Review Of The Year (part three) -- news that made the Chad headlines in 2022

Vivid images that made 2022 a memorable year, and not all for the right reasons.

It was another turbulent, tumultuous year. We smiled, cried, raged or despaired as 2021 brought us the rail and nurses’ strikes, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, the Qatar World Cup, Matt Hancock in the jungle, Just Stop Oil protests, soaring energy bills, the return of ‘Top Gun’, the triumphant England Lionesses, the climax of ‘Peaky Blinders’, Wagatha Christie, Elon Musk’s Twitter, three Prime Ministers in seven weeks, ‘The White Lotus’, booming inflation, England winning cricket’s T20 World Cup, Volodymyr Zelensky, ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Big Boys’, David Beckham queueing, Holly and Phil not queueing, Boris Johnson telling Parliament: ‘Hasta la vista, baby’, Harry and Meghan on Netflix, the crowning of Lionel Messi and the demise of Cristiano Ronaldo.

What’s more, although we tried so hard to get rid of them, Covid-19, Brexit and Donald Trump all lingered for longer than we anticipated.

But what of 2022 in Mansfield and Ashfield? What kind of year was it for us? In this four-part Review Of The Year, we take a look back at the most-read news and sport stories that made the Chad headlines, continuing with July to September.

JULY

CAFE SADNESS – sadness as one of the area’s most popular cafés, Sid And The Spoon in Mansfield Woodhouse, closes its doors. It was launched in 2016 to help Jodi Stephens grieve for her beloved baby son Sid, who had just died. It won lots of customers and supported numerous charity events, even earning a Chad business excellence award for giving free food to children in need during the pandemic. But Jodi decides it is “time to go out on a high”.

CINEMA BAN – four teenage friends are stunned to be turned away from the Odeon cinema in Mansfield -- for being dressed smartly. The 13-year-old pals fall foul of a new code that bans people in 'formal attire'. They had dressed up to see ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’, echoing a viral TikTok trend which shows cinema-goers in suits, with many taking along bananas for comedic effect.

WEDDING DAY SAVED – a couple’s wedding day is saved at the last minute after their original venue goes bust. Warren Brown, aged 25, from Mansfield Woodhouse, and 22-year-old Sophie Tadman, who met on Tinder, were heartbroken when hearing the receivership news just a month before the big day. But they are rescued by the Carr Bank Wedding Venue in Mansfield and everything goes to plan.

STAGS START BADLY – in sport, Mansfield Town, still scarred by their play-offs defeat at Wembley, are on the receiving end of a 2-0 defeat on the opening day of the new season at Salford City. Nigel Clough’s men are behind from the fifth minute and struggle to cope with Salford’s pacy attack.

AUGUST

FIRST ASHFIELD DAY – more than 12,000 people flock to Sutton Lawn and enjoy live music, an open-air cinema, dog shows and funfair rides, as part of the first Ashfield Day, organised by the district council. Coun Jason Zadrozny, leader of the council, hails the event as “a major success” and vows to repeat it in 2023. One person in the crowd beams: “What an incredible day! We loved every minute.”

CAR PARK SCAMS – complaints about alleged car park ticket scams are a regular theme throughout the year, including this month as a 72-year-old man is landed with a £100 fine after visiting the Forest Road retail car park in Sutton. Franchino Renda is furious, claiming the system is unfair, and Citizens Advice Ashfield reports cases where drivers have refused to pay and ended up with huge debts.

TRIBUTES TO ‘MOLE MAN’ – tributes are paid after the death of Mansfield’s ‘mole man’ Geoff Smith, who once spent a record-breaking 142 days buried alive in the garden of Mansfield pub, The Railway Inn. Ardent Stags fan Geoff, 61, who leaves five children and five grandchildren, performed the underground stunt in 1998, attracting the attention of national TV.

GLORY FOR HARRIERS – Mansfield Harriers athletics club clinch prestigious promotion in the first season of their return to senior league track and field competition. Harriers go into the last round knowing only a win or second place would be good enough and, under the management of Stef and Rachel Wilcockson, they respond with a magnificent performance to finish first, hammering champions Pontefract.

SEPTEMBER

QUEEN’S COFFIN BEARER – Selston man Luke Thompson is among the coffin bearers at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The former Ashfield School pupil is one of the proud 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards carrying the monarch's coffin from Westminster Hall to a gun carriage before taking it on to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service.

TOUR OF BRITAIN HITS TOWN – hours before the Queen dies on September 8, thousands of people turn out across Mansfield as the Tour Of Britain cycle race hits town. Stage five of the iconic event, from West Bridgford, is won by Belgium's Jordi Meeus in a nailbiting final 100m outside Mansfield Civic Centre. The cyclists also pass through Ravenshead, Blidworth, Edwinstowe, Warsop and Mansfield Woodhouse. Mansfield’s own Ross Lamb finishes 35th.

DUNKIN’ DELIVERS – free doughnuts, offers and giveaways greet customers at Mansfield’s new Dunkin’ store, off Southwell Road West, close to Ransom Wood Business Park. The opening is marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and games for customers. The store is Dunkin’s 25th in the UK store and its first in Nottinghamshire.

CUCKNEY SCUPPERED – in cricket, Cuckney just fail to claim the Notts Premier League title on the season's final day as they crash by 121 runs to Papplewick and Linby while rivals Cavaliers and Carrington scrape a one-wicket victory to be crowned champions. Cuckney skipper Tom Ullyott says he is still proud of his young side.

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