Melbourne Village Voice July 2020 by Village Voice

Cards galore as Winnie celebrates 100th birthday

No. 332 July 2020

HUNDREDS of cards were sent to Pool Cottage in Melbourne to help resident Winnie Baldwin celebrate her 100th birthday, including greetings from Her Majesty the Queen. Winnie clocked up her century on June 23, and was said by Pool Cottage to have had “an amazing time sharing her special day with friends and family at the care home where she has lived for nearly three years”. With visits to care homes limited due to lockdown, Pool Cottage staff were determined to help Winnie have a special day so put out a plea on social media to send in cards and greetings. The community both near and far responded magnificently, sending in more than 400 cards for Winnie, including one from Her Majesty herself. Winnie’s son and daughter-in-law were able to see her from a distance, while the local community police in Melbourne did a drive-by happy birthday singalong for

her. Pool Cottage said: “Winnie was inundated with well wishes, cakes, flowers and presents all through the day and had a special birthday cake made for her for the occasion. “Winnie would truly like to thank everyone who made her day special although “doesn’t know why people make a fuss just for her” – her northern roots clearly showing through. Winnie enjoyed a lunch with her only son and daughterin-law before celebrating over a tea party with staff and other residents. It was also organised by the Home for Winnie to receive video messages from her family up north who weren’t able to visit her. “Winnie says ‘she is grateful for the staff of the Home who take such great care of her and she is lucky to live at Pool Cottage. Everyone has made her day enjoyable and memorable and she looks forward to a glass of sherry, a cup of tea and a long lie-in’!”

A ONE-WAY SYSTEM SHOCK FOR RESIDENTS by FRANK HUGHES

A CONTROVERSIAL one-way system through Melbourne was sprung on local residents when workers turned up to erect barriers along routes through the village in mid-June. The emergency measures were made under the Road Traffic Act and were intended to restrict parking and widen pavement areas to enable social distancing for shoppers and pedestrians. The first residents knew about the

plan was when workmen were knocking doors asking them to move cars. According to one Potter Street resident about 15 to 20 neighbours were on the street refusing to comply, with some making urgent calls to the council HQ in Matlock and to councillors. Some feared that this was the previously rejected one-way system “via the back door” and complained of a total lack of consultation. A decision was then taken to suspend implementation, which eased a tense situation. The measures were publicly announced two days after lorries had

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by DCC heard strongly voiced opposition from residents of the affected areas, and a review and re-working of the proposal was promised. County Cllr Linda Chilton expressed the view to protesters that the temporary measures would provide an opportunity to see how a traffic scheme might work, but insisted it was not the one-way system ‘by the back door’ as they feared; permanent changes would require detailed consultation. A statement from the parish council supported this view, saying: “This

emergency scheme will allow Melbourne residents and visitors to assess the impact of a one-way system, and Melbourne Parish Council will consider all feedback received before deciding whether to press for either retention or removal in the future.” The county council has been provided with funds of more than £400,000 to implement traffic schemes in the 40 or so villages and towns, under the Government legislation on social distancing. A week later Cllr Chilton announced Continued on Page 3.

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turned up to implement the scheme and an apology was later provided to residents for the lack of consultation. Parish councillors say they had been told of the scheme only on the evening before its proposed implementation. The proposal bore remarkable similarity to the scheme put forward by Derbyshire County Council (DCC) in 2018, involving only south-bound traffic on Derby Road, from Queensway to the Market Place, and one-way routes down Potter Street and up Chapel Street. At that time, a public meeting held

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Please be patient, says the surgery

UNPRECEDENTED times call for unprecedented measures – including the simple act of giving someone a birthday card.

MELBOURNE Surgery is gradually reopening – but patients will not be allowed to simply walk in, the practice manager said. The surgery off Penn Lane shut in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. In June, when services such as non-essential shops began to re-open their doors, the Village Voice asked the doctor’s surgery what its plans were. Practice manager Alison Coomer confirmed that it was “gradually re-opening” to patients, but that things would be looking very different for safety reasons. She said: “We continually review the guidelines in relation to COVID and our priority is to keep the patients and staff of both the Melbourne and Chellaston surgeries safe. “Whilst we are gradually re-opening Mel-

Young Edith’s marathon effort for the poor

MELBOURNE’S Edith Leedham is going one step further during coronavirus lockdown – by running a marathon a month to raise money for people in poverty. Edith, 13, a pupil at Chellaston Academy, has undertaken to complete the challenge for the next three months. She has decided to raise money for Give Directly, a not-for-profit organisation which allows donors to send money directly to the world’s poorest. Edith, who enjoys running with her family, said: “I saw the running as an opportunity to make something good for people out of it.” Edith prefers to complete her target by running about two and a half miles every other day, often joined by mum Eastre. You can support Edith’s fund-raising efforts here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/edith-leedham

This is how Doug, from The Pingle in Melbourne, got over the problem, achieving the all-important social distancing in order to wish his neighbour Beryl a happy birthday.

bourne surgery, the lack of space for patients to wait for their appointment does mean we will be operating in a different way and only having certain clinics available, and asking patients to co-operate by only attending at their appointment time and to not bring any other person unless it is essential, for example, a parent or carer.” Further measures are also being put in place, such as reduced home visits and the stipulation that anyone wanting to speak to anyone in a clinical role will have to do so by phone first. Alison added: “General Practice has been through, and is still very much in, the biggest crisis the NHS has ever known and, whilst non-essential shops may well be opening, we would like to stress to our patients that the way General Practice operates is very different to the retail sector and

therefore will be changing to meet with the demands placed up on it. “We are looking at the ways of working we had to introduce for COVID and using these as a platform to build on. One example is that all contact with a clinician should be via telephone first. “The criteria for home visiting will also now be reduced to those patients who NEVER leave the house, or whose medical condition will deteriorate if they were to do so. “All home visit requests will be triaged by a GP first and if deemed more appropriate for the patient to visit surgery, then they will be asked if they can do so. “All of these changes are in order to keep patients safe whilst working in the most efficient way. The co-operation and understanding from our patients would be most appreciated.” – Lucy Stephens

Couple see wedding dream come true

AGAINST all the odds, local couple Simon and Rose Foskett were able to tie the knot on July 4 after businesses, clergy and family pulled out all the stops to re-organise the event in 10 days flat! July 4 was the first day since coronavirus lockdown that weddings were allowed to take place once again with up to 30 guests. It was always the day that Simon and Rose, of Stanton, had planned to marry, but things turned out very differently from how they had planned them a year before. Simon and Rose are directors of Melbourne’s Andra Health clinic on Derby Road, where Simon is the lead physiotherapist and Rose the registered nutritionist. They got engaged last year and booked their wedding for July 4 this year at the church in Stanton, to be followed by a reception at Staunton Harold Hall. Rose said: “We started to worry a little in February and March time with coronavirus becoming more real, but even then we never imagined it would affect our wedding in July. “We left it until the last minute but towards the end of May we realised that there was no way it would be possible to have our wedding as planned with 140 guests in July, so we contacted everyone to let them know that we would be postponing until next year. “We are so incredibly thankful that all of our wedding suppliers were so thoughtful and understanding, and Caroline at Staunton Harold Hall (reception venue) had even provisionally saved us the same weekend for 2021 in anticipation that we might have to postpone!” The pair were still hopeful of being able to marry this year but it was only when listening to the Prime Minister’s briefing on June 23 that they realised their original date of July 4 may be back on after all. At that point, it was all systems go with Rose full of praise for the church’s vicar, Rev Steve Short, who “pulled out every stop” to get them married on the day. Sorting out the legalities also presented a challenge, as churches being closed meant the wedding bans could not be read out and the couple had to get an appointment with a wedding solicitor instead. Risk assessments had to be drawn

Annual ‘Sophie Cycle’ ride postponed

Village Voice July 2020 3

THE annual “Sophie Cycle” from Melbourne to Cambridge in aid of The Anthony Nolan Trust, has had to be postponed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Around 30 riders have cycled 94 miles from Melbourne Pool to Cambridge every year in memory of Dr Sophie Miller, who died of a blood disorder in 2016. They raise money for the Anthony Nolan Trust, who provide a stem cell matching service. Sophie was a young scientist who became ill with a rare blood disorder. Anthony Nolan found a near perfect match from a donor in America, but unfortunately the small imperfection meant her body rejected the cells. Sophie’s mum, Liz, said people and businesses in Melbourne respond brilliantly to the occasion, offering accommodation and sponsorship. This year’s ride would have been special as it would have taken place on what would have been Sophie’s 30th birthday.

