Melbourne Village Voice April 2017

LORRY LOADS OF PROBLEMS

AROUND 40 HGVs a day are illegally crossing Swarkestone Causeway by being too heavy, it has emerged.

Derbyshire County Council is about to install new high tech signage on either side of the ancient monument warning lorries of over 7.5 tonnes they cannot legally cross.

But it has been suggested that the signs, which will work by sensors laid

by LUCY STEPHENS

beneath the road sending up a warning if a vehicle is too heavy, do not go far enough to solve the problem.

John Hadfield, from Melbourne, has taken a keen interest in the fortunes of the Grade 1 listed causeway, which is of national historical importance.

Dating back to at least the 13th century, it was the main crossing of the Trent for hundreds of years, and was also the most southerly point of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s advance on London, from where he turned back to Scotland.

Mr Hadfield said: “The county council in Matlock, the highways department, the police and English Heritage are all assisting in the systematic destruction of a Grade 1 listed monument … When the causeway gets damaged by HGVs it’s the tax payer who has to pick up the bill.

“This is the second longest causeway in England, it’s right up there with some sites of special interest. If I was going screaming round Stonehenge with a motorbike there would be uproar! Why are we letting this persist?”

Mr Hadfield said CCTV would be a far more effective way of catching overweight vehicles, and also suggested that motorway signs should be written in different languages and use symbols so they could be easily understood by non-UK drivers.

The police say they would not have the resources to man CCTV.

Mr Hadfield added: “When the bigger HGVs cross the causeway,

they force the small vehicles hard onto the opposite side; how long will it be until one goes off the causeway and there is a fatality? Who will be responsible then?”

Some vehicles, such as buses and tractors which need to access fields on either side of the causeway, are exempt from the weight restriction.

Dave Guilford, from King’s Newton haulage firm DG Light Haulage, said his trucks tended to be sent on routes which would not lead them over the causeway.

He said part of the problem could be drivers using navigation equipment for cars and not trucks – a truck satnav would warn a driver of a weight restriction while a device intended for a car would not.

He said: “Melbourne is a terrible place to get to … if you’re going to Melbourne Industrial Estate, it’s very difficult to get to from the other side of the River Trent.

“A truck satnav would take you not on that route at all. I would say that’s part of the problem, that drivers have not got the correct navigation equipment for driving that kind of vehicle.

“I think the causeway is well signposted. Melbourne does suffer slightly because of the access. The official route for Melbourne Industrial Estate sends you down Potter Street!”

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure Councillor Dean Collins said: “The bridge was built hundreds of years ago when transport was horse and cart or on Continued on Page 2

l Melbourne Infants School pupils joined in the fun for Red Nose Day. Full report and more pictures on Pages 11, 12 and 13.

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Sharing in an exciting community project

THIS is a local artist’s impression of how a highly ambitious eco community building at Melbourne’s Whistlewood Common will look, if enough people come forward to get it built.

Melbourne artist, children’s book author and illustrator Jo Litchfield put pen to paper to create this ink and watercolour sketch of the proposed new timber-framed straw bale community building at Whistlewood.

“When I was painting it, I was thinking this will be an amazing building to go and see,” said Jo.

“It’s a really ambitious project and I was happy to do it.”

As reported in last month’s Village Voice, the project has been kick-started with a £10,000 grant from Power to Change – an independent charitable trust endowed with £150million from the Big Lottery Fund to support and develop community business for charitable purposes.

Now Whistlewood will be inviting as many people as possible to become shareholders in the community project so that a further £90,000 can be raised to make the building happen.

If that total is raised, it will be match-funded by up to £75,000 by the trust, and the project can go ahead.

Sarah Spencer, from Whistlewood’s Committee, said: “It’s really a new community building for Melbourne. The roundhouse

is going to be made of car tyre foundations, with straw bale walls, a frame of local timber and a roof made of part local cedar shingle and part living roof.

“It’s going to have a lovely big veranda around the edge. There’ll be a stage; we’re going to run theatre, music and arts events there. It will also be available for private hire for organisations and individuals for weddings, parties and group activities.”

The Whistlewood Common project was set up by Melbourne Area Transition and has been going for nearly three years, with 176 people coming forward at the start of the project to buy shares in the land.

During that time 3,000 trees have been planted there plus the addition of a children’s play area, adult exercise trail, pond,

kitchen area and – possibly the pièce de résistance: a composting toilet.

Volunteers meet regularly on the site to carry on with the work, and the idea behind the whole project – and the national Transition movement as a whole – is to help prepare for a future without the world’s depleting oil resources.

Whistlewood will be opening up the share offer again on their ‘Have a Go Day’ on April 30, inviting the community to see for themselves the work that has been done.

Taking place from noon to 5pm, there will be crafts, children’s activities, making a fire in the open air, plus a presentation on Whistlewood’s design and organisational structure at 2pm.

Also available will be forms for people to sign on the dotted

line to become part of it all and be shareholders.

Shares start at £50 and, in order to reach the required match funding target within the allotted time, the offer will close on July 21.

Sarah said: “Whistlewood is the brainchild of a core of local people from Melbourne Area Transition who wanted to do something physical to show what can be done when communities come together and what can be done to try and overcome some of the problems that we have got, like climate change and the risk of resources depletion, and economic and political uncertainty.

“We’d like anybody who would like to get involved to buy shares and to come along and be a volunteer, from doing stuff on the land to running activities or helping behind the scenes – there’s a whole range of ways that people can be involved, not just planting trees!

“We have got shareholders in New Zealand, in America – anyone can be a shareholder; it’s absolutely fantastic to have anyone who really likes the idea of what we are doing and wants to support it.”

To find out more about Whistlewood, log on to http://www.whistlewoodcommon.org/ Local media company Swad TV have produced a video about the organisation and the share issue which can be watched on the website.

LORRY LOADS OF TROUBLE

From Page 1 foot. It was never built to carry the volume and type of traffic that it does today.

“There is already plenty of signage on all approaches to the bridge, including several miles away, warning drivers that it is unsuitable for larger vehicles. The problem is that the weight restriction is being ignored.

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“We constantly monitor usage of the bridge, but regulations and our limited resources mean we cannot have a permanent presence at the bridge. We hope these highly visible electronic signs will raise the profile of the weight restriction and deter drivers if their vehicle is unsuitable.”

Tim Allen, Inspector of Ancient Monuments at Historic England, said: “We have been working with Derbyshire County Council and its highways department over the long term on measures to maintain, repair and protect the nationally important

n A LORRY driver from Grimsby was fined £440 plus a victim surcharge of £159 for breaching the weight limit while driving over Swarkestone Causeway.

John Jackson, 34, was convicted of the offence at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, March 22.

In September last year he had been witnessed driving the Scania 6axled articulated goods vehicle over the causeway towards Derby by a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) from the team. The Scania has a gross weight of 44 tonnes compared to the legal limit of 7.5.

Officers from the Mercia Safer Neighbourhood Team joined forces with Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards team to bring the prosecution.

Swarkestone bridge and causeway over the Trent, which has survived since the middle ages.

“Traffic volumes are at the root of the problems for this exceptional structure and we are working with the authorities to undertake all the measures they can to reduce

risk and limit damage. If more strategic options can be brought forwards we will be keen to advise from an early stage.

“Meanwhile, we have worked with the council to streamline the consent process for appropriate maintenance and urgent repair work necessitated by vehicle damage.”

LEFT: John Smithard pushes daughter Annie in a wheelbarrow at one of the events at Whistlewood.

RIGHT: A batik craft event.

Poppy Wood dogs poisoning ‘a mystery’

A SEARCH for poison at a popular dog-walking park near Melbourne sparked by the death of two dogs has found no evidence of any, so it remains business as usual.

Around 40 volunteers turned out to help investigate Poppy Wood park for poison after two dogs died, four others suffered seizures and a further two were unwell since being walked there in March.

The area attracted a lot of media attention after it was posted on social media site Facebook on March 26 that a dog had died after visiting there.

Owner Karen Dean said the vet had suggested the dog, Dakota, might have eaten something poisonous.

By the end of the following day, volunteers decided to shut the car park at Poppy Wood for fear there might be poison somewhere on the land, and it was suggested at that point that three dogs had died.

Up to 40 people turned out on Thursday, March 30, to scour Poppy Wood for poisonous substances, with the Environment Agency also turning out to test the water.

But the agency reported that bugs in the water were found that are very sensitive to pollution and there was no evidence of any toxic substances there either.

Alan Dowell, area forester for the Forestry Commission, said he would like to give “… a massive thank-you from us and the volunteers to everybody who gave up their free time to come and help”.

He said that several “old mushrooms” and pink tennis balls had been found on the site during the search, but nothing poisonous.

“I’m afraid it’s going to be one of those things that will remain a mystery,” he said. “Just use normal precautions, keep the dogs in sight, make sure they don’t pick up anything.”

Poppy Wood is very popular with dog walkers because it is enclosed. Visitors go there from as far as Sheffield just to exercise their animals. Other dog walkers use it to socialise their pets since it is so well-used.

The wood is also used a lot by professional dog walkers. When The Village Voice went down to visit on the first day the car park closed, we spoke to one dog walker who decided not to exercise the animals in her care there that day.

Michael Ebbutt, who was also at Poppy Wood with golden retriever Bella, said he came from Newhall daily to exercise the dog.

He said: “I normally come up about 1pm every day. Because of the safety of it with it being fenced, you can let the dogs off the

lead, they can run about and you can walk and know where they are all the time.

“I’m a bit upset about this – it’s a bit of a shock.”

