DIVORCE lawyers in Nottingham are preparing themselves for one of the busiest times of the year after miserable holidays for many couples.

More than 40 per cent of marriages end in divorce with September, following the summer holidays, and January, following Christmas, the most common break-up times.

Simon Leach, an expert in family law at Nottingham Family Law Group, in the city centre, said: "When marriages are unstable it is often that one of the parties decide enough is enough following a holiday, which is when families should be having their highest quality time together. During the summer couples tend to have been in each other's company more, and in September they take stock of whether the marriage is worth pursuing or not."

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FOLLOWING the death of John Mounteney, I suggest we celebrate John's faithfulness. Utterly faithful, and devoted, to Daphne throughout nearly 50 years of marriage and faithful, too, to the wider family.

Faithful to a wide circle of friends, as many of us can bear witness. Faithful to the highest principles during a long and distinguished business career.

Faithful to the city of Nottingham in which he was born, educated and worked.

Faithful over many years to a cause so very dear to his heart, Notts County Football Club.

And faithful, not least, to his belief in Christ. John lived and died with a personal faith in Christ which found expression in his regular church attendance and helped to make him the sort of man he was.

It's my privilege to be President of the Former Notts County Players' Association and there was no evening John and Daphne enjoyed more than the association's annual dinner. They knew every single former player and, more than that, knew something about them and their family.

Having started supporting the club as an eleven-year-old in 1946 he later served in various capacities – as chairman and then president of the Centenary Association; a member of the committee of the club's fund-raising operation, County 75; chairman of Lifeline from its inception until the late 1990s; and, supremely, as loyal vice-chairman successively to chairmen Jack Dunnett and Derek Pavis.

It was entirely fitting, and greatly welcomed by John's many admirers, for the club to honour his service by appointing him an Honorary Lifetime Vice-President.

I saw John overcome with emotion when, in 1990 and 1991, Notts achieved two promotions, both through Wembley play-offs, and when, as recently as May, Notts were spared the ignominy of relegation.

On numerous occasions I also saw how desperately anxious he was when, in 2002 and 2003, Notts were embroiled in administration for 18 months and how, inevitably really, he played a part, with others, in finding a light at the end of a long tunnel.

I know how proud he was to have his half-century of meritorious service to football recognised by the Football Association.

We shall all miss him, quite terribly, but Daphne and the family much, much more than the rest of us. Though this is not a fashionable thing to say in the macho world of football, John was a dear friend who, quite simply, we all loved.

COLIN SLATER MBE

BBC Radio Nottingham

A TOWN council was filmed for the first time despite past calls for recording to be banned.

In April, Stapleford Town Council made the decision not to allow members of the public to film what goes on in the council chamber, despite the Government telling them to be more transparent.

Out of 16 councillors only two voted for filming to be allowed but now the law has changed which makes it illegal for them to ban it.

On Friday, the first meeting at Carnegie Civic and Community Centre in Warren Avenue was filmed by the Stapleford Community Group.

Chairman Richard MacRae said: "We are happy with the new laws as we always thought published minutes have never been a true reflection of what really takes place at a council meeting. Now on film you can see what really happens."

MORE than 1,000 tram passengers have been fined since the new penalty fares system was introduced.

Since June, new green and silver-coloured buy-before-you-board machines have appeared outside tram stops across the city.

But they have caused much controversy, with 1,050 people so far receiving a £50 fine. Anyone who is given such a notice has the right to appeal under a three stage appeals process.

Tomorrow, Nottingham City Council's Greater Nottingham Light Rapid Transit Advisory Committee will give their views on three letters from people who have been fined.

Former RAF medic Vicky Hallam, pictured, won her appeal. The 31-year-old, of Wootton Bassett, had been staying in Nottingham to celebrate her mother's birthday, and caught the tram from Hucknall. She said she missed the signs and had money in her hand to pay, but was told she would have to get off and pay a fine.

According to a report by the director of Nottingham Express Transit, people are becoming more aware of the changes.

It reads: "Since the commencement of penalty fares the average rate of issue of penalty fare notices has fallen from around 32 per day (measured over a 14-day period) to around 12 per day."

Hucknall: Dean Staniforth, 44, of Palmer Avenue, is accused of making a threat to kill a female in Hucknall on August 14. At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, he was bailed to attend Nottingham Crown Court on December 23.

