Melbourne Village Voice February 2010

Village Voice

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MELBOURNE ESTATE AGENTS Residential Sales and Lettings Tel: 01332 865696 Melbourne: 01332 865696

Melbourne & District

No 207 February 2010

Scrum-ptious time at the rugby club MUM’S the word when it comes to providing the backroom support for Melbourne Rugby Club.

These three ladies let the boys and girls of the club’s junior and minis section get on with their training sessions while they put their talents to use in the kitchen.

So when the youngsters were finished with their exertions there was plenty of hot and filling refreshments at the ready.

Lesley Butler, Heather Lowson and Sarah Cartwright are pictured dishing up the grub.

LEISURE CENTRE TAKEOVER PLAN MORE than 150 people braved the freezing weather to attend the public meeting to discuss the future plans for a takeover of the parish council-run Melbourne Leisure Centre.

What they came to hear was all about the company which would like to take over the day to day management of the centre.

There was a lively discussion, plenty of comment, and plenty of questions from the people present, in a good tempered meeting run very efficiently by Nigel Collyer, the chair of the Parish Council’s Leisure Centre committee.

"We had a divided council, so we thought it would be a good idea to hold a meeting to ask the people of Melbourne what they thought,” was how Councillor Collyer

explained the reasons for calling the meeting.

Philip Dobby was the lead spokesman for the four members of what would become Melbourne Community Centre Ltd, a not-for-profit limited company.

The other members of the presentation team were Blase Lambert, John Robinson and Philip Heath. A fifth member of the new company to be formed, Brian Dollamore, was away.

The group explained that the company would seek a transfer of the lease. User fees would remain unchanged, but they said that "asset was not being used well or efficiently". The building would be vigorously marketed, and it was stated that the object would be to have a modernised facility, "inviting, welcoming and responsive" to the public.

Many local facilities – village halls and community centres throughout the country – are run on a similar basis to that being proposed.

The group stated that the response to the Parish Plan

INSIDE STORIES

Kaleigh’s award – Page 6

Ton up for Edna – Page 9

had shown a strong view within the community that improved facilities and the creation of a performing arts centre was important.

There was a possibility that grants could be made available, but the remainder of the lease could be used to investigate and plan what could be done, to make the centre fit for purpose.

Not everyone welcomed the proposals being made.

One speaker said that "nothing being proposed could not be done by an active leisure committee of the parish council".

Cliff Crawford, a parish councillor, was unhappy that a public asset could be passed over to a private body, and he doubted the validity of the claim made by the takeover group that what was being suggested was what a sizeable majority of Melbourne residents wanted.

Since the meeting, a petition has been raised, demanding that the leisure centre be kept in the hands of the parish council.

Continued on Page 2

Look what’s cooking – Page 15

Sunday best – Pages 18-19

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2 Village Voice February 2010

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Youngsters’ cafe opens its door once again THE Athenaeum Internet Café has re-opened with the introduction of a year seven night, which takes place every Wednesday 7-9.30pm, with the slogan “The Athenaeum, where it’s appening!” picking up on i-phone jargon!

“It was great to see some familiar faces who have now made the transition from juniors and settled into secondary school,” said Zoe Dean, Café Manager.

“The Midweek Club for year six students (Wednesdays 4-6pm) also re-opened and, despite the cold icy weather, a good number turned up."

Nicky Rennocks is a new volunteer at the Athenaeum, helping out once a month on Wednesdays from 4pm – 6pm. “Mainly, I serve in the café – making anything from ice-cream sundaes to burger and chips! The café gets quite busy and so the time passes quickly.

"I must admit that I had no real idea about what happened at the Athenaeum but I was pleasantly surprised; it’s a great place. It’s a safe, relaxed and controlled environment where young people can go, play pool, watch television, use the computers, relax on sofas and chat and even have their tea!”

Nikki became involved almost accidentally. “At the bottom of my son’s membership form was a request for helpers so I just ticked the box and as they say, ‘the rest is history. At first I had no idea what I was letting myself in for but now I’m so glad that I ticked that box.”

Melbourne is lucky to have somewhere like the Athenaeum, taking an interest in young people but it does cost money to run and there is always a need for volunteers. If you are interested and would like to know more about helping during the Wednesday afternoon session (4-6pm) or any of the other nights, please contact Zoe Dean on 07874 684150.

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DENTURE REPAIRS

● Kate Dumelow, past president of the Rotary Club of Melbourne, is pictured with the President of the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, Bill Tomlinson, and Simon Leech, current president of the Rotary Club.

KATE DUMELOW, past President of the Rotary Club of Melbourne, completed a 102mile sponsored walk from St Ives to Falmouth on the Cornish coastal path, in support of the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre at Skegness, raising a total of £1,350.

The President of the Holiday Centre, Bill Tomlinson, was a guest at the Rotary Club’s Christmas dinner to receive the cheque from Kate, and was doubly rewarded with a further donation of £650 from the Rotary Club, making £2,000 in all.

Mr Tomlinson spoke of the origins of the Holiday Centre, over 100 years ago, when it catered for the deprived children of Derby. It now provides around 450 holidays a year for children from Derbyshire, many of them victims of maltreatment or abuse.

The centre relies almost entirely on voluntary donations, and Mr Tomlinson expressed his gratitude for this significant contribution.

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DAVID Calvert, the 2009 president of the Melbourne Probus Club, will continue in office for another year. He was re-elected at the January AGM of the club.

Also at the AGM, Richard Heath agreed to take on the role of secretary, succeeding the long-serving secretary Walter Iles.

Leisure centre takeover idea From Page 1 Certainly some residents, with a strong emotional attachment to the old school, now used as a leisure centre, were very unhappy that the centre had been

described as "unloved", in a report in a Derby newspaper.

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moment. This consultative project is wholly financed by the South Derbyshire District Council, at a cost of £70,000 and it seems unlikely that any decisions about the future of the Melbourne leisure facilities –indoor and outdoors – will be made until the full recommendations have been received and mulled over by both the parish and the district councils.

Melbourne Community Centre Ltd will no doubt be involved in any consultations about the future, as, so far, it is the only group to have put forward firm proposals about the management of the leisure facilities in the town.

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Village Voice February 2010 3 ASTON on Trent residents discuss with Charles Hanson the value and pedigree of a WW1 trumpet at a valuation evening held in the Memorial Hall. Over 30 items were presented to the renowned auctioneer and valuer for his expert opinion.

MELBOURNE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SATURDAY NIGHT IS . . .

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Transport is theme for this year’s Carnival MELBOURNE Carnival is back on the road with the theme for the 2010 event being Transport.

