EXPERT swimmer Alison Mackintosh jumped into the River Trent when she saw a dog struggling in the water.

Miss Mackintosh grabbed the dog by its collar and swam about 300 metres to a mooring, where it was pulled to safety.

The nine-month-old poodle was in the water next to Stoke Lock, Stoke Bardolph, at about 10am yesterday.

Miss Mackintosh, 40, of Prospect Road, Carlton, said: "The two things I love are swimming and dogs.

"As soon as I saw it in the water I thought 'I've got to get in'. I wouldn't recommend anyone go swimming in there, but I knew it was within my capabilities."

Miss Mackintosh, who is an experienced open-water swimmer, had been walking with her father and their five dogs at the time of the rescue.

"We saw the lock keeper running around up and down the side of the bank with his life-jacket on and another in his hand," she said.

"I ran to the lock approach and saw a lady at the bottom of the ladder, and a dog in the water.

"They had managed to get a life ring around the dog, but he was so big there was no way of lifting him out."

After getting into the three-metre deep water, she led the dog out into the Trent. "We hit the current and had to swim against it," she said. "It was slow progress but there was no panic. We got to the jetty and between us we managed to push the dog up and out.

"It was tired but once it had got out it was like nothing had happened."

Miss Mackintosh will be taking part in a 5km swim at today's Big Swim Nottingham event at the National Water Sports Centre.

Other interests include dog grooming and she is in the process of setting up her own mobile grooming business called Oh My Dog!

Miss Mackintosh added: "It was very fortunate that it was me who came along, someone who could do what was needed."

Mr McCabe, 63, of Stoke Bardolph, said he had been trying to help the woman and dog for ten minutes before Miss Mackintosh arrived.

Mr McCabe, who has been a seasonal lock keeper at Stoke Lock for the last two years, said: "It was a very large breed and there was no way we would have been able to drag it 8ft up the ladder and out of the lock approach.

"We've had a couple of dogs fall in before but they were smaller, and we've been able to lift them out with one arm and carry them up the ladder."

"We don't encourage people to jump in the river at any stage for any reason, but what Alison did was the only way we could have saved that dog's life."

The Post contacted the family of the dog. They asked not to be identified, but said they were "extremely grateful to Alison for helping", and "will be making our thanks to her in person."

Have you been involved in a dramatic rescue? E-mail newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk.

WHAT do you get if you cross Harry Hill, a former investment banker and a group of recovered addicts?

A new organisation delivering master classes in stand-up comedy, of course.

OK, so as a punchline it's not perfect.

But Kirstie Macdonald and Mark Christian, founders of social enterprise Laughing Matters, believe it is a great way to rebuild the self-confidence of people who have had difficulties in their life.

"If you can make people laugh, then it's great therapy," said Miss Macdonald, a former investment banker, who came up with the idea for Laughing Matters while studying at the University Of Nottingham.

"The most important thing is being able to take negative experiences and turn them into something positive. The aim is to put people into a situation where they feel safe and where they can learn to express themselves creatively, but also use tricks comedians use to build confidence and develop that stage persona."

Laughing Matters, which works in partnership with comedy club Just The Tonic, has launched its first four-week course for recovered alcohol and drug addicts.

It is run by professional comedian Sam Avery, from Liverpool. Participants will learn how to generate ideas and turn them into comedy routines. At the end of the four-week course, participants perform in a show for family and friends.

A pilot course in May achieved dramatic results: Austin Rees, 47, of Hyson Green, had used drugs since he was 14 but since the course, he has taken part in open mic nights in London and Nottingham and wants to perform at festivals.

"It was awesome," he said. "It's something I've always wanted to try and this gave me the confidence crack on.

"It's made a massive difference to my life. When you have treatment for drug addiction, they tell you to find something to fill the hole giving up drugs will leave and I was lucky to find Laughing Matters."