Carlton: Shannon Bird, 24, of Lilac Avenue, Carlton, pleaded not guilty to causing criminal damage to the windscreen of a Ford Fiesta in Carlton on July 31. Bird was bailed to attend his trial at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on October 23.

Aspley: A man has been conditionally discharged for six months for being drunk and disorderly. Alan Brightman, 39, of Felstead Road, admitted the offence happened in Wollaton Road, Nottingham, on August 10. At the city's magistrates' court, he was ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and costs of £85.

Eastwood: Bella Hibbert, 49, of William Avenue, denied assaulting a female in Eastwood on August 12. She has been bailed to attend her trial at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on December 5.

Thorneywood: Adam Downie, 25, of Thorneywood Mount, denied assaulting a female in Gedling on August 7. At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, he was bailed to attend his trial on November 27.

Newark: Kyle Sullivan, 28, of Yorke Drive, pleaded guilty to being a scrap metal dealer without a licence in Newark on May 19. Sullivan was fined £65 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and costs of £85.

Newark: Danny Coss, 25, of Tudor Close, caused criminal damage to a door at his address on July 2. At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, he pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and costs of £85.

Gedling: Mark Iwaskiw, 43, of Queens Avenue, denied assaulting two people in Gedling on August 10. His trial has been listed at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on November 5.

Balderton: Aiden Jones, 23, of Anderson Close, has been bailed to attend Nottingham Magistrates' Court on September 26. He pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to furniture in Balderton on August 7.

Carlton: Kerry Needham, 28, of Westdale Lane, has been bailed after being accused of assaulting a female in Burton Joyce on August 10. She will be sentenced on October 3. She pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on August 27.

Hucknall: Jake Rodgers, 20, of Hazel Grove, pleaded guilty to assaulting a female in the town on August 16. At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, he was bailed to be sentenced on October 3.

Bulwell: Scott Bowler, 36, of Denham Street, was found guilty of assaulting a female in Nottingham on March 30. At the city's magistrates' court, he was handed a community order, with supervision from the probation service for 18 months. He was fined £50 and told to pay a £60 victim surcharge and costs of £329.

Newark: Darren Gray, 23, of Pierson Street, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in the town on August 17.

Magistrates in Nottingham fined him £200 and ordered he pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85.

Newark: Nicky Gresswell, 32, of Winthorpe Road, has been granted bail to attend Nottingham Crown Court. He allegedly possessed cannabis with intent to supply on July 7.

He is further charged with supplying quantities of the drug to people in the town between June 7 and July 7. His case will be listed for plea on January 2.

Kimberley: Becky Harrison, 22, of Broxtowe Avenue, was fined £200 for drink-driving. She was in a Ford Focus in Alfreton Road, Canning Circus, Nottingham, when she was driving over the limit on August 17.

After pleading guilty at Nottingham Magistrates' Court, JPs heard she had 63 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The limit is 35. She was ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and costs of £85. A driving ban of 12 months was imposed.

The Meadows: Martin Kadlec, 33, of Wilford Crescent East, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and amphetamine in Nottingham on August 17.

At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, Kadlec was fined £75 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85.

The drugs have been forfeited and will be destroyed by a police officer at the Bridewell Police Station.

A LANDMARK hotel in Nottingham which closed suddenly this year will throw open its doors again in November.

The Lace Market Hotel, in High Pavement, was shut by administrators in May after running into serious financial difficulties.

It was later bought by the Higginson family, which owns the building it occupies.

By the time they have completed a comprehensive refurbishment, they reckon they will have spent £1.5 million bringing the business back to life.

And they have revealed that it will feature individually-designed rooms, a Betty's-style tea room and a new name for its adjoining pub.

David Higginson, whose family has been involved in the licensed trade in Nottingham for many years, says the hotel will still be an upmarket, boutique-style establishment but will be very different.

"The fabric of the building is something we can't touch and nor would we really want to because it's so special," Mr Higginson said. "But we've started again with everything else – carpets, curtains, beds, paintwork, everything. We've even had to throw out 1.5 tonnes of paperwork we found in the building. What we're aiming for is something which is individual, unique and has a lot of personal touches – it's going to be independent, inviting, indulgent and every room will have its own style."

Rooms will also have HD televisions and very high speed wifi.

The hotel is likely to be pitched at the same level as Hart's and won't be plying for trade in the stag and hen-do market. Its standalone restaurant and bar operations are also being ditched in favour of a more open area which will offer food and drink but also cater for afternoon teas.

