Melbourne Village Voice July 2022 by Village Voice

NOVEL WAY OF BEATING LOCKDOWN

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No. 356 July 2022

A SCIENTIST from Melbourne found an unusual way to stay close to her mother during Covid lockdown … the two decided to write a novel together. As with everyone in the UK, Anna Burns – a forensic psychiatrist who works in Leicester – was unable to see mum Jacqueline at her home in Carmarthenshire when lockdown was announced in March 2020. But the resourceful mother and daughter decided not to let the 200 miles between them be a barrier to staying in

by Lucy Stephens

touch, and resolved they would write a novel together. Both Anna and her mum, an English teacher, said they also had more time on their hands during the initial lockdown period because of working from home. Anna said: “Writing together was a great way for us to stay in contact when we are separated by over 200 miles! “We wrote from a mother and daughter

l Anna Burns with mum Jacqueline.

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perspective, and would email chapters back and forth to each other.” Anna and Jacqueline’s debut, a romantic novel called Love at Café Lompar, not only found a publisher in Honno Press, it was also shortlisted for the Katie Fforde debut novel award with the Romantic Novelists’ Association. They have now even written a followup, A Wedding at Café Lompar, which has also been published by Honno Press. “To be published authors is a dream come true,” said Anna. Anna and Jacqueline said they had both harboured dreams of becoming authors for years before hitting upon the idea of writing a book together. They said that once they started the momentum took off and they were writing at speed to each other about a story set in in Montenegro – a country which the pair had visited together on a cruise in 2019. The novels follow the adventures of a mother and daughter called Grace and Kat, who move to Montenegro to work at Café Lompar and find romance along the way. Jacqueline said: “I’ve always wanted to write novels but found life got in the way! At my time of life it’s wonderful to finally find myself actually being an author.” Their second novel was slower to write, they said, as by that time they were both busier at work. Anna and Jacqueline say they would like to write more together, but their next novel will follow a different story and characters.

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Upbeat business effect of Download

A POSITIVE “Download effect” has been reported by businesses in Melbourne. This year the Download Festival saw huge numbers of campers flocking to fields around the Castle Donington site close to the edges of the village. Local businesses reported an uplift in trade and visitors, and praised organisers for arranging a bus service to Melbourne. Rob Coombes, who runs Melbourne Antiques with wife Nicki, said he usually saw regulars coming to his shop from Download. He said one festival-goer this year even bought a chest of drawers which Rob later delivered to him in Sheffield. “Some people come to us every year from

Dad runs for charity that helped baby son

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Download,” he said. “They buy lots of jewellery. They used to walk down here but now there’s a bus that brought them.” Rachael Peckham, manager of Treetops Hospice Shop, reported seeing Download festival-goers who bought clothes, showing a preference for vintage. “It was dry this year so this time we got people coming in and looking for clothes,” she said. “If it’s wet, we often get all the wellie boots out.” The desire for wellingtons in wet Download years is also echoed by outdoor shop Melbourne Gun Ltd, where one year a security guard went in and bought 10 pairs! Matt Morgan of the Spirit Vaults said he had been fully booked for accommodation

this year thanks to Downloaders who preferred the comfort of a bed rather than a tent, and that he had even seen bookings for next year already. Festival-goers also went to his pub to eat during the day, he said. Laura and Richard Fortey, of Fortey’s in the Market Place, said it had been very good to see festival folk in Melbourne thanks to the bus service, while Meaks of Melbourne said they had been kept very busy serving breakfasts to hungry music lovers. Meanwhile, at Melbourne Delicatessen and Kitchen on Derby Road, Download customers were particularly keen on the shop’s vegetarian and vegan options, including its home-made falafels.

l Robin, Ellie, Albie and dog Homer.

SEVEN hours and 25 minutes … That was the length of time a one-year-old from Melbourne was on the operating table for open heart surgery just days after he was born. Nearly a year on, it was the length of time his dad ran to raise money for the charity that helped the young family through their ordeal. Little Albie, of Melbourne, is now “bouncing around, walking and talking,” said his dad Robin Tyerman. But in June 2021 he was born with a serious heart problem called TGA (transposition of the great arteries) in which the heart’s two main arteries are reversed. The condition meant Albie had to undergo a lengthy operation three days after being born to switch the arteries around. On June 11, his first birthday, a group of 35 people did a “Steps for Beats” charity run from Melbourne to Breedon and back to raise funds for Heart Link, a charity which supports families who have a child with a heart defect. Robin undertook to run for the length of time his son was on the operating table, completing just over 40 miles of 10k loops on the day. Other members of the group ran varying

distances including two marathons! Robin said he and his wife, Ellie, had found out about Albie’s heart condition at the 20-week scan. After the baby’s surgery at Glenfield Hospital, he and his parents stayed there for a month while he recovered. “It was a bit of a shock, it’s not something you expect to hear,” he said. “The charity was great. They were offering us support and guidance.” As for his seven hour and 25 minute run, Robin said pounding the pavements was not in fact his usual hobby, but he was much helped by so many people running alongside him on the day. Even the family hound Homer joined in for a mile or two. “The hardest bit was when everyone finished their marathon and I had another three hours to go!” he said. One in 150 babies are born in the UK with a diagnosed congenital heart defect. The charity run raised nearly £5,000 for Heart Link, and the Just Giving page is still open for donations for anyone who would like to contribute. You can access the link here: shorturl.at/fHQY8

Mum’s thanks for kindness after tragedy

Twins help deliver your favourite paper

WHO remembers their first paper round? Twins Lara and Georgia Smith from Weston-on-Trent are starting out in the world of newspaper delivery at the tender age of seven, having very kindly agreed to take on one of our very own Village Voice rounds. The sisters are our new deliverers for the King’s Mills Lane area of the village and are responsible for putting our editions through 60 letterboxes. Mum Kay said: “There was one month where the paper had a little slip in it asking for a delivery person. “They both read that and said ‘Mummy, we would like to do that, we want to do a job’. They did it off their own initiative.” Kay said the girls had “absolutely loved” doing their round. “They were so excited about it, and took it in turns to do each house,” she said. Village Voice news editor Lucy Stephens said: “Thanks so much to Lara and Georgia for doing this paper round for us – it’s much appreciated! So many people deliver the Village Voice for us and we are very grateful to everyone for their support. “We do have two rounds available in the village of Tonge at the moment … if anyone is interested then do shout up!”

Village Voice July 2022 3

THE mother of Kevin Earp, who tragically died recently, has expressed thanks from all of the family for the overwhelming sympathy and kindnesses shown to them by relatives and many friends. Janet Earp, of Melbourne, said hundreds of people had gone along to Kevin’s funeral, and she thought he would have been immensely touched to know he was so fondly thought of. “We especially want to thank George Simnett for his help and kindness in organising the funeral, and Rev Jez Prance for conducting the service,” she said. “The service had a Liverpool theme throughout, with the Beatles’ Blackbird and In My Life the opening tunes and the Liverpool anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone at the end. So many wore his favourite Red and Kevin’s flag adorned the coffin,” she said. She also said Kevin had once been on Five Live, the football talkin show, and had been discussing Liverpool with pundit Robbie Savage: “That clip was played at the funeral, and everyone clapped! “I also want to thank so many people who left cards, flowers and even food at the door. “I want to say thank you too, to Alex Slater and all the team at the MSP for their help in organising the event after the service. Kevin played for Melbourne Dynamo FC for so many years and it was amazing to see so many people who came along.” Janet and the family are trying to come to terms with their huge loss, as will be the many friends Kevin had in Melbourne, and she wanted to let people know that “the kindnesses and tributes paid to Kevin have been a real comfort to them all”.