Lucy Stephens

Estate agent to move into the former bank building

ESTATE agent Ashley Adams is moving into Melbourne’s former NatWest bank, it has been confirmed.

Kevin Edwards, area partner for Burchell Edwards & Ashley Adams based in Melbourne, told The Village Voice that the agency had signed the lease and would be moving a few doors down the street from its current smaller premises which is home to six members of staff.

NatWest shut its doors last July, since when there has been much speculation as to what business would move in – with strong suggestion that it might have become a restaurant because of its kitchen.

Kevin said that Ashley Adams would be expanding to include a lettings service and taking on more staff.

“We’re hoping realistically to be in there at the end of May,” he said.

“We’re doing it because of our success rates and expanding our team. We’re doing a lot more here now and we’re looking to

drive business forward and create new departments.”

Shop fitters will be working over the next four to six weeks to make the premises ready for Ashley Adams, but Kevin gave reassurances that the front of the building would not be altered or become “garish”.

He said: “We love the look of the building, it’s not going to change. We’re going to make good use of the window space, that’s

part of the reason we took it.”

Asked whether the housing market in Melbourne was currently buoyant, Kevin said that, while the full effects of Brexit remained to be seen, houses were still selling well locally.

He said: “The market has slowed down slightly and levelled off postBrexit. We don’t know what the results of Brexit are yet, but it hasn’t really affected us in terms of selling houses – we’re selling them at a rate of knots.

We’re fortunate that we are a long-established business in Melbourne.

“We’re looking to expand outwards. Our core market is Melbourne, but we are now looking a little way over towards Castle Donington and Ashby. The reason we want bigger premises, a bigger team and shop is to do even more than we are able to now.”

Kevin said the current Ashley Adams premises was up for let but no takers had yet come forward.

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l Michael Ebbutt with golden retriever Bella.

Country Living

with Robert Parker

YOU may have noticed a new brand of milk in the supermarkets which is an attempt by some farmers to get a bit more margin out of an already meagre market.

It’s called ‘free range milk’ and guarantees that the cows spend at least half of their time outdoors grazing.

For the average farmer this is not too difficult to achieve, but there’s a growing trend as dairy herds get bigger for farmers to go one way or the other.

One is to house cows 24/7 and the other is to graze them out of doors for nine to 10 months except in the depths of winter when it is impractical. Neither system could be described as better and each has its good and bad points.

The indoor system will have very high yielding, cosseted cows with all feed brought to the animals and they would be quite often milked three times a day. Every creature comfort will be given to them and they always have the ap-

pearance of being very happy and contented.

The outdoor system relies on having good access to fields on tracks and providing good quality lush grass all day.

Some farms with certain soil types and scattered land are not suited to outdoor production.

The milk yields would be quite often half that of the indoor cows, albeit with a lot less grain and vegetable protein being fed to them.

The indoor cows are generally Holsteins and the outdoors will be cross breeds of a Jersey or Guernsey origin.

I don’t think any one system is the best but these things are being brought about by the market place in an attempt to make a profit in an increasingly difficult time. The major milk company in the UK has just announced a price cut so here we go again.

Our own cows went out on April 3, which is about average. First swallow was on March 31 – a day earlier than last year.

Pair of diamonds get a card from the Queen

HENRY and Val Hastings are a pair of diamonds – they have just celebrated 60 years of marriage and have a card from Her Majesty herself to prove it.

Henry and Val tied the knot at Hartshorne Church on March 30, 1957, when Henry was 22 and Val two years younger.

Our photographer Andy Jackson took this happy snap of them at their home, with dog Ella – which, as reported at the time by the Village Voice, they rescued from near death in Corfu in 2015 after seeing her chained up next to a scrap heap.

Now Ella is thriving and so are Henry and Val; they received a card from the Queen to mark their 60 diamond years of marriage.

Henry was born in Blanch Croft where his father ran an off-licence.

His fascinating childhood experiences are documented in his memoirs: Boyhood Memories of Melbourne.

The memoirs give an intriguing insight into 1930s and 40s Melbourne: wives crying as they kissed their husbands goodbye when war broke out; the iron railings being taken away for the war effort, evacuees, American GIs, and Henry’s father being discovered attempting to store more than his ration of one pig.

After the war, in common with many young people at the

time, Henry and Val met at ‘The Rink’ – the local hop held in Swadlincote.

On marrying they bought their first house together in Hartshorne for £300 but sadness was to follow for the newly-weds when they had twins prematurely in September 1957, losing one, David, as a baby.

Having left the RAF, Henry worked at Qualcast Foundries in Derby for many years while Val worked for British Celanese.

There have been ups and downs over the years; in the

early 80s Henry had a blood clot on his lung and was told he had only 48 hours to live.

Then, having recovered from that, in 2006 he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given six weeks.

Henry has now been free of the disease for five years, but his daughter Julie passed away from cancer last year.

Henry and Val have two more daughters, Diane and Debbie.

As for the secret of 60 years happy marriage? “We have had quite a life,” said Henry.

“But I have had a good wife behind me through it all.”

Better news for the motorbikers

NUMBERS of motorcyclists being killed or seriously injured in Derbyshire seem to be falling, figures reveal.

Derbyshire started Operation Safe Ride two years ago and is preparing to launch the safety initiative again this year.

The road safety team aims to reduce accidents by targeting speeding and anti-social leisure bikers.

In 2015 numbers of motorbike casualties fell by 28 from the previous year – with 99 incidents, it was the third lowest total of the last 20 years.

Call for safety measures after crash at junction

A SERIOUS road accident on the A514 near Swarkestone has left a pedestrian with “life-changing injuries” after he ended up in the canal after a road accident. Now there are calls for the junction to be made safer with traffic lights.

The crash, which was reported to emergency services at around 4.30pm on Wednesday, March 29, happened at Cuttle Bridge – which is at the junction of the A514 and Swarkestone Road near Weston-on-Trent.

Police said that a van and a car were involved in a collision and the car went into the canal, hitting a passing pedestrian on its way and throwing him into the water too.

Passers-by helped the elderly woman driving the car to safety and pulled the pedestrian from the water.

The man, who police said was from Chellaston, was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham where his injuries were said to be “life-changing”.

The elderly driver, said by police to be from Staffordshire, was taken to Royal Derby Hospital with minor injuries but was later

discharged.

The crash, which closed the road for several hours, has prompted calls for safety measures such as traffic lights on that particular junction.

Paul Newton, deputy chairman of Weston-on-Trent Parish Council, said: “My main concern with the Cuttle Bridge junction is that it isn’t possible to turn right out of that junction without taking a risk. Visibility to the left is very poor due to the bridge and bend, making it a difficult junction anyway.

“Since the opening of Infinity Park Way (the new road leading to RollsRoyce from the Bonnie Prince Estate), traffic has increased, making the prob-

lem even worse at peak times.

“In the morning it’s now often standing traffic in one direction, so unless somebody lets you out, you have to block traffic from the right.”

Anyone with any information about the collision on March 29 is asked to call the police collision investigation unit on 101, quoting reference 675 of March 29.

Alternatively, send them a message online by visiting the Contact Us section of the website www.derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us.

You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

– Lucy Stephens

l Emergency services at the scene of the accident.

80s disco is a charity hit

THIS area’s next likely top cop has been named as Peter Goodman. Peter, who is currently Derbyshire Constabulary’s deputy chief, has been put forward as the preferred candidate to take over the top spot.

A confirmation hearing will take place in Matlock on April 13.

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THE glorious decade of shoulder pads and great pop music is being celebrated at this year’s Melbourne Carnival – but these folk got into the spirit early with a fund-raising 80s disco at the Royal British Legion.

The 80s night was organised by Hazel Clint and Rhiannon Garvey to raise money for Children with Cancer UK.

The event raised more than £1,000 in ticket sales, which it is hoped will be matchfunded by Toyota – Children with Cancer UK being their chosen charity this year.

The Royal British Legion also donated

£50 to add to the total.

Organisers said: “We had been to the 80s discos at the Melbourne Assembly Rooms and thought it would be great to arrange one for charity.

“We picked Children with Cancer UK, which Toyota are also supporting this year as their chosen charity.

“DJ Jason Filmore was on the decks in the Royal British Legion and got everyone into the spirit and onto the dance floor.

Fancy dress ranged from Adam Ant to Madonna with everything in between.”

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HELPING TOADS TO CROSS THE ROADS

IF YOU care about wildlife at all, the figures are worrying. Toads, part of the British popular imagination since the creation of Mr Toad in Wind and the Willows, are seriously on the decline.

A recent study has found that numbers have plummeted by more than two thirds since 1985, to the extent that the entire species nearly qualifies as endangered.

One of the main culprits is increased traffic, with cars simply squashing toads as they clamber across the Tarmac to get back to their spawning grounds. That’s why there is a national springtime ‘Toads on Roads’ campaign to escort these gentle amphibians to their breeding ponds in peace.

Local volunteers are part of the Derbyshire Amphibian and Reptile Group and one of their 20 county-wide patrolling spots is at Foremarke, where toads cross the Ingleby road to get to their breeding pond.

This year the group has rescued nearly 900 of the animals at the Foremarke crossing alone, although 10 per cent have been lost under the wheels of cars – twice as big a percentage as last year.

But why help the toads at all?

Christian Murray-Leslie, from Melbourne –who chairs the group – says this: “They’re a great help to gardeners and they are part of the balance of nature – they eat slugs and a number of other garden pests. If you unbalance nature too much you get unpleasant consequences.

