Melbourne Village Voice January 2019 by Village Voice

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Panto stars’ post-op pick-me-up for young Isabelle

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No. 314 January 2019

A HOSPITAL trip to have your tonsils out isn’t much fun, but this 10-year-old from Melbourne still had a smile on her face despite the operation when she had a personal visit from a trio of panto stars. Duncan James, of early noughties pop group Blue fame, took time away from the stage – where he was playing Jack in the Derby Arena production of Jack and the Beanstalk – along with co-stars Lizzie Wofford and Bethan Nash to pay a visit to children in the Royal Derby Hospital in December. Among those to get a touch of Christmas cheer was Isabelle Gadsby, a pupil at Melbourne Junior School, who had just undergone an operation to remove her tonsils. Isabelle’s dad John said: “She’d literally just come around from the operation and they came round, so it was a massive lift for her; it took the edge off.” Isabelle, who stayed in hospital for

one night to have her tonsils out, said being visited by the panto stars had made her very happy, as she was “very bored” in hospital. “When we went around the hospital before the operation, somebody told me they’d be coming round,” she explained. And Isabelle had another treat during her stay too: a visit from a magician before her operation organised by Pod children’s charity. “This magician came round and that really helped take her mind off it,” said John. Because of the timing of her operation, Isabelle had not been able to join her friends at Melbourne Junior School when they were taken to see Jack and the Beanstalk at the theatre, but the personal visit from some of its stars hopefully made up for it. Isabelle is pictured with Lizzie Wofford (Fairy Story), Bethan Nash (Jill) and Duncan James as Jack.

NOW LET’S MAKE IT THE MELBOURNE WE WANT!

WHAT do local residents want to see in the centre of our village of Melbourne?

That is the question being asked after news of another major public exhibition event in the spring to gauge local views on the thorny question of traffic management in the village centre. Last year Derbyshire County Council announced proposals for a one-way system plus additional double yellow lines in the centre of Melbourne to ease traffic congestion. The suggestions unveiled at a Local Area Forum also included proposals to re-route HGVs and attracted many comments from the local community – some supportive, others against. In September of last year, a further public meeting held in the village heard how the proposed one-way system was not broadly sup-

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ported locally, particularly by residents living in the affected streets. The suggestion from the county council is for a one-way system taking traffic along Derby Road from Queensway to the Market Place, up Chapel Street from the Station Road end, and down Potter Street towards Castle Square, a scheme accompanied by more double yellow lines for the streets in question, limiting cars to one side of the road.

NEW

Residents at the meeting in September felt this would result in excess speeding, longer journey times and inconvenience. Derbyshire County Council is holding a big public drop-in exhibition and consultation event in the spring on the subject of traffic management in Melbourne. One of our readers has invited us to act as a forum for comments from local residents ahead of this exhibition, so we can all have the Melbourne we want. “Could we therefore suggest that the Village Voice acts as a forum for views of Melbourne residents and business owners in preparation for this meeting?” says John Robinson, whose letter has been published in full on Page12. John goes on to suggest that there are other

improvements that local people may wish to see, such as a “mixed mode” centre with slow driving speeds for cars; a regular market, or another car park. The Village Voice is delighted to perform such a role. We undertake to publicise the exhibition in the spring, and all comments can be received at letters@melbournevillagevoice.co.uk. We will store them safely, pass them on to the relevant authorities, and publish those that we can, with the agreement of the sender.

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Assembly Rooms’ appeal tops £10k mark

MORE than 100 generous local people have dug deep to contribute to the refurbishment plans at Melbourne Assembly Rooms, to the tune of just over £5,000. The latest donation to the Brick by Brick appeal for the Assembly Rooms’ main hall came courtesy of Melbourne Civic Society, which handed over £500. Since the appeal was launched in October, more than 100 donations have been received, raising £5,035.81. That has been further boosted with events and grants which have pushed the total raised to £10,866.80. Assembly Rooms manager Andy Heafield said: “I have been touched by the high regard and affection that the Melbourne Assembly Rooms is held in, not just locally but further afield as we gain a reputation for quality events that bring people to the town. It has been moving to read the dedications on the ‘bricks’ that reflect people's lives and the part the building has played in them whether as a school or as it now is.” Melbourne Civic Society said it was responding to the appeal with a donation of £500, saying that the recent makeover of the reception and kitchen area had met with the society’s approval with a certificate of commendation. The society said it believed “… the present appeal for funds for a major refurbishment of the main hall will further improve and enhance the facilities of this valuable community asset”. Since the Assembly Rooms’ team has run the venue – formerly Melbourne’s secondary school which closed in 1977 – they have overseen renovations to the buildings including rebuilding foyers, toilets, the kitchen and bar area, plus adding a hearing loop, WiFi, better acoustics in the main hall and tiered seating for events. Assembly Rooms’ leaders now want to redecorate the walls and ceiling in the main hall as well as clean, sand and re-varnish the maple parquet wooden floor, which is now well over a century old and has not been given any attention for around 40 years. Plans also include cleaning and replacing broken cast iron floor

l Dr Paul Grimley, chairman of Melbourne Civic Society, hands over the cheque to Andy Heafield. grills around the hall’s perimeter, and addressing ventilation and cooling by creating “clerestory” (high up) window openings. A recent grant application to South Derbyshire District Council for money to contribute to the works did not succeed, but it is hoped it can be resubmitted this year. Anyone who wants to donate to the appeal gets their own personal cardboard “brick” on which they can write their message, to be placed initially in the building as a thank you. The parish council has donated £1,000 and MP Heather Wheeler has also lent her support with a brick. To donate, get in touch with the Assembly Rooms by phoning 01332 863522 or emailing info@melbourneassemblyrooms.co.uk. You can also donate via a Just Giving page: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/melbourneassemblyrooms – Lucy Stephens

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n OWNERS of Melbourne’s Bay Tree restaurant had a clever idea for a temporary fix for their broken window after the dramatic events of last November when a car hit it … they have come up with this photographic image instead. The replacement image will be on the side of the Bay Tree until contractors come in to fix it properly, and owner Susie Howell said it was so realistic that some customers actually thought it was the real thing! “We are delighted with it and all the comments are very positive for this temporary fix,” she said. Work to replace the broken window is hoped to take place in March.

Footpaths group’s walk opener

THE first of this year’s walks organised by Melbourne Footpaths Group will take place on January 24. Anyone who would like to take part is invited to meet at Breedon-on-the-Hill War Memorial near the Holly Bush pub at 10am. Led by Barry Thomas, the five-mile walk takes in Breedon and Worthington. The next in the group’s programme of walks is scheduled for February 21 and is a four-miler around Calke Park. Walkers will be meeting at

10am at Ticknall Village Hall car park. All walks organised by the footpaths group are circular and take place on Thursdays. The group asks for a £2 donation per head to pay for insurance costs and its work maintaining footpaths. Participants should take walking boots and waterproof gear, and any dogs should be on leads. Check the group’s website or Facebook page for any last minute changes: www.melbournefootpathsgroup.org.uk.

Bouncing baby start to new year

Village Voice January 2019 3

ONE Melbourne couple had a perfect start to 2019 – the birth of their baby girl, who was one of the very first to come into the world in Derby this year. Nick Morris and fiancé Lisa Copeland, owner of Melbourne Deli, welcomed the newest addition to their family on January 1. Weighing in at 7lbs and 7oz, Esme Grace Morris was the fifth new baby to arrive at the Royal Derby Hospital in 2019. A new sister for Melbourne Junior School pupil Lilly, 10, and Chellaston Academy pupil Sam, 14, Esme was delivered by Caesarean section at 10.50am on New Year’s Day. “I can’t believe she’s a new year baby!” said Lisa. “She’s absolutely beautiful.” Proud mum and dad are pictured before taking their baby Edsme home.