JEAN MASSEY 25-6-1933 - 21-5-2022

Chapel to be subject of an urgent survey l Lara (left) and Georgia Smith delivering the Village Voice.

AN URGENT structural survey was this month due to be undertaken on the chapel buildings in Melbourne cemetery after concerns were raised about the speed of deterioration there. Councillors agreed at the latest meeting of Melbourne Parish Council on July 5 that the survey should be done. The meeting heard that conservation experts had visited the chapel and “expressed concerns about the speed of deterioration” since the last condition survey was done. Councillors were told the gable ends of the North Chapel were “moving outwards” since repairs were done two years ago. The speed in the building’s deterioration has meant that daylight is now visible through the roof. The meeting was told that failure to complete the survey could mean the North Chapel might have to be closed and fencing put around it. The chapel buildings, which are grade two listed, have now been officially registered on the county council’s “at risk” register, where they have been given a ‘grade four’ rating. The most serious rating a building or monument can have is ‘six’. This rating could be increased if the survey reveals the damage is worse than thought. Parish council clerk Jacqui Storer told the meeting that the fact the chapel buildings have been registered as at risk may allow greater op-

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portunities for funding. The cemetery chapels date back to the mid19th century when the cemetery was laid out to replace the parish’s previous burial grounds. A public competition was held for their design, which was won by an Alfreton architect called Benjamin Wilson. The reason why there are two chapels is because the cemetery had two halves, of which one was consecrated, for Church of England burials, and one was unconsecrated, for nonconformists. Repair works have already been undertaken by the parish council. A bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund has also been made to try to pay for repairs to the chapels, but it was rejected.

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Airport boosts for charities

Sisters tie the knot five weeks apart

4 Village Voice July 2022

TREETOPS Hospice in Derbyshire, along with Loros and Rainbows in Leicestershire, have been awarded £20,000 each by East Midlands Airport to invest in green energy. Treetops is installing solar panels with the money, Rainbows will fit electric car charging points and Loros will replace light bulbs with LED lighting. The money has been made available from the airport’s community fund as part of a pilot project to support community, charity and voluntary sector organisations make the transition to more energy use. Cllr Angus Sowter, a member of the airport’s community fund committee, said: “When the committee considered a sustainable energy fund, there was unanimous support for offering our local hospices funding in the first instance before we opened it up to the wider community. “We’re delighted that this funding is already having an impact. Not only will it help the hospices reduce their carbon footprint but, at current energy prices, it will also help keep costs down so that more money can be spent on the care they provide.” A further round of funding has been made available for local community and public buildings such as schools and village halls to invest in proven technologies for ‘green energy’. To find out more email community@eastmidlandsairport.com

SISTERS Lorna and Lucy Collyer, daughters of Nigel and Maria Collyer of Melbourne, were both recently married at Melbourne Parish Church – just five weeks apart. Lorna married Daniel Clarke (pictured right), son of Lee and Alison Clarke from Whitwick, on May 21. They held their reception at Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel, and honeymooned in Barbados. The couple, who have made their home in Chellaston, have decided to take each other’s surnames, and will both be known as Collyer-Clarke. Lucy and Henry Collyer-Knight (left) were married at Melbourne Parish Church on June 25, followed by a reception on family market garden land at Jawbone Lane, Kings Newton. Henry is the son of Anthony and Annette Knight of Melbourne. The couple, who first met at school in Melbourne, have made their home in Kings Newton and honeymooned in the Lake District.

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SOURCES of funding are still being sought to find a solution to the problem of traffic crossing Swarkestone Causeway, Derbyshire County Council has said. The council said the issue was a “unique” one which needed a “unique solution” and that it was thought around £50million would be needed to find one. In June the council said cabinet members had been updated on a £570million regeneration programme for Derbyshire, of which the Swarkestone Causeway project was one element. A spokesperson said: “£50m is very much an estimate of how much we think it would cost to build an alternative route to crossing the River Trent for traffic instead of using the existing bridge. “Swarkestone Causeway is a unique issue that will need a unique solution, and we’re doing all we can to find one. Unfortunately a replacement for Swarkestone Causeway does not meet the current national funding schemes available and the cost is not something that the council would be able to manage. “But we are reviewing the potential solutions and looking for possible sources of funding needed to move this project forward.” Every day around 15,000 vehicles cross Swarkestone Causeway, a scheduled ancient monument dating back to the 13th century. Back in 2019, Derbyshire County Council announced it was championing Trent Valley Vision, a strategy for the Trent Valley which included the aim to build a new crossing over the river which has been used as a route for centuries. The idea at the time was to turn the causeway into a recreation route and tourist attraction. The causeway is particularly congested at busy commuter times and any accident can cause major hold-ups due to its narrow structure. Among other projects included in the council’s regeneration programme is £35million earmarked for Elvaston Castle. The council wants to redevelop the castle and estate to make it commercially viable and increase visitor numbers. Planning permission for a new access drive and car park has been submitted and, if approved, will be funded by £5.5million from the county council, with funding sources for other phases yet

by Lucy Stephens

to be found. However, the plans are controversial and have attracted much objection. Another project is £55million for the ‘South Derby Growth Zone’, involving highway infrastructure to support commercial development and housing at Infinity Garden Village. An outline business case for funding is to be submitted to the Government later this year, with a request for £49million to help pay for the project. A business case is also set to be submitted to the Government for £25million for the East Midlands Freeport. Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, said: “This regeneration programme demonstrates good growth in Derbyshire with major regeneration projects across the county to support job creation and keep Derbyshire moving. “These projects follow the successful completion of a £13m county council-led scheme to build a new road linking Woodville and Swadlincote, cutting congestion and unlocking employment land. “We’re proud to be a driving force for regeneration and levelling up in Derbyshire and welcome much-needed investment from Government to improve our county’s economic prospects.”

Chat benches

FANCY a chat? Elvaston Castle will be home to some new ‘Let’s Chat’ benches which are being installed by Derbyshire County Council. The council is setting up 700 of the bench signs across the county aimed at reducing isolation and helping people connect. The Let’s Chat bench signs have QR codes taking people to web pages with information about tackling isolation, loneliness and mental health support. People are invited to find their nearest bench, take a picture and post it on social media with a #LetsChatDerbyshire tag. The benches in Elvaston are in the courtyard, playground, azalea garden and on Bedford Drive.

Marriage on the menu

IT WAS a marriage of food and love in Melbourne when the managers of one of the town’s latest gourmet outlets got engaged in front of a crowd – all under the watchful eye of famed TV chef Gennaro Contaldo. Georgia Wickham said it was a total bolt from the blue when Joe Hayes, who is her partner at V. Botteri Italian Deli at Melbourne Hall, got down on one knee and proposed. The happy event took place in front of a crowd of people who had turned out to Melbourne Hall to sample a summer barbeque evening fronted by TV chefs Gennaro Contaldo and Joe Hurd. Joe decided it was the ideal occasion to ask his girlfriend of more than two years to marry him – and, luckily for everyone, she said yes! Georgia said: “I was ecstatic! When he called me up on stage, that’s when I thought, ‘this is it’!” Georgia and Joe got together at the start of lockdown in 2020, and moved to Melbourne in December of that year. With Georgia from Nottingham and Joe from Leicester, the couple were drawn to Melbourne because of its thriving food scene, citing Tori & Ben’s shop a particular favourite. Since April of this year, they have been running V. Botteri Italian deli at Melbourne Hall, which is owned by Joe Hurd of BBC’s Saturday Kitchen fame. Georgia had been invited to look round the

Village Voice July 2022 5

by Lucy Stephens

shop by Joe Hurd thanks to her blog, Fat Chicks Kitchen. She said: “We wanted to meet in the middle and Joe knew of Melbourne because of shopping here at Tori & Ben. It was a place he did a lot of shopping and he knew I was a foodie as well. “He brought me here a few times and we decided it would be a perfect place for us. “It was nice the way he proposed. We had had a really enjoyable day. It was a foodie proposal!” Joe and Georgia are looking forward to developing the deli and starting out in business and marriage together. In an additional local twist, Joe bought Georgia’s engagement ring from Millpond Antiques, opposite their shop. TOP: The moment Joe popped the question. RIGHT: Gennaro at Melbourne Hall. FAR RIGHT: Joe and Georgia. LEFT: One of Joe Hurd’s ancestors.

