Melbourne Village Voice July 2014

MORE HOUSES ON THE WAY?

Village Voice No 260 July 2014

by LUCY STEPHENS

THE scheme to build 22 new homes in Melbourne looks likely to be given the green light this month, despite objections from hundreds of people.

Local building firm Alexander Bruce has asked for permission to put the 22 homes up next to the Millbrook Estate on Station Road.

But many local residents have objected, saying there are too many new developments in the pipeline for Melbourne and the town lacks the infrastructure to cope.

The matter is up for debate at this month’s meeting of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee, and council officers have recommended it should be allowed to go ahead.

That is despite a 257-signature online petition against further housing developments in the town and 32 more letters of objection.

Melbourne Parish Council has formally and unanimously objected to the houses, saying the town will not have time to adapt to the succession of housing developments being proposed for the town if they all win consent. The town’s civic society has written in protest too.

Many fears have been raised over the future for school provision in Melbourne in the light of proposed housing developments – which include this one, a pro-

Melbourne & District

posed 68 homes behind the Woodlands, plus the possibility of more in an adjoining field, and plans from builder Linden Homes to bring further housing to the town.

Several children in the catchment area for Melbourne Infants School had to be turned away by the county council this year because of lack of space, though it is understood some of these have now got in on appeal.

Planning officers have said that the Alexander Bruce development would have to pay for four children’s school places if it is granted: two at the infants school and two at the juniors – a total sum amounting to £45,596.04, plus a further £692.42 towards a new recycling centre to manage the extra waste produced by the houses.

District council planning officers have said they are supporting the development because of a shortage of housing land in South Derbyshire.

Their planning report says: “The council is currently unable to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land.

In these circumstances, the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) indicates that planning permission should be granted unless adverse impacts would significantly outweigh the benefits, assessed against the policies in the NPPF. “On balance, therefore, it is considered that the contribution the development could make toward addressing the five-year housing land supply deficit would outweigh any impact upon the rural character of the area.”

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2 Village Voice July 2014

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THE Milton Open Gardens event was enjoyed by the many visitors. Comments on the feedback forms by visitors included 'the best open gardens ever' whilst others remarked on the friendliness of the event.

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VILLAGE VOICE is a truly local independent newspaper dedicated to help keep local people informed and local traders in business.

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TV starring role for Paul 'Spot the Scarecrows' with 14 imaginative scarecrows on display â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including a live one helping to direct traffic. The village hall was decorated as a garden for the occasion with plants for sale and was the venue for the ladies of the WI who provided tea and home-made cakes.

Denise Abbott (far right) is pictured welcoming visitors to the 'quirky' walled garden she and husband Mike created.

MELBOURNE businessman Paul Bignall is all set for TV celebrity status, perhaps rivalling Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh!

After getting a phone call out of the blue from Channel 4 producers, Paul agreed to appear on the series Selling Houses with Amanda Lamb as the expert landscaper who can advise homeowners how they can make the best of their property. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought it was some mates winding me up at first,â&#x20AC;? said Paul â&#x20AC;&#x153;and I got them to call back just to check it was authentic! â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the end of the series they call in an expert to talk about how landscaping, garden design and planting can improve the saleability of your home â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that was me!â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was quite scary at first,â&#x20AC;? admitted Paul. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realise how much effort goes into just a few minutes on the television â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we had to stop filming first when a local man came out with his strimmer, then the dustbins were emptied, and then the bottle bank got filled!â&#x20AC;?

Paul, pictured with Amanda Lamb and and his garden designer Jo Kennedy, has more than 30 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in the landscaping trade. Working first for Tomlinson as a ground worker, he then had a job as a foreman for William Davis.

He was continually being asked to do a driveway here and a patio there and realised there was a business to be made. He branched out on his own, setting up PB Landscapes in 2004. Originally brought up in Swarkestone, he has had Melbourne connections since school days and moved into his present home in Quick Close eight years

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WHETHER you have little explorers to keep entertained or toddlers to tame there is something for everyone at the National Trust's Calke Abbey this summer.

Calke Explore is new for summer 2014. It's a woodland adventure playground for children to go wild and get closer to nature. Discover the natural play installations from the giant birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nest to willow hideaways under the shade of the trees.

