Melbourne Village Voice September 2020

SARAH’S 1,000 HOT MEALS ARE A BOON No. 334 September 2020

by LUCY STEPHENS

JACKS café in Melbourne may have been shut for the past five months, but owner Sarah Best has not been far from a hot stove all this time.

Sarah, who owns Jacks with mum Jackie, has still been busy cooking more than a thousand hot meals for elderly and vulnerable people near where she lives in Hemington.

“It started when we had to shut down Jacks because of Covid,” said Sarah. “Everything was all in a bit of a pickle in the world.

“I live in Hemington now so I approached the Castle Donington Volunteer Centre and said I was at a loose end and I knew there were a lot of people out there who were struggling with shopping.

“I said, ‘how about I make some home-made meals and freeze them; proper, hearty meals like cottage pie and stew and dumplings?’”

The idea took off quickly and Sarah has been cooking solidly for a couple of days a week throughout lockdown, preparing meals which are delivered to people in the surrounding area in return for a small charge to cover her costs.

“You know when you think ‘I just want to do my bit to help people’?”

ON LINE

said Sarah. “Someone who’s struggling hasn’t then got to worry about getting to the shop.”

With access to food wholesalers because of her own business, Sarah said she was glad to be able to provide something of real need during the coronavirus lockdown.

But she said she had little imagined how popular the idea would be.

Delivery of the meals was organised by the volunteer centre so Sarah has not met any of the people she has been cooking for.

She has now made 1,100 meals single-handedly, with classics such as fish pie, macaroni cheese with smoked bacon, and home-made oldfashioned faggots the biggest hits.

“There are a lot of people out there who are still nervous and worried, especially about whether there is going to be a second wave,” said Sarah.

“When I started, I thought there might be a few people out there, and to have made more than 1,000 meals and know there are people who I have made a real difference to, just to have helped, has been fantastic.”

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IT IS with great sadness that the Village Voice reports the passing of our long-standing photographer, Pete Clough.

Pete, of Melbourne, passed away on Saturday, August 22.

Pete had been taking photographs for the Village Voice for the past 18 years.

A full celebration of Pete’s life will be published in our October edition.

l Jacks owner Sarah Best outside the café, which re-opened on Thursday, September 3.

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Rooms getting back to normal

CLASSES are slowly coming back to Melbourne Assembly Rooms.

Melbourne Parish Council’s latest meeting on September 1 heard from parish council chair Sheila Hicklin that classes were “slowly but surely” returning to the venue.

Zumba and pilates have been two of the classes to be now resuming at the Assembly Rooms. Meanwhile, it is still up in the air what form any Christmas lights switch-on ceremony will be able to take this year, the meeting heard.

The road closure notice that is necessary for the Melbourne event has been granted.

Over the border in Leicestershire, however, the local authority has refused to grant any road closure notices for any public events, councillors were told.

CURRENT OPENING TIMES Every day 10am - 4pm (Closed Monday) Afternoon Tea bookings now being taken.

Afternoon Teas also available to takeaway however booking is still required The very popular ‘Cream Tea in a box’ will remain available.

It’s so good to be back!!

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Campaigners Zoom in on MP

l Pictured at the Toyota site are (l-r) Andy Munns, senior manager, Toyota Facilities & Environment; Brell Ewart, Whitehouse chairman and chief executive; Ian Clemson, principal engineer, Toyota Facilities & Environment; MP Heather Wheeler; Carl Jamieson, Whitehouse contracts manager; Richard Jamieson, Whitehouse production director; and Ben Cook, Toyota project manager.

SOUTH Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler is being called on by concerned local environmentalists to sign the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill.

The bill (https://www.ceebill.uk/) calls on the UK to deal with its entire carbon footprint, overseas and in this country; to protect and conserve nature here and overseas along supply chains; not to rely on technology to save the day, “used as an excuse to carry on polluting as usual”, and for a citizens’ assembly “with bite” giving ordinary people their say.

More than 80 South Derbyshire residents, including people from Melbourne, Barrow, Ticknall and Stanton-by-Bridge, are in dialogue with the MP as they urge the Government to act fast to tackle climate change.

The group signed an open letter to Mrs Wheeler earlier this year, which was followed by a Zoom call between the MP and the concerned locals.

Mrs Wheeler has twice written to local campaigners, outlining the measures the Government is taking to tackle the issue of climate change.

This includes the Environmental Bill which, she said, would be pushed forward and debated after the summer recess.

The bill includes legally binding targets so that future governments would have to stick to them too.

Other measures include a £40million Green Recovery Challenge Fund; £350million Government investment in heavy industry, helping businesses in construction, space and transport to decarbonise; £400million in aerospace to achieve the first zero-emissions aircraft; millions for green jobs, a pledge to plant 30,000 hectares of trees a year in the UK, and £80million for the Latin American rainforest this year.

But campaigners have said these investments

are too heavily concentrated in industries such as road infrastructure which require biodiversity to be destroyed, and will not deliver the necessary carbon cuts within the timescales needed.

On tree planting, they say these are likely to be mono cultures of trees which are not as good at capturing CO2 as old, established woodland.

One of the projects that is objected to is HS2, where woodland is being cut down to create the new rail link to the north of England.

Mrs Wheeler has replied to say that HS2 has its place in bringing UK to a net-zero carbon economy, as it will help reduce the number of cars and lorries on the road and cut demand for domestic flights.

She said it was estimated that carbon emissions produced in creating and operating phase one of HS2 over 120 years would be the same as one month from the UK’s road network.

This year, the Government brought forward to 2035 the date at which sales of all new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans will end in the UK, subject to consultation.

Previously, the date had been set at 2040, but the Independent Committee on Climate Change had advised that this would not allow enough time for the UK to be net zero by mid-century.

Mrs Wheeler sited a new road construction being used to build the Derby Hub at Toyota as one example of a new environmentally way of building.

The new “RoadCem” road by Derbyshire firm Whitehouse Construction uses a system developed in the Netherlands which means no material has to be taken away from the site. Toyota has estimated RoadCem has eliminated the need for 3,000 lorry journeys as well as providing a far more lasting solution.

Mrs Wheeler said she would be speaking to ministers about RoadCem in the hope it could be rolled out nationally.

– Lucy Stephens

Surgery ‘not closing’ response to critics

“MELBOURNE Surgery has no plans to close” confirms the local practice manager responding to complaints about the levels of service and unsubstantiated rumours of its closure.

Critical comments about the availability of appointments, the lack of certain services (eg blood tests), a general frustration about getting through by telephone have been aired frequently on social media.

One letter to the Village Voice (see Page 8) brazenly proposes potential uses for the surgery building after it closes! Local County Cllr Chilton says she has been ‘inundated’ with complaints about the level of service and has been in communication with the NHS and with the local MP. Responding to these criticisms, practice manager Alison Coomer recognises that patience in getting back to a normal situation has been running thin and explains that the local medical teams both in Melbourne and Chellaston are working hard to overcome the difficulties which have come with the pandemic.

Alison said: “During the COVID pandemic the practice remained open and continued to provide a GP service, albeit a different service to that previously offered.

“There has been, and continues to be, GP presence at both Melbourne and Chellaston sites. Initially patients who had suspected COVID were seen at our Chellaston site for safety reasons as the facilities there are larger, providing greater protection to staff, doctors and patients. Hub sites were subsequently arranged at a site at Derby University for patients to be seen who were suspected of having COVID. “NHS England have provided recommendations to all GP surgeries across the country on how to manage patient care through these times and these include telephone consultations, video consultations and in some cases, where clinically relevant, face to face consultations. I can confirm that these are being carried out at both the Melbourne and Chellaston sites.”

Regarding services that have moved away from the Melbourne surgery like blood testing and podiatry, she explained: “These decisions were out of our hands and have been made by the departments that run them and are likely due to cost saving as the NHS funding wasn’t good even before COVID. “We are looking to get Hearing Clinics restarted at both sites. Phlebotomy is run by the Royal Derby Hospital. They have not been able to provide resource for these clinics locally, hence the reason why we can’t offer at the surgery.

“People requesting blood tests are being given instructions from reception about how to book online at a community clinic. Unfortunately, this will mean a trip in towards Derby (Coleman Street) but we have worked very hard to get the phlebotomy services returned to the surgeries but to no avail. We continue to work hard in getting some service restored.”

In respect of contacting the surgery and getting GP consulta-

Village Voice September 2020 3

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Council questions over future plans

MELBOURNE Parish Council is to write to the local doctors’ surgery to ask what its plans are, following numerous complaints about how it is operating at the moment.