A fundraising concert featuring celebrity comedians, including Harry Hill and Paul Foot, will be held in September to help the social enterprise expand.

Money raised will fund future courses to help additional groups of people, such as children leaving care and people with mental health problems.

Miss Macdonald, 40, of Mapperley, said: "We were absolutely ecstatic with the feedback from the pilot because it is innovative and experimental."

Mr Christian, 32, of Sherwood, who is an administrator for Just The Tonic, said the pilot had worked better than they had ever imagined.

"We knew that generating their own material and presenting in an amusing way would be a huge confidence boost but we didn't realise how beneficial other aspects would be," he said.

"Other areas, like the creative aspect and the performance, were also beneficial in that people took those skills away and applied them in their everyday life."

For more information about Laughing Matters, go to www.justthetonic.com/laughing-matters.

ALTHOUGH the world's final telegram will be sent on Sunday, July 14, anyone looking to make history should book their message by 7pm on Friday, July 12.

The final message will come nearly 160 years after Samuel Morse sent the first telegram in America in 1844.

That first message was "What hath God wrought", and it was sent in Morse Code over an experimental line from Washington to Baltimore.

The message was taken from the Bible, and quoted Numbers 23:23.

The first telegraph service opened in the UK a year later and by 1913, a total of 82 million telegrams were sent each year.

As technology advanced, new ways of communication were developed.

By the 1960s, the number had dropped to 10 million, and in 1976, only 844 telegrams were delivered in the UK.

BT announced in 1981 that the telegram would be discontinued.

The final telegram message sent in the UK was sent in September 1982.

But despite its impending worldwide demise, the spirit of the telegram lives on in the 21st century.

Twitter – one of the world's most popular social networking website – uses the same sort of principles as telegram.

Users' "tweets" are confined to just 140 characters, meaning that, as with a telegram, senders have to master saying as much as possible in the fewest number of words.

IT was a simple instruction that to anyone else would have seemed insignificant.

But for 16-year-old Bernice Gleadle, it was the start of a lifetime of happiness.

The teenager received a telegram from 27-year-old soldier Edward Kozlowski on August 8, 1953, inviting her for a day out to Papplewick Lido.

The pair had first met less than a fortnight earlier at the old Victoria Ballroom.

After a second-date trip to the cinema, Edward sent the telegram to Bernice's home in Bloomsgrove Street, Radford. It simply read: "Meet You Two OClock Bus Stop Take Swimming Suit – Edward + + +."

Bernice, now Mrs Kozlowski, said: "That was the first telegram I'd had in my life.

"I remember being quite impressed. I was 16 years old and not used to courting.

"People were playing out in the sun at the Lido, and Edward was a very good swimmer."

She added: "There wasn't much communication in those days and we had no telephones.

"Edward had come over with the British Army as part of a Polish unit when I met him. Everything was against us because of the age gap and coming from different countries."

But within ten months of meeting, the pair were engaged.

They married at All Souls Church, Radford, on March 12, 1955, and settled in their first house together in Mitchell Street, Radford.

They then moved to St Ann's Wells Road and on to Gedling, having two children, son Ryszard and daughter Elzbieta along the way.

The family emigrated in 1966 to Australia, where Mr Kozlowski served with the Australian Air Force and Mrs Kozlowski worked as a midwife.

They came back to Nottingham in 1983 and settled in Vernon Avenue, Gedling, before moving to nearby Tamarix Close, where they have lived for over 25 years.

Mrs Kozlowski, now 76, also worked as a staff nurse at the Queen's Medical Centre.

In retirement, she wrote and published a book inspired by the couple's early life together, called 'Blossoms of Bloomo'.

She stumbled across the old telegram after friends recently asked her if a sequel novel was in the offing.

Mrs Kozlowski said the telegram also had special significance because later this month, it will be 60 years since she first met Mr Kozlowski, now 87.

But with India's state-run telecommunications company due to send the world's final telegram on Sunday, July 14, she also lamented the end of an era.