Carnival Secretary Rose Boston said: “It may not sound the most exciting theme in the world but there are a whole load of associated topics within the theme. Trains, boats, planes, railways, bicycles, trucks, tractors, roller skates and fire engines . . . the list is almost endless.

"Then you have films where vehicles play a big part such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Summer Holiday and Herbie; television shows that include Knight Ryder and Taxi.

"Some film and television characters have cars that are almost the star of the show: Scoobie Dooh’s VW transporter, the Batmobile, the Ghostbusters Ecto 1 and the Dukes of Hazzard’s General Lee. I think that the theme will give the carnival a real boost and give float organisers a great subject to work with.”

Some good news for the carnival came from the East Midlands Airport, who have agreed to sponsor this year's extravaganza.

Anna Thomson, Community Relations Manager at the East Midlands Airport, said: "At East Midlands Airport we are committed to supporting the local community. Local events such as the Melbourne Carnival are a great opportunity for the whole community to come together and it is a pleasure to offer support to help make this happen."

Carnival Chairman Andy Heafield added: “When we revived the carnival last year after a one-year absence, East Midlands Airport supported us financially and I am very pleased that they have decided to do so again this year in what are very trying financial times for their industry.

"I believe that their support is a testament to the committee, volunteers, groups and carnival supporters who all worked tirelessly to ensure the successful staging of last year’s event and, of course, the public of

Melbourne who turned up in their thousands.”

Terry Statham who did such a fantastic job in organising the 2009 procession, is standing down and taking over will be Sheila Hicklin. Despite only being in the job for a short time Sheila has already booked one of the Midlands' top marching bands to lead the procession and perform on the carnival site. She and her team are looking forward to some great floats and procession entries.

Anyone wanting details of the procession can contact her on 01332 865726.

This year’s Carnival is taking place on Saturday, July 10, at the school playing fields in Packhorse Road.

The organisers are still planning exact details of this year’s event but are looking for any local musical groups or acts to perform on the main stage.

Anyone interested should contact Andy Heafield on 01332 865422 or mail their details to a.heafield@btinternet.com

“The Stars Are Coming Out”

Easter Saturday 3rd April - 7.30pm Following on from the sold out, standing room only Grand Cabaret Night in 2009, the Legion are proud to host another fund-raising evening in aid of Help for Heroes.

With a great four piece band “Replay” playing the sounds of the 60’s to the present day.

Get your tickets to avoid disappointment - £6

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Tuesday 2nd March, 2010 - 7.30pm

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England’s opener is on Saturday 12 June Annual memberships have been reduced by 20% and are £11 per year, with cheap drinks including Marstons Pedigree at £2.30 a pint. Free cabaret, snooker table, darts & dominoes teams, sports on the big screen & a great social atmosphere.

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£4.8m for the county roads DERBYSHIRE County Council’s cabinet has approved a £4.8 million boost for more than 80 schemes to improve roads and transport across the county.

Projects given the green-light include: Re-surfacing roads and pavements, improving road safety, measures to encourage people to walk and cycle, and improving bus stops.

The decision means that initial work can now go ahead with funding for more schemes to be announced later in the year.

Councillor Chris Jackson, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “Improving Derbyshire’s roads is at the top of our agenda. The quicker we can lay the foundations for these projects, the quicker we can get out there and start improving our roads – and that includes rural areas.”

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COUNTRY LIVING with Robert Parker

JANUARY is traditionally a time that farming looks in upon itself and holds several conferences – the most famous of which is "The Oxford Farming Conference", which has been going for more than 60 years.

The "great" and the "good" (and some not so great and good) head to Oxford to pontificate about agricultures past and, more importantly, its future.

Quite often the Minister of Agriculture – now called Defra Secretary – speaks, and this year the present incumbent, Hilary Benn, held forth.

He announced a new strategy called FOOD 2030, calling for farmers to produce more food while impacting less on the environment. He also said we needed a new culture of professionalism in agriculture for those taking the responsibility of food production.

I was slightly amused to read in one of our farming newspapers, a couple of weeks later, someone questioning Mr Benn’s qualifications for being in the "top" position in food production and the environment.

Having a degree in Russian and East European studies, working for a union and being deputy leader for a London borough council do not really set you up to know about agriculture and the countryside.

I suppose this only goes to prove that the civil servants actually run the Government departments and, therefore, the country.

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Mr Benn’s other plea, wanting us to produce more, also got me thinking.

Every farmer knows what’s happened in the past when we produce more than is needed – the price per unit drops, so we are worse off. A good example of the reverse of this at the moment is beef, lamb and pork, which is enjoying some fairly good prices simply because it is in short supply and it’s not that economic to import it from abroad.

Why should any sensible businessman want to change this?

■ The media is a very powerful communicator and to my mind sometimes a little too powerful.

If like me when you visit the dentist you usually pick up a magazine while you are waiting.

And the last time I was left really seething. The large supermarkets put out magazines each month and on reading the letters section of one there was a letter about foraging for wild food.

The author stated that gathering food from hedgerows was becoming more difficult because hedges were being destroyed by "intensive farming".

What planet does this person reside on? Hardly any hedges are now destroyed – only those which are in the way of roads and houses. Miles of new hedges are planted each year funded by taxes taken from farmers.

These are the real facts.

WESTON upon Trent Village Hall’s management committee held a Winter Warmer coffee morning to celebrate the installation and successful commissioning of a new central heating system in the village hall.

The system was funded in part through local efforts and through a grant £10,000 from Awards for England, The Big Lottery Fund.

The coffee morning was held in beautiful warm surroundings and visitors donated £92 which has been sent to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

Pictured at the coffee morning are members of the management committee (l to r) Jayne Williamson, Daryl Dawson, Vanessa Hurt, Ian Chamberlain, Chris Scott and Nikki Goddard.

Council rents go up SOUTH Derbyshire District Council has decided to raise council tenant rents by an average of just over 2%.

Average rents will go up from the current £59.99 per week, to £61.22, from April .

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Village Voice February 2010 5

Taxing time as the precept is finally fixed for Melbourne TAX always gets councils going, and at February's parish meeting, the councillors finally fixed the parish precept for 2010/2011 – but only after a stern warning from the locum clerk, Jacqui Storer.

Mrs Storer told the council that, having consulted at length with the now convalescent Parish Clerk, Norman Hill, it would be prudent to raise the parish rate by £3000. She said that, due to a variety of circumstances, there were no reserves to fall back on and, therefore, an increase was necessary.

Veteran Councillor Henry Dunnicliff was not having any of that. He wanted a zero increase, and one councillor proposed that the precept should go up 1.5 per cent, although Mrs Storer's proposal added up to an apparently huge 17.2%.