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6 Village Voice July 2022

Culture festival is back

HUGE crowds of people turned out to a large festival in Weston-on-Trent celebrating Ukrainian culture. The culture festival was back after a twoyear break and organisers said they were “overwhelmed” with the positive response to it – with the Russian invasion of 2022 having made the event all the more poignant. Different groups went to Weston to showcase Ukraine culture with two stages of food, music, dance, beer gardens and overnight camping, too. The celebrations over the first weekend of July were raising money to send to those affected by the ongoing war. The event at the Ukrainian Centre in We-

ston – known as ‘Tarasivka’ – is the longest running and biggest Ukrainian festival in the UK. One of the organisers said: “We've been overwhelmed with the positive responses we've had from the weekend. “It was wonderful to see our community in Great Britain reunited at Tarasivka and to welcome during this difficult time so many recently arrived Ukrainians, who have fled the war, with their hosts and sponsors. “I hope we were able to prove that Ukrainian culture is thriving and that we are strong when we come together, which is exactly what the Russian invaders fear.”

ABOVE and RIGHT: scenes from the festival in Weston-onTrent.

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Steve set for a third Ukraine mercy mission

A MELBOURNE councillor who has twice driven to war-torn Ukraine bearing vital supplies has told of his experiences – and how he intends to make a third trip. Steve Hogan, who sits on Melbourne Parish Council, has recently been back to Ukraine having first been part of a group taking a vanload of supplies in April. He now plans to go back over the summer accompanied by his wife. Steve described how he had an “affinity” with Ukraine and its people because of the team of software developers in the country who work for his company, VR Safety. Steve said: “There is devastation where they live and work. The buildings in Chernihiv they go past every day are bombed out. There are missiles going over all the time. One of the developers got very emotional on the phone to me talking about the devastation. “I thought ‘What can I do?’ I speak to our guys every single week. At the time they could not leave the city as the danger of being killed was too high. Men of fighting age are not allowed to leave the country, so getting them out was no op-

by Lucy Stephens

tion either. “There are a lot of shortages of almost everything. It sparked something in me which said I really needed to help, having seen first-hand what the situation is and it’s quite desperate. The only option was to bring help to them and others who are suffering from this invasion.” He went on to say: “There has been a contrast with my first trip to my second. I think people have become acclimatised to the new way of life. There are still air raid sirens going off all the time, so you know missiles are being fired. You definitely know it’s a war zone. There are a lot of checkpoints covered with sandbags and armed troops everywhere.” Steve’s latest trip saw him drive to Ukraine in a two-van convoy to deliver a range of goods, including medical supplies for a children’s hospital. As part of the mission, the team took toys to an orphanage in the west of the country where the 150 young residents have all lost their parents since the Russian invasion. Finding out that they were in desperate need of food for the children, the team managed to organise two pallets full of a mix of food supplies. For his next trip Steve and a group of others are trying to organise more funding to support more people and reach more areas in the country.

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l Steve Hogan (far left) in Ukraine and (inset) a notice on one of the Government buildings in Kyiv.

Footpath saga is finally resolved

Village Voice July 2022 7

“THE Judgement of Solomon” was needed to resolve the complicated Broadstone Holt footpath saga near Melbourne according to one district councillor. But the planning committee at South Derbyshire District Council ended up allowing the application, effectively ending the permissive route, writes FRANK HUGHES.

The path, enabling access from the bottom of Bog Lane onto the footpath alongside Staunton Harold Reservoir, has been closed since 2020 following incidents of anti-social behaviour. The landowner, Dr Howard Joynes, has maintained it was his intention to reopen the path once behaviour had improved, but in the meantime legal advice suggested that the original con-

dition to maintain the permissive path was unreasonable or unlawful. Objections to the application had been received from the Ramblers Association, Open Spaces Society, Melbourne Civic Society alongside more than 40 public representations. Speaking against the proposal to remove the condition, effectively removing the requirement to keep the path open, a local resident said: “If the application was granted the path would never reopen.” He felt that local walkers “… had been put to great inconvenience since the path was closed”, and he suggested there was no evidence that the anti-social behaviour resulted from this particular access route. He was critical that South Derbyshire District

Vintage year for wine circle

Council had previously promised to take enforcement action, which had not materialised, and that the council that had originally imposed the condition, was now considering overturning it. Cllrs Jim Hewlett and Martin Fitzpatrick both spoke at some length and both said they regretted that no compromise solution had been found. Cllr Fitzpatrick was also critical that the root cause of the problem, the anti-social behaviour, had not been handled more satisfactorily by the police and he recommended the council seek ways to work together to tackle such problems. Other councillors urged the committee to stick to matters within their remit, saying that legal advice had been that the original condition was deemed “unreasonable and unenforceable” according to the planning officer’s report.

GROWING FAST

SOUTH Derbyshire is one of the fastest growing local authority areas in England, data from the latest census reveals. Information gathered from Census Day in March 2021 has now been released and shows that South Derbyshire is the 25th fastest growing local authority in England, out of 309 authority areas. The population has grown by 12,600 people since 2011, an increase of 13.3 per cent, also making it the fastest growing district in Derbyshire. However, Derbyshire’s overall population has grown at less than half the rate recorded for England as a whole. There are currently 794,600 people living in Derbyshire – an increase of 24,900 since the census in 2011. That gives the county a population growth of 3.2 per cent, with the growth in England standing at 6.6 per cent. Children aged 0-14 represent 15.9 per cent of Derbyshire’s population, while the number of 15-24-year-olds has declined by 12.5 per cent since the last census, highlighting potential challenges to the local labour market. The number of people aged 65+ in the county has grown by 22.8 per cent (32,600) since 2011, now representing 22.1 per cent of Derbyshire’s population and remaining well above the England average of 18.4 per cent.

l Members of Melbourne Wine Circle celebrating their 40th birthday in the hall at Melbourne Catholic Church.

RED or white? Or try dandelion, nettle or elderflower … Melbourne Wine Circle has celebrated its 40th birthday, and members are raising a glass to many more to come. The beginnings of the wine circle go back to 1978, according to former president Tony Hubbard, when a few people in the area attended a course on wine making. Bitten by the vino making bug, some started to make their own and the Melbourne Wine Circle was formed in 1980. Fast forward to 2022 – taking into account two years off due to Covid – and the wine circle celebrated four decades of enjoying the good stuff. So how have things changed over the years? Wine circle treasurer Barbara Simpson, 90, is the group’s oldest and longest serving member, having joined in 1985 with her late husband, Ken. She says: “It has always been a good social group. It has always been enjoyable. We have had good times together, we really have. I joined with my husband, he was the wine maker. I used to help collect the elderflower and dandelions.” In the early days of the wine circle, the group held home made wine competitions when the categories were white, red, sweet and dry. Judged by a member of Ashby Wine Circle, points were awarded for the presentation of the bottles, label, colour, taste and variety. “We were very competitive!” says Barbara. “It was very serious in those days.” But with the 1990s came greater availability of affordable commercial wines, and so the group’s focus changed to become a social monthly meeting where people took their own choice of wine for

by Lucy Stephens

sharing. But, says Tony Hubbard, some members did keep on making their own, and still do to this day. He said: “I remember one member from Kings Newton, who shall remain nameless, brewing wine in several large plastic dustbins! Indeed, Bill Beard had gallon upon gallon of demijohns stored at his home.” Current chairman Maurice Starkey, who has been going along to the circle for around 12 years, says membership has gone up over the last two years from around 12 members to a robust 24 – although more are still welcome. He says one of the main benefits is simply the sociability and friendship of spending an evening over wine and conversation. Today, the wine circle invites guest speakers on a variety of topics, with recent talks on oatcakes, cheese and mead. Over the years the circle has met in several venues, including the Assembly Rooms, the parish church’s Honner Room, and the Senior Citizens Centre. It now meets in the Catholic Church hall on the second Friday in the month.