Melbourne Parish Council’s latest meeting, held on September 1, heard from several councillors who said they were often asked about what was happening with the surgery.

While appointments are available, the door is not open for people to just walk in.

There have been complaints about difficulties in getting an appointment due to long phone waiting times.

One councillor said that she had phoned up to try to get an appointment, but when she heard she was 18th in the queue just gave up.

Parish council chair Sheila Hicklin said that, while the surgery had circulated information to patients, “it’s quite obvious that it’s not functioning fully”.

She said: “It’s not just this parish – parishioners in Ticknall are getting quite agitated, they are having to go to Chellaston.”

Later on, she added: “I feel very sorry for the elderly in our community.”

The meeting also heard concerns from members regarding the way that the surgery disseminated information.

tions, she said: “All contact with either surgery is via telephone; we have requested an intercom be installed at the Melbourne surgery; both sites are equipped for video consultations. However, the fact still remains that patients should only be attending the surgery if they have an appointment with a clinician, or if they need to collect paperwork.

“Appointment booking is not available at the desk at either surgery. There are notices on the doors of either surgery to give contact details.”

She went on to say that this is a “… realistic view of the NHS at the present time and I am sorry my response cannot be more positive. Needless to say, that Melbourne surgery has no plans to close permanently. We just ask that the patients follow instructions, despite ‘their patience running out a bit’. We all have had to adapt very quickly.”

– Frank Hughes n PEWS from St Wilfrid’s Church in Barrow-uponTrent have been snapped up by local residents keen to preserve a piece of local history.

Last month, we reported how long-awaited lotteryfunded transformation works to the 10th century church were currently underway, which will see no more pews inside when it reopens.

Instead, there will be stackable chairs for a more multi-use building.

This pew has been bought

by Paul Busfield, who grew up in Barrow but now lives in Aston-on-Trent.

DAVE ARMSTRONG - 27th June 1951 to 5th July 2020.

Ros, Liz & Matt wish to thank everyone for the kind words and fond memories received in the many cards & letters following Dave’s death. The kindness of friends and the community has been overwhelming and a massive help during this sad time.

Thank you to everyone who came to witness and applaud Dave’s final journey, a very moving tribute to him - he would have loved it!

To all who gave donations in Dave’s memory to benefit Cancer Research UK and the Injured Jockeys Fund, these have been much appreciated by both charities.

Special thanks to the Community Nurses, Dr J Long and Sally Grice Funeral Service for their caring compassion and support throughout.

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Testing time for students

4 Village Voice September 2020

IN A year unlike any other, teenagers across the area are still looking to the future after collecting their GCSE results.

Normally, the Village Voice attends Chellaston Academy to interview students receiving their GCSEs and A-levels, but we were not able to do so this year due to continued COVID restrictions.

It has been an anxious time for 15 and 16-yearolds, who along with A-level students have not been able to sit their exams as normal due to the virus lockdown.

Then there was further confusion as the Government had initially applied an algorithm to the results teachers had assessed for their pupils, which in many cases marked them down.

But a last-minute change of heart from Whitehall meant that students were actually awarded the grades at which their teachers had assessed them.

One student to be pleased was Eva Gormley, a pupil at Derby High, who turned 16 just after receiving her results.

With GCSEs now rated on a scale of 1-9, on which a 7 is an old ‘A’ grade, and 8 an A*, Eva was pleased with two 9s for French and English Literature, along with six 8 grades and a 7 in: English language, history, maths, three sciences, German and music.

Eva said she had been disappointed not to be given the chance to show what she could do under exam conditions.

She said: “I felt really disappointed that I

wasn’t able to use everything that I had planned to prove that I deserved a certain grade. A lot of us were really sad and disappointed.

“I worried a lot. It’s your GCSEs. It’s two years of work and you want to get decent grades.”

But she said she was “very pleased” with the results that she gained.

Eva is now going on to sixth form where she is studying A-levels in French, German, Maths and Psychology. She hopes to one day join the RAF as a linguist.

This year, Derby High School saw nearly half of its GCSE grades at 8 or 9, and nearly three quarters at 7-9.

Headteacher Mrs Amy Chapman said: “We are immensely proud of these results and of the tremendous effort made by our students and staff, who should feel very happy with their achievements today.

“Our Year 11 students have had a challenging few months at the end of their GCSE courses, as they have had the uncertainty of exactly how they would be graded. In the end, the Government accepted there was no simple way to award grades that students were not permitted to sit and reversed their original decision to use a statistical model.

“Instead they have reverted to the professionalism and integrity of teachers who know each student as an individual, reflecting the evidence collected over the five terms of assessed work and mock examination results.”

– Lucy Stephens

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School ‘will be back on track’

l Eva Gormley, 16, of Milton, with her GCSE results

THE new chair of governors at Chellaston Academy has reassured parents that she is confident the range of changes being put in place will put the school back on track.

This September, the academy, which has pupils from Melbourne, Ticknall, Aston, Weston and Barrow, has a new chair of governors, new head teacher, new deputy head and new interim chief executive officer of the overarching Peak Multi Academy Trust.

The former chief executive officer, Kevin Gaiderman, has now left the trust, and has been thanked for his work.

The raft of fresh faces at the school’s leadership comes after

difficult times for the academy.

An Ofsted inspection last July judged it inadequate due to administrative safeguarding issues.

Parents were written to during the summer to introduce the new chair of governors, Ann Witheford, and the new interim trust chief executive officer, Anne Martin, who is executive head teacher at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School multi academy trust, in Ashbourne.

Parents were told that the Department for Education had concerns that Peak Multi Academy Trust was not able to bring about the swift improvement needed which would mean, if not addressed, it would move to an-

Academy grades higher

THIS year’s A-level results at Chellaston Academy improved on last year’s grades, the new chair of governors said.

Ann Witheford said the school was “extremely proud” of all students for their hard work at school and resilience over the last few months.

Students collected their grades on August 13, having been unable to sit exams this year.

Ms Witheford said there was an increase in the proportion of grades between A*-B and A*-C. She said: “Nearly all students who applied to university gained places, including many on extremely competitive courses at elite institutions with destinations spanning from Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, Nottingham and Derby.

“We have students who leave us to study medicine and veterinary science as well as mechanical engineering and midwifery. As an academy, we will continue to work with all students and their parents and carers to support them in securing their next steps.

“We will now focus our attention on the official appeal procedure to ensure that all students get the grades that they deserve.”

other trust.

Speaking to the Village Voice, Ann Witheford said she was “confident” that Chellaston Academy would be able to bring about the changes needed.

She said: “I realise that the school has been through a difficult period, not just in terms of Ofsted, but also in terms of Covid, like all schools.

“I totally acknowledge that there may be a lot of anxieties. I would like to reassure parents.

First of all, we want to listen to parents.

“We are determined to change things and we are doing that through new leaders working with existing leaders.

“There’s a new vision for the school that’s based on care for every child’s education.”

New head teacher Ryan Metters arrives at Chellaston Academy from John Port Spencer Academy in Etwall where he was vice-principal.

Over the summer, parents have been invited to meet the new head, in small groups due to coronavirus.

Ms Witheford said that work was also being put in place to ensure that, in the event of another lockdown due to coronavirus, pupils would be able to swiftly carry on with their online learning.

“We’ve also worked really hard to put in measures so that, if we have to go into lockdown, we can quickly introduce much more online learning than we had,” she said.

£35,000 booster for play area

LOTHIAN Gardens will remain shut over the coming weeks, but when it re-opens there will be £35,000 new play equipment for youngsters to enjoy.

The latest meeting of Melbourne Parish Council on September 1 heard how a safety inspection by RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) had failed the toddler play equipment for health and safety.

Councillors decided to keep the play area closed in order for the equipment to be replaced.

It has been shut since coronavirus lockdown because it was felt that the council would not be able to keep the public safe from the spread of the virus.

Families who use the play area were thanked for their patience during this time.

Melbourne Parish Council has been awarded a £17,500 grant by South Derbyshire District Council towards the new large piece

Village Voice September 2020 5

Effie is following her dreams of stardom

THIS girl from Melbourne has stars in her eyes after beating off thousands to win a rare place at an elite musical theatre school – over Zoom!

Effie Ballard, a year six pupil at Melbourne Junior School, did not let the coronavirus pandemic hold her back from following her dreams.

During lockdown, she was one of 32 to win a place with the StageBox musical theatre development programme, out of 15,000 applicants nationwide.

Effie also won a place with Jodie Steele Associates, another elite programme. She starts working with StageBox in Birmingham next February.

