THIS month the National Lottery celebrates its 18th birthday by crossing the £29 billion landmark raised for good causes across the UK.

Players should be proud their ticket purchases have changed so many lives.

In Derby, major known landmarks and people to benefit from lottery funding have included The Cube and former double Commonwealth swimming champion Ross Davenport.

At the Big Lottery Fund, about 90% of our grants are for £10,000 or less, like Chaddesden Park Allotments Association and Community Soccerstars UK.

Since 2006, when the Big Lottery Fund began distributing good-cause funding to charitable causes, environment, education and health, Derby shared more than £11 million over 245 projects. Lottery funding is quietly making a difference to local people every day.

We make grants from as little as £300 to £500,000 through our Awards for All and Reaching Communities programme and would love to hear from new community groups interested in hearing how it could make a difference to them.

Now is the time to apply for your share at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.

Mick McGrath

Head of Region

East Midlands Big Lottery Fund

ONCE again, a pleasant weekly column from Anton Rippon (Derby Telegraph, November 14) on the welcome efforts of our good citizens in sharing their personal tales of times past.

It is nice to know that there are still pockets of resistance in this hurly-burly technoglobe.

His sentiments remind me of the equation, speed equals distance over time.

We can say hello via text over thousands of miles in a second but, as any one of my friends will tell you when I meet them, the time it takes for me to say hello and offer a handshake is roughly the same and I shake hands all the time. No effort at all.

I can't compete with owning a Follows and Bate to cut the grass – we used to have a Suffolk Punch which I was never fond of since, left unattended one day, it tried to mow me down.

Many photographic competitions now allow Photoshop-adjusted entries with spectacular effects but I still marvel at the handiwork of Joseph Wright.

I collect vinyl LPs, and have an (unplayable, mostly) collection of 78s, purely for their charm. No digital download has any visual appeal, or is as touchy-feely.

And anyone who doesn't have a shed deserves my sympathy. I have three (admittedly two are full of junk), and there is joy in tinkering about on a nice day with a portable radio, and a cuppa, that is quintessentially English.

Although I find the internet a useful tool and am computer-savvy after many years working in IT, I don't spend hours online and don't use the social networking sites.

Apart from my phone, I don't desire any hi-tech gadgets, apart from maybe a metal detector, since I believe that interred somewhere in the garden is a Corgi ice cream van.

Some may bemoan the fact that Anton's musings about life in old Derby are old hat, but his and others' recollections are an important piece of social history, and I can't help wondering if today's children will look back on their time now as "the good old days". If they do, I fear for the future.

I believe that Anton and the rest of us share a similar view as Dr Seuss: "They say I'm old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!"

Viv Wigley

Finchley Avenue

Mackworth

THE Derby Telegraph's campaign "Asbestos – the Deadly Dust" is a classic example of a local newspaper using its position for all the right reasons. It helps to increase understanding and awareness of a highly important topic.

Asbestos was and remains a killer. Its lengthy incubation period adds to the cruelty, while the poor prognosis that mesothelioma carries with it gives the disease a sinister feel.

Organisations such as the Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team undertake a vital role to ensure more people understand the disease and in supporting sufferers and their families.

But both of those aims are huge missions in themselves. That is why the Derby Telegraph campaign is so important.

By dealing with issues relating to asbestos, whether it be progress on the various legal aspects or simply reporting on the sufferers and their families, the Derby Telegraph is taking the issue to a new audience – something charitable organisations will struggle to achieve on their own.

In an era when the press has come under significant attack for the dubious actions of a small minority at national publications, the regional media continues to be healthy and focused on serving its communities.

The Derby Telegraph is a prime example of that, and its approach on increasing awareness and understanding of the impact of asbestos on real people's lives is testament to that. As a supporter of the all-party parliamentary group on asbestos, I know campaigns like the Derby Telegraph's is greatly appreciated by parliamentarians.