Flying the flag

MELBOURNE Market Place was treated to a new set of Union Jack flags courtesy of the parish council as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations in June. The parish council invested in the new flags to replace the old ones to mark the occasion.

A majority vote agreed to allow the application to remove the condition, effectively ending the restriction to maintain it as a permissive path. After the hearing Howard and Jo Joynes said they were “… relieved that the council has recognised the unreasonable and unenforceable nature of the planning condition relating to the permissive access; it is finally acknowledged that it has no relevance to the building of our house and cannot be used in law to force a permission to be granted in perpetuity”. They added: “We are now in a position to progress the re-opening of the permissive access and gateway across our boundary to the reservoir. Since the meeting we have already met with the National Forest representative and talks are underway with Severn Trent Water and the National Trust.”

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Garden fund-raisers

SUMMER floral displays have raised thousands of pounds for charity after gardens were opened to the public – some for the first time in several years. Milton’s annual open gardens event took place in June after a break of two years. More than 330 people went along to see 10 gardens and enjoy music from ‘Tunes in the Garden’, plus a tombola and plants for sale. Lin Bentley said: “I’ve opened my garden every year since this started. It’s lovely to see people getting out and about and being able to enjoy going round the gardens again. It’s just a nice way of spending a Sunday afternoon.” Hungry garden visitors were also able to sit down with a home-made cake baked by Milton residents at the village hall, which had been transformed into tea rooms for the occasion. The afternoon raised £3,134 of which a donation will be made to support the Milton Community Lunch Club, while the bulk of the proceeds will support the local air ambulance service. The day ended with residents enjoying a barbeque in the beer garden at The Swan, where surplus cakes were auctioned off. Meanwhile, about 400 people went out to see the beautiful garden at The Dower House in Melbourne over a weekend in early June. Many plants were bought at the stall, and Griselda Kerr, of The Dower House, said she would like to give huge thanks to Maureen and Beth Anderson, Margaret Brackenbury and Karen Grewcock, who served teas. More than £2,000 was sent to the National Garden Scheme to distribute to its cancer charities as a result of the weekend’s opening. Griselda said: “Without their amazing support this sum would have been a shadow of itself. They were amazingly kind to work so, so hard for the good of the cause.”

TOP: Lin Bentley pictured with a Bowl of Beauty Peony. ABOVE: Christine Judge in Milton. BELOW: Griselda Kerr at the Dower House.

Charlie gives school chicks a new home

THESE three chicks have a new home after school children got the chance to watch them hatch out from eggs. Charlie Howdle, a pupil at Weston-on-Trent Primary School, has taken up the opportunity to adopt the three chicks who first tapped their way out of their eggs in one of the school’s classrooms. His house in the village is now also home to the three fluffy chicks, which he has named Yoda, Hen Solo and Kylo Hen in homage to a certain well known film franchise. The chicks went to the school from Living Eggs, a hatching programme in which schools are home to eggs housed in an incubator so children have the opportunity to watch chicks hatch and take their first steps in the world. Their acquisition came courtesy of the school’s PFSA, which paid for them with an Easter Scramble event earlier in the year. The incubator full of eggs was housed in the school’s Wrens reception class where pupils were able to watch them hatch out. Wrens class teacher Amy Melland said: “Watching the chicks hatch has been a fantastic experience for the Wrens. The children were able to find out all about what tiny chicks need in their first few days of life. Everyone has been so excited to have them in our school.”

Academy reacts to a poor Ofsted report

CHELLASTON Academy has been put in special measures following its latest damning Ofsted report. But the school has said many positive changes have been made since the inspection with new head teacher Philip Smith – who was appointed following Ofsted’s visit – providing “clear and decisive leadership”. A team of five inspectors from the education watchdog visited the academy in May after receiving a number of complaints which raised what they called “serious concerns”. After a two-day inspection they gave the school an overall “inadequate” rating with particularly serious concerns raised over safeguarding of pupils. However, the school’s sixth form – an area which has previously been poorly judged by Ofsted – was pronounced to be “good”. The report highlighted many failings at Chellaston Academy, saying pupils did not feel safe and there was “wilful disruption” and “disrespectful behaviour”, along with truancy from lessons. In addition, the report found that pupils with special educational needs were not receiving the support they needed. The report said: “There are widespread failures in leaders’ work to keep pupils safe. Many pupils feel unsafe because of the poor and inappropriate behaviour of other pupils. “Many parents and carers, and members of staff, expressed the same view. Disrespectful behaviour and wilful disruption to lessons distract pupils from learning. “Some pupils truant their lessons. Some pupils behave poorly at break and lunchtime. Many pupils accept that this is how things are. “Some pupils have more positive experiences at school. Pupils said that bullying does not happen often. They said that reported incidents are usually dealt with well. However, leaders have not created a culture in which pupils are confident to report all concerns.” The report did find some positives at the school, saying that in some subjects the curriculum was “ambitious and well sequenced”, with

by Lucy Stephens

art teaching particularly singled out as a strength. Following the Ofsted report, the school made the following statement: “There have been so many positive changes at Chellaston Academy since the Ofsted inspection was carried out. “The new headteacher is providing clear and decisive leadership and is driving appropriate change at pace. “He has been welcomed by the staff, parents and, most importantly, the students, and has the full support of his team, trust leaders and trustees. “Already, the vast majority of students are flourishing in a safe and orderly environment, and provision is developing well for those students whose behaviour has sometimes fallen short of expected standards. “The effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding arrangements has been a focus and the recording of safeguarding concerns has already improved. An action plan to address the outcome of an independent safeguarding review, commissioned by the Trust in the Spring term, is being implemented, and rigorous quality assurance processes are in place, to improve the quality of education. “Developing reading remains a priority. We are really proud of the sixth form, which is a real strength of the school and are pleased this has been highlighted in the report. “There is work to do at Chellaston, without doubt, but we are confident that the right foundations have been laid to ensure rapid and sustained improvements.”

ART FUND-RAISER

AN EVENT by Aston-on-Trent’s Alternative Art group raised hundreds of pounds for charity. The event on June 4 in which people could choose a piece of art and donate to charity raised £560 for Marie Curie and the Ukraine fund. The group thanked everyone who supported them on the day.

Village Voice July 2022 9

LEFT: Charlie Howdle, nine, with Yoda, Hen Solo and Kylo Hen. ABOVE: Pupils reading to the chicks in the incubator. When it was time for the chicks to leave Weston Primary, children were asked if they would like to take them home with them and Charlie enthusiastically answered the call. He said: “We have already got a few chickens so I thought it would be nice, and we have the room. “I love them, they’re really friendly considering they were only a week old when I got them.”