Mrs Storer further warned the council of the consequences of setting a rate below what was required and emphasised

£5,300 from concerts MELBOURNE Charity Brass Band raised £5,300 for Cancer Research in the two weeks before Christmas.

The band is made up of players from different bands in the area and plays for charity and enjoyment.

To raise the money, the band played at local restaurants, hotels, hostelries, parties with their final performance taking on the morning of Christmas Eve in Melbourne Market Place.

that the Audit Commission took a very dim view of councils who did not raise a realistic rate. So, in the end, the council voted in the increase. Cllr Dunnicliff proved a hardliner and did not appear to agree.

To put it into perspective, the rate rise means the average householder will pay about £1.50 more next year. Melbourne raises an extremely low precept – one of the lowest in South Derbyshire.

The rise in the local precept, by an apparently whopping 17.2%, contrasted with the rates for both the district and the county, where the increase is likely to be pegged to 1.5%.

District Councillor Jim Hewlett was aglow, announcing the thrift of county and district, in recognising the mounting concerns of many residents in these crisis times, "with the lowest rise in Council Tax for many years".

■ PCSO Emma Guest gave a comprehensive report on crime in the area. Crime is down 12% in 2009 compared to 2008, which is heartening. Even in the anti-social behaviour sector there was a drop of

about 10%. She emphasised that "Melbourne had had a peaceful Christmas on the crime front". She did, however, admit that there had been "very few" convictions.

■ Chairman David Smith expressed the frustration of the councillors for the failure of the police to get compensation from the alleged perpetrators who had damaged the pavilion railings.

The police were now suggesting a private civil action to get compensation but were unable to help with details of their own investigations.

■ The leisure centre public meeting had "gone well", and the parish council would make a final decision at a closed meeting on Monday, February 8. A petition was presented to the council, signed by 228 residents, objecting to the leisure centre being passed over to another body.

■ The district council sponsored independent review of leisure and sporting facilities in the town was well in hand – but the final recommendations would not be available for council and public consulta-

ELECTION HUSTINGS

DAVID BELLIS reports from the February meeting of Melbourne Parish Council

tion until the end of February.

There were two residents – Mike Starkie and Rose Boston – who put their names forward to fill a vacancy on the parish council. After a quick secret ballot, taken after the letters from the candidates had been read out, Rose Boston was elected.

She is 30 years of age, has lived 10 years in the town, and has just agreed to continue as secretary of the Melbourne Carnival for a second year.

■ There will be a police surgery in Melbourne on March 9, from 5 to 7pm, in the leisure centre.

■ The Local Development Plan, based on the various offers of land made by landowners for development, will come for a formal consultation, through a series of district council public exhibitions, in several venues over the next few weeks.

The Melbourne consultation exercise will be from 2pm to 7pm on Tuesday, February 23, in the leisure centre.

THE Friends of the Parish Church will be holding a General Election Hustings at the church on Thursday, February 25, at 7.30pm.

Each candidate will be invited to deliver a brief pitch on their policies and on their general outlook.

The candidates are Heather Wheeler (Conservative), Alexis Diouf (Liberal Democrat) and Michael Edwards (Labour).

There will be plenty of time allowed for questions from the floor.

NEW to Melbourne Parish Council is Rose Boston, who was chosen by council members in a secret ballot at the February meeting.

Rose is 30 and has lived in Melbourne for 10 years.

6 Village Voice February 2010

Peter’s mystery snaps

Does Oz music turn you on?

DO you have an interest in Australian and tribal musical instruments? Melbourne resident Matthew Buckley does. He plays the Didgeredoo and he's trying to locate others with similar interests to meet and discuss, share hints and tips and perhaps play together.

Matt can be contacted on 07951608259 or at leo1187@hotmail.com

MELBOURNE Civic Society members enjoyed a lighthearted evening when photographer Peter Clough challenged his audience to identify some mystery views of Melbourne.

To their surprise, sharp-eyed winners were even rewarded with prizes.

Peter also gave an interesting account of the work involved in producing the 2010 calendar to raise money for cancer care called "clean up for cancer".

The next meeting of Melbourne Civic Society will be held on Monday, February 22, at 7.30pm in The Leisure Centre when the work of The Magic Attic, based at Sharpe's Pottery in Swadlincote, will be highlighted.

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On trail of wildlife Special award for caring Kayleigh KAYLEIGH-Jane Simmonds of Melbourne has been presented with a special Young Achievers Award by Derbyshire County Council.

Kayleigh is very helpful and caring both at school and at home. From starting school, Kayleigh has received many certificates from her teachers at both Melbourne Infant and Junior schools, which recognise the contribution she has made in class.

Kayleigh was one of 70 young people selected to receive the award from 2,000 nominations.

Kayleigh’s mummy nominated her for the award for being a caring, attentive and helpful girl especially in an emergency, and would like her to know how proud she is and to say thank you for being a brave and caring little girl.

Kayleigh-Jane Simmonds is pictured with Robin Baldry, Chairman Derbyshire County Council, and Gareth Jones, children’s TV presenter, at the awards event at Matlock.

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Village Voice February 2010 7

Frank celebrates being 90 not out AMONGST the cards and well-wishers for Melbourne resident Frank Heafield’s recent 90th birthday was a phone call from Melbourne Town Cricket Club telling him that in recognition of him being their oldest surviving cricketer he was being made a vice-president of the club.

Frank joked that he wouldn’t mind the odd game this season but he would have to keep wicket when fielding and they would have to find him a runner when batting - son Rodney, a comparative youngster in his early 60s sensibly declined to offer his services as the runner.

Brought up within a large family in Ticknall he was christened Frank. However, in those days for ease of recognition, boys in large families tended to have nicknames that derived from either their occupation or disposition. Having been given the nickname of Satan, Frank always tells you to draw your own conclusions when asking why?

Other male family members were Blinker Bates (Fred), Chiddy (Bill) and Skinner (Jim, a butcher by trade).

Although he had played for local rivals Ticknall

as a very raw teenager on the days when the team was short of players, it was as a young man that he played cricket for Melbourne and was a part of the team that saw cricket return to the recreation ground in the early 1950s after the sports pitches had closed during World War II. During those days, it was common practice for the club to host a Derbyshire cricketer’s testimonial game and for crowds of over 1,000 to flock to the Melbourne ground to pay tribute to the county cricketing stars of the day.

Former Derbyshire and England medium pacer Cliff Gladwin, who took more than 1,600 wickets for the county, was one such recipient.

Frank recalls that in those days a score off the bat at Melbourne was either one, a four or six as the grass was not the finely cut surface it is now and runs then were hard to come by.

To prove the point, many cricket club pavilions have a century board to honour batsmen who reach a score of 100. In Frank’s days Melbourne had a board celebrating batsmen reaching 50 and he is proud to have been on that honours board.