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June 1936 - May 2020 Margaret and family would like to thank everyone who sent cards, letters of condolence and flowers to us all on the passing of Bill. Your kinds words were much appreciated. We would like to thank the Carers, District Nurses, Dr Thomas and Dr Mistry who helped us to look after Bill so well during the last month of his life. Thank you also to all the staff at Springthorpes, and to everyone who donated to Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of Bill. up, with seating plans to ensure social distancing, a new photographer booked as the original one was stuck in New Zealand, and the dress retrieved from the fitters too! Rose said: “It turned out to be the most incredible day. We were a little worried it might feel different or not as celebratory given the situation, but this was not the case at all. We livestreamed the whole wedding to the 100 guests who weren't able to be there and it was actually really cool looking back in the church and seeing all of our family in homemade matching face-masks that my sister Poppy had made in a hurry the week before! I actually don't think I could be any happier if I tried! “I feel so incredibly lucky not only that we managed to get married this year, on our original date, with all of the people who we are closest to there, but also that we still get our originally planned reception with 140 guests at Staunton Harold Hall next year ... How many couples say that they get two weddings, or that as a bride I get to wear my dress twice!” Rose would like to thank everyone who made the wedding such a success, including Rev Short, Andrew at Stanton church, Poppy for making 30 face masks for all guests, Sue At Melbourne Florist for sorting bouquets, Yasmine at Elysium for having Rose as her first hair appointment since being allowed to re-open, and Rachel and Abi at Libertine Bridal, formerly of the Ivory Chapter in Melbourne, for her dress. – Lucy Stephens

l Rose and Simon (below) on their happy day, and, (above) guests in church wearing handmade face masks. (Photos Tina Baker and Kate Lowe @katephoto)

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would have to go through a number of protocols – consultation, advertisements in the Press, legal issues and, of course, an available budget. I sincerely hope the Melbourne town traffic review, which has been worked on over the last two years, is not now in jeopardy.” A further scare that the scheme would be re-introduced, despite the promises, arose two weeks subsequently when a notice was printed in a Derby newspaper that it was happening. This turned out to be another failure of communication. A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: “We were asked by the Government to look at measures to help with

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Residents get one-way road system surprise

From Page 1 that the emergency scheme had been put on hold. In a published notice she wrote: “In view of the recent uproar regarding emergency road proposals [and] in light of a prospective change on the social distancing guidance […] we have put the implementation on hold.” The notice went on to say: “On a personal note, I saw these temporary measures as Melbourne’s opportunity of trialling a oneway system – requested by many over the last few years – free of charge. “These emergency proposals were temporary as I told many people. To install a permanent one-way system, the county council

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social distancing in town centres. For Melbourne we thought the most sensible proposal was to bring in a one-way system. The pavements are narrow, and a one-way system would mean more space for pedestrians. “Because of the timescales we did not have time to consult with local people about the changes, but it was clear when we sent out our team to Melbourne to make the changes that many people were opposed to the plans. We have received many comments from local people, many are in favour and many are not. After reviewing the feedback we have decided not to put in a temporary one-way system at this time.”

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Beauty firm’s helping hand for charity

4 Village Voice July 2020

A MELBOURNE beauty company is joining the fight against coronavirus by donating its newly launched sanitisers to air ambulance crews. Proverb, run by husband and wife team Luke and Kirstie Sheriff, now has a hand sanitiser on its product list. The skincare start-up has pledged to donate one of its hand sanitisers to the Air Ambulance charity for every one it sells. Proverb is making its sanitisers from 100 per cent recyclable packaging as part of a desire to “understand the complexities COVID-19 will be having on the environment”. Luke Sheriff said: “We are so proud to be supplying our one-for-one sanitiser donations to the air ambulance pilots. We live 30 minutes from a hospital, so I have always felt very grateful for their existence. “We want to do all we can to help our community during the pandemic; we may only be a small business, but we hope to make a big impact.” Proverb has been sending out hand sanitisers to schools in the area. John Fyall, Babcock Aviation communications manager, said: “We were delighted when Proverb Skin got in touch recently, to offer to donate some hand sanitiser to the air ambulance team. “The product will be helping our air ambulance pilots, and medical crews who can’t maintain social distancing in a helicopter, so PPE and hand sanitiser are vital in allowing them to continue their lifesaving operations during the COVID19 pandemic.”

Huge business park plan is given the thumbs-up

l Luke Sheriff with children Layla and Charlie with the sanitiser.

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DETAILED proposals for a large business park close to Barrow-upon-Trent have been green-lit. The business park planned for a 2.4 hectare piece of land off Sinfin Lane at Barrow were agreed at the outline stage back in 2019. Now the detailed proposals have been passed by members of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee at its virtual meeting on June 30. A business case provided by applicants Elephant Holdings said: “Importantly this development includes associated support services to meet the specific needs of small and grow on businesses, thus providing them with the best opportunity to flourish. This provides the opportunity to meet the requirements of small indigenous businesses from this part of the district on a single site.” One resident living near the site spoke at the meeting voicing concerns about the proposals, concerning water flow from the site on to his property. The district council’s planning department said in a report that the applicants had undertaken a Flood Risk Assessment to manage surface water, saying this meant there would be no increase in run-off or flood risk.

Elephant Holdings has changed its plans since being given outline permission, increasing the floor space by 20 per cent. Its business case said there was currently limited employment space in this area of the district, which serves Aston, Shardlow, Melbourne, Repton, Willington, Weston and Ticknall. A report by planning officers said: “This is considered especially pertinent given the housing growth within these areas, and it is important that this area is supported with sufficient land and premises to support existing businesses, accommodate start-up businesses and to provide opportunities for business expansions.” An objection was raised against the plans at their previous stage that there should be no need for a business park at Barrow as the nearby Infinity Garden Village was set to include large amounts of business space. But the report by planning officers said this was unlikely to provide the same immediate need and would also be more likely to be used for advanced engineering. Planning committee member Martyn Ford said at the meeting that the plans were an important part of getting the economy going again post COVID-19, saying he “whole-heartedly” approved of them. – Lucy Stephens

Summer playscheme cancelled

SUMMER play activities for children in South Derbyshire have been cancelled due to social distancing restrictions. The scheme happens every summer and sees fun activities like climbing walls set up for children to help keep them active and happy in the holidays. It was to have been offered between July 27 and August 28 with more than 100 sessions across the district. Councillor Dan Pegg, chair of Active South Derbyshire, said: “It is with real sadness that we

have made the decision to cancel this year’s Summer Playscheme. “I know it is very popular with children from across South Derbyshire and we looked at all the options before very reluctantly reaching the conclusion that it wasn’t possible to deliver the activities while following social distancing guidelines. “I hope that children in South Derbyshire will continue to remain active this summer while continuing to remain safe and socially distanced.”

The South Derbyshire Summer Playschemes have been running for well over a decade and see more than 6,000 young people attending sessions each year. Active South Derbyshire plans to reschedule a number of these cancelled sessions once restrictions are lifted, on evenings, weekends and during half-term holidays. For the latest updates and information check the Active South Derbyshire Facebook page: @ActiveSouthDerbyshire.

TV slot for Corin and her upcycled shelving unit

UPCYCLED glamour from a TV programme has reached Melbourne. Corin Hollingworth, owner of the No 33 Lifestyle interiors shop in Derby Road, has acquired a beautifully decorated shelving unit that was upcycled by one of the designers on the BBC hit show Money for Nothing. Hosted by Jay Blades of The Repair Shop fame, the show visits recycling centres and salvages items destined for the scrap heap, transforming them into valuable pieces which are then offered for sale. Jay then visits the original owners and gives them the profits from whatever it was they were going to throw away. Corin and her Melbourne shop are to be featured on a future edition of the show after she was contacted by BBC researchers earlier this year. The BBC had found Corin’s shop on the Internet and contacted her to see if she would be interested in buying one of the upcycled items. A few months later, Corin (pictured right) is the proud

Sophie’s surprise letter from The Queen

A SEVEN year-old girl from Aston-on-Trent got a lovely surprise when she received a letter from The Queen! Sophie Dibble, a year two pupil at Weston-on-Trent Primary School, had written to Her Majesty in May in connection with some schoolwork she had been set. Sophie’s class were reading the book The Queen’s Knickers, and were tasked while studying at home with designing a pair of undies fit for the monarch. Part of Sophie’s work was to write a letter to go alongside the design. “She thought ‘what’s the point of writing a letter if you’re not going to send it’?” explained Sophie’s mum Nicola. “So, we sent the letter and a pair of cardboard knickers to the Queen.” “I really wanted to see how she was getting on,” explained Sophie. “And I really wanted her to see the knickers. I decided that I wanted to send her a letter.” In her letter, Sophie explained the features of her design to the Queen, before going on to say: “I hope you are managing to stay safe whilst this virus is around. I am trying to help look after my family, friends and county by staying at home. I have also done a rainbow and put bears in the window. I have done two rainbows and there are three bears.” At the end of June, Sophie received a reply from the Queen’s lady in waiting, Annabel White-

Village Voice July 2020 5

owner of a brightly coloured shelving unit transformed from an old trunk by one of the show’s regular designers, Rachel Henderson. Money for Nothing visited Melbourne in June to film her new purchase and the shop, ready for broadcast. “It’s beautiful,” said Corin. “It’s lovely, it’s really, really nice. The quality is really good.” The shelf unit has been completely transformed from its origins, having been painted in a vibrant shade of teal, with brightly coloured wallpaper and fabric flowers as decoration. On-trend orange metal legs complete the look. Corin said she was very excited to take delivery of the unit and to be featured on an up-coming episode of the popular programme. “The shop has been featured which is brilliant,” she said. “He (the researcher) asked me loads of questions about Melbourne and said how beautiful it was. It’s something that hopefully will bring in a bit more footfall for all of us as businesses in Melbourne.”

l Sophie proudly shows off her letter from The Queen.