While the hotel's neighbouring pub will continue, it will no longer be called the Cock and Hoop. Mr Higginson suggesting it might revert to the County Tavern – its original name.

The hotel is trying to recruit a senior team before other staff are taken on.

Singer Lauren Lovejoy has sailed through to the next round of X Factor after receiving four yeses from the judges.

Wearing a black dress and sporting her trademark beehive hairstyle, the 25-year-old, from Gamston, told the judges that she sees animals in people.

She called Simon a lion, Mel B a panther, Louis a seal and Cheryl a 'beautiful Persian cat', before impressing with her rendition of Why Don't You Do Right by Peggy Lee.

Lauren, who has recently released her first music video for her new track Dontcha Go, was crowned Miss Congeniality at the Miss Universe Great Britain Final in July.

What do you think of Lauren? Tell us below

A CHILD could be killed in the chaos outside our school gates – that's the stark warning from education officials.

Now they've launched a drive to get parents to park further away.

The new school year has signalled the return of jams outside schools in Notts as parents drop off and pick up their children.

Streets deserted this time last week are now clogged with cars twice a day.

Nottingham City Council is now telling parents to park further away and walk to the gates – a move backed by head teachers and local residents.

The council has produced a video campaign asking parents to "stop and think, and park somewhere else".

Many schools already have "keep clear" signs or zigzag lines outside the gates. Parents can be fined by councils for ignoring these restrictions. Kaye Smith, the city's senior officer for road safety education, said they wanted to persuade parents before issuing fines. She said: "Parents think they may be keeping their own child safe, but they are putting other children's lives in danger by reducing visibility."

Andrew Sharp, head of Robin Hood Primary, in Bestwood Park, said his school was already urging parents to "park a bit further away and stroll". But parents did not always take notice. He said: "We don't want to get rid of all congestion, because it does slow people down."

A report last year by insurer Axa labelled Nottingham as one of the worst cities in the UK for accidents around schools. It showed that, between 2006 and 2011, there were an average of 42.5 accidents within 500 metres of each school.

Notts County Council has also been working to reduce the problem.

Among schools where problems have been reported is Coppice Farm Primary, Arnold. Alan Parker, who lives in nearby Laver Close, became so fed up with parents parking on his driveway that he had a bollard built to stop them.

He said: "Parents park wherever they can. It is fortunate that no one has been seriously injured along here, because it gets so busy."

WHAT a difference a week makes. Last Monday, it was a serene affair outside schools such as Coppice Farm Primary and George Spencer Academy.

But today it will be very different – with hundreds of parents dropping off their children in their cars.

The entrances to both schools are based at the end of normally-quiet little cul-de-sacs.

But at about 8.30am and 3.30pm Monday to Friday for 39 weeks a year they are anything but.

Residents in Laver Close, Arnold, where Coppice Farm Primary is based, have expressed concern about safety because of the huge amount of traffic that comes down their road twice a day.

Jackie Bracey, 56, said: "It is a surprise that someone has not been badly hurt.

"There are loads of cars down here. It is chaotic.

"It is nothing short of a complete nightmare, especially at the end of the school day.

"Parents park along the road at 2.40pm, even though the school doesn't finish until much later.

"They park anywhere they can. Some even block driveways."

When school finishes for the day, cars have to turn around in the road. Some have been seen reversing half the way down the road. At the same time, children are crossing the road in front and behind them.

Bethany Sisson, 18, who also lives in the street, said: "It is a daily problem. It gets so busy out there because so many parents come to pick up their kids in their cars.

"I think there have been one or two shunts, it's surprising there haven't been much worse things happen. It has been happening for a long time."

One grandparent who was picking a child up on foot also said it was a major problem.

She said: "It is really bad every day. Cars just park wherever they can. Then they have to turn around and there are children everywhere."

At George Spencer Academy in Stapleford residents are equally concerned.

Double-yellow lines were placed around the corner of Arthur Mee Road at the start of 2014 in a bid to stop parents parking near the school entrance, clogging up the narrow streets.

But some residents feel it has simply moved the problem to another part of the street.

Mark Czarny, 56, who lives in Wellspring Drive, off Arthur Mee Road, is among those concerned.

He said: "When parents are dropping off and picking up their kids it does get bad.