Garden centre homes plan upsets villagers

PROPOSALS to redevelop the garden centre and nurseries at Breedon-onthe-Hill by shutting shops, knocking down buildings and creating 46 houses and a new village hall have been lodged with planners – but there has been fierce local objection. The proposals would involve building the new homes and village hall where Priory Nursery Garden Centre is at the moment. If the plans went ahead, it would increase the village’s 350 households by some 15 per cent – and local residents have written in to say the village simply does not have the infrastructure to support the development. Others have also said they really value the shops in the garden centre and do not want them to have to close, with the destruction of shopkeepers’ livelihoods, to make way for the new homes. The plans currently on the table follow on from a previous application in 2016

which would have created 27 homes at the garden centre plus new commercial buildings, retail units and a new village hall. A planning statement by Staffordshirebased JVH Town Planning Consultants Ltd said this had been supported by planning officers “but failed to be determined due to a late objection from the Highway Authority that related to the site access that could not be resolved at the time”. The statement goes on to say that a “fresh look” at the plans was then taken, and there was a meeting between planning officers and applicants Cameron Homes on May 24, 2018, when a larger development was discussed. Developers say their scheme “will prove an attractive and mixed development on the application site together with a new purpose-built village hall”. They say it will also deliver highway improvements plus a new flood mitigation strategy which could help reduce flooding

in Breedon in the future. But residents have written in strongly objecting to the scheme, with one saying it would be “utter folly” to get rid of the shops currently in the garden centre and create houses with no services to support them. The applicants have said that Breedon includes “a range of social and community facilities” including “convenience stores”. But several residents have pointed out that Breedon in fact only has one small Post Office with shop, with limited opening times, when it comes to amenities. Others have pointed to the already full primary school and the fact the nearest doctors’ surgery in Melbourne is already coping with growing housing numbers locally, adding to the current waiting times to get an appointment. The plans are available to view on North West Leicestershire District Council’s website. – Lucy Stephens

Top chef to open restaurant?

HERE’S a delicious titbit for foodlovers – top chef Sven-Hanson Britt has hopes to open a new restaurant in Melbourne. Sven is currently executive head chef at appliances manufacturer Miele and was a finalist on Masterchef: The Professionals in 2014. He started out in The Ritz in London, making it all the way up to sous chef, and in 2018 was announced as one of the finalists of the Roux scholarship. Sven (pictured at Melbourne Hall) told The Village Voice at the opening of Melbourne Hall & Gardens on December 30, where visitors enjoyed his mince pies, that he had plans to open a restaurant in the village which were currently in the planning system.

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n A SELL-OUT crowd of 100 people celebrated the New Year in style at the Melbourne Assembly Rooms to the sounds of 80s tribute band De Lorean. Assembly Rooms manager Andy Heafield said: “The evening’s format with people bringing their own food seems to work well; looking at the hampers coming through the door, everyone seems to have got in the spirit with their food ranging from a three course blow out to a packet of nuts. “We never have to advertise the event and everyone seems to appreciate being able to celebrate the New Year with friends in a safe environment, and you can walk home at the end.” Pictures: PETE CLOUGH

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Santaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleigh tour a charity success

MELBOURNE Rugby Club has raised a staggering ÂŁ1,827 after dusting off Santaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleigh during December and doing the rounds of local villages. Following on from the tradition established by the Rotary Club, MRFC toured Melbourne and local villages over five nights with the sleigh. The tour was led by Gary Lakin and other senior players, and ably assisted by Melbourne Minis and Juniors rugby members. The directors of the rugby club have agreed that the monies should all go to local charities. Donations of ÂŁ609 have been made to Melbourne Senior Citizens Centre to help in the refurbishment of the committee room; to Melbourne Sporting Partnership to develop the infrastructure at the centre; and the Stroke Unit at Derby Hospital, which provided wonderful care for Jack Radley, one of the Melbourne Rugby Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s keenest supporters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; who was featured in the Village Voice last year.

Volunteers sought to run the library

l Melbourne Rugby Football Club director Tom Williams presents a cheque for ÂŁ609 to Maggie Dobby, of the Senior Citizens Centre.

MELBOURNEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S library has been earmarked for transfer to a community-run facility despite opposition voiced during public consultation. Derbyshire County Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Public Library Strategy, tabled in 2018, has been revised in light of public opinions, with amendments agreed at the December meeting of the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cabinet. As well as the controversial plans to transfer 20 libraries to community management, there will be a reduction in weekly opening hours across the library service, a reduction in the materials fund and a proposal to transfer their mobile libraries to community management. The council currently runs 45 libraries and two mobile libraries and are making the changes to achieve savings of ÂŁ1.6m from the library budget by 2021. About 7,000 people responded to the consultation and 45 per cent of respondents disagreed with the proposal to deliver services via directly controlled and community-run libraries, with only 31 per cent positive about the idea. At dropin sessions held during the consultation 66 per cent of those attending were negative about transferring ownership to community groups. Overall, South Derbyshire was under-represented in the level of responses, representing only eight per cent of all responders, despite being 13 per cent of the Derbyshire population. To allay concerns the council is now offering an additional (fifth) year of support and promised ac-

cess to a shared ÂŁ50,000 pot to fund the start-up of community libraries. After the meeting Councillor Barry Lewis, cabinet member for strategic leadership, culture and tourism, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know how important libraries are to our communities and are confident these plans are the best way forward to secure their future. Following the consultation, we made a number of changes to reflect what people told us and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to encourage communities to really get behind these plans and support them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re moving into an exciting time now as we look to talk seriously with groups and organisations about how they can successfully take over and run their local library.â&#x20AC;? The drive to find volunteers to run libraries will begin in the New Year, when the council will hold a series of open days to generate interest among groups and organisations. This will be followed by a second stage, where interested groups will be asked to put together a business plan, with support if needed. Amongst the other changes announced, plans to cease the DVD loan service next April were revised and borrowers will be able to access DVDs until March 2021, although no new stock will be added. Also, the suggestion to implement â&#x20AC;&#x153;unstaffed/self-serviceâ&#x20AC;? Smart libraries, was reconsidered; the concept will be trialled at a small number of libraries before any future implementation is considered. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Frank Hughes

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Suspicious carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; man charged

TWO men have been arrested and one charged after a diligent roads policing officer came to Melbourne following reports of car doors being tried in the village just before Christmas. Police were told about a suspicious silver car in Melbourne on December 20 and the officer came to investigate. A report from PCSO Emma

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Village Voice January 2019 5

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6 Village Voice January 2019

Country Living

Catkins bringing a dash of colour with Robert Parker

THE second of January and the hedgerows seem suddenly to be awash with catkins. I suppose they are earlier than normal, brought on by the very mild weather, and to see them lifts the heart somewhat at a time of year when most things are very dreary and dormant. They look so out of place in the hedgerows at this time of year. These catkins are the flowers of the hazel tree and some other species have them, but none as beautiful as these. I think the alder tree has them much later in the year. Hazel was used and still is in smaller amounts for coppicing in the woodlands. All sorts of things were made from them like hurdles, baskets and beansticks, all of which have been replaced by other “easier” materials. The coppice would have been harvested in rotation every few years and would continue indefinitely in a very labour-intensive system. Something from another age! The kind weather so far has allowed

farmers to keep their cattle and sheep out of doors for so much longer than usual. Never could it have come at a better time as forage supplies on farms is at an all time low. Driving over Swarkestone on New Year’s Eve and seeing cattle grazing happily on those fields is something very unusual. All are hoping this will carry on and give us an early spring, and weather forecasts look promising. n Staunton Reservoir is starting to refill and must have gone up over five foot in depth in the last few weeks. It still has a long way to go though, and will be very dependent on rainfall in the coming months. Very few local rivers have been in any way close to flooding recently so extracting water from these will be sporadic. n Cereal crops in the fields have never looked so good and this set me thinking about the future prospects of them. They will mostly be sold when we are out of the EU, which could be very good or very bad. Who knows?

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Winter opening first at the hall

l Peter Rose (viola, second from left) and his string quartet (l-r) Monika Walton, John Walton (violins) and Ruth Elkan (cello) entertaining visitors.

