2016 sees the return of Nottingham’s own grass court tennis tournaments, Aegon Open Nottingham WTA and ATP, after sell-out success last year. Why not head down to the Tennis Centre and watch the action out on court!
Last year the WTA tournament saw 17 year old rising star Ana Konjuh from Croatia beat off stiff competition in the form of Monica Niculescu in the final, to be the first woman to lift the Elena Baltacha Trophy. It returns this weekend running from 4th to 12th June.
Nottingham is looking forward to welcoming British Number 1 – Johanna Konta, and fellow Brits Laura Robson, Heather Watson and Naomi Broady.
You can buy your tickets online by visiting the tournament website! Go on – see some world class tennis in Nottingham!
There’s loads going on at your local library this half term week – they’re the place to be for free fun activities during the time off from school. So give us your biggest toothy grin, we’re off the Batcave!
Younger OppNotts-ers can celebrate National Smile Month in Bulwell with a visit from the Tooth Fairy plus stories and lots more fun! Join in at Bulwell Riverside on Wednesday 1st June 2-3pm. You can brush up on your reading and maybe take part in some craft activities – cutting and (tooth)pasting; you’d be at a floss to explain why you weren’t there! Plus, I couldn’t think of a pun for mouthwash.
Doesn’t take your fancy? Well, as the late great David Bowie (ask your mum or dad or nan) once said “we can be heroes, just for one day”, so why not be a SUPERhero for the day. Starting from Tuesday 31st May, Libraries across Nottingham will be full of more super-folk than Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Join us for superhero stories and craft activities and come dressed as your favourite superhero? I’ve got my green facepaint on and ripped up my pyjama bottoms already!
You can get in on the superhero action at Wollaton Library: Tuesday 31 May 10.30 – 11.30am, Hyson Green Library: Tuesday 31 May 10.30 – 11.30am, Sherwood Library: Wednesday 1 June 11am -12noon, Nottingham Central Library: Wednesday 1 June 2 – 3pm. Sneinton Library: Wednesday 1 June 2 – 3.30pm, and Aspley Library: Friday 3 June 10.30 – 11.30am.
The last event you can drop into this week is at Bilborough Library on Thursday 2 June 1.30pm – 5.30pm. In association with the National Videogame Arcade, the library is hosting a Make IT Fun Day! A fun free event for all the family, come and explore IT with Makey Makey provided by the National Videogame Arcade, code club for beginners, iPad trials, crafts and much more! All followed by afternoon tea at 4.30pm – don’t try and eat the raspberry pi though! So come on down, join the fun and learn more about computer wizardry!
To find out more about the great events happening at your local library here or sign-up for emails from the library service via Nottingham City Stay Connected.
Over the last two weeks, competition has been hotting up at Harvey Hidden Sport Village. The pool offered no respite from the sweltering heat, as it was here that the schools of Nottingham pitted their swimming skills against each other in the Nottingham School Swimming Galas.
Schools from across the city took part in events from freestyle to butterfly and when the points were totted up Fernwood Primary won the Key Stage 2 Championship with Blue Bell Hill winning the Key Stage 2 Novice event. In the Keystage 3 Championship it was another victory for Fernwood, the secondary academy this time. A strong performance from Wollaton but great to see St Anns representing in the Novices.
This year also marked the 125th anniversary of school swimming, allowing staff to be inventive and give pupils a blast from the past: a Victorian swimming lesson, showing the changes over the years! 170 children took part experience in this innovative PE and history crossover which proves there’s no end to the creativity of teachers and swimming instructors in Nottingham!
And, they’re not finished there: Future plans include a water safety week in conjunction with the RLSS Drowning Prevention Week, plus increasing partnership with the Fire Brigade and St John’s Ambulance to provide children with the opportunity to learn skills in personal survival, first aid and see the work of our emergency services first hand. There are also new courses for Year 10 students to become Aquatic Helpers to assist on poolside and support their young leaders qualification and a chance to look at future employment.
Nottingham School Swimming is also working in partnership with Nottingham City Sport and Leisure and schools to challenge parents to support their children’s school swimming by taking them to weekend swim sessions too. If a child takes their receipt from the weekend session back to school they can then be rewarded in class with merit points. The pupil with the highest number of receipts in each pool will receive a block of free swimming lessons with Nottingham City Swim School.
