Melbourne Village Voice March 2018

IS FREE PARKING GOING TO END?

Council looks at cars problem

by LUCY STEPHENS

LEVYING a charge in Melbourne’s main car park, introducing a limited parking time on Derby Road … these are some of the ideas being thrown around by local parish councillors in the wake of proposals by highways chiefs to solve the village’s problem with vehicles

The latest meeting of Melbourne Parish Council in the Assembly Rooms heard a discussion reacting to the county council’s suggestion to install double yellow lines in some areas of the village centre plus a one-way system to try to ease traffic congestion

The issue is still being debated at parish council level, but the meeting heard several ideas from councillors And one thing was clear – no-one seemed in favour of more double yellow lines

Cllr Andrew Jackson said: “We’d like to see the parking that’s there now at least remain as it is, without any more restrictions I don’t think we should cut back on parked vehicles in the town ”

One idea was to introduce a parking charge for the main car park behind the newly renamed Melbourne Inn, following

a model used elsewhere whereby the first hour of parking is free and any subsequent hours are charged for

The decision lies with South Derbyshire District Council which has a policy that all of its car parks are free – although it was pointed out that one of the district council’s main car parks in Swadlincote, next to the civic offices, is free to park but does in fact have a three-hour restriction

The meeting also heard from several members who thought any parking strategy should do its best to help the village’s shops, with comments that many spaces are being filled all day by people coming into Melbourne to work in offices, which meant they were not available for those coming into the village to shop

Cllr Sheila Hicklin said: “If you go down Derby Road at 8am, it’s empty; by 9am it’s chocca ”

It was suggested that another idea might be to create a limited parking scheme along Derby Road so that people were not able to park for more than two hours between 9am and 6pm, allowing road residents to have a parking space outside their home when they came back from work

The issue is still being discussed by the parish council n Businesses react to the one-way idea – Page 3

TRUE GRIT – the weather outside may have been frightful, but “Bammy” was out early in Melbourne when the Beast from the East hit, gritting the village to help keep people safe

Councillors at the most recent meeting of Melbourne Parish Council added their voices to the widespread praise for Anthony Hicklin (known as Bammy) and his hard work during the foul weather, saying he had done an “absolutely amazing job” to stop Melbourne from falling over.

Full weather report and pictures – Pages 12, 13.

Village Voice founder dies

DAVID Bellis, one of the founders of the Village Voice, has died

David, a resident of Kings Newton, passed away at the Royal Derby Hospital on March 7 following a short illness. He was 85

Together with Andrew Jackson, Ron Ford and Mick Robey he helped to give Melbourne and the surrounding villages their very own monthly newspaper David was the editorial driving force behind the Village Voice for many years and had also been a member of numerous local organisations. He leaves a wife, Anne, and two sons A full appreciation of the life of David Bellis will appear in the next edition of the Village Voice.

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New homes plan for Aston a step closer

PLANS to build 41 more homes in Aston-on-Trent are a step closer, with detailed drawings now with district officers

The proposals have been submitted to South Derbyshire District Council’s planning department for the development on Moor Lane

This comes just over a year after the council’s planning committee unanimously gave the development the green light –since the land had been earmarked for housing already in the Local Plan

The proposals were not without controversy, however, and planning officers at the time received 44 objection letters from residents and the parish council, plus one of support

People felt that too many homes were being proposed – being more than the original allocation of 37 houses for that parcel of land – that the area flooded; schools and doctors were already stretched; and the land in question was still good agricultur-

ally

But the outline plan was nevertheless given the go-ahead and now the detailed application, which gives exact specifications as to how the new homes will look and where they will be situated, has gone in to planning officers

The plans drawn up by Tamworth-based Ritchie & Ritchie Architects show that the housing mix proposed is for 12 affordable homes and 29 private dwellings, the latter made up of 10 three-bed semis and 19 fourbed detached properties

The affordable homes would comprise two one-bed maisonettes, a couple of twobed bungalows, five two-bed semis and the remaining trio of affordable properties to be three-bed semis

A design and access statement produced by the architects says: “The properties have been designed to reflect the eclectic mix of dwellings within the village of Aston On Trent A number of bungalows and dormer bungalows have been included to the south-

ern boundary to reflect the large number of bungalows to the south of the site

“The site will allow for a mixture of residents with the inclusion of affordable housing mixes through to large detached dwellings ”

However, the detailed proposals have still prompted local objection Some residents have pointed out that the original outline plans specified homes of one and a half storeys in some parts of the site, so as to minimise impact on neighbours In contrast, the detailed drawings contain provision for two bungalows and one dormer bungalow, while the rest of the properties are set to be two-storey

The comment has also been raised that affordable homes in the plans are all grouped together and not dispersed throughout the development

The proposals are still with planning officers with a target decision date set for May – Lucy Stephens

LOTTERY HELPS KIDS HAVE A SWINGING TIME

l Antonia Hampton, from Melbourne, christens the new playground swing accompanied by contractors from Streetscape with their sales director Doug Belfield and Melbourne Parish Council chair Margaret Sharp.

SWING low, sweet chariot – Melbourne children will be able to play on a new piece of equipment at their local playground thanks to Lottery funding

Melbourne Parish Council won a £10,000 Awards for All grant – part of the National Lottery – to install a new basket swing at the Lothian Gardens playground, which replaces the old chain trim trail that was in that area

The money also paid for the playground’s hopscotch area to be re-painted

The parish council said: “The previous piece of play equipment was old and tired and so the parish council is thrilled with the grant funding which has enabled us to purchase the new piece of equipment, which will hopefully appeal to a wider age range ”

The work was done by Streetscape Ltd, based in North Yorkshire

Time for a laugh

MELBOURNE Festival Comedy night returns to the Royal British Legion on March 23, with another great line-up January’s event saw a sell-out crowd enjoy some spectacular comedy and audience banter! Headliner Steve Hall, supported by Clayton and Rhodri Rhys, provided three very different and totally engaging styles of comedy Compere Van Der Velde kept it all under control – just – with a youthful front row displaying some comic timing themselves The line-up for March will be subject to a late change and addition, but so far includes Scott Bennet, Wayne Beese and Paul Ricketts as compere

One-way ide good for bu

BUSINESSES in Melbourne have been reacting to the proposed one-way system for the village – and it is not positive

Whilst there seems to be a firm agreement that “something needs to be done” one shopkeeper said: “This plan is not it!”

Another said “anything which overall reduces the ability to park will damage trade If people can’t stop it will just discourage them from coming into the village”

Two local companies agreed that “it would decimate business” in an already difficult economic climate for small businesses

“With the challenge of internet shopping and the bigger stores anything which deterred people from shopping locally was bound to be damaging ”

There was a very broad consensus that a solution had to be found, however

The new proprietor of the Melbourne Deli on Derby Road said she had witnessed four accidents in the six weeks since she had been running the shop Lisa Copeland said she had seen an argument between a lorry and a car driver, when one refused to budge

Birds bakery building sells for

£248,000

THE former Birds bakery on Melbourne’s Market Place has been sold at auction for nearly twice the guide price

The auction, held in Derby’s Pride Park, saw a wide selection of houses, flats and commercial property go under the hammer – including the building that was for decades home to Birds

As well as the shop itself, the property also includes a threebedroomed flat over the top two storeys of the building

The guide price had been set at £125,000, but the whole lot eventually went for nearly twice that, being sold at £248,000

The Village Voice has learned that the building was bought by a private investor who has yet to decide what they will do with it

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The Senior Citizen Centre,

l John Harrison (left) receives the montage of sports photographs from the

Memories, anecdotes and photographs inspired by Melbourne’s Market Gardens

CHILDREN are being invited to bust out their best dance moves at a charity kids’ disco to raise money for foetal medicine and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Royal Derby Hospital

The event is being put on by the Staley family in memory of their “shining star” – baby daughter Lyra