T e first Th The ir and nd Original Orri O rig igina g na al al

Champ CCha Ch ham amp mppa pagne pag agn gne gn nnee Bre B rea reak reak akkkf kfa kfast ffas ast as sstt head, on behalf of Her Majesty. Written on Windsor Castle paper, the reply thanked Sophie for her letter, kind message and colourful picture. “Her Majesty much appreciates your thought for her at this time, and hopes that you too are keeping safe and well during the current situation,” it said. Nicola said: “We were quite

excited when it came on the mat!” Sophie said she was “really, really happy” to get a letter back from Her Majesty. “When I got a reply back, quite a lot of weeks later, I was really surprised!” She added: “I’m going to save it for as many years as I can so I can remember.”

LORRY DRIVERS FINED

LORRY drivers who flout weight restrictions on roads and bridges are being warned they will be prosecuted after nearly 40 successful cases were brought by county council officers, with Swarkestone Causeway one of the ‘hotspots’. Derbyshire County Council’s Trading Standards department successfully prosecuted 38 cases between October 2019 and March 2020. Drivers were caught in 11 different locations, including Swarkestone Causeway. All but five came from outside the county and the fines were up to £880 plus costs.

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Country Living with Robert Parker

Is this the shape of things to come?

THE relaxation of some of the lockdown rules brought quite a few problems to the countryside. Most people who had followed the rules now found they were free to leave their homes, and a good many descended out of doors and into the rural areas. I can quite understand that, after two months of confinement, they needed some fresh air – but the attitude and conduct of some of them was appalling. I believe that a lot of these people were not regular visitors to our countryside before COVID-19, but more likely to board a plane and spend seven to 10 days in a southern Mediterranean resort. They showed absolutely no care for the environment or roads and left litter and parked their cars so as to gridlock some areas. They totally ignored signage of private property and strayed just anywhere. The reservoir was treated like a beach resort, with people swimming, having barbeques and parties all night and leaving masses of litter. The water authority

was powerless to control this and their wardens on the ground were being threatened with violence. Is this the shape of things to come if foreign holidays are out of bounds for the immediate future? n The economic consequences of the pandemic will trouble us for many years to come. Farming so far has been little affected except for some milk and potato producers. Those who have diversified into nonagricultural lines have not fared so well. Some had immediate effects and prospects for the future are not good. The average family may not in the near future have much money available and what they will have will be reserved for essentials. n Has anyone heard much of the cuckoo so far this year? I have only had one hearing which was way back in April, and don’t quite know why this is. It was quite common to see them as well – but this year, nothing.

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Cow’s that for a miracle! Pictures by TINA BAKER

Go-ahead for new homes

AN EVENT so rare it has been dubbed a ‘statistical miracle’ happened in Barrow-uponTrent when a cow gave birth to triplets. The birth took place at Kevan Atkin’s farm on June 13, to a first-time calver from his beef cow herd. So rare is it for cows to give birth to triplets that it is thought the chances are around one in 700,000. Experts from Washington State Univer-

sity College of Veterinary Medicine have previously said that for a cow to give birth to triplets is a ‘statistical miracle’. The animal in question was the last in a group of 41 heifers to calve, giving birth to Hereford bull triplets. Kevan’s daughter Lucy said the animals were now out in the paddock where they were doing very well.

DETAILED proposals for eight homes on Smith Avenue in Kings Newton have finally been given the go-ahead at a virtual planning meeting. A housing development on land at the back of Smith Avenue has been on the cards for years, with outline proposals for eight homes green-lit by South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee back in 2016. Originally, there had been plans to build 28 homes on the land. Four years after outline permission was granted, members of the planning committee approved the detailed proposals for the four and five-bed homes on June 30. Considerable objection and comment about the scheme was sent into the council’s planning department ahead of the meeting. Melbourne Civic Society raised a range of issues, including the lack of visitor parking and the necessity for all new developments to take energy and resource consumption into account. District councillor Jim Hewlett also wrote to discuss a number of points, including lack of provision for parking. Kings Newton Residents Association raised 15 separate points, including voicing concerns that the design of the houses was not in keeping with a rural area. A further 35 emails and letters were also sent to planners, raising a total of 65 different comments between them. Some correspondents did support the scheme, while others were against it. Opinion was divided at the meeting and

amongst commentators as to the suitability of the design. Concerns were raised amongst the correspondence received by planners that the homes were executive in style; they would bring further traffic to the area; that the development would fit more in an urban rather than a rural area, and that more could be done to make the homes in keeping with the conservation area next to them. However, Cllr Trevor Southerd, a member of the planning committee, commented at the meeting: “I’ve never seen a more delightful application in its design.” One resident spoke at the meeting, as did a representative from Pegasus Group, who said that amendments had been made to the original scheme since it was given outline permission in 2016. – Lucy Stephens

PARKING MOVE AT RESERVOIR

DOUBLE yellow lines are being painted on roads around Foremark Reservoir after issues with dangerous parking over the last few months. Derbyshire County Council is undertaking the work, pointing out that visitors have been parking on nearby roads, leading to congestion and obstruction, despite the fact that Foremark Reservoir has a car park. The council said it was “galling” to be spending tax payers’ money on the double yellow lines, but that it was necessary to keep people safe.

Cheers ... the pubs are getting back in business

LOCAL people were able to enjoy a drink at the pub once again as some hostelries re-opened on July 4. Not all pubs in this area chose to open up again on that day, following the Government’s announcement that they can once again serve the public as lockdown gradually eases. One that did take the opportunity to re-open on July 4 was The Malt in Aston, and a steady stream of local people turned out to enjoy their first pub outing in months. Landlady Laura Bowler explained that lots of measures had been put in place to help with safety, including a one-way system, contactless payments and hand sanitiser. Bookings were being taken for tables inside the pub, which were restricted to a maximum of six per table from up to two households. Outside, customers were able to turn up and up to six people were able to sit at tables, with different households permitted to drink together. Laura described herself as “nervously pleased” to be reopening. “We have missed everybody from the local community, so it’s nice to see people again,” she said. Pub-goers at The Malt on July 4 were very glad to see each other again, with some commenting that it was nice to simply hear the gentle hum of

people talking. “It’s brilliant – we’re very pleased to be back. It’s a nice atmosphere,” said Sally Hayward, who was at The Malt with daughter Hattie and Ruaidhri Mason. “I’m pleased for the pub that they can finally get open,” she said. “They have got it really well organised.” Hattie, a former member of staff at The Malt, said: “It’s been really sociable. Even if you’re not talking to people, it’s really nice to see people out and about. For four months, we’ve been stuck inside with just your family!” James Griffiths, landlord of The Hardinge Arms in Kings Newton, also re-opened on July 4. “It was a good day,” he said. “It’s very good to see people back out – we had a steady flow of people coming in for a drink.” The pub’s COVID security measures include socially distanced inside tables, masks for staff, and a ‘one in, one out’ system for the toilets. “People enjoy the social aspect of going to the pub,” he said. Another pub which opened up in the local area was Harpur’s of Melbourne. Graham Townend, of Harpur’s, said: “It was fantastic to see everybody back. We are looking after everybody as best we can.” – Lucy Stephens

... and it’s good news for your hair as well

LOCAL people can get their hair professionally cut again. Gradual easing of lockdown restrictions in the UK has meant hairdressers are now allowed to operate again, along with pubs. Owner Nathan Meakin of The Salon in Aston said it was a big relief to be back open. Nathan said one of the biggest tasks was going through the large volume of answer phone messages that had been left for the salon from customers keen to get their locks into shape. “We had people ringing from the first inkling hairdressers were re-opening,” he said. The Salon has been open since eight o’clock on the morning of July 4 and strict safety measures have been put in place for customers. Clients are being asked to wear masks; they are contacted before their appointment and temperatures are taken on arrival. In addition, staff are wearing Personal Protective Equipment such as visors and masks, and there is only one customer per stylist at any one time. So have customers missed their regular hair appointments?

l Ruaidhri Mason, Hattie and Sally Hayward enjoying a drink at The Malt in Aston-on-Trent, on July 4, the day pubs were permitted to reopen.