“There’s a hugely increased extinction rate going on in the world at the moment, nearly all due to man’s activities. I feel very strongly about that and I feel strongly about seeing the toads splatted on the roads – I just don’t like to see it.

“There are many things that you can’t help, that are just beyond you. But toads don’t do anybody any harm and we like to encourage them.”

After hibernation, toads emerge when the weather turns milder in the spring and make their way back to their breeding grounds. They will often travel for miles from all points of the compass to get to the ponds where they themselves were born. Find out more about the Derbyshire Amphibian and Reptile Group and how you can volunteer on http://groups.arguk.org/DARG/

RIGHT: Christian Murray-Leslie on toad patrol.

BELOW: A bucket of the rescued creatures.

Artists on show

THREE artists will be hosting an open weekend in Ticknall from May 27-29. Jane Bevan, Peter Wood and Mary Johnson will be selling and showing their work from 10am to 5pm at 173 Main Street, Ticknall.

Stickers to protect the hedgehogs

GROUNDSMEN across South Derbyshire have had special waterproof stickers applied to their strimmers to remind them to check under bushes and hedgerows for hedgehogs before using any machinery.

The stickers have been provided by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society ahead of Hedgehog Awareness Week 2017, which aims to help protect the much-loved but under-threat creature.

Hedgehog Awareness Week runs from April 30 to May 6 this year.

More tips about protecting hedgehogs and how to get involved can be obtained on the website at www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk

Calke reveals more of its secret rooms

RARELY seen family apartments at Calke Abbey are open to the public for the first time this year.

Under its new ‘Hidden Revealed’ theme, the National Trust property will bring some of the estate’s stories, rarely seen collections and hidden spaces into prominence.

Back in the 1980s Calke was a ‘forbidden’ estate that few people ever entered. Three decades later, whilst now open to the public, there remain areas that are rarely seen –like the family apartments – and many more personal belongings now on display around the house, with a new “object of the month” to look at.

The research team has been discovering stories of the history of the people behind the place such as that of Jockey John, who worked as a groom at Calke before ending his days in the workhouse.

In the gardens near the ‘back sheds’ they are also excavating another tunnel, once used to access part of the heating system for the gardens. Visitors will be able to watch the digging take place this spring and, once completed, take a guided walk down into it.

Inside the house, some of the volunteers are busy spring cleaning. Vacuuming alone can take up to four hours every day, and changing a lightbulb can take up to an hour because of the different bulbs and fuse boxes.

Julie Marsden, a conservator at the National Trust, explains: “The importance of the buildings and collections in our care, mean cleaning takes patience, skill and the right tools for the job.

“Even the simple task of dusting needs specialist equipment – a soft pony hair brush is used on ceramics and gilded surfaces, whilst a stiffer hog’s hair brush is used for wooden furniture or plasterwork. And brushes are used with a small vacuum cleaner so that dust is removed, not just displaced.”

Outside, there will be hidden wildlife sculptures to search for in the park, viewfinders to

highlight hidden views and a hide and seek activity in the stable yards.

The team at Calke also wants the public to decide, through feedback, what future developments they want to see.

Regular visitors may also have noticed a greater emphasis on checking membership on entry.

Caroline Taylor, visitor experience manager at Calke, said that this was to benefit from the credit gained every time an NT member’s card was swiped. The trust has also asked if members walking in the estate would present cards, as each credit brings in money.

The National Trust is also asking for volunteers, with 26 needed daily just to open up. Anyone with spare time who would like to help is asked to visit the website or call 01332 695310.

– Frank Hughes

Anger over green space ‘dictatorship’

MORE than 450 responses to the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) questionnaire have been received by organisers of the project –but some aspects have also sparked anger among local landowners.

The latest meeting of Melbourne Parish Council held at the Assembly Rooms on April 4 heard from Councillor Jane Carroll, who gave an update on progress with the NDP.

She told the meeting that more than 450 “useable” questionnaires had been returned.

The NDP is aiming to be a document that sets out what local people would like to see in terms of future development for Mel-

bourne.

But there had also been four letters of objection from landowners at aspects of the questionnaire which had to do with the designating of “green spaces” in Melbourne that would be protected from being developed.

Henry Dunnicliff, whose letter was read out at the meeting at his request, objected to the designating of land at the bottom of Robinson’s Hill as a green space. As he explained in his letter, he had bought the field and created it as a green space himself for the benefit of Melbourne and did not wish to be dictated to by an outside policy as to what he could and could not do on his own property.

ARMS HOUSES

PLANS to create seven homes at the former Melbourne Arms site on Ashby Road look to have taken a step forward after this board was put up at the site.

Stanton Developments are behind the re-design of the former pub and Indian restaurant, plus the building of five further homes on the grounds.

The ‘Arms Gate’ development says it will deliver “a mix of four, five and six bed luxury homes within a comprehensive courtyard development enjoying extensive views over the Derbyshire countryside”.

Planning permission was originally granted to turn the Melbourne Arms into a private house plus four further large homes in May 2014 – the original iconic building having been de-listed by English Heritage the previous year.

A further application to build seven homes was then granted in September 2016.

“I was furious to receive the letter (the questionnaire),” his letter said, explaining that it was he himself who had “transformed a market garden into an attractive field and approach to Melbourne it is today, and I am now being told what I can and can’t do”.

The field at the bottom of Robinson’s Hill, on the left as you go up the hill, used to be a market garden with cabbages growing all the way down to the roadside.

Mr Dunnicliff bought it around 30 years ago so that it could be preserved, planting hedges and trees there.

The other letters of objection related to Jawbone Lane but were not read out.

Cllr Carroll told the meeting that if landowners objected to aspects of the NDP, they would be removed.

She said that the NDP was simply trying to make sure green spaces in Melbourne –such as the field at the bottom of Robinson’s Hill –would be preserved and not developed for housing, which in this particular instance was also what the landowner wanted.

Parish Councillor David Smith, commenting on the letter, said: “I’m a firm believer that he who owns his castle, controls it.”

– Lucy Stephens

Charity giving disabled children fun on the water

A NEW sailing charity which aims to give more disabled children the chance to experience the thrill of the open water has been launched in Melbourne by Staunton Harold Sailing Club.

The newly formed Staunton Harold Sailability Trust has just been set up and will be buying its first double handed Hansa dinghy for use by disabled children, after thousands of pounds were raised through sponsorship and a charity ball.

Hansa Dinghies are very stable with adapted seats and controls.

Derbyshire-based Ward recycling has stepped forward to sponsor the charity with an initial £2,000 to help pay for safety equipment, including life jackets, spray tops and bibs for volunteers.

The sailing club raised £6,000 at a Commodore’s Ball on April 1 which will pay for the dinghy.

Staunton Harold Sailing Club in Melbourne has been supporting sailing for children and young adults with varying types of disabilities for the last 15 years.

Working closely with the Royal Yachting Association Sailability, the club has increased the number of sessions it provides year-on-year, offering a range of sailing and waterborne activities, from accompanied sailing in power boats and training dinghies, to onshore activities such as essential knot tying.

Its new charity, Staunton Harold Sailability Trust, aims to raise more cash for specialist equipment including three Hansa dinghies.

Donald Ward, commercial manager at Ward, said: “This fantastic local charity really struck a chord with our company. The Staunton Harold Sailing Club have for a long time worked with the

charity Umbrella to support families living in Derby City and Derbyshire to provide a range of exciting activities.

“The drive commitment of the team at Staunton Harold is to be commended as they look to improve their facilities and extend their programme to more people in the Derbyshire Area. Getting more children onto the water is valuable to

build confidence, self-worth and to give families the chance to spend quality time together.”

The club would like to thank supporters and sponsors: Andra Health; Physio Needs; Purely Sailing; Fine and Country (Loughborough); Green and Co; Smith Cooper (Derby); Lemon and Lime Interiors; Fab Clinic; Paterson Guest House; Trent Sea Training; David Granger Design; Melbourne Deli; Amalfi White; and Hartley Boats. Thanks also go to East Midlands Community Fund for their £1,000 grant.

Mark Harden, trustee and secretary of Staunton Harold’s new Sailability charity, said: “Sailability can work with kids or adults of any age; however, we do need particular resources – specialist boats and hoists – in order to take adults and more severely disabled children out on the reservoir, or to allow for solo sailing. We currently have a member whose family is part of Staunton Harold Sailing Club, who suffers from brittle bones.

“It is heart-breaking as he watches on longingly and cannot sail with his family. It is our ambition to get him on the water this year to join them.”

For more information, to volunteer or to support The Staunton Harold Sailability Trust, you are asked to visit www.shsc.org.uk or email sailability@shsc.org.uk

THE Melbourne Community Awards, dubbed the ‘Mels’, are to be awarded on a different day while work continues at the Assembly Rooms.

The Mels were to have been celebrated on Sunday, April 9, but the event has now been put back to Sunday, April 23.

The ceremony takes place at the Assembly Rooms from 2.30 to 4pm.

SUSPICIOUS of social media?

Don’t know your Facebook from your Twitter?

Melbourne’s next free “Dig-It” session run by Citizens’ Advice is being held at Melbourne Library on Friday, April 21, at 10.30am.

The topic will be social media.

New date for Mels Dig-It Abba back

IT’S time to dig the dancing queen and be a super trouper as Abba tribute act Abba Sensation returns to the Melbourne Assembly Rooms.

The band will be performing its full stage act at the show on Wednesday, April 19.