MELBOURNE Hall is home to some new residents – rarebreed alpacas and miniature ponies – and more than 100 visitors were there to admire them as the hall and gardens opened up in the winter for the very first time. Melbourne Hall usually opens to visitors on selected days in August, but broke with tradition as 2018 drew to a close with a winter visiting day on December 30. With mulled wine and mince pies cooked by top chef SvenHanson Britt – finalist in the 2014 Professional Masterchef and former sous-chef at The Ritz in London – visitors were treated to a preview history tour of a few of the house’s ground floor rooms before wandering out into the geometric perfection of the 18th l Three of the rare Suri breed alpacas. century gardens. “I first came to visit this garden last year,” said Sven-Hanson, who has cooked at Lady Caroline Lamb, who had an affair with the hall several times and also works with Tori & Byron and famously described him as “mad, bad Ben’s butchery and farm shop, who farm on the and dangerous to know”. But its latest inhabitants are of the four-legged hall’s land. “There’s just something about it; it’s a beautiful variety; introducing Suri breed alpacas Benplace. Any opportunity I get to cook here is great jamin, Carlos, Edgar and Theo, and two minia– there’s so much history. I find being in a space ture ponies Sparkle and Whisper, who will be on hand to entertain younger visitors to the hall like this really magical. “It’s great that Lord and Lady Ralph are sup- when it opens again. As for the success of the December opening day, porting a young business like Tori & Ben, who are head guide Gill Weston said: “It’s lovely to see so trying to do something a bit different.” many people come and admire the house and garFurther entertainment on the day came courtesy of Peter Rose, owner of Christian Rose vio- dens at a different time in the year. “It’s amazing the number of people who have lins in Melbourne Hall Visitor Centre, who brought friends along for a string quartet playing come today who have never been in the house before. It’s a good opportunity for them to maybe festive carols. Over its illustrious history Melbourne Hall has come back in August and have a full guided tour.” Melbourne Hall & Gardens is having one more been home to a secretary of state to Charles 1, as well as Prime Minister William Lamb – who gave winter open day on January 13. – Lucy Stephens his name to Melbourne in Australia – and his wife

FILM CLUB BACK IN BUSINESS

MELBOURNE Film Club returns on January 11 with the award-winning movie The Bookshop. Based on the best-selling novel by Penelope Fitzgerald, the film portrays the story of

one woman’s determination to open a bookshop in a Norfolk town despite strong local opposition. Set in the 1950s, it is a postwar period drama full of awardwinning actors including Emily

Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson and Bill Nighy. The film is being shown on a Friday, instead of the regular film-club Sunday evening slot, in response to demand to vary the night to enable more to attend.

Community plan hopes for listed church

AMBITIOUS plans to transform a 1,200year-old grade one listed church into a community space may get underway this year. St Wilfrid’s Church in Barrow-upon-Trent is a historic building of national significance, being one of possibly only two Knights Hospitaller churches in the country to have remained structurally unchanged since the order was dissolved in 1540. A few years ago, there were fears the church may have to shut, which led to ambitious proposals to transform the building into a meeting space for the community – a project involving removing the Victorian pews and adding a new, flat floor plus a kitchen and toilet. Back in 2017, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) indicated it would grant nearly £600,000 in funding to complete the work. A sum of money has already been allocated in order to pay for an architect and prepare plans, but HLF leaders now need to see how plans are progressing before they will release the main funding that will enable the work to actually be done. Church warden Anne Heathcote said those involved in the project were now “on tenterhooks” as they prepared to “pass the final hurdle”. Over the past 12 months proposals for St Wilfrid’s have had to be agreed by no fewer than five different bodies: Historic England, Listed Building Control, the Victorian Society, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and the Diocesan Advisory Committee. Anne said all had given the go-ahead, and now various aspects of the proposals – the removal of a chimney, the rendering of the boiler house and alterations to rainwater goods and pathways – are with South Derbyshire District Council’s planning department where they await approval. Anne said: “We still have to win this final tranche of money to do the work.” As to the question of how the work would se-

New destination for 2019 EMA travellers

Village Voice January 2019 7

PASSENGERS travelling from East Midlands Airport will now be able to fly to Shannon in the Republic of Ireland as from April this year. The twice weekly flight to the County Clare town will be operated by Ryanair, bringing the total number of routes the operator runs from the airport to 40. Commenting on the new route from EMA, Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said: “We are pleased to launch a new East Midlands route to Shannon in the west of Ireland with a twice-weekly service for summer 2019. “To celebrate, we are releasing seats for sale from just £23.99 for travel in April.” Nicola McMullen, East Midlands Airport’s commercial director, said: “It’s great news for the

summer season of 2019. We pride ourselves in offering a wide range of destinations from Mediterranean beach holidays to city breaks and everything in between. “The new route to Shannon offers more opportunity to explore this beautiful part of the Republic of Ireland.” In 2018, it was announced that EMA had been crowned best medium-sized airport in the UK. The award, handed over by the industry trade body, the Airport Operators Association, was for Best UK Airport for its size (three to 10 million passengers). Just under five million passengers travel through the airport each year to 80 destinations in Europe and long-haul to the USA and Mexico.

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Sound of music for Melbourne

8 Village Voice January 2019

THREE Christmas concerts in Melbourne over the festive period brought out an abundance of decorative jumpers and Santa hats. First up, A Choir’d Taste’s “Christmas is Coming” concerts treated the audience to both traditional and new compositions to accompany the mince pies and mulled wine. Among many highlights were the “mash up” of Pachabel’s Canon and The First Noel with piano duet from accompanist Richard Allen and Morag Howat, an ensemble rendition of Lulla Lullay and the humorous spoof 12 Days After Christmas by Frederick Silver. Melbourne Operatic Society’s “A Feast of Christmas Music” weaved a mix of solo, duet, group and chorus singing and readings in a very full programme. Rhia Fingerhut’s rendition of The Little Drummer Boy, Les Plimbley and Keith Reaveley’s duet of O Holy Night, Paul Blackmore’s engaging version of I Wonder as I Wander and Helen Blatch’s Happy Christmas Little Friend were notable highlights in a very enjoyable evening. All credit to accompanist David Henshaw and conductor Keith Reaveley for bringing the whole show together. Melbourne Town Band’s Patrons’ Concert has been a regular feature of the Christmas calendar since 1993 and each successive year has demonstrated how the band and the organisation behind it has developed. This time, the Beginners Band and the Training Band took up the entire first half; under the baton of Karen Worrall they demonstrated how capable they are with some challenging pieces. The second half opened with a movement from

Fantasia on the Dargason, with its clever weaving of familiar folk tunes. Soloist Philip Mustoe took centre stage for Bass in the Ballroom showing good mastery over his instrument. Another highlight was the 12th St Rag with the three cornets of Karen and Cathy Worrall and Gemma Grant transporting the audience to Dixieland! MTB must take credit for the most difficult audience participation seasonal song, with their choice of Fairytale of New York, recently in the news after campaigners called for the “homophobic” lyrics to be banned. Needless to say, this audience were undeterred and sang with gusto! Invited to say an impromptu few words, the patron of MTB, Mrs Griselda Kerr, reflected that “making music was one of the essential things in life”. So, to all of the many involved in the concerts: “Thank you for the music!” – Frank Hughes

l THESE musicians raised nearly £4,000 for cancer research when they embarked on their traditional pre-Christmas tour of the local area playing music. Melbourne Charity Band is organised by the Dunnicliff family and this year members raised £3,850 in collections when they toured local hostelries during the festive season, including accompanying carol singers in Melbourne Market Place on December 20. The money is going to Cancer Research UK. On Christmas Eve, a group of around two dozen singers also went out carol singing and raised £550 for the National Children’s Home.

NOW IT’S FORTEYS ON THE MOVE ...