"They park across driveways, which means you can't get out. Sometimes when visitors come to the school they park across driveways, too. It gets bad any time from 8.20am up until school starting. Then it is bad again after 3pm, when the day finishes."

Councillor Stan Heptinstall, who represents Stapleford at the county council, said it was difficult to find a solution.

He said: "We have put in the restrictions but there are still some issues. If anyone has ideas of how the issue can be rectified then I am happy to hear from them."

Coppice Farm and George Spencer are not alone, with schools across the city and county reminding parents they cannot park within ten metres of a junction or obstruct pavements or access roads, even for a few minutes to pick up their children.

In a recent newsletter, Pinewood Infant School in Arnold said to parents: "Remember that it is against the law to park on the yellow zigzag lines outside the school gates."

Nottinghamshire County Council is looking to place 'keep clear' marking outside schools in its area in a bid to prevent problems.

But highway manager Eamonn Harrison has admitted it is difficult to enforce such parking measures because the problems only happen for a few minutes twice a day.

He told the Post: "We regularly receive complaints from residents who live near schools.

"This is a difficult problem to tackle due to the short-term nature and without constant enforcement, which is unlikely given our limited resources."

Police have now weighed into the debate on parking outside schools.

PC Paul Kanikowski, school liaison officer for Gedling Borough, has sent a letter to parents about "inconsiderate parking".

He said they had received complaints from people living near schools in Arnold which included obstruction of driveways, speeding, parking on street corners and parking on yellow zigzag lines.

He said: "The manner of inconsiderate parking has caused concern for the safety of the children whilst crossing the road.

"These offences are punishable by means of fixed-penalty tickets.

"The local neighbourhood policing teams will be carrying out patrols on randomly assigned days around these problem times and we will be looking to take action against any offences that we encounter.

"Please consider the safety of your children as well as others that attend the same school along with the local residents."

OLYMPIC gold medal winner Rebecca Adlington has tied the knot.

The Mansfield swimming star married fellow swimmer Harry Needs at wedding venue The Ashes in the Staffordshire at the weekend.

The 25-year-old, who is now retired from professional swimming, wore a Stewart Parvin dress for her nuptials and the couple both wrote their own vows.

Adlington won two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and two bronze medals in London at the 2012 games. She also appeared on ITV's I'm A Celebrity reality show last year.

THE rest of the Championship will fear Nottingham Forest because of their flying start to the season, says Michael Mancienne.

Mancienne believes Stuart Pearce's side have already proved they have the quality to be among the promotion contenders.

And the former Chelsea, Hamburg and England under-21 player believes their rivals will know they face a tough test when they come up against the Reds.

Forest return to action with a big game against Derby at the City Ground on Sunday, after the international break.

And Mancienne said: "Teams will fear us more, now that they know what we are about.

"We will be hard to play against and, if we keep playing to the level that we have been doing, in recent games, I am pretty confident that we will be right up there, come the end of the season.

"The team is getting more confident with every game and the goal of getting promotion always seems more likely when you are winning.

"We can't get ahead of ourselves, because each game is a different test.

"You cannot afford to underestimate anyone in the Championship. But we will keep on going. We will stay positive."

Forest are top of the table, after winning four and drawing one of their first five games in an unbeaten start to the campaign.

"We need to carry on our momentum now," said Mancienne.

"There is a lot of depth back in the squad. There is a good fight for places.

"But we will need that in the coming months.

"It is a big boost to have top quality players coming back into the side, it gives us more strength in depth moving forward."

One area where there is certainly plenty of depth is in the centre of defence.

Mancienne, even at this early stage in the season, has already played alongside Danny Fox, Jamaal Lascelles and Jack Hobbs, while Kelvin Wilson is now back fit and ready to challenge for a place in the side himself.

Mancienne, with the quality of his performances so far, should not find his position under threat.

And he says he is happy to play alongside anyone in the Reds back-four.

"It is not difficult to play with different central defenders, because every one of them that I have played with, at the club, has been quality," he said.

"I don't think it is an issue at all. It is just somebody else slotting into the position.

"They slot into there and I have not found it difficult playing with anyone."

A BUSKER who spoke on national TV about "milking the benefits system" suffered racially-motivated abuse.

Viorel Dinu, who lost both legs in an accident when he was seven, appeared on Channel 5's Gypsies On Benefits And Proud and said he had come to the UK because it was a "soft touch".