New move in 46 homes project

Village Voice July 2020 7

PROPOSALS have been sent to planners for 46 new homes on Station Road in Melbourne – years after permission was first granted. The housing development has been put forward by Davidson’s, which built the neighbouring Sweet Leys estate, and Alexander Bruce Estates, which has built homes on Ashby Road and Melbourne’s new public toilets. The original permission for one development of 22 homes and another of 24 homes was granted by South Derbyshire District Council to Alexander Bruce Estates in 2015 in 2016 respectively. The site is a 2.24 hectare piece of land to the east of Station Road. Developers are proposing to build a mix of two, three, four and five-bed homes, of which 30 per cent would be affordable. A public access trim trail is proposed along Carr Brook. The developers had planned a public exhibition in March to inform people about the plans, but this had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Residents were instead told of the proposals via a letter drop, and developers said that five responses had so far been received.

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l A customer at an appointment at The Salon, Aston-on-Trent.

“I think they certainly have,” said Nathan. “There are two camps: those who attempted to cut their hair themselves and regretted it, to those who have grown it out.” So keen have customers been to get back to the hairdresser that Nathan’s salon is fully booked for July and most of August too. “We are so relieved to be back and we’re getting used to it,” he said.

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8 Village Voice July 2020

In Melbourne Since 1993

Update from us about how the practice is operating currently. All through the pandemic we have been available, albeit remotely rather than from the physical building, we have sorted many problems and issues out...

However! We now have clinics running regularly again, although at a much reduced capacity to allow our disinfection protocol to be followed, the practice and the staff staff (especially the clinicians) look a little bit different to before, wearing their PPE uniform! We are having to monitor the flow of patients into the practice so we ask you to pre-book, we also may ask you to come alone, unless you need someone with you. We require you to wear a mask and sanitise your hands on entering (we’re all getting used to that now).

Keeping everybody safe and happy is so very important to us! In the first instance we are booking appointments for people that feel that they need an eye examination, whether it be for a health issue or a visual problem, broken specs etc. Please call the practice so we can ascertain the best pathway for you. Routine eye examinations are still an area that is causing confusion so if you have an eye examination that is due or was due over the last few months and you are having no problems give us a call and we can discuss the best option for you currently. Our hearing service is also available again from the 9th July, we had to cancel our exciting Open Day, so anyone who fancies watching a screen as a camera travels along your ear canal, give us a call and we can put you on the list. Thank you all for reading and we very much look forward to our practice having some life and soul again. Lomas Opticians.

1 Chapel Street, Melbourne, Derbyshire Telephone: 01332 865021

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THE DAY THAT JULY 11 marked 80 years since bombs dropped on Melbourne, killing nine soldiers in Church Street. But who saw it happen? The following is adapted from local historian David Smith’s book: The Day Melbourne was Bombed.

JUST before 7.55am on July 11, 1940, Philip Jackson was getting ready for school when his father came into their bungalow, voicing concern about the German aeroplane that seemed to have been stalking Melbourne for the last 15 minutes. Within seconds, the sound of several explosions could be heard. At the time, Harry Lakin was working in the fields near Melbourne Infant School’s playground. Being in the Air Raid Precautions (ARP), he was trained to identify aeroplanes and recognised this one as a German Heinkel He 111. It was flying low and had a swastika on its tail. Harry tried to take cover by diving amongst the vegetables he was hoeing before the explosions hit. Scrambling to his feet, he cycled back to his house in Church Street because his wife, Kath, was expecting a baby. Fortunately, Kath had gone to visit her mother who lived in High Street at the time and so avoided the danger. At the time of the bombing, two thatched cottages stood in Castle Street, their back gardens next to the soldiers’ billet destroyed in the blast. In one of these lived the Coopers: George, Mary and their sons John, five, and Michael, one, who shared a bedroom. On the morning in question, in John’s words, “Michael had started to play up”, so Mary came upstairs, took Michael out of his cot and put him into the same bed as John. This seemed to do the trick and she returned downstairs. Seconds later, there was an enormous explosion and John says everything went pitch black. The brothers had been buried by the collapsing house and it was several hours before they were found. Michael says that he was bleeding from wounds on his face and crying his eyes out. John was also as black as soot. Michael did not really understand what had happened but his cot had been crushed by a falling beam and had he still

been in it, he would almost certainly have been killed. John was taken to his grandparents’ house further along Castle Street where he was put into the tin bath and washed. It took two baths to get him clean. But the trauma lay with him for many years. Mary Cooper had been hit in the face by a window frame blown out by the explosion and around a month later discovered that she had a needlelike splitter of glass in her scalp. The late Reg Copeland, who was 14 at the time and lived at 40 Oddfellow’s Row on Station Road, looked out of his window, saw the plane dropping its bombs as it flew into the area, and heard the sound of repeated explosions which shook the house. He ran up to The Grange and found a piece of shrapnel about as long as a person's arm. When he tried to pick it up, it was still so hot that

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MELBOURNE WAS BOMBED

Village Voice July 2020 9

it burnt his fingers, but later when it had cooled, he retrieved it and left it against the pump in The Grange’s garden, where he recalled it remained for weeks. Another person who saw the bombs falling from the sky was Sheila Blood, who told how they landed in The Grange’s garden, one falling next to the Mill Twitchell and the other on the Packhorse Road side of the house. Nine billeted soldiers were killed by one of the pairs of bombs. But one escaped when he happened to be in ‘The Institute’ (now the Athenaeum). At the time, Kate Tivey (the writer’s grandmother) had been shopping early. At around 7.35am, she had gone into the Athenaeum, which at the time sold tea and snacks. Inside was a group of Royal Engineers queuing for their cups of tea. Talking to the last soldier in this queue about the weather and his family, as they reached the till, it transpired he did not have enough money to pay for his cake. Kate paid, saying she hoped someone would do the same for her son, Leon Tivey, who was manning an anti-aircraft gun somewhere in Southern England. Later, the soldier sought out Kate to thank her for her kindness, which might well have saved his life. After dropping its bombs, the plane was sighted by Edna Astle flying over the Smith’s Military Uniforms factory which was in Drewry Lane, Derby. Edna recalls that the plane was flying so low that her friend attempted to touch it with her umbrella. Prior to this sighting, there are reports of a bomber flying very low over Station Road, Melbourne, and along Derby Road, Chellaston. The following day, residents of Victoria Street in Melbourne held an impromptu meeting to discuss the fact that their street did not have any air-raid shelters. But there were disagreements as to what was the best thing to do. Suddenly, in frustration, one resident exclaimed, “I canna be bothered wi this”, to which another replied, “Well, they wunna be bothered to send yo a telegram the next time they com!”

n IRENE Robey was walking to work at the Loake shoe factory on Commerce Street on the day of the bombing. As she and her friend, Ann, walked up the Mill Twitchell, the first pair of bombs came whistling to the ground, falling on either side of The Grange. The explosion from one demolished the sandstone wall that forms the boundary between the Mill Twitchell and The Grange’s garden (pictured left). The force threw stones and debris on to the girls, trapping Irene’s legs under the sandstone blocks. She remained pinned down for some time until eventually help arrived when Richard DiddSmith and the nanny who worked at The Grange managed to free her. Irene (right) was seriously injured and could not work for weeks. As well as that, the bombing had a severe psychological effect on Irene, and to help rebuild her shattered nerves, she went to Birmingham to stay with relatives, where she recovered before returning to Melbourne.

These witness statements are taken from David’s book: The Day that Melbourne was Bombed. David would also like to hear from anyone else who could contribute to the historical recollection of the day, either from their own memories or a first-hand account passed down the family. Anyone who can help should get in touch on the ‘contact’ button on his website, www.melbournederbyshire.co.uk.