ANOTHER retailer re-shuffle in Melbourne will see Forteys crossing the road and opening up in more spacious premises. The plan is to take over the ground floor and garden at 33 Market Place, currently occupied by Rococo bridal shop. “It is an exciting opportunity,” said Laura Fortey “… as we will be able to make use of the garden in the good weather and accommodate more cus-

tomers”. Builders are looking at the options for fitting out, and it is hoped that the move will be completed at the end of this month. “Rococo will still be operating as a bridal shop but will move to the upper floor, leaving the ground floor vacant.” Richard and Laura have become very well established on the local high street with their offer of coffee, home-made

fudge, and a “traditional” sweet shop – complemented with locally produced icecreams in the summer. “It is about maximising the use of local retail space,” said Laura. With many businesses struggling both locally and in the town centres she hopes that the new look café will be attractive to customers. As she says “it’s a case of use it or lose it” to keep the village centre vibrant.

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FAMILY TELL OF SHOOTING DRAMA

TUESDAY, December 11, was another day of busy festivities in Strasbourg, so-called (by the Strasbourgeois themselves) ‘Capitale de Noël’. For that day and the days previous I had been entertaining my visiting parents, wandering aimlessly around Christmas markets, feeding on the cheese and onioncovered local delicacies, tartes flambées, and buying decorations to put on the tree back home. That night, we ended up in a bar around the corner from where I live – I have lived in Strasbourg since March 2018, first as an intern and then as a staff member at the Council of Europe, a European human rights institution and NOT the European Union or the European Parliament, which does sit in Strasbourg once a month. A friend alerted me that shots had been fired as we sat drinking. I didn’t say anything since such information was not validated precisely; but then the bar manager announced she was locking the doors, and

Ben Freeman (of Melbourne) lives and works in Strasbourg, France, and here gives his account of the terrorist attack which took place in December in which five people died. He works in the secretariat of the Council of Europe, specialising in the protection and promotion of the rights of national minorities. then, a few minutes later, that we should all move upstairs in case any projectiles were thrown through the windows or doors. The bar, it turned out, was around 100m from where the shooter had begun his attack on Rue des Orfèvres, the most beautifully lit, narrow side street where the Christmas lights replace daylight after nightfall. We were stood upstairs, around 70-80 people in a fairly small room, and told to

l Strasbourg’s Christmas market

move away from the windows; though the bar manager was in contact with the police, she said that it still wasn’t clear whether the suspect had been captured, killed, or if he (or they) were still on the loose. Being locked in a bar all night might be something of a dream come true – especially if you’re from Melbourne – but ultimately the mundanity and boredom of sitting on a hard wooden floor in an increasingly hot room for three hours becomes unavoidable. The staff looked after their clients well, bringing water, sausages and cheese around. Eventually, at around 23:00, three hours after we had initially gone upstairs, the bar manager announced that we could leave ‘if we wanted to’. Naturally, we weren’t the first out the door, given the circumstances, but gradually the bar emptied out and we left. Happily, the walk home was short and undramatic. I spoke to a number of media outlets just after the event, but what I failed to say there was how wonderful and how safe Strasbourg is generally. The centre, La Grande Île, is like a village, where you’re always likely to bump into someone you know, and can traverse in a matter of minutes. We had walked through the area where the shooting happened around 20 minutes before, in complete serenity and security. This eruption of violence into the peaceful festivities is therefore particularly jarring. The surreality continued into the following days, where candles and flowers maintained a constant vigil where earlier blood had been spilt and life lost. As I write, I am returning to Strasbourg. I expect a similar level of security to before, with armed soldiers on patrol and the gendarmes also more visible, although most of these measures have been in place since the Paris attacks of November 2015. I’m sure life will continue, as it did in the days immediately after the events; as one local put it to me, as long as the people of Strasbourg have beer and tartes flambées, no terrorist will ever overcome them.

Burglar and con artists make it an unhappy Christmas

ONE poor driver had a rather unwelcome festive-related visit when their car was burgled and Christmas presents stolen from the boot. The burglary happened on Saturday, December 21, at around 6.30pm at Foremarke. Police said entry was gained by damaging the rear passenger window and access gained to the boot. Officers pointed out that while they did recommend leaving valuables out of sight, in this particular incident the driver had not left any bags on view and that the burglar had done the damage on purpose in order to get to the boot. Meanwhile, earlier in the month police warned people to be extra careful and keep an eye out for vulnerable people

after criminal gangs posing as police officers conned people out of thousands of pounds in the north of the county. Police said in early December at least three victims had been targeted in the north-east of Derbyshire, one handing over £16,000. Two of the victims were contacted on the phone by criminals posing as officers from the Metropolitan Police, and another was approached at her door by a woman posing as an officer. The con artists state that they have been a victim of fraud and that they need the victims help to find those responsible. One victim was told to withdraw money in Euros – totalling £16,000 – which a courier then collected from her

home. Another victim gave £7,000 in cash, while a third victim was conned out of £2,000. The gang warned the victims not speak to anyone as they would be in trouble for talking about police investigation. As well as the money that was handed over, some of the victims gave the criminals their bank cards and further withdrawals of thousands of pounds were made. “Fortunately, the victim’s cards had been cancelled before the conmen could steal any more cash. Detective Inspector Debbie King, who runs the economic crime unit at Derbyshire police, said: “This kind of crime preys on the best intentions of some of the most vulnerable people in

our county. “Each of our victims thought they were doing their civic duty and helping a police officer catch a fraudster – the reality is much different. “The victims have been not only left out of pocket but also distraught about being conned in this way. “I would urge anyone who has been approached by these criminals to contact us on 101 immediately and not to engage with them. “If you are concerned about someone at your property then call 999 straight away. “I would also ask anyone who knows a potentially vulnerable person to make sure they are aware of the motives of this gang and what they should do if they are approached.”

Village Voice January 2019 9

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YOUNGSTERS joined residents of Rich in Aston-on-Trent to dress up as elves. Children from Weston-on-Trent Un School turned out to the care village in brate “Elf Day” – a fund-raiser for the A ciety. With young and old all donning elf co tive Christmas jumpers, everyone spent eating festive food, playing Christm singing songs and enjoying making elf h out of recycled cardboard. A spokesperson from Richmond Vill Day is an amazing fund-raiser for Alzhe and a brilliant opportunity for the chi residents to have fun and get into the Ch together. “A lot of enjoyment was had by all thr up as elves, playing games, singing son festive food.” Donations were made to the society from Richmond Village and families of t Weston under-fives, and it is hoped tha become an annual event. This is not the first time that children of the care home have been spending ti the pre-school and Richmond Village for ship in 2018 and several visits have place, allowing them to spend time toge

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n MAKING Christmas crafts is a timehonoured tradition of the festive season, and these youngsters from Melbourne Infant School were putting their hands to good use at the school’s annual crafts morning. Every year parents of children at the school are invited in to make crafts with their sons and daughters in the run-up to Christmas, and our photographer Pete Clough was on hand to capture these reception-aged children with their parents enjoying the occasion.

nder-Fives Pre Aston to celeAlzheimer’s So-

ostumes or fest time together massy games, ouses together

lage said: “Elf eimer’s Society ldren and our hristmas spirit

rough dressing ngs and eating

y by residents the children at at Elf Day may

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n THESE folk were getting into the festive spirit at a special Christmas tea party held at Melbourne Hall. The annual event is hosted by Lord and Lady Ralph Kerr and sees those who use the Melbourne Community Care transport service turning out to the hall to enjoy tea, plus carol singing accompanied by Lord Ralph

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Village Voice Postbag

12 Village Voice January 2019

Let us tell them what WE want to happen about traffic ...

