First Impressions
No. 01 - Part 04 - Millership Way
w/e 05 April 2009
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
In this part of our walk between the Awsworth By
Pass and Ilkeston we shall complete the route along the new link
road, Millership Way but to finish this section of the "First
Impressions" series we still have to follow the whole length
of Rutland Street and this will follow in Part 5.
We resume this time adjacent to the third new bridge (the one
over the Erewash Canal) that has been constructed to carry the
traffic on the new link. Here there is the first pedestrian access
(above left) since the start of the road at the Awsworth end.
This leads to new paths to the Wash Meadow Play Area, the canal
towpath and Station Road. Our route though is to continue along
the wide footpath of Millership Way (right above) where a number
of new trees and shrubs have been planted at the side of the
road but unfortunately the bark covered area has already become
something of a litter trap.
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As we near the built up area a number of signs come into view,
two official denoting a reduction in the speed limit from 50mph
to 30mph and the way ahead to Nottingham, Derby, Heanor and Ilkeston
and another not quite so official advertising a car washing business.
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That business is housed in the Rutland Industrial Estate although
parking would appear to be at a premium with one vehicle already
at roof level! This area of the Industrial Estate was previously
accessed via a narrow lane off the Rutland Street/Belfield Street
junction but is now directly off Millership Way.
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A new traffic roundabout has been constructed at the junction
mentioned above which also allows access to the Tesco store car
park and just before the end of Millership Way a crossing installed
for the benefit of pedestrians.
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A new entrance has also been created adjacent to the pedestrian
crossing into the Wash Meadow Play Area. The local council insist
on calling areas such as this by various names - for example,
we also have the Gordon Street Play Area and Chaucer Old Park
but local people still refer to them by names that have stood
the test of time. Gordon Street is The Ashes, Chaucer Old Park
is 'Illy 'Oleys and Wash Meadow (above) of course is Johnny's.
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The new entrance off Millership Way seen in the previous image
can also be seen on the extreme left of the picture above. Back
in 2005 when we passed this way on the Town Walk, I was speculating prior to the
start of the construction of the new link road about the future
of Johnny's but even though some alterations have been necessary
at this end of the site including the new barrier seen above,
the majority of Johnny's has survived intact. Some expats I know
will join with many of the town's current population in welcoming
this fact as it holds many memories of times gone by. Before
it was considered improper for animals to perform I recall a
Circus setting up here in the 1960s and a close encounter with
an elephant. No doubt other people have memories of Johnny's
but whether or not they are fit for publication is debatable.
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