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LOCAL shopping is back up and running, with traders reporting great support from the community since non-essential stores were allowed to re-open in June. Traders spoken to by the Village Voice have put in place extra measures to help keep customers safe, such as limited numbers in store, screens at cash desks and hand sanitiser at the door. Rachael Chambers, owner of The Ferrers Gallery in Staunton Harold, said there was a lovely atmosphere at The Ferrers Centre. “People are glad to see us open again, and being able to physically see things rather than online,” she said. “There are

lots of people in the courtyard today; people are very good at keeping their social distance. There’s a really nice atmosphere. “We have had so many people saying this is the first place they have been – I think it’s because it’s open air, there’s lots of space. They are all so supportive.” Janet Gibson, of Green Man Ceramics at The Ferrers Centre, said lockdown was the first time the shop had shut in 28 years. “It’s going really well,” she said. “We couldn’t have expected more. We have got our regular customers back, there’s a lovely amount of people. “In 28 years, we have never shut. To shut for that long – we didn’t know what to expect. It’s been really heartening. Peo-

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Village Voice July 2020 11

O BE BACK

THE GARDENS MELBOURNE HALL Melbourne Hall and Gardens is a delightful place to visit with its historic connections and magnificent gardens. once home to Victorian prime minister, viscount Melbourne who gave his name to the Australian city. The hall is a treasure house

ABOVE: Rachael Chambers (owner) and Ruby Roberts (colleague and artist) at the Ferrers Gallery. TOP RIGHT: David Gray from Melbourne Cobblers.

are so lovely. They are so happy to be k.” orin Hollingworth, owner of No 33 estyle, said things had also been going l in Melbourne. It’s just really reassuring that people l want to come out and shop. They supt us and there has been a real commuy spirit,” she said. On the day that shops re-opened, it was iceable how much people enjoyed being hops again, she said. It’s been lovely because people hadn’t n in shops for so long, they were really ing it in – it was a proper browse.” David Austen, of Blatch’s, said it was at to see customers back.

“It’s been fantastic,” he said. “It’s nice to see people about and have people in the shop. We’ve had quite a few come in just to say hello!” Paula Marston, of La Vie En Rose on Derby Road, has been showing customers round her shop virtually via Facetime for those still unable to get out. She said customers had told her they would prefer to spend their money locally rather than in large shopping malls in cities. She said: “We’ve got some beautiful shops. Melbourne Hall is absolutely stunning. Everyone goes out of their way to try and make it special here.” – Lucy Stephens

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OBITUARIES

12 Village Voice July 2020

RONALD WILLIAM “BILL” SHARP June 16, 1936 – May 29, 2020 BILL was born on Station Road in Melbourne to market gardeners Nellie and Eddie Sharp, and had a younger sister, Mary. Bill remembered as a youngster in July 1940, witnessing the plane going over that bombed Church Street in Melbourne during the Second World War. He would also recall when land girls came to Melbourne, with two of them staying at the house and becoming part of the family. One of Bill’s earliest jobs was to catch the horse in the mornings so ploughing could start.

He went to Melbourne School until he was 11 years old, before going on to Derby Diocesan School for boys. He left there aged 15 to join the family market gardening business, becoming the third generation in the W Sharp and Sons business. Never really taking retirement, he carried on working until he was 82 years old. The family

moved the business from Station Road to the bungalow in Kings Newton in 1953 from where it continues to operate, by Bill’s two sons. Bill met his future wife, Margaret, in 1959 when she had gone to the house one evening to deliver a message to his sister Mary. The three of them went out to walk the dog together with Bill then asking to walk Margaret home afterwards. The couple went on to marry in 1963. Bill and Margaret’s first home was in North Street where they had five children together: Martin, Colin, Bryan, Julie and Kathryn. With the two-bedroomed house becoming a little cramped, they moved in 1974 to a bigger home in Victoria Street. The outdoors life of a market gardener would regularly see Bill leave home at 4am in a morning to attend the wholesale market in Derby. Margaret would often join Bill to help with hoeing and brussels knobbing. A great sadness was to befall the family in 1979 when Bryan died in a road accident on Cockshut Lane, casting a shadow over all their lives. In 1986, on the death of Bill’s father, Eddie, Bill’s family moved back to The Bungalow where they carried on the business. A lifelong grower and lover of the land, Bill was always willing to help out in the local community. For 20 years, he provided decoration for the font at Melbourne Parish Church at harvest time, a tradition now carried on by his son Martin. He was a member of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) for nearly all his life. Locally he was a member of the Probus Club and, for about 40 years, the Melbourne Male Voice Choir, which he enjoyed hugely. In fact, Bill is one of the few people to boast the honour of singing at their own funeral: a recording of the choir singing The Rose, My Heart Will Go On and You Raise Me Up was played at the service. Bill and Margaret enjoyed some far-flung holidays together, visiting the South China Seas, Singapore, Borneo and America.

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Market gardening was not just a job for Bill, but a way of life, and even when he became ill he would take a slow walk across to the greenhouses where he would sit and look at how things were growing on the land. Bill died at home on May 29, surrounded by his family, 18 days before his 84th birthday. Because of the current situation, numbers at his funeral were limited but on the day of the service, local

people paid their respects by lining both sides of the street from his home at The Bungalow right down to the former Sir Francis Burdett pub. At his funeral, conducted by Rev Steve Short, the final hymn was fitting: “We Plough the Fields and Scatter.” Along with his wife and children, Bill also leaves six grandsons and a grand-daughter: Ben, Oliver, Jacob, Braddan, Euan, Maisie and Max.

DOROTHY AND KEVIN WILLMORE KEVIN was born on June 24, 1936, in Breedon on the Hill to Violet and Victor Willmore. Dorothy May was born on December 11, 1938, to Edna and Leslie Astle, local market gardeners at Westwood View, Hope Street, Melbourne. After school Kevin started an electrician apprenticeship with Orton’s in Ashby de la Zouch where he cycled everyday while he served his time there. This was interrupted by a two-year stint of National Service in the RAF serving in Lichfield and Uxbridge and on a tour in the Outer Hebrides. Dorothy started her apprenticeship as a hairdresser at Keith Hall’s in Long Eaton in 1953 and subsequently moved to the newly opened Keith Hall salon in St James Street, Derby. During this time Dorothy and Kevin met at a local dance at Melbourne’s Public Hall. They were married at St Michael and St Mary Church, Melbourne on March 19, 1960. Also that year their careers changed; Kevin started work at Derby’s Carriage and Wagon Works while Dorothy decided to branch out with her own hairdressing business, starting in July 1960 from her home on Derby Road for family and friends. As business grew they acquired a larger derelict property further along Derby Road which, when rebuilt, became ‘Dorothy’s Salon’ opening its doors in May 1962. This also became the family home. She later opened a second salon ‘Dorothy's Coiffure’ in Mill Lane Mews, Ashby de la Zouch, which she ran for 15 years

through the 70s and 80s. After 35 years working at the railway, Kevin was made redundant. Never one to sit on his laurels he continued to help people in the area with small electrical jobs while combining this with being the caretaker of Melbourne’s Infant and Junior schools, where he was highly respected by staff, teachers, parents and many pupils. In 2004 the couple decided they would both retire and they moved to Wilson to start a new chapter in life together. Kevin was a keen sportsman throughout his life, playing football and cricket for Melbourne, Breedon on the Hill and the RAF. He then took up golf with a passion and was a member of Willesley Golf Club, Ashby, for over 40 years. Kevin actually “holed in one” at the same 10th hole three times in an 18-month period and twice in a fortnight at the club. Also, to keep fit he regularly attended a gym, and only last November he became Member of the Month at the Jury’s Hotel, East Midlands Airport at the sprightly age of 83. Dorothy’s interests were fo-

cused all around family and she loved nothing more than making meals for family and friends on a regular basis. The couple recently celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on March 19, whilst self-isolating at home. Kevin had been diagnosed with Mesothelioma (Asbestos Lung Cancer) in December 2019. Very sadly, Dorothy unexpectedly died at home of a stroke on April 2 while caring for Kevin during the Covid lockdown. Kevin passed away on June 2 surrounded by his loved ones. They are survived by three children, Steven, Paul and Karen, their wife and partners Samantha, Wendy and Jason, and four grandchildren, India, Yasmine, Leon and Iman. They were a sister and brother, aunt, uncle and cousin and friends to all who knew them. Dorothy and Kevin loved life and enjoyed it to the full, achieving a great many adventures together. They were not only devoted to each other but to their loving family and many friends and will be missed more than they will ever know.