Chris Williamson

Labour MP for Derby North

I FEEL compelled to say how deeply moved I was by Chris Jones's column of November 17, because much of his story echoed my own, although I am a few decades ahead of him.

I particularly enjoyed his comment that "To live is to make decisions one after another and deal with the consequences". We hear so much these days about who to blame for misfortunes which might be the result of our own decisions.

I enjoy his thoughtful writing style and feel he will have a productive future. I wish him all the best.

Michael Holland

Lime Walk

Littleover

WE passed a lot of cyclists going to Matlock one Saturday. Most were riding two or three abreast, instead of single file which they all should have been doing.

They should know better. It is not always the driver's fault when you see cyclists acting irresponsibly and dangerously on our roads. "Think Car" could save lives. It works both ways.

J McAdam

Alvaston

ESCAPE festive stress and make Christmas shopping fun at Etwall's Highfields Happy Hens, which offers gifts, refreshments, food – but no parking problems.

For many years Happy Hens, in Heage Lane, has been known for its work with youngsters who have been having problems at school.

It has become a special place for students and also for customers who enjoy visiting the farm shop, tea room and open farm.

Escape the madding crowd, park for free, do your shopping, let off steam at the open farm and enjoy refreshments. A wide range of drinks, homemade cakes and light lunches, including Christmas specials throughout December, are available in the tea room.

Meanwhile the farm shop has some unique gift ideas for all ages – some created by the young people Happy Hens supports. You will find fresh Christmas poultry, cheese baskets and Christmas puddings (to order), local meat, fresh vegetables, dairy products, fresh local bread, homemade jams and pickles in gift packs.

It is a one-stop place for Christmas shopping, fresh produce and a great day out.

NEW Year's Eve is always a truly special night and one that deserves special attention when it comes to organising a night out.

The turn of the year marks a time to look back – and look forward – and is always awash with celebrations, Champagne and fireworks.

But you do have to make plans to ensure you don't end up stuck at home watching Jools Holland's Hootenanny on TV – again!

Get a party night, meal out or festive show booked up and make New Year's Eve 2012 one to remember.

Venues throughout the area, such as Kegworth's Yew Tree Lodge, have some great events lined up offering an array of meal options, live entertainment, magicians, discos and even casino fun.

You will also find some hotels have special offers available if you book an overnight stay, so you can have a drink and avoid the need for an expensive taxi home.

Red Chilli, in Burton Road, Derby, is aiming to make it a night to remember, too. Why not book a meal out for a party of family and friends? A discount is available for bookings of 20 people or more.

Another option is Blenheim House bar, restaurant and rooms in Etwall. It has just completed its first year of business with owners Phil and Helga Ritchie-Smith and promises a truly special dining experience.

The couple's youngest son James has recently joined the team after completing a two-year management course and working at the Feversham Arms, Helmsley, a two-rosette restaurant.

Meanwhile, cooking up a storm in the kitchens is new head chef Adam Baker.

All his dishes are home-made, from the choice of breads to the petit fours.

Another option over the festive period is to book a Christmas show. Derby Live has some excellent options including panto fun with Peter Pan at Derby Assembly Rooms and Snow Play at The Guildhall.

Whatever your choice, you are sure to find something to suit you. Make the most of the season of goodwill and book a night out to remember.

A PRESSURE group has written to Derbyshire's Chief Constable to complain that his officers failed to act on a road rage incident.

Matt Stockdale, chief executive of Police Witness, said a member of the public sent his organisation a video of last Friday's incident at Toyota Island, near Willington.

It shows a BMW car cut in front of another vehicle, the driver of which flashed their lights. The BMW then brakes to a stop and the door is thrown open as if the driver is going to get out the car. The door then closes again and the car drives off before braking to a stop a few seconds later.

Mr Stockdale, whose organisation offers free help for people to report acts of careless or dangerous driving to police, said the motorist who sent the clip in had been left "shaken and fearful".

But he said that, when the anonymous complainants sent the same video to the police, they ignored it.