Throughout the summer a host of different activities will take place in the area from bug hunting to den building, so the woods will definitely be full of surprises.

The Garden of Imagination will once again be open. The area of summer meadow is set in Calke Abbey's large walled kitchen garden and is popular with children and adults alike.

Explorers will love the challenge of the wild grass labyrinth and maze with friendly scarecrows to greet you in the centre. Gates will be open to Calke Explore and The Garden of Imagination every day from 10.30am to 4pm.

The activities are free, but normal admission charges will apply.

ago.

The business has grown significantly over recent years and he now has four employees and two garden designers involved in the company.

Paul prides himself that much of his work comes from personal recommendations and, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a small project or a major redesign, the highest quality of workmanship and materials are never compromised.

Although this was his first experience of TV work he thoroughly enjoyed it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Amanda is very approachable and really nice off screen, as well as in front of the camera and I am hopeful that my involvement with the programme will continue,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The series screens from the end of June and the episode with Paul will be on in September. His website www.pblandscapes.co.uk has some sneak preview photographs.

Wife Sandra made sure celebrity status does not go to his head, however, as she had him packing ready for the family holiday. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; F Hughes

Getting a taste of sailing

Village Voice July 2014 3

FROM trekking through bogs to running a casino – now all the fund-raising is about to pay off for some intrepid Chellaston Academy students embarking on the trip of a lifetime.

The group of 16 year 12 students (pictured above) are off on a back-to-basics conservation trip to Mexico where they’ll have to cope in tropical temperatures with only a bucket of water a day for washing, while helping with vital wildlife protection work and topping it all off by going to the coast and learning to scuba dive.

The trip is part of Operation Wallacea, a conservation research programme with branches in wildlife hotspots around the world.

Now in its fourth year at the school, the trip is being led by year nine tutor Daniel Millington. Some of the students who have signed up to go have spent the past few

months busy raising thousands of pounds to pay for the trip.

Jess Danby, from Melbourne, and James Ward, from Weston-on-Trent – both 17 – have raised thousands of pounds by organising events including a casino night for Jess and a barn dance for James, with both fund-raisers shared between fellow students going on Chellaston Academy’s wellknown Uganda trip.

James raised more money by holding a table-top sale while Jess went for a 26-mile sponsored bog walk in the Peak District with dad Ross, Melbourne’s Cub Leader.

She said: “I’m really interested in ecology and I thought this would be something quite eye-opening for university if I wanted to go down that route.

“I think it will be a really good trip.”

The group will spend their first week in a forest camp where they will have to cope

with basic conditions while spending their days on conservation projects such as bird surveys and measuring trees. Then they will journey to the coast to undertake marine conservation work and complete their scuba-diving training, which they have already started at school.

The work undertaken by Operation Wallacea is used for various purposes, including informing governments of the importance of conservation and the dangers faced by local wildlife.

Mr Millington said: “It’s about the wildlife and conservation and understanding how conservation works. It will make the students appreciate what they’ve got and see how they react when they haven’t got all their home comforts! They’ll also see wildlife in its own habitat which you wouldn’t usually get to see.”

– Lucy Stephens

Villagers in bid to save their church

by LUCY STEPHENS

RADICAL plans are afoot in Barrow-upon-Trent to save the village’s beautiful medieval church from shutting its doors.

St Wilfrid’s Church has been serving local parishioners for more than 800 years, but there are now fears that, without the support of the local community, it may not survive much longer.

However, plans have been drawn up to change the church into a community space which could be rented for a range of purposes, while still providing a religious service on Sundays.

The village’s latest parish newsletter outlined the proposals to local residents and, in an emotional plea, asked for as much support as possible to save St Wilfrid’s from having to close.

The newsletter said: “How would you feel if you were told that our church had to close and was not available for the parish to use again? It is a very real possibility, and in the not too distant future.

“We all want to keep OUR church building – yes, it is OUR church and does not belong to anyone else.

“It is here to serve the people of this parish, as it has been since around 800 AD when it was first built by the people of Barrow upon Trent.

“It is here and available when we want to have family baptisms,

weddings or funerals, and year after year for the Christmas, Easter and Harvest services that many people enjoy.

