newsletter for the solution to today's puzzle.
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Justin Doddy, Editor
Bassetlaw Today
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