Having played Marta Von Trapp in The Sound of Music at Nottingham Theatre Royal last October, Effie was due to perform at Derby Theatre in Treasure Island, alongside a professional cast back in March, but this had to be postponed due to coronavirus.

Throughout lockdown, she has continued to train with twice weekly Zoom workshops with West End professionals.

Pre-Covid, she has been training in Derby and Burton in singing, dance, musical theatre, piano and bass guitar, and is an associate of Urdang Academy in London.

Mum Louisa said her daughter loved to perform.

“We have converted a room into a home studio for her so she is able to continue training via Zoom, and to compete via video,” she said.

Effie’s recent singing titles include International Champion Prestige Junior Novice for Singing, and Juvenile and overall singing gold medalist in a UK wide virtual singing festival.

During October half-term, Effie will spend the

of equipment for the youngest children using the playground.

The parish council will match this, meaning new £35,000 equipment is now being purchased and installed. It was expected this process would take around nine weeks.

l Artist’s impression of the new play equipment to be The parish council has consulted with local installed (copyright: Proludic.) and (below) the play primary schools and Scallywags nursery in equipment to be replaced. order to put together its bid for funding.

Now councillors are looking at updating the facilities for older children at Lothian Gardens.

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

CChamp Ch hhaamp ham mppa pagne pag agn gne gn nnee Bre B rrea reak eak akkkf kfa kfast ffas ast as sstt

The Bay Th B Tr Tree Courty yarrd

week in Birmingham with the StageBox team honing her musical theatre skills.

She is represented by McKenna Management and regularly auditions for stage and screen opportunities.

Effie is hoping that theatres will be able to host full audiences again soon so that Derby Theatre is able to stage Treasure Island, after it was cancelled.

– Lucy Stephens

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6 Village Voice September 2020

Country Living

HARVEST MOAN with Robert Parker

AS I write this on the last day of August the weather is dull and cloudy and oh so cold, compared to what we had in the first half of the month.

The wheels of harvest haven’t turned for over a week and the forecast for the coming few days is not what I would call promising.

Many thousands of acres of crops are now fully ready to be harvested and are starting to deteriorate. Heads of grain, particularly barley, are starting to drop off due to the very wet and windy conditions of late.

I’ll say no more as you know my obsession with the weather and I will start to be called pessimistic! n I have never seen the fruits of the fields and hedges come to maturity so early.

We have three horse chestnut or conker trees which I planted over 20 years ago and the nuts are littering the ground.

This is weeks earlier than an average season, which would normally be at the end of September.

Apples, pears and soft fruits are pretty much as early and if your runner beans are like ours then they were over a week ago. A very short season. n A list of birds which have very low populations is reviewed each year and I was shocked to see both wood pigeons and starlings on it.

This just cannot be right. I spend a lot of time walking around our hedges to check they are ‘stock proof ’ and every time I touch a hedge a pigeon flies off a nest. There are a lot of nests in our buildings, too.

The predominance of the pigeon was also part of our decision to stop growing oilseed rape. The damage they can do to this crop during the hungry gap between Christmas and Spring has to be seen to be believed.

Looking out of the window, a swallow is feeding its young on an overhead wire.

These must be the third brood to be reared this year. The massive journey very soon will test them to the limit.

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Pub holiday lets plan agreed

PLANS to build six holiday lets and expand the kitchen at the village pub in Milton have been green-lit.

The Swan Inn applied to create the holiday lets plus new kitchen extension, new front porch to help provide disabled access, and expanded dining area.

Applicants said that, like many rural pubs, a good food offer was important for its longterm viability. They also said that the holiday lets would help meet demand for overnight tourist accommodation in the area.

Jon Imber, speaking on behalf of The Swan at a virtual meeting of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee on August 25, said: “This application comes at a difficult time for the hospitality industry. With the survival of many rural pubs highly dependent on their food offer, the applicants have decided to overcome the constraints imposed by the restrictive kitchen accommodation and at the same

time benefit from increased demand for domestic tourist accommodation.

“The proposal would help meet an increased demand for UK tourist accommodation with holidays abroad facing an uncertain future.”

Planners also received more than 40 emails and letters, mainly of objection, but some of support. Some supported the expansion of a pub at a time when many are shutting across the UK, but others objected to the proximity of the holiday lets to existing homes, and to the fact that the expanded premises would bring increased traffic in a village where, the meeting heard, parking is already limited.

Councillor Andrew Churchill, of Repton ward, spoke on behalf of local residents objecting to the scheme.

He said: “This application has caused controversy and anxiety amongst a significant proportion of Milton residents.”

Objectors felt, he said, that there were already plenty of

Retro posters of Melbourne

THEY were all the rage in the 80s and 90s – now these much-loved retro posters of Melbourne are back in town.

Melbourne Parish Council chair Sheila Hicklin remembers selling the posters while working in the village’s Post Office back in the day.

Now she has rediscovered them in storage at the parish church.

Sheila (pictured) is offering the old posters in return for a donation to the Melbourne Parish Church, and has raised more than £300 so far.

“These posters were on sale in Melbourne in the 80s and early 90s for a charity,” she said. “There are people who have still got theirs framed!”

Anyone who would like a poster should get in touch with Sheila on 07907 271776.

places in the local area where overnight tourists could stay.

Councillor Churchill asked members to consider deferring their decision in order for the scheme to be redesigned.

A planning report prepared by the council said there was an opportunity to landscape the parking area at the pub, which would mean it could potentially accommodate extra cars.

It was also felt that, with the lack of outdoor canopy, noise could be naturally limited by the weather as people moved indoors.

Planning committee member Councillor Peter Watson said in the meeting: “I think it’s an excellent proposal. It will encourage people to visit Milton and visit the local communities in Repton and surrounding villages.

“It could hopefully bring some employment prospects to Milton in respect of the service that’s required, the cooking facilities and also the cleaning facilities.”

– Lucy Stephens

Village Voice September 2020 7

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Showing off flower power

ABOVE: Lesley Hough, chair of Melbourne Garden Club, with the 3m 42cm sunflower at her and husband Chris’s allotment on Blackwell Lane, Melbourne.

TOP RIGHT: Lottie and Daniel Sabin’s sunflower measuring 2m 90cm, in Melbourne.

RIGHT: Pots waiting for local children to grow their sunflowers.

CHILDREN and adults have been busy putting their green fingers to good use by growing some impressively high sunflowers this year.

Lesley Hough, chair of Melbourne Garden Club, said she and her husband Chris normally grew sunflowers from seed on their Blackwell Lane allotment.

This year’s three metre 42 cm flower, grown from seed, has been the highest they have ever managed, she said.

Meanwhile, children in the local area absolutely jumped at the chance to get horticultural when given the opportunity to grow their own sunflowers during lockdown.

Jonathan Panes, of Stanton-by-Bridge, set up a sunflower growing competition for children after finding a pack of seeds in his house, plus 18 pots and a bag of compost.

Via the Facebook page, Melbourne Needs an Essential Group – which he also set up – he offered children a seed, pot and compost which he would drop off at their home so they could grow their own sunflower.

Thinking it would be a fun activity that would

get youngsters outdoors during the restrictions, he found himself absolutely inundated with requests within minutes of advertising the contest.

Local families enthusiastically responded and he ended up travelling round local streets, delivering 150 seeds and pots of compost for children who wanted to join in!

Children were invited to measure their sunflower weekly, and post updates on its progress via social media.

“It’s been fun, I’m glad I did it,” said Jonathan.

“This was something for kids to get into every week and something different and happy. It was a bit of a difficult lockdown; this was just something to put a bit of a smile on people’s faces.”

Some of the sunflowers children have grown have fallen prey to high winds during August, but those who have made it through will be judged on September 20. n Has anyone grown a sunflower measuring higher than Lesley and Chris Hough’s three metre, 42 cm giant?

If you want to tell us about it, be in touch on news@melbournevillagevoice.co.uk.

It’s been a tough year. Let’s talk sunflowers.

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SECONDARY age pupils who have now returned to their classes have been given guidelines as to how to behave on the school bus.

Pupils aged over 11 must wear masks, unless they do not wear them for some reason, while travelling on buses. They have also been asked to sit in

the same seat each day if possible; face the front; not turn around; sit with people in the same year group; avoid touching anything other than their own things; and wash their hands as soon as they arrive home.

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The council has said it is likely to be putting on some extra vehicles to take students to school.

Where possible, they have been asked to walk, cycle or travel by car.

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Michael’s on a mission for mindfulness

8 Village Voice September 2020

A SOUTH Derbyshire history teacher is on a mission to teach children mental health techniques to try to help them as they reach their teens and later life.

