What Notts: The Latest News and Stories

MAMBA MESS
It’s awful to see the synthetic high epidemic that’s been sweeping across the city over the past few months. Psychoactive substances, including Black Mamba and Spice, can cause hallucinations, paranoia and panic attacks, with users being likened to zombies while they’re high. Thanks to the low cost, prevalence, and highly addictive nature of the drugs – often likened to cannabis, but a hell of a lot more dangerous – they’ve become popular with some of Nottingham’s most vulnerable and excluded groups.

Emergency services have been called to treat users who are high in the city centre, with one report stating paramedics were called to treat nine “spice zombies” struggling to breathe or speak in Milton Street. Sadly, one man has lost his life to the drug. The 37-year-old Framework shelter resident was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services after taking Black Mamba. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, you can access Nottingham’s Double Impact service by calling 0300 123 6600.

MILKIN’ IT
The mighty mothers of Notts are a force to be reckoned with and, last month, they came together to stick themselves firmly in the record book. Participating in The Global Big Latch On, mams and their babs took themselves over to Sobar to get stuck into a massive breastfeeding session, aiming to smash the world record for the number of mums breastfeeding at the same time, bring ‘em together, and fight back at the stigma surrounding breastfeeding in public. You tell ‘em, mommas.

BARE CUPBOARDS
When the sprogs are off for the summer, it can be a struggle to keep food on the table. So much so that one of Nottingham’s busiest food banks – Mount Zion, in Radford – has all but run dry. “This is the busiest we have ever seen it,” says coordinator, Trevor White. “We can give up to 36 family packets per week, but fifty or more families are coming to us every week now.” If you can, take some non-perishables down and help ‘em out.

PROFESSOR HOPS
The University of Nottingham are offering the chance to turn sinking pints into a profession, as they’re on the hunt for professional beer tasters to take part in their study. Alright, it’s not quite a “session” but the university’s Sensory Science Centre are on the hunt for drinkers with a sensitive palate, to help them figure out how the aroma and flavour of beer changes as alcohol content is changed and time passes. Sound like a bit of you? Get in touch with ‘em.

DON’T RELEASE THE HOUNDS
A woman and a young child weren’t half given the fright of their life the other week as they were chased into the water at Vicar Water Country Park, Clipstone, by four vicious dogs. The beasts, believed to be American Bulldogs, chased the 23-year-old and the child into the water and killed their family dog, Larry, a one-year-old daschund. The dogs have been seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act while police investigate.

WINDOW SHOPPING
Some poor, daft bogger thought he were quids in when he came up with the plan to rob a house on Olga Street in St Ann’s last month. But alas, like all bad plans, it was foiled when the coppers turned up and caught him red handed at the scene of the crime... stuck in the window. He was sent to QMC with minor injuries from the broken glass, a bruised ego, and a criminal record. Sodding Nora.

BROADMASH
Work has begun on redeveloping Broadmarsh, with the demolition of the car park now under way. 250 million smackers are being pumped into the area, which will finally see the shopping centre take a step out of the seventies and into the slick world of modern day Notts. Ahem. As much as we’ve been moaning about the need for an upheaval, we reckon we might actually miss the owd brute now it’s gonners. Inabit, ya bogger.