The family have said they are putting on the disco after receiving “outstanding care and support from the staff with the foetal medicine and NICU departments at the Royal Derby Hospital” during Lyra’s precious few hours of life in January 2014

That continued during mum Alison’s third pregnancy – the family’s third daughter Seren being born on the ITV documentary Super Hospital

The family are so grateful for the care they received that they have already raised more than £2,000 for the hospital

Their latest fund-raising efforts have been inspired by eldest daughter Brooke, who said: “We are raising money for really ill babies, in memory of my sister Lyra I really miss my sister and I wanted to do something positive to remember her by ”

The Little Stars children’s disco is being held on Sunday, May 13, from 2-4pm at Melbourne Assembly Rooms

Sponsored by building firm ASBC and Buildbase, on the day there will be a professional disco, open bar, face painting, Wish upon a Star competition, make a magic wand craft, guess the sweets in the jar and cards for sale

There will also be a raffle for grown-ups with prizes including a behind-the-scenes tour of East Midlands Airport; five personal training sessions with Andy Gates, a sports massage, a hamper from Melbourne Deli and entrance for two to Melbourne Hall and Gardens

Tickets are £3 and available on the door or from Forteys – adults and under-twos go free

For further information visit: www facebook com/ourlittlelyra and to make a donation log on to www justgiving com/fundraising/Alison-Staley-Little-stars

Disco fund-raiser inspired by a ‘shining star ’ Ticknall link with Sir Roger Bannister

THE world is mourning renowned athlete Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four-minute mile in 1954, who died aged 88 on March 3.

This remarkably immediate image was taken of the great runner just a few seconds after the event, and has been sent to us by John Mason from Ticknall – who explains more:

“This photo was taken by a Daily Express photographer when Roger Bannister a few seconds earlier, had just broken the four-minute barrier for the mile

“This was a truly epic achievement, although the mile has since been largely replaced by the 1500 metres in athletic competition

“The man on the left is Desmond Hackett (my uncle), who was the chief sports reporter for the Daily Express and was one of the UK’s top sports journalists throughout the 1950s and 1960s ”

Desmond Hackett does have

Police probe attacks on vehicles

POLICE are investigating reports of vehicles being damaged by bricks and concrete thrown from a moving white van

The missiles were thrown in Findern on the afternoon of Friday, February 9, and are part of a string of incidents on the same afternoon – with similar reports coming from Hatton, Hilton and Stenson

South Derbyshire’s Safer Neighbourhood Team received six reports of cars being damaged as they were moving through the district by objects thrown from the passenger side of a white transit-type van

Most happened between 2pm and 3pm on the Friday in question, with Buckford Lane in Findern one of the affected streets

In every case, damage has appeared to have been caused by someone throwing objects, including a stone, brick and piece of concrete

Police are linking the incidents to a similar report on Swarkestone Road in Chellaston at around 2 30pm on Thursday, February 1

If you have any information about these incidents you are asked to contact the team on 101, quoting reference number 18000067077

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Saturday 17th... St Patrick’s Day Drink o ers and Irish Music

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Farm to fork steak night

a link with South Derbyshire, as those who remember the achievements of Swadlincote boxer Jack Bodell may recall

John says: “Bodell was due to fight Joe Bugner for the British Heavyweight Boxing Championship

“Bugner, a very experienced and successful heavyweight, was the strong favourite and my uncle Desmond – always ready with outrageous statements said that Jack Bodell had no chance and that if he beat him, he would come up to

Swadlincote and clean his windows!

“Well, as we know, Jack Bodell did indeed beat Joe Bugner in 1971 and, true to his word, Des Hackett travelled up to Swadlincote

“There is a wonderful photograph of Jack Bodell and his brother seated in deckchairs on their lawn, together with mum and dad, surrounded by amused neighbours, while Des Hackett is on a stepladder in shirt sleeves cleaning all the windows of Jack’s bungalow!”

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Easter Sunday 3 Course Meal £26.95 Served from 12pm till 7.00pm

l Seren (left) and Brooke next to the grave of their sister, Lyra Grace Staley.

Country Living with Robert

Parker

The Beast has its say

THE “Beast from the East” as it became named gave us all some fun and games for a short while last week

The last time I recall such conditions was the early 1960s but at that time it lasted several weeks, which was very unpleasant unless you were a 10-yearold like me

The similarities were the extreme low temperatures and the gale force east winds, but like then not really a lot of snow Last week all the snow was blown off the fields to create some spectacular drifts in very unusual places

One strange phenomenon this time was how in certain places the soil on the fields was blown into drifts with the snow I studied one of these drifts today and there was a very large amount of soil in it, which will be missing when we start to plant the crops.

Where any crops were on the fields no drifting took place Shades of the American dust bowl!

Freezing water pipes were our major problem as with other farms which had built new structures in the last few

years, particularly any which are open plan

I had to thaw out our milking parlour for three days just to milk five cows, to feed some calves on their milk

Soon the milking machine will be permanently silent!

n The current debate about plastic mystifies me, with the angst being directed in the wrong place. How could we take plastic out of our lives completely?

Fifty years ago it was heralded as a magic substance and its use got more and more over time Plastic isn’t the problem; the problem is what the human race does with it when it’s been used

Only the last few years have we even started to tackle this issue and, as usual, we started too late

I’m sure that recycling could make the problem go away, and altering the mindset of a lot of people about their litter needs more serious legislation.

Look at the roadsides right now while there are no leaves on the trees and feel very ashamed …

The Great British

WITH luck bright yellow daffodils should once again be fluttering in the breeze on this patch of ground in central Melbourne but we will probably have to wait until next spring

Melbourne Civic Society has over the years planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs on the area of ground which is home to Melbourne’s historic Washpit – one of the village’s old public wells once used to wash vegetables from the fields before they were sent to market

A grade two listed building, it dates back to the 17th century

They make a joyful sight when they appear every spring but there are fears that this year ’s crop may have been damaged when the area was used to store construction equipment during last year ’s works to bring superfast fibre optic broadband to the village

Contractors Ashmac were in Melbourne at the end of 2017 and in early 2018 installing ducts for the new network on behalf of CityFibre

But concerns were raised locally about the fact their equipment had been left on the Washpit and may have damaged the daffodils

The Village Voice has learned that Derbyshire County Council has been in talks with Ashmac to put right the damage caused – when the weather improves

That will include raking, top soiling and seeding the area, and Ashmac are also being strongly encouraged to either come back and plant new daffodil bulbs or provide them

Ashmac told the Village Voice they would be back to make good the Washpit area, adding they had simply put their vehicles where they had been told to Melbourne Civic Society said: “We are pleased to hear that Ashmac are offering to replace the daffodils in the Washpit area Over the years many hundreds of daffodil bulbs have been planted there by members and there was real dismay when Ashmac used the open space for storage just when the bulbs would have been pushing through the ground

“We are waiting to see if any have survived the onslaught this year but if not and Ashmac keep to their word we can look forward to a welcoming display the following year ” – LS

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Steam Railway

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• Dinner and cooked breakfast throughout

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• Entrance to the Lost Gardens of Heligan

• Visit to St Ives & Tintagel

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Weymouth offers the perfect base for exploring the beautiful county of Dorset.