When Michael Thorpe was at school in the early 2000s, he managed to get there less than half of the time.

Depression and anxiety meant that more often than not he could not even get out of the door.

Now 30 and a history teacher at John Port School, he is launching a not-for-profit organisation on a mission to help children, teenagers and teachers learn mindfulness tools to try to fend off mental health problems.

Michael has already been a regular at Weston on Trent Primary School and Shardlow Nursery where he has been working on mindfulness with children and teachers.

He is now opening up his Being Me organisation to other schools and will be running it with his sister, Nicola, and mum, Lisa.

Michael said: “We believe if children are given the tools and skills to train their mind and focus on the present moment, that we can help prevent mental health deterioration. Mental health problems often manifest from thinking outside the room and not in the present moment.

“When children have done their mindful activities, it’s remarkable how focused they are. Chil-

dren are naturally mindful; they don’t overthink, because they’ve got nothing to overthink about.”

Rather than asking children to close their eyes and meditate, which they find very difficult at a young age, mindfulness in youngsters instead involves activities that help them focus on the present moment, for example, by employing the five senses.

Being Me offers a programme of sessions for teachers, helping them help themselves with mindfulness and pass on techniques to their pupils, as well as going into secondary schools and talking to teenagers.

That work will involve discussion on modernday anxiety issues that many feel are exacerbated by social media, such as over comparison with other people, the perception of perfect lives, and fear of missing out on things we see others enjoy.

As a secondary school teacher himself, Michael can see that mental health issues are enormously prevalent amongst today’s young people.

“It’s getting towards full-on crisis stage,” he said. “In schools, what we find is that the very extreme and intense crises of mental health do get support. What we are also seeing now is a huge proportion that struggle on a daily basis – these are the ones who struggle in silence, maybe haven’t slept, have lots of friendship issues. It’s

l Michael Thorpe with his mother, Lisa, talking to young children.

absolutely huge.”

Technology and mobile phones, while they should not be entirely blamed for all mental health issues, certainly have their part to play.

“Suddenly, you have made hundreds of social connections,” said Michael.

“You’re always comparing, always trying to expand those connections, but they’re not true connections. A connection isn’t the same thing as being in someone’s company. Social media has made young people think that what the fashion and fitness industries class as ‘the perfect body’, is normal. This generation are exposed to this hundreds of times each day, so much more than previous generations. Don’t underestimate the effect this has on children.”

Having launched a depression self-help group for adults after finding his own way through with mindfulness, Michael and his family have now decided their mission lies in trying to help give children the tools to help themselves mentally later on.

“A lot of problems come from either ruminating on things that have happened or things that haven’t happened yet,” said Michael.

“From that, I thought, right: firstly, if you get students from a young age, by the time they get to their teens, they can almost bring themselves back to the present moment automatically.”

To find out more about Michael’s voluntary organisation, contact beingmeadm@gmail.com - Lucy Stephens

VILLAGE VOICE Postbag

Remembering David Hagues

FAMILY and friends were greatly saddened by the death of David Hagues in The Royal Derby Hospital on August 15.

David was a highly respected and popular resident of Kings Newton.

He had just spent one of the most eventful years of his life.

In January he and his wife, Margaret, had visited Portsmouth and Portugal before being locked down in their

French home until July 1. They celebrated New Year’s Eve in France. They also celebrated their return to the UK with a family barbecue before falling ill.

David was in his 81st year and had led a full and happy life.

He will always be remembered for his active involvement in village and wider community life.

He was one of the most prominent supporters of Chellaston

New use for surgery?

REDUNDANT buildings. Where other towns opt for demolition, Melbourne has been adept at finding new uses.

The United Reformed Church became houses, as did two of the schools. The secondary school is now a thriving community centre, while the Public Hall is a restaurant.

So what to do with the doctors surgery? With very limited services, progressively moved elsewhere, it’s time to think ahead.

An old people’s home maybe, close to town and with views across Brown’s field.

John Blunt, Staunton Harold.

School when it opened in 1977.

He served as chairman of the PTA and school governor. He helped with the organisation of the annual school half marathon.

As the first headmaster, I am indebted to him for the effort and time he spent on school affairs.

But David did much more. He was a good Rotarian and Probus member, serving as president of both organisations. One of the highlights of his Rotary experience was to take part in a visit to the Mississippi.

David was also awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship – Rotary’s top award.

I have not mentioned his efforts in enriching life in Kings Newton. I was privileged to have known David and honoured to be invited to attend his funeral in these uncertain times.

David will be greatly missed.

Howell Thomas Kirk Ireton

LOCK YOUR DOORS - POLICE

POLICE are reminding local residents to keep their homes secure after an attempted burglary in Melbourne.

The incident happened at around 11pm on Queensway on August 18.

The resident reported hearing the front door handle being tried in an attempt to gain access. Luckily, the door was locked.

Police said: “Please remember to keep your home secure. Even when inside, keep your door locked.”

Report means green is not green

MELBOURNE’S bowling green on Castle Street is not to be designated as a ‘Local Green Space’ according to a Government Planning Inspector’s recent report.

After five years since the inception of the process aimed at identifying and designating Local Green Spaces in South Derbyshire, the report issued in June this year highlighted two areas in particular that could not be designated. One is the bowling green in Melbourne, the other is a site on Kings Mill Lane in Weston on Trent.

The report required the deletion of both sites as main modifications to the plan in order for it to be adopted.

Designation as a Local Green Space provides protection from development except in very special circumstances or for very limited types of development such as the construction of a new building providing essential facilities for outdoor sport etc, or for an engineering or other operation.

Objections to designation of the bowling green site were raised in 2019 by Fisher German on behalf of Melbourne Estate, who own the land, on the basis that several of the conditions for designating land were not met.

These included that the lease was of limited duration, and was then due to expire in 2021, and that the use as a bowling green was ancillary only to the use of the site for senior citizens, and was therefore demonstrably not special to the whole community – as required for designation.

Planning Inspector A J Mageean concluded that “during the examination evidence relating to the shortterm nature of leasehold arrangements affecting [ ] the Bowling Green, [and] Kings Mill Lane in Weston on Trent was provided. These sites would be unlikely to endure beyond the plan period and so their longevity as LGS at the present time is uncertain. Therefore,

Have you lost this locket?

A VILLAGE Voice reader has been in touch to say they have found a very special locket while out on their dog walk.

The reader wrote to us to say this locket (pictured) was found in Ticknall on Monday, August 10.

It was found on fields between Ingleby Lane and the cricket pitch in the village.

If anyone recognises it and would like to be reunited, please be in touch at the Village Voice on 01332 863181 and we will contact the reader who sent us this photo.

Remembrance Day plans

REMEMBRANCE Day commemorations are planned to go ahead in Melbourne this year in some shape or form – but of course vastly reduced from previous years due to coronavirus.

Melbourne Parish Council’s latest meeting heard a discussion with councillors and representation from the Royal British Legion as to how to proceed with this year’s commemoration marking the close of World War One. It was decided that, while the situation regarding gatherings of people was likely to remain fluid, the event should go ahead in some way.

Police specials deadline looms

Village Voice September 2020 9

Current guidelines are that gatherings of more than 30 people are not permitted, to try to keep the virus under control.

Parish council clerk Jacqui Storer told councillors that Remembrance Day events were being strictly limited or even cancelled altogether in other areas.

In Castle Donington, wreaths would be laid in staggered allocated time slots, for example.

The Remembrance Day parade is a parish council event, run with the assistance of the Royal British Legion.

The Melbourne parade is normally one of the biggest in the area.

their designation is not justified or consistent with national planning policy and they are deleted…”

Councillor Andrew MacPherson, chairman of South Derbyshire District Council’s Environmental and Development Services Committee, said: “The council has received the report from the independent inspector on the South Derbyshire Local Green Spaces Plan.

“The council’s Environmental and Development Services Committee will consider the updated Local Green Spaces Plan, including the recommendations made by the inspector, on 24 September.

“Councillors will examine all of the evidence put before them and take a decision on whether to adopt the plan.”

Across the district there are almost 200 sites which appear to have passed the test for designation, including two in Aston and eight in Melbourne.

– Frank Hughes

DERBYSHIRE Constabulary is recruiting for its next round of special constables, and the deadline is this month.

A force spokesperson said: “Special Constables are a group of dedicated individuals who, after a hard day at work in their regular job, still have the enthusiasm and drive it takes to devote some of their free time to help others.”

Police promise “excellent training”, “opportunities for your CV that you won’t find anywhere else” and a “sense of pride and achievement”.

Derbyshire Constabulary’s special constables are fully qualified police officers with powers of arrest.