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DRESSING UP (l-r): Aston Primary School, main dressing, Richmond Villages, Aston Brownies, Aston Women’s Institute, Weston Primary School.

people were out to enjoy themselves in Aston-on-Trent me return of the village’s well dressing weekend. an on Saturday, July 2, with a blessing performed by local ke. dressing this year, painstakingly produced from a range of including flower petals, commemorated a century since the lage’s war memorial hall in 1922 and came from an idea by

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L DRESSING: WELL DONE! tors and all sandwich makers ashers of pots s wells and those who ring bells WOW, thanks a lot!’

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OBITUARY

12 Village Voice July 2022

BRIDGET ALISON BENTLEY May 20, 1962 – May 25, 2022 BRIDGET was born at St Brides Farm, Stanton by Bridge. She attended Melbourne Infant and Junior Schools and, after passing her 11 plus, Parkfields Cedars Grammar School in Derby. Bridget played an active part in Melbourne Young Farmers Club and was a former chairman. Her career began at Rolls-Royce Derby as a trainee systems analyst. After leaving Rolls-Royce, she left the UK to work in Antwerp, Belgium and Amsterdam. After experiencing a few years working and travelling outside the UK she emigrated to Australia where she spent an adventurous eight years in Sydney. She worked hard, made a lot of friends and eventually had the honour of becoming an Australian citizen. She was once featured in the Village Voice holding aloft her copy next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Missing family and friends, Bridget returned to the UK and continued her career in IT working and living in different parts of the UK and abroad including an assignment in South Africa. Bridget retired from Boots Head Office in Nottingham. She spent her retirement volunteering at Rainbows Hospice and enjoyed many hobbies including walking, sailing, tennis and enjoyed many holidays. The isles of Scilly was one of her favourite places to visit. Sadly, Bridget was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer in 2016. She fought her illness bravely and was latterly treated at The Christie Hospital. Bridget passed away a few days after her 60th birthday. She is much missed by her sisters Christine and Vivien and nine nieces, nephews and great nephews. Christine and Vivien would like to thank everyone for their kind expressions of sympathy at this sad time.

Festival on trail of another success

MELBOURNE Festival is gearing up for the Trail weekend in September, and Creative Melbourne, the art gallery and studio on Church Street, has many new and exciting initiatives. The Festival Art & Architecture Trail, which will take place on September 17-18, will be nearly back to pre-covid levels, with 140 artists exhibiting in over 60 venues. Although fewer private homes are having artists indoors this year, many are supporting the event with space outside for gazebos. The final selection of artists is currently taking place, and many favourite artists will be back, along with the popular food stalls including the Hot Rocks pizza van! Festival comedy night is on Friday, September 16, and other events are being planned. The gallery has generously given a home to a group of Ukrainian refugees now living in the Melbourne area to create a new group called Creative Ukraine. The artists are “hot-desking” in the gallery with a com-

How would you like k to be involved in the running of Melbo Melbourne rne Assembly Rooms? Ro s? We are looking for u up to 3 new Bo oard members who wantt to get stuck k in i and bu uild on 10 years off turning ning Melbourne elbourn Assem Assembly y Rooms into a ‘go to venue’ for our community y. We need people who ● Have Ideas for activities and can organise them ● Will volunteer to support activities ● Have an interest in improving the premises and have DIY expertise Iff you are interested please contact Jane Carroll, Board Secretary at info@melbourneassemblyrooms.co.uk or telephone 01332 863522 and ask for a Director Nomination Form. Elections will be held at the AGM on Thursday 29th September 2022.

by Frank Hughes

puter supplied by Invictus Communications in Derby Road and art materials funded by local artists. The group will be exhibiting in the gallery during the Festival and occasionally helping out. The next exhibition at the gallery opens on July 13 and is titled ‘Paperworks’. It is a mix of print, collage and photography featuring popular artists from the East Midlands. In addition to the changing exhibitions, Creative Melbourne is now home to three resident artists, with April Young having taken up residence to join Trish Scullin and Patrick Twiss-Prentice.

April is an internationally renowned sculptor who creates figurative pieces in a variety of materials, generally concerned with capturing expression of life and movement. Festival director Sharon Brown said: “There is certainly a buzz of creativity in the building with the studios now occupied and artists using the balcony hot-desks. There are still some desks available to hire by artists, designers, writers and other creatives.” East Midlands Airport has sponsored free creative workshops for children which will be taking place at the gallery over the summer. They will help decorate this year’s ‘Commotion in

the Ocean’ themed garden at Melbourne Rectory. “After two years without creative workshops for children it is a really exciting opportunity,” Sharon said. All Arts Melbourne ventures are run by volunteers who generously donate their time in a variety of roles, including gallery volunteers, creative workshop helpers, Festival volunteers and so on. With all the ambitious plans there is always more help needed so if you have some spare time the team would love to hear from you. To find out more about being part of the team, about the Festival or any of the forthcoming events call into the gallery between Wednesday and Saturday (10- 4pm).

Phantom pruner of Melbourne town

A PHANTOM pruner has been clipping hedges around Melbourne, and leaving the debris for others to collect. The mysterious clippings appear to take place at night and have been seen over the past few weeks. Several locations, including the path beside Melbourne Surgery, have been targeted, with leaves being left in an unsightly and dangerous way. With the possibility of rain the leaves can become very slippery and hazardous.

The Common Touch... WHISTLEWOOD is all about growing natural materials, growing food, wellbeing and sustainability. We also love to share skills with our lovely local community. The new fully accessible community garden is blossoming with so much veg, and the pesky rabbits can’t reach our lovely plants – so that’s been a total success. We have some lovely volunteers who are there every Tuesday to help out and tend to the plot; big thanks to all of you who have visited, planted and weeded. Looking forward to a big bountiful harvest at our Ferment Festival in September. Using sustainable plants, namely willow, to make useful things will be a focus for some upcoming workshops with local artist Maggie Cooper. We’re really happy to welcome her again to Whistlewood, where she’ll be sharing her skills and knowledge in making willow animal sculptures and also baskets. So if you want to try your hand at willow manipulation check out our website and Facebook page. Other skill shares in July will involve arranging blooms from your garden and Whistlewood with Bryony Govan of Freedom and Foliage. She’s trained in sustain-

able floristry techniques so, if you were watching Chelsea Flower Show and liked the artistic florists’ displays, come and join us and create wonderful bouquets to take home. The focus will be on creating beautiful floral arrangements which reflect the season. In the personal health area our ‘Breathwork for Wellbeing’ sessions continue with Rebecca Sharpe, who can help you to release many of life’s stresses and strains; these sessions are on Saturday mornings and the next monthly block starts in August. Another really interesting wellbeing event this month will involve learning how to Massage Persons Living with Dementia. This is an accredited one-day course, the first of its kind in the UK created by Nicolle Mitchell, who has worked in this field for over 30 years. This will be of interest to therapists, dementia professionals and carers, embracing the permaculture ethics that Whistlewood is also based on: Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share. There certainly is a lot of positive and rewarding knowledge flowing in and out of Whistlewood in July and for the rest of the summer. – KATHERINE PARRISH

IT’S READY TEDDY GO ...