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• Roberts Gold Service

• 4 nights hotel accommodation at the 3 star Hotel Rex

• Dinner and cooked breakfast throughout

• Poole with a Jurassic Coast Cruise with a cream tea

• Scenic tour of the area on our coach

• Visits to Poole, West Bay & Bridport

• Free day at leisure in Weymouth

UPS expansion to bring 700 new airport jobs

HUNDREDS of jobs are to be created at East Midlands Airport after a huge new parcel distribution centre on the site was given the green light – but it’s likely to bring an increase in night-time noise, too

The new 28 5-acre logistics centre for American packaging giant UPS was granted permission by North West Leicestershire District Council in February

The company already has a big base at the airport, employing 735 people in 2016 The plan is to relocate to the new hub and expand jobs to just under 1,400 by 2025 – an increase of nearly 700

But there have also been objections to the proposed hub, with neighbours and local organisations saying it will mean an increase in night-time noise

Melbourne Civic Society wrote in objection to the proposed UPS hub, saying “ our members are concerned about noise, particularly nighttime noise”

In 2018 UPS was scheduled to be operating seven daily departures and arrivals, mostly be-

tween 8pm and 5am

The operator was expecting to increase this to eight arrivals and eight departures in 2020, and to nine arrivals and nine departures every day in 2027

The civic society said that night-time aircraft movements should be kept to a limit in order to protect residents

The new hub is to be built within the airport’s current operational area, in a part which is used at the moment for air passenger and tenant car parking

There was a former air museum on the site, which has now been knocked down

East Midlands is now the UK’s second biggest freight airport, being home to the Royal Mail’s largest UK centre for airborne mail as well as being the main centre of UK operations for DHL and UPS

UPS has said that its aim in creating the new hub is to process volumes quicker, and that the new facility will also create further engineering jobs over time – Lucy Stephens

Retailers rally to the cause

l THE Meynell and South Staffordshire Hunt met at Ladyacre House in Ticknall on February 22

The mounted followers (pictured left to right) are: Simon Blunt, Melissa Morley, Jemima Blunt, Christabel Blunt and huntsman Sam Staniland. They are seen with hosts Michael and Heather Stanton

Marathon Blinds & Shutters Ltd Old Hall Farm, Derby Road, Swarkestone, Derby DE73 7JB Tel: 01332 703759

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A NEW retailers group has been set up in Melbourne to promote the village as a vibrant shopping destination

The first shop-owners’ meeting was held in February, and it is intended that the retailers will get together quarterly moving forward.

Jessica Oates, who co-owns children’s shop Duck Duck Goose on Melbourne Market Place with Amy Roome, was at the inaugural get-together.

She said: “It’s to create a community of like-minded businesses to promote Melbourne as a shopping destination – that’s our ultimate goal.”

A series of initiatives are being talked about to help boost the profile of the village’s shops.

Pictured are retailers from shops around the village including Duck Duck Goose, Forteys, Bare Necessities, No 33 Lifestyle, Melbourne Florist and Eighty Seven.

Assembly Rooms director search

MELBOURNE Assembly

Rooms is looking for another member of the director team to focus on engaging with the membership group and to harness more volunteers to help

With directors responsible for finance, projects, operations and all other aspects in place, a gap has been identified for someone to concentrate more on building up a group of people

who can help run events, complete minor maintenance tasks, or simply provide some hours just to help out more generally

Unlike a church, sporting or hobby group which has a specific and dedicated following and a common purpose, the community centre has a much wider and more diverse population using its facilities, with several hundred people visiting

the building during the week

There is also a sizeable membership group, and the hope is that a board member with this specific objective will help to tap into the energies and skills of our supporters

Anyone interested in getting involved, should contact Andy Heafield, by email (info@melbourneassemblyrooms co uk) or on 863522

Tony’s marathon effort for children’s charity

A MELBOURNE grandad is putting his best foot forward by running the London Marathon to raise money for a children’s cancer charity – to help his grandson who is being treated for the disease and in memory of his daughter who died from it aged only 17

Tony Howard, 60, has never run a marathon before and began his training for London on Boxing Day last year, shortly before celebrating the milestone birthday

“I’m reasonably fit but I’m not a natural runner,” said Tony, who has been accompanied on every single training run by wife Georgina

“I’ll get around the marathon, even if I end up hobbling the last few miles!”

Tony will be pounding the 26 miles round the capital for Children with Cancer UK, a charity which funds research into the causes of the disease in young patients and works to find kinder, gentler treatments

Tony’s grandson, Oscar, aged eight, has been undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with leukaemia (ALL) in August 2015 This has included being part of a trial funded by Children with Cancer UK, which has contributed three quarters of a million pounds

As Tony has put it on his Virgin Money Giving fund-raising page: “He is an amazing little boy who absolutely loves to play football and has a great left foot As a very proud grandad I truly believe that he will one day play for England, so much so that when he was three years old we placed a bet with William Hill that he will achieve this

“Children with Cancer UK are doing an amazing job in supporting research into finding a cure for this terrible disease that affects so many children, which is why we want to support them ”

In 1993 Tony and Georgina suffered the devastating loss of their daughter, Kelly, to leukaemia (AML)

“It was a terrible time,” said Tony, who has written on his Virgin Money Giving fund-raising page: “She was truly amazing, funny and full of life There are no words to describe the pain of losing a child ”

He added: “I’m doing this for Oscar, I’m doing it for Kelly, and I’m doing it for all the other kids as well ”

You can support Tony’s marathon run by logging in here and donating: https://uk virginmoneygiving com/TonyHoward

– Lucy Stephens

n TRANSPORT charity Melbourne Community Care has been given a boost of £1,000 thanks to a marathon run in memory of a stalwart of the organisation – by her daughter.

Sara Baker (nee Parnham) donated the money raised in sponsorship after she completed the Leicester Marathon last October.

Sara wanted the money to go to Melbourne Community Care in memory of her mother, Elaine Parnham, who was a volunteer there before she passed away in 2010.

A runner for 10 years, this was Sara’s first marathon which she was determined to complete before turning 50.

“I thought about Melbourne Community Care because mum did volunteer as a driver before she became poorly It was something she was really supportive of,” said Sara

“She just thought it was a really good thing for the community ”

Sara (right) is pictured handing the cheque to Angie Cooke of Melbourne Community Care

No stopping these ladies

MEMBERS of Breedon’s Women’s Institute showed they were made of stern stuff when they made it out of the house to the group’s 14th birthday meeting

Stalwart ladies showed they were more than a match for the ‘beast from the east’ when they braved sub-zero temperatures on February 28 by wrapping up in coats and scarves

Members enjoyed a birthday spread before stretching their minds with a “cryptic cookery quiz” provided by Jo Yates, with chocolates for the winning team

The next meeting is on March 21, when a Shiatsu talk and demo by Sue Callaghan will be given

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l Tony Howard with grandson Oscar.

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Put those green fingers to use

GREEN-FINGERED residents who fancy growing their own produce are invited to consider taking on a Melbourne allotment

Vacant plots are now available – and are thought to be among the lowest rents in the country!

Melbourne Allotment Holders Association Ltd held its annual general meeting on February 19 and members heard that there were currently four plots up for grabs, with 61 shareholders and nine probationers currently on the organisation’s books

With rents – which the Melbourne association calls “upkeep fees” – of £10 a year for a half plot and £15 for a full plot, it won’t break the bank

The allotments, known as Hilly Field, have been going since 1921 when they were set up to provide plots for war veterans, retired market

It’s the bee-all and end-all

A SUCCESSFUL garden club for anyone who loves all things horticultural is about to start its second year

Melbourne Garden Club is celebrating its first birthday this month – with the important topic of bee conservation the first topic of discussion

The garden club reports that it has had a “good year” with “a number of interesting speakers, on subjects such as bats, butterflies, birds and even wine-making”

The group also visits local gardens and has already had a look around those at Melbourne’s

gardeners and miners to support their families

Nowadays, they are open to anyone with a love of gardening and a desire to grow their own fresh produce at very little cost

The meeting heard how the site management had experienced few problems over the previous year, with one notable exception being “ a raid by a badger which had taken a liking to ripe sweetcorn cobs”

It was hoped this was a one-off Chairman Jenny Starkie thanked the committee and other officers for their hard work during the year, telling the meeting that Melbourne was thought to have one of the lowest annual rents of any allotment in the country

Anyone interested in becoming a member should contact the secretary Mick Robey on 07967 582442

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the group’s meetings on the second Monday of the month at 7pm at the Senior Citizens Centre

The group says: “We are a friendly club that offers an opportunity for gardeners of Melbourne to come together and have an enjoyable, informative and sociable evening

“There is also the option of having a small section of our allotment (pictured above) on which to grow their chosen plants ”

Dower House and Bluebell Arboretum, together with a behind-the-scenes tour of Swarkestone Nursery

They also held a very successful produce show last September, which was very in keeping with the 2017 For the Love of Lettuce theme of Melbourne Festival

More members are always welcome to attend

A “packed programme” is promised for the year, “with topics and venues to interest everyone!”

