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No. 342 May 2021
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by Frank Hughes and Lucy Stephens
BUSINESS owners along Derby Road in Melbourne are very worried that the traffic which is mounting the pavement on a regular basis will be the cause of a serious accident.
ABOVE: A buffer knocked off the side of the air ambulance charity shop by a passing vehicle. RIGHT: The corner of the shop sign of Studio Home & Interiors, hit by a van.
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Elaine Garratt who co-runs Studio Home and Interiors, located directly opposite the junction with Blanch Croft, said: “It is an accident waiting to happen and someone will get seriously injured.” She has been capturing images of some of the instances and has many photographs. The most recent happened on Wednesday, May 5, when neighbouring shopkeepers reported hearing a loud bang caused by a van which, having mounted the pavement, drove right into the side of Studio Home and Interiors, damaging a top corner of the sign. Elaine’s daughter, Sarah, who runs the shop with her, said: “If somebody was leaving the shop at that time – just imagine.” Elaine has witnessed several stand-offs and was involved herself in another recent incident when a driver, who refused to reverse back into space “… screamed abuse at me. I have a five-year-old granddaughter who comes in the shop and I am frightened that she could be hit just going out of the door”. Cont’d on Page 7.
COSTUME PARTIES: these people have been dressing up for very different reasons. ABOVE: the Aston Players have been celebrating 40 years of panto in the village, while (LEFT) Sophie is writing on a ‘slate’ as Weston on Trent Primary School turned back time to mark its bicentenary. Full reports inside.
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2 Village Voice May 2021
DOUBLE TORY GLORY
MELBOURNE remains Conservative at Derbyshire County Council after David Muller won the election for the ward seat. The county council elections took place on May 6 with votes counted the following day. Cllr Linda Chilton, who has represented Melbourne up at the Matlock county HQ for the past eight years, retired this year. Cllr Muller, who also represents Etwall ward on South Derbyshire District Council, won the Melbourne seat with 1,792 votes. Second was Jane Carroll, for Labour, with 862 votes ahead of Jonathan Wood, for the Green Party, with 770. The turnout in the Melbourne ward was 37.56 per cent. After his win, Cllr Muller thanked Linda Chilton for her help and support in the run-
l The winning Melbourne candidate David Muller, for the Conservative Party (centre) flanked by Jane Carroll (Labour) and Jonathan Wood (Green Party) at the election count in Swadlincote.
up to the election. He said: “I’m over the moon to have been elected as a county council member for the Melbourne district and I’m really looking forward to getting into representing the people up in Matlock.” Over in the Aston ward, the Conservatives also held sway with Cllr Neil Atkin winning the seat to embark on his second term as a county councillor for the area. The result in Aston mirrored that of Melbourne with Labour coming second and the Green Party third. Cllr Atkin thanked people who had been counting the votes under difficult circumstances this year, due to Covid restrictions. The county council is the local authority which governs areas of our daily lives such as schools and highways.
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So good to be back, say shops l Shopkeepers at the Ferrers Centre in Staunton Harold.
REOPENING UPDATE Currently open Wednesday 10am - 8pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 4pm for takeaway, with outdoor seating available. Limited table service from 19th May. So looking forward to gradually getting back to what we should be doing! Thank you all so much for your patience in what will hopefully be the last of many changes we’ve had to make!
Much love, Lou and the team x
“AMAZING” – that is how it feels for one local shopkeeper to have been allowed to reopen in April as the UK continues with its roadmap out of lockdown. Non-essential shops in the area opened up their doors again on April 12 in the latest raft of restrictions to be eased. Sue Statham, at Melbourne Florist, said she had noticed quite a few visitors to Melbourne when shops began to open up. “I think small businesses are going to be alright,” she said. “I’m pleased to have people coming back in the shop. That’s what’s good about being in a village. You come in and have a bit of a chat with someone. It’s a little bit of normality.” Paul Wilson, owner of Melbourne Print Shop, said it had been a “cautious start”. He said: “We are pleased to re-open and get back to something like a bit more normal. We’re
pleased to welcome people back in.” Paul’s printing business has been taking some orders for business cards, indicating that firms are getting back up and running again. For Janet Gibson, who runs Green Man Ceramics at the Ferrers Centre with her husband Paul, it felt “amazing” to be open once more. “I can’t tell you the good feeling it has been,” she said. “We have been here 28 years and we have never been closed! “When it opened again, we thought it would take a while, but the whole place has blossomed. “We are just a tiny little shop in the middle of nowhere really. People have responded lovely to us, that’s across the Ferrers Centre as well. “Everybody has been very respectful of others and very happy to wait outside the shop.” Non-essential shops to have re-opened in Melbourne reported a steadier footfall when restrictions were first eased.
SOUTH DERBYSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL Your County and District Councillors can no longer hold advice surgeries because of the Covid rules, but are available on phone or email: MARTIN FITZPATRICK (District) - 07710 030187/01332 862323 martin.fitzpatrick@southderbyshire.gov.uk JIM HEWLETT (District) - 07979 976860/01332 863927 jim.hewlett@southderbyshire.gov.uk DAVID MULLER (County) david.muller@southderbyshire.gov.uk
Got a story to tell? Give Lucy Stephens a call on:
01332 863181 www.melbournevillagevoice.co.uk
Hall outdoor events plan is scaled back
OUTDOOR film nights or summer concerts could become an occasional feature at Melbourne Hall, but in the light of locals’ concerns the plans for events have been significantly scaled back. Roger Lowe, who is making the plans on behalf of Melbourne Hall, said that the idea came from conversations about how to diversify and increase income alongside other changes happening within the visitor centre. Originally it was envisaged to hold up to six events over the summer period for up to 10,000 visitors per event. But Roger said they had listened to the concerns about noise and traffic, were reviewing that application and had decided to reduce the frequency of those large scale events to just one event over the summer months. But he added: “In tandem, though, we are also programming a calendar of smaller events within the courtyard, the first of
by Frank Hughes
which is a weekend of comedy organised by Just The Tonic with a great line-up that we hope people will come and enjoy.” Smaller events such as the courtyard comedy are currently catering for a maximum of 300 people. The main concerns of local residents about the larger application, already voiced on social media and in a leaflet posted through nearby letterboxes, are primarily about traffic and noise. Roger, who runs Stable Ales at the hall, said he understood those anxieties and that’s why the team at the hall were reconsidering. “If it does go ahead any event would be family friendly, such as an outdoor film night, a symphonic or family concert which would finish by 11pm, with all visitors hav-
ing to be off site by 11.45,” he said. He also said that, from his past experience running similar events elsewhere, the number is unlikely to exceed 2,000 vehicles. He added that vehicles will be directed to designated parking sites in fields accessed from Blackwell Lane, with one of those fields used for parking for the courtyard events. Whilst the application has raised concerns from local residents, others have welcomed the idea to have events nearby like those run at Calke or other stately homes. Meanwhile a second application is going ahead for approval to have a ‘Tap Room’ style bar inside the visitor centre adjacent to the existing Stable Ales business.The application is a joint venture with the hall. “Closing time will be 9pm – we are mindful that we are adjacent to the hall and residential homes so do not want to disturb neighbours,” he added.