He is still in good health, dining regularly at the Welcome Cafe in the Market Place and, with his own personal century only a six and four away, is looking forward to being a spectator at some of Melbourne’s matches this season and beyond.

Frank Heafield (above) and (front row, far right) in the cricket team.

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MATTHEW NEEDHAM SOLICITOR & PARTNER AT THE Melbourne branch of Jog Derbyshire has got off to a good start with numbers now standing at 12, an increase on the first week turn-out.

Jog leader Martin Stephens said: “I’m very encouraged with the response and I look forward to seeing more join us in the coming weeks."

The group is pictured during their cooling down session at the Melbourne Leisure Centre.

Carols boost FOR the 63rd consecutive year a group of carol singers braved the snow showers on Christmas Eve to sing in various locations and at private homes around Melbourne and collected £750 for the National Children’s Home.

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8 Village Voice February 2010

Art club’s annual exhibition THE Ashby Art Club annual exhibition will be held at Easter in Ticknall Village Hall, from Saturday, April 3, through to Monday, April 6, 10am-5pm each day. Admission is 50p with refreshments available.

A donation will be made to The British Heart Foundation. More information can be obtained on 01332 812562.

Pupils relive World War II days

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CHILDREN at Melbourne Junior School returned to the 1940s during a World War II day. The event provided the opportunity for the children to experience some aspects of everyday life as part of their history studies.

The day began with a costume parade as the children arrived dressed in costumes from the period. These included evacuees, land girls and soldiers. Every child then made a national identity card.

This was followed by a programme of activities, each focusing on a different aspect of life during WWII. The children made large collages depicting images from The Blitz and sang songs from the era, ‘The White Ciffs of Dover’ and‘ We’ll

Meet Again’, to name a few.

They took part in a 'make do and mend' activity, reusing yoghurt pots and scraps of food to make bird feeders. The children also played the game 'beetle' and participated in a quiz, matching slogans to common propaganda posters such as 'Dig for Victory'.

One of the most popular activities involved building a mock Anderson shelter followed by role play based around an air raid.

"I really enjoyed the day," said Katie from Cedar Class. "My favourite activity was building the Anderson shelter. We had to work as a team."

The Year 4 teachers were pleased with the children's response to the day. "It was a

Busy time ahead in Aston

Energy road show in town

THERE is a full programme of activities lined up for Aston on Trent residents during the coming weeks, although sadly two activities will clash with each other.

On Friday, February 27, there will be a Promise Auction organised by the Aston Well Dressing Group, taking place at the White Hart at 7.30pm.

Not far away at All Saints Church there will be a 'Celebration of Youth' Concert starting at the same time.

On Sunday, March 1, the 'Focus on Scouting' event organised by the107th Scout Group will take place at the Memorial Hall HQ during the afternoon.

FREE energy-saving products will be on offer during a special road show being held in South Derbyshire.

Staff from South Derbyshire District Council and the Marches Energy Agency will be holding an advice day in Budgen’s car park, in Derby Road, Melbourne, on Thursday, February 11.

Staff will be on hand to offer energy saving advice, grants information and home energy surveys. Free energy saving goods such as light bulbs, and PC and TV power downs, will also be available.

The team will be situated at the car park between 10am and 4pm.

Further information is available by telephoning Anita Hughes on 01283 595974.

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valuable experience and we feel that the children benefited greatly from the day," Mrs Cornfield said.

The day was followed by a special visit from local historian Richard Heath, who was a child in Melbourne during the war. He showed the children a range of artefacts from the period. These included a Mickey Mouse gas mask and a number of photographs depicting Melbourne during wartime.

This article was written by MJS Year 4 children during their Literacy lessons where they have been learning about the language of Newspapers and is reproduced with permission from the MJS Times Issue 4.

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Village Voice February 2010 9

Counting the cost of the Donington crash THE failure of the Donington dream to bring Formula One racing to the East Midlands is a huge blow – not only to the venture's suppliers but to a host of businesses who hoped to share in a bonanza for the whole area.

Hotels, guest houses, garages, pubs and shops right across the region with hopes of good returns had prepared for the promised bonanza, as 100,000 race fans looked likely to spend freely.

The true cost of the doomed venture is now becoming clear, as more than 300 suppliers count the cost running to well over £4 million – with little hope of any return.

The failure of the Donington venture, led by entrepreneur Simon Gillett, is blamed mainly on the credit crunch, and the failure of a Dubai investor to come up with promised funds.

Small suppliers - like Heath Pest Control, from Waterhouses, Melbourne (down £276) and Melbourne's SP Photography (£150), had losses but the Donington Track Racing will have to stand a loss of £293,000, and Carl Johnson Ltd, of Melbourne, who provided mowing services for the site's 500 acres, is left with debts of over £78,000.

Castle Donington Parish Council is owed

£12,690, which may result in either a higher Council Tax or a reduction of services.

Leicestershire Constabulary lost just over £139,000; St John Ambulance is left with a debt of £83,000 and a Foremark firm, Fireworks International, is owed £5,700. Diseworth firm Marmalade is down £815.

The failed business had paid its business rate up to March 2010. A specialist firm has been engaged by the administrators, Begbies Traynor Group, to try to recoup £245,000.

The business was incorporated on November 27, 2006, by Simon Gillett and three other shareholders. Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd (DVLL) was the master company, which owned 100% of the shares in Donington Park Leisure Ltd (DPLL).

Donington Ventures was set up with four directors – Simon Gillett, Nicholas Schwartz and Paul White – with shareholding respectively of 40%, 5% and 45%, and James Gallon, who had no shares.

The company, which won a 17-year contract to host Formula 1, went into administration last November after failing to raise the funds to complete renovation of the track.

Administrators had hoped that one of three other interested parties might have taken over the business but this was unsuccessful.

Ton-up for Edna EDNA Ashfield from Thulston has just celebrated her 100th birthday and is pictured with family members who joined together to mark the occasion.

Front row, l to r: Hannah Marchant (great granddaughter), Stephen Robbins (son-in-law), Edna Ashfield, Evadne Robbins (daughter), Philippa Marchant (granddaughter).

Back row l to r: Quentin Robbins (grandson), Karen Robbins (Quentin’s wife), Christopher Marchant (husband of Philippa Marchant).

Magnificent men take to the stage THE New Perspectives Theatre Company, supported by Arts Melbourne, will be performing 'The Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines' at Ticknall Village Hall on Thursday, February 25.

The production is part of an initiative to bring quality theatre to small rural venues.

Comedy writing duo Brian Mitchell and Joseph Nixon have penned this classic tale of plucky British pioneers – Captain John Alcock, dashing WW1 fighter pilot, and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown, navigational genius with a gammy leg, huddled together against the elements in the tiny timber and canvas cockpit of their converted Vickers Vimy biplane.