The April speaker at the garden club will be about orchids and will be given by the gardener from the Dorothy Clive garden in Shropshire Then, in May, Alan Clements will reveal how he built his cascade garden in Matlock

Focus on our area’s market garden heritage

A new exhibition in March will give a great insight into Melbourne’s market gardening heritage.

Melbourne Festival director SHARON BROWN reports on the many conversations and photos taken as part of the Heritage Lottery-funded ‘For The Love of Lettuce’ project that was the theme of last year ’s festival.

TIME flies and many of you may remember the Village Voice reporting last spring that Melbourne Festival had received a Sharing Heritage Grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for ‘The Love of Lettuce’ – a project celebrating Melbourne’s market gardening heritage

We have had some fascinating conversations with market gardeners and really appreciate the support we have had and the amount of interest there has been

A year on, there is a For the Love of Lettuce exhibition at the Senior Citizens Centre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 16-18, to share with everyone some of the memories, anecdotes and the huge collection of photographs which have been collected

Although, sadly, the local market gardening industry has dwindled from 150 gardeners a century ago to just three now (F Heath & Sons, F Jackson & Son and W Sharp & Sons), market

gardening is still an impor our local heritage

Over the past year mem festival team have intervi than 30 people who were i market gardening in the 20 and are extremely gratefu time and the wonderful mem anecdotes they have shared this information and many o tographs will be on show

The overarching feelin runs through all of the in has been the sense of being the Melbourne community importance of family and fri between the gardeners

Market gardening was hard way of life with man hard physical work in all w the gardeners we spoke women, loved working on t fond memories of their way improvements in transport of supermarkets post-war o g were forced to change from growing a wide range of produce to specialising in a few products: mainly lettuce, kidney beans, sprouts and cauliflowers Hedges were knocked down to make bigger fields and a lot of the produce was sold to

rs rather than at mar0s and 90s many of our rdeners found they could ompete but our remaingardens have survived k to growing a variety of d selling through local s, farmers’ boxes and ding old photographs, durer Christopher Mear has p g p g three market gardens regularly, and a small selection of the thousands of photographs he has taken will be on show

He has captured the hard day-to-day work of our market gardeners and the produce they are growing; when you compare his images with

those taken over the last century, not much has changed: most of the work is still done by hand and you can see the care taken to look after the plants

Christopher says that “ working with the Heaths, Jacksons and Sharps has opened my eyes to the hard work it takes to grow our food and also the beauty of the produce; it has been a great opportunity to capture the care put into growing the crops and the satisfaction of sending it off to market”

The exhibition at Melbourne Senior Citizens Centre in Church Street will be open from 1 304 30pm on the Friday and Saturday, and from 11 30am-4 30pm on the Sunday The festival team has really enjoyed the time spent talking to people as part of For the Love of Lettuce and will continue to collect information

and Frank Heath holding the picture of Marson Gregory and his family.

‘Doorstop’ that turned out to be rare 1790 vase

IF YOU are a fan of TV antique shows, the name and face of James Lewis will be very familiar to you The star of Flog It, Antiques Road Trip, Put Your Money Where your Mouth Is and Bargain Hunt regularly puts in an appearance in Melbourne to give his once-over to your treasured heirlooms.

And there have been some amazing finds during the recent monthly visits

James said: “One local lady brought in an item she had been using as a doorstop and it turned out to be a very rare Blue John mantle vase dating back to around 1790 ”

Fashioned from Blue John quarried from the caverns just outside Castleton it proved to be a very valuable find for the owner, and achieved a tidy profit for her at auction

During his last visit he was presented with a John Butterfield dial to examine It was a small portable sundial and compass dating back to the 18th Century Made from solid silver, it was given to a relative of the current owner by a member of the Harpur Crewe family about 150 years ago

James reckoned it could fetch up to £3,000 in the auction, making it the most highly valued item he has found so far from the Melbourne area

James has spent a lifetime in the antiques business and tells the story about when he was left some money after a grandparent died; he went into Nottingham and bought a vase, some salt cellars and candlesticks

“I was a sad child, what child at 15 would do that?” he quipped

He and a group of fellow workers started

Bamfords, the renowned Derby Antiques house, back in 2002

“After Neales of Derby fell apart a group of us were over in the pub and someone said why didn’t I start up a business So, using our redundancy money, we all decided to start up again ”

Now the business has two centres, one in Derby and one in Bakewell, employs 46 staff, and has a worldwide reputation

Amongst his rarest finds, he has handled sketches by Van Gogh – but the most unusual was selling a live pig as an antique!

James also holds the world record for a solo auction Set in 2013 he undertook a 26-hour marathon auction which raised over £100,000 for charity

Alderman John

A DEDICATED councillor for Melbourne has been made one of the county’s first ever honorary aldermen

The honour was conferred on Melbourne’s John Harrison at a ceremony on February 7, in recognition of his long service for Derbyshire County Council

Cllr Harrison still represents the village for South Derbyshire District Council

He was one of six new honorary aldermen and women to be presented with a badge of office and to have his name recorded on a roll of honour

John represented Aston and Melbourne on the county council from 2000 to 2013 He was a cabinet member for finance and management from 2009-13, represented the council on the county council network, and also served on Markham Vale Partnership Board, Elvaston Castle and Country Park Working Party, plus Elvaston and Swarkestone Quarry Liaison Committees

His work founding and chairing the Melbourne Sporting Partnership is well known locally – work which has seen the £2 5million multi-sport facilities up at Cockshut Lane up and running since September 2016

James is a passionate supporter and patron of the wildlife charity Born Free It began many years ago when he saw some monkeys being exploited in Egypt, but since then he has travelled extensively in support of the cause

“That is why my TV nickname is Lionheart,” he revealed

In addition to the regular first Monday of the month valuations at Melbourne Assembly Rooms, James has agreed to do an evening antique ‘quiz’ where he will take along some items for the audience to review and value

With the wealth of anecdotes James has at his fingertips it promises to be a really entertaining evening – so put the date in your diary: Thursday, May 10 – Frank Hughes

Diary date

“MELBOURNE Misdemeanours: Murders, Mayhem and Malefactors” – Melbourne Historical Research Group’s 2018 exhibition will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 2-3, at Melbourne Assembly Rooms

n BEHIND the scenes organisation for this year ’s Melbourne Fete and Carnival is busily going on, and anyone interested in having a stall is asked to get in touch with committee member Rachel Hill Businesses who would like to advertise in the ticket/business directory should contact Tracey Ridley All contact details are on the website: www melbournecarnival co uk

l James Lewis (above) and the John Butterfield dial (left).

SHUT schools, cancelled concerts, and lots of frozen-up boilers – our corner of South Derbyshire may not have been nearly as badly hit with the Beast from the East as many parts of Britain, but its effects were still felt nonetheless.