The very best in retirement living and support

Richmond Aston-on-Trent is a purpose built retirement village providing the kind of luxury accommodation and facilities that we all dream of. Take the Village Suites as an example, these apartments come with an Independent Living Package including all meals, laundry, daily maid service and have been designed to help you or your loved ones retain an independent lifestyle.

Kenni proud to be a puppy parent

MEET one woman and her dog … but this is no ordinary dog.

Kenni Stewart, from Melbourne, is a “puppy parent” for the charity Canine Partners; her Labrador retriever cross, Queenie, will be with her for around the first year of the animal’s life.

After that, Queenie will go on to undergo advance training to become one of the charity’s assistance dogs who help adults with physical disabilities in their homes.

Queenie, and the charity’s other dogs, will be trained to perform incredibly intricate tasks such as taking notes out of cash machines for their human partners, or picking up paperclips from the floor.

But for the first 12 to 14 months of their lives, they are taken in by volunteers like Kenni, who provide early socialisation for the dogs by taking them into different environments and introducing them to different people, objects and animals.

The idea is to make them confident and happy in any situation they may encounter when they begin working with a disabled person.

We caught up with Kenni and Queenie at a “puppy party” held by Canine Partners – who are very keen to find more volunteers.

Queenie is the third dog that Kenni has looked after for Canine Partners. She said the appeal of the charity for her was that it enabled her to enjoy the benefits of having a dog without the long-term commitment – all the while doing something of immense value.

She said: “I like having a dog but I don’t like the commitment of a dog for 15 years or to have it take over my life.

Chance to dust off that 80s gear

The short-term is what I like most, and the flexibility.

“I love the social side of it as well –you make lots of friends; it’s a really nice group.

“And the end result is fabulous. It’s giving something back but you’re also getting a lot out of it as well.”

Canine Partners is very keen to hear from anyone who would like to become a puppy parent in this area since it is close to the training centre at Osgathorpe, near Lount.

The charity’s puppy training supervisor, Ronnie Paskouis, said: “It is vital that Canine Partners recruits more puppy parents so that we can help change the lives of more disabled people.

“Without these essential volunteers, we cannot train the numbers of dogs that are needed.

“By taking a puppy into their homes our volunteers know they can make an enormous difference and give someone back their independence.”

Puppy parents receive full ongoing support, both at their homes and at puppy training classes. Food, equipment, vet bills and temporary holiday care is provided. Among the requirements for volunteers are that they should be over 18, at home for most of the day, have a secure dogfriendly garden and have plenty of stamina to look after a puppy!

For more information call 01730 716017 or visit caninepartners.org.uk

– Lucy Stephens

n Canine Partners is holding a Big Bluebell Walk at Rosliston Forestry Centre at 11am on Sunday, May 21. Volunteers pay to take part in the walk, which raises money for the charity.

Log on to www.caninepartners.org.uk/bi gbluebellwalks for more.

Lining up for this year’s Astonbury festival

FORGET Glastonbury ... everyone who lives round here knows that the Astonbury Music Festival at Aston-on-Trent is the place to be seen – and it’s all for a great cause.

This year’s Astonbury Music Festival is happening on April 28-29 and the organisers are promising “some amazing performers”.

The first concert takes place at Aston’s All Saints’ Church at 7pm on Friday, April 28, and the line-up includes multi-instrumentalist Jeff Wells, rag-

time pianist Joe Nutman, and one-time RCA recording star Tristan Shandy, who backed Vince Eager last year.

Other performers include the popular BUGS, a 16-piece ukulele band from Beeston, Aston vicar Tony Luke with his daughter Charlotte, jazz duo Olly Holroyd and Al Harris, local singer Jessica Lemon with pianist Mick Shaw, and a short classical recital organised by Cathy Razzell.

The Saturday night concert will also begin at 7pm in the

YOUR COUNCIL TAX BILL

COUNCIL Tax bills arrived through doorways in March, and eagleeyed readers will see that the South Derbyshire District Council precept has been listed as showing a rise of two per cent since last year.

That is because the Government’s computer rounds up percentages – the actual rise is 1.95 per cent and that is the amount that will be charged. The Village Voice is also happy to clarify that the South Derbyshire precept also rose by 1.95 per cent in 2016/7 but was frozen for five years before that.

War Memorial Hall and will feature the Junkyard Angels together with a new young trio ‘Unbound’, who play their own arrangements of popular hit songs plus some of their own material.

Others booked include vocalists Ruby Sky, Alison Hurt, Nicky Hart and Emily Hodgkin plus 13-year-old singer-songwriter Oliver Keane, favourites Danny Lockhart and friends, Rod, Newt & Co. and the Mocking Jays to close the show.

A CD featuring artists appearing at the concert will be on sale throughout the concerts and all proceeds will be split between All Saints’ Church and the Aston Well Dressing Group.

Tickets will be on sale from the beginning of April in village outlets including the Village Shop, the Post Office, The Malt, the White Hart, All Saints’ Church and the salon.

IT’S fast approaching that time of year when young hopefuls for the annual Miss Melbourne competition should start dusting down their party clothes – the contest is being held at the Royal British Legion on May 19 at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

This year’s Melbourne Fete and Carnival takes an 80s theme, which should give plenty of opportunities for people to dig out some trusty wardrobe favourites from the era of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet.

Clubs, pubs, schools, bands and anyone else who fancies entering a lorry in this year’s carnival float (we are promised a roller boot entry!) is asked to contact Gemma Holden on 07834 536835.

All are welcome in the procession.

The Village Voice recommends playing ‘We Built This City’ by Starship – once memorably voted the worst pop song of all time – to get you in the mood before you venture out of the door in your neon legwarmers.

Time to cast your vote

VOTERS from across the area are being urged to make sure they are registered to have their say in the next county council elections.

The Derbyshire County Council elections are being held on Thursday, May 4, and a campaign has been started to encourage as many people as possible to make sure their voice is heard in the decision as to who runs the council for the next four years.

Derbyshire County councillors represent more than 782,000 people and run a range of key services including schools, libraries, roads, buses, home care staff and waste disposal.

All 64 county council seats will be up for grabs as a new council is elected for the first time in four years.

People who are not registered to vote by midnight on Thursday, April 13, will not be able to cast their vote this time.

Derbyshire County Council

Chief Executive Ian Stephenson said: “Whether it’s schools, libraries, roads, buses, home care staff or waste disposal, everyone in Derbyshire will use one of our services or may need them in the future. That’s why it’s so important that people have their say.”

Knitting group’s parting gift

CARING Hands knitters gave a fitting farewell to founder member Angela Plummer – the former curate of Melbourne Parish Church – when they held a leaving presentation for her.

The weekly Caring Hands knitting group was set up by Angela and has been going for two and a half years. During that time, members have knitted more than 10,000 blankets, jumpers, baby clothes and other things woollen.

The clothes have been distributed to the needy all over Britain and to refugee camps in Syria, where people are living in tents in freezing conditions over the winter months.

The group has also recently created adorable knitted chickens and eggs for Pool Cottage.

Group members gave Angela a handmade cushion and a gardening voucher as a goodbye gift. Caring Hands member Erica Stewart said Angela would be much missed.

As to the purpose of the group, she said: “We feel the Syrian refugees need as many clothes as possible when it’s so cold and they haven’t got a home to go to.” Caring Hands meets at Church House next to Melbourne Parish Church on Mondays from 2 to 3.30pm. As many as 30 people regularly go along to have a knit. Pictured (l-r) are Erica Stewart, Ruth Smith, Angela Plummer, Carolyn Tasker, Margaret Brackenberry, Alison Gregory and Christine Franks.

£260,000 –council planning appeal cost to the taxpayers

MORE than a quarter of a million pounds in South Derbyshire taxpayers’ money will have had to be spent on paying for planning appeals this year – including nearly £20,000 for the two Jawbone Lane appeals in Melbourne.

The figures were contained in South Derbyshire District Council papers for this month’s full council meeting.

The council has to spend thousands of pounds on planning appeals to pay for barristers’ fees and other specialist advice, whether it is granted or not.

However, the stakes are higher for the council if the decision goes against them, since a planning inspector can also tell them to pay costs to the person or company who has brought the appeal, which happened in two cases out of 13 in 2016/7.

In one instance – the appeal relating to New House Farm in Mickleover, which was granted by the inspector – the council will have to fork out

nearly £100,000 in costs to the appellant, plus £38,000 on their own costs in holding the appeal in the first place.

The Bond Elm Jawbone Lane appeal, where planning inspector Martin Whitehead said that Fisher German could build 34 homes, cost the council around £10,845 to pay barristers and other advisors.

The other Jawbone Lane appeal, for Linden Homes – which was dismissed – cost the council £8,632.

The total sum for all planning appeals over the year is expected to reach around £260,311.

Sometimes, as documented in The Village Voice, the council’s planning committee decides to go against the recommendation of officers when deciding whether or not homes or other applications can be built.

There were six appeals which happened after planning members decided to go against officers’ advice.

– Lucy Stephens

Civic Award not presented

MELBOURNE’S civic prize for outstanding new building or renovation has not been presented this year after judges decided nothing was quite up to the mark.

However, some of Melbourne’s new building work over the past year was commended by the judges, who said: “All had deserved some positive comments, but none were outstanding enough to merit the accolade of the Civic Award.”

The Civic Society Award is given to the “most outstanding example of new building, renovation or landscape conversion completed during the last 12 months”.

Last year’s winner was the garage at 60 Ashby Road, which

the society said had “been built to carefully reflect the eaves and finial details of the house. This, along with the fact that it was L-shaped rather than a plain rectangle and with its arched doors, led to it being generally praised. It was variously described as charming and a ‘little gem’.”