"Having sat and watched our four granddaughters tip-tapping on their phones, I can understand why there is no longer a market for telegrams.

"But with telegrams, you have something to hold and look back at.

"I wonder what my grandchildren will have to prompt their memories?

"Recalling such happy moments from a time long ago can be such a joy."

Have you ever received a memorable telegram? Let us know by e-mailing newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk.

A STUDENT who had his phone stolen on a bus to Clifton was forced to make a recording to say he had sold the handset, a court heard.

Afterwards, he was allowed to go by the thieves, who stole his BlackBerry during a string of robberies on the same day in Nottingham.

The man was sitting on the back seat of the bus at 4pm when the gang – Jerome McCloud, a 15-year-old and another man – approached.

The teenager asked to look at his phone and said he was buying it, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

Out of fear, the man agreed and the teenager gave him £5.

"Outnumbered and scared, he put up little resistance to what was taking place," said Christopher Lowe, prosecuting.

When he got off the bus, the third offender, who had been with McCloud and the 15-year-old, used the stolen phone's recording device to get the victim to say he had sold the phone.

He called police when he got to his girlfriend's house.

All three thieves were arrested.

One was dealt with separately at court but McCloud and the teenager were sentenced together.

They were charged with the theft and two robberies each in Nottingham, all in December last year.

After stealing the BlackBerry on the bus, McCloud robbed two men of their mobile phones and cigarettes as they walked home from a pub at 10.30pm.

He cycled up to the men and asked them what they had got on them.

Feeling fearful and intimidated, they handed over their belongings.

Earlier that day, the 15-year-old, who is now 16, robbed two 14-year-olds of their BlackBerry phones at 1pm.

The victims were walking over a footbridge to the Victoria Centre, Nottingham, when the teenager, who was in the company of 18-year-old McCloud, followed them.

The teenager, who cannot be identified, made small talk, asking them where they were from, before he asked if they had anything on them.

"If you shout...you won't see tomorrow," he told them as he asked for their mobile phones.

He put his hands in his pockets to give the impression he had a weapon and patted one of the down.

He did allow them to remove their Sim cards from their phones.

Judge Gregory Dickinson QC gave the teenager an 18-month supervision order, with a six-month curfew and specified activity requirement for 91 days.

McCloud, whose address cannot be published, was sent to a young offenders' institution for 15 months.

He has convictions for robbery of a mobile phone and assault with intent to rob.

Adrian Langdale, for him, said the robberies were unplanned and opportunistic.

His client had taken the battery out of the man's phone and replaced it with his own.

"So, in effect, he was getting a fully-charged battery for his phone," he said.

MORE than 200 children meant to start primary school in September were not offered a place even though their parents applied on time.

With only two months to go before the start of the new school year, Nottingham City Council is scrambling to find places.

The news comes as the council is working to increase the number of primary places in the city.

It has already spent millions of pounds on increasing capacity at Middleton Primary and Southwold Primary, in Wollaton, and Ambleside and Rosslyn Park, in Aspley. And more work is likely to create further spaces.

But Freedom of Information figures seen by the Post show that as of June 6, 224 children didn't have an offer of a place. This was out of 3,716 applications which were received by the deadline in January. Of those applications, 3,157 parents were given their first choice.

Councillor David Mellen, portfolio holder for children's services at the city council, said: "We're pleased that more parents are gaining their first preference places. A key reason for this is the significant investment we have made in recent years to increase school capacity, which has created 1,600 extra places.

"While the vast majority of parents do get their first-choice place, it is of course a significant issue for the small number who don't and we will always do our utmost to work with them and find an acceptable solution."

The figure of 224 without an offer is an increase of 52 per cent on 2010, though in that year there were only 2,874 applications received in time.

As a local education authority, the council is responsible for finding school places.

Parents can put up to six primary schools on their list of preferences.