Young people attending Chellaston Academy were at home for two days on March 1 and 2 when the school closed its doors, citing “adverse weather conditions” – after the mercury plummeted and snowy blizzards started blowing the previous day

They were joined by primary school children on the Friday, with many children across the area allowed to go home early the day before for everyone’s safety, including allowing staff to brave the roads back home

in their cars

The main bad roads to be hit were in the north of Derbyshire, but the bitterly cold winds still caused problems with snow drifts, and the B5006 Derby Road in Ticknall was closed for a time due to the weather

Local farmers such as Melbourne’s Michael Parker helped out by clearing the surrounding roads on their tractors

Also in Ticknall, National Trust property Calke Abbey shut its doors during the particularly cold spell over the first two days of March

Over the following weekend of March 3-4, the parkland, stable yards, restaurant and shop were open but not the house and gardens, with the food fair

LEFT: A scarecrow on the snowy Melbourne allotments

RIGHT: Marley the Labradoodle enjoys a snow day with owners Leo and Benj Hutchby

FAR RIGHT: A few hardy souls with sledges on Barehills, Melbourne.

TOP: Swans and a robin brave the elements in Elvaston Park while John the pug wraps up warm against the sub-zero temperatures

scheduled for Sunday, March 4,

There were further cancelle area with the Weston Run, d March 4, not going ahead Org website that the weather had de they were trying to find a date reschedule Melbourne Assembly Rooms a gigs due to take place from Thur urday, March 3, because the wea ers and volunteers were not abl

It was not only the snow itsel cold, but the chilly wind which b down several notches, making enjoy the white stuff as they no

also cancelled d events across the ue to take place on anisers said on their alt a “cruel blow” and later in the year to also had to cancel the sday, March 1 to Satather meant performe to travel lf which made things rought temperatures it hard for people to rmally would

However, some hardy souls took their sledges out to Barehills on the school “snow day” while other teenagers were spotted trying to ride theirs down the slide in Melbourne’s Lothian Gardens playground As if the temperatures outside were not cold enough, the weather brought with it further problems with heating engineers kept busy with lots of residents phoning to say their boilers had stopped working

This was often due to frozen pipes, and many people were advised they could get things back up and working by pouring boiling water from a kettle on to the outside condensate pipe, or even using a hairdryer to gently warm it up

– Lucy

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Village Voice Postbag

n HAVING looked at the proposal for a one-way system in February’s Village Voice, I disagree with a couple of points in it

It doesn’t seem to make any allowance for the current bus route and people’s ability to get to a convenient bus stop

It would appear that the bus will have to go all the way round the village via Robinson’s Hill and Cockshut Lane to go to Derby, completely missing the area around Derby Road I would, therefore, propose the following changes:

Derby Rd: one way northbound from the junction with Chapel Street to Queensway;

Church St: one way from the junction with Castle St to the Market Place

This way, there will effectively be two circulatory systems, Derby Rd/Chapel St and Potter St/Church St, with two-way flow between the top of Church St and Chapel St

Regarding parking, I suggested in a previous consultation some years ago that I believe that parking in the Market Place should be reserved for blue badge holders only It fell on deaf ears then and, no doubt, it probably will again

Otherwise, I agree generally with applying double yellow lines However, there are single yellow lines in place already, meaning “no parking”, but people ignore them, because they are inconsiderate, lazy, arrogant or whatever, probably because they know that there is nobody around to enforce the law

I’m not convinced that this will change with the implementation of double yellow lines!

On general parking in the village, over the last couple of years or so, there seems to have been a growing epidemic of people parking on pavements I can understand this to some extent in the narrower streets, but it also afflicts wider roads, eg Ashby Rd, Spinney Hill, George St, Main St Kings Newton, the lower end of South St

I know the roads in Melbourne were built before the widespread use of cars, but don’t these bad parkers realise the unnecessary inconvenience it causes to people with babies in pushchairs and people on mobility scooters?

Name and address supplied

n IN RESPONSE to your request in the Village Voice for feedback, my view would be that Melbourne needs double yellow lines, not a one-way system

I am also wondering why Church Street is not mentioned, as double yellow lines there too would be helpful

Name and address supplied

n AS RESIDENTS living in the centre, we are much in favour of any improvement to traffic flows and parking Church Street, leading to Market Place, is also a regular challenge, with large vehicles, including buses, regularly mounting the pavement in order to pass – an accident waiting to happen Surely this route also qualifies for one-way consideration

We would also welcome consideration of a permit system for residents, to provide some assurety of parking availability close by, and visitors encouraged to use designated parking areas

Name and address supplied

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THE letters on this and the facing page are a sample of the replies we had following the article last month outlining the idea being put forward for a one-way system in the centre of Melbourne.

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n WITH regards to the proposed one-way system, the public needs a more detailed street map It is not very clear from the Village Voice map on parking areas

I have lived in Melbourne (Potter Street) all of my 67 years We have been able to park either side of the road from No 26 down to the bottom of the street – I can assure you there is a need for this

There are at least 26 houses and flats without parking

When residents leave in the morning for work the spaces are

quickly filled We have a hairdresser, dental technician, dress shops, chemist, Bay Tree restaurant, not to mention activities at the Wesley Hall If you put restricted parking in place we will have nowhere to go The car parks are all full It will impact on shops and residents

Also what will happen when the road closes for the Wakes?

Name and address supplied

n IN RESPONSE to the article we think this is a really bad idea and object to all the proposals

It’s always the same story; someone who knows nothing about the village, nor really cares, wants to come in and start meddling with things Mr Handbury won’t have to live with the mess he wants to create If it ’ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ Ashby Road, now that the new houses are being built, will become busier and more heavy traffic trying to pass all the parked cars will cause accidents All the cars that used to park on the grass verge near the old allotments have nowhere to park now other than on the road Poor planning decision again

If there is no parking/time limited parking along Derby Road towards Blanch Croft, where do the residents who park there now park?

Just leave everything as is

If the council want to do something, how about cleaning all the drains on the roads around Melbourne? Most are full of debris (gravel from the spray Tarmacing that never got swept up)

No wonder we had flooding last year

Name and address supplied

Village Voice Postbag

n HAVING lived in Melbourne on both Church Street (18 years) and on Potter Street for the last five years I would like to say in my opinion a one-way scheme for the village would be most welcome Even today as I write this email I was involved in a stand-off with an Arriva bus only this morning on Church Street

No one’s fault, may I add; purely down to the congestion of a twoway system

After the one-way system was introduced it would only take a few weeks before anyone noticed that it had been implemented It’s life We accept change If I drive to another village I don’t stop a local to ask how long the traffic system has been in place, I drive through adhering to the signs and traffic conditions

Regarding comments about whether drivers would be speeding if a one-way system is in place The law states the speed limit is 30mph in a built-up area If you are above that you are breaking the law

I see people breaking that law now in Melbourne – drivers see a gap of traffic coming towards them and that gives them the green light to go for it before you are faced with oncoming traffic

Also living on Potter Street, I would also welcome the double yellow line scheme for the street and the rest of the village Because of the single yellow line scheme at the moment after 6pm (or when some people like to break the law, which some locals like to do!) you can double park

If large vehicles come down the street it makes it awkward for them to proceed I have had a couple of occasions of drivers knocking on my door to ask me to move a car that does not even belong to me On occasions I can’t even access my own property

Regarding the cost for the scheme to be put into place How much does it cost to produce a few signs and provide some extra yellow paint to designate the new routes and traffic restrictions to be adhered to?

I can only see benefits for Melbourne with this one! With all the new housing being built, traffic is only going to get worse Let’s deal with it now!!