Tattoo that earned Tony free doughnuts for life
MELBOURNE Rugby Club member Tony Day has won free doughnuts for life after getting a tattoo paying homage to bakery Project D. Tony, originally from Aston-on-Trent, has had his bicep inked with the logo and ice cream van of the popular and rapidly expanding brand. Tony is friends with Project D founders Max Poynton, Jacob Watts and Matthew Bond, all of whom were at school together at Chellaston Academy. The germ of the idea started in 2018 when all four of them were in Amsterdam for Tony’s stag weekend. “They said they were going to start up a doughnut company when they got back to Derby,” said Tony. “I said, ‘I tell you what, if you start a doughnut company and I get a tattoo, you have got to promise me that I will get free doughnuts for life’!” Both sides have now made good on the deal: Tony got himself a Project D tattoo and he now gets free doughnuts whenever he visits any of Project D’s pop-up shops. Tony says he is proud to bits of his friends and the huge success they have made of Project D, which is now expanding all over the country. Tony is a keen rugby player and member of Melbourne Rugby Club, which has been sponsored by Project D. His favourite collection is the ‘Caramel Cartel’ box and he sees the doughnuts as a vital part of his pre-season rugby training!
Village Voice May 2021 3
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Family takes on a 3,000-mile charity challenge
Just three virus cases in the area in April
4 Village Voice May 2021
ONLY three cases of the coronavirus were detected in the Melbourne area during April, according to the latest figures. The three cases in the area which encompasses Melbourne, Kings Newton, Staunton Harold, Ticknall, Calke and Smisby were detected between April 9 and 16, the second week of the school Easter break. For the whole of the rest of the month, there were no positive tests at all in the area. Over in Aston, an area which includes Barrow, Weston, Swarkestone, Chellaston, part of Boulton Moor, Shardlow, Great Wilne, Ambaston and Elvaston, there have been more positive cases, with three in total in the last two weeks of April. Derbyshire County Council is now also reporting on numbers of people who have been discovered to be positive for the virus after visiting its community testing sites. Up to the end of April, 80,279 tests had been carried out across the whole of Derbyshire at these sites, which have detected 650 positive cases. Interestingly, over the final week in April, there were no new positive cases found through community testing. South Derbyshire overall saw 35 positive virus cases in the last two weeks of April.
ONE intrepid local family have pledged to pedal, walk and swim 3,000 miles to raise money for a much-valued homeless charity. Jackie Storer, of Thulston, is completing the distance with her partner and 11-year-old son Dominic. The trio are raising money for The Canaan Trust, a charity which supports homeless men in Derbyshire. Due to her job in the aerospace industry, which has lost huge amounts of revenue during the pandemic, Jackie felt this charity was one she particularly wanted to support. She said: “Last year I was making people redundant across the UK. I know that out of those people, there are some who have ended up in that situation. “You think: ‘What can I do to give something back’?” The Canaan Trust supports people who are not only homeless on the streets, but sofa surfing due to the fact they have no longer got a permanent home. Jackie said: “I think we are so lucky. It’s frightening to think how close you possibly are to being in that position. You feel lucky you have got a roof over your heads. You
have got a nice life. Not everybody has that. “I think quite often there’s an impression that it’s people’s choice, and of their own doing and it isn’t, ordinarily. Divorce, job loss … it could be anything that could happen to anybody.” Jackie and her family are aiming to complete their 3,000 miles in the first 160 days of 2021 and have so far just tipped over the 2,000-mile mark. They have calculated that in order to make the distance, each of them has to complete 6.25 miles a day. To do that, Jackie is going for a walk in the morning and a bike ride in the evening. The fund-raisers have completed 20 and 30-mile bike rides in the local area, travelling through Melbourne, Diseworth and Tonge. Jackie and her partner cycled from Stoke Football Club back to Thulston – a distance of 56 miles. Dominic also held a cake sale in Thulston to raise extra funds, which proved highly popular on the day. You can support their challenge at https://www.justgiving.com/fundrais ing/jackie-storer2
Friday 16th July
Saturday 17th July
Sunday 18th July
Milton Jones
Rich Hall
Reg D Hunter
Paul Sinha
Larry Dean
Scott Bennett
Good Kids + Jo Enright
Simon Wozniak + Jo Enright
Laura Lexx + Act TBC
Just the Tonic Comedy Club arrives with a stage, a tent and a gaggle of comedians at the picturesque Melbourne Hall Courtyard. Bar facility courtesy of Stable Ales.
All tickets and info
www.justthetonic.com
Couple living on a refugee’s rations by Lucy Stephens
RICE, one bag of flour, a small ration of chickpeas and lentils, a tin of kidney beans and sardines, and a measure of oil. Those are the basic rations each for Janet and Paul Gibson for one week this month. Janet and Paul, who live at Staunton Harold where they run Green Man Ceramics at the Ferrers Centre, are taking part in the “Ration Challenge”. They have each been sent a ration box containing all the food that a Syrian refugee living in a camp in Jordan is given by the United Nations per week. One box contains a 420g bag of rice, 170g of lentils, 85g of dried chickpeas, a 120g tin of sardines, and a 400g tin of kidney beans. In addition, they are allowed to supply themselves with 330ml of vegetable oil and ‘buy’ 400g of flour plus 1.5kg of rice for the week with additional vouchers – similar to what agencies other than UN make available to refugees living in these conditions. The cleverly constructed challenge then allows participants to ‘unlock’ their way to more food during the week, depending on how many donations they have received. Paul and Janet have managed to raise enough to buy themselves one vegetable for the week, plus one spice. Donations totalling £400 or more will get you 120g of protein – about two large eggs. The next step is to raise enough to buy one tin of tomatoes for the week. People taking part are not allowed caffeine, alcohol or sugar all week. Janet said she would probably be making a congee, a kind of sticky rice, for breakfast. The chickpeas will allow for a very basic hummus while the flour will mean that the Gibsons can make themselves flatbreads. The idea of the challenge is to raise awareness – and funds – for Syrian refugees who have been displaced from their homes and must live on the absolute basics. Janet said: “I just felt that it’s really important to help people who have been displaced through no fault of their own.” Paul said: “I’m not giving up my home, my sanitation, my hot water, my warmth. All we are doing
Council make site visit over new wall plan
Village Voice May 2021 5
A CONTROVERSIAL planning application to build a porch and a new boundary wall at a property in Kings Newton was deferred for a site visit and further enquiries at April’s meeting of South Derbyshire District Council’s planning committee. The application had been firmly opposed by Kings Newton Residents Association and Melbourne Civic Society, and many locals had submitted written objections. Both district councillors voiced their strong concerns. Cllr Martin Fitzpatrick, who spoke at length on many of the issues the application raised, said he was “surprised the application had got this far”. Cllr Jim Hewlett said it was “beyond ridiculous” if the committee went on to approve the scheme to spoil a traditional farm open courtyard when in other cases this had been either preserved or created. The scheme in Main Street is to build a boundary wall down the centre of a shared courtyard with a gated entrance, along with a new porch, to provide “privacy and security” according to the planning officer’s report. However neighbours, one of whom spoke against the plan at the meeting, said the existing arrangements had endured for 21 years, sharing a common entrance without problem. The new wall would “make entry and exit into the neighbouring property impossible, would severely restrict the entry to farmland at the rear”, and would create hazards on the busy road. It was also claimed one neighbour would suffer loss of amenity and would struggle to turn and park in the space left; and being elderly, it would make her feel isolated. All the councillors who spoke at the meeting were unwilling to proceed, despite a recommendation of the planning officer to approve, until they had inspected the site. One councillor also wished for some of the specific issues to be pursued with the highways department. The chairperson of the meeting suggested the visit could take place after June 21 when Covid measures were due to be relaxed.