If the council is unable to grant any, it must find an alternative and offer it to the parents.

Parents sometimes accept the offer but others reject it for a number of reasons, such as distance from their home.

At the end of September 2011, the Post reported that 100 children were still without a primary school almost a month into the term.

There is nothing to say so many will be without a place next term but one of the parents affected previously is concerned little has been done.

Kirsty Brennan lives in Aspley but eventually had to send son Tae-Jhuan Brennan-Robinson to Seagrave Primary School, Strelley.

She is concerned she will face difficulties when her younger son, Davantae, three, starts school in September 2014.

She said: "It seems like nothing has changed, which is frustrating.

"I'm expecting to have difficulty getting Davantae into a school as well. More places really need to be opened up."

Parents without a place can call the council admissions team on 0115 841 5568 or e-mail school.admissions@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Are you still waiting for your child to be offered a school place? E-mail marcus.boocock@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk

A MOTHER is worried that her autistic son will have problems after being refused a place at the primary school attached to his nursery.

Brandon-Lee Munn, four, attends nursery at Nottingham Academy but was one of 13 children declined entry to the primary school on the same site, in Greenwood Road, Sneinton after an appeal to an independent panel.

The school received 180 applications, double the 90 spaces it can allocate.

Brandon-Lee's mother, Natasha Mellor, 25, of St Ann's, is worried her son will become aggressive towards staff and other children if he is parted from his routine. She said: "He can be really aggressive and could end up hitting staff members, other kids and even himself."

Brandon-Lee has had help from an autism support worker for the past two months – if he moved schools, he would end up with a different helper.

"Everyone at the school is aware of him and knows how to deal with him. It would take a long time for another teacher to adapt and Brandon would find it difficult too," his mum said.

Nottingham Academy, as an independent school, doesn't have a set catchment area but looks at three criteria when deciding on admissions – how close children live, whether they have siblings at the school and if they are in care.

Brandon-Lee has not been issued a certificate of Special Educational Needs – if he had, the school would have given him a special dispensation.

Natasha and Brandon-Lee moved from Sneinton to St Anne's after he started at nursery and don't meet any of the criteria.

Steve Jones, primary head at the academy, said: "This year, we were overwhelmed with applications for reception.

"We have a very clear admissions policy and so applications that don't meet the criteria are rejected."

AN incredible 10,000 people in Notts have pledged to donate their organs after death following a campaign to boost numbers.

The Post backed the drive to encourage more people to "be a hero" and join the NHS Organ Donor Register. And since its launch in January, medical staff have been thrilled to see the figures rocket.

Carol Donaldson lost her son James nine years ago at the age of 24 and his organs were used to save the lives of four people – including a ten-year-old boy.

Carol, of Keyworth, said she was overwhelmed by the impact of the Be a Hero campaign. "I have been watching this campaign from the start," she said. "The impact has been remarkable and I am very proud to have been a part of it."

Liz Phillips, 48, of Retford, whose husband, Rick, donated his organs, knows just how important it is that people sign the register. In a cruel twist of fate, Liz's youngest daughter, Jade, 20, has been diagnosed with auto-immune liver disease and may need a new liver.

About 7,300 people are on the transplant waiting list in the UK. In Notts, more than 150 people are waiting for an organ transplant.

The news comes at the start of National Transplant Week.

Charmaine Buss, specialist nurse for organ donation at the Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which runs the QMC and City Hospital, said: "Joining the register helps families to know that their loved ones wanted to transform the lives of others."

COLIN Barrett used to paint the town red with Nottingham Forest. Now he paints houses in Southwell for a living.

When he retired through injury in 1981, Barrett went back to live in Southwell, where he works as a painter and decorator.

"I was killing time painting my house when a chap walked by and said that I could paint his if I liked," he said. "It took off from there and I've been doing it ever since."