“It is here for the village school to have its end-of-term services each year.

“The church belongs to us all in Barrow, and is kept open only through the efforts of a few parishioners.

“Money is not available from Government, taxes, Church of England funds, or anywhere else. All of the running and maintenance costs are met by the people of this parish.”

Work has already been done to make sure the fabric of St Wilfrid’s is sound: the next part of the action plan to save the building would involve applying for grants to allow it to be used for other things, such as exercise groups, music classes and even candlelit dinners, with the rental income going towards financing the building’s upkeep.

A recent history project in the village unearthed the true early origins of St Wilfrid’s. Having previously been known to have been one of the few in Britain developed by the Knights Hospitallers, it has now been shown to boast even earlier Anglo-Saxon beginnings.

Anyone wishing to find out more or support the plans for St Wilfrid’s can contact church warden Anne Heathcote on anneheathcote.ah@gmail.com

Thank you tea party

TRUSTEE and committee members of Melbourne Community Care attended the volunteers’ annual ‘Thank You Tea Party’ held at the home and wellmanicured garden of office volunteer Ann Harrison and husband John.

A most convivial afternoon was spent in the sunshine, with a glass in hand.

MCC chairman John Symonds expressed sincere thanks to all the volunteers for their continued commitment and the support they give to Community Care and also the community.

A garden plant was presented to Ann and John for their hospitality.

WORLD WAR 1 COMMEMORATION CONCERT.

4

- 1918

191

Mexican adventure for students

STAUNTON Harold SC has teamed up with Derby charity Umbrella to give children and young people with disabilities the chance to experience the joys of getting out on the water and learning to sail.

No fewer than 22 Umbrella youngsters, boys and girls aged between eight and 17, took part in Staunton Harold’s first Sailability Day on June 7, with the next day on July 19 already fully booked up.

Umbrella works to support disabled children, young people and their families, helping them to realise their potential and transform lives.

All the youngsters had behavioural or learning difficulties or physical disabilities, including one wheelchair user, and all were escorted by parents or carers as they went afloat with the club’s experienced RYA instructors and pulled ropes to control the two sails while some had a go at steering the boat too.

Staunton Harold has traditionally held an annual Sailability Day early every summer, which is well supported by the local disabled community, carers and club volunteers. But, such was the popularity of that day, the club wanted to provide more regular disabled sailing opportunities at the reservoir.

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4 Village Voice July 2014

Country Living with Robert Parker

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Up Shape er! mm For Su that e v Achie dy you o b beach lways a e v a h ! wanted

I RECENTLY spent a day at the NEC at a livestock show and saw some interesting – and some totally crazy – features. Robotic milking of cows is now out of the experimental stage and quite commonplace around the country.

Cows very soon adapt to routines, which makes training them to these systems quite easy, although I’m sure you would always get some that wouldn’t handle it.

Nottingham University runs a dairy unit on its campus at Sutton Bonnington and has had robots for the last five or six years. They have worked well there in a truly commercial situation with very good results.

The cows determine how often they are milked, which works out at two and a half to three times a day. It is good to relieve the cow of milk often, which reduces the problem of mastitis which is inflammation of the udder.

Some herds are seeing mastitis virtually eliminated, which would not have been

thought possible a few years ago.

Also at the show I witnessed automatic feeding, which I was not very impressed with. A very expensive array of machines collected feed from stores and mixed it up and dispensed it to the animals as many times a day as desired.

This seems fairly silly to me as while you’re supplying the feed to the machines you might just as well be feeding the cows yourself. It would also be a good time to observe the cows which, as everyone knows, is very important.

We have joined the technical revolution rather late at home with a guidance system on our tractors.

By linking to a satellite we can take some of the boredom and inaccuracy of going up and down the fields without using the steering wheel.

The results are impressing but I still prefer the manual approach.

PINDERS Circus came to Melbourne in June, the third visit to the town in recent years.

The team of eight performers entertained with six performances from Thursday to Sunday and were well received by enthusiastic audiences.

Ring Master Mike Lea (pictured with other members of the circus team) was very upbeat about the visit saying: “We enjoy coming to Melbourne and providing live entertainment on the doorstep for people to enjoy and as usual we were well supported.”