l Janet and Paul Gibson, of Staunton Harold, holding the ration boxes containing one week’s food.
is reducing our calories. It’s one small drop of empathy we are doing. We are not giving up all sorts of things that these people in crisis are.” Keen cooks, Janet and Paul say they will most miss the ability to add flavour and spice to their meals during their week of rations – as well as sugar! They are doing their week’s challenge from May 10. If anyone would like to support them, you can do so by visiting rationchallenge.org.uk/janet-gibson
T e first Th The ir and nd Original Orri O rig igina g na al al
Objections to scheme for three houses
ANOTHER housing development in the centre of Melbourne has had an adverse reaction from both the parish council and the civic society. The application is to build three houses to the rear of the former Walls garage adjacent to the Lothian Gardens. Two of the houses are four-bedroomed dwellings and one is two-bedroomed. The parish council objection describes the site as “overdeveloped” and “too close to neighbouring properties”. Additional objections include the need for a natural and noise barrier to the adjacent play area, and concerns about vehicle access onto the busy High Street at a very awkward location. The civic society has raised similar objections, stating that
there are “too many houses for a tiny plot” and are critical of the “ordinary” design. They expressed fears for the survival of the existing trees and describe the access to the main road, for potentially eight cars, as hazardous. There is no date scheduled for the consideration of the planning application, which has been made by Alexander Bruce Estates. The consultation deadline has passed, however. A design and access statement prepared in support of the application said the houses were planned for dis-used land which had “long been vacant”. It said that the best of the existing trees would be retained, and “additional native planting” would provide an enhanced habitat and replace any poorer quality trees to be removed.
It said: “The proposals will retain and enhance local habitat, and distinctive landscape feature of the tree line along the southern boundary. The proposals will bring a long derelict site back into use, and provide quality housing, reflective of the local character of Melbourne, in a sustainable location.”
Sheila back in the chair
CLLR Sheila Hicklin was reelected as chair of Melbourne Parish Council at its latest meeting. The council’s last virtual meeting on May 4 saw Cllr Hicklin nominated and elected to continue in her role, while Cllr Terry Summerlin was reelected as vice-chair.
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6 Village Voice May 2021
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School gets a better report
SAFEGUARDING at Chellaston Academy has seen a “positive shift” and is now effective, the latest official report says. The report from education inspectors Ofsted, published on April 20, will be good news for the school, which takes pupils from this area including Melbourne, Barrow, Aston and Weston. The academy was judged to have serious weaknesses at the last full inspection in July 2019. Since then, there has been a big change of management with new head teacher Ryan Metters joining at the helm in September last year. There is also now a new deputy head teacher, three assistant head teachers, a new chair of the governing body, and four new governors. Chellaston Academy is also moving over to a different academy trust. The school went from a rating of ‘good’ in 2019 to ‘inadequate’ after Ofsted found safeguarding issues in the sixth form regarding pupil absences. It was a particular blow for the school which had been led to understand it was on its way to a rating of ‘outstanding’. The latest report is the first time since 2019 that Ofsted has said the academy’s safeguarding mechanisms are effective, a follow-up monitoring inspection in February 2020 having said not enough was being done. But the most recent report paints a much brighter picture for Chellaston. Inspector Jayne Ashman wrote: “Since the previous inspection, there has been a positive shift in the culture of safeguarding within the school.
by Lucy Stephens
Leaders make sure that safeguarding is the priority of all staff. Safeguarding arrangements are now secure.” Inspector Ashman also found much to praise about other aspects of the academy, including the way it had dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic, saying: “Leaders’ determined actions have ensured that pupils can learn in the current circumstances.” The report referred to a resources bus which has been distributing materials and books for remote learning, and the pastoral care given to pupils to help them cope with the current situation. It said: “Leaders are creating a school community in which every pupil feels like they belong and can flourish. Leaders are ambitious for the pupils and want them to be successful.” Areas for improvement for Chellaston are the library, which is a ‘gloomy space’, and a need to address learning needs of pupils with special education needs more effectively. However, on this last point, Inspector Ashman did say that an “experienced and skilled” special education needs co-ordinator had been recently appointed, and that leaders were aware of what needed to improve. Ofsted received 146 responses to its online parent questionnaire, with a further 108 completed questionnaires from staff.
West End stage dates for Melbourne girl, 11
MELBOURNE girl Effie Ballard is set to tread the boards in London’s West End this summer after winning a place in the highly prestigious National Youth Music Theatre. Effie, 11, will be following in the footsteps of acting luminaries such as Jude Law, Sheridan Smith, Idris Elba, Lily James and Matt Lucas, who all started out there. Effie, a pupil at Melbourne Junior School, is the youngest person to have been cast in a newly penned musical, Henrietta – one of three shows that the music theatre is planning to stage in London in August. She was one of thousands of people aged between 11 and 23 who auditioned over Zoom to win a place in one of the shows. Effie said: “I’m just really, really so excited to do it. It’s an amazing opportunity and I just want it to start now!” Effie has already appeared on stage in a production of the Sound of Music in Nottingham as Marta Von Trapp. To win her place with the National Youth Music Theatre she first submitted a performance tape and then was chosen to take part in a further workshop and audition. Effie (pictured) will go on a three-week residential programme with the National Youth Music Theatre this summer before appearing on stage in the show’s run from August 18-21. Henrietta is an emotive musical set in the 1930s and 40s in The Netherlands. Effie has a busy life training in the performing arts. She has lessons in piano, singing and ballet, and attends classes at the Derby Youth Theatre, the Kristian Thomas Company in Shardlow and Urdang Academy in London. She is also learning the bass guitar courtesy of her dad, Jon, who performs with a Beatles tribute band but has not been able to in recent months because of the pandemic. Effie and her family are fund-raising for the National Youth Music Theatre’s bursary scheme to support other children like her to have similar
Fears over vehicles on pavement
Village Voice May 2021 7
l Recent examples of vehicles on the pavements in Melbourne.