Barrett started his career with Manchester City at the age of 17 on a wage of £14 a week. City had an experienced side that included the likes of Mike Summerbee, Colin Bell, Joe Corrigan, Glyn Pardoe and Francis Lee and Barrett made only 53 League appearances in six years.

He missed the FA Cup final when Ron Saunders dropped him and played in the semi-final the following season.

"I enjoyed my time at City but I was gutted not to play in the FA Cup final at Wembley and was desperate for first-team football," said Barrett.

"I was on the verge of joining QPR for £80,000. Malcolm Allison agreed a fee and I went down with my dad for talks with Gordon Lee, but it fell through.

"Then Brian Clough rang City and said he wanted to take me on loan for a month.

"I was only 22, but I said I wasn't interested in a loan deal, I wanted something permanent.

"Then Cloughie phoned me and said: 'I hear you don't want to come. You are in Manchester City's reserves but you can play in my first team. Come on loan, you might like me and I might like you. At least we will find out.'

"He wasn't taking 'no' for an answer and he told me to meet him outside Leek Town in an hour. I got in his Merc and he drove just down the road to a pub where we had lunch. He drove off and left me to walk back to my car and promised that if I went on loan for a month he would sign me. He told me to be at the City Ground at noon on Saturday before the game with Fulham.

"When I got to the ground he said 'Hello Colin, do you want a beer? It makes to play better, have a beer!

"I had a beer and made my debut in the 1-0 win.

"While I was on loan I continued to train at City and travelled down on Friday's or stayed at Alan Hill's guest house."

Barrett found life under Clough totally different to what he experienced at City. he added: "I got on well with him, but he did weird things sometimes.

"He certainly wouldn't get away with it today. But he was a great man-manager. The press loved him and I suppose the closest thing to him these days his Jose Mourinho.

"We did not train a great deal, with playing Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday. Sometimes we'd just have a walk along the banks of the Trent.

"They used to make us run through nettles, but we'd send the apprentices in first to flatten them down."

Barrett missed the start of the 1976-77 season through suspension and future England star Viv Anderson took his place. But he did manage to score twice as Forest won the Anglo Scottish Cup final.

"The following season I replaced the injured Frank Clark," said Barrett. "We played some superb football in the first half of that season and went on a great run.

"I remember Bob Wilson saying be

Barrett's Wembley jinx struck again. He missed the League Cup final against Liverpool with a stress fracture.

He finally made it to Wembley at the fourth attempt as Forest hammered Ipswich 5-0 in the Charity Shield but was then sidelined following a knee operation.

"Running out at Wembley was something special" he said.

"It was brilliant. I loved every second of it. I got to play there again against Southampton and also played in the European Cup, so I mustn't grumble."

WHAT do you get if you cross Harry Hill, a former investment banker and a group of recovered addicts?

A new organisation delivering master classes in stand-up comedy, of course.

OK, so as a punchline it's not perfect.

But Kirstie Macdonald and Mark Christian, founders of social enterprise Laughing Matters, believe it is a great way to rebuild the self-confidence of people who have had difficulties in their life.

"If you can make people laugh, then it's great therapy," said Miss Macdonald, a former investment banker, who came up with the idea for Laughing Matters while studying at the University Of Nottingham.

"The most important thing is being able to take negative experiences and turn them into something positive. The aim is to put people into a situation where they feel safe and where they can learn to express themselves creatively, but also use tricks comedians use to build confidence and develop that stage persona."

Laughing Matters, which works in partnership with comedy club Just The Tonic, has launched its first four-week course for recovered alcohol and drug addicts.

It is run by professional comedian Sam Avery, from Liverpool. Participants will learn how to generate ideas and turn them into comedy routines. At the end of the four-week course, participants perform in a show for family and friends.

A pilot course in May achieved dramatic results: Austin Rees, 47, of Hyson Green, had used drugs since he was 14 but since the course, he has taken part in open mic nights in London and Nottingham and wants to perform at festivals.

