Gold ring for Melbourne band Hall is saying hello to 1,000 campers

A THOUSAND campers will be pitching up in Melbourne in June as part of a VIP package for this year ’s Download Festival

Melbourne Hall is opening up one of its fields at the rear of the estate over the weekend of Download, bringing campers in on the morning on Thursday, June 8, when the festival starts Festival-goers wanting a more peaceful luxury stay away from the main fields of the event in Castle Donington will then be staying in Melbourne for four nights

This is the first year that Melbourne Hall has opened up a field for Download campers, which it is doing through VIP Nation – an arm of entertainment company Live Nation, which offers the paying public a more exclusive experience

Also part of the VIP experience for Downloaders in Melbourne will be a shuttle bus taking them to and from the festival, as well as catering and refreshments on site

Online advertising for the venture invites campers to pitch their own tent next to their vehicle, with luxury toilets and showers on offer, plus pamper area, dedicated bar with craft beer, pizza kitchen and tea room with freshly prepared full English breakfasts “to recharge for the day ahead” sumed and much cake was eaten A chip van was also arranged to provide lunches.

When judges gave their verdict in the church mid-afternoon, Melbourne were judged to have come first, with the SRCY second and Leeds third Melbourne, SRCY and Leeds will join bands from Exeter, Bristol, Birmingham, St Paul's Cathedral, Sheffield, London (ASCY) and Cambridge in the final on June 24 at Sheffield Cathedral

Christian Peckham, of Melbourne, from the winning team, said: “A great day seemed to be had by all Thanks go to the rector Steve Short, and our local ringers for helping with all the arrangements ”

A spokesperson said: “Due to its positioning, the vehicle was incredibly challenging to recover Thanks to some very impressive engineering from Burrows, the vehicle was eventually recovered, with great difficulty ”

Meanwhile, Melbourne Neighbourhood Watch is looking to expand, officers have reported Police said they were looking forward to working with neighbourhood watch co-ordinator Mark Whyatt and all its members in the future

New venture for Farmhouse owners

A NEW space has been opened up at Doninton Park Farmhouse after owners decided it was a shame you could only enjoy the venue if you’d been invited to a wedding!

Now the farmhouse’s owners have opened up The Stackyard as a private events space but there are planned to be pop-up events there too

Owner Jack Shields said: “I’ve always thought it’s a shame to hear local people, and even friends in Melbourne and the surrounding villages, say Donington Park Farmhouse is somewhere you only go if you’ve been invited to a wedding

“We love hosting weddings (and I would like to think we’ve got it down to a fine art), but I’ve always been keen to put this right, and welcome in the local community

“That’s exactly what we hope to do with The Stackyard, a building with a large outdoor space, tucked away at the back our old Dutch Barns It’s a private events space we’re launching this summer, where we’ll also put on regular pop-up events free to attend for the public- starting on Bank Holiday Monday, May 1

“The Stackyard is the old name for this part of the farm, which was literally a storage yard stacked with bales of hay and straw These days it’s a lot tidier but retains the rustic charm The outdoor yard is a south-facing suntrap and the corrugated tin of the Dutch Barn gives an industrial feel “

by Lucy Stephens

Hall events manager Roger Lowe explained that the four-night Download camp – called ‘Rock Retreat’ – was allowed under planning rules

He said that relevant parties such as police and council representatives had been consulted and were happy with the arrangements

This year is Download Festival’s 20th anniversary and there are big acts going to Castle Donington over four days from June 8-11 with Metallica and Slipknot headlining

Last year a shuttle bus was put on to ferry people from Melbourne to Download

Mr Lowe said the bus would have two stops –Church Square and the campsite – but the latest bus users would be getting off in Church Square would be 9pm, with later services going straight to the campsite to minimise noise disturbance for local residents

Campers will be leaving Melbourne by 11am on Monday, June 12

The camping aspect of Download Festival has been coming nearer and nearer to Melbourne over recent years, with fields right up to the village taken up with tents for the 2022 event