HEARTBREAK, bitterness and noisy New York … those were just some of the themes when two members of one of the UK’s finest folk-rock families trod the boards in our very own Melbourne. The Assembly Rooms rang to its handsome oak beams to the stellar vocal and guitar talents of Teddy Thompson – whose singer-song writing skills have hit fame on the soundtrack of the film Brokeback Mountain on which he collaborated with Rufus Wainwright. As well as being highly successful in his own right from his home in the States, Teddy is the son of Brit folk music legends Richard and Linda Thompson, whose

grandson Zak Hobbs – and Teddy’s nephew – also joined him on stage. Zak, appearing first as support act, warmed up the crowd beautifully with a witty, varied set which showed off his songs and his fine vocal abilities, both of which were tinged with a subtle and distinctly British kind of melancholy. With Teddy’s arrival on stage the Assembly Rooms with its superb sound system resounded with his soaring, hairs-standing-on-end voice and pounding rhythm guitar, ably supported by Zak’s spectacular lead guitar playing. While a Thompson-esque English folk heritage was evident in some songs, others

clearly boasted influences from across the Atlantic in Nashville. There were moments where one could hear the rhythm-led style of Buddy Holly but also the story telling power of Johnny Cash, with Zak providing a Luther Perkins style lead to drive the music on. But, while musical inspirations and threads could be picked out through the singing and guitar playing, both Zak and Teddy brought something all of their own too: wit, humour and personality – all of which combined to transfix a full Assembly Rooms hall – many of whom rose to their feet at the end of a fabulous evening of music. – Lucy Stephens

Operatic society is back on stage and back on song

Melbourne Operatic Society is back on stage and performing again after a hiatus due to Covid. JOYCE HANDBURY was there to review their performance of HMS Pinafore.

THE opening number of HMS Pinafore sees the crew ‘swabbing‘ the decks in anticipation of a visit from The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter KCB, first Lord of the Admiralty, together with his sisters, his cousins and aunts. Captain Corcoran, Commander of the Pinafore, intends that his daughter, Josephine, will marry Sir Joseph but she is in love with Ralph Rackstraw, a lowly sailor, who also loves her. Their plans are all turned upside down when Mrs Cripps (Little Buttercup) reveals a secret that she has kept for years. Helen Walker excelled as Mrs Cripps in both singing and acting. Her facial expressions, her vivacity and her whole demeanour were just perfect for the role. Smartly attired Mike Tebbutt gave a dignified and commanding portrayal as Captain Corcoran whilst capturing the humour in the role splendidly. What a superb performance was delivered by Joanne Robinson as Josephine. Her truly fabulous singing voice together with her delightful acting skills resulted in a top-notch characterisation — superb. Mike McGhee was excellent as the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter. He totally captured the comedic aspects of the character in his flamboyant outfit and ‘dodgy’ hat, none more so than when he ini-

tially staggers on to the stage, complete with lifejacket! His singing and delivery of ‘When I was a lad’ was splendid; a great performance. The part of Ralph Rackstraw was admirably portrayed by Melvyn Edwards. His fine tenor voice was very much in evidence as was his natural stage presence. Paul Blackmore was excellent as the spiteful Dick Deadeye. His creepy physical mannerisms and acting skills were suitably appropriate for the role and he, too, has a fine singing voice. Bill Bobstay, the Boatswain, was played by Emma Walker. At first it seemed incongruous to see a young female boatswain amid the, what shall I say, other more mature crew members, but this could all be forgiven because her superb portrayal, both in singing and acting, far outweighed any of these aspects. Good support came from Vaughan Saxby as Bob Becket, and Jenny Smith as Hebe. The crew were all well turned out as were the sisters, cousins and aunts. Their enthusiasm and sublime harmonious singing, in their many numbers, was wonderfully impressive. The singing, which throughout from the soloists to the larger ensemble numbers, was of a very high standard and what a treat and a joy it was to have a 13-piece orchestra playing so magnificently under the direction of conductor David Henshaw, also the musical director. Congratulations must go to everyone involved and especially to Gary Askam, show producer and director, for this most entertaining production.

Village Voice July 2022 13

l Teddy Thompson (right) and Zak Hobbs on stage. Photo: www.villagefolk.org

ARTISAN SHOW Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th August 2022

Staunton Harold’s Artisan Show will showcase some of the finest craft and artisanal pieces in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and beyond and will be placed in the beautiful grounds of the Georgian mansion. Artisans and makers are carefully selected and will get to show their amazing talent, diversity of product and skill. Saturday 6th August 10am - 4pm & Sunday 7th August 10am - 4pm Admission £4.00 - Children (0-12) free. Parking included. Booking advisable but may be purchased on the gate. Please visit: www.stauntonharoldestate.co.uk Any further information or alternative ways to purchase tickets, please contact: stauntonharoldartisans@mail.com

14 Village Voice July 2022

W ha a t ’s On YOUR GUIDE TO EV VENTS IN OUR AREA We ednesday 13 July - Saturda d y 27 August:

Paperworks Exhiibition Creativ C ti e Melb M lbourne Galler G ll y,, W We ellington House, Church Street. We ednesday - Sa aturday 10am - 4pm See main ad on Pa age e 7 fo or more details.

Thursday 14 July:

Melbourne Area Forum

Melbourne Sporting Partnership, 6.30pm community.safety@southderby yshire.gov.uk See main ad on centre pages.

2 July: Friday 22 July & Saturday 23 Melbourne Operatic Society prresent

Songs from the Shows Friday 22 July: Melbourne Asse embly Rooms Saturday 23 July: Castle Doning gton Community Hub See main ad on Pa age e 11 fo or morre details.

Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 July:

Summer Marke et

Melbourne Hall Gardens 11am onwa ards. £6 entry.. See m main ad on Pa age e9

Tu ues 26 July, Tu ues 16 August, Tu ues 23 August:

Summer Activity Sessions at East Midlands Airport

Fun activities at the airport for childr hild en aged 5-11 and their parents/g guardians. Based at the e Aerozone, our on-site education centre. 10am to 12p pm - £4 per child - adults free. EMA_Summer_Activity_Sessio ons_2022.eventbrite.co.uk More info: email: joanna.wood@ @eastmidlandsairport.com

Thursday 4 August:

Melbourne Area Derby U3A Lunch at the Milking Parlour Brewery Ta ap, C Calk lke. Noon onwards. Contact: madu u3ainfo@gmail.com

Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 Aug gust:

Artisan Show

Staunton Harold Hall - 10am - 4pm. 4 £4 entry Children under 12 Free. e See main ad on Pa age e 13

Events at Whistlewood... We ednesday 20 July

Make a Willow Anim mal Sculpture with Maggie Cooper - Dragonflies f and Butterflies

Tu uesday 26 July

Camp and Create Friday 29 July

Garden Grown Flora alss with Bryony Govan Saturday 30 July

Breathwork for We ellb being with Rebecca Sharpe Further info: www.shop.whistle ewoodcommon.org

Babies, Ba B bbiiees, s, T Tooddlers Tod dlers & PPrrree-scho sc oool,l, M Magical agggical Music Music & M Moove vvement ement classes ement cclasse llasssse seees Celebra C Cele braatin tingg 2222 Years Years ears

Melbourne: Fri - 9.15am, 10.15am & 11.15am Assembly Rooms - Main Hall Stenson Fields: Tues - 9.15am, 10.15am & 11.15am Community Centre Chellaston: Mon - 1.30pm - Scout Hut Willington: Fri - 1:30pm - Village Hall

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Planning for another event VILLAGE VOICE Postbag

MAY I, via your letters page, send a message out about the recent Platinum Jubilee concert in Melbourne. We had hoped that we might get around 1,000 people at the event; to say we were overjoyed that an estimated 3,500 people attended would be an understatement. The positive feedback since the event has been overwhelming; with so many people asking for a repeat and another day where the community and families can get together in an enjoyable environment with music for all ages and tastes. Since the event we have sat down and made initial plans to organise an event along similar lines in 2024 and repeat every two years. We will need some time to put this together, talk to the organisations involved and, since we can’t expect the parish council to wholly fund the event this time, work out the finances including a ticket price that will be favourable to residents of Melbourne and their families. We also have plans in the years that don’t have an outdoor event to have a music event based around various venues in Melbourne starting in 2023. We plan to have both events on the same weekend every year – the late Bank Holiday in May.