"It was awesome," he said. "It's something I've always wanted to try and this gave me the confidence crack on.

"It's made a massive difference to my life. When you have treatment for drug addiction, they tell you to find something to fill the hole giving up drugs will leave and I was lucky to find Laughing Matters."

A fundraising concert featuring celebrity comedians, including Harry Hill and Paul Foot, will be held in September to help the social enterprise expand.

Money raised will fund future courses to help additional groups of people, such as children leaving care and people with mental health problems.

Miss Macdonald, 40, of Mapperley, said: "We were absolutely ecstatic with the feedback from the pilot because it is innovative and experimental."

Mr Christian, 32, of Sherwood, who is an administrator for Just The Tonic, said the pilot had worked better than they had ever imagined.

"We knew that generating their own material and presenting in an amusing way would be a huge confidence boost but we didn't realise how beneficial other aspects would be," he said.

"Other areas, like the creative aspect and the performance, were also beneficial in that people took those skills away and applied them in their everyday life."

For more information about Laughing Matters, go to www.justthetonic.com/laughing-matters.

COLIN Barrett used to paint the town red with Nottingham Forest. Now he paints houses in Southwell for a living.

When he retired through injury in 1981, Barrett went back to live in Southwell, where he works as a painter and decorator.

"I was killing time painting my house when a chap walked by and said that I could paint his if I liked," he said. "It took off from there and I've been doing it ever since."

Barrett started his career with Manchester City at the age of 17 on a wage of £14 a week. City had an experienced side that included the likes of Mike Summerbee, Colin Bell, Joe Corrigan, Glyn Pardoe and Francis Lee and Barrett made only 53 League appearances in six years.

He missed the FA Cup final when Ron Saunders dropped him and played in the semi-final the following season.

"I enjoyed my time at City but I was gutted not to play in the FA Cup final at Wembley and was desperate for first-team football," said Barrett.

"I was on the verge of joining QPR for £80,000. Malcolm Allison agreed a fee and I went down with my dad for talks with Gordon Lee, but it fell through.

"Then Brian Clough rang City and said he wanted to take me on loan for a month.

"I was only 22, but I said I wasn't interested in a loan deal, I wanted something permanent.

"Then Cloughie phoned me and said: 'I hear you don't want to come. You are in Manchester City's reserves but you can play in my first team. Come on loan, you might like me and I might like you. At least we will find out.'

"He wasn't taking 'no' for an answer and he told me to meet him outside Leek Town in an hour. I got in his Merc and he drove just down the road to a pub where we had lunch. He drove off and left me to walk back to my car and promised that if I went on loan for a month he would sign me. He told me to be at the City Ground at noon on Saturday before the game with Fulham.

"When I got to the ground he said 'Hello Colin, do you want a beer? It makes to play better, have a beer!

"I had a beer and made my debut in the 1-0 win.

"While I was on loan I continued to train at City and travelled down on Friday's or stayed at Alan Hill's guest house."

Barrett found life under Clough totally different to what he experienced at City. he added: "I got on well with him, but he did weird things sometimes.

"He certainly wouldn't get away with it today. But he was a great man-manager. The press loved him and I suppose the closest thing to him these days his Jose Mourinho.

"We did not train a great deal, with playing Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday. Sometimes we'd just have a walk along the banks of the Trent.

"They used to make us run through nettles, but we'd send the apprentices in first to flatten them down."

Barrett missed the start of the 1976-77 season through suspension and future England star Viv Anderson took his place. But he did manage to score twice as Forest won the Anglo Scottish Cup final.

"The following season I replaced the injured Frank Clark," said Barrett. "We played some superb football in the first half of that season and went on a great run.

"I remember Bob Wilson saying be

Barrett's Wembley jinx struck again. He missed the League Cup final against Liverpool with a stress fracture.

He finally made it to Wembley at the fourth attempt as Forest hammered Ipswich 5-0 in the Charity Shield but was then sidelined following a knee operation.