LOTHIAN GARDENS PLAY PARK STAYS SHUT

LOTHIAN Gardens play park in Melbourne will not be re-opening at the current time, parish councillors have decided. The Prime Minister gave permission for outdoor play parks to re-open from July 4, along with other businesses and services. Members of Melbourne Parish Council discussed the matter at their virtual meeting on July 7. Parish council clerk Jacqui Storer, asked what other bodies responsible for parks in the area were intending to do, said it was a “mixed bag” with some opting to re-open and others deciding that they would not be able to successfully manage the risks. She said that other parks had also experienced problems with people breaking in while gates were shut. On June 23, local residents reported how

a large number of youths had climbed into the padlocked area of Lothian Gardens, and the matter was reported to police. The meeting heard how the guidance on opening parks back to the public included a large amount of risk assessment. Potential issues for the council would include whether they would need to wipe down equipment after each use, plus the inability to control numbers of children who would use it at any one time, creating concerns over social distancing and spreading the virus. It was also pointed out that the parish council does not employ a park attendant in order to oversee safety at the park. Having considered all these matters, councillors decided it was safest to keep it closed for the time being.

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Village Voice July 2020 13

WITH her creative props, vibrant dressing up costumes and energetic singing, Tracey Ridleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Music Time sessions have become a pre-school institution in Melbourne and further afield. This month Music Time celebrates a remarkable 20 years, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still going strong. Singing nursery rhymes has never been so much fun as it is in Tracey Ridleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Music Time. With her weekly themes, love of dressing up and ability to get young children up and dancing, Music Time is a firm favourite on the pre-schoolersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; weekly timetable. Having run Music Time for two decades, Tracey says she is now seeing the second generation of children coming to the classes their parents enjoyed. Twenty years on, she still takes the same bucketfuls of enthusiasm to Music Time that she al-

ways has. Having worked as a nursery nurse and a nanny, she had the idea for starting up Music Time when she was pregnant with her son, Charles. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I was pregnant I thought I could go out to lots of different groups, but there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anything. I wanted to do a bit more with my baby,â&#x20AC;? she said. Tracey had studied for three years at night school to learn sign language, a skill she takes to her classes, of which the first one was in Mickleover in July 2000. The location, says Tracey, was deliberately not in her home town of Melbourne. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted people to come because I was good, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to have to get my friends to support me,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It started way before there was anything else like that.â&#x20AC;? For her, music and laughter are very important for impressionable young children. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being a parent is not all about doom and gloom,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can have fun, and make memories, and have an enjoyable day. Babies do understand humour, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re little sponges, you can learn so much through music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Music transcends all ages. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re happy, you learn more. People go away skipping all day, and say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really cheered me upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;!â&#x20AC;? Music Time runs all over the area including Melbourne, but since then Tracey has branched out and works in all kinds of settings, including nurseries, St Wystanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School, birthday parties and even weddings, where she is booked to entertain children. She is a regular at Melbourne Festival, and Derby Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital too. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the years Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been involved in thousands of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives on special occasions,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some children have their birthday party with me every year! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m extremely proud to be part of Derbyshire familiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives and memories.â&#x20AC;? Tracey has dressed up regularly as Disney favourites such as Elsa from Frozen and Belle from Beauty and the Beast â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and now, with coronavirus affecting live classes, she has taken Music Time on the virtual airwaves, offering sessions via Zoom three times a day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main thing is if we can all feel that energy,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t failed in 20 years. I love every day just as much. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Music and dance are just good for the soul. Anything that puts a smile on your face is fantastic. To get your body moving. I like to get my shiny shoes on, and bring some positivity with music and dance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Music is the best medicine. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re feeling down, any music will put a smile on your face.â&#x20AC;? For enquiries, contact Tracey on 07866689971 or Facebook/ musictime2000. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lucy Stephens

l Tracey with her son Edward in 2005, and (below) in action at a birthday party.

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Early days of the Village Voice

14 Village Voice July 2020

people turn to this page first in any publicaAFTER deciding on the name of “VilPART TWO tion to bring them up to date. lage Voice” we had to decide on indiDavid remarked “Boring”; in a monthly vidual responsibilities – which was MICK ROBEY, who was there at newspaper it was old news. I conceded on “Everyone can do some writing” to the beginning of this newspaper this point only for it to be partially included which Jacko responded with “I’m no with Andrew Jackson (affectionlater as an Obituary column, which was algood at writing, I’ll do the photoately known by some as ‘Jacko’, ways sympathetically written (mainly by graphs”. who passed away in April), recalls David), and much more appreciated by the He proceeded to do an excellent job with how the first edition was put families. the hundreds of photographs he took but together in December 1992. The other point came after a couple of ediwith two drawbacks. Every photograph he tions. We were presented with an article for took, I had to follow up with a duplicate visit inclusion which was poetry. The articles were submitted by “Timpo to find out the names of the people on the photograph and also get and Noob” and were about happenings, occasions and people in the story. The other drawback was that he used his own camera Melbourne and written in rhyming verse but in the “Olde Melso he got V.V. photos mixed up with his private ones and, of course, bourne” dialect. we had to wait to get them developed in those days. Jacko and I understood every word and were falling off our After a few months he went out and bought another camera chairs with laughter. On the other hand, David could not read it, solely for his use on V.V. subjects which rectified one of the probdid not understand it and thought it absolute rubbish. Granted, lems. you would not find it in The Guardian, hence David’s reaction, but David Bellis was given the job of covering all council meetings. to Melbourne people it was hilarious. I don’t think he was too impressed with this task but as Jacko and David was outvoted two to one and it was so popular the next I were serving parish councillors at this time it was Hobson’s 12 editions also carried more poetry of this nature as a regular Choice as Ron Ford was over in Australia for seven months of the feature. Unfortunately, this feature also led to problems later in year. the production cycle. The passing of time proved that this was the right choice as Ron Ford, a resident of Weston on Trent for five months of the David’s brilliance and his command of the English language meant year, was a stranger to Melbourne, had no contacts or knowledge that he could transform an apparently dour and boring meeting of people or events, so chose as far as writing was concerned, to do into something resembling ‘The Battle of Hastings’. the editing of all stories and snippets. He did have extensive David also went on to do a monthly story of individual compaknowledge of layouts and contacts “in the business”. nies in the area titled ‘Focus on Business’, and when this subject Ron would sketch out the layout of each individual page, desigdried up he switched to well known and also lesser known indinating the space allowed for each individual story and advert. viduals in the community with a column headed ‘Personality ProIt was decided our first individual print run would be for 3,000 file’. Every story was so well written and presented that each edition copies which would cover one copy per household in Melbourne was looked forward to. plus the surrounding close vilI personally had two disagreements with David about the conlages of Stanton, Ticknall and tent of the V.V. at this stage. I wanted a “hatches, matches and dispatches” column to be included. My argument was that local Calke.

Our problem was in finding a typesetter and printer to produce a meagre 3,000 copies. Eventually we decided the typesetting virtually had to be done “in house” and Ron knew a bloke in Duffield who could help us because he had an A3 printer – Barry Eccleston. Barry himself was a journalist but was more widely known locally for his Derby County match day football commentaries for Radio Derby. So we had to prepare for our first edition (pictured above) which we targeted as December 1992. To be continued next month.

VILLAGE VOICE Postbag

Members of the Parish Council Chair Sheila Hicklin 01332 865726 Vice Chair Terry Summerlin 01332 864643 Highways David Smith 01332 862699 Burial Grounds Terry Summerlin 01332 864643 Planning and Strategy Jane Carroll 01332 863269 Finance & HR Sheila Hicklin 01332 865726 Facilities, Recreation and Events Sheila Hicklin 01332 865726

Melbourne Parish Council Quarterly Report - July 2020

Melbourne Parish Council wishes to extend their sympathies to the family and friends of the late Councillor Andrew Jackson. Andy ‘Jacko’, had served on the council for 36 years and was a very active member of the community. His most recent contribution was the ‘Beacon of Light’ during the WW1 100-year commemorations. The Parish Council are holding their monthly meetings via Zoom Link; the public can participate and a link to the meetings can be requested from melbourneclerk.mpc@gmail.co.uk The cemetery remains open but we request that social distancing measures take place when visiting loved ones. Some remedial work will be taking place on the chapel at the cemetery in the very near future. The bench scheme has finally been completed; it is lovely to see people using the benches. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 crisis, Melbourne‘s V.E. Day celebrations had to be cancelled.

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The annual Summer Sports scheme has also been cancelled, hopefully some sports schemes can take place later in the year. Plans are underway and quotes have been obtained to replace the small children’s play equipment at the Lothian Gardens. The Parish Council is seeking further funds to enable a larger project to be built than was originally planned. We had hoped to undertake this whilst the Gardens were closed but unfortunately the grant funding body isn’t currently meeting. The toilets on the High Street are almost complete, final touches are being made and will hopefully be handed over to the Parish Council by late July. Work has been carried out at the Thomas Cook Gardens on the High Street; paving slabs have been re-laid and bushes have been trimmed. The centre of the village looks bright and colourful due to the hanging baskets that have been installed by the Parish Council. Restoration has been carried out to the plaques on the Market Place shelter returning them to their former glory.