The circus has a 38-week touring season and is on the road from February to November, performing 436 shows.

Home grown talent a treat for club

MELBOURNE Probus Club was treated to a feast of home grown entertainment at its June meeting.

Local historian Richard Heath gave a fascinating talk about the involvement of Melbourne in the First World War. In this conflict 85 men from Melbourne and district lost their lives and many more were seriously injured – a huge price for a small town to pay.

The war differed from the Boer Wars some few years earlier in that it was total war with German airships, Zeppelins, bombing Derby and Burton.

Richard gave examples of both national involvements by senior officers from Melbourne and Kings Newton together with more homely examples of local people doing their bit, notably the man who stood on a chair to give his shotgun a better chance of hitting a passing Zeppelin.

Member John Starkey recounted the early days of Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence was one of five illegitimate children of an Irish Baronet; he graduated from Oxford and then traced the footsteps of the Crusaders by walking more than 1,000 miles to study their campaigns and fortifications.

The later life of Lawrence is well remembered through the award-winning film Lawrence of Arabia and his untimely death following a motor cycle accident.

Other members gave anecdotes of their lives to make for a novel and enjoyable meeting without the benefit of an external speaker.

Probus meets monthly with membership open to retired business and professional people.

– T Harrison

Sensory garden is opened

A NEW sensory garden at Elvaston Castle Country Park was officially opened to members of the public on June 20.

County Councillor Brian Ridgway said: “I am delighted to have officially opened this wonderful area to the public thanks to the hard work of volunteers and funding from a number of generous sponsors. It is a place all of the community can visit and I hope as many people as possible take advantage of it.”

The garden was built thanks to £7,000 from the county council, £5,450 from a variety of sponsors and work by up to 50 volunteers.

It has been arranged so it has two flower beds for sight, two for scent, one for touch and one for sound. It also includes arches with mosaics to be installed later this summer, a water feature and benches.

The heights of the ramps into the garden have been reduced and a path has been built between them to make the garden more accessible and link it to the existing garden path.

Seeing trees for wood

TICKNALL Garden Club members were joined by Stuart Dixon (university lecturer, radio broadcaster and writer) for a presentation entitled ‘Seeing the trees for the wood’.

Stuart talked about his restoration of Hebbs Farm, an abandoned 18th century garden in Burton Joyce. Stuart explained how the garden was transformed to its present glory.

The talk focussed on developing a woodland garden area and suggestions for planting were shared. The woodland is establishing well, and in 150 years’ time the rhododendrons will reach their full spectacle.

CASH BOOST FOR BAND

OBITUARY

Village Voice July 2014 5

FOLLOWING on from the fund-raising auction at the Alma Inn on Bank Holiday weekend, a cheque presentation took place to Melbourne Town Band for the sum of £503.44.

Paula Quinby is pictured presenting a cheque to Brendan O’Neil with band members looking on.

Paula would like to give a special thank you to Jackie Barton, who put together most of the fund-raising activities.

Here’s how to have your planning say

A NEW idea to give local communities more say on future planning in their area was explained to the July meeting of Melbourne Parish Council.

It’s all about being involved in taking ownership for the development of the local community by working together with planning authorities such as the district council. It means any future development proposals would be the result of community involvement and would require a local referendum to ensure it is a legitimate plan reflecting local residents' input.

The proposal – Neighbourhood Development Planning (NDP) – was explained in a presentation by Ian Hey, of South Derbyshire District Council. There are likely to be mixed feelings about participating in the programme, one of which is cost.

NDP arises from the Government’s localism act. It does not mean that the parish council can reject development proposals, but it may give opportunities to consider alternatives and work towards a vision of what would be good for the community taking account of future development needs and things to be avoided. Consideration could be given to excluding development in heritage locations or preserving certain open spaces.

Currently no communities have signed up to participate in the scheme in South Derbyshire, although several are being pursued in South Staffordshire.

Mr Hey said that participating in the scheme would not have any impact on any current planning applications or applications that may be submitted in the next few years.

County Councillor Linda Chilton and District Councillor John Harrison both spoke of two rail freight depots under consideration along the A50 corridor. Developers intend to build on 619 acres between Etwall and Egginton, known as Egginton Heath.