Name and address supplied

n DRIVING through Melbourne has become very difficult and the proposed one way scheme must merit serious consideration One knock-on effect will be increased pressure on available parking spaces

The car park is just about full by nine 9 o’clock each morning, many cars belonging to people who work in the town all day I am told that at Shipston on Stour they have provided all day parking on the edge

of town, requiring a five or 10 minute walk to the centre If this could be achieved in Melbourne the present car park could be three hour limited John Blunt, Staunton Harold.

n THANK you for your article on the one-way plan I would like to add my comments for discussion as requested

1 It is essential that all goods vehicles from B587 be directed along Derby Road and up Cockshut Lane; here they can by-pass the village or turn left at the bottom of Robinson’s hill and thus enter the village via Ashby Road, High Street, then exit the village via Church Street, Castle Street and Station Road, Kings Newton Main Street or the Melbourne road to the airport

2 Commerce Street should not be accessible for goods vehicles turning off Cockshut Lane as this is currently a “rat run” into the village

3 Chapel Street should be one way from just above Star Micronics travelling towards the village centre (No entry from Derby Road)

4 Derby Road should be one way from Queensway

5 Potter Street should be one way from Derby Road to Castle Street

6 Church Street should be one way from the Market Place to the junction of Penn Lane

I am sure all plans will need a lot of deep thought and discussion Tony (Full name and address supplied).

n I OBJECT most strongly to the one-way road plan and more parking restrictions for Melbourne for the following reasons:

1 You end up with more traffic and more fumes as cars have to drive in circles to get to their destination, which is probably finding a place to park!

2 What we really need is more parking for residents, people who work in Melbourne and people who want to shop in Melbourne, not a one-way system

3 Most days if you drive into Melbourne to shop, for lunch or for appointments, you go round both car parks and do not find any spaces at all; occasionally a disabled space is free!

4 It would be much more helpful if space cannot be found for another car park to put another storey on the lower part of the town car park

5 Again with one-way systems and different parking restrictions you are dealing with symptoms and not curing the problem of not enough parking

6 Melbourne is a vibrant village with fantastic shopping, eating, and many other facilities If we want to keep it that way we have to make it easy for visitors to come, park and enjoy Byrnece Turner

PARKING MAD how can this be allowed?

deli-ghts in career move

AS CAREER changes go, it’s a big one – Melbourne Deli’s new owner Lisa Copeland has swapped the job of selling medicines to the NHS for life behind the cheese counter!

Lisa moved to Melbourne a few years ago with children Sam, 13, and Lilly, 9, who attend Chellaston Academy and Melbourne Junior School

She had for many years worked for the NHS and for a pharmaceutical company, as a clinical co-ordinator – but long hours on the road proved too much for family life At the end of last year she decided she wanted to set down roots here and bought the deli from previous owners Mark and Sandra Dunn

“I took on the deli because I needed to change

It’s

MELBOURNE and Chellaston Medical Practice is saying farewell to one of its more familiar faces. Dr Heidi Wright is leaving the surgery after almost 20 years as a GP

Heidi said: “I joined originally for a three-month locum post and then returned to become a partner after six months travelling

“Over the years I have seen many local changes – several large housing developments have expanded the local population and given me the chance to welcome new patients into the practice

“I have also seen significant changes in healthcare delivery and in expectations ”

She went on to say: “Patients are central to the job and it has been a privilege to have the chance to look after several generations of many families

“The commute to work and travel to visits have been beautiful and I will miss it, but now it’s time for a change, to spend more time with my family and take on some new changes in the last decade or so of my career ”

The team at the practice and

the balance of my life,” said Lisa

“My main aim was to be more part of the community I worked for the NHS for a long time, and I worked for a pharma company as a clinical coordinator, looking after lots of specialist nursing teams all over the country ”

But the role was target-driven and involved too much time away from her children, so now Lisa has given it all up to be a part of the Melbourne community, and she says she’s enjoyed a warm welcome in her new role as shop-owner

“It’s been lovely, everyone has been so kind,” she said

“Melbourne is lovely – I think there’s nowhere like it It’s a really friendly place ”

for a

the many patients she has treated over the years thank her for the help and support she has given and wish her all the very best for the future

In other staffing changes, Alison Coomer has been appointed practice manager, having worked on the administrative team for several years, while two new receptionists have been appointed – Olivia Coy and Jayne Walker Rebecca Randall and Rebecca Stuart have both joined the nursing team, and Dr Ulrike Artus has joined as a GP on a part-time basis –

Frank Hughes

SAY CHEESE (l-r) Sam, Lisa and Lilly Copeland with Lisa’s partner, Nick Morris Lisa

Interesting history of Staunton Harold Hall

THIS month’s history picture comes courtesy of the Leonard Cheshire charity, and depicts a moment from the interesting past life of Staunton Harold Hall

The picture shows residents sitting in the fresh air outside the hall and is taken during the time that Staunton Harold was a Leonard Cheshire home

Those interested in this period of the hall’s history will be able to find out more with a free exhibition being held in March at Sharpe’s Pottery Museum in Swadlincote

The show is back by popular demand, having been a success last year, and will give visitors the chance to see photographs from the Leonard Cheshire archive of the hall after it was renovated as a Cheshire home in 1955

As well as that, there will be oral history recordings of people who lived and worked there, plus a never-before-seen film of the charity’s founder Leonard Cheshire talking about the early years at Staunton Harold

Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC was the most highly decorated bomber pilot of the Second World War and a humanitarian who started the Leonard Cheshire charity in Hampshire in 1948

Staunton Harold has had an interesting history, having been owned and lived in by the Shirley family, who were made the Earls Ferrer under the reign of Queen

Anne

But dwindling fortunes meant the family eventually sold the family seat in the 1950s The family’s desire was that it be turned into a Leonard Cheshire home after the earl at the time visited one of the charity’s early establishments

A movement was started to rescue the hall from demolition with people from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire coming together to start fund-raising, and when it eventually opened it was the charity’s fifth home in Britain

When the Leonard Cheshire home moved from Staunton Harold it then became a Sue Ryder hospice

When that shut in 2002 it was turned back into a family home by the Blunt family

One of the people behind the exhibition is Leonard Cheshire Disability volunteer Susan Nield She said:

“This project has been a privilege to work on

“It started with showing films of Staunton Harold and Leonard Cheshire and moved on to working with photographs from the archive to produce collages for the exhibition ”

The exhibition has been made possible through Leonard Cheshire Disability’s Rewind Project, an initiative supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which gives people the chance to learn more about the charity’s history and disability in years gone by through films, photographs and journals

The show is on until March 28 and will be open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4 30pm

in brief

WALK DATE

THOSE keen to get out and about might enjoy the next series of walks organised by Melbourne Footpaths Group

The first is on Thursday, March 15, and will be a walk to the ancient Anchor Church and the grade one listed Foremarke Church, one of the first to be built in Britain after the restoration of the monarchy in the 17th century

This walk is just under five miles long and walkers are asked to meet at 10am at the John Thompson Inn car park in Ingleby

On Thursday, April 19, there will be a circular walk to Weston-on-Trent At six miles in length, it starts at Melbourne Assembly Rooms at 10am

TALK DATE

THE support meeting offering the chance to hear the story of Melbourne couple Clive and Yvonne Karusseit is being held on Monday, March 26, and not as advertised on the letters’ page of February’s Village Voice

Doors open at 6 30pm for a 7pm start There will be an illustrated talk and questions followed by refreshments The meeting is being held in the Thomas Cook Hall

l Residents in front of Staunton Harold Hall when it was a Cheshire Home

GLADYS MAY KIDD

1923-2018

GLADYS was born in dramatic fashion –being the first Caesarean section operation in Derby, to May and Thomas Hopkins, and lived in Portland Street until her marriage in 1946

Being an only child was not a problem as she had six cousins and friends nearby

A scholarship to Parkfields Cedars established a lifelong love of learning, and attendance at Pear Tree Baptist Church from birth, in her pram, developed into a strong faith and a sincere desire to live a devoted Christian life Gladys had learned to play the organ at Pear Tree as a teenager, and it was whilst playing at a wedding that she was impressed by the best man Gladys and George Kidd married in 1946 and Gladys moved to his home of Quarry Hill Farm, Stanton-by-Bridge

This busy new life was very different from her previous clerical position at the health office in Derby Her mother-in-law, Julia, was altruistic and charitable, which meant the farm was well known for either providing a meal in exchange for a job done, or giving a helping hand to someone in need, meaning more work also for Gladys herself either to ensure the table was full of food or helping outside

