Nottingham railway station has welcomed many distinguished visitors over the years.  Today was no exception when 250 passengers arrived from Kings Cross on the Northern Belle.  Evoking the  golden age of travel, these visitors to todays Ashes match have travelled in style.  Dylan Mellor, one of the stewards on the train spoke about working on the train.

“We set off from Kings Cross at 7am this morning.  Passengers were served a three course breakfast, and will get a four course dinner on the way back this evening”.

The staff on the train won’t get a lot of time to explore Nottingham, as Laura, another steward explained “We have to get everything cleaned and ready for the return trip at 7pm.  I hope to get a couple of hours to explore Nottingham, but that will be all.”

Most visitors to Nottingham will have seen the statute of Brian Clough in the city centre. However, few will be familiar with an equally impressive statue of another of Nottinghamshire’s sporting heroes, Harold Larwood.

This imposing nine foot bronze statue stands in the middle of Kirby in Ashfield. It was created by local sculptor Neale Andrew, who is quoted as saying “I think it shows the fearsomeness of his bowling, and you can imagine standing with a bat 22 yards away and – err well- I wouldn’t like to be there!”

Lets hope that the Australian batsman will feel the same this week when they face local lad Stuart Broad!

Paulette Moxam is a receptionist at Trent Bridge House, the County Council building on the corner of the cricket ground. I asked her about how she is feeling about the impact of the Test Match on the office.

“I’m excited about it,” she says.

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The Ashes is known for its history and a play that epitomises such values in the one that has just finished at the Nottingham Playhouse, ‘The Ashes’.

The play depicts the story of the infamous ‘bodyline’ tour of Australia in 1933, as see through the eyes of Nottinghamshire’s Harold Larwood.

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