All the roles are performed by two actors and rumour has it that the stage set is very innova-

tive.

For more information and tickets Contact Jane Brown 0794 1626452 or thebrowns@btconnect.com ■ THE Secretary of Derby Natural History Society has compiled a quiz sheet to raise funds to help Derbyshire Mammal Group publish an Atlas of Derbyshire Mammals.

It features general knowledge questions, puzzles and clues linked by a theme of house and home, though the questions relate to sport, music, TV, literature etc. There are monetary prizes to be won.

The closing date is April 20.

To obtain a copy send s.a.e and cheque for £1 payable to Derbyshire Mammal Group Quiz to 12 Chertsey Road, Mickleover, Derby, DE3 0RA.

10 Village Voice February 2010 !

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BORN at the end of 1935, I was rising four when the Second World War started, trudging to the Infant School in Church Street with my junior gas mask across my shoulder when the war was barely a year old.

& '&

A personal reflection of early childhood in Melbourne

by JOHN BLUNT

Rebecca Henry

It was a strange introduction to the world, and within a year or so my only recollection of pre-war life was of bananas, sliced up in a bowl with sugar and cream – a memory so delicious that the reality, when it came, could never quite live up to it.

Before my father bought it in 1934 Castle Farm had been for many years the base of the Knowles family's hay and straw business, and for this purpose had more buildings than would normally pertain to a holding of a mere 20 acres. This is the only reason I can think of for the War Department making us the virtual hub

ASTON Players have done it again! Their annual panto, which takes place in Aston on Trent to raise money for local charities, is now in its 30th year yet goes from strength to strength with the latest production of "Cinderella – not quite a panto" selling out over virtually every one of the six performances which took place in January.

After raising £3,500 last year, they are hoping to buck the credit crunch and present a healthy donation to this year's chosen charities, which are Rainbows Children’s Hospice and Safe and Sound of Derby.

This joyous production offered a mixture of contemporary and traditional panto ‘fayre’ with the

tale of Cinderella interwoven alongside the story of a fictional amateur dramatics group which is endeavouring to produce its annual show; whilst coming up against various issues ... The Prince and Cinders are jealous of each other and health and safety representatives from the council (known as PC, Alf and Sefty!) put the spanner in the works with requests ranging from hydration breaks for the panto horse and lifting equipment for the pumpkin!

The Ugly Sisters will surely become the latest "YouTube" phenomenon with their hilarious rendition of "Doncha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" and their Stavros Flatley dancing in o.t.t

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of their local defence arrangements.

Thus our lower yard was filled with several hundred tons of coal for the boilers of the ‘stocking factory' next door, the largest barn was stacked with timber for Nixon Knowles and Company, and the top pig sty was full of rolls of barbed wire.

Later on the hay barn was filled with crossing sleepers for the American troops practising bridge building down at Kings Newton.

Up in the corn loft were stored some pieces of equipment for the Home Guard, of which my father was a less than distinguished private under the command of Major Carl Ward. One such piece of equipment was a `Blacker Bombarder' a tube with a spring at the bottom intended for hurling grenades at the enemy. In the absence of grenades it fired John Hair beer bottles, sometimes, according to dad, "almost as far as a man could throw them".

Such land as we had was also brought into

www.ashfarmkennels.co.uk

play – t the two market The l the rail deemed were ob Nixon K Nor w servers we wer chestnu dicinal ging a w but I fa guilty o At ho blackou down in we all t and sat

dame attire. The quality of acting and (from a cast ranging in age from seven to age pensioners) was of a calibre rarely se ateur productions and the audience resp terrific.

This was a production that undoubted lot of hard work, as could be seen not on acting but costumes, scenery, music, so lighting etc. Although the inclement wea ditions earlier in the year took their toll d hearsals, with cast member being snowe broken limbs (the baddy did a wonderf crutches) this turned out to be a show whi one should be extremely proud of.

Village Voice February 2010 11

air – apart from the bananas

7 1 D E R B Y R O A D , FMI T E LNB EOSUSR N ST E ,UDDEIROB Y S H I R E D E 7 3 8 F E

the stackyard ploughed up for potatoes, o-acre meadow turned over to a local t gardener. larger field, Sweetleys meadow, down by lway line stayed as grass but, being d large enough for an enemy landing, we bliged to scatter big tree trunks from the Knowles' woodyard across it. were we youngsters to be passive obs of all this. In my second year at school re instructed to bring in all the horse uts and rose hips we could find for meuse. I did well with horse chestnuts, lugwell filled sandbag to the school gates, ailed with rose hips and felt vaguely on this score. ome my job was to fix in place all the ut shutters each night and take them n the morning. When the siren sounded trooped down to the damp arched cellar, t there in bored silence until the `all

d singing o "mature" een in amponse was

dly took a nly in the ound and ather conduring reed in and ful job on ich every-

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clear' sounded. But of course when war did come to Melbourne none of us were in the shelters.

At eight o'clock on that bright morning the adults were in the yard looking up at the unfamiliar plane, and I was in the kitchen eating bread and marmalade. The bomb which killed the soldiers billeted 50 yards away blew in all our windows and brought the ceiling down on my head. By the time we reached the cellar that Jerry was long gone. My younger brother, brought down from his cot upstairs, slept through it all.

Towards the end of the war, when Charles was old enough to follow me about, one of our games was to see what we could make from the long rolls of metal foil, on steel spools, which came to litter our fields.

I have never inquired, but always imagined they were practice drops for bombers seeking to deflect flak over German cities. And then came

the German soldiers themselves, as prisoners sent in as work parties to clear our brook. Some were from the Black Forest and made me a wooden toy of pecking hens; days were spent watching them at work with their crowbars and hand winch and from them I learnt my first few words of German.

Through these long years my father kept a Daily Mail world map pinned to our kitchen cupboard, with pins to mark the progress of our troops. One o'clock each day was sacrosanct for listening to the news from the BBC. The war was the news, though sometimes there would be a short tailpiece that was not war related.

As I grew to think about this I remember asking dad one day what the news consisted of in peacetime. His answer was vague.

I think he was beginning to forget himself, but I came away with the impression that peacetime, apart from bananas, was a pretty tepid sort of affair.

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12 Village Voice February 2010

£20m golf complex work gets under way A GROUND-BREAkING ceremony held to mark the start of work on a £20million golf course and hotel scheme in Swadlincote took place on Monday, February 8.

Specialist firm Stoneheads is constructing the ‘pay as you play’ course on land owned

by UK COAL at Tetron Point, off William Nadin Way, Swadlincote.