The arrival of David in 1949 and Julia in 1952 ensured there was never a free minute Despite the ups and downs of farm life, many laughs were had along the way, and it was a good life Husband George had a stroke in 1973 and a new challenge as a carer had to be adapted to

Gladys supported Stanton Church, despite being unable to attend services due to the needs of George and the cows, but found her niche cleaning and keeping the churchyard tidy

When George died in 1989 and the cows had been sold, Gladys was once again able to attend church services, and chose to join

Melbourne at ‘bring banks’ forefront

LOCAL coffee drinkers keen to get their caffeine hit of a morning in a disposable cup will now have the peace of mind of knowing that it can at least be recycled in Melbourne.

daughter Julia, who attended the Baptist church She was encouraged by Ernie Beardsley to resurrect her organ playing skills, and duly took over this role when Ernie died She also took the occasional service when needed and tended the garden also Gladys was often seen around Melbourne and many people from various groups will remember her fondly – either for giving talks to them or just being cheerful and interesting to be with

When diagnosed with acute lymphatic (childhood) leukaemia in May 2016 aged 92, being Glad by name and Glad by nature, this was accepted as yet another challenge in life, and her stoicism and courage were truly inspiring

Although her treatment meant she was usually feeling unwell, she continued to get as much out of each day as possible, and did so for an amazing unexpected 20 months She was very grateful to be able to stay at home, and be surrounded by family and friends

She will be very much missed, but very fondly remembered as someone who seemed to make the world a better place whilst she was in it

– Julia Kidd

In February South Derbyshire District Council launched a new recycling service for plastic-lined paper cups at its “bring banks” across the county – of which one is in Melbourne’s High Street car park – in partnership with the Alliance of Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK)

The bank previously took drinks cartons but has now been updated to include takeaway coffee cups

That means that food and drink cartons, including cups used for hot drinks in high street coffee shops, fast food outlets and supermarkets can now be recycled in the bank

Melbourne, along with other places in the district which now accept coffee cups for recycling, is ahead of the country’s curve on the latest environmental hot topic of coffee cups disposal

A report from the Government’s Environmental Audit Committee which came out in January shows that the UK throws away 2 5 billion coffee cups a year, of which hardly any are recycled Instead, nearly all are either burned, exported or sent to landfill Half a million coffee cups are simply thrown on the ground every single day

Cllr Peter Watson, chairman of the district council’s environmental and development services committee, said: “Coffee cups cannot be recycled through our household collections, so it’s really positive to be able to offer this opportunity to residents

“The people of South Derbyshire have always responded well to the different recycling schemes we’ve implemented, and we hope that they will take full advantage of this new service ”

Other South Derbyshire banks where coffee cups can

now be recycled are to be found in Hatton, Hilton, Midway, Overseal and Willington

All the food and drink cartons taken to these bring banks will be recycled at ACE UK’s recycling facility in Halifax

The Government’s January report has proposed introducing a 25p “latte levy” on disposable coffee cups

It has also recommended that all should be recycled by 2023, and if that does not happen, they should be banned

Did you know?

The problem with coffee cups is that while they are mostly made of paper-based materials, there is a plastic element tightly bonded to the sides to stop the hot drink from leaking It’s difficult for recycling facilities to split the plastic from the paper, and there are hardly any places which can do the job – Lucy Stephens

January crime figures

JUST under 30 crimes happened in

Jim walks 2,600 miles in a year for charity at 74

HE HAS walked thousands of miles from his own front door, and netted valuable cash for charity at the same time.

Jim Hartshorn, of Thulston, walked 2,600 miles during the course of 2017 as part of a charity effort to raise money supporting bowel cancer and motor neurone disease charities

Last year ’s challenge was in fact to walk 2,017 miles – but that wasn’t enough for Jim, 74 Having achieved the goal he decided to carry on measuring his mileage and notched up a few hundred more

Jim (pictured left) was one of the beneficiaries of money raised by Elvaston Communities Group, who handed him £300 to honour his achievements

During the course of his endeavours Jim raised £450 for the charity – and that was after having both knees and both hips replaced!

“I have had new knees and new hips,” he said “I thought it would be a bit of a waste of money getting two new knees and two new hips done if I just sat on my backside!”

Jim was inspired to raise money particularly for charities supporting motor neurone disease after the death of a friend from the illness – with wife Lyn and two daughters taking part in the walking challenge as well

This year ’s challenge – to walk 2,018 miles over 12 months – sees Jim walking daily, with a minimum distance of four miles, and generally averaging around

seven

He isn’t doing the walk for charity this year, having asked locally to raise sponsorship last year – he is just doing it for the pleasure of keeping moving And, come rain or shine, he generally sets off for two walks a day

Favourite destinations are the lovely grounds of Elvaston Castle near his home, and being a non-driver he will regularly walk to local places like Borrowash, too

“The favourite part about it is the people I’ve met,” he said “People out dog walking, they want to have a chat ”

Another benefit of all the walking, aside from the money for charity, has been the fact that Jim has lost a stone and a half in

weight since starting out

The other cause to benefit from Elvaston Communities Group was “Safe and Sound”, a Derbyshire project supporting exploited children and young people in the county Receiving their cheque for £200, Rhiannon Hulse, from Safe and Sound, said: “In 2016/17, we offered direct one to one support to 153 young people from Derbyshire who have been affected by child sexual exploitation, helping them move to a place of safety, as well as delivering education to over 1,000 children and young people, working with them to understand and recognise this form of abuse

“Donations like this help us to continue this vital work and really do make a difference to the lives of children, young people and their families ”

Elvaston Communities Group is made up of local volunteers who organise community-focused events supporting the local area The sum divided between Jim’s fundraiser and Safe and Sound was part of the total raised from events organised by the group throughout 2017 including a big band night, the village fete, coffee mornings, carol concerts, bingo and other social events

The group’s next event is the traditional village fete to be held on May 28 from 11am at Elvaston Cricket Ground To find out more about the community group, you can contact its chair Eve Wilson on eve wilson44@gmail com

Lucy Stephens

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l Elizabeth Birch, of Elvaston Communities Group, presents Jim with a cheque just after he has finished one of his daily walks.

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Naomi Fry BDS & Associates, Helen Baker BDS

a tough

MELBOURNE RFC 1st XV started February with a trip to Bromsgrove A much changed side was fielded again including a debut for Chris Rudkin

With Bromsgrove third in the league, Melbourne expected a tough day The Bromsgrove side were enormous Melbourne put on all of their displays of the season with great game management and dogged defence against bigger opponents, mixed in with skill and line breaks

Bromsgrove scored an early penalty after Euan Holden had hit the post with a long range effort Holden himself scored his first try of the season after good work from the Livesey brothers playing in the centre Conversion was missed and the half-time score was 5-3 to Melbourne

The second half again was an arm wrestle with both sides looking to control things; an early Bromsgrove penalty saw them take the lead 6-5, which is how the game ended

Joe Stuart, Sam Hancock and Jack Pearce all made telling line-breaks but Melbourne could not find the score they needed Harry Stephenson was MOTM A losing bonus point at third placed Bromsgrove was a small consolation

With the weather again causing havoc, Melbourne welcomed Worcester at Derby Uni AGP (Artificial Grass Pitch) and produced their best performance of the season, winning 59-14 The bonus point win put them on 39 points in the table

Melbourne & District

Village Voice deliveries Derby Road (Queensway to Spa Shop).

For several years the Village Voice newspaper has been delivered to your home but unfortunately the person is unable to continue. We thank them for all the help and support they have given during this time.

We are very keen to continue to provide all residents of Derby Road with their free monthly copy and wondered if anyone could help with this please. The papers would be delivered monthly to your doorstep in a waterproof bag.

If you are able to help please phone...

Andrew Jackson on 07931 541 387 or Tina Baker 07523 239 487 for more details. Thank you.