The plans involve creating five million sq ft of manufacturing and distribution space. Similarly East Midlands Gateway is a proposed Strategic Rail Freight Interchange which will accommodate up to six million sq ft of new distribution and storage buildings at Lockington.

Developers for both sites appear to be promoting very similar schemes and claiming employment opportunities for thousands of people.

Cllr Harrison added that there is no public authority behind either scheme and that they are only speculative items by private developers. There is to be an enquiry chaired by the Secretary of State.

Both county and district councillors also spoke about Western Power Distribution moving a substation that services 350 homes in Melbourne to a different location. The erection of a structure to house the distribution equipment without prior approval had caused great concern for some local residents and was deconstructed immediately when requested to do so. The facility company is now reviewing with the district council to locate a suitable site.

Cllr Harrison announced that SDDC had achieved a £1.5 million cut in its budget.

The debate concerning the public toilets in Melbourne Market Place continued at the parish council meeting.

Cllr John Harrison repeated an earlier comment that the district council had no intention to remove them unless or until there was a replacement for them which provoked a response from Cllr Jane Carroll questioning his statement and adding that the public want transparency on the topic.

A face-to-face meeting between district and parish councils to resolve misunderstandings and to include representation from Melbourne Assembly Rooms was set to take place on Friday, July 11. n The telephone kiosk requires to be spruced up and quotations

TOM MILLS reports from the July meeting of Melbourne Parish Council

obtained for its removal and relocation. n Melbourne Late Night Shopping event will be renamed Melbourne at Christmas and will be a much smaller event this year.

Meetings will continue to agree the format, date etc. n Melbourne Infants School is over-subscribed for the opening in September. Currently appeals are being reviewed by the education authority. n The local group Education for Melbourne will look to engage with Melbourne residents. n Work on the recreation ground at Cockshut Lane has continued.

The drainage scheme is now installed with different layers of gravel being laid and covered with a foot of top soil. n Painting of equipment in the Lothian Gardens will commence on Monday, July 12, and will continue each Monday for four weeks.

The gardens will be closed on each of the days set aside for the painting.

MARIA MOULT THE eldest of three children, Marie, as she was first known, was born to Michael and Anna Blake, an Irish couple who set up home in Mickleover in the 1930s. Her father taught Greek and Latin at Bemrose School.

Marie’s own education took place at St Philomena’s Convent School at Broadway.

After leaving the nuns, she chose to become a nurse, qualifying as a SRN at the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. She worked in all parts of the hospital, her nursing skills staying with her for the rest of her life.

It was at this time she met and fell in love with Derby farmer Edward Moult. They were married in 1954. Home was Poplars Farm, Sinfin. Here among the hens, cows, sheep and pigs Marie never equated to the stereotypical image of farmer’s wife, but she braved the mud and muck and focused on her new family. The first three children started life here.

Four years later the Moults moved to Scaddows Farm, Ticknall.

Strawberry growing started and Maria, as she now came to be known, had another three children. To help, a series of nannies and later au pairs appeared, allowing her more time for amateur dramatics, delivering Meals on Wheels, and a chance to have fun outside the farm.

The major distraction at this point was the burgeoning fame of her husband Edward, or Ted Moult. From the 60s onwards a series of TV and radio appearances saw him become well known throughout the land. Maria’s circle of friends and acquaintances grew to include other stars of the time. Family life was made more exciting by a whirl of visitors arriving at the farm or trips away, to London, to TV studios, theatres, and beyond.

The sudden death of Ted in 1986 turned Maria’s world on its head. For a while time stood still, but undaunted and with the help of family and loyal friends she picked herself up and set up home in Ashby Road.

Following on from Ted, Maria continued to support his favourite charity, the Lord’s Taverners, herself becoming chairman of the Lady Taverners for a year in 1990. In Melbourne, she renewed her devotion to the Catholic Church, and got involved in community groups. An art lover, she would often visit galleries and was a keen cinema-goer.

She was fortunate to be able to travel to different parts of the world, to explore, or to visit her grandchildren in Switzerland and Australia. A committed supporter of charities in the developing world, she especially focused on the fate of children. She was a regular at the Fair Trade shop and in 2005 she went to Edinburgh to be part of the Make Poverty History campaign at the time of the G8 summit.