A FEW weeks ago you reported in depth on the road traffic meeting that was held in Melbourne when the proposed one-way system was roundly rejected by local residents. Some of us have now had a letter from the county council advising us that they now plan to hold a “Town Centre Review Meeting” sometime in Spring 2019, which appears to be centred on road traffic management. It is unclear whether the one-way lobby is reviving its plans or not. It appears from the latest letter to some residents and “stakeholders” from the Traffic and Safety team at the Department of Economy, Transport and Environment at Derbyshire County Council that they are only considering traffic management in the centre of Melbourne. Road traffic management is, however, just one aspect of our village centre. There is the much wider issue of what do the people and businesses of Melbourne really want in their town centre? It is almost certainly wrong and out of date thinking in this age of reducing carbon emissions and improving the environment to only consider traffic in the context of town and village centres. Could we therefore suggest that

the Village Voice acts as a forum for views of Melbourne residents and business owners in preparation for this meeting? Some ideas to start the ball rolling might include the following: n Is having a one way system through Melbourne the right way to encourage people to come to our village or do we want a calmer, less polluted environment? n Do we want, for example, a “mixed mode” type of centre that encourages people to come to the centre (visitors and residents) where traffic is made to drive slowly and cars do not have priority over pedestrians? There have been some very successful examples in the UK and elsewhere. n Do we want to encourage a wide range of shops to thrive in our village centre and how can we best achieve that? n Would a regular market in the Market Place be a good idea? Those of us who visit France and other countries know that many villages and small towns like Melbourne have weekly markets when the central road is shut between 7am and 2pm. The Christmas Late Night Shopping is always a very pleasant time as we can enjoy the centre without traffic. Why not repeat the exercise at regular in-

tervals throughout the year (not necessarily weekly), especially in summer and over the Festival in September so we can encourage our visitors to enjoy the whole of Melbourne, not just the area round the Parish Church and Pool? n Should we establish another car park near the edge of Melbourne? Parking in the centre is pretty full up, both in the car parks and on the streets so no amount of one-way system or other traffic management is going to materially affect that (unless the plan is to drive people away). There are no doubt many other better ideas and views, and there may even be some expertise in Melbourne to suggest ways of improving our environment and creating a lively village centre. We hope that this letter can encourage people to write to Village Voice to put their ideas forward. Let’s have a debate so that we can give a clear set of ideas to the Department of Economy, Transport and Environment at Derbyshire County when they set up their meeting. They are, after all, our civil servants to do what we ask of them, not the other way around. Yvonne and John Robinson Potter Street, Melbourne

Yet another entertaining feast MELBOURNE Operatic Society once again brought a feast of Christmas merriment of song and laughter at Melbourne Assembly Rooms with mince pies, wine and soft drinks, served during the interval by society members to the thoroughly entertained audience. Starting with the ‘world famous customary corny joke’ from Mike McGhee (groans from the audience), it would be hard to single out any one of the renditions, but my particular favourites were: Gordon Fletcher’s ‘reading’ of the amusingly poignant story about the birth of Jesus through the eyes of the school inspector and schoolboy William; the crystal clear melody provided by the Castle Donington Handbell Ringers;

the beautifully sung Angel’s Carol by the chorus; the beautiful harmony singing of The First Noel sung by the chorus with guest pianist, Gill McGhee accompanied by David Henshaw; the ensemble tribute to Mozart with a very yuletide theme; ‘Nativyloppers’ was a very amusing ‘reading’ and grammatical tribute in the language of Stanley Unwin faultlessly (I think), presented by David Henshaw, and finally O Holy Night, which was very movingly sung by Les Plimbley and Keith Reaveley (Melbourne Operatic Society’s answer to Alfie Boe and Michael Ball). This show had everything to thoroughly entertain an audience who enjoyed a super evening. Colin Barker, Melbourne

AS THE old year departs and a fresh new year dawns I thought that your readers might be interested to hear about the progress made by Clive and Yvonne Karusseit in their struggle to remain in the UK and become citizens. You might remember that this couple came to Melbourne from Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) via South Africa after the violent destruction of their farm and family by supporters of Robert Mugabe. Coming from families with strong British backgrounds they represented a bit of colonial Britain, now abandoned and isolated. They needed assistance and they found it in Melbourne. I can only speak of the efforts of the Karusseit Support Group in 2018 but I know how grateful Clive and Yvonne have been for all the warmth, care and backing which helped them make a home here. Our own group was formed from concerned Melbourne people after a public meeting in March in the Thomas Cook Mission Hall asked for volunteers. We quickly established that a fund of £8,000 would be needed to meet the legal costs of making a claim for Indefinite Leave to Remain based on their ancestry in the UK. The generosity of Melbourne people was quickly apparent and the donations began to arrive. Like all of the group I have been very moved by the strength of feeling which invited people to donate to our website or directly at the fund-raising events. We now can countenance taking the best legal

advice we can find and have approached the situation with new confidence and expectation. In addition we have received donations pushed through the letter box or given directly by local groups who have taken up the fight. Almost all of Melbourne has come alive with this campaign, from Lord Ralph at the Hall to pensioners in their Wednesday Group and single individuals who have been moved by the information we sent to every house in our community. Thanks to all of these we now have a fighting fund sufficient for the moment. We will, however, need to continue to fund-raise through this year but we can confidently meet the first financial challenges. Yvonne makes the first claim with our lawyers in January. Clive's claim comes afterwards. While these claims are processed (which could take months) the couple cannot be deported. Although nothing is certain, the lawyer is confident that Clive and Yvonne now have a strong chance. If everything does come good then it will be a victory for simple and honest decency. Melbourne can look back at a year when something wonderful happened and we came together as a community. On behalf of the Karusseit Support Group I would like to thank you for your generosity and care in this last year. We can now look forward to 2019 with confidence because it was launched from the kindness and concern we found in 2018. JW for the Karusseit Support Group.

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• Carry out service and ŝŶƐƉĞĐƟŽŶ ƚŽ ŵĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌĞƌƐ ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĂƟŽŶƐ • Replace spark plug, engine Žŝů Θ ĮůƚĞƌ ;ŝĨ ĮƩĞĚͿ • ŚĞĐŬ ĨƵĞů ƐǇƐƚĞŵ͕ ƌĞƉůĂĐĞ ĨƵĞů ĮůƚĞƌ ;ŝĨ ĮƩĞĚͿ • ŚĞĐŬ ƚƌĂŶƐŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĚĞĐŬ drives • ZĞŵŽǀĞ ĐƵƩĞƌ ĚĞĐŬ ĂŶĚ blades, sharpen and balance blades • Inspect collector - run & test • Check blower • ůĞĂŶ Žī Θ ĐŽĂƚ ǁŝƚŚ ǁŝŶƚĞƌ ƉƌĞƐĞƌǀĂƟǀĞ

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Tree-mendous church boosts

GLITTERING Christmas trees made a festive spectacle in Weston-on-Trent – and helped raised valuable funds for the local church too. The ninth annual Christmas Tree festival was held at St Mary’s Church in the village over the weekend of December 15 and 16, with 22 entries from local groups and sponsorship from businesses in the area as well. Among the entries was that of church warden Jayne Williamson (pictured above), who adorned her tree with all things recycled. Jayne used old yoghurt pots to make baubles, and foil from mince pie tins as her decoration, while other entries included snowmen made from socks – contributed by the local guides – and a display made from jigsaw pieces by children from Weston-on-Trent Primary School. The weekend’s festivities ended with a candlelit carol service and raised £1,000 for the church. Jayne said the event had been a great success. She added: “It wouldn’t be successful without the help from the local community and the local businesses who do support it. Without the help of everybody who takes part, it wouldn’t happen.”

£58

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• Sharpen chain and dress bar • ŚĞĐŬ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ĐŚĂŝŶ brake, drive clutch and sprocket • Replace spark plug • ŚĞĐŬ ŵŝŶ ĂŶĚ ŵĂǆ ƌĞǀƐ͕ ĂĚũƵƐƚ ŝĨ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ

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• Replace spark plug • ůĞĂŶ Ăŝƌ ĮůƚĞƌ͕ ĐŚĞĐŬ ĚƌŝǀĞ Θ ŐƌĞĂƐĞ ŐĞĂƌďŽǆ͕ ƐĞƚ ĐĂƌď ŵŝŶ Θ ŵĂǆ ƌĞǀƐ • ŚĞĐŬ ƌĞĐŽŝů͘ • Sharpen blade

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ST GEORGE’S Church in Ticknall was filled with decorated trees in the annual festive fund-raiser. The event took place over the weekend of December 8 and 9 and saw lots of local groups adorn trees in the spirit of Christmas. Around £400 was raised for the church, with home-made soup and cakes adding to the convivial atmosphere. Organiser Maggie Fenby-Taylor (pictured with Tricia Bricknell) said: “It’s really a village community event. It went very well. Lots of people came, lots of people enjoyed the trees. Many people said this was the beginning of Christmas for them.”