I hope to be able to finalise this over the next few months and, by October at the latest, have details of both events and ticket information. Finally, my personal thanks to the super

people of Melbourne and your support on the day and since. I’m already looking forward to the next one, I hope you all are. Andy Heafield, organiser Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert in Melbourne.

AS THE dreadful events of Putin’s cruel and unjustified invasion of Ukraine unfold and we contemplate the longer term consequences of fuel and food inflation it is easy to forget the very large ‘elephant’ sitting in the room. I refer, of course, to the climate crisis, which is not going away and gets worse with every passing year. As Professor Sir David Kind, previous chief scientific advisor to the UK Government, said in 2021: “We need to act quickly, and what we do in the next three to four years will determine the future of humanity.” Quite obviously he is talking about our survival as a species. So let’s stop talking about ‘saving the planet’. The planet will be fine. It has been through five mass extinction events and new species have evolved again over many millions of years. It is only that with this mass extinction humanity as we know it we will go.

There is absolutely no doubt about it that we have to get carbon emissions down and quickly. We need a 40% reduction by 2030, but currently these emissions are increasing by 15% year on year. Pretending that technology will enable us to continue with business as usual and emissions as usual is irresponsible. There isn’t the time for these presently incompletely developed techniques to be fully developed and scaled up, helpful though they may eventually prove to be. We have to change the way we live as individuals, consume less, drive less, fly less and eat less meat, but governments have to start acting responsibly and throw the massive resources, which most major polluting nations possess, at scaling up renewable sources of energy and energy storage, and yes, nuclear energy if that gets us out of our present hole. It is estimated that there are eight more years supply of oil and gas reserves in the

North Sea to allow us the time to switch from burning fossil fuels to alternative sources, such as wind, solar, wave and tidal energy, so it can be done. But it needs the political will. We as voters have to make our politicians know that we require this to be done. We mobilised really quickly from our state of comparative unpreparedness at the outset of World War Two, and in the US Ford had switched from making cars to making tanks and aircraft within a few months. The climate crisis is no less of an emergency. So please urge our MPs to influence our government to act quickly and proportionately in the hope that other governments may follow. It is no justification to do very little just because others are doing very little. I, for one, am not prepared to be a bystander and allow my grandchildren’s future to be wrecked by apathy and inaction. Christian Murray-Leslie

We must change way we live

‘YES’ VOTE FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

MELBOURNE and Kings Newton residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Neighbourhood Development Plan, with 87.5% of those who voted saying they wanted South Derbyshire to use it to help decide on future planning applications. After a slick counting process by staff from South Derbyshire District Council, returning officer Ardip Sandhu declared the result, saying that of an electorate of 4,116 the number of votes cast was 759, or 18% of the electorate. That is considerably higher than the recent turnout for a similar referendum in Hilton last November. There were 314 postal votes and 445 votes cast at the four polling stations. Announcing that the number voting ‘Yes’ to the question was 663 and the number voting ‘No’ was 95, with one ballot paper spoiled, the returning officer said that she declared more than half had

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voted in favour. Cllr Jane Carroll, who had chaired the working group since its inception in 2014, said she was “delighted”. “It is a great result which is thanks to all the people who have been working on the NDP over the past seven years, and to the people of Melbourne and Kings Newton for endorsing the plan,” she said. The plan will now be adopted by SDDC to use in all future planning applications in the neighbourhood, and the parish council, who voted for the plan in 2019, will be able to determine its opposition, or otherwise, to applications coming before them in line with it. The size of the majority also sends a clear message to the parish council to engage with some of the community aspirations detailed within the plan.

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It’s show time again

THERE were horses, motorcycle stunts, fairground rides, cattle and many, many dogs. Huge crowds flocked to Elvaston Showground for the 140th Derbyshire County Show in its first staging for three years. A queue of traffic snaked through Elvaston in the warm sunshine to attend the event, where visitors enjoyed heavy horse parades, pony and trap displays, Shetland Pony racing and incredible motorcycle antics from the Stannage Stunt Team. There were giant tortoises, the chance to take an alpaca for a walk, plus hundreds of pooches taken along by their owners to compete in the companion dog show. Crowds were able to view further tasters of traditional countryside pursuits such as gun dog scurries, plus a parade of tractors, while hunger pangs were well looked after with many food stalls from Melbourne’s own Project D and Tori and Ben’s farm, along with Yianni’s Greek Restaurant and the MilkShake Shack, plus homemade cakes and jams from the Women’s Institute. The Pollock family from Melbourne, who were visiting the event for the first time, said they had enjoyed seeing the tractor displays plus the pony & trap rides. This was the first year that the Derbyshire County Show has been held since 2019 because of the Covid pandemic.

Village Voice July 2022 15

MELBOURNE HALL & GARDEN This wonderful treasure house and garden, once home to Victorian Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, will be open for the 2022 season.

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16 Village Voice July 2022

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The use of this or previous editions of Village Voice for marketing or canvassing of advertisers is strictly prohibited.

Ticknall’s trio of centurions

18 Village Voice July 2022

Mavericks up and running

THE MAVERICKS … back row (l-r): Emily Brooks, Rhona Kirkham, Sara Oxspring, Nelly Mardon, Anna Walker; front: Andrea Garner, Clare Owens, Louise Malkin, Nicky Miller and Gemma Grant.

AFTER only three training sessions, the first ever Melbourne Town Cricket Club (MTCC) women’s softball team – Melbourne Mavericks – entered their first cricket festival of the season at Aston on Trent. First opponents were Hilton Hawks. Nerves were high on the debut game, but Malkin managed to dispatch a county player early on with a fine catch by Walker. Despite a cracking all-round team performance, the Mavericks lost by just three runs. Next up were Aston 2, another new team in the area. The Mavericks really picked up the pace in this match and gained confidence. Some strong batting and fielding throughout, and fantastic wicket keeping from Mardon, earned them their first win, by 20 runs.

The final match was against Chellaston; a well-oiled machine who clearly meant business. Despite a shaky start against some experienced bowlers, the Mavericks made a strong recovery with Mardon and Kirkham making a significant impact on the scoresheet, ending in a loss by 20 runs. However, MTCC reported being “… very much the clear winner of the day when it came to their fantastic coaching team and supporters! A great day was had by all, and what the ladies lacked in experience and consistency, they more than made up for in enthusiasm and laughter. Onwards and upwards …” Anyone wanting to join the MTCC softball team can go along to training on a Tuesday night (5-6pm). More information from Alex on 07966 933583 or Sara on 07469 395889.

JUNE was a month of centuries for Ticknall Cricket Club. Not only did the club mark 100 years of playing cricket at their present ground, three players celebrated scoring four centuries too! Greg Cork, Ticknall’s first team all-rounder, opened the month with an unbeaten 100 with the winning shot to beat Alfreton by four wickets. He then scored an unbeaten 132 three weeks later in a losing cause against Eckington. Paul Borrington, Ticknall first team opener, scored exactly 100 to help his team to a reputable win against Alrewas in the Premier League Cup. The final centurion was third team player Joe Jacques with an unbeaten 137 in a win against Ilkeston. Results, however, have not reflected these fine performances. Ticknall first team managed only one victory in June – against Alfreton – which was followed by losing to title-chasing

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Sandiacre on the penultimate ball of the game. A rain-affected game at Spondon resulted in a tie but the last game in June ended in a heavy defeat at home against Eckington. However, a fine win in the Premier League Cup at Alrewas, the final game in June, finished the month on a brighter note. Ticknall seconds commenced June with wins against Spondon and Hilton, but an abandoned game against local rivals Melbourne followed by a defeat at Hartshorne put a dampener on the end of the month. July sees the start of the second half of the season and big improvement is required for the first team to retain their premier league status. The second team also needs to return to winnings ways to establish their good position in division four. Pictured are two of the centurions, Greg Cork (top) and Paul Borrington. Greg is the son of former England international player Dominic Cork.