Tries came from Benstead, Page (two), Stuart, Pearce, Stringer, C Livesey and Stephenson Melbourne displayed a fine feast of attacking rugby for the supporters Holden converted seven and scored a penalty, with Joe Livesey converting one, whilst Holden had a rest for 10 points due to a yellow card MOTM for the second week running was Harry Stephenson Melbourne took on local rivals Burton at the University again Burton sit second in the league and Melbourne fought hard in a heavy defeat

There were 1st XV debuts for Jordan Goddard, Jordan Gale

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and Max Lowson

Melbourne scored first with a try from Sam Hancock Burton, though, scored regularly for a 36-5 half-time lead Burton had a red card in the second half but still outscored Melbourne, with a Jordan Goddard try converted by Joe Livesey the only consolation in a 12-55 defeat MOTM Sam Hancock

The seconds travelled to Dronfield for a pennant game depleted with unavailabilities and call-ups to the 1st XV Played on a bog, they suffered their first league defeat of the season, going down 16-15 with Dale Bilson scoring five penalties

Minibus trips in April

Monday 9th April

Woodlands Garden Centre, Ibstock £5

Tues 17th April

Melton Mowbray £8

Monday 23rd April

Nottingham Victoria Centre £5

The top of the table clash against Long Eaton was postponed at kick-off due to an unplayable pitch

The development side played Barton under Needwood on a Friday night with a mix of second team and academy players, winning 30-7 Tries: Beech (three), Lawson, Ballington and Wilbraham

The academy had a fine win in the U18 National Cup away at West Bridgford 29-0 They followed this up with an U17/16 game and win against a big Long Eaton side 46-10 – Peter Ilott

Trips subject to a minimum of 8 people booking.

l Melbourne Sports Park’s pitches made a rather desolate picture as they disappeared under snow as sub-zero temperatures stopped play.

England call-up for table tennis star Connie

A SPORTY pupil from Melbourne Junior School is to represent England at table tennis – one of only four girls in the country to be chosen for the honour

Connie Dumelow, 11, a year 6 pupil at the school, has been chosen to represent England at a British Schools Primary Table Tennis International to be held in Scotland in early April

Along with three other girls who come from Essex, Dorset and Lancashire, Connie will play against teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man

There is also a boys’ side playing for England

Connie, who said she was “excited” at the prospect, is a member of Melbourne Swifts Table Tennis Club

Club chairman Nigel Webster said: “Connie’s achieve-

SPORTS shorts

New cricket pitch

MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club has been granted planning permission at its MSP ground for a brand new non-turf pitch in between the two football pitches

This means the club’s third team can now play home games at the MSP instead of hiring a nearby pitch, and the club’s five junior teams will also benefit as they can play some of their matches on the new pitch

This will leave the main square free for more midweek 20/20 friendlies for last season’s U15s team and seniors

Dynamo cup dates

MELBOURNE Dynamo Football Club teams have reached four cup finals in the 2017-18 season

If any loyal supporters would like to go along and support the club these are the all-important dates:

Wednesday, March 28 – MRA Division Two Cup:

Melbourne Dynamo Reserves vs Wirksworth Ivanhoe Reserves or South Normanton United at Clay Cross Town (7 30pm kick-off);

Monday, April 9 – Derbyshire Divisional Cup South:

Melbourne Dynamo first team vs Mickleover Sports Reserves at Mickleover Sports ground (7 30pm);

Thursday, April 19 – Derbyshire Junior Cup: Melbourne Dynamo Reserves vs Rolls-Royce Leisure at Heanor Town (7 30pm)

On March 7 Dynamo’s first team was due to meet Castle Donington Cobras at Shirebrook Town in the MRA Premier Division Cup final

Anyone needing further information please contact Alex Slater on 07966933583

honours ”

ment represents 14 months of considerable work from both her, her parents and the school and show what can be achieved with spirit and the right attitude

“Melbourne Swifts, in partnership with Burton Uxbridge Table Tennis Club, are helping to develop a growing number of juniors who we hope will follow Connie and achieve national

French taught to all ages and abilities Guitar, ukulele, ddle, keyboard & melodeon

The ukulele club is a fun, sociable evening of song and playing. We also do barn dances and maypole Bryan Dawson 01332 702386 or 07949 108037 bryandawson@hotmail.co.uk

Connie is pictured with Jim Jenkinson from Melbourne Junior School (left) and school head teacher Jane Whirledge (right)

STENSON Football Club, partly based in Aston-on-Trent, has recently expanded with hopes to now include under six and under seven sides in its flourishing “tots” section

The club was born Chellaston Rams in 2003 as a Taverners Sunday morning football side, but then became Stenson Football Club towards the end of the 2011 season

The club has two men’s teams and just under 50 children on its books regularly playing the beautiful game, coming from several towns and villages such as Elvaston, Aston and Findern.

Friendly children’s matches are played in Aston-on-Trent with the older youngsters competing as under 10s in the Derby Junior Football League.

The adult section of the club has 49 signed players for the 2017/8 season – up from 28 last year – and fields two sides in the Long Eaton Sunday League.

The first team plays at Aston’s playing fields and is currently sitting third in division one

To find out more about the club you can email them at stensonfootballclub@gmail com or see their website: www clubwebsite co uk/stenson

Pictured are the Under 10s side with coach Bryan Massey.

Dynamo prove a cup final four-ce

MELBOURNE Dynamo continued their good form in February with both teams getting to another cup final apiece, making it four cup final appearances for the club over six weeks

The first team began the month with an 8-1 thrashing of Allestree with hat-tricks from Adam Ross and Jack Goodband leading the way Daniel Charlesworth and substitute Joe Shadbolt completed the scoring Gav Salisbury’s men made it two cup final appearances as they won a hardfought Premier Division Cup Semi-final 20 at home to Chesterfield Town with late goals from Adam Ross and substitute Michael Tristram

The first team ended the month with a well-earned 1-1 draw away to high-flying Castle Donington Cobras In form Tristram

grabbed the well-deserved equaliser to leave Dynamo in an impressive fourth place with games in hand on the top three Dynamo Reserves continued their remarkable run as they won all three of their matches in February to make it an amazing 19 wins on the trot from Dwayne McLlelan’s team

They started the month with a 5-1 home win against Derby Athletic in the Junior Cup with Toby Foxon leading the way with a brace of long range stunners

Tidy finishes from Gavin Spencer and Harry Foxon plus a rare header from Alex Slater completed the scoring

The following week Dynamo Reserves went top of the table as they beat previous division two leaders Little Eaton Reserves away from home 2-0 with the Foxon broth-

ers, Toby and Harry, getting the goals

Their final game in February saw Dynamo’s team spirit shine through as they won their Division Two Cup semi-final at home to Newhall United Development with the last kick of the game

Two goals from leading scorer Joe Shadbolt had put Melbourne 1-0, then 2-1 up only for Newhall to score a late equaliser, meaning penalties loomed

But a second yellow card for the Newhall skipper gave Dynamo a late free kick Toby Foxon whipped the ball into the box to then see it fly over everyone and into the top corner of the net to claim for the Reserves their second cup final place in what’s turning out to be an impressive 2017-18 season for the Melbourne Dynamo Club n Cup final itinerary – Page 23

THE entire committee at Kings Newton Bowls Club was voted in once again at the club’s Annual General Meeting in February

The club reports that its accounts are in a healthy position with a surplus being shown thanks to fundraising events, but mainly due to a good profit on the bar

The green will open for the new season on Saturday, March 24, and the club will again be open on Sunday afternoons from 1pm for anyone interested in having a go at bowling or just for a drink or two.

This year the club has entered into new South Derbyshire leagues on Mondays and Tuesdays plus the Burton league on Saturday afternoon (Belper league also Saturday afternoon) – meaning the only day there will be no league bowling will be on Sundays So it’s busy times ahead!