New vision to give Melbourne a boost

LET’S get more footfall into Melbourne – that’s the vision behind a new organisation aimed at increasing vitality in the village. Marketing Melbourne is the working title of the new group which is the brainchild of Assembly Rooms manager Andy Heafield. The aims of the group are to hold various new events in Melbourne over the course of the year adding to the existing ones in the calendar such as the festival, the carnival and the late-night shopping, which already do a lot to bring visitors into the village, hopefully boosting business for shops. The proposal is to hold a launch event in the spring that would involve visitors following a “tractor trail” around Melbourne’s shops, in homage to the local market gardening heritage. The event would be run along similar lines to the Duck Hunt in Swadlincote, a free competition in which visitors find ducklings roosting in the town centre. Other themed events could include a 40s weekend. “There’s lots of great events in Melbourne – the carnival, the festival, the lights switch-on, but it wouldn’t go amiss if we had a couple more,” ex-

plained Andy. The idea is that Marketing Melbourne would be a membership organisation with no fees, which would also aim to help businesses access funding opportunities and grants; improve signage so that people visiting can be directed to places of interest and shops, plus regular talks on topics such as designing shop windows, apprenticeships and internships. The Marketing Melbourne initiative follows on from 2018’s year of World War One commemorations which were also co-ordinated by Andy. At the latest meeting of Melbourne Parish Council, on December 4, several parish councillors said how well the village had done in its marking of the Armistice centenary. “I think, for a small village, we have done extremely well,” said parish council chair Sheila Hicklin. Councillor David Smith said: “I think Melbourne can be proud of the way that each and every individual … marked that occasion. Quite honestly, I think everybody concerned in Melbourne can be very, very proud to say, ‘we didn’t forget’.” – Lucy Stephens

• Carry out service as ƉĞƌ ŵĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌĞƌƐ ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĂƟŽŶƐ • Replace spark plug • ZĞƉůĂĐĞ ĞŶŐŝŶĞ Žŝů ĂŶĚ ĮůƚĞƌ ;ŝĨ ĮƩĞĚͿ • ZĞŵŽǀĞ͕ ƐŚĂƌƉĞŶ ĂŶĚ balance blade • ŚĞĐŬ ĚƌŝǀĞ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ;ƐĞůĨ ƉƌŽƉĞůůĞĚ ŵŽǁĞƌƐͿ • ŚĞĐŬ ĨƵĞů ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ĂŶĚ ĐůĞĂŶ ĐĂƌď ŝĨ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ • ůĞĂŶ Ăŝƌ ĮůƚĞƌ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƉůĂĐĞ ŝĨ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ Ͳ ƌƵŶ ĂŶĚ ƚĞƐƚ (self propelled)

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14 Village Voice January 2019

SITUATIONS VACANT

Housekeeper Required We’re looking for a front of house / housekeeper to look after our clients and the studio. No experience required but if you run a family home or have worked in the leisure or hospitality business, you may be the one. Mon-Fri 11am - 3pm For more information please call Julie on 01332 694076.

ION French taught to all ages and abilities FRENCH TUIT ION Guitar, ukulele, fiddle, keyboard & melodeon MUSIC TUIT The ukulele club is a fun, sociable UB evening of song and playing. UKULELE CL E C N A D We also do barn dances and maypole FOLK Bryan Dawson 01332 702386 or 07949 108037 bryandawson@hotmail.co.uk

Fit days at the office

THE mince pies have been eaten and the mulled wine has been drunk ... for many of us, the New Year is the time to lay off the booze and treats for a while and start moving around a bit more. But when you’re working in a sedentary office job, with few opportunities to keep active, and often a plentiful supply of biscuits lying around, that can be easier said than done. That’s why a Melbourne physio and nutrition business has launched a new challenge: who can be the local area’s fittest firm? The idea is the brainchild of Rose Smith, owner of Andra in Melbourne’s Derby Road, which, as well as offering sports massage, physiotherapy and acupuncture, runs a range of exercise classes at its own premises and in local offices, such as Lemon & Lime Interiors a few doors down. Now Andra is inviting local businesses to take part in its free corporate wellness scheme. Rose said: “A lot of our work is at the computer these days. We are just so sedentary. Without realising it, we’ve only maybe done 800 steps in a day. “We just sit down all day, every day. That’s one of the biggest killers. We get up in the morning, we sit down and have our breakfast, we go to work,

we sit down for eight or nine hours, we get home, we sit down and have our dinner, then we sit down again and watch TV and then we go and lie down in bed.” To take part in the scheme, businesses are offered a wall chart (for a small fee to pay for printing) on which employees can record the steps they do in a day (via a pedometer type device) plus any other exercise they do in a week, and other more personal nutritional goals. The idea is that by working together in the same environment, participants will be able to offer each other gentle encouragement and motivation to help keep a bit fitter, and that healthy competition between local businesses may be no bad thing either! Rose said: “In an office, you can encourage each other. Go out for half an hour at lunch time, go for a walk around the village. “This scheme is aimed at increasing productivity and morale within an office. It’s really beneficial for the companies taking part.” Lemon & Lime Interiors, a businesses which dresses houses to prepare them for sale, is the first company to sign up for the scheme. Kirsty Fisher, from Lemon &

l Kirsty Fisher (left) and Rose Smith go for a walk at Melbourne Pool.

Lime, said: “It works really well, it’s good to motivate each other. “We can easily sit for hours and hours if we’re not out on a job.” Lemon & Lime director Elaine Penhaul said: “Looking after my employees is really important to me. I feel that it helps improve their mood and, therefore, their productivity whilst at work. “With the nature of our job, I feel that it is extremely important to make sure that my staff are looked after, and for me that means working to reduce workplace stress.” Workplace stress is a huge

factor in time taken off work these days, with the HSE reporting that 12.5 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression and anxiety in 2016/7. Elaine said: “The figures relating to work-related stress are simply staggering. We hope that more businesses in Melbourne will take us on, and see if they can be crowned the area’s ‘fittest firm’. It is great fun and fantastic for your employees.” To take part in the scheme, contact Rose at Andra to get your wall chart on rose@andrahealth.com or you can phone up on 01332 862922.

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Members of the Parish Council Chair Sheila Hicklin 01332 865726 Vice Chair Terry Summerlin 01332 864643 Highways David Smith 01332 862699 Burial Grounds Michael Usher 07791 605861 Planning and Strategy Jane Carroll 01332 863269 Finance & HR Sheila Hicklin 01332 865726 Facilities, Recreation and Events Andrew Jackson 07931 541387 Nigel Collyer George Dunnicliff Wendy Earp Carol Fearria Martin Fitzpatrick Tom Gates Robert Parker

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Melbourne Parish Council Quarterly Report - January 2019

The new memorial wall in the cemetery is now completed and the first plaque has been put in place. We are in the process of collating the cemetery records. Once again the Christmas memorial tree has been well received with many people visiting the cemetery to place their dedication on the tree. This year's tree has been sponsored by John Springthorpe. Many will have noticed that the public toilets have been demolished and a new toilet block will be built in early 2019. The bench scheme is well under way, with a new bench being installed on Packhorse Road near The Woodlands and another near the entrance to the school. The WW1 memorial bench was unveiled in November. This is sited next to the War Memorial and is a beautiful bespoke bench which reflects the commemorative painting. "Melbourne punched above its weight" was a phrase used by someone to describe the series of events that were held in Melbourne and Kings Newton to commemorate the armistice. The Parish's organisations, groups and individuals came together to produce an excellent series of events and projects that were all well attended and received. Holland's Amusements presented the Parish Council with a model galloping fairground horse to celebrate the Wakes visiting Melbourne and to mark the centenary of the end of WW1. Melbourne as always turned out in huge numbers for the annual Remebrance Day Parade, which is organised by The Royal British Legion on behalf of the Parish Council. Our final event for the armistice was the Beacon of Light and firework display held at the M.S.P. The beacon was lit to coincide with other beacons being lit nationwide. Our community turned out in force to witness this unique event. Santa rode into town to turn on the Melbourne Christmas Lights, which include the stunning fully lit Christmas Tree in the centre of our village. On behalf of the Parish Council I would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. Sheila Hicklin, Chair, Melbourne Parish Council