Triathlon returns to Staunton Harold

Village Voice July 2022 19

Steve still in the running at 76

AROUND 300 people turned out to the splendid surroundings of Staunton Harold Hall to enjoy plunging in the lake before cycling and running around the grounds and surrounding countryside. This was the third triathlon to be held at Staunton Harold, with organiser Dean Hughes from Endorphin Sport saying feedback had been very positive. The weekend’s events in June saw several types of sporting challenge undertaken, including sprint triathlons and an ‘aquabike’ race – which involves swimming and cycling only. There were also relay events and a children’s aquathlon. A sprint triathlon involves a 750-metre swim, a 20k bike ride and a 5k run, with the fastest competitor at Staunton Harold completing the whole event in one hour, 15 minutes and 37 seconds. This young athlete was significantly ahead of the second placed entrant, who achieved a time of one hour, 19 minutes and 22 seconds. Dean said: “It’s pretty special to do an event in that environment. The feedback has been very positive, and we’ve been invited back next year.” Endorphin Sport is also running a duathlon at Staunton Harold in October.

STEVE Aynsley from Aston-on-Trent did not let his 76 years stop him running a mile – actually 13 – when he took part in the Derbion Ramathon this year. Steve is pictured being interviewed by BBC Radio Derby on the day of the half marathon through the city where he said he had been a member of Shelton Striders since 2000. He said he had been told by his doctor he could not run any more, “but a physiotherapist sorted that out, and I’ve been running ever since!” Steve runs three or four times a week and regularly enters races, including half marathons like the Ramathon, 10ks, and even the London Marathon. He confessed that running at his age was “hard” and he did experience “pangs of jealousy” when seeing younger runners whizzing past. Asked if he had any advice for other runners, he said: “I think you’ve just got to have determination, and don’t be put off if things get a bit difficult for you. Don’t be silly, keep within your limitations, but just have that determination to carry on.” Steve completed the Derbion Ramathon in two hours and 53 minutes, under his target time of three hours.

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20 Village Voice July 2022

Busy time on court SPORT

MELBOURNE Tennis Club continued its busy 2022 season with 34 league games scheduled in June with all 15 of the club’s teams in action. Melbourne Men’s A, who compete in Derby league division three, won three of their four games. They began the month beating Littleover 2 9-0 with the pairings of Howard Cheshire/River Liu, Andy Fleming/Phil Lodge and Jesse Goscombe/Paul Hill all winning their rubbers. The A team then beat Derby Tennis Centre 6-3 as the Howard Cheshire/Paul Hill pairing led the way with three wins supported by Andy Fleming/Stu Boardman (one win) and Stewart Else/Andy Dawkins (two wins). A 7-2 convincing win against Woodlands thirds was again thanks to Howard Cheshire/River Liu (three wins), Andy Fleming/Stu Boardman (three wins) and Phil Lodge/Paul Hill (one win). The A team’s great run came to an

end in a very close match against Church Broughton seconds, where they lost 4-5. This leaves Roger Spencer’s men in fourth place – but three wins in their last three games will secure promotion. The Melbourne ladies’ team in the Derbyshire leagues have struggled. The A team won just one match but, with games in hand, hope to climb the division two table. The ladies B team is faring a little better, currently lying in fifth place in division four with two wins from three matches played. The club’s mixed team in the Derbyshire league have played just two games, winning one. In the Burton leagues, the club’s men’s A team sit in second place, their B team are also second in division six with the C team fourth in the same division. In the ladies section the A team are top of division three with the B team third in the same division. The C team is currently second in division four.

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June proves a tough test for Town team

l Melbourne Town CC 1st XI: (back row l-r) Matt Grimmett, Adam Swain, Muhammad Nadeem, Anthony Barnes, Faisal Mehmood, Hamayan Wahid; (front row) Usama Awais, Ben Walton, Alex Slater (captain), Zale Wood and Matt Barmby. Photo: Marshall Payne.

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They began June with a sixwicket defeat away to lowly Dunstall seconds. Batting first, Muhammad Nadeem led the way with a superb 82 supported by 33 from opener Alex Slater for Town to post 195 all out. Despite two wickets from Nadeem the home side won with three overs to spare. A week later the firsts hosted Spondon third team, who scored a huge 243-7 off their allotted overs. Town were well set on 104-2 but the loss of Matt Barmby for 62 saw a batting collapse that saw Melbourne all out on 125. Rain won the day a week later away to Ticknall second team,

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who scored 266-5 before the weather put an end to the contest. It was the same result a week later away at Hilton as the home side scored 230-3. In reply Melbourne scored quickly with Ben Walton (47) and Matt Briers (56 not out) but the rain ended the contest to force an abandonment. Melbourne Town seconds continued their good form in the month, winning four of their five league games to end June at the top of the table. The first victory was a comfortable nine-wicket success at home to Ilkeston Rutland thirds. A score of 4-7 from James Hogwood plus 3-23 by Paul Scrimshaw saw the visitors shot out for just 73 and Sam Adcock (36) and Matt Grimmett (29 not out) took the seconds home in just 10 overs. The following day away to Ticknall thirds saw the home side score 205-9 as only Ranjit Rathore stemmed the runs with 3-25. Despite Marcus Radcliffe (47), Ash Elwell (43) and Sam Adcock (35), Town just fell short on 189-8. An easy seven-wicket win at home to Darley Abbey thirds was thanks to 4-20 by Elwell plus 3-28 by Julian Humpidge. Then the in form Marcus Radcliffe earned the victory with 51 as Town scored 110-3 in just 16 overs. The bowlers once again did their job as the ‘spin twins’ Rathore (4-33) and Hogwood (423) bowled Derby Congs thirds out for just 129 and an eightwicket win soon followed with Elwell (45 not out) and Adcock (35) leading the way. The seconds’ last game of the month was away to Breadsall 2nds, who were bowled out for 129 as Hogwood took 4-14. There were two wickets apiece for

Humpidge and Scrimshaw giving Town a lowly total to chase which was secured, thanks to 54 not out by Ranjit Rathore. Melbourne Town third team had a tough month and began hosting a strong Quarndon fourths, who scored 220 all out batting first as Bathish Ibrahim took a stunning 5-23. However, in reply, Town were bowled out just 125 with Cory Jones (28) and John Collins (26) the only contributors. An unbelievable run chase away against Allestree 2nds saw the hosts score 184 all out as Darren Poyser took 4-15 along with two wickets apiece for Sunny Dhiman, Dave Briers and Cory Jones. But a brilliant 85 not out by skipper John Collins well supported by Jamsheer Rangath with 37 saw the thirds home by seven wickets. A very young third XI then travelled to Stainsby Hall and bowled the home side out for 161 with youngsters Will Webster (314) and Tom Bagnall (3-34) leading the way. In reply a superb 50 from Bagnall plus 33 from Collins and 32 not out from Tim Jackson led Town to a second successive victory. The thirds were well beaten by top of the table Lullington Park thirds, who scored 243-4 and then bowled Melbourne out for just 50. However, Town battled well a week later as they travelled to Duffield fourths, who scored 343-2 off their allotted overs. A quite superb 90 from opener Tony Papas held the innings together as Melbourne ended on 165-7 and secured a losing draw. The club would like to thank all the month’s ball sponsors, these being Albert Wood, Steve Malkin, Whelan’s and PB Landscapes.