Six projects were nominated for this year’s Civic Award. Judges said they “carefully considered them all against the demanded criteria”.

They highly commended the restoration of 14 Church Street and the renovation at The Olde Packhorse and commended the new Sports Park Pavilion.

The civic society held its Annual General Meeting on March 27, with chairman Dr Paul

Grimley giving an “upbeat report” on the society’s successful year.

The audience listened to what was described as an “aweinspiring talk on the galaxies in the universe” by Julian Onions from Nottingham University.

“With the help of some incredible photographs he explained the progress already made in classifying these strange and wonderful worlds and the promise of more exciting discoveries as telescope technology advances,” the society said.

The society’s next talk will be at 7.30pm on Monday, April 24, when the story of the first successful oil well, which was struck in Derbyshire, will be told by Cliff Lea.

Nosing around for charity

MILLIONS were raised for this year’s Comic Relief effort across the country – and this area did its fair share by getting into the spirit of Red Nose Day on March 24.

At Melbourne Junior School, children attended in non-uniform and took part in Red Nose Day-themed games on the playground. Their day raised £500.84

The infant school also saw children turning up in red noses and non-uniform.

Meanwhile, across Melbourne, staff from Sainsbury’s led by store manager

Gary Dunne took to the streets to sell red noses and scratch cards around local businesses.

Melbourne’s Sainsbury’s raised £2,700 for Comic Relief with its red noses and other merchandise, plus a treasure hunt organised in the shop.

Gary said: “We have been very pleased with the efforts people across Melbourne have gone to to support the Red Nose fund-raising.

“During the BBC’s live Red Nose Day TV show it was announced that Sainsbury’s raised a whopping £11,612,117 so far!”

More pictures on the centre pages

ABOVE: Staff at Monetise.

LEFT: Fun in the sun for staff at The One Off.

RIGHT: staff at The Bay Tree, Melbourne.

Pictures by: TINA BAKER, GARY DU

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TOP ROW (from the left): Staff at Melbourne Print Shop; customers at Jack’s Cafe; staff at Melbourne Sun Rooms.

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Do you know this man?

POLICE have released CCTV footage of a man they would like to talk to after a parked car was damaged in Melbourne.

The incident happened when the car, a grey Audi A4, had been parked overnight in Alma Street on Saturday, February 18, and was damaged.

The Safer Neighbourhood Team from Melbourne is investigating the incident.

PCSO Emma Guest, from the team, said: “The damage looks like it has been caused by some kind of sharp object.

“It is not the first time damage like this has been caused to the victim’s car and of course this causes expense and inconvenience each time the car has

to be repaired.

“We would like to talk to the man pictured in the footage and would ask anyone who recognises him or has any information about the incident to make contact with us.”

If you think you can help, please call Emma on 101 quoting reference number 17000073996.

Alternatively send her a message online by visiting the Contact Us section of The Derbyshire Constabulary website.

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website: www.crimestoppers-uk.org

SNAKES AMONG THE LADDERS ...

DIY enthusiasts, tradesmen and gardeners are being warned to take care when using telescopic ladders after more than 32,000 sets were taken off the shelves because they were dangerous.

Enquiries by Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards team into the safety of tele-

Chance to meet a top author

INTERNATIONAL best-selling novelist

Stephen Booth will be visiting Melbourne on April 20 for a “meet the author” session at the Assembly Rooms as part of the Derby Book Festival.

Stephen’s books are based in Derbyshire’s Peak District and his crime solving duo, Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, have become near real-life characters for his huge readership. His books in the series have been translated into 16 languages, including Russian and Japanese, and he regularly hears from his worldwide fan base.

scopic ladders revealed “major concerns” with their safety. A Government-funded investigation working with several councils investigated 13 different types of telescopic ladders which ALL failed to meet the recognised standard for design and safety.

“The books have been set in the fictional town of Edendale and I have had messages from readers to say that they know the town very well!” Readers are known to go out in search of the locations mentioned in the books and he has been asked by Friends of the Peak District to lead walks around the novels’ hotspots.

Stephen now lives with wife Lesley in north Nottinghamshire but originates from Burnley. He grew up in Blackpool and went to university in Birmingham. After a career in journalism, which included spells with the Manchester editions of the Daily Express and The Guardian, he gave up in 2001 to achieve his lifelong ambition of becoming a writer.

“I wrote my first book at the age of 12, a sci-fi novel, and knew from that early age that was what I wanted to do.” He said his parents’ enduring description of him was that he was “always scribbling!” With the publication of his first book, Black Dog, in 2000, he earned the opportunity to fulfil that ambition.

The success of the Cooper and Fry series, with a string of awards along the way, is based upon the strength and popularity of the characters, the association with atmospheric places the readers can visualise and the very contemporary feel to the storylines.

He said: “At the outset, I wanted the books to have a different twist, and focussed on the central characters I created.”

He has evidently created a parallel universe which is wholly credible to his readership. An elderly lady reader wrote to him saying ‘I just wanted you to know that I think Ben Cooper is the most wonderful human being ever!’

The Derbyshire Book Festival ‘taster’ event in Melbourne will feature Stephen talking about his novels and taking questions from readers. There will also be readings from books by other authors featuring in the Derby Book Festival.

Fans will be able to ask about his 17th novel in the series, Dead in the Dark, due out in July. Without giving too much away Stephen said: “This was about a murder without a body, and is set around both Bakewell and Lathkilldale. Diane has also moved to Wilford, as she is now working in the East Mids Special Crime Unit.”

He is hoping that TV interest in the series will soon become a reality and Cooper and Fry might achieve the fame of Morse and Lewis!

The event which is ticketed but free, is likely to be very popular, so the advice is to get tickets early from the library or from Forteys.

– Frank Hughes

not able to use the café for two years after it closed in 2014.

The National Trust opened up the place again last spring after it had been extensively refurbished by The One Off design agency in Melbourne.

n THE café at Staunton Harold Reservoir celebrated its first birthday with these colourful balloons. Visitors to the popular reservoir and children’s play area were

Our photographer Tina Baker was at the reservoir and caught this snap of assistant manager Natasha Deacon on the café’s birthday on March 16.

Cash cuts lead to school staff fears

SCHOOLS in this area may face having to run on reduced staff because of likely funding cuts, the local education authority has warned.

The Government is proposing changes to the national funding formula to schools which could, in some cases, spell a shortfall running into tens of thousands of pounds by 2018/9.

The results of the consultation have not yet been made public.

The Village Voice asked Derbyshire County Council for a picture of how school funding cuts could impact on this area.

We were given a very full statement (printed below), which says that even if schools gain money under the proposed new funding formula, that will be effectively cancelled out by inflation.

The Government has said it wants to introduce a national funding system it says will be fairer.

But some schools have pointed worried parents in the direction of the website www.schoolcuts.org.uk which gives a far gloomier picture of what to expect.

A Derbyshire County Council spokesman said: “We’re awaiting the outcome of the Government’s consultation on its proposed changes to schools funding formula, but councils and schools have already been given example figures by the Department for Education which show how much funding they would have got if the formula was in place now.

“Those figures for Derbyshire schools give a mixed picture with the primary schools generally

Care team makes the Anoraks sadder

AFTER seven weeks of tough preliminary rounds four teams battled for the honour of being Melbourne Quiz team of the year at the Royal British Legion.

In a tense opening round Melbourne Rugby Club were narrowly pipped after a nail-biting tie-break with Community Care, and Melbourne Over Development Society (MODS) were swept aside by the Sad Anoraks.

After a third and fourth place contest, in which the rugby club took the honours, the final was set up between three-time winners Sad Anoraks and newcomers Community Care.

With a strong flourish in the final ‘sudden death’ round, Community Care took the title and won the coveted shield.

The winning team of Christine Lee, Dick Carlier, Nick Freeman and Rob Carman are pictured with their prize.

It is easy to forget with the stress of competition, that the Melbourne

Quiz is supposed to be fun, and indeed some of the witty banter is most enjoyable – especially Paul Fox’s Barkeresque “pisspronunciation”.

But the stronger underlying benefit of the quiz is that all the proceeds go to charity.

This year, as well as winning the title, the funds raised will be going to Community Care.

Christine Lee, captain of the winning side, said: “It’s a win, win.”

Accepting a cheque for £1,300, she said it was “much needed” as Community Care relied entirely upon donations and willing volunteers”. She also took the opportunity to make a plea for more helpers and more patrons to support the valuable work they do.

With the quiz finished for another year, thanks must go to the entire team who organise the evenings, the raffles, and keep score, and, most importantly, to quizmaster-inchief John Elliott, who compiles all the brain-taxing questions.

faring better than the secondary schools.

“The primary sector in Derbyshire shows an overall gain of £11.2m (5%) but, while 276 schools would have collectively benefited by around £11.5m, 70 would have lost out on funding totalling £316,000; four schools would see no change from the national formula.

“For secondary schools the picture is an overall reduction of £965,000 (-0.5%) with 34 schools collectively losing £1.33m and only 11 gaining (£0.36m in total).

“If the formula is brought in by the Government, it will be for councils to decide in 2018/19 whether to use it or not. However, it will be applied across the board by Central Government the following year.

“Schools who do face reductions in funding may find that the impact can be spread over more than one year. Other variable factors, such as pupil numbers, will also have an impact on funding settlements.

“However, re-distributing funding at a time when there is no more money in the school system to meet inflationary pressures means that for those that benefit from the new formula, any gains will be soon impacted on by inflation, while those that lose out will find that the losses will create a further financial pressure.