Mr Stockdale said the road rage victim happened to have a front-facing video camera in his car. He said: "I showed the film to my business partner, Alan Featherstone, who is a former assistant chief constable of Northamptonshire police, and he said 'wow, that is at the very least driving without due care and attention and at the strongest dangerous driving'. This person cuts in front of another car in dark and wet conditions, seemingly with no regard to the serious injury or even death that they could have caused."

In his letter to Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon Mr Stockdale says: "Despite being provided with very clear video evidence of the offence, Derbyshire police have failed to act, leaving this person with the bitter taste of 'I don't know why I bother, the police do nothing'." Mr Stockdale goes on to say that the lack of response was "unacceptable" and "goes against the grain of the Home Office intentions to encourage community policing".

He adds: "Given the obvious offences captured on film by the complainant, you will no doubt be disappointed to learn that, while this person was happy to make a statement, no such statement was taken, with the officer merely stating that he would pop round and give words of advice to the offender.

"The expectations of the complainants are a revisit to obtain a statement and, from our perspective, the immediate issue of a notice of intention to prosecute allowing Derbyshire police future options of consideration."

A police spokesman said officers were investigating. He said: "We will look to see if we can progress the matter further."

A MOTORIST involved in a road rage incident died after being punched and kicked by a gang of men in front of his horrified son.

Johnny Assani, who was left lying bleeding and unconscious in Walbrook Road, Derby, died as a result of his injuries, in hospital the following day.

His 16-year-old son Mukhaila Assani, who tried to drag the attackers off his father, was also allegedly punched by some of the men.

Two brothers, Mohammed Shahid and Mohammed Rafiq have already been convicted of killing Mr Assani, aged 43.

A third brother, Mohammed Tariq, is now standing trial, accused of being one of a nine-strong gang that attacked Mr Assani.

Tariq was not tried with his brothers because "he went to ground" after the attack – hiding in Birmingham and then Bradford, Nottingham Crown Court has heard. The 26-year-old, of Walbrook Road, who denies manslaughter, was arrested almost six months after the attack.

In the latest trial, prosecutor Peter Joyce QC told a jury that as Mr Assani's attackers left him lying unconscious on the road, one shouted out: "You don't mess with the Khans."

Mr Joyce said: "He [Mr Assani] was killed by members of the family, known locally in Derby as the Khan family.

"Members of this family, including Shahid, Rafiq and this defendant Tariq, together with other men, each played their part in an attack on Johnny Assani, with their fists and feet as he lay defenceless on the ground on the road."

Mr Assani was attacked at about 3pm on Sunday, August 14 last year, after "something happened between his car and Shahid's car" as they were driving along Upper Dale Road.

Mr Assani's silver VW Golf was in front of Shahid's white BMW but when Shahid turned left on to Walbrook Road, Mr Assani went around the traffic island and followed him.

Shahid, 33, pulled up outside his home in Walbrook Road and Mr Assani stopped his car a couple of car-lengths in front. "Johnny Assani gets out and goes to speak to the driver of the BMW, Shahid," said Mr Joyce.

Mukhaila, who was sat in the passenger seat of his father's car, remained in the vehicle.

Mr Joyce said: "The conversation started to get out of hand – both men started shouting. Shahid shouts towards the address at 112 Walbrook Road. He was calling for back-up.

"A man came out of that address. He jogged over to Johnny Assani and punched him in the area of the right temple, knocking him to the ground. Both men set about repeatedly hitting Mr Assani, using fists and feet, to punch and kick him to the head and body. And the only thing that Johnny Assani could do at that stage was to shield himself from the blows as he tried to get back up. He failed."

The court heard that at that point between seven and nine more men came out of the house and joined in kicking and punching Mr Assani as he lay on the ground.

The prosecution's claim is that among this group were Rafiq, 32, and Tariq.

One man hung back and delivered a final kick to Mr Assani's head and walked off smiling, said Mr Joyce.