Debut album hits all right notes for James

A SINGER-SONGWRITER from Barrow-upon-Trent has produced his debut album – and will be playing live at Melbourne Assembly Rooms next month. James Harbidge, who lives with his wife, son and father-inlaw in the village, says his album, First Ray of Light, has been a real “labour of love”. Recorded in Derby, released by Absolute and distributed by Sony/Universal, First Ray of Light has already garnered multiple plaudits. Maverick MagaPhoto: James Butroid zine declared it a “must-have” album and “impressive debut” and it also achieved a #9 rating on the Itunes Country Chart UK. The album represents a change in musical direction for James, who started out in the music scene in Birmingham, having first picked up a guitar at the age of nine and put his songwriter pen to paper aged 13. With his roots in rock – and a background playing in bands – this is his first excursion not only into solo performance but into the Americana genre, with the songs on the album a blend of wistful and sometimes polemic. Having taken a couple of years to produce, he is very proud of

the result: “It’s taken a while to get together,” says James. “I had to do it in between work and family. It’s been a labour of love.” But, he explains, for a musician, the sheer satisfaction of producing your own material is a reward in itself: “When you’re a musician, and you’ve been doing it for a long time, it’s in your blood. You may not get anything but satisfaction and pride.” There is also the strong sense in James’ work – as with other musicians – of using the medium of song to convey ideas, in a way nothing else quite can: Turn the Screw, for example, the opening track on the album, is about the bank collapse, while I Won’t Support Your Wars speaks for itself. But while his album is undoubtedly a great achievement (and you can buy it in all the usual places: HMV and Amazon and iTunes) James’ other passion lies in performing live. James has been added to the Assembly Rooms bill as support to Americana legend Sam Lewis on February 14. Tickets are £5 from Forteys, Melbourne Assembly Rooms or on line at ticket source. Look out for James’ next album, for which the songs have already been written; a release date is hoped to be in 2020.

Village Voice January 2019 15

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Shoppers’ charity cheer

GRAND JOB ... (l-r) Kay Willis, Lewis Twells, Janelle Leslie, Sue Gray and Ben Adcock from Sainsbury’s Melbourne, with Tim Diggle, director of Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity.

SHOPPERS at Sainsbury’s in Melbourne have helped improve life for the sickest babies in hospital by donating £1,000 so far for charity. The 2018/9 charity of the year at the village’s branch of Sainsbury’s is the Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity, with the Staley family the local focus, and funds going towards fetal medicine and the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at the Royal Derby Hospital. Since being voted this year’s charity last August, shoppers in the store have donated £1,000, which was received by representatives from the Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity on December 18. That included customer donations and proceeds resulting from store staff organising a Christmas hamper raffle, which was won by Alan Blockley of the Blue Bell in

Melbourne. Over the past few years the Staley family have been fund-raising for the NICU and fetal medicine at the Royal Derby in memory of daughter Lyra Grace. Alison Staley said: “Alan and I are so grateful to both the staff and customers of Sainsbury’s for raising this fantastic amount of money. It’s a huge boost to our long term fund-raising for fetal medicine and NICU at the Royal Derby Hospital. “The grand total raised since August is actually £1,500. We’ve been able to add £500 to this total from recent events such as the charity hair chop, Christmas party night and make-up master class and also selling our special charity greeting card, at the hub in the hospital foyer. “We’d also like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has knitted, crocheted and donated so

many stunning blankets for the poorly babies on NICU. The response to our blanket appeal has been overwhelming. “Finally, there will be loads more fun events next year including the very popular Little Stars children’s disco, on Sunday, May 12, at the Assembly Rooms.” Receiving the money in Sainsbury’s, Tom Diggle, director of the Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity, said: “A hospital charity is only as good as the people who support it. The hospital is visited by the local community from the moment they are born right the way through their lives; we have a duty to make the best use of any donations that people give us to support the area which means the most to them. “We are very grateful to the people who use this store for their generosity. It makes a huge difference.”

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16 Village Voice January 2019

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l Melbourne Dynamo under-13s players pictured with Harry Akigines-Aryeety and coaches Tony Boatman, Nick Humphreys and Don Miller.

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give the under-13 Dynamo players some coaching on how to improve their running skills. The visit was instigated by one of the team’s coaches, Nick Humphreys, who was in contact with the star athlete through his lettings agency, which has a branch in sporting hotspot Loughborough. Harry gave the boys a thorough training session, which included testing them on their speed over 30 metres at the start and end, to see how much they had improved thanks to the various exercises in which he

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l Sporting memorabilia expert Alistair Lofley with the Kevin Hector shirt. (Photo: Hansons)

provided coaching. Co-coach Nick Humphreys said: “It was a great night. They loved it, they absolutely loved it. He brought his gold medals with him. “They were really inspired; he was just such a nice guy.” All in all, it was a great week for the under-13s, as on December 9 they knocked out the Mickleover RBL under-13s to reach the semi-finals of the league cup – the furthest the side has ever reached under its current coaches.

Rams legend’s shirt goes up for auction

A FOOTBALL shirt worn by Derby County legend Kevin Hector in his last game for the Rams is expected to make more than £1,000 at local auction house Hansons. Hector, a top striker for the club during their golden years in the early 1970s, was a huge favourite with fans. He made 486 League appearances for Derby during two stints with the club from 1966-1978 and 1980-82 and scored 155 goals along the way. The shirt he wore for his final game for the club on May 15, 1982, is set to be sold by Derbyshire’s Hansons Auctioneers in their Football in Focus and Sporting Memorabilia auction on February 21. Hector wore the shirt in a match against Watford. Derby won 3-2 and Hector scored one of the goals. The shirt will go to auction with an estimate of £800-£1,200. Alistair Lofley, sports valuer at Hansons and a Derby County fan himself, said: “There is already lots of interest in this shirt. Kevin Hector was hugely popular and a fantastic

striker. “To older Rams fans, Hector, nicknamed Zak, is a goal-scoring legend. He played for the team during the golden years of the early 1970s when Derby were the best team in the land. “He was part of the team that won the Football League First Division championship twice (in 1972 and 1975), not to mention reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup, FA Cup and League Cup. “He was capped for England twice but in my opinion should have made more appearances for our national team.” Signed in 1966 by Tim Ward, Hector, now 74, was a key player under the management of Brian Clough and later Dave Mackay, forming a formidable partnership with John O'Hare. Mr Lofley added: “Another thing people love about Hector is that he’s stayed local, though he originates from Leeds. “In the latter part of his career he had loan spells with Burton Albion and also played for Gresley Rovers, Belper Town and Heanor Town.”