From Page 1 Another shop owner further along Derby Road reported that this is happening “… dozens of times a day and it is becoming much more of a problem. Something needs to be done,” she said. Shopkeepers in the area feel that the issue has got even worse since the lifting of restrictions following the latest lockdown. One person said: “Someone is going to get killed and it’s going to be a child, I think.” Over the road, vans have repeatedly driven into both sides of Blanch Croft as they turn up there from Derby Road, in one instance knocking off a buffer screwed into the side of the air ambulance charity shop. Elaine recalled that a man had been hit by the wing mirror of a bus and she had had a very near miss with a white van which was driving along the pavement. “There have been incidents of ‘fisticuffs’ too between drivers.” She has written to the parish council asking if bollards could be installed near the archway into William’s Yard as a precautionary measure. “A one-way system is the answer,” she believes “… if they won’t put up any barriers”. The parish council confirmed that it had approached Derbyshire County Council about putting up bollards to protect pedestrians but the highways department has refused it. The explanation given is that the pavement is not wide enough. Sarah added: “There are more people driving faster as well. There’s a really big change about how people think it’s acceptable to just mount the pavement and drive all the way along it.”
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opportunities in the future. Mum Louisa said: “It’s been devastating, what has happened to the whole industry. It’s such an important part of a child’s upbringing to be able to do performing arts. I’m just hoping that they can get back to some sort of normality when the children can get back on stage.” Meanwhile, Louisa and Jon are proud to bits of their talented daughter. “We’re massively proud,” said Louisa. “She has been so motivated in the last year. She has worked so hard and this just feels like it’s all come to fruition now. We are just incredibly proud of her.” Effie and her family are planning some fundraising activities to support the bursary scheme. You can donate here: rb.gy/wtmqlb
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8 Village Voice May 2021
Memories of the Whitsun parades
ABOVE: c1958, The Isaac Hatton lorry with Melbourne Methodist Church Sunday School children. RIGHT: Melbourne Methodist Whitsuntide in 1966 or 7.
May 26, 1958: The Whitsuntide Parade meeting in Castle Square with the Congregational Church Banner.
The new Church Banner 1966-ish.
Melbourne Baptist Church Sunday School Whitsuntide Sports in 1966. A Whitsuntide Tea in the Melbourne Baptist Church School Rooms.
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IN our February edition, we told you about Arts Melbourne’s project encouraging local people to send a letter and any photographs sharing their memories of events and celebrations in Melbourne which they enjoyed being part of. Sharon and the Arts Melbourne Team have had more than 30 letters and 300 photographs, and report they are still coming in by email or the post box in the Post Office. One very popular theme has been the Melbourne Whitsuntide Parade which took place each year on the last Monday in May – Whit Monday. It was an eagerly anticipated event; the route was decorated with red, white and blue bunting and the congregations of each of the churches in Melbourne paraded through the streets to Castle Square for a joint service of celebration. Members of each church marched behind the brass band and their individual church banners and the Sunday School children all wore their sparkling new white shirts and summer dresses. The younger children travelled on spotless market gardeners’ lorries decorated with flags and bunting. The highlight for many was being transported on these lorries to the shop in Wilson for ice creams and lollies while their families listened to the leaders from the churches who stood on a makeshift stage – one of Joe Laban’s lorries. After the service everyone headed back to their 1966: The original Melbourne Town Band at Whitsuntide Sports.
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church for a tea prepared by the ladies of the church and then headed out for an afternoon of band music and sports for the children. The Arts Festival team is not sure precisely when or why the Whitsuntide Parades ended but one contributor suggested it was in the 1970s when the May Bank Holidays changed. Over the past few months, local writer Rebecca Goldsmith has been working on a series of poems inspired by the letters; sound artist Dr Chris Wright has created three sound installations and artist Melanie Wheeler has been working with Arts Melbourne to create posters which will be displayed outdoors, appropriately over the Whit Weekend from May 29-31, sharing some of the photographs, quotes from letters, poems and soundbites in Castle Square and elsewhere around the village. The posters will feature the Whitsuntide, Melbourne Carnival, Melbourne Wakes, the 1995 VE Day Celebrations, Melbourne Celebrations for Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Diamond Jubilee in 2012, along with lots of other events. Sharon Brown from Arts Melbourne asked us to say a big thank you to everyone who has contributed so far and that she hopes it will encourage more people to get involved. Photographs have been kindly provided by Melbourne residents contributing to the Melbourne Letters project.
Tea rooms duo brew up a change
THE owners of much-loved tea rooms at Staunton Harold have decided to hand over the reins after 37 years of serving customers. Mike Kemp has been running Staunton Stables Tea Rooms since 1984, for much of the time with his wife, Alison. Now that he has reached the age of 74, he has decided to put his feet up a bit! Mike took on the tea rooms having been made redundant from his former job as an engineer. At the time, he thought he would run the place “… till a proper job comes along”, but, as he explained: “A proper job has not presented itself!” When he started, the tea rooms had no kitchen and just one room, so he kept it simple by serving tea, coffee and cake. His parents helped out with the baking. Over the years, the tea rooms has expanded with a kitchen out the back, then another room adjoining the first one, plus a second kitchen. This allowed Mike and his team to get “a little more adventurous” with what they were serving, he said. Before the pandemic hit in 2020, the
Raising funds for hospice
Village Voice May 2021 9
by Lucy Stephens
tea rooms employed up to 16 people, serving lunches as well as tea, coffee and cake. At one time, they would also put on “singing suppers” where a four-course meal would be served, with Mike providing entertainment on the piano. The past four decades have seen the Ferrers Centre “come on in leaps and bounds”, Mike said. When he first started, there was just a handful of other tenants in the centre’s shop units. Today they are nearly full, notwithstanding the pandemic. Now he and Alison would like more time with their family. They have one son, whose autism prevents him from speaking, and a daughter. Mike said: “Myself and Alison enjoyed doing it, especially together, but once the children came along we weren’t able to do it together quite so much. “The thing we will probably miss most is interaction with customers.” The tea rooms has new tenants who are preparing to take over the business.
l Alison and Mike Kemp outside Staunton Stables Tea Rooms at the Ferrers Centre, Staunton Harold.