They are now looking to recruit their next intake.

Training will take place between February and June 2021, over 16 weekends.

The induction day is on February 5, with the course starting the next day.

The course ends on June 6.

Recruitment closes at 11.55pm on Sunday September 27.

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SETTING THEI Street market starts trading to a

SADLY, there will be no Wakes this year, but the new “street” market began with some mixed reaction on its first day of trading.

Melbourne Statutes Fair, with a history dating back to 1252, has been cancelled by the Holland family in view of Covid. While some fairs are able to operate within new guidelines, fairs which occupy street locations are not possible because of the need for safe social distancing.

Melbourne Parish Council suggested perhaps moving it to another location, but this did not prove viable.

According to the charter there is a need to have continuity, so there will be a small representation, with a ride for children on the Saturday, but nothing more than that.

The street market saw the first day in a two-week trial on August 27.

With about 20 stalls in the new market, selling a range of produce – including fruit

and vegetables, pet food, coffee, kids’ clothes, Indian snacks and craft ales – it was a “steady” trade rather than bustling.

“It was a bit like Swadlincote Market on tour,” said one visitor, and indeed most of the traders were regulars from the threeday market in that town.

One visitor called it an “interesting and innovative” development for the village, and Gail Archer, the tourist information manager in Swadlincote, thought it would help to boost trade on the high street and bring people into the village.

One shopper said it was “fabulous” and she would be back the following week for her fruit and veg!

Others were concerned about its siting on the Assembly Rooms car park and reducing parking slots whilst simultaneously attracting more visitors seemed self-defeating.

One visitor was concerned about the in-

flux of visitors with COVID still so prevalent, but most of the shoppers appeared to be locals. A complaint was raised by the surgery, as there was no access to their reserved parking spaces.

Simon Wardle, a market trader himself and the organiser of the market, said it had been “a steady flow all morning, bringing a few out” and he had heard nothing negative; he said it was for a trial for two weeks only to see how it took off. Traders were offered free stalls to promote it.

There is a long history of a market in Melbourne according to Simon.

A charter was first granted for a Saturday market in 1230 by Henry III. It appears that market moved to Kings Newton the following year. A subsequent charter of 1328 permitted a Wednesday weekly market and a yearly fair to fall on 29 September.

– Frank Hughes

Henry’s next step to a ballet career

THIS young dancer has shown he has all the right moves after winning a place at a prestigious ballet school.

Henry Molloy will be starting at Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham this month, as a boarding student in year seven.

For the past few years the former Repton Primary School pupil from Ticknall has been travelling to Birmingham for classes on Saturdays with the Royal Ballet, with which the school is associated, having successfully auditioned when he was seven.

The youngest of six children, he started ballet as a small child.

Mum Fiona said: “Henry used to come along with his sister Ruby to watch her classes.

“At about the age of four, he said, ‘can I have a go?’ so I said: ‘Yes, of course you can’.”

Henry and Ruby were attending classes together at the Central Dance Academy in Barton-underNeedwood.

Fiona said: “He showed lots of talent for it, and the ballet teacher just said he was really, really good and I

should put him in for the Royal Ballet School audition, and he got accepted straight away.”

Henry, who turned 11 at the end of July, was one of 60 boys to make it through to the final auditions for Elmhurst earlier this year, and one of 13 to be awarded a place.

He said he was “a bit shocked and stunned” to win one.

Fiona said: “I’m very, very proud of him. Wherever it takes him, I’ll just be proud. I will miss him but it’s for the best cause.

“It’s just lovely because ballet is an art form. When you do it well, it’s just beautiful to watch.”

Henry has also attended classes at the Royal Ballet in London, where he has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Darcey Bussell, and has performed in Swan Lake Dreams at Birmingham Royal Ballet, along with Ruby.

Henry’s favourite ballet steps are pirouettes, and “sometimes jumping”, but he just loves to be on stage and expressing himself through dance.

“I can’t really explain it – it’s just nice,” he said.

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Sally’s the new Methodist Church minister

12 Village Voice September 2020

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THE newest member of Melbourne’s church family has taken up her post this month.

Rev Sally Ratcliffe is the new minister at Melbourne Methodist Church. She takes on the role after Rev John Hartley moved to his new ministry in Yorkshire over the summer.

Rev Ratcliffe comes to Melbourne from her previous church in Clitheroe in Lancashire. She is married to Mike, a pharmacy technician working for a company delivering healthcare to people at home.

They have two grown-up children, Amy and Matthew, who are both teachers. “I’ve been a minister for 15 years,� she said. “Before that, I was a primary school teacher for 11 years, which I loved.�

Rev Ratcliffe’s job is the superintendent for the National Forest East Methodist Circuit, which also includes Aston and Weston on Trent, and Newton Solney.

Having been a lay preacher while working as a primary school teacher, Rev Ratcliffe said she felt a calling to play a bigger role in the church, so made the switch to be a fulltime minister.

A large part of the attraction of her move to Melbourne is the work that the Methodist church does with children. “I’ve done a lot of ministry with children and families, which comes from that experience of being a primary school

teacher,� she said. “A lot of children are very honest. They tell you exactly what they are thinking. When you ask them to join in with something in church, they give all of themselves. As you get older, you get a bit more reserved.�

Originally from Stockport, Rev Ratcliffe has also been a minister near Chorley in Lancashire, and at Lymm in Warrington. Coming to her new job in Melbourne during the coronavirus pandemic, she will be engaging with risk assessments to

establish the way forward with the church’s activities, including worship.

For the time being, online church services are still being offered and it is a time to take stock and establish what the priorities are.

Meanwhile, Rev Ratcliffe is keen that her role extends beyond the church’s four walls: “I very much want to be part of the community and not just in church,� she said. “The idea of being in the community is what attracted me.� – Lucy Stephens

Coronavirus: two new cases in last month

TWO more coronavirus cases have been recorded in the Aston and Melbourne areas during August, new figures reveal.

Derbyshire County Council publishes records of all cases of the virus that have been confirmed through testing.

The Melbourne area, which includes Kings Newton, Staunton Harold, Ticknall, Calke and Smisby, has now seen 23 cases overall.

That figure was accurate up to August 28, and sees a rise of one case since the previous month.

In Aston, an area which includes Aston, Barrow, Weston, Swarkestone, Chellaston, part of Boulton Moor, Shardlow, Great Wilne, Ambaston and Elvaston, there have now been 21 confirmed cases.

Again, this is a rise of one case in the area from the previous month.

Aston has seen the lowest number of coronavirus cases in South Derbyshire,

and Melbourne the third lowest.

Willington South and Repton have had 22 cases, while the highest number in the district have been in Castle Gresley, Overseal and Coton which have had 72.

These total numbers of cases have been recorded since testing started on February 25.

In South Derbyshire, during August, six new cases of coronavirus were recorded between August 15 and 28.

South Derbyshire was the third lowest area in Derbyshire for new cases during that timescale, with Chesterfield having the least number of new cases at four.

The area with the highest number of new cases was High Peak, which saw 19 in the same two-week period.

Overall, since testing started, South Derbyshire has seen 257 coronavirus cases found from swabs taken in labs or NHS settings, and 179 from tests carried out amongst the wider population.

Pupils’ free travel cards

Village Voice September 2020 13 LEFT ... (l-r) Fiona DurstonSmith, Keith Taynton, Jess Bates-McIntyre, Claire de Paola and organisers Deborah Bates and Amanda Harmer.

Artwork by Andrew Macara (right); Christine Evitts (below) and Olivier Leger (bottom).

DERBYSHIRE school pupils are being urged to apply for a free b_line card, so they can take advantage of the county council’s travel discount scheme.

The b_line card gives a travel discount of up to 25 per cent for young people living in Derbyshire aged 11 up to 19 who are at school, college, on training courses or in an apprenticeship.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Councillor Simon Spencer, said: “We know how valuable b_line is for our young people and, even in these difficult financial times, we are committed to keeping it.”

The b_line card gives reduced fares on local buses and trains and to some nearby towns and cities as long as the journey is direct and starts or finishes in Derbyshire.

Applications can now be made online at derbyshire.gov.uk/b_line

The show goes on(line)

ORGANISERS of a much-loved art show that has been going for nearly 30 years took it online this year instead, and saw thousands of pounds in sales over the opening weekend.

Now in its 27th year, Dame Catherine Arts Summer Exhibition in Ticknall takes place over the August Bank Holiday.

As the event normally attracts around 2,000 visitors, it was at risk of being abandoned completely due to coronavirus.

The exhibition supports both the school and the artists who show their work, so this would have badly affected both income streams.