Representatives from both companies joined Frank McArdle and Cllr Heather Wheeler, the Chief Executive and Leader of South Derbyshire District Council, respectively, along with community leaders to herald the beginning of the project which will comprise an 82-bedroom hotel, a clubhouse, an administration building, golf academy and 18-hole golf course.

Neighbourhood Watch MELBOURNE Neighbourhood Watch will be holding its next meeting on Tuesday, February 16, at the Blue Bell Inn, Melbourne, starting at 7.30pm.

In addition to making Melbourne a safer place to live, there are other benefits in becoming a member.

For more details contact Gail How, area co-ordinator, on 865279.

The academy will focus on developing and educating young local talent to excel in long distance hazards and water-traps through working with schools as well as local people who wish to use the facility.

The development of a golf course in Swadlincote has been an ambition of the council through its Chief Executive for a number of years.

Mr McArdle said: “It has been a long time coming to get to this stage – but it has been worth the wait. This project is another part of the exciting future of Swadlincote and will leave a lasting legacy in the town.

“Tourism spend in and around South Derbyshire already brings in many millions of pounds and will increase further with this development. It is a win-win situation. It will bring so many benefits to local residents and people coming into the National Forest.”

Eddie Peat, a director of UK COAL's prop-

erty arm Harworth Estates, which own the site, described the plans as ‘exciting’.

"UK COAL has had a lengthy association with the area and we look upon this development as providing a long term legacy for the community," he said.

Stonehead's Chief Executive, David Heads, said: “Stoneheads are extremely proud to be building such a prestigious development in the heart of Swadlincote. We have been working to ensure that a high quality 18-hole golf course, designed to cater for all ages and abilities, is provided and also an innovative golf academy, leisure and clubhouse facilities.

"The course has a three-year construction phase and, when completed, will provide a challenging course not only for the low handicapped players but also an enjoyable one for those thinking about taking up golf for the first time.”

Village Voice Postbag IN the mid-1950s I kept a boat at Mr and Mrs Rowley’s cottage on Cuttle Bridge Wharf. They told me about a group of elderly gents who each year rowed up the River Trent and canal from Newark to Swarkestone in order to visit relatives/friends at Melbourne, in time for the Whitsuntide holiday.

Their boat was a long skiff – varnished with polished brass fittings. They stayed overnight in riverside pubs but carried camping gear in case nothing else was available.

They sometimes left the boat at Rowley’s or sometimes with Reg and Fanny Spare at Swarke-

stone lock house. I only saw them once but was told about the annual trips by Mrs Rowley and Mrs Spare and also by two friends who kept a boat on the Derby Canal.

The boat journeys only ended when one of the group died.

If anyone can supply more information about these intrepid four men in a boat and their voyages from Newark to Swarkestone I will be very grateful!

John Wain 23 Woodminton Drive, Chellaston Derby DE73 6RZ (tel 702423).

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THE boarded-up HSBC bank, in High Street, Melbourne, finally closed on Friday, January 22.

The "world's friendly bank", which used to advertise itself as the "listening bank", proved deaf to local pleas to keep open this important local business centre.

A petition, which attracted hundreds of signatures, was sent to senior bank officials in London, by County Councillor John Harrison. The bank's response came after the closure had taken place, offering a meeting with Councillor Harrison, a meeting which he declined.

Fun all the way . . .

FUNHOUSE Comedy came to Melbourne once more as part of the regular diet being served as a fringe element of the Melbourne Art Festival. The headline act was Addy van der Borgh and by the time he appeared on stage the crowd at the RBL Club was in high spirits.

Irishman Andy Ryan compered the night delivering his own sense of humour to warm up the expectant crowd and introducing the acts with first up Rhodri Rhys. Wales and the Welsh came in for a bit of knocking as Rhodri delivered his set which he combined with a wide range of other subjects to entertain.

Unusually on this circuit, and a first for Melbourne, was female comedienne Aussie, Pam Ford, who brought a woman's touch to the stage with her outrageous humour and no-holds-barred take on life.

Addy van der Borgh proved to be a comedian par excellence whose humour both surprised and delighted with its content and delivery and exceeded expectations.

Village Voice February 2010 13

Poor state of the area’s housing A SURVEY of housing commissioned by South Derbyshire District Council has come up with some startling insights into the state of local housing.

Although South Derbyshire is one of the most prosperous areas in the Midlands, with an increasing population and good growth rates, there are areas with poor, substandard housing, even in the more affluent towns and villages of the district.

The Government has set a Decent Homes Standard, which lays down criteria that homes should be in a reasonable state of repair, have reasonable modern facilities, (bathrooms and kitchens), and have effective insulation and heating.

By far the greatest problem is cold homes, be-

cause of poor inefficient heating systems and inadequate insulation.

It is estimated that 4,300 households – 12.5 per cent of the total housing stock suffer from 'fuel poverty',the majority privately rented, and the majority with incomes below £10,000 per year.

By these criteria, over 45 per cent of privately rented homes are 'non-decent'.

Within South Derbyshire as a whole, the highest number of non-decent homes is in Linton, with 43 per cent non-decent homes followed by Melbourne with over 35 per cent.

For the survey, the Melbourne area is defined as Melbourne itself together with the villages in the Trent Valley, as well as Smisby, Ticknall and Calke.

£3,200 for Africa project THE Promise Auction organised by the Melbourne Methodist church at the end of 2009 was well supported with more than 100 people attending. The auction was very successful with all 100 lots sold and the organisers would like to thank everyone who helped in any way in achieving a staggering profit of £3,200.

The money will help to pay the salary of Magugu Mbanjina, a ‘Caregiver Monitor’ who trains with the Phakamisa project in South Africa and then transfers her newly acquired knowledge into the townships to the equivalent of the UK Pre School Playgroups.

As a support group, the Melbourne Friends of Phakamisa have been paying the salary for three years and are pledged to continue for at least the next two years.

The Melbourne group has now started organising a competition, to design the 2010 Phakamisa Christmas card. More details will follow at a later date.

■ STEVE Aynsley and his band Crawfish from Aston on Trent joined East Midlands TV weather reporter Sarah Blizzard at a fund raising day held in Leicester Market fin aid of the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.

Barbara Parish fund-raising organiser for the Air Ambulance, received donations amounting to £900 during the event and Crawfish entertained market visitors with some good old fashioned rock and roll.

Sarah was there to open the ceremony and to receive a cheque for £4,000 from the Freemasons on behalf of Air Ambulance.

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MEGAN Jade Lowdon, aged three, of Melbourne is pictured at home with mum Julie and dad Keith displaying her winning entry in a colouring competition for one to six year olds.