“That could mean, for example, staffing may have to be reduced in order for some schools to remain within their budgets, while still providing the best possible teaching and support for pupils.”

– Lucy Stephens

CAN YOU COOK YOUR WAY TO £1,000?

LOCAL hosts and hostesses with the most and mostest are being invited to take part in popular TV show Come Dine with Me.

The cult Channel 4 programme, which has been going for more than a decade, films four strangers who take it in turns to throw a dinner party for one another. At the end of the week, the host judged the best wins £1,000 in cash.

The team behind Come Dine With Me has been in touch with the Village Voice and asked us

to tell our readers that they will be filming a new show in Nottingham, Derby and Leicester from May 8-12 and are keen to hear from people who would like to take part.

A spokeswoman said: “We are on the look-out for fabulous hosts to firmly put the East Midlands firmly on the culinary map.

“Are you the host with the most? Can you cook up a storm in the kitchen? Will you be able to pull off the dinner party to end all dinner parties? If you or

anyone you know can step up to the plate and rise to the challenge then we want to hear from YOU!”

Anyone who wants to take part, or knows anyone who wants to take part, is asked to call or email leaving their name, address, age and contact details: cdwm@shiver.tv or phone 0871 244 4142.

n If you apply for the show and want to tell us about it, let us know at news@melbournevillagevoice.co.uk or 01332 863181.

Villages welcome new beat officer Paul

LOCAL villages have a new policeman on the beat, who has stepped into the shoes of the previous one after he switched to train as a roads officer.

Former wildlife crime officer PC Paul Russell has replaced PC Oliver Priddle on the Mercia and Melbourne Safer Neighbourhood teams.

His beat includes Melbourne, Aston, Weston, Findern and Ticknall, as well as Willington, Repton and Stenson.

PC Priddle is now training to become a roads policing officer for Derbyshire Police.

A police officer for 24 years, PC Russell started his career in 1992 as a patrol officer at Peartree police station. He then moved to an

intelligence gathering and plain-clothed role and also became a national wildlife crime officer.

For the past two years, PC Russell has been back in a uniformed policing role in Derby and Swadlincote.

He said: “I am really looking forward to my new Safer Neighbourhood policing role. I am aware that the area in which I will be working has a large rural area and so I expect that my experience as a wildlife crime officer will come in useful.

“I also know that, although the area is a very pleasant and safe place to life and visit, that does not mean to say that it is crimefree. I will be working hard to keep these crime levels low by working with the residents and other partners.”

To speak to Paul about any policing issues in the area, contact him on 101 or send him a message online by visiting the “Contact Us” section of the Derbyshire Constabulary website: www.derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us

Members of the Parish Council

Chair Margaret Sharp 862471

Vice Chair

Sheila Hicklin 865726

Highways

David Smith 862699

Burial Grounds

Sheila Hicklin 865726

Facilities Andrew Jackson 07931 541387

Planning & Strategy

Jane Carroll 863269

Finance & HR

Margaret Sharp 862471

Ian Casson 07770 578483

Nigel Collyer 07831 540538

George Dunnicli 07780 806267

Wendy Earp 865019

Tom Gates 865718

George Hudson 07503 247953

Robert Parker 07973 297404

Terry Summerlin 864643

Michael Usher 07791 605861

Paul Willmore 863044

Jacqui Storer - Clerk 07734 939292

Useful Numbers

Aircraft Noise & Complaints 0845 1088540

Clean Team ( y tipping) 0800 5872349

Street Lighting Faults 0845 6058058

Potholes 0845 6058058

n THESE firefighters were doing a valuable car washing service for the community, and raising cash for a charity to help people in the service at the same time.

Members of Melbourne Fire Station’s annual car wash raised more than £600 for the Firefighters’ Charity.

The charity supports firefighters recovering from injuries incurred in the course of their duties, whether mental or physical.

Careys Mobile Car Valeting, based in Nottingham, donated a pressure washer to support the event.

Andrew Astle, Watch Manager for Melbourne Fire Station, said: “It was well supported and we’re really appreciative of that – the amount that we raised was incredible.”

Cycling hub gets ok

National Trust’s Abbey project takes another step forward

CALKE Abbey is to become home to a new cycling hub, café and car park after its plans were given the goahead.

The proposals put forward by the National Trust were granted by members of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee on March 21.

The hub will include a new building to provide visitor orientation, café – with capacity for 40 people indoors and 60 outdoors – toilets, cycle hire and staff office.

There will also be a new 140-space car park plus overflow area for an extra 100 vehicles, along with a discovery area linked to cycle trails.

As previously reported in The Village Voice, the hub is part of the same expansion programme as the family friendly cycle trail to be installed around Calke’s grounds.

The idea behind the proposals is to help Calke cope with rising visitor numbers by dissipating the crowds from the main house and providing an alternative way for people to enjoy the 2,300 acres of historic grounds.

At the moment the Abbey and grounds

Melbourne Parish Council

Quarterly Report - April 2017

The Parish Council has a new logo and have upgraded their website with lots of new information. A huge "thank you" is extended to Jean Grimley who looked after our website for many years and now the role is being undertaken by Melbourne Print.

The Annual Parish Meeting was held on Monday 13th March. It was a di erent format this year. We had a member from ve organisations to give a small presentation on the work of their group, - Footpaths - Sporting Partnership - Assembly Rooms - Civic Society and Whistlewood Common, which were all very interesting. The Annual Dr Freeman Award was presented by Mrs Freeman to the Committee of The Sporting Partnership.

The Questionnaires for the Neighbourhood Development Plan which had been delivered to all houses in Melbourne and Kings Newton should have now been returned The NDP Working Party will analyse the results, and these will be available as soon as possible.

The Council are still meeting with Severn Trent and we now have a rep. from Davidson Homes join us with regard to the ooding on Station Road.

The Parish Council continues to work with other parties for the creation of a new set of public toilets. No date is yet available as to when the works will commence, but behind the scenes progress is being made; you may have seen several di erent people looking around, surveying the site and undertaking reports. When a date is agreed, this will be advertised on the noticeboard and on the Parish Council's website.

Margaret Sharp, Chair, Melbourne Parish Council

get around 300,000 visitors a year, but that is expected to rise by up to 100,000 within 10 years.

The site for the new hub is within Calke’s grounds and visitors will be able to get there from a route off the main drive, before reaching the main house.

Calke’s proposals have aroused fears in Ticknall that its parking situation could get worse with more visitors using the village to leave their cars rather than paying National Trust entrance fees.

The proposal for the hub attracted 12 letters and emails of objection which included

these worries, with additional concerns that a new hub could damage the “mystery” of Calke. But council planners also received 11 letters supporting the plans, saying they would allow more people to get out and enjoy the countryside and would provide “much-needed facilities for visitors to Calke”.

A Ticknall Community Liaison Group has been set up to improve relations between the National Trust and the village, with meetings scheduled for every two months.

South Derbyshire’s planning report, supporting the hub, concluded: “It is considered that the proposals would comply with the general thrust of local planning policy and national guidance which aims to support and encourage new and existing tourist facilitates within the district, with overriding support for new developments which support leisure activities, health and wellbeing.

“The proposal is considered to make a valuable contribution to the provision of multi-functional and accessible green infrastructure in the district, which weigh heavily in favour of the proposal.”

- Lucy Stephens

School’s new take on the tree Rs

GRUBBY knees and climbing trees – cherished childhood memories for many of us, and, at one South Derbyshire school, a valued part of the curriculum.

Young pupils from Weston-on-Trent Primary School have now got a whole new outdoor area to enjoy – complete with willow tunnel and fire pit – thanks to a £10,000 Lottery grant to create a new “Forest Schools” area.

The school is an enthusiastic practitioner of the Forest Schools project, which aims to encourage children to take risks in the outdoors by learning traditional skills that many fear are in danger of becoming lost in today’s technological age – such as climbing trees, lighting fires and learning to tie knots.

Older children at the school regularly go to Elvaston Castle grounds where they learn these things as part of the Forest Schools ethos, and the new area at the school is for the younger children to enjoy.

Weston Primary’s Forest Schools leader Jackie Ford said: “This gives children the freedom and the chance to enjoy their wellbeing. It’s like a dream come true!

“Nowadays we wrap these children with cotton wool – this is for them to take on this risk element.”

Meanwhile, Weston Primary’s head Ben O’Connell has been establishing links with India after taking part in a teacher training project in slum schools in Kolkata.

Mr O’Connell joined another teacher from Clifton Primary and spent 10 days in India as part of a Cathedral Relief Service project to improve life for women and children in some of the world’s poorest conditions.

The project took place under the Derby diocese, and is led by Rigg David.

The training involved sessions aimed at helping Indian teachers, many of whom have had no formal training and grew up in the slums themselves.

Back home in Weston, children were able to watch daily videos from India, and ask questions.

– Lucy Stephens

Awards scheme for rural businesses

RURAL businesses are being urged to get their entries in for a special awards scheme uniquely for the countryside sector – in which a King’s Newton firm was recognised in two different categories last year.

The Rural Business Awards (RBAs) are now in their third year and the only UK-wide such scheme especially for countryside-based firms.

Last year King’s Newton based DG Light Haulage came runner-up for Rural Employer of the Year and Rural Innovation of the Year –the latter being awarded for the firm’s hospital mattress recycling scheme.

Liz Guilford, from DG Light Haulage, said: “Entering the Rural Business Awards last year has been a fantastic experience for the team at DG Light Haulage.