Instead, event organisers took the exhibition online where it was due to run from August 29 to September 6.

“This is our 27th consecutive year,” said Amanda Harmer, a spokesperson for the event. We haven’t missed one yet and we didn’t want to let anyone down this year.

“We are so grateful for the skilled technicians who have voluntarily stepped in and created this virtual gallery; they’ve saved the show.”

Deborah Bates, a teacher at the school, said that by the morning of Monday, August 31, with the exhibition still having days left to run, it had already seen £4,000 in sales with buyers from as far

afield as Australia and Hawaii!

“This is our very first online gallery,” she said. “Lots of people who have come on are our regular supports and buyers, people who know us, which is brilliant.

“So many shows and galleries have been closed and cancelled that the artists are just pleased to have some platform to put their work on.

“We are just as pleased as punch. We are really surprised, happy and thankful for everything, the whole gamut, we really are.”

Dame Catherine Arts are the volunteers, families and friends of Dame Catherine Harpur’s School.

Flooding fears as new homes plan agreed

FINAL proposals to build 44 new homes near Findern have been agreed, despite concerns about flooding.

The houses are part of a huge development for 1,200 homes in the area of Highfields Farm, near Findern and Littleover, which has already been given permission and some of which have already been built.

The development is also set to include a local centre and primary school.

Outline permission for the overall site was granted in 2015. The application for reserved matters for this particular area, where the final details on design are decided, was given the green light at a virtual meeting of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee on August 25.

Findern Parish Council sent in its objection to the scheme, voicing concerns over privacy to properties backing on to the site, and also pointing out that existing residents had experienced significant drainage problems since moving in.

Eight further objections were also raised.

Councillor Martyn Ford, who represents Findern ward and is on the planning committee, said: “I have lived in that area for 60-odd years and I have never ever seen the land round there, the surrounding land as wet, and as constantly wet as it is at this point in time.

“It just stays wet for so long and I have had the farmers complaining to me about the drainage there. I’ve had farmers complaining about the

ditches. It really is an ongoing situation.

“I do believe that the lead flood authority and Severn Trent really do need to take a long hard look at the previous decisions that they have made and how they have failed in many, many ways to tackle this growing site. We are now hearing it’s 1,200 houses plus. There is going to be a school on there soon. There may be more development on there soon.

“The drainage and the sewerage issues, I really feel for residents who have this problem time and time again, especially in a period of heavy rain.

“The drainage and the waste disposal issues are a massive concern on that site and I fully support the residents and the parish council in trying to get those resolved. Certainly, it really should be an absolute urgent, urgent job to try and work with their agencies to understand both the drainage and sewerage issues and how they can be beefed up and made sustainable, because at the moment they’re certainly not.”

An agent speaking on behalf of the applicants said that the outline planning permission already included capacity for drainage, but they would happily agree further details with the drainage authority.

A spokesperson for Severn Trent Water said they did not have responsibility for all flooding.

Flooding from rivers and water courses is the responsibility of the Environment Agency, while highways drains flooding is under the control of the highways authority.

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Airport is now on the China flightpath

14 Village Voice September 2020

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EAST Midlands Airport is now the only place in the UK to be serving a dedicated freight flight from China.

The new weekly flight from China to the UK was announced in June by DHL Express.

It has started due to increased business demand for shipments from Asia, and carries goods exclusively for the UK. Most of the goods are time-critical and include medical and industrial supplies as well as consumer e-commerce shipments.

DHL Express has also announced two further new routes from JFK Airport and Miami International into East Midlands, with a new flight from the airport to Los

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CHRISTENED Elsa after her mother, she was then called ‘Jill’, not finding out her real name until she was eight, when identity cards were issued.

Born in Willaston in Cheshire, the eldest daughter of Commander Ronald Orlando Bridgeman RN, descended from the Earls of Bradford and the Italian art dealer Paul Colnaghi, her mother’s family were in shipping in Liverpool, descended from the Courtenays in Devon, and the Earls of Strathmore.

The family lived at Rockcliffe Hall on the Dee Estuary near Flint. Jill spent her childhood with her three elder brothers, swinging on ropes like Tarzan in the woods.

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Angeles also to be introduced.

These routes have also been announced in response to the demand for time-critical deliveries from the USA. Karen Smart, managing director of East Midlands Airport said: “We very much welcome DHL’s continued investment in its EMA operation.

“It is fitting that currently the only direct cargo flight to the UK from China comes into EMA which is home to the UK’s largest dedicated air cargo operation.

“This new route is further evidence of the airport’s vital role as a global hub for timecritical goods and a facilitator of world trade.

OBITUARIES

“Go on Jill, you can do it” was a constant cry, giving her the lifelong belief that anything and everything was possible.

At 16 she went to Chester Art School, winning every prize there was, but at 18 had to leave to work and help support the family, working on the land with gypsies and itinerant labourers, and at 21 running a chicken farm.

Her parents retired to Chester and Jill then worked for Jaeger. She was great fun and very glamorous, dating Stirling Moss a couple of times, then becoming the girlfriend of the legendary racing driver Mike Hawthorn.

A Derbyshire friend introduced her to John MorganOwen, the son of the Welsh Edwardian international soccer ace Lt-Col Morgan MorganOwen of Willington Hall and Doris the daughter of Sir John Turner, owner of Moira Collieries.

John and Jill married in Chester in 1958 moving to Park Lane, Castle Donington. They threw themselves into the county and political life of Leicestershire. Jill did a City and Guilds course in upholstery.

Their son, Timothy, was born in 1961, and in 1964 they moved to Pennfield House in Melbourne, always teaming with family, friends, dogs, cats, politicians, actors, actresses and laughter.

“As one of the UK’s most strategically important infrastructure assets, EMA is wellplaced to support the gradual steps being taken by countries to re-start manufacturing and exports as they ease their way to normality following COVID-19 as well as being key to unlocking the UK’s economic potential in the coming years.”

Ian Wilson, of DHL Express, said: “As lockdowns in many countries around the world begin to ease, we’re seeing a sustained growth in demand for goods from Asia, covering all of the usual high value or time-critical products like technology, medical and industrial goods.”

John stood for the district and county councils and founded the Derbyshire Historic Building Trust. He and Jill worked assiduously for Melbourne and the county for 33 years.

Jill’s mother and sister, Janet, lived in the flat, as Janet was head of fashion at Derby Art College. Jill became chairwoman of the Melbourne Conservative Coffee Club, ran the local NSPCC and meals on wheels. She helped John run many fund-raising events and dances at Donington, Sutton Bonington and Melbourne Halls, even getting two Prime Ministers to attend.

In 1969 Jill returned to art college to do a three-year fashion course, followed by a twoyear millinery course.

In 1975 John’s investments were wiped out and as Jill’s mantra ‘that nothing was insurmountable’, she took a market

JOHN MACASKILL 18th July 1944 – 27th March 2020 JOHN Murdo Macaskill was born in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

He grew up one of a family of six boys.

He went to school locally before going to the mainland at the age of 15 to study mechanical engineering in Glasgow. He came down to Derby where he worked at Willington Power Station, Bass Brewery, Pirelli and others. He met Hazel at the Locarno Ballroom in Derby.

After they were married, they had daughters, Jane in 1971 and Lisa in 1972.

John began working in the oil and gas industry.

Contracts took him around the globe. He worked in Aberdeen, Norway, Canada, Japan, China (where he was joined by Hazel and Lisa) and Hong Kong, where he worked on the new airport.

He also spent 10 years in Algeria in the Sahara, again in the oil industry.

Sadly, he lost Hazel 18 years ago and would often reflect, especially in these last days, that he had lost her far too early.

After Hazel died, Barbara, his sister-in-law always looked out for John and he visited her often in Cheshire. John welcomed Kevin and Gav into

stall in Burton selling china, setting off at 5am in her Mini, standing in all weathers, three days a week and also working in a dress shop, yet still running the house and supporting John as he rose politically.

In 1986 things improved when they sold the kitchen garden, enabling them to convert the old knitting factory into flats which Jill cleaned and serviced every week. In 1995 John was High Sheriff of Derbyshire, which was an extremely busy year for them around the county.

John died unexpectedly aged 68 in 1999. Jill carried on at Pennfield, helped by Timothy, until chronic rheumatoid arthritis and mounting costs forced her to sell in 2005. She moved to a cottage in Potter Street and was enjoying ‘retirement’ being able to go on the occasional holiday, theatre trip and devote her life to painting.

Sadly in 2010 she developed Alzheimer’s, but luckily she wasn’t aware of her illness.