BIRDS Bakery, which has a branch in Melbourne, has announced Treetops Hospice as one of its three chosen charities of 2021. The East Midlands company has already handed over £3,000 raised from plastic bag sales across its 62 bakeries. Birds is the first company to sign up to Treetops ‘Sponsor One Week of Nursing Care’ initiative. The bakery is hoping to raise over £14,000 during the coming year, through staff fundraising, plastic bag tariffs and cake sales. This will sponsor two weeks of end-of-life nursing care for local patients in their own homes. In April Birds customers were also able to buy Treetops cupcakes with 15p from each one going to the charity. Birds marketing director Mike Holling said: “Birds Bakery is very pleased to be a fundraising partner for Treetops, as over many years the hospice will have cared for our colleagues, their families, and our customers.” Businesses interested in finding out more about sponsoring one week of nursing care, or offering other support to Treetops, should contact Stacey Smalley, Business Relationship Manager on 07741 657342 or via email: stacey@treetops.org.uk.
10 Village Voice May 2021
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l Extracts from the “School Pence Book” from 1859.
ILLNESS, hardship and, more than once, the threat of closure – Weston on Trent Primary School has shown remarkable resilience over the past 200 years. Pupils and staff marked the school’s bicentenary in April by winding back the clock. The children wrote on ‘slates’, had a go at needlework, and ate boiled swede for lunch. TV and radio crews from ITV and the BBC went down to the school to talk to children and teachers as they celebrated the day by dressing up in the clothes of two centuries ago, and followed a Regency era curriculum. The earliest records available for We-
ston Primary School are from the minutes of a vestry meeting held on April 3, 1821, when there were 397 people living in the village. An idea of the poverty at the time is captured in the minutes of that meeting, which read: “It was resolved that every parishioner shall catch his own rats, moles and sparrows.” In the early years, education was provided by the clergy and squires of Weston, and an annual rent of two shillings was paid for the school and school house. In some respects, education is not so dissimilar to how it is today. An education circular dating from 1876 specifies that four-year-olds at the time would be expected to know all their letters, count to 20, and know three “very common” animals. By five or six, they should be able to write
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LEFT: School pupils in 1897, showing ‘ghostly’ figures where children are moving. ABOVE: School pupils in 1920. FAR RIGHT: School pupils in 1907 or 1908.
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Village Voice May 2021 11 FAR LEFT: Reception class teacher Amy Edwards with Freya.
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LEFT: Head teacher Sarah Burns (far right) with pupils from the school.
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e at a primary school RIGHT: Sophie, Millie, Jacob and Rory write on ‘slates’ in the Kingfisher class.
ords of three letters and by seven, write numers up to 100. The expectation for girls was that they ould also know “plain needlework and cutng out”. Head teacher Sarah Burns said: “We were ally excited to find out that the school was 00 years old this month, and we thought it ave us a great opportunity to give the chilren an experience of what life used to be like nd to try and give them a sense of how much hings have changed between then and now.” In line with the current experience of coronvirus, epidemics have been a feature in the ast with outbreaks of measles, diphtheria and arlet fever. Books even had to be burnt to try prevent the spread of infection. Pupils and teachers would often have been
bitterly cold, with only open fires for warmth. Records tell of children shivering in temperatures of 37 degrees (just under three degrees Celsius). The school’s history reveals a wealth of fascinating detail: in 1909 children walked six miles on a school visit to the agricultural show in Derby; in 1912 they were taken to see a rabbit warren; and in 1915, one girl was bitten by a dog while playing outside and had to stay at home for three weeks. During the war years, the school had to be shut for three days due to a coal shortage; children started knitting scarves; and part of the playground was used as a garden. Several attempts were made over the years to close Weston Primary School, the first time in 1873. It was blacklisted in 1909 when it was
judged it would cost too much to repair. Suggestions were repeatedly made that pupils could go to Aston for their schooling, but Weston school’s staff were having none of it and resisted on every occasion. As late as the 1980s, numbers were as low as 15. Today, Weston Primary School has a modern new building and 136 pupils on the books. Mrs Burns said: “We are trying to impress on the children the fact that we didn’t always have a really lovely modern building and lots of outdoor space. “When the school first opened, it was in two thatched cottages and the children would play out on the road unsupervised, and would just move when a horse drawn carriage needed to get by.”
Words: LUCY STEPHENS Present day pictures: MARTIN STEPHENS
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Strange finds in garden
12 Village Voice May 2021
OWNERS of a house in Melbourne would like to know more after finding “strange large pencil like objects” while digging in their garden. Mike King, of Mount House on Commerce Street, said the intriguing finds were made during excavation works in the garden. He said: “At first we thought the objects were large pencils as Mount House was a Victorian school built in 1864.” However, it was then clear they were too big to be pencils and also did not draw a definite line. A further clue arose with the discovery of German writing along the side of some of the items. Mike said: “Our research has shown that these objects are in fact carbon rods manufactured by Gebr Siemens in Lichtenberg, eastern Germany from 1880 up until the First World War. “Carbon arc lamps were the only electric light available for large areas between 1800 and 1901. “From 1880 they became widespread and were used to light streets, theatres and factories. A spark was created between two of these carbon rods or electrodes which created an intense light but the lights were high maintenance and dangerous.
“By the 1910s they were largely replaced with the new incandescent light bulbs although they were used in the First World War by the navy for searchlights.” Now the house owners would like to know more about why these carbon rods ended up in their garden. One answer, said Mike, is that they could have been used by the school for interior lighting, although one would imagine this could have been quite dangerous. Alternatively, they could have been used to light Commerce Street. Mike said: “Our first thoughts that there may have been a factory here before the school was built or adjacent to it is unlikely as the electric arc lamp was not in wide commercial use before 1880, but we have not yet examined any old maps for the adjacent area.” If any of our readers can shed any light on the mystery of the carbon rods and how they came to be buried in a garden in Commerce Street, the owners of Mount House would be interested to hear about it. Suggestions can be emailed to us at letters@melbournevillagevoice.co.uk. Please indicate whether you would like your correspondence to be published or just passed on.
Play schemes off the agenda
COUNCIL run summer play schemes in local villages including Melbourne have been cancelled this year. South Derbyshire District Council said that continuing uncertainty over whether large scale events will be permitted meant the 2021 scheme could not go ahead. The play scheme involves different types of equipment being set up every week over the summer months to entertain children. In Melbourne, the sessions usually take place in the junior school playground. Equipment such as scooters, ramps and climbing walls are brought in.