A woman living nearby, Ellen Shreeve, had seen the commotion from her house and rushed out to give Mr Assani first aid until paramedics arrived.

She said: "I heard all the shouting in the street and had a look what all the fuss was. I saw a big group of people – around 15 to 20 – outside a house further down the street, around number 118.

"When the crowds had dispersed I saw the person lying on the street and rushed out. I'm first aid trained and took my first aid kit with me. I recognised Mukhaila when I got out and then saw the man on the ground was his father.

"I helped stem the bleeding and tried to calm both of them down while the paramedics arrived."

The victim was taken to the Royal Derby Hospital and a CT scan showed he had suffered "a large bleed in his brain". He was transferred to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, where he died in the intensive care unit after suffering a cardiac arrest a day after the attack.

A post-mortem examination revealed he had suffered significant bruising to his back, chest, upper abdomen and to his right jaw. He had also lost a tooth which had lodged in his throat.

Tariq's DNA was found in a blood sample taken from the nails of Mr Assani's right hand, the jury was told.

Shahid and Rafiq were arrested but Tariq was not traced until February this year.

Gemma Rostron, 28, of Almond Street, Derby; Sajida Rafiq, 34, of Bishop Lonsdale Way, Mickleover; and Kamran Rajpoot, 27, of Grange Avenue, Sunnyhill, have pleaded guilty to doing acts to attempt to pervert the course of justice.

The offences involved doing acts to help Tariq evade capture by the police.

The case continues.

Johnny Assani's son Mukhaila told the court how he saw the attack on his dad.

While sitting in his dad's car, he heard one of the men shout: "Go and get me a knife."

It was at this stage, the 16-year-old got out of the car.

Giving evidence, Mukhaila, said: "I ran over to my dad when he was on the floor. It was one punch that knocked him down.

"I was shocked when I saw my dad fall. He didn't see the man who hit him coming and I think it was a shock to my dad that he'd been hit.

"He didn't get up after that, he never got up again. He tried and tried but he couldn't because of being kicked and punched while he was laid on the ground.

"I tried to pull the men off him but they started to attack me then and punched my in the face.

"I was left with a cut lip and bruising to my head as I tried to pull them away from my dad.

"When they were hitting me I tried to protect myself and was protecting my face by shielding it with my arms. I had my eyes closed and I couldn't see what was happening to my dad."

Seconds later the men dispersed and Mukhaila saw his father lying on the ground, his head on the pavement and his feet on the road, breathing but unconscious and unresponsive.

THE trial of Derby couple Mick and Mairead Philpott and family friend Paul Mosley, who have all been charged with the murder of six children, is due to start on February 11.

A judge at Birmingham Crown Court this afternoon set the date and said proceedings would last "five to six weeks."

The trial start date will mark nine months to the day that the fire took the lives of the six Philpott children. 

Philpott, 55, and his wife, 31, have already pleaded not guilty to six counts of murder.

They are accused of murdering their children, who were aged aged between five and 13, and who all died following a blaze at their home in Victory Road, Allenton on May 11.

Mosley, 45, of Cecil Street, Derby, is yet to enter a plea.

THERE'S a new name over Derbyshire's main Mitsubishi dealership.

Brian Holt has bought out Chris Variava and takes ownership of the showroom, after-sales and parts operation in London Road, Alvaston, with the backing of the Japanese manufacturer.

And the message from Holt Mitsubishi is that there will be changes but that they will be underpinned by continuity from the familiar faces and experienced hands welcoming existing and new customers.

Managing director and new owner Brian Holt, who has been in day-to-day charge of the dealership since it first opened in 2002 and has put "cold, hard cash" into the business, said: "We have the full backing of Mitsubishi and look forward to continuing our great relationship with them.

"We are a new company and we will be striving to improve everything we do.

"We were a five-star rated Mitsubishi dealer before the buyout and it's difficult to improve on that when five stars is the top rating – but that's our target.