Timothy looked after her until 2018 when she had to go into a nursing home. She had a magical graveside funeral in the little churchyard at Snead in Montgomeryshire, and is buried next to John, with generations of his family. A woman of immense joie de vivre, energy and fun, she asked that ‘Laughter is the Music of the Soul’ be put on her gravestone.

the family when Lisa and Jane started courting and he was very proud and supportive of his five grandchildren – Holly, Josh, Charlie, Dylan, and Layla.

The last 15 years have been split between Spain in the summer and Thailand in the winter, and John hosted many family holidays for his daughter’s families in Spain.

However, he continued to make regular trips back to Melbourne, to visit family and catch up with friends.

He was a regular at Harpurs, The Alma, and The Checkers, where he enjoyed spending time with his friends.

He enjoyed being home to be with family, to enjoy meals together, watch the football, and be around those he loved.

John was a very sociable man, and often these friends were made whilst they shared a wee dram together. Friends he made down through the years continued to be in touch even in the final days in hospital.

John was a kind and generous man who didn't like to put on anyone but was always the first to offer help if any of his family or friends needed it.

He battled bravely against cancer for two years, and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Village Voice September 2020 15

DRIVING FORCE

FROM humble beginnings to a thriving, and still-expanding business: Melbourne-based Des Gosling Mobility has been helping disabled people get their lives back for 26 years, and they are still going strong.

It was 1993 that former Rolls-Royce mechanical engineer Des started up his own business, offering controls and adaptations to vehicles so that disabled people could get their mobility back.

Today, Des Gosling Mobility has a staff of 22 operating from its premises on Station Yard, and is the UK’s largest installer of vehicle adaptations for disabled people.

He said: “What we do is try to make sure people can keep living normal lives. We enable people to go from being stuck in a house for a year, to being able to get out there and work, do their shopping and be themselves.”

Des was inspired to start his business by his brother, Jeff, who is disabled and began his own enterprise offering car hand controls for people who were not able to operate foot pedals.

Hand controls are fitted to the steering wheel and enable people who might, for example, wear a prosthetic limb, to operate the car in a different way.

Des said: “When you’re disabled, it does narrow down a lot of things you can do, when you’re in a wheelchair. When you’re able to drive and when you’re on the road, you’re as able as anybody else.”

Des’s business is part of the Government’s Motability scheme, which enables people with disabilities to pay for adaptations to their vehicles using their disability payment, helping them live as independently as possible.

Engineers are able to visit customers in their homes to demonstrate vehicles, and the business also offers many other disability aids such as hoists and motorised scooters.

Adaptations have grown steadily more sophisticated over the years, with Computer Aided Design and manufacturing techniques now offering the ability to offer one-off, bespoke solutions.

Other elements such as swivel seats to aid ve-

hicle access have also developed in complexity, now featuring a descent mechanism so users can easily get on them before being lifted gently into the right position to travel.

Over the years, Des and his team have worked on a huge variety of vehicles.

One person they have helped is Jack Radley, who suffered a stroke aged 24 in 2017, which meant he was unable to move his left arm.

The Jack Radley Cup held in Melbourne raises money for the medical departments which helped him on his road to recovery.

Jack said: “Following an assessment with DrivAbility, they recommended getting a hand control for my car so I could control the lights, wipers and indicators with the hand I could still use.

“They put me in touch with Des and his incredible company who fitted a ‘Lodgesons Lollipop’ to my steering wheel which allowed me to return to driving and thus giving me a new sense of independence, which as a young person was essential for me, as I was no longer stuck in the house or relying on family or friends to ferry me out and back.

“Des and his company really do incredible work in giving independence back to people who thought it had gone.”

Des said: “We adapt all sorts of vehicles for all kinds of people’s needs,” he said. “From lawn mowers to lorries and sometimes Lamborghinis.

“Each day has a challenge and it’s a privilege to be able to make such a positive difference in such a direct way.

“Most are standard adaptations fitted to customers’ specifications but many are unique bespoke ones. These test our creative thinking and manufacturing skills and so it’s a real buzz when everything comes together. These bespoke adaptations add to our growing number of niche products we produce.

“It’s great to be able to help people. I’m proud of the team that we’ve got here.”

– Lucy Stephens

Business that’s well on the road to success

SMILE ... the staff of Des Gosling Mobility line up for a team photo.

Pictures: TINA BAKER

l Alan Macleod on a mobility scooter outside Melbourne Hall.

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l Inside the Des Gosling workshop with (inset) a swivel seat adaptation.

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16 Village Voice September 2020

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Village Voice September 2020 17

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18 Village Voice September 2020

RECRUITMENT

The Common Touch...

THIS September climate activists, environmental academics, lawyers and scientists are hoping a new Bill they have jointly worked on will be introduced in the House of Commons when it reconvenes.

The private members bill is called The Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill. It would amend The Climate Change Act of 2008, accelerating the speed at which the UK has to act to stop the climate warming to over 1.5 degree C above pre-industrial levels.

Currently the UK is not on target to achieve this by 2050. In the years since the 2008 Act was passed we, as a country, haven’t made enough positive changes to make a significant impact to the predicted increases in global warming, and the scale of the crisis we face has become much clearer to all, even in the UK.

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Let’s make our politicians aware that now is the time to go further on this important issue.

Together we can co-operatively focus on how we can reduce our own consumption of resources and spend more time looking after our environment.

– Katherine Parrish

Origins of the Village Voice

Due to the current COVID19 situation, all Coffee & Co and minibus trips have been cancelled until further notice.

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The Government has already declared a climate emergency and this bill aims to bring more urgent action on the climate crisis into law.

Current systems of politics around the world have brought us to this crisis point through competition and over-consumption of the world’s finite resources. This has brought prosperity to some but at a massive cost to many.

Occasionally governments and countries prove they can work together for the greater good; this world threatening problem requires urgent co-operation not nationalistic politicking – it’s an apolitical issue.

We can’t keep ‘kicking the can down the road’ for our children to have to deal with whilst living with the consequences of our inaction.

In the fourth and final part of his series reminiscing on the origins of The Village Voice, MICK ROBEY remembers the early days of distribution, and how a greedy heron provided material for one of the more memorable early articles …

DISTRIBUTION now had to be sorted and we came up with the idea of asking the local Scouts to help us out. After all it was for the benefit of the community.

They jumped at the chance and also allowed us the use of their headquarters to sort the papers into street rounds. Unfortunately, on a cold December delivery night it was raining and the Scouts, in their nice uniforms, were not properly equipped for the task.

It was no surprise when complaints started to come in next day that papers had not been pushed right through letterboxes and consequently finished up half soaked; many people received many more than one copy; and piles of papers were found in gardens.

The leaders were very apologetic and the Scouts arrived for the January edition suitably attired, although complaints were still received. This continued for another couple of months before we de-

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cided on an alternative method of distribution and Andrew Jackson was brilliant at getting a deliverer for each individual street – a practice that continues to the present day.

Two particular stories of mine come to mind, from the many I composed, for differing reasons.

I remember looking out of my front window and seeing a heron perched on the roof of the house opposite (now demolished). In the garden of the house was a fish pond stocked with goldfish which, like lightning, suddenly lost some of its residents.

The heron had darted down and consumed several. After digesting them it took off to other premises and repeated the process.

I followed the heron’s path and, unfortunately, witnessed the same procedure on several occasions so I interviewed the owners of all the fishponds in the area, some had very expensive koi carp devoured, and plotted the flight path of the greedy heron over Melbourne.

On submitting my first story to our expert Ron Ford, he congratulated me on its presentation (coming from Ron that really was a feather in my cap) and it was printed in our very first edition.

By contrast, I accompanied Ian Hinglis from the Parks Department of South Derbyshire District Council when he came to judge the “Best Kept Garden Competition” organised by Melbourne Parish Council in August 1993. The weather for growing had been very poor and then we experienced a very dry spell resulting in a relatively poor display in the gardens.

Ian told me on several occasions that he had judged the best of a bad job which under normal circumstances would not have received recognition. I told it like it was and the story was not well received.

Needless to say, I was not invited to cover the awards presentations!

The first edition, which now appears to have been so amateurishly composed, was so enthusiastically received that copies were sent to all corners of the globe and later editions contained congratulations from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the USA. In that edition there were adverts for companies like Fairystep Shoes, Dunnicliff Bros., Nixon Knowles, Hunt Bros. and from shops like John Makin’s, Castle Stores, Drakes Footwear and Melbourne Fireplaces who are no longer part of the Melbourne scene.

Needless to say, the 12 pubs that advertised have seriously diminished. On the bright side, the paper’s success continued and in January 1995 a further 1,500 copies were added to our circulation to include Aston and Weston on Trent.