The competition was organised by the Westfield Centre in Derby and Megan’s entry, complete with added glitter was sub-

mitted in December. Mum Julie was notified of Megan’s success a week ago and was advised that the first prize was £50 worth of Boots Mini Mode vouchers.

Although Megan was excited at having won, Julie thinks that they will put off spending the vouchers until the summer collection is available.

Fun in the Forest for kids DO the children need something to do at half-term?

A series of drop-in sessions will be held at Rosliston Forestry Centre for youngsters with a range of activities organised throughout the week beginning February 15 as part of the Get Active in the Forest initiative. They will include: Archery sessions on Monday, February 15 and Friday19; A Wildlife Watch on Tuesday, February 16; and Laser Combat sessions Wednesday, February 17 and Thursday18.

All activities are dependant on the weather and children must be accompanied by an adult.

The sessions, costing £2.50 each, are being held between 2pm and 4pm and are run on a 'Queue and Do' basis.

For further information call 01283 563483.

14 Village Voice February 2010

FREE CHANCE FOR TEENAGERS TO HIT THE SKI SLOPES TEENAGERS in South Derbyshire are being given the ultimate opportunity to hit the slopes this spring.

South Derbyshire District Council and the South Derbyshire School Sport Partnership are offering free skiing and snowboarding activity days for 13 to 18-year-olds at Swadlincote Ski

Centre.

Ski days will be held on Sunday, March 7, and Sunday, March 21, at the Hill Street venue between 10am and 4pm with snowboarding camps taking place at the same times on Saturday, March 6, and Sunday, March 14.

Qualified instructors will show participants the

ropes. Lunch will be served during the days and certificates given to those who take part.

Steve Smith, Partnership Development Manager at the South Derbyshire School Sports Partnership, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for youngsters to get to the slopes absolutely free.

The courses will cater for beginners, intermedi-

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DOMINIC Hudson and Teresa Davies, both from Melbourne, were married on a very bright but cold December day at Melbourne Roman Catholic Church. They later enjoyed their honeymoon in Sri Lanka and then the Maldives. Dominic and Teresa continue to live in Melbourne.

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Funding for the project has been obtained from Derbyshire County Council’s Youth Opportunities Fund.

Application forms can be downloaded from.www.southderbyshiressp.co.uk.

WORK has begun on a major project to build five eco-friendly business units at Rosliston Forestry Centre in South Derbyshire.

The state-of-the-art units are designed to make the most of the visitor and woodland economy in The National Forest and are expected to be occupied by mid May this year.

The units are ideally suited for wood businesses, crafts, workshops, or environmental technology firms and have been positioned to make the most of the Forestry Centre’s 190,000-day visitors per year.

Village Voice February 2010 15

FLYING TONIGHT . . .

A CHARITY turkey dinner held at the Bay Tree Restaurant in Melbourne raised £1,065.50 for the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.

Bay Tree proprietor Rex Howell donated half of the ticket sales to this worthy charity.

Guests were extremely generous with raffle donations and, combined with auction items, they all contributed to raising this excellent sum. Jenny Starkie, organiser of the event said: “It was fundraising for a worthy cause in a truly social way.”

Pictured at the Bay Tree after the event are Catherine Foster, regional organiser for DLRAA, Maitland Briggs, volunteer with DLRAA, Rex Howell and Jenny Starkie.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUILDERS

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COURTESY of Rex Howell and Vicky Talbot of the Bay Tree Restaurant, Melbourne Community Care was asked to invite a group of 30 local 'elder' residents to a "Christmas lunch with all the trimmings".

This superb lunch took place at the Bay Tree in December with Trustees and Committee Members of Community Care "waiting on".

The picture shows 'diners' being waited on by the Revd Dr John Davies.

LET’S COOK LESSONS

A FREE new cooking course for young parents has been taking place in Melbourne over the last six weeks.

The Staunton Harold branch of the WI has been holding the classes in the kitchen at Scallywags Nursery in Melbourne with WI member Barbara Robey, a professional cook, taking the role of lead tutor.

The course is part of a project being rolled out across England and Wales, sponsored by the Food Standards Agency in conjunction with the Na-

tional Federation of Women’s Institutes.

‘Let’s Cook’ is a practical course all about basic cooking, food hygiene and healthy eating for busy parents who want to provide healthy meals for their children.

Each week the parents have learnt a range of cooking skills and have made something to take home which has included shepherd’s pie, lasagne, pasta bake, banana loaf, apple crumble and more.

They have also gained skills for life and grown in confidence with their newly acquired skills.

“The course has been very successful and an enjoyable experience for us all,” said Barbara, “and I think we’ve proved that cooking is fun.”

Pictured displaying their latest cooking creations at the most recent ‘Let’s Cook’ session at the Scallywags Nursery kitchen are (l-r), Georgina Bancroft, Emma Salt, Barbara Robey, Ruth Askam, Rebecca Moore and Sue Hall.

TEL: 01332 863571 MOB: 07813 932420 Woodlands Way, Melbourne

16 Village Voice February 2010

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Village Voice February 2010 17

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Typeset by Greenborough Ltd., t/a Voice Productions.

Printed by Harmsworth Printing Ltd., Derby.

The publishers of Village Voice are not responsible for any content or claims in advertisements in this newspaper.

Advertisements may not be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers.

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THINk of Sunday mornings and you imagine a lie in, maybe a leisurely breakfast and a read of the newspaper. Think again!

We’ve heard that Melbourne minis and juniors have made Sunday a hotbed of rugby action.

You’d be surprised at the scale and professionalism of Melbourne minis and juniors. The club has more than 300 players signed up, across age ranges from under six to under 18. Melbourne also has two successful girls’ teams.

The minis and juniors club is massive!

Melbourne regularly beats city sides such as Derby, Nottingham and Loughborough. The lads and dads go on an annual tour, last year winning a tournament comprising teams from the likes of Newport and Warrington.

The under 10s and 11s are unbeaten so far this season and the under 11s are the current South Derbyshire Team of the Year. So, how does a sleepy South Derbyshire village manage to be a David among Goliaths?

Club Chairman Andrew Allman puts it

down to the standard of the coaching and support. "We make sure the coaches are RFU qualified," he said. "If we can couple professionalism with enthusiasm, then we have a winning formula. Melbourne has such an excellent reputation that we attract players from well outside the area."

The club does seem to be alive! A visit to Chellaston School on Sunday saw a hive of activity. Some of the younger age groups were playing away at Loughborough but the under 11s were playing a competitive match.

The older age groups were training. The under 15s were in the gym, having a go at kick boxing and judo, in an effort to toughen them up for the second half of the season.

It was buzzing behind the scenes too with mums and dads helping serve hot dogs and bacon butties while the small club shop was doing a roaring trade in merchandise. A group of Chellaston sixth formers were helping in the shop – raising money for their Uganda Appeal.

