A decent costume is a bear necessity

It's always nice to learn something new, even if that something means exposing yourself to humiliation. My lesson this week? Entertaining children isn't as easy as you would imagine.

As part of Nottingham Castle's attempt to stage a world record gathering of Robin Hoods on March 8, I was invited to come and dress up as Robin Hood along with Heart 106 DJs Sam and Amy at Bluebell Hill Primary School in St Ann's.

Pupils at the school, who had been given Ready, Steady, Cook-style voting cards for the occasion, would then choose whose costume they liked the best.

Getting hold of a costume was hard enough. The internet company I bought my outfit from didn't tell me they had visited my house to deliver it, so I was forced to make a last-minute dash to a fancy dress shop in town.

Even with the finished outfit on, I still had my doubts about whether I could win over a hall full of children in the face of competition from Sam and Amy, who are clearly two showbusiness pros. But then, an epiphany.

Remembering I had an old bear costume in my wardrobe (the reasons for this don't need to be discussed just now, but involve a fancy dress wedding) I put it on and wore my newly-bought Robin Hood outfit over the top.

The result looked like something from a rejected Noel's House Party feature - but would at least give me a fighting chance in the vote. Everyone likes fluffy polar bears, don't they?

In reality, it possibly wasn't such a good idea. The down sides of a giant polar bear outfit are numerous, heat and an inability to see where you are going being just two. But actually the main problem was that my feathered Robin Hood hat kept falling off my head.

It must have been the heat that prompted me, when asked to tell the Bluebell Hill children why I should win their votes, to promise a "special polar bear dance" if I won.

In the end I didn't win - but had to do the dance anyway. Being unable to see wider than 20 degrees in either direction meant I couldn't tell how well my comical flailing was going down, so I carried on regardless.

My consolation for not winning was that at least my outfit proved popular with the pupils, who were only too keen to wave at me and give me high-fives as they walked out of assembly.

And my respect for the likes of Mr Blobby and his pratfalling peers is now higher than ever.

Robin Hoods dress for world record success

Breaking world records is a funny business. Based on my experiences of watching kids' television in the 1990s, it normally involves doing something so pointless or unpleasant that those are more to be pitied than praised.

"158 consecutive hours in a bath full of congealed baked beans, with just a hug from Cheryl Baker and a badly-made medal as a reward?", I remember thinking to myself as a cynical teenager. "Not likely."

At first glance, you might think something similar about Nottingham Castle's efforts at assembling the biggest ever gathering of Robin Hood impersonators.

But the practice of dressing up as Notts' favourite son with hundreds of like-minded people actually has a long (ish...well actually less than a year) and glorious tradition in the county.

Nottingham Building Society set the ball rolling with 165 in April, though several months later Ravenshead Primary School's improved mark of 307 was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records. The current record of 606 was set in October.

Thanks to the power of social networking site Facebook, news of the latest attempt on March 8 has spread like wildfire among Nottingham's student community.

Doubtless many Evening Post readers have their own plans for the day, so why not let us know by e-mailing here? Any particularly impressive or zany attempts might well earn you a place on the Evening Post's website.

For my part, I'm putting myself forward for potential humiliation by getting dressed up as Robin Hood for a pre-event costume challenge in a couple of weeks. But more on that later...

Given the anticipated numbers for the event and the relative scarcity of green tunics, green tights and hats with feathers in them, I'm starting to wonder if the mass deluge of Robins on Nottingham city centre might have some unexpected consequences.

Sales of Robin Hood outfits on eBay could go through the roof. The market value of companies which make green felt could explode, stunning stock brokers in the City.

I suppose taking advantage of this astute financial insight might constitute insider trading, though now I've mentioned on this website I'll probably get away with it. But don't be surprised if Nottingham's charity shops are busier than normal between now and March 8.

Spoiling for a fight over housing plans

Communities across Notts are up in arms at the possibility of housing development on green belt land in the county. At the first public meeting to protest the plans, Rob Parsons assessed the mood.

It was standing room only at the Watnall Women's Institute building as the campaign against new houses gathered speed.

In fact, there was barely even that much space. Residents, councillors and other interested parties squeezed themselves in and hastily found spare chairs and even a piano stool to sit down on.

They gathered to hear the latest news about housing plans for Watnall after the Evening Post revealed large chunks of land near the village were earmarked for possible new homes.

Despite the wealth of other options available on a Saturday morning, as many as 100 residents came from Watnall and the surrounding area wanting to be part of it. With two minutes to go until the start of the meeting, those wanting to be inside were still queuing out of the door.

Council officials urged residents not to panic earlier this month - saying many possibilities were being investigated and analysed before a shortlist of preferred sites was produced.

But judging by the turnout at Saturday's meeting, few of them were assured by this.

Locals have experience in this area. In 2003 plans emerged for 750 homes and a business park on nearby green belt, only to be removed from Broxtowe Borough Council's local plan after widespread opposition.

And among the attendees on Saturday there were a myriad of reasons for objecting to any more housing around Watnall this time round.

Some worried the green belt might disappear under a carpet of concrete, others about the impact on traffic and public services. Finding myself stuck for half an hour getting out of the village after the meeting, I could certainly sympathise with the latter.

But the prevailing concern was that Watnall, which considers itself distinct from Greater Nottingham's suburban spread, could find itself submerged into nearby Hucknall.

The meeting itself was organised by the Broxtowe Conservative group, and unsurprisingly given the importance of the subject there were a few attempts to gain political capital at the expense of the Labour government.

But in general all present were unified by their common purpose. Having seen off housing plans just a few years ago, many were keen to try and do again.

The women's institute building - more used to painting classes and cake sales than high-octane debate - was bulging at the seams. A nearby log cabin was prepared as a standby just in case, but nowhere in the village was there an available building big enough to comfortably seat 100 people.

And in essence that tells a story about why development around Watnall is so widely opposed.

Conservative councillor Philip Owen noted that people come to live there because they don't to be part of city life, preferring instead a village existence. If Watnall's boundaries start to blur with those of Kimberley to the south and Hucknall to the north, that village identity will be threatened.

There's a long way to go in the process of deciding which sites in Notts will feed the ever-increasing demand for new homes.

But if all communities in the county are able to mobilise themselves the way Watnall has, it's a safe bet that the inevitable wave of new development won't go through without a fight.