Annual festive frivolity and fun for all the family will begin at the Victoria Centre Ice Rink in Nottingham’s Old Market Square on November 19th 2008.

This open air event will be open until January 11th 2009 and promises to provide an “unforgettable experience” to all those that attend.

Eager skaters making their way to the event in car hire to save their legs will also be able to draw on the experience of expert tutors, which will be offering their assistance.

Tickets for the popular rink can be purchased in advance, however, there is unlikely to be a shortage of space.

The ice rink itself measures 20 meters by 40 meters.

National Ice Rink deputy chief executive, Martin Ingham, said: “We had over 60,000 skaters last year and we’re expecting that number to increase this Christmas.

“So we would urge you to get your tickets as soon as possible as the popular sessions get booked up very quickly.”

CCTV installed in taxis and other car hire vehicles has been made a priority for the Chiltern District Drivers Association.

The announcement, by the organisation’s secretary Jim Tilbury, follows a series of attacks on motorists in the High Wycombe area within the last week.

Half of those attacked were taxi drivers, reports the Bucks Free Press, although Mr Tilbury claims that the problem is not only confined to High Wycombe.

He told the newspaper: “I have been talking to the council on quite a few occasions on getting security cameras fitted in the cars. That’s something we’ve got to aim for.

“It’s not happened here this many times.”

A similar call for CCTV to be installed in car hire vehicles has been made by Peterborough’s deputy police commander.

Meanwhile, taxis in the Luton Borough Council area have already had the technology installed as part of a pilot ‘Taxi TV’ scheme.

A member of Kent County Constabulary has called for local road users to work together to bring down the level of speeding and accidents in the Paddock Wood area.

Police officer PC Lara Winchester said that safety improvements could be made across the area, pointing to a recent exercise which resulted in her colleagues catching 24 speeding drivers.

PC Winchester told This Is Kent: “The aim on this occasion was not to penalise drivers but to educate and remind them about speed limits.

“Without exception they understood why they had been stopped and supported our action. We will be carrying out similar checks on future occasions and will enforce the law against drivers who continue to speed.”

Local council chairman Ron Aitchison outlined the body’s support for the police initiative, telling the newspaper: “It is good to be working in partnership with the police. It was very worthwhile and I hope they make it a regular thing.”

Paddock Wood is located on the outskirts of Tonbridge in the county of Kent.

Plans for coaches to park at the Riverside Coach Park for this year’s Christmas market in Bath have been criticised by a local retail organisation.

Eric Snook of the Bath Independent Group (BIG), has complained to the local council that many local businesses expect the arrangement to cause problems.

According to The Bath Chronicle, the letter read: “This deal has not been discussed with the businesses of the city.

“Our independent group thinks the site (Riverside Coach Park) is wrong. There will be traffic chaos.”

However, the council has responded, claiming that a consultation meeting had been held on the proposals last month.

BIG recently claimed earlier this year that local businesses were alarmed by the number of major retail brands being attracted to the area.

Its members, reports Crimson Business Ltd, called for a range of measures to be introduced to boost local business, including cheaper parking and more public conveniences.

BIG represents more than 120 local shops in the city of Bath.

Car hire drivers will soon benefit from major improvements in road access to a key UK airport.

New plans announced by the Department for Transport will see as much as £165 million spent on improving road routes around Manchester Airport.

Under the new scheme sections of road between the M56 Manchester Airport Spur and the A555 would be built, along with a section between the A555 and A6 at Hazel Grove.

Geoff Hoon, secretary of state for transport, said: “Making this funding available for new road links around Manchester Airport reflects our commitment to support economic growth in the UK.

“I am making this £165 million available to unblock a scheme which has for too long languished on engineering drawing boards and to galvanise regional and local partners into considering how together we can make this happen.”

Manchester Airport is the fourth-largest in the country and serves 21 million passengers each year.

Multi-award winning stage actress Maria Friedman celebrates her return to the West End stage with a performance in Christmas In New York.

The play is to be staged at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith for one night only on December 7th 2008.

She will headline at the venue alongside a host of other big West End names including Avenue Q’s Julie Atherton, Spamalot’s Michael Xavier and Wicked’s Oliver Tompsett.

The exclusive performance will take place at 19:30 GMT, proving plenty of time for audience members to arrive in the car hire of their choice for this special one-off event.

Olivier award winner Maria has taken the leading role in a number of West End shows including Chicago, Lady in the Dark and The Woman in White.

Maria received her first break in the back row of the chorus in Oklahoma as Doris, which opened at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre in January 1980.

Coach drivers disqualified for an offence in the Republic of Ireland could soon find their punishment upheld in the UK.

New regulations unveiled in parliament today (November 25th) will ensure that disqualifications are enforced across Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: “Britain has one of the best road safety records in the world but we need to do everything we can to improve even further.

“These measures will keep dangerous drivers off our roads by ensuring that disqualified drivers are not able to escape their punishment.”

It is hoped that new regulations will be in place in each of the three legal systems by spring 2009.

The government unveiled new proposals earlier this month to introduce a higher fixed penalty of six points for drivers breaking the speeding limit by a large margin.

Proposals also included plans to make careless driving a fixed penalty offence, leaving those caught facing a £60 fine or three penalty points.

The Essex town of Kelvedon will see a major works programme begin on the nearby A12 from November 27th. 

As part of the £6.74 million pound project the Kelvedon Bypass between Rivenhall End and Highfields Overbridge will be strengthened and re-covered with a new type of asphalt designed to provide a smoother and quieter ride for road users in their chauffer driven car hire.

In order to complete the works as quickly as possible the site will operate round the clock and is due to finish in Spring next year.

While disruption will be kept to a minimum, local residents and commuters should be aware that some slip roads will be closed on the A12/B102, full details of which will be clearly displayed on local signage.

Kelvedon Hatch is home to a former secret nuclear bunker which was capable of holding up to 600 people in the event of an attack. The bunker was decommissioned in 1992 before becoming a visitor attraction.

The government has announced that an extra £1 billion in investment will be devoted to major transport projects in 2009.

Included in the funding package will be the £700 million in fiscal stimulus that will boost road networks in the UK, announced in yesterday’s pre-Budget Report.

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon claimed that the new package underlined the government’s commitment to tackling congestion and crowding on roads.

He said: “Congestion, whether it is on our roads or railways, is not just a nuisance to travellers, it is also a tax on the productivity of our businesses.

“I am also earmarking a further £300 million to remove bottlenecks and increase capacity on road links to key airports and ports.”

The fiscal stimulus outlined in the pre-Budget Report may pave the way for work on a new link between the A1 and M1 to begin early.

Up to £165 million has also been earmarked for a new road link between Manchester Airport and the A6.