Maria was an intensely social person, completely at home in Melbourne, she was a natural communicator. Her delight was to spend time with friends new and old alike, by turns able to have them in stitches or on more serious occasions be the first to offer kindness and support. She will be missed.

Maria Moult died on June 3. She is survived by six children and nine grandchildren.

– WM

Heavy rock festival passes off quietly

6 Village Voice July 2014

THE annual pilgrimage to the home of Heavy Rock, Donington Park, passed off successfully and with fewer incidents this year.

Nearly 90,000 heavy rock fans visited the Download site over the weekend, turning the approaches into no-go areas for anyone who did not have business along the A453 and a place to avoid as the crowds dispersed each night.

South Leicestershire police reported a 70% reduction in crime. Only 91 crimes were reported compared to 301 last year.

Most offences were thefts from tents; only five people were dealt with for drug offences.

DI Johnny Monks said: “Crime at Download has always been low but this year has been really exceptional. The figures reflect the hard work and co-operation that goes on between the police, Live Nation and their security company Showsec.

It’s been a great success.”

With over 130 acts playing over the three days on five different stages the choice for the discerning festival-goer was immense. Headliners on the main stage for the three days were Avenged Sevenfold, Linkin Park and Aerosmith, with wellknown bands Offspring and Status Quo

n THE secretary of Derby Natural History Society has compiled a new quiz sheet in support of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

Money raised from it is used to release funds from the Landfill Communities Fund. Every £100 raised can lever £1,000 for the Trust.

The Occupations Quiz features puzzles and questions on general knowledge,

headlining the Zippo stage.

A secret band turned out to be Black Stone Cherry.

Musical highlights of the weekend were from Avenged Sevenfold's Friday night headline slot with lots of pyrotechnics, Steel Panther and Alter Bridge on the Sunday.

The main stage was renamed in honour of Stephen Sutton, the inspirational teenage blogger and charity activist who sadly died in May this year. His internet viral fund-raising efforts have raised over £4million for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Over £11,000 was raised at Download for the charity.

Andy Copping, the festival booker and promoter for Live Nation, told Village Voice it was “one of the best Downloads ever ... if not the best”.

He said: “Everything fell into place this year; we had great weather and great bands. Everyone was saying it was the best atmosphere we have had at Donington and I have to agree! There was something really special about this year’s Download and I hope it will continue to follow that route."

– Frank Hughes

sport, literature, films, music etc. with answers related to jobs, trades and professions.

The closing date for entries is September 11 and there are cash prizes of £25, £15 and £10. To obtain a copy send a s.a.e. and a cheque for £1 payable to The Wild Ones, 12 Chertsey Road, Mickleover, Derby, DE3 0RA .

Civic Award presented

MELBOURNE Civic Society held its annual Midsummer Evening at Melbourne Hall. Guests enjoyed a delightful buffet provided by members Claire Sturges and Barbara Simpson and a stroll in the beautiful garden.

The Civic Award for 2014 was presented to members of Davidsons Homes design team, who had produced a carefully researched and attractive housing development, Millbrook, on Station Road.

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The award was presented by retired architect Liz Walker, who expressed her pleasure at seeing a volume development which had put so much effort into design and detail that it had led to a fitting extension to a lovely place like Melbourne."

Pictured (l-r) are: Liz Walker, architect who was on the judging panel, Iain Pickering, Director of Design, Davidsons Homes, Brian Budd, chairman Melbourne Civic Society, and Stefan Kruczkowski, designer for Davidsons Homes.

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Hospital site’s plans approved

LONG-RUNNING plans to build a care home and 74 houses on the site of the derelict former Aston Hospital have been given the green light – despite fierce local objection.

South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee granted permission for the hospital to be knocked down and the houses and “care village” to be built on the site.

The hospital – which, despite its name, is in in the parish of Weston-on-Trent – shut its doors in 2004 and has since then fallen into disrepair.

Over recent years it has become a target for vandalism and police have issued several Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) warning letters as a result.

Original plans involved just building a care home on the site, but this was then expanded to include the 74 separate houses too.