South Derbyshire District Council’s head of cultural and community services, Mary Bagley, said: “It is a real shame that we have had to take the decision not to go ahead with this year’s summer play scheme. “We know it is very popular with children from across South Derbyshire and we looked at all the options before very reluctantly reaching the conclusion that, due to ensuring that the schemes could be run in a covid safe way, we needed to make an early decision and cancel.” The South Derbyshire summer play schemes have been running for over a
decade and see more than 6,000 young people attending each year. They are delivered with funding from parish councils and the South Derbyshire Community Safety Partnership. Active South Derbyshire said it hoped to reschedule a number of the cancelled sessions, once it is safe to do so, on evenings, at weekends and during half-term. A statement put out by the district council said the run-up to the summer would be used to plan “alternative delivery” for the summer holidays in partnership with schools.
l Michael King in the trench in the garden of Mount House, Melbourne, with (below) the carbon rods in the ground.
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Players take a bow for 40 years of panto
Village Voice May 2021 13
FARMERS AND BUTCHERS
by Lucy Stephens
FORTY years of panto in Aston-on-Trent have been honoured with an Excellence in the Community Award (oh yes they have). Aston Players have been putting on a yearly pantomime in the village since starting up in 1980, with a break in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hazel Armstrong, of Aston, was in the players’ very first performance of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves aged 13. In true theatrical tradition, she took on a couple of roles: belly dancer and thief. The performance was staged at Aston Hall, which had a large stage. Having taken part for a few years, Hazel came back to Aston Players in 2007. She said: “I think it’s brought a lot to the village and it’s a nice social group too.” Now the players would love to hear from anyone who might be willing to join them and ensure the village panto can continue into the future. Over the years, Aston Players have raised thousands for charity, with Rainbows Children’s Hospice in Loughborough a particular beneficiary. The Aston Players were given a (virtual) Excellence in the Community Award by the local parish council to mark their contribution to village life over four decades. Aston Players producer Delia Gascoigne said the panto had been going for so long that several generations of the same families had now taken part over the years. The players traditionally put on their panto in the village hall after Christmas, having begun rehearsals the previous September.
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the Community Award. “We are touched that somebody had thought of us and pleased that something that was seen as a staple of village life had been awarded something.” Over the past 10 years alone, Aston Players have raised £17,000 for local causes. They always donate to Rainbows, but other beneficiaries have included the local primary school and the air ambulance. In the past, the players sometimes also put on summer shows. n Aston Players is currently lacking a chairperson, a treasurer and a secretary. Anyone who wants to get involved is asked to contact the group through its Facebook page.
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JOHN Mason, from Ticknall, has written to the Village Voice of his surprise after spotting legendary adventurer Rosie Swale Pope in the local area.
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Fresh cofffee delivered to your door! l Rosie Swale Pope with Giselle Mason in the car park of the Crewe & Harpur.
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Local churches’ £3,000 Christian Aid fund target
14 Village Voice May 2021
CHURCHES in Melbourne are once again marking Christian Aid week and hope to raise £3,000 from their fund-raising efforts. Envelopes are being distributed through doors for people to donate if they
would like to. Christian Aid week takes place from May 10-16 and Melbourne churches get together each year to raise money. Over the last few years, £16,000 has been raised from efforts made by Melbourne church groups. This year Christian Aid week is focusing on the effects of extreme weather, attributed to climate change, which are experienced by people living in the poorer countries of the world. Droughts and flooding hits these countries hard and means that people can struggle to survive without a reliable water source. One solution given by the charity is an earth dam to create a source of water and enable people to grow food. Lorraine Robinson, of Melbourne, is contributing to the week’s fund-raising by litter picking with her grandchildren. You can contribute to her efforts here: https://tinyurl.com/jk77jx6b. There is a link to the Christian Aid fundraising page here too.
l Lorraine Robinson (right) is pictured litter picking for Christian Aid with her granddaughter Violet.
Firm’s charity work rewarded
l Jonny McPhee (left), managing director of Invictus Group, holds up the CSR Associate accreditation, presented to him by Daniel Dunne, of Burton-based Payaro.
A KIND-HEARTED Melbourne-based business which has raised thousands of pounds for charity has been recognised for its contribution to the community. Invictus Group on Derby Road has been given a prestigious CSR Accreditation award in return for its staff ’s efforts over the years to support good causes across the country. They include its managing director, Jonny McPhee, who has pledged to run the London Marathon in aid of the Rosie May Foundation. A charity the company has supported for a number of years, the foundation helps children, especially girls, who are in crisis. Invictus was given the award on behalf of social responsibility firm CSR-A by Burton company Payaro, which is a newly established ethical supplier of electronic payment systems. Invictus will be part of Payaro’s movement, which plans to use its payment systems to do good in the community, including donating a percentage of every Our Solicitors will guide you through the process and advise you financial transaction that goes through a on the best structure of a Will relating to your circumstances. Payaro machine to the Buddy Bag Foundation, a Midlands-based charity that
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helps young children who are in emergency accommodation after fleeing domestic violence. Payaro also wants to use its technology to create town centre loyalty schemes, where customers can earn points by buying goods or services at one business and then cash them in at a neighbouring outlet. Jonny said: “We have always done our bit to raise money for good causes and help in the community when we can, so it is very rewarding to have had that commitment formally recognised. “We are particularly excited to be a part of Payaro’s ethical approach to business, because they allow us to continue our approach of forming collaborations with local companies and will put our products and services to good use by using them to raise money for charity or help communities get back on their feet following the coronavirus lockdown.” Daniel Dunne, owner of Payaro, said: “We are still getting ourselves established, but we realised early on that we wanted to work with Jonny and the Invictus Group because they combine their business activities with a commitment to helping others in the community. “CSR is really important to us, because by encouraging companies to be more aware of the impact of their business on the rest of society, they will contribute to sustainable development by delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders. “
Plan for new village homes thrown out
PROPOSALS for 28 new homes in Weston-on-Trent have been thrown out again because they would mean building in the countryside. Ilke Developments, a Yorkshire-based modular housing company, originally applied to build the homes on land off Weston Road in March 2020. The parcel of agricultural land involved is a little under three acres in size, around one and a half football pitches. South Derbyshire District Council rejected the proposals last summer, saying the homes would be an “unwarranted incursion into the countryside”. Developers appealed but a planning inspector has now dismissed this appeal, upholding the original decision to refuse the homes. Ilke wanted to build a mix of one, two and three-bed properties, of which nine were proposed to be affordable. They had already asked the community for their views by posting letters through doors. All but one of those who responded said they did not want the homes to be built. Ilke then reduced their proposal from 34
by Lucy Stephens
homes to 28. An application to build six homes on the same bit of land had already been refused in 2014. Much of the argument around the latest development centred around whether the district council could demonstrate a fiveyear housing supply. This is a critical factor in planning decisions because it means that considerations such as building outside a village’s boundary might not apply. The developers said the council did not have this five-year supply and, therefore, there was an unmet need for housing, so their proposal should be permitted. In their appeal, they also argued that the coronavirus pandemic had affected the rate of home-building, placing more strain on the council’s projections as to how many homes it could deliver. But the planning inspector said that overall he found the council’s estimates on housing supply to be “well researched and reasonable”. The appeal was heard on March 16 and
the planning inspector visited Weston on his own the next day. He made several arguments in reaching the conclusion the homes should not be allowed, one of which was that despite the fact people could walk or cycle to Aston to get to shops, they would be likely to rely on cars. Concluding, he said that while the development would generate some benefits such as affordable homes, as well as financial contributions to the community, it would harm the character and appearance of the area, as well as high quality agricultural land and, therefore, should not be allowed. Cllr Graham Harper, chair of Weston-onTrent Parish Council, said: “Weston on Trent Parish Council is very happy with the planning inspector’s refusal of the Ilke Homes attempt to force an unwarranted development onto prime agricultural land outside of the village boundary. “South Derbyshire District Council went to a lot of trouble and expense to produce a Local Plan covering housing provision within its area of responsibility and this refusal is clear justification that SDDC has done the right thing by its residents.”