As time went on I returned to paid employment in a job of up to 80 unsocial hours per week so my involvement with V.V. had to be curtailed significantly, but I am delighted to echo the sentiments of a recipient of our very first edition and printed in the second edition: “Like a breath of fresh air for Melbourne”.

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Life’s getting busier at the sports park

Village Voice September 2020 19

A SURGE in activity at Melbourne Sports Park includes the beginning of drainage work and the creation of 80 new car parking spaces planned for this month, reports FRANK HUGHES. Since re-opening after lockdown, the Melbourne Sporting Partnership has seen increased activity, and managers Alex Slater and Andy Potts are looking forward to several projects coming to fruition over the next few months to further promote the venue.

Andy said the bar has been “much busier, even than before lockdown, with a different client base – including families with children who are enjoying the open space to have a drink and socialise

safely. We have introduced longer and more regular opening times so that people can be assured we will be open when they wish to visit�.

Alex, as facilities manager, outlined the many projects on the go, including drainage to the rugby pitches, the enlarged car park space, new tennis courts and ideas they have for increasing usage. “Our mission is to provide free sport for all, and to do that we need to create around ÂŁ25,000 annually in additional profit from the bar and events. Then clubs will not need to pay the cur- l Work begins to drain the pitches at Melbourne Sports Park with (l-r) Alex Slater, Steve rent affiliation fees. Another option is to find Hollingsworth (chair of MSP), Melvyn Taylor (Managing Director of TurfDry), Stuart Wormsponsorship from a company who would benefit leighton (site manager) and Will Mansfield and Zac Crewe. from an association with local sports,â€? Andy said.

The two managers took over joint running of Lane,� he said. It is hoped this work will be done the club in April 2019 and recently had a change at the end of September. in job designation to reflect the differing roles.

The additional parking spaces were also a preAndy is now the bar and function manager, with condition for installing the three additional tenAlex taking on responsibility for facilities mannis courts, so it is hoped that permission for those agement – although obviously deputising for each will follow shortly. Meanwhile some sports are other. taking place with regularity, including tennis, Alex said that the drainage work is starting cricket and five-a-side football. Rugby will probanow, with the rugby posts taken down and con- bly not be possible until October, Alex added. tractors appointed. Work starts with Turfdry Ltd One internal change will see the existing meetdigging the drains around the rugby pitches. ing room converted to a “lounge� to provide an alThen the main contractors, Alliance, will be re- ternative to the main bar space. sponsible for completion of the project. “One limitation has been that players who natThe timing of the external work, which will in- urally want to socialise after a game, have had to volve roadworks on Robinsons Hill, will be a mat- leave when the bar is booked for a function. We ter for them, but a timetable should be available want to provide a place where they can stay on, soon. but we can also set up and hire out the main func“Our plan to expand car parking is also coming tion room,� Andy said. to fruition, which will increase capacity by 80 to “We have a number of events booked in the calmake a total of 180 spaces available. With better endar and, although there is a numbers restricsignage too, which is on order and has been do- tion, with the two balconies, we are still an nated by a local benefactor, this should then elim- attractive venue for weddings and parties,� they inate the need for anyone to park on Cockshut said.

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20 Village Voice September 2020

Training pay off at Ticknall

SPORT

TICKNALL Cricket Club has enjoyed this Covid affected season so far with consistently good performances. Built ‘on the back’ of excellent winter training programmes for both seniors and juniors, players were ready to ‘hit the ground running’ once this shortened season finally began.

At junior level, the club has put out seven teams across the various age ranges in the South Derbyshire League with more girls than ever joining the boys to make up the sides.

The emphasis remains very much on player development as much as team success.

Ticknall Cricket Club’s second XI: (top row, l-r) Henry Geutjens, Mazher Qayyum, Tommy Magson, Michael Jacques, Will Orpin, Noah Magill; bottom row (l-r) Max Tolley, Tom KentSmith, Matt Holdgate, James Nijjar and Rich Brown.

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The three senior sides have all performed strongly in the Derbyshire County Cricket League with all three either top or second in their respective divisions at the start of September.

It is fair to say that improved consistency across the teams can be attributed to excellent commitment to availability and self-improvement by all players.

Summer training sessions have been really well attended and the club had to run extra fixtures in the guise of a development team to cater for the oversupply of players each weekend.

Highs and lows of Town’s cricket month

MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club’s results in August mirrored the very indifferent weather as all three senior sides had both good and disappointing matches.

The first team began away to top-of-the-table Rolleston seconds who scored a competitive 225-5 with Matt Briers taking 343. Despite 34 for Muhammed Tayyab, Town were bowled out for just 162.

Alex Slater’s men returned to winning ways the week after as they hosted Winshill 1sts. It was Melbourne who batted first, scoring 165. Then, a devastating display of 6-42 from Marc Towell plus 3-49 by Matt Briers helped bowl the visitors out for just 97, giving Town an emphatic 68-run victory.

A decent score of 206-8 off their allotted overs the following week at home to Barton 1sts was thanks to a top score of 61 by new signing Zale Wood, plus 35 from Andy Potts, but a poor bowling and fielding display allowed the visitors to win by four wickets with 14 balls to spare.

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with James Hogwood taking a superb 5-31 supported by Marc Towell with 3-36. Town looked well set on 43-2, but the dismissal of Slater (24) saw a midorder collapse as they ended up being bowled out for just 118.

The final match of August ended probably how the whole month had panned out, abandoned due to rain as Walton 1sts were 95-4 off just 22 overs.

Which all leaves Melbourne in fourth place in their mini league with just two games of the 2020 season to play.

Melbourne Town Seconds ended the month just two points off the top of the table after a couple of decent results. Yet they began with a difficult 22-run defeat at home to Packington 1sts with the away side scoring 1638 off their allotted overs. Ranjit Rathore (3-27) and Gurwinder Singh (3-25) bowled well.

Despite 34 from Singh, a couple of indifferent umpiring decisions late on saw the seconds fall to 141 all out.

A superb six-wicket win away to Winshill 2nds was thanks to Ash Elwell (61 not out) and Simon Fletcher (41) as Town knocked off 168 with three overs to go. Earlier, Rathore had taken 3-44 plus two wickets apiece for Hogwood and Alex Roome.

A close winning draw away to Hartshorne seconds was earned thanks mainly to 71 from Julian Humpidge, as the seconds scored 160-9 and the home side ended just seven runs short on 153-7.

A rain-affected match at home to Alrewas thirds saw the visitors notch 150-8 off their overs.

Sam Jenkinson took 4-25 and, after a rain shower, Town smashed 151-3 off just 19 overs with Singh (58), skipper Fraser Radcliffe (39 not out) and Sam Jenkinson (35 not out) to claim a stunning victory.

The seconds ended a busy month away to a strong Ticknall third team as the home side scored 187-5. Town looked well set on 96-2 but a remarkable collapse of six wickets for just six

runs left Melbourne hanging on at 108-7.

Opener Matt Grimmett stood firm on 54 not out, supported by Ranjit Rathore, who scored 31 earlier.

Melbourne’s third team had a difficult month as they began with a close two-wicket defeat against Allestree seconds. Town scored 178-7 with some late order hitting from Sunny Dhiman (39), Darren Poyser (29 not out) and John Collins (28) overcoming an early flurry of wickets.

Despite 5-29 by Paul Scrimshaw, the visitors sneaked home by a narrow margin.

Away to top-of-the-table Risley 2nds, the home side scored 2257 as Archie Turton took 3-41. In reply 57 from opener Scrimshaw was in vain as Town fell to 134 all out and a 91-run defeat. This was followed by an abandoned game away to A & B fourths due to rain.

There was another rain-affected match the week after at home to Duffield 4ths. Rathore (37) and stand-in skipper Dan Marshall (25) top scored as Town posted 137-9 off their allotted overs and 3-32 from Rathore plus 2-18 from Scrimshaw left Duffield hanging on at 90-8 off just 27 overs as rain ended the match.

A battling losing draw at home to Sawley fourths saw Alex Blackhall take 4-31 and Archie Turton 2-46 as the visitors scored 167-9. In reply wickets fell at regular intervals as John Collins and Tim Jackson were left to hang on for the draw on 110-8, which leaves Tony Papas’s men third with two matches to go.

The club would like to thank all their match ball sponsors which, in a difficult period for everyone during lockdown, have been so vital to the club. These this month have been Melbourne Dental Practice, Scallywags Nursery, Melbourne Parish Council, Albert Wood, Sunny Dhiman and Dan Marshall.