The 25-year-old Romanian, who uses a skateboard to get around, lives in Hyson Green and travels to cities across the country.

A court heard that while he was playing folk songs on the streets of York he suffered abuse from a former soldier.

Mark Hawksby, 34, claimed that there was so much money in Mr Dinu's coat by 11.30am that he tripped over it on the pavement.

Hawksby recognised the busker immediately from the hour-long television documentary, York magistrates were told.

Hawksby said: "I had a go at him about being on the programme and what he had said.

"He said he had come to Britain purposely because it was a soft touch."

Hawksby, of St Mary's Close, Wigginton, denied racially aggravated threatening behaviour but was convicted.

He was given a four-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay £100 costs and an £80 surcharge.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their second child

— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) September 8, 2014

The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news that Their Royal Highnesses are expecting their second child

— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) September 8, 2014

Michael Buble, Canadian singer, 39; Adam Sandler, Happy Gilmore actor, 48; Hugh Grant, Four Weddings and a Funeral actor, 54; Oscar, Brazilian football star playing for Chelsea, 23; Luka Modric, Croatian footballer playing for Real Madrid, 29; Michelle Williams, Dawson's Creek actor, 34

IT appears that all of our lives are governed by the ebbs and flows of the school year.

Like many childless professionals, I have spent the summer holding the fort as colleagues with children jet off on their annual summer holidays. Friends who work in other fields report a similar experience – half of the workforce disappears and the other half manfully pull longer days and take on extra workloads.

By the time September rolls round, those of us who have worked through the summer look like extras from a low-budget zombie movie – pasty, wild-eyed and filled with a gnawing fascination for fellows of a healthy hue.

We feel intense resentment towards anyone who has been anywhere near a sun lounger – even if they have had three screaming kids tipping water over them at ten-minute intervals by the pool.

A couple of years ago, I decided to make a stand for childless workers everywhere and booked off one of those much-coveted August weeks before any of my breeding workmates could get to it, but when the time off rolled round, I couldn't afford to go abroad because the prices were so high.

Of course, there's always the comfort of the quiet roads. For six weeks we childless workers can lord it on the highways like Jeremy Clarkson after the Top Gear team have cleared the way for one of his challenges.

We cruise along empty carriageways that are usually queuing bumper to bumper.

A week into the holidays we begin setting our alarms just a couple of minutes later each day, daring ourselves to leave the house a little later… and a little later… until we find our new optimum travel time.

When I was I kid it was the norm to walk a couple of miles to school, calling for friends and stopping at the newsagent to buy Hubba Bubba along the way.

Now so many parents are dropping their children off outside the gates that residents living nearby are tearing their hair out as the roads become a chaos of cars.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that it's a recipe for disaster and the city council is calling on parents to park further away from the school gates and cover the last quarter of a mile on foot. Why parents don't do this anyway out of simple logic baffles me. Surely a five-minute walk is better than attempting to reverse park in a street packed with children and other vehicles?

Perhaps it's time to go a step further and look more seriously at the often-mooted idea of a more staggered school year, with individual schools setting their own term dates to avoid the traditional problems.

Firms could rely on a steadier pace to annual leave, parents would not be held to ransom over extortionately-priced summer holidays and those of us without kids wouldn't have to worry about the comings and goings of other people!

Netherfield: Police are still trying to tackle problems with speeding drivers.

Speed checks will be carried out at random times in the area around Victoria Retail Park.

A spokesman said: "There is no specific pattern to this problem so we will target speeding drivers at various times of day."

Neighbours have complained in the past about car cruisers in the area.

St Ann's: Gangs of youths drinking in the street are being targeted in a police crackdown.

Complaints have been made from people living in the Hudson Street area.

Police have vowed to treat the issue as a priority for the next three months and there will be more high-visibility patrols.

Mansfield: A car has been stolen after burglars broke into a house in Eakring Road.

The incident happened at around 9.30pm on Saturday.

The crooks, wearing balaclavas, got in through the front door and stole keys for a Honda Civic R Type before driving off in the car.

They also took the spare set of keys.

A 31-YEAR-OLD man has appeared in court charged with four burglaries.

Michael Zibigniew Kozlowski, of no fixed address, is charged with three house burglaries in the Lace Market area of Nottingham between July and September.

Kozlowski also faces a further burglary charge following an incident at Boots, in Sherwood, in February.

He was remanded in custody by magistrates on Saturday and is due to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, September 30.