Autumn opening hope for spa
l Artist’s impressions of how the spa will look.
BUILDING work is underway for a new luxury spa in Wilson. The spa is at Breedon Priory Health Club, and director Signourney Gates said: “We are very excited by the addition of our new luxury spa to our already successful health and fitness club. “We hope to launch the spa this autumn and are confident it will give our customers an exclusive facility that is unrivalled anywhere in the region. “The new spa will also benefit both local businesses and communities through job creation and the increase in visitors to the local area.” The large scale project was given planning permission a few years ago and also involves six new holiday lodges sited on a former golf course.
Thank you for the kind send-off VILLAGE VOICE Postbag
HAVING decided upon retiring as your County Councillor at the May election, I wish to give my thanks to the Village Voice for the very kind ‘send-off ’ (April edition). This was much appreciated, and sure to guarantee me a halo at some stage but, more likely, some notoriety! I also wish to thank sincerely those who have supported me since 2012 when I first set out on this venture and encouraging me to become involved with local community “grass roots politics” as well as by delivering leaflets. This is where it all began and
it really did become all-encompassing. During my tenure I was very proud of becoming chairman of the county council which then included civic duties, representing the council all over the county at many events whether rain or shine. What a beautiful county we live in. A highlight was the invitation to Buckingham Palace to one of HM’s garden parties where I met a huge number of people who had given public service, not necessarily from a political background, which paled my own.
Over the last eight years there have been significant changes and challenges in my life, and age often shows little mercy. I strongly believe that it is important for younger people to become involved in what is going on around them, it is their world also, and with that, I lay down my gauntlet to them. Au Revoir to potholes!! Linda Chilton County Councillor for Melbourne (now retired).
Village Voice welcomes your opinions. Email them to letters@melbournevillagevoice.co.uk
Village Voice May 2021 15
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18 Village Voice May 2021
JOB VACANCIES
Working to keep flood water at bay by Lucy Stephens
COMPLEX drainage works which have shut Robinson’s Hill for weeks are aimed at trying to mitigate floods. The works, which are still ongoing, have seen the district and county councils working together to improve drainage, so that water can flow away better when downpours hit. The aims are to improve drainage on the playing surfaces at Melbourne Sports Park and mitigate flood risks for residents on Robinson’s Hill and Ashby Road. Up at Melbourne Sports Park, extremely boggy pitches have caused problems for Melbourne Rugby Club. To try to alleviate this problem, a Turf Dry system has been installed to gather surface water. This has involved pitches being sliced open and special pipes inserted. A ring main pipe was then installed around the sports park to collect all surface water from the clubhouse and pitches. The water will then flow into a new pipe being laid along the centre of the road down Robinson’s Hill. This pipe goes right down the road, before crossing over Ashby Road. It then joins a part ditch/part pipe system which takes water down to the brook where it will feed into Melbourne Pool and into the natural water course. Cllr Martin Fitzpatrick said the district council had ensured the ditch and pipe system across the fields below Ashby Road were improved, in agreement with the landowner. At the same time, Derbyshire County Council has made improvements to the highways drainage system at the bottom of Robinson’s Hill, an area which has seen bad flooding during heavy rainfall. Highways drains have been enlarged and new pipework connected to join the district council’s outfall pipe across the Ashby Road, the aim being to make the drainage system more efficient. The pre-existing drainage system that passed under some residents’ homes in the local area re-
mains in place. But the new works have now taken much surface water away from this system, meaning that the already existing pipes should see much lower volumes of water in the future. ABOVE: Cllr Martin Fitzpatrick beside new drainage works at Melbourne Sports Park. LEFT: The outflow from the new drainage works leading to Melbourne Pool. RIGHT: The view up Robinson’s Hill where the works have been done.