“We were very proud to be named runner-up in two categories in the 2016 awards, and the entry process gives us a great opportunity to review and revisit our achievements and

Chance to see eco film

progress as a small, fast-growing rural business.”

Figures show that rurally based business across Britain employs more than 3.4 million people in more than 600,000 different firms.

The Country Land & Business Association (CLA) defines rural businesses as fitting into three broad categories: land-based businesses; land-related businesses and other businesses located in rural areas.

The awards have 13 categories ranging from food and drink to clothing to professional services, and winners will be decided by an independent panel of judges drawn from the rural business sector, official agencies and rural charitable organisations.

This year’s ceremony will be held at Denbies Wine Estates in Surrey on October 5. The application window is now open and entries can be made up to June 30. To enter, visit www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk.

MELBOURNE Area Transition –the group behind the creation of Whistlewood – has teamed up with the Quad cinema in Derby and the National Transition network to put on three showings of an awardwinning environmental film.

The French film is called Tomorrow and has been a huge hit over the channel, winning a Cesar award for Best Documentary and watched by more than 1.5million people.

The film is about creative ways of being eco-friendly and takes viewers on a journey around permaculture farms, urban agriculture projects and other community-led ideas for being kinder to the planet.

The film will have three showings at the Quad on Friday, May 5.

l Children from the Weston-onTrent Primary School with forest schools leader Jackie Ford.

THE work to transform the old kitchen and the library foyer of Melbourne Assembly Rooms is nearing completion. The design includes new kitchen equipment, a bar, and a hanging system for displaying art. The room can be used for meetings, for art classes, or as a bar or café.

The Assembly Rooms team say it is also “ideal for catering for events in the Main Hall”.

In the foyer, the old ceiling has been removed and the walls have been stripped back to bare brick, the aim being to create a “warm welcome” to the building.

To celebrate the opening of the new art café, bar and meeting room, all members and users of the Assembly Rooms are invited to drop in between 12pm and 2pm on Sunday, April 23, for a free glass of Prosecco and to look around.

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Historic church in urgent need of repair

EXPOSED to the elements on its dramatic hill-top position, Breedon Priory has been battered by the wind and the rain for centuries. Now it is in need of some urgent renovation.

The members of the congregation are appealing for funds to help preserve this historic building.

Founded by Aethelred, there has been a place of worship on Breedon hill since about 676AD. Although the original building no longer exits, parts of the existing church date back to the 12th century, and the renowned Anglo-Saxon carvings – among the oldest ever found – have been incorporated into the ‘new’ building.

As a Grade 1 Listed Building, all repairs and renewals are carefully monitored and must be approved. Every five years all churches are subjected to a thorough survey called a ‘quinquennial’, an architectural survey to examine the structure, monuments, belfry and graveyard.

Last year Breedon church had its quinquennial and, unfortunately, it was not all good news.

Whilst the building appears fine on the outside and in the public areas, closer inspection reveals remedial work is required – especially in the tower.

Some of the sandstone has eroded away

and some of the timber in the tower is showing signs of age and needs attention.

Where in the past holes could be filled with rubble and cement, this is not an option today, and the stonework requires the

attention of specialist stonemasons.

The total cost of repairs is estimated to be in the region of £130,000 and, although some funds are available, they will not cover the cost of all the repairs.

Now the church repair team is asking for help, as custodians of the beautiful and historic building, to raise funds. The most pressing work will cost in the region of £10,000.

The Revd Canon, Mary Gregory, said: “For the congregation at St Mary and St Hardulph, Breedon-on-the-Hill, this is a place of worship; a place where we gather together to listen to God's Word, to pray, to sing and to be still.

“For the villagers of Breedon, the church is a place where they mark life’s most significant moments: the birth of a baby, the marriage of friends or family, the death of a loved one.

“For people from much further afield, even from around the world, it is a place of pilgrimage as one of the earliest seats of Christianity; for others, with its glorious medieval carvings, it is an architectural wonder. We would be so grateful for anything you can give.”

To donate visit the crowdfunding page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/breedonchurch, or to make a donation in person, use gift aid envelopes in the church.

THANK you to readers who sent us their photos from the local area this month.

This stunning shot of a peacock butterfly on a yellow Inula plant was taken by Lesley Hough in her Ticknall garden.

Lesley has set up Melbourne’s new garden club, which now has around 20 members and meets at the Senior Citizens’ Centre on the second Monday of every month from 7pm.

Next month the club will be looking at floral photography and planting containers.

The shot of the double rainbow was captured by Debra Freeman from Melbourne Chip Shop, where she works.

Debra, from Breedon, took the picture on a panoramic setting, then zooming “into the rainbow as it looked so beautiful”!

We welcome shots of our beautiful corner of South Derbyshire sent in by readers. We can’t promise to print them all – it depends on what else is going on – but we will try.

As a guideline, seasonal photos showing changes in the weather as we progress through the months would work well, or perhaps farm pictures showing us what animals are being born.

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Please send pictures to news@melbournevillagevoice.co.uk with your name, contact details, and some information about the picture, such as where and when it was taken. We need a resolution of 2MB or above to print well.

n WE’VE all heard of giving our house a spring clean, but these Melbourne Junior School pupils were doing the same for their garden one not-so-sunny morning in March.

The children plus head teacher Jane Whirledge turned out to “wake up the garden”.

They spent three hours tidying up the courtyard and sprucing up the garden in time for spring.

RAIN CHECK FOR WATER MEETING

MELBOURNE’S next meeting with water officials has been moved to a later date because the current re-decoration of the Assembly Rooms has meant there was not a big enough room available at the scheduled time.

The meeting where members of the public get to question the county coun-

cil, Severn Trent Water and house builder Davidson’s about Melbourne’s flooding problems was to have been held on April 19, but has now been moved to Thursday, May 11.

Sporting partnership receives annual award

AN annual community award in memory of a well-known local GP was handed to the leaders of the Melbourne Sporting Partnership in a moving ceremony held at the Assembly Rooms.

The Dr Brendan Freeman Award was presented to the sporting partnership – who were responsible for bringing the new Melbourne Sports Park to the village – by his widow, Elizabeth Freeman, at the annual meeting of the parish in March.

Presenting the award, Elizabeth said: “Brendan Freeman wasn’t just a GP, he was a community person – he gave his life to the community from birth to death. In this community – because once after 1980 when we came here, Melbourne was his community – he was enthusiastic about everything.”

Mrs Freeman told the meeting that her husband, who was a keen sportsman and was present at the early days of the sporting partnership, would have “cheered” to see the long-running project come to fruition.

“I know that it’s taken a lot of hard work, and a lot of hours to get to where we have got to,” she said.

“He would have been absolutely delighted, so it’s my pleasure to present this award to the chairman of the sporting partnership, but it’s an achievement of everybody in Melbourne who’s been involved with this.”

Mrs Freeman in particular also thanked

the contribution of Cllr Andrew Jackson in bringing the Melbourne Sports Park to life.

Accepting the award, Cllr John Harrison said: “I’m deeply moved by this award being given to the sporting partnership, particularly having it presented to me by Brendan’s wife.”

Cllr Harrison went on to tell the audience that Dr Freeman was an “outstanding community person” who would get to his sur-

gery at five in the morning so that his patients who worked on the land could get to the doctor before work and not miss out on being paid.

He said: “It (the sports park) was a team effort, therefore it’s only appropriate that the award should be given to the sporting partnership and we will find somewhere in the pavilion where the award will be displayed with pride.”

WINNERS ... (l to r) Robert Anderson, Cllr John Harrison, Elizabeth Freeman and Douglas Keith.

Derbyshire county team to make first visit to Ticknall

DERBYSHIRE County Cricket Club is sending a team to play a match at the ground in Ticknall for the first time – in the opening game for this year’s cricket season in the village.

Derbyshire County’s 1st X1 were due to play The Unicorns on Monday, April 10 at 11am, just before the Village Voice hits the streets.

Ticknall Cricket Club said the fact that the village ground was welcoming a county team for the first time was a “big achievement for a village club”, and thanked members for their efforts, especially “ground staff led by Aidan Melen and Alan Hancox, who have produced excellent pitches over a number of years”.

The Ticknall 1st X1 will be playing in the Derbyshire Premier League, with Paul Borrington as captain, after the club welcomed several new players during the winter.

They include Ricky Knifton, who played for the club a few years ago; Richard Brown, who has come from York and was on the Yorkshire Academy last year; James Hollingsworth from Clifton Village; Teddy Reed from the

Leicestershire Academy; and Sam Trotman from Repton School.

The club said this gave them a strong squad, half of them under 21, and that they were looking “forward to a successful season”.

The 2nd X1 will be playing in division three, under skipper Rupert Scott-Jones, with a balance of experienced and young players. Division three is a strong league with eight teams out of the 12 being 1st X1s.

The 3rd and 4th X1s will be playing home matches at Woodville, with some matches at Ticknall on Sundays.

The club will have junior teams playing at all ages from Kwiks to U19s, practice and matches taking place throughout the week.

Senior players interested in joining Ticknall Cricket Club are asked to contact Andy Butler via e-mail on biffbash@hotmail.co.uk

Junior players who want to join should contact John Sookies via e-mail at john_sookias@hotmail.com

Junior training starts in the week starting April 17.

Pushing the boat out

Friendly start for Melbourne cricket

MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club begins its 2017 season with a couple of friendlies on April 15 vs Grace Dieu and April 16 vs Derby Congs.

The league starts a week later as the first team beginning their 4s campaign with a home game against Lullington Park 2nds.

The club is hoping to encourage supporters to watch some local cricket and have a look at the new MSP facilities with the bar open for every league game this season.