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Young guns hit targets on super Sunday

DECEMBER was a stellar month for Melbourne Rugby Club, particularly the younger sides who showed a great mindset to achieve some hard-fought wins against tough opponents. December 16 was a day of victory for the club with the under-14s holding on tight to win a well-deserved contest against Keyworth, booking their place in the NLD (Notts Lincs Derbys) Plate final in March. A friendly on that same Sunday saw the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s under-13s do the double against the Paviors and Long Eaton, a great result after a frustrating game against Loughborough the previous week. Also on December 16, the under-15s â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not to be outdone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; overcame an impressive Newark side, just, by 14 to 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the difference being down to conversions with both sides scoring two tries apiece. It seems that the under-16s were not too bloated from their Christmas feasting with an impressive Academy win at Ilkeston on December 28. Both teams played extremely well, but Melbourne shone to keep their opponents at bay and record a 24-15 win, with tries from Watson (two), Rudd and Parkinson with Rudd converting two. Earlier in the month, the under-13s Minxes scored a spectacular win against Stafford, overcoming them 29-1 in a friendly

game. Over to the adults, and Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first XV muscled up with a bonus point win away at Ashby in round 11 of the Midlands seconds, finishing the first half of the season in the top spot. Changes to the squad saw Tony Day replace Gary Lakin at tighthead, Ed Whitten come into loose head and the second row completely changed as Nightingale came back in following injury and Morris Hall replace Alec Judge. In the back line, Charlie Livesey returned from injury and slotted into centre. The bench presented new opportunities for 17-year-old colt Matt Suddaby and Will Doleman, making his senior 1st XV debut after some excellent displays in the second XV. Despite horrendous weather on December 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; courtesy of Storm Deirdre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Melbourne began strongly and in the first 40 minutes continually pressured and harassed Ashby. With reductions in men for both sides, Melbourne in the second half showed excellent defence as well as attack as they continued to fight right up until the final whistle. The fine finish to the first half of the season sees green and gold Melbourne remain on top having won an impressive 10 out of 11 games.

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THREE more artificial grass tennis courts are on the way for Melbourne Tennis Club â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after fund-raising by the club, which has also had a grant from South Derbyshire District Council. Opportunities to play net-

ball at Melbourne Sports Park could be available this year with news that sporting partnership leaders are talking to British Netball about introducing both Walking Netball and Back to Netball. These are aimed at returners to the sport

and those who might enjoy it at a more sedate pace. A third rugby pitch is being planned for Melbourne as drainage work gets underway this year, due to â&#x20AC;&#x153;increased demandâ&#x20AC;?, Melbourne Sporting Partnership has said.

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MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club has been working hard over the winter months to arrange funding for a new non-turf pitch. The club says its preparations for the 2019 season have seen â&#x20AC;&#x153;exciting resultsâ&#x20AC;?. Successful work by the club with the ECB (English Cricket Board) and the Derbyshire Cricket Board have seen funding arranged for the brand new non-turf cricket pitch in between the two football pitches at the Melbourne Sports Park. This will allow the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third team to play a handful of games at home, along with the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s junior section who will use the pitch on match days and for training. The club says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will help the club continue to grow and offer enhanced training facilities for all ages as four of the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playing members are taking their level two coaching course in February as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The club is always on the look-out for new players of all age groups with the seniors starting pre-season practice nets at the Gateway, County Ground on Sunday, January 20, at 11am, to which all are welcome. Plus, news of the junior practice sessions are being finalised to start soon.â&#x20AC;? Anyone interested in joining the club in any aspect should contact Alex Slater on 07966933583.

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Layla catches eye of county coaches

20 Village Voice January 2019

It’s boom time at the Sports Park

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THIS season Melbourne Tennis Club can boast its first county player for nearly 25 years in the shape of nine-year-old Layla Sherriff. Layla, from Melbourne, first picked up a racket in 2016 when the tennis club moved to its new premises at the sports park on Cockshut Lane. Since then she hasn’t looked back and has now been asked to train with Derbyshire’s Mini Orange training programme after a successful trial at Derby Tennis Centre in December. Layla trains four times a week at Melbourne Tennis Club, watched over by her grandmother, keen player Sallie Allen, and under the coaching of club coach Howard Cheshire. Her father, Luke, said: “What I’m most

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impressed by is to see her develop and fall in love with something.” Layla, a pupil at Melbourne Junior School where she has also been part of the school’s growing activities in table tennis, is now keen to get started in her new training programme at county level this year. As for her tennis ambitions in the future, she holds dear the quote from another woman who loves to hold a racket: Serena Williams, who said: “I don’t want to be the greatest woman tennis player, I want to be the greatest player.” Since moving to Melbourne Sports Park, the tennis club has grown hugely from having only a handful of members over a long period of time, to having several hundred and various teams playing in local leagues.

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MELBOURNE Dynamo Football Club had a month hit by the weather with several matches postponed – but it didn't stop its teams having a superb December when they did play. The Saturday first team led the way, winning all three league games to stay three points clear at the top of the Premier League. They began the month with a comfortable 4-0 home win against Rowsley Reserves with Adam Ross, Harry Foxon, Jake Peverley and Tom Niewiarowski getting on the scoresheet but in Dynamo’s next game they were even better. They destroyed high-flying Derby Singh Brothers 8-1 at home with a James Smith hat-trick leading the way along with a double from Macaulley Jones plus strikes from Dave Worger, Harry Foxon

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at the sports park included classes from Active Nation, plus Pilates and baby group sessions, along with social events and the U3A Bridge Group. Chairman Steve Hollingsworth said: “There is still so much potential in 2019 and beyond to continue evolving the site to deliver even broader choices and to engage further with the community. “Most of us understand how important sport and physical activity is to our health and general well-being. The objective of the team at MSP remains unchanged – to try and encourage as many of our friends and neighbours in Melbourne and the surrounding areas to benefit from this outstanding community asset.”

Dynamo end year on top of the table

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PARTICIPATION has grown over all four key sports at Melbourne Sports Park during 2018, its leadership team said. Melbourne Sporting Partnership has now been going for three years and has reported that the ranks of both adults and juniors playing rugby, football, cricket and tennis up at the Cockshut Lane site all increased last year. A spokesperson said: “It is perhaps worth just taking a minute to remember how hard everyone involved, including South Derbyshire District Council, worked to deliver the vision for the site – to create a multi sport facility offering a breadth of sporting opportunities to the local community.” Other activities which went on

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and Jack Goodband. Gav Salisbury’s men maintained their top of the table spot going into 2019 as they beat Moira away from home 3-1 in their last game of the year with goals from Dave Worger, Macaulley Jones and Carl Allsop earning the vital three points. Melbourne Dynamo Saturday Reserves continued their climb up the table as they ended the year in second place in division one, seven points off the top of the table. However, they began December with an unlucky 3-2 away defeat to Sherwin in the junior cup, despite a double from top goalscorer Brad King. Three consecutive league home wins ended the year well as the Reserves firstly beat Willington Reserves 5-4, thanks to a Joe Shadbolt hat-trick, with another double for Brad King. In-form Shadbolt claimed another hat-trick a week later as Dynamo Reserves won 4-2 against South Normanton United with James Benjamin claiming the other goal. A comfortable 3-0 win against Punjab United ended the year well as strike duo Shadbolt and King scored one each to go with a Toby Foxon strike to finish a quite superb 2018 for the Reserves. Melbourne Dynamo Sunday first team suffered the most with postponements in December as they played only one game, suffering a 3-0 defeat against top of the table Abbey Court Car Sales. The Sunday Reserves didn't fare much better as they managed just two league games, the first a 3-2 defeat away to AFC Chellaston. Goals from Pav Sahota and George Wain just proved to be consolations as Chellaston won the match with the very last kick. At least the Sunday Reserves ended 2018 with a win as twice they led Furnace Inn thanks to a superb free kick from Jacob Vella and screamer from Brad King but twice Furnace equalised. Dynamo won it with just two minutes to go thanks to a sublime free kick from substitute Alex Slater to move Melbourne into the top half of the table.

Drainage work update

DRAINAGE improvements to the sports pitches at Melbourne Sports Park are now likely to be scheduled for the end of Spring. Following South Derbyshire District Council’s decision last July to provide funding assistance for the drainage improvements it was thought that the work might be done in 2018, but the process is likely to take longer than originally anticipated. Drainage specialists have been consulted to ascertain the best technical solutions for the groundworks and consultation with neighbouring landowners is taking place where the drainage systems will need to be laid. It is expected that a planning application for the work will be ready to submit this month to incorporate the work to the sports pitches and the mitigation work to address the risk of flooding on Ashby Road.