"We’re totally reliant on the goodwill of our volunteers and our excellent link with Chellaston School," said Andrew Allman.

"Thankfully they appreciate what we do for the players and, in turn, we appreciate their

help behind the scenes. This is very much a community club."

Melbourne boys and girls regularly turn out for the county.

One or two have made the breakthrough to England youth squads and some are training with professional rugby academies (including the mighty Leicester Tigers).

Many of the players have become qualified as coaches and themselves help out teaching rugby in the local primary schools. In a world where young people often get a bad press, it was wonderful to see so many children engaged in such a positive way.

The U17s are currently top of the county league whilst Spring sees the regional Notts, Lincs & Derbys tournament and another chance for Melbourne boys to pit their wits against the finest teams in the country.

They may be facing big city teams but you can be sure that they are putting Melbourne and Sport in South Derbyshire firmly on the rugby map!

If you are 6-46 and would like to have a go at playing Rugby at Melbourne, please ring 07753 416164 and find out how you can do so.

– A Cope

Tel. 01332 862744 / 862940 The

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Naomi Fry accepts child orthodontic patients on the N.H.S.

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Contact also welcomed by e-mail pat.murray@south-derbys.gov.uk Tel 01283 219687 or michael.stanton@south-derbys.gov.uk Tel 01332 862044

Village Voice February 2010 19

be the same again ...

Blank month for Rangers TICKNALL Rangers had all their scheduled football games postponed in January with STREAMLINE and THE BLUE BELL managing just one game each.

Streamline travelled to top of the league West Park FC and held their own for 70 minutes with the score at 1-1 thanks to a Luke Chamberlain goal but two late strikes from West Park saw Streamline fall to defeat.

It was the same outcome for The Blue Bell who went out of the cup 4-3 away to West Hallam with a Scott Williams brace and a Kyle McBride goal being the consolation scorers.

Bowlers looking ahead THE Aston and Weston Bowls Club members are looking forward to the coming season. The seeding carried out on the green in the autumn is growing well and the top dressing is on hold waiting for an efficient spreader to become available.

In addition to the established list of opponents, 2010 will include several new names in the 2010 fixture list

Swinging into cricket season MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club has begun the countdown to the 2010 season with the winter nets already underway.

They are held every Sunday, 1pm-2pm, at the new Gateway practice facilities at Derbyshire CCC. New players are always welcome.

The club is starting a Junior section for the first time in 15 years under qualified coaches Jim Jenkinson and Ken Grant for the under 11s age group and the club is holding practice sessions at Melbourne leisure centre every Saturday morning 10am to 11.30am, which started on February 6. All are welcome to go along.

Alex Slater is once more the First Team skipper and the Second Team has James Smith in charge again following last season’s promotion.

Along with this, the Development XI, which was the former Friendly side, has over 13 fixtures organised and is

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under the non-playing captaincy of Andy Heafield.

The club will also be playing midweek cricket on Thursdays in the Loughborough League and consequently will have a lot more cricket to offer existing and new members.

If you would like to be involved with the club in any capacity – playing, behind the scenes, sponsoring match balls – please get in touch with Alex Slater on 07966933583.

■ ON Sunday July 4, Melbourne Town Cricket Club is organising a “Legends” game featuring former players against the Development XI with plans to hold a postmatch celebration at club sponsor The Alma Inn. Anyone wishing to attend as either a player or spectator should contact former fast bowler and club kit supplier Steve Price at Cricket Box on 01283 212750 for further details.

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20 Village Voice February 2010

SPORT OUTDOOR CLOTHING

Stockists of Barbour • Aigle Hoggs • Chrysalis SHOOTING EQUIPMENT FISHING TACKLE Corporate CLAY SHOOTS arranged & much more

NEW KIT . . . (back row, l-r) . Simon Kelsey, Ian Lucas and Wendy Robinson with first team players Shane Lehane, Sean Parkinson, Ash Corden, Peter Welsh, Dean Sylvester, Ken Biggins, Bob Stowel, Morris Hall, Ashley Stringer; front row: Rob Foster, Matt Brown, Alex Nightingale, Gary Lakin, Tom Howery, Stephen Bell, Chris Fulton and Dane Middleton.

Pay us a visit at 64 Church Street, Melbourne, Derbys

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NEW SPONSOR DEAL FOR RUGBY CLUB

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MELBOURNE Rugby Club has completed a fantastic new sponsorship deal with local estate agents, Ashley Adams, in collaboration with WAMSport Ltd, a Melbourne-based company owned and run by Wendy Robinson.

“We are delighted that Ashley Adams have come on board with us at Melbourne Rugby Club and have generously sponsored a quality new playing kit," said Melbourne RFC’s chairman Ian Lucas.

The exclusively designed First Team playing kit comprises a sublimated slim-fit playing jersey with matching shorts and socks in club colours green and gold with the Ashley Adams logo and the MRFC crest prominently positioned on the front of the jersey.

“WAMSport Limited were delighted to be invited by Ashley Adams and the Melbourne Rugby Club to design and manufacture the playing kit for the First Team,” says Wendy.

“This specialist sublimated product came from our Kent operation but we design, print and embroider locally.”

Simon Kelsey, manager of Ashley Adams Melbourne branch, is pleased with the sponsorship arrangements saying: "As estate agents in the community we have been seeking opportunities for sponsorship of local events or institutions and having become aware of the ongoing development of the rugby club we felt that there was an ideal chance to support this vibrant organisation. We are delighted with the outcome of our collaboration with WAMSport and the rugby club in providing a brand new strip for the first team.

Mr Lucas said: “We have big plans for our Cockshut Lane ground over the next few years and have recently added four changing rooms, a fully floodlit pitch and car-park on the site.

"Working with local companies such as Ashley Adams and WAMSport helps us to strive towards better facilities for all of our players and members.”

Dynamoes stretch their unbeaten run to 13 MELBOURNE Dynamoes extended their run to 13 wins on the trot in a weather affected month of January winning both their games.

At home to Matlock Town Reserves, Dynamoes ran out comfortable 4-1 winners with strikes from skipper Lee Scott, Tom Donnachie, Dave Brough and a Carl Allsop header securing the points.

The only other game in January saw Melbourne beat local rivals Castle Donington 3-0 thanks to a

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Ryan Grey volley, a Lee Scott curler and a Danny Guild tap-in.

This puts the first team seven points clear at the top of the table going into the last three months of the season.

Melbourne Dynamoes Reserves managed just one game last month.

A Jack Tivey goal after just 29 seconds gave them a superb start but that's as good as it got as the Reserves lost 5-1.