"Running out at Wembley was something special" he said.

"It was brilliant. I loved every second of it. I got to play there again against Southampton and also played in the European Cup, so I mustn't grumble."

Monday, July 8

Career prep session with BEST on how to write CVs, application forms and personal statements: 10am-12pm at Aspley Community and Training Centre, and 1pm-3pm at BEST

Tuesday, July 9

Career prep session with BEST on jobs in the area and how to read job descriptions: 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm, both at BEST

Wednesday, July 10

Career prep session with BEST on interview techniques and how to dress, with the "stylicious'" catwalk: 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm, both at Aspley Community and Training Centre

Rosslyn School summer fair with the Decade of Better Health initiative - PCSOs, firefighters and Ridewise, among others: 2.45pm-4pm at Rossyln School

Thursday, July 11

Welfare reform session with BEST peer support workers, Nottingham City Homes housing patch managers, the city council energy team and Nottingham Credit Union: 2pm to 6pm at BEST

Friday, July 12

Jobs fair with employers and trainers: 10am to 3pm at BEST

Nottingham City Homes "swapper" event: 1pm to 3pm at Aspley Community and Training Centre

Monday, July 15

Love You, Love Aspley awards, where local people will be rewarded after being nominated in one of six categories. City council leader Jon Collins will be in attendance for his "leader listens" event: 5.30pm at Minver Crescent Sports Centre.

A HIGH-FLYING pupil has been presented with the one of the most prestigious honours in the Combined Cadet Forces.

Will Moon, 18, of Main Street, Lowdham, received the John Thompson Memorial Sword at an event at Old Warden, in Bedfordshire.

The sword is presented to the best CCF cadet in the country, from a pool of around 9,000.

Will, a student at Trent College, Long Eaton, joined the cadets as part of a requirement at his school but sped through the ranks as his enthusiasm caught on.

As well as claiming his gliding scholarship Silver Wings award, he has been a member of the cadets' brass band and attended overseas Nato summer camps.

He said that the sense of responsibility and achievement through leading others had spurred him on.

"I started to get really involved and got promoted early on. I got a taste for leadership and studied to get up the ranks..

"I enjoyed the responsibility; it spurred me on to do more."

In the long term he will be focusing on joining the RAF regiment, but now plans to study philosophy at Durham University.

He said that studying the great thinkers should put him in good stead with the air force.

"I like asking questions about all sorts of things. It involves problem-solving and being logical about important issues.

"I think if I joined the RAF, I'd need to be able to do a lot of problem-solving in the field."

Mum Stella, 48, and dad Peter, 56, have both been blown away by Will's achievements.

Peter said that two years ago, they'd attended the same ceremony with Will performing in the brass band.

"I didn't think that two years later he would be receiving the same award.

"We're very proud of him. It's quite an honour to be selected as the best RAF cadet in the country."

Stella said Will had been an inspiration to the younger cadets in the force.

"It's very difficult to be modest when you're talking about your son but he's been great with the younger cadets. He's always encouraging them to achieve their full potential."

Flight Lieutenant Sue Haris, RAF Station Commander at Trent College, said that Will had throughout his four years with the cadets rarely passed up any opportunities he was given.

She said: "From coming in at year 10, every chance that we put forward he grasped.

"He wouldn't have been awarded this if he wasn't an exceptional cadet.

Flight Lieutenant Harris added that Will had all the qualities to go far in the RAF.

"He's enthusiastic, positive, a self starter, proactive and independent. I know he'll go far, no matter what he chooses to do."

A CHOIR with a difference is preparing to perform at the annual Radcliffe carnival – but not with instruments and sheet music.

The South Nottinghamshire Academy Signing Choir has wowed audiences up and down the country with its sign language renditions of classic songs over the past year.

The group from Radcliffe has performed at Wembley and Birmingham's LG arena and is now looking forward to entertaining crowds closer to home at Saturday's Radcliffe carnival.