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WE’VE just had our first two sessions with our lovely new 2021 Duke of Edinburgh volunteers. We started back a day after the sad news of the death of HRH Prince Philip, so we marked our respects with a minute’s silence and also thought about the amazing work that all the DofE volunteers have achieved. Founded by the Prince in 1956, the scheme still gives over 290,000 young people each year the opportunity to find new interests, gain self-confidence and a sense of purpose. Young people who have taken part are being asked to add their memories of taking part on the DofE website, to celebrate the impact of the Duke’s legacy. As the Duke also helped found the World Wildlife Fund UK in 1961 and was its first president, I like to think he’d have been really proud of our volunteers’ achievements in looking after the environment and caring for nature and wildlife. The DofE teenagers are from various secondary schools in the area and are joined by other local young people and ably assisted by a team of fantastic Whistlewood volunteers every two weeks on a Saturday afternoon. Over the past few years, we’ve had over 40 young people on
this programme, helping us with various jobs on site. They’ve made a real difference to our project in so many ways. They’ve helped with our water collection system, building the decking area around the roundhouse and wooden bridges across the stream as well as created the hazel balustrade for the accessible composting toilet ramp. They’ve also helped out at the mid-summer-ish music festival and worked on creating wildlife habitats. Working in all weathers and seasons, we’re always really impressed by their enthusiasm, maturity and willingness to get stuck in. In return for their hard work, we make sure there’s a chance to learn new skills like tree care and pruning, learning how to safely light a fire – which means they also get to toast marshmallows and make popcorn. It’s great to see them having fun and enjoying themselves especially after such a disruptive year for them; we really missed hosting the volunteering for them in 2020, so we’re really happy to welcome them back. – Katherine Parrish
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Evie helping the kids to take up golf
Village Voice May 2021 19
MELBOURNE golf coach Evie Carter is heading up one of only two US Kids tours of the game in England this Spring. Evie, a Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) coach who teaches the sport at Coalville, Lingdale Golf Club and Denstone College, is the director of the East Midlands tour for golfers up to the age of 14. Evie says the US Kids golf tour is a great way for young players to get some good experience as they do not need to belong to a club to take part, and nor do they need a handicap. Parents are able to caddy for l Melbourne Town CC 1st team: back row (l-r) Ash Elwell, Sohail Hussain, Muhammad Nadeem, Matt Briers, Anthony Barnes, their children; there is the opMarc Towell; front row Zale Wood, Muhammed Tayyab, Alex Slater (captain), Ben Walton and Tom Shearsby. tion of playing nine or 18 holes; and participants play from a designated tee-off area to allow for a level playing field for a range of abilities. During lockdown, Evie completed the US Kids Coach prol Scarlet and Sienna Bicks. The club’s second team fared a bit better as they won their first gramme MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club sides finally made their which league game of the season away to Packington. The home side has led to her becoming a director for the current tournareturn to competitive action in the month of April. They scored 153 all out, batting first with 3-16 by Ranjit Rathore and 3- ment. began the 2021 season with the first team opening their Di7 from Lara Shaw leading the way with the ball. vision 3-South campaign. This is the highest level Town She is particularly keen to encourage juniors to take up Ash Elwell was in great early season form as he scored 75 not the game having started playing herself aged 12. have ever played at – and what a tough start it has been. out supported by fellow opener Sam Adcock (35). Rathore capped Early player unavailability has hit the team hard and con“From my perspective, I was such a shy, timid person,” a fine game with 35 not out to ease Melbourne to a nine-wicket vic- said Evie. “As soon as I started to play golf, it taught me so tributed to a heavy 192-run home defeat to Elvaston 2nds. tory with over eight overs to spare. The visitors were pegged back by good spells of 2-25 by Matt many life skills.” It was a tougher match the week after as Hartshorne 2nds travBriers and 2-32 from Muhammad Nadeem, but dropped catches Evie is directing six events as part of the current tour, in elled to Melbourne Sports Park and it was thanks to a superb 81 which some of the juniors she also coaches are taking part. proved costly as Elvaston went onto to score 261 all out. In reply only opener Zale Wood (26) contributed as Town were from skipper Fraser Radcliffe plus 34 by Sam Jenkinson that Town She said: “It’s just a great opportunity for the kids who managed to post a respectable 167 all out. Despite a good spell of have been to the driving range and want to start progressshot out for just 69. 2-27 from Alex Roome the visitors limped to their target, taking ing and competing. A week later, travelling to Risley 1st team, it did not get much four extra overs to win by five wickets. better as Melbourne lost the toss and were put in. They were “They are getting to socialise, it teaches valuable life The club’s match ball sponsors for their early season games were skills; integrity, honesty, socialising with people from differbowled out for just 60 with the home side reaching their total for Gateway Surveyors and Orbit Design Ltd. the loss of just three wickets. ent walks of life. It gets them out in the fresh air.”
Tough start to the cricket season
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New courts prove a smash hit for players
20 Village Voice May 2021
SPORT
THE THREE new artificial courts at Melbourne Tennis Club were initiated in glorious spring sunshine at the end of April. Given that work only started in February, getting them fin-
ished for use this season is a great achievement. It is also a mark of the growth of the sport locally that the club has been able to raise the requisite funding through events, donations, loans and
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BREEDON DERN Part of FIN BY SMISBY MILTON
grants in the space of a fouryear period. A total of £150,000 was needed to fund them. The synthetic surface was a hit with the first players on the courts. “Absolutely fantastic” was the overall conclusion, and with much more flexibility than the hard courts it was “much easier on the knees” for some of the senior players. “It may even extend some playing careers,” one thought. The extra courts will enable the growing number of members at the club to get their bookings more easily at peak times and, it is hoped, will enable the club to go on and achieve the status of Centre of Tennis Excellence in South Derbyshire. It is also hoped that the additional courts will enable the club to enter more teams in the Derbyshire and Burton Tennis Leagues. With full membership costing
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MELBOURNE Tennis Club celebrated the opening of their three new courts with a win for their ladies team in their first competitive match for over a year, as they entertained Ilkeston in a Derbyshire League match. A team consisting of captain Karen Brenchley, who partnered Pat Milham, plus couples Sallie Allen/Lesley Heath and Judith Hancock/Nicola Tomlinson all won their matches as Melbourne started their season with a convincing 9-0 win.
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FOOTBALL returned to Melbourne in April as all four senior sides at least got to play some competitive matches after such a long lay-off. The Dynamo Saturday first team started with a 1-0 home defeat against Cromford & Wirksworth in a friendly but returned to winning ways in their first league game back. A double from Matt Brian plus goals by Karl Munton, Matt Savage and Jack Goodband gave Dynamo a convincing 5-2 home
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win against Linby Reserves. A mid-week trip to Clifton All-whites development side saw Gavin Salisbury’s men come away with all three points. A 4-2 win was thanks to strikes from Harry Foxon and Jack Goodband plus another brace for Matt Brian. But that was followed by two frustrating defeats, the first being away to PNG. With the appointed official not showing up, a member of the PNG club took charge of the match and this proved to be Melbourne's downfall as they had two players sent off in going down 1-0 to a controversial penalty. Their fourth game in 10 days also ended in defeat. Away to Selston Reserves, Dynamo were 1-0 up through a Jack Bodill, strike, but keeper Jarvis proved a turning point as Melbourne ended up going down 3-1. Dynamo Reserves have made a solid start to their Division 1 Cup and began with a 5-1 win away at Newhall United. Callum Horton led the way with a stunning hat-trick, goals from Dom Hurst and Dave Brough completing the scoring. This was soon followed by another victory, this time in midweek against Hilton Harriers
Reserves. A double by Joe Shadbolt plus finishes by Jacob Dusroth and in-form Callum Horton completed the scoring. A 3-2 away win versus high flying Acorn Albion was next with the same three players getting on the scoresheet to claim the three points to end the month top of their cup division. Melbourne Dynamo Development side carried on their good form in their only other game of April as they hammered Derby United 6-1. Conor Poynton led the way with a hat-trick along with goals from Jake Hull, Gav Spencer and Euan Barnes. Melbourne Dynamo Sunday side earned their first win since football’s return as they beat Field Lane Reserves 3-0 with strikes by Liam Orme and Phil Mellors plus an Adam Smith header securing the three points. This was followed by a hard fought 2-2 draw away to Wilmot Arms as a Liam Orme double earnt the draw for Ross Carcary's men. A disappointing 2-0 away defeat to White Horse ended the Sunday side’s month as they sit in mid-table with four games to go in their mini-league.