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LET’S be honest, Melbourne has an image problem and it’s getting worse. I am not referring to the town’s charms and its easy living lifestyle; I am questioning the scourge of social snobbery. Of course, this is not everyone living in Melbourne and I am not suggesting this, but if the mere mention of this accusation causes your knuckles to turn white as you tightly squeeze the ink out of the Village Voice paper whilst shouting “live somewhere else then” then it is likely I am referring to you. In my view the headline story in June’s print highlights this once more; a view that some in our community hold social status above others. Let’s just pause a second: remember we have just got over the humiliation in the national press that our house prices will plummet if someone grasses up a local drug dealer; an attitude that personal wealth was more important than community suffering. Yet now, the Village Voice feels it is appropriate to label visitors to our town as “louts”. This is a word used to describe an uncouth person, a person who lacks refinement and grace. This is an outdated word used to hold social status above another and is often used to insult working class communities. I have no doubt some Voice readers revelled in that description, but I want to challenge this. Now let’s look at this front page story in more detail and put it into context. The country has been in lockdown and this, of course, has been a difficult time for us all. But let’s not kid ourselves either – this has clearly been more challenging for some and has again highlighted the inequalities that some people face. For example, not everyone has had access to open spaces or has a large house with an award-winning garden, not everyone has had the luxury of pruning their Chrysanthemums in the safety of their homes whilst critiquing every stage of the pandemic via social media. So when the sun shines and the restrictions are relaxed it’s only natural for people to want to spend time in places of natural beauty, like the Melbourne Hall Estate. Ok, so the bins are overflowing with rubbish due to an influx of visitors and at most this is inconvenient to the person who had to collect the bins that day. But in reality those dreadful litter

louts have committed the heinous crime of either attempting to place their litter into a small overflowing bin, which has then caused this to fall onto the ground, or have behaved so loutishly they placed their rubbish neatly into a bag before loutishly depositing this next to the bin to help the estate with litter collection. These louts even had the audacity to change their children’s poofilled nappies, aaahhhhhhh! In my view this subtle social snobbery is also highlighted in the councillor’s quote that young drivers used Melbourne as a race track. In my view this is a lazy quote which causes further division by simply highlighting the younger generation as the problem. Try this Mr Councillor “as a result of the lockdown I have concerns about how cars are being driven through the town, I have passed my concerns onto the police”. It’s not difficult but see the difference. Personally I would have expected my community to compromise and find solutions to allow us all to enjoy the open spaces of Melbourne; it wouldn’t have taken much to find some temporary bins and be more understanding around an increase in traffic, the streets have been desolate for the last few months for crying out loud. I expect better of my local paper. I don’t want them to use derogative headlines, words, and want them to challenge quotes which support the view that Melbourne is not always welcoming. Simon Harrison Melbourne m The parish councillor referred to in this letter has responded to say that his remarks have been misquoted, as he was referring to Calke Road, and not Melbourne as a whole. Also, he points out that his point about young drivers in the area is valid as on June 30, three youths were found in a vehicle that knocked down a wall on Calke Road. Police confirmed they attended the incident at around 7.10pm. The councillor was inquiring about the possibility about speed humps on Calke Road as there is a problem with speeding cars and motorbikes there. The problem was not with youths in the area. n See also, ‘Another litter bin on the way’ – Page 19.

Pastures new for Rev Hartley

IT’S farewell to a well-known member of the local clergy, who is off to pastures new in Yorkshire. Rev John Hartley has been the minister of Melbourne Methodist Church, encompassing Aston and Weston-on-Trent, since 2013. Having extended his time in Melbourne, he and wife Miranda are heading to John’s next appointment at Burniston, on the outskirts of Scarborough, at the beginning of August. It’s a sad time for Rev Hartley to be moving away, as the pandemic means he is not able to say a proper farewell to the community he has got to

know over the past seven years. He made the decision to move last year, before anyone had even heard of coronavirus. “It felt like the right time to move; we’ve finished the annexe and it’s an exciting place for somebody else to come to,” he said. “It’s been an absolutely wonderful time. It’s a wonderful place. The church was up for doing all

sorts of different things; many of those have been suggested by members of the church.” Melbourne Methodist Church members said that John had soon made his mark on local services with his “trademark black bag, enthusiastic guitar playing and singing and never to be forgotten Alfonso” – the latter being a puppet used by John to bring to life the message behind Bible stories. Initiatives started at Melbourne Methodist Church during John’s time have included ‘Splash’, a morning of games and crafts for preschoolers; an annual camping weekend and ‘Tea Service’. This takes place on the third Tuesday of the month, with around 50 people who – before the current situation – would meet for afternoon tea, quizzes, drama, hymns, thought for the day, sandwiches, cakes and, of course, tea. Congregation members said: “There are many memories that the church in Melbourne will have of John and Miranda’s time with us. One amongst many will of course be the new annexe which helped to facilitate the activities of the church. “When lockdown came John quickly brought together on-line worship, and for those not online he produced CDs and distributed them to individual homes. We will miss John and Miranda for their enthusiasm and support of all things Melbourne Methodist!” John has been a minister for more than 20 years, having joined the church from his previous job in the police. He is a keen singer who loves a bit of Gilbert & Sullivan. John said he was “excited” to be moving, although he would miss Melbourne and the community here. “I’ll miss things like Splash, the Tea Service and working with the schools. I’ll miss the locality and the ability on rare down times to get to Calke. It’s a lovely, lovely place. “The saddest thing is moving at this time, so I can’t say proper goodbyes.”

Village Voice July 2020 15

Picture: Edith Stephens CONCERNED environmentalist Artie Green has been busy cleaning up Melbourne – and he’s only three years old. Little Artie has grown worried about the environment after watching programmes with his mum and dad about the impact of plastic pollution on our oceans. Artie also noticed litter on the ground when visiting Elvaston Castle and Country Park with his family. Now he has been given a litter picker by his grandparents, and mum Claire says he has been busy picking up rubbish ever since.

“He has always been concerned about litter right from when he began to talk,” Claire said. “As we taught him of the dangers to the environment and oceans, he’s been really concerned. He always wanted to pick up litter wherever we have been. “Granny and grand-dad bought him this litter picker and he absolutely loves it!” After Artie picks up litter around Melbourne, he makes sure it is carefully sorted into the correct recycling bins back at home. “He’s a little eco warrior,” said Claire.

IT’S GOOD TO TALK The Common Touch...

IT’S great to hear farmers coming around to the realisation that climate change is happening; they’re out there in all weathers observing, recording the climate, seeing the changes and trends first hand. They’re also having regular conversations about the weather to fellow farmers. Most of us spend way too much time indoors. We don't have that connection with one piece of land, noticing how the climate affects it over decades. A lot of us easily forget about the floods, the droughts, record high temperatures and overly warm winters. It's time we all had the will and confidence to start having conversations about climate change, something you regularly talk about to your family and colleagues. In these times of a pandemic it seems to be just another depressing subject to be put to the back of our minds while we cope with everyday issues. I suggest now is exactly the time we need to make climate change and the environmental challenges we face a topic of everyday discussion. It can be confusing: who knows what a tonne of CO2 looks like? It's hard to get your head around the consequences of carbon dioxide increasing in concentration in the atmosphere and tipping points, but if we don't start talking about it we won't learn about the science, what’s going on all over the world and share this knowledge with others. If we educate ourselves about the issues we

can then put pressure on the Government to act on its promises to tackle the problems. Our current political system is locked into a short-term cycle; if they think it's not a pressing issue for the general public then they can easily ignore it. Long-term issues need long-term solutions and MPs have to feel they can stand up and speak out without it leading them to be voted out at the next election. They've proved they can legislate to enforce changes to our daily lives for the good of the community, so why not do the same for climate change? We humans have a great ability to carry on regardless, ploughing the same furrow without changing our habits. This might work for us in the UK for a while, but if you were a farmer in Bangladesh you'd be experiencing the devastating effects of climate change now – acres of crops destroyed by floods, salt water saturating paddy fields of rice, and soil erosion. This topic must be released from lockdown. We need to understand what action is required and be brave enough to make changes. Hopefully, we'll soon recover from the effects of Covid-19 but the climate catastrophe is here to stay. At Whistlewood we are demonstrating ways to keep the soil healthy naturally and producing food sustainably in co-operation with nature. We’re more than happy to talk to you and local farmers about positive solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change. Let's chat.