Hattie Lord, 12, joined the choir because she was inspired by her older sister's performances with the group.

She said: "The choir, including my sister, did a performance at last year's Radcliffe carnival. I was inspired by it and decided to join with my friends.

"Now, I've learned so many words in sign language and I think it is such an important skill. It helps you communicate in all sorts of situations."

The choir will perform songs ranging from Gary Barlow's Sing to a Coldplay medley and Emily Sande's Next Time at the carnival, which is to be held throughout the village with a theme of myths and legends.

There will be a parade, stalls and activities for all ages.

Nick Entwisle who is a teacher at the academy and assists the choir with its practices said the group was much loved in the local community.

He said: "The choir was set up following the success of a Year 7 activity which taught students basic skills in British Sign Language (BSL). A group of students asked if they could continue with signing sessions.

"So, Simon Astill, who is deaf and has a passion for signing to music, stepped in to set up the choir.

"I have assisted him over the last year as I have deaf friends and have learnt sign language myself.

"Every time we perform, we get encouragement from the community and the parents are very supportive. Many students have asked if they could gain qualifications in BSL in the future."

The next big show for the choir will be another performance at Wembley in March next year.

Choir member Amber Eadie, 13, said she loved being part of the group.

She said: "It is really fun to be in the choir because it is something different and exciting.

"After every performance, I feel like I have achieved something and I have a proud glow.

"Our performances are a spectacle because we do it in rounds with choreographed movements around the stage. I hope lots of people come and see us at the carnival."

A COMMUNITY garden is launching a weekly scheme aimed at getting kids creative in the outdoors.

The Summerwood Community Garden, in Sumerwood Lane, Clifton, is launching the project for 8-13-year-olds, which will see kids learning a range of skills, from gardening to painting murals and cooking in an outdoor oven.

The sessions will run every Friday throughout the summer, starting on July 27.

Emma Jordan runs the garden.

She said: "We like to increase the amount of things we put on over the holidays. It's focused on a mixed youth group – young people who are making that transition from primary to secondary school. It's a good way of getting them to mix together.

"We've done younger sessions before and slightly older ones but there was a need for this age group.

"It's a really good way of engaging them. A lot of young people don't spend much time outside and it engages them with nature – they often haven't seen where eggs come from and we've got beehives to show where honey is made and an outdoor kitchen."

She added: "It does not have to be about gardening, it's about embracing the outside. You can come down and be creative."

The sessions will also feature two professional artists helping the youngsters to get creative by decorating the side of a shed.

Emma said: "We're hoping the young people can design and create a mural with the artists and then put it onto the shed."

She added: "On top of that we're doing a cooking theme running throughout the summer with a traditional clay oven – we'll be getting people to pick tomatoes, make their own dough and make pizzas with fresh herbs and courgettes.

"It's about getting them to see how exciting it is to grow something and pick it, wash it and cook it, straight from the ground."

The event will be free and Emma hopes it can become a more regular event.

"We'd like it to become an after-school club eventually if we can get the funding – we've had a lot of parents asking for that.

"Young people can spend so much time indoors and it's a good way of getting them outside and learning environmental things, sustainability and not being scared of nature."

Karen Humble, who runs a childminding service in Clifton, takes her own children as well as those she is looking after to the community garden.

The mum-of-four, who lives off Greencroft, said: "We use it a lot. We've done all the activities and the kids love it up there.

"In a city environment, you've got this small area which is all about nature. The kids can wander in and get the eggs from the hutch, pick fresh fruit and vegetables. It's like the countryside in the city."

She added: "To have something for the older ones too is good."

Karen's daughter Emily said she enjoyed going to the garden.

The eight-year-old, who attends Dovecote Primary School, said: "I like it – I like the flowers and sometimes we cook stuff."

The sessions are funded by grants from The Meadows Partnership Trust.