Many local villagers strongly objected to the most recent proposals, saying too many houses were being planned which would expand the village by a third and put too much of a strain on local amenities and schools.

Planners received a total of 81 objection letters but still gave the proposals the nod.

Aston-on-Trent Parish Council chairman Haydn Wheeler said the village felt “let down”.

He said: “We were always in favour of the care home – the village has a strong tradition with that – but the extra 74 houses are going to make the village far too big.

“Building a care home is what people want because there’s been a lot of vandalism on the site over the years. We’re pleased it’s going to be del DAME Catherine Harpur’s School and Nursery had a Brazil theme (influenced by the World Cup) for their sports day.

The weather was fine and all had a great time.

Pictured are pupils taking part in The Exotic Birds Egg and Spoon Race.

Village Voice July 2014 7

WOOD-FIRED PIZZA veloped but it’s just the sheer scale of it.”

The Aston Hospital site had been earmarked for 100 homes on the Local Plan, which has yet to be finalised. South Derbyshire District Council has said it plans to build 13,454 new houses by 2028 to meet the district’s expanding housing needs.

Aston district councillor Peter Watson, who is on the Planning Committee which granted the hospital plans, pointed out that 22 of the houses on the Aston Hospital site would be affordable homes.

He said: “This proposal is for 52 houses and 22 affordable homes. People in rural villages are saying all the time there’s nowhere for young people to move into because they can’t afford to buy a house.

“There’s a need for housing in South Derbyshire, brought about by the fact that people are living longer, lifestyles have changed and people are moving into the area from nearby cities because South Derbyshire is a very popular place to live.”

– Lucy Stephens

Diary delight

THE Friends of Melbourne Parish Church and guests were entertained by local historian Philip Heath when he delivered an illustrated talk entitled Victorian Melbourne and the Diary of J J Briggs.

Philip engaged easily with his audience and kept them enthralled with his anecdotes, reading extracts from the diary and J J Briggs’ informative tales of Victorian Melbourne.

The diaries themselves are a good read. Copies can be obtained from as little as 50p.

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8 Village Voice July 2014

Old pub could be new homes

KINGS Newton’s historic Packhorse pub could be turned into houses, if council planners agree.

But the scheme has been objected to by Melbourne Parish Council.

A Derby-based consulting group has submitted proposals to transform Ye Olde Pack Horse, which closed its doors in February, into a pair of houses.

The move comes after one of Melbourne’s heritage pubs, The Melbourne Arms, won consent earlier this year to be turned into homes.

Plans for the Pack Horse would involve restoring the existing buildings – which lie within the Kings Newton Conservation Area – into two homes, one with four bedrooms and the other with three.

The building dates from around the early 1700s and was originally two cottages, before becoming a pub some time later in the 18th Century. One of the cottages has the date ‘1727’ above the lintel.

Kings Newton Residents’ Association said in a letter to the council that, while losing the pub is “a shame” for the community, it preferred a smallscale conversion, such as the one planned, to a large housing development.

Planning applicants DPDS Consulting said in its supporting documents: “Over the past five years Ye Olde Pack Horse has only made a profit for one of those years (2012) and it is, therefore, considered unviable to continue its use as a public house.

“The application proposals will provide a new focus for the building, returning it to two

dwellings, demonstrating a workable arrangement with the minimum of disruption to the building fabric.”

The idea was received with some disquiet at the July meeting of Melbourne Parish Council.

District Councillor John Harrison said the Pack Horse had been a coaching inn and pub since 1687 and it would be a shame for it to disappear. He went on to say that the building would qualify for a Right to Buy application from an appropriate body, noting that the parish council would be recognised as such a body.

The parish council agreed to object to the application based on assessment of the plans.

Meanwhile, a long-standing planning wrangle in Kings Newton has finally been put to rest after an appeal to build nine houses in the village was thrown out by a planning inspector.

The houses had been planned for the village’s Main Street, but the application to build them was refused – and an appeal against the decision has now been rejected, too.

In her report the planning inspector said the development would be too “urbanising” and that there were not enough houses in the proposal to bring any real benefit to the area.