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16 Village Voice July 2020

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18 Village Voice July 2020

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Carnival has not been forgotten

AS THERE is no Melbourne Carnival this year, we thought we’d try to cheer everyone up by including pictures of some from the past. Normally our July issue – or our August edition – would include a big spread of photographs of happy people enjoying carnival celebrations. These photographs were taken by Andrew Jackson, this newspaper’s co-founder who sadly passed away in April and is much missed.

The photographs date from 2001 and 2003 but we don’t know much more! The bottom image, of crowds gathering around Melbourne Market Place, shows that there have been some changes to the street scene in the past two decades, with NatWest bank now Ashley Adams estate agents, and Bare Necessities now home to Eighty Seven clothing shop. Here at Village Voice Towers we would welcome any recollections from local readers who may recall these occasions from all

those years ago. Perhaps you might be able to help us with the themes for the events? Or you might be in some of these pictures yourselves? Do be in touch with us, if you like, on news@melbournevillagevoice.co.uk. Events may have been cancelled, but we can still enjoy the memories of those which took place in the past, and look forward to them happening again in the future.

Due to the current COVID19 situation, all Coffee & Co and minibus trips have been cancelled until further notice. Our Office is closed to the public, but we are checking on messages. Please see our Facebook page Melbourne for regular Community Care updates. Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 9.30am to 1pm

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Every picture tells a story for framer Tim

A FULL length wedding dress, original works by famed painter LS Lowry â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these are just some of the precious things that Melbourne picture framer Tim Margett has worked on in three decades of running his business. Timâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business, Ferrers Frames, celebrates its 30th birthday this month. It was on July 29, 1990, that Tim started on his own as a traditional sign writer and picture framer, working from an old cow shed at The Ferrers Centre in Staunton Harold. Three decades on, the business is still based there, but now operates a two-storey gallery and framing business in the Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s courtyard. Tim, of Melbourne, honed his artistic skills as a pupil at Chellaston Academy and began working as a sign writer for a company in Shelton Lock aged 14, while still at school. Also an inspiration is his dad Patrick, an artist who frames his own work. Tim started to create some of the signs for businesses based up at the Ferrers Centre where his work was spotted by the then landlord, who was im-

pressed and offered him his first premises to set up as a sign writer with some framing on the side. Over the years, Timâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sign writing skill has graced many local businesses, including, in Melbourne, the original Birds shop, the Welcome Cafe and the Spar shop. At one point, he was creating signs for National Trust properties across the East Midlands. Since 1998, Timâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife Jo has been working with him at Ferrers Frames. In 2007, with the birth of the coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter, Evie, the pair made the decision to stop sign writing and pursue the framing and gallery side of their business. Over the years, Timâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work has seen him asked to frame a wide variety of interesting and unusual things, including a full wedding dress, along with football shirts and medals. He has also worked on original works by LS Lowry, through a gallery that exhibits the famous Lancashire artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paintings. So what does he like about the job? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different, every single picture is different. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memories they are bringing in,â&#x20AC;? said Tim. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to find the right colour for the mount, make sure people are happy with what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve chosen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so different every day, and quite a responsibility with some things that come in, that are precious for the person: grandpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medals canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be replaced.â&#x20AC;? As for being based for three decades at The Ferrers Centre, Tim said he could not be in a better place: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the nicest place and the nicest community of craftspeople you could wish for.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lucy Stephens

ABOVE: Tim and Jo Margett at Ferrers Frames, and (left) Tim in 2001 working on sign writing.

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Another litter bin on the way

Village Voice July 2020 19

AN extra wheelie bin is to be placed in the area near Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s War Memorial to assist with litter. Members of Melbourne Parish Council decided the matter at their latest virtual meeting on July 7. The decision follows issues caused when large amounts of litter were left in the area around Melbourne Pool during sunny weather in May, causing bins to overflow. Councillors decided that an extra bin placed nearby would help keep the area clean and tidy for everyone to enjoy. Cllr Nigel Collyer said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;There needs to be some more litter bin provision around the war memorial. We should do something extra to try and keep that part of the town clear. I think if there were litter bins at the war memorial people would carry rubbish as far as that.â&#x20AC;? Cllr Jim Hewlett, one of Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representatives at South Derbyshire District Council â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the body responsible for litter collection â&#x20AC;&#x201C; said the council had been asked to help collect extra rubbish that had been left in the area around the pool. Issues had been caused, he said, by â&#x20AC;&#x153;people who come to Melbourne to walk around the pool, free of charge, and decided to leave their litter with us instead of taking it back and leaving it at homeâ&#x20AC;?. Cllr Jane Carroll agreed that the parish council could do something to help with clearing litter. She said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We should try and find a way to clear this up. If we are wanting to support the community I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the right thing to do.â&#x20AC;?

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20 Village Voice July 2020

Cricket club raring to go

SPORT

MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club is frantically trying to get everything in place for the start of the 2020 season, after the Government’s announcement giving the go-ahead for recreational cricket to re-start. The seniors have already played their first league matches and the club’s junior teams will not be too far behind as training starts for them this week, with matches to follow the week after. There will be a shortened season for all Melbourne’s teams and the club will be running junior sections at U9s Kwiks, U11s Incrediball, U11s hardball and an U13s. Anyone wanting to take their child along and join the club should contact Alex Slater on 07966933583 for more information. n The club is very thankful to all its local sponsors who have supported them this season. They have been even more important than usual as the pandemic has affected the club’s income substantially. Without businesses sponsoring an individual team, match balls or banners around the ground the club would have been in huge financial difficulty. Anyone wanting to sponsor the club in any way, indeed help at all, should contact Alex on the above number. The club has some form of cricket, whether training or matches, going on nearly every night in the week. The bar at Melbourne Sports Park is open every night too.

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Girls really getting a kick out of football

FEMALE football is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK – and it’s certainly thriving in Melbourne. Football training is now back on at Melbourne Sports Park and on Friday evenings there are now more than 60 girls going along to practise their skills. Coaches say that, having started up the girls football arm of Dynamo in May 2019, it has flourished ever since. Coach Jamie O’ Toole, whose daughters Frankie and Madeleine both train with the club, said Melbourne was now one of the fastest growing girls’ football clubs in Derbyshire, along with Chellaston. And since football training has been allowed to resume – with girls training in groups of five – players have been enthusiastically going along this year. Nelly Mardon, the new under 9s girls’ team coach for Melbourne Dynamo, said: “It’s so positive and inclusive, that whatever standard you are or whatever experience you have got, you’re encouraged to join in and have a go, and if you leave having had fun, we’re

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happy.” Girls football became popular at Melbourne Junior School a few years ago with the encouragement of the then PE co-ordinator, Jim Jenkinson, and several supportive parents. The school teams soon became competitive and were county schools champions two years in a row. There is currently a strong group of girls at the school and the link between the club and school remains very close. Last May, the Derbyshire Football Association gave a grant to set up a Wildcats girls’ football club in Melbourne, and since then numbers have been growing steadily. Girls who are now going along to train have been adhering to strict safety protocols to limit the spread of coronavirus, practising ball skills at a safe distance from one another. “The main thing is getting girls active, and secondly to get girls to enjoy their sport,” said Jamie. “I think they really enjoy it. A lot of girls, when they came here, said they couldn’t play football and then you look at how much they have improved. It’s amazing.” During last year’s season, the under-10s Melbourne Dynamo Girls’ team lost only one game all season, having never played before, going for 17 matches unbeaten. Training for girls’ football in Melbourne takes place on Fridays from 4.30 to 7.30pm. Years one to four go along for the first session at 4.30, then years five to six at 5.30, and years seven and eight at 6.30pm. The club also offers the first three weeks for free, with a small pay-as-you-go fee thereafter or subscriptions for those girls who want to play matches regularly. Anyone who wants to get in touch with the club can email Jamie on jamie.otoole74@gmail.com.

Tennis club serving up its own contest

MELBOURNE Tennis Club has been back playing for over a month now. During that time, members got the news that the Derbyshire Tennis League matches have all been cancelled for the 2020 season. They are now waiting for information for their Burton league teams. In the meantime, the club has been very proactive and has gone ahead and organised its inter-club championship culminating, it is hoped, in a finals day on Sunday, September 27. There are five events which are: men’s and ladies singles; men’s, ladies and mixed doubles The club hopes to start these matches soon, British weather permitting! Anyone interested in any information to do with the club, both senior and junior, should contact Sallie Allen on sallie.allen@hotmail.co.uk