"From January we will take a fresh approach to our marketing and retailing strategies but customers can rest assured that the expertise they have come to expect is there right from the start."

Ilkeston-born Brian has a team of 12 under him and senior figures include aftersales manager Ted Armal and parts manager Andy Read, who both have ten years with the franchise."

So, it's exciting times for Brian Holt and his team and Mitsubishi, with two new models due to join the marque's line-up in 2013, the refreshed Outlander, a seven-seater 4x4, and the all-new Mirage supermini, which is set to replace the Colt.

The arrival of the Mirage means there are some amazing deals to be had on remaining new Colts, down from £9,500 to just £6,995.

Brian said: "We have to clear our stock of Colts by February, hence the fantastic reduction. It's a great little car for that price and comes in three- and five-door versions."

For more information, visit Holt Mitsubishi at 998 London Road Alvaston (DE24 8QA), or call 01332 861100.

THERE'S nothing like the appeal of a real Christmas tree to bring the festive season into the heart of your home – and there are plenty available on your doorstep.

This Saturday and Sunday and on the weekend of December 8-9, Ikea Nottingham in Ikea Way, Giltbrook, will be selling real Christmas trees for the first time in years – with a present thrown in for shoppers.

If you pick up a Christmas tree for £25 you will receive a £20 coupon which can then be redeemed in store between January 6 and February 3, 2013.

So, after Christmas, you can snap up a bargain for your home with £20 off, which means that fabulous festive tree only cost you a fiver.

Iain Neal, marketing manager at Nottingham's Ikea store, said: "We haven't sold real Christmas trees in the UK for a number of years.

"Cutting down real trees is a hot topic and we are a company that takes green issues and recycling very seriously. We recycle 83% of our waste."

Consequently, Ikea is bringing trees to you in a way which supports the British economy and helps avoid landfill issues afterwards.

Iain said: "We have sourced a supplier in Scotland who is growing the trees and in January (6-13) we will be running a tree recycling service.

"We would only have done this in an environmentally friendly way.

"We will be selling 3,000 trees over the course of the next two weekends. They range from 5ft to 7ft in height – people can pick whichever one suits them. Basically, if people take advantage of our offer they will be getting a real Christmas tree for a fiver."

And if you need any decorations for it, or your home, Ikea can help with that too.

It has some 90 festive items in store including gift bags, wrapping paper and Christmas lights.

Another great place to hunt for the perfect tree is Derby's Markeaton Garden Centre, which has thousands of trees to chose from, priced from £16.99.

While you are out and about, look out for Christmas fairs as you will find lots of decorations, gifts and cards.

For example, Denby Visitor Centre is holding a festive event from December 7-9 with more than 40 stalls selling gifts and food. Derby's Eagle Market is also awash with gift ideas and its Santa's Grotto opens tomorrow.

Meanwhile, if you're worried about the state of your home before the big day, why not get Derby's Cleaning Fairies to come to the rescue? You can even book a Cleaning Fairy as a Christmas gift!

DRIVING in the freezing winter months can throw up all sorts of problems so it is essential to make sure your car is prepared for whatever the weather brings.

The Geoff Cox Ford dealership, in Denby, is offering its customers peace of mind with a 30-point visual inspection, winter vehicle care kit and top-up of fluid levels – all for free when you opt for its £29.99 winter check deal.

You will also get 12 months' roadside assistance (terms and conditions apply), a 10% discount on all car accessories plus Nectar Points.

The dealership is also offering a free independent valuation on vehicles under the deal. Just email, text or call with your vehicle's details.

The winter checklist includes the battery and alternator, exhaust, tyres, steering and suspension, cooling system, brakes, wiper blades and exterior lights.

The car care kit, which is worth up to £14.40, contains a 300ml windscreen de-icer, one-litre screen wash, ice scraper and a de-mister cloth.

Geoff Cox Ford may recommend certain essential work is carried out on the grounds of safety. The offer excludes commercial vehicles and performance models and is valid until February 28, 2013. The offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other Geoff Cox offer or promotion.