With the Tuesday night senior practice

sessions being taken by former Minor Counties player and now level three coach David Barr, the club is working hard to make the 2017 season their most successful yet.

Anyone wanting to join the club in a role, playing or otherwise, should get in touch with Alex Slater on 07966933583.

The club’s junior section is growing rapidly and this season Melbourne will be running Kwiks, U11s, U13s and U15s teams. Junior summer training begins on Wednesday, April 19, from 5.30pm at the MSP for children from Year 3 upwards. If

your child is interested or you need more information contact Sue Potts on 864618.

Finally, Melbourne Town Cricket Club will be part of an exciting new cricket programme for children aged 5-8. Allstars cricket is a national initiative delivered by local clubs.

It offers an eight-week programme jam packed with fun, activity and skills development.

For further details on this go to www.allstarscricket.co.uk and search Melbourne Town CC or contact either Alex or Sue.

THERE is nothing so much fun as messing about in boats – said Ratty from Wind in the Willows (more or less), and local people are being invited to do just that with free and low-cost sailing sessions at Staunton Harold reservoir next month.

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is holding Push the Boat Out ‘have a go’ sessions at Staunton Harold along with other sailing clubs across the county from May 13-21.

Gareth Brookes, RYA regional development officer for the Midlands, says: “If you want to find a new activity that gets you outdoors, gets the air in your lungs, helps you clear your mind, gives your body a bit of a work-out and that you can do with your whole family if you wish, sailing could be your answer.

“Through Push The Boat Out, you will be able to get out on the water with experienced sailors who you will find to be exactly like you in a boat suitable for you. That is why sailing really is one of the most

inclusive sports around.

“Whether you want a leisurely sail with your family, to experience something a bit more high octane or just potter about with your partner, our Derbyshire clubs can offer all of this as well as a brilliant social network in what, for so many people, becomes a genuinely lifelong pastime.”

More than 20,000 people are part of sailing clubs in the East Midlands.

The RYA says that clubs have boats available for people to use.

All equipment is provided at the Push The Boat Out events and refreshments will also be provided.

For details of events and what’s on offer log on to www.rya.org.uk/PTBO2017

l Village Voice photographer Tina Baker with son Oliver.

n THIS Melbourne Junior School girls football side represented Derbyshire as county champions at a major tournament in Nottingham.

The girls from years five and six took part in the English Schools Football Association regional finals tournament on Saturday, March 25.

They beat the West Midlands champions 2-0 but did not make it through.

The girls wore their new team MJS royal blue jackets, which were sponsored by Melbourne Print Shop.

Tennis hopes

THE newly rejuvenated Melbourne Tennis Club will have five senior and three junior teams playing in competitive league tennis this year.

The ladies, men’s and mixed teams will be in the Burton and Derbyshire leagues, while juniors will be playing in the Aegon Derbyshire leagues.

“League match season starts in May and runs through to September and, obviously, we have aspirations for their success,” said club chairman Tim Shone.

With a regular programme of coaching during the week, club nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays, links with the local infants and junior schools and with the Scout Beavers coming up to the courts for some sessions the club is actively reaching out to the wider community.

Over Easter there is also the Mini Red tournament with juniors and adults pairing up for a competition.

Melbourne rattle up a 50-pointer

THE back end of storms Doris and Euan resulted in a run of postponed home fixtures and subsequent away games.

The 1st XV double header v Ashbourne on March 4 was postponed so the firsts had a day off. Then, they went to high-flying Coalville and came away with only their second defeat of the season.

Coalville were strong throughout, winning 227 with a Chris Stark try Melbourne’s only consolation. Euan Holden converted and Morris Hall had a harsh yellow card late on.

A weakened team travelled to local rivals Ashbourne for a rearranged game. Melbourne made eight changes and included a debut for Brill and first appearances this season for Cox and Marchbank.

As would befit a local derby played in steady

rain and mud, it was a close affair. Melbourne opened the scoring with a Rob Foster penalty. Dan Cox was yellow carded for a deliberate knock on.

Half-time was 3-0. Ashbourne scored a converted try for a 7-3 lead. Josh Toplis was yellow carded and then redeemed himself with a try in the corner for an 8-7 lead. John Marchbank was red carded for a punch along with the Ashbourne 2nd row.

Melbourne defended their line resiliently and Ashbourne spurned numerous kicks at goal to give a final score of 8-7 to Melbourne.

Kesteven arrived at Melbourne on a fine March day. Melbourne made a few changes and also featured Jacob Watts for the first time this season.

Melbourne started strong with a try from Tom

Lowery and scores continued at regular intervals with Page (2), Watts, A Judge (2), Iliffe and Dan Walker all scoring. Euan Holden converted seven for a 54-8 win. Olly Page was MOTM.

The seconds had another trip to Burton and played alongside the rising river. A much changed side, including nine academy players, battled to a win against a big physical Burton side. The final score was 19-17 with two tries for Ollie Cope and one for Will Butler. Debutant Dave Jones converted two.

The seconds had a Friday night game at Barton-Under-Needwood and included eight academy players. In a tough encounter Melbourne prevailed 19-14. Tries came from Brill, Cresswell and Lowson with Cresswell converting two. MOTM Will Cresswell.

The development XV played Castle Donington

in the quarter-finals of the Derbyshire Pennant cup – with the majority of the side under 22. They battled hard against an older Donington side, prevailing 12-8 with two tries from Josh Mallett.

The Stags played a double header at Mellish, winning 38-0. Tries for Wollard, Hooper (2), Penalty, Mallett, McHulme and four conversions shared by Perry and Bilson. Four academy players played in this fixture too. MOTM James Webster.

Then they went to South Notts Barbarians at East Leake. A close first half saw Melbourne lead 20-12, but SNB tired in the second half and Melbourne ran out 48-12 winners. Tries were registered by Cresswell, Hulme, Ilott, Mallett, Bilson, Webster and Wiseall.

– Peter Ilott

MORE than 400 runners turned out to pound the roads at this year’s Weston Run.

The event featured a five-mile and twomile run and started at the Ukrainian Centre at 11am on Sunday, March 12, with our photographer Andy Jackson there to capture the action.

The run is held annually by the 107th Derby Scouts & Trent Explorers as one of their major fund-raisers.

This year Alvaston running club the Shelton Striders were double winners with club members Martin Kerr coming first in the five-miler in 27 minutes 39 seconds, and fellow club member Jake Martin winning the shorter race with a time of 11 minutes and four seconds.

The five-mile race event saw 195 runners reach the finish line with participants coming from a range of clubs, including Long Eaton Running Club and South Derbyshire Road Runners.

The fun run had 207 striders finish the distance, with girls and boys from Sale & Davy’s and Aston-on-Trent Primary schools putting in some very respectable times.

Fund-raising run attracts over 400 competitors Dynamo teams eye up double honours

ABOVE: The five-mile start and (right) the two-mile runners get underway.

MELBOURNE Dynamo Football Club had another good month to leave both teams fighting for their respective league titles going into the final few weeks of the season.

Both the first team and reserves had identical records of winning two and drawing one of their three league games in March.

The first team began the month with a comfortable 4-0 away win over AFC Kilburn Reserves with strike duo Adam Ross and Dave Brough getting a brace each.

This was followed by an equally comfortable home win, this time 3-0 against Sherwin Athletic with Ross again getting a brace and Dave Worger completing the scoring.

Gavin Salisbury’s men ended March top of the table as they drew 1-1 with second placed Castle Donington Cobras in what many saw as a title decider. It started badly for Dynamo as they went behind after just 42 seconds but in the 95th and final minute a superb header from Toby McCabe drew Dynamos level to leave them two points clear of Cobras with just two games to play.

Melbourne Dynamo Reserves began March with a hard fought 3-2 home win against Wirksworth Ivanhoe Reserves with all three goals coming from teenagers Finley Charles, Olly James and Jack Scothern.

A week later another close game saw Greg Salisbury's men win again, this time 4-3 away to Littleover Dazzlers. An Ellis Ratcliffe double, an own goal plus an Alex

n TEAM members from Melbourne United FC’s Under-11s side took to the pitch in funky socks to raise awareness of Down Syndrome.

The young footballers were marking World Down Syndrome Awareness Day by wearing the cool socks, which has become a signature for the charity.

The players are pictured putting their best foot forward with coaches Donal Miller, Nick Humphreys and Andy Boatman.

Slater free kick earned the vital three points for the reserves, who ended the month with a 1-1 away draw against third placed Mayfield.

A Jack Scothern header from a Slater free kick put Dynamo ahead, but the hosts equalised in the last minute to leave the reserves in second place and just two points behind leaders Burton Town, who they play next.

It promises to be an exciting final few weeks of the season with the first team looking to win the division one title along with a junior cup semi-final to play and the reserves needing to win both their remaining league games to have a chance of winning the division two title.

– Alex Slater

Open for bowling

NEW members are being invited to join Aston and Weston Bowls Club, which re-opened its crown green on April 2.

Members of the club play on Tuesday and Friday evenings from 5.30pm, and Thursday and Sunday afternoons at 2pm.

The club currently plays in a mixed doubles league with fixtures on a Wednesday evening, the first being played at home on April 18.

Club vice-chair Margaret Bennett said: “New members are most welcome, the club has several spare sets of bowls so you do not need to have your own equipment. Come and give it a go, you can take part in up to three separate sessions before you need to decide whether or not to join.

“We also have social membership for those who don’t want to play but want to be a club member and join in with the social activities.”

For further information contact Sue Shadbolt on Derby 793083.