For more details, visit Geoff Cox, in Derby Road, Denby (DE5 8LG), call 01332 781562 or visit www.geoffcox.co.uk.

CHRIS Williamson, the MP for Derby North is vehemently against capital punishment on a worldwide basis.

The wishes of the people do not appear to matter to him. Presumably we are just here to pay his salary without being consulted on the things that matter.

I would suggest that, if the people were asked to select two subjects for referenda, they would choose capital punishment and whether Britain should leave the EU.

Politicians like Chris do not want us consulted on either issue but are prepared to involve us in the affairs of foreign countries which are no concern of ours. For example, illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – Syria being the latest country on their list.

Aren't there enough problems in Britain to keep them occupied? Or do they use foreign interference to deflect from issues at home?

The NHS needs urgent attention, councils need reviewing, especially in terms of over-manning and over-charging, the green lobby need educating, welfare and education need an overhaul and the under-manning and poor equipment enforced on our Armed Services needs to be corrected.

Our only wealth creators, industry and commerce, need lower taxes and assistance to increase exports via the removal of EU regulations.

Britain is no longer a sovereign country but a federal state of the EU. Politicians would have us believe that Britain is too small to survive outside the EU, but a nation does not have to be big in order to prosper, as shown by Singapore, Hong Kong and Switzerland.

The EU on the other hand has a double-dip recession looming with no effective solution other than higher taxation and imposed austerity for the poorest.

Politicians just don't get it, they offer the same policies that caused the mess in the first place.

These are the issues to which Chris Williamson should be devoting his time, not whether a murderer should be freed to commit the same crime again.

Colin Clark

Oakover Drive

Allestree

THE trade in live exports continues from the port of Ramsgate against the wishes of the port owners, Thanet District Council, and the general public. This is not democracy.

Following legal proceedings in October, the council was served an injunction that forced it to continue the trade until a judicial review could be undertaken later this month.

Live exports have no place in modern farming. If the farmers can only see profit and don't care about the suffering involved, it is up to the Government to listen to animal welfare societies and the public and end this trade once and for all.

It the farmers wish to export their meat they should do so on the hook, not on the hoof, after they've been slaughtered near home.

The Government, quite rightly, has brought out a bill protecting pet animals. Farm animals deserve the same consideration.

Could I ask the readers to their MP and urge them to ask the Government to end live exports.

Miss Elaine Jacklin

Welbeck Road

Long Eaton

I WAS amazed to read about the decision of the University of Derby's Students' Union not to allow the UKIP candidate for police commissioner to appear at the forum for the candidates.

This seems to amount to a rejection of free speech and is to be deplored.

I write as a member of the court of the University and a member of UKIP.

Does this mean that James Beckett, president of UDSU, feels that a UKIP member should be in the court? I do feel that the decision of UDSU was ill-judged to say the least.

Martin du Sautoy

Ravensdale Road

Allestree

LET me start by saying that the Yorkshire Ripper would never have got the chance to give his thoughts on Jimmy Savile if I and others had the chance to vote on bringing hanging back – he would have been hanged long ago.

That said, what he said about people jumping on the bandwagon is true. I can't believe over 300 people now say they were molested by Jimmy Savile and now he's allegedly become Peter Sutcliffe's partner in murder.

Why did it take so long for one of them to come forward. Now we see others being named, some who are dead and can't defend themselves.

It is wrong that people can destroy others' reputations while they remain anonymous. We are opening a whole can of worms.

Dave Lee Travis says he is being accused over events 40 years ago. If we continue down this road who is next?

The people who molest children want castrating and the full glare of the press on them, but some of the accusations have been trivial – he touched me, he squeezed my leg.

Times have changed. We even have a woman who has written to this paper to moan about how she's been addressed as sweetheart, love. For God's sake get a life. And, for those who may write in and say I don't know what it's like: well, yes I do.

Alan Byrne

Hammersmith

Ripley