She said: “The appeal site is part of the rural landscape, forming part of a swathe of land from Melbourne to the wider countryside to the east.

“The development of the site with a ribbon of development would alter the street scene, the character of the surroundings and the appearance of this element of the countryside.”

– Lucy Stephens

Village Voice July 2014 9

Kevin’s 30 years as firefighter ends

l Melbourne’s leading firefighter Andrew Astle presents Kevin Iliffe with a statuette, watched by other fire service members.

AFTER 30 years as a retained firefighter Kevin Iliffe has hung up his kit for the last time and stood down as Watch Manager at Melbourne fire station.

At a surprise party held in his honour at the Royal British Legion he was unusually “lost for words” with so many friends and colleagues in attendance to mark the occasion.

Presented with a statue of a firefighter, Kevin said he was immensely proud of his involvement in the fire service. It had opened doors for him and provided opportunities he would not otherwise have had.

He thanked his colleagues, both past and present, for the sense of camaraderie and dedication in the job. He recounted stories of directing water hoses down the wrong chimney to extinguish a fire, wearing cork helmets and plastic trousers that melted in extreme heat and long gone days when you could drop into a nearby pub for a pint after the fire was brought under control.

He said he was looking forward to a life which

did not revolve around the availability board and paid tribute to his family, especially wife Joanne, for all the support over the years – recognising the anxiety and concerns a firefighter’s family always bears.

He had “loads of fun” over the last 30 years in Melbourne fire service, despite all the jibes of having only a small appliance! Clearly Kevin is a man who was moulded to fit the adage “ladders are made of wood but the fire-fighters are made of steel”.

– F Hughes

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Tickets are £7 (children £3.50) or a family ticket £20.

Airport Academy really takes off in its first year

EAST Midlands Airport is celebrating the first anniversary of its Airport Academy, a dedicated employment and education facility which has helped more than 160 job seekers since launching in June 2013.

In partnership with Stephenson College, Job Centre Plus and Stockport College, which also delivers the academy programme at sister airport, Manchester Airport, the academy aims to help unemployed people in the region develop their workplace skills and have the opportunity to get back to work.

In its first year, 166 candidates from across the East Midlands have completed the training course with 69% (114 candidates) going on to secure work with the airport at one of the 100-plus businesses on site.

Successful candidates have been placed in a range of positions, including the new catering outlets introduced as part of the terminal redevelopment programme, with service partners, airport hotels, the security team, customer service and DHL. The academy is based in the airport’s dedicated on-site education centre, the Aerozone, and offers candidates the opportunity to gain a level 1 qualification in customer service and the chance to develop work place skills, such as literacy, numeracy, CV building and the chance to take part in mock interviews.

Kate Hall, Airport Academy Manager, said: “It’s been a successful year for the academy. Our aim was to place 100 candidates in jobs in our first year of operating, so we’ve achieved that – and a little bit more!”

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10 Village Voice July 2014

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THE most striking thing about the Melbourne Assembly Rooms AGM was how few people turned up.

With a membership of some 300, fewer than 10 per cent attended this important event.

In accordance with the constitution, two directors had to stand down from the board this year, although they were available to be re-elected if they so wished. There were also vacancies to replace board members who have stood down either during the year or at the AGM. There were fewer applications than vacancies and, as a result, there was no voting to be taken and all applicants were appointed: Philip Heath and Blase Lambert, who will take on their previous roles as directors, with Jane Carroll, Margaret Gildea and Alistair Roe joining the board.

Chairman Phil Dobby delivered a short report commenting that during the last year there had been some improvements to the appearance of the building internally; that the use of the facilities has increased; that a set of legal procedures has been created; an improved website for information about the facilities had been created; and that MARS had made a surplus.

He confirmed that a grant from South Derbyshire District Council would be ongoing and that the board was still negotiating with SDDC for an extension to the lease. The chairman identified a need for members to contribute to the running of the Assembly Rooms and invited members to volunteer for staffing duties at events.

Blase Lambert gave an overview of the funding issues and illustrated the income and expenditure during the last year. There has been an increase in income of 27% on the previous year, which has resulted in a modest balance being achieved. He continued with an outline of the business plan for 2014/15 and making some comment about future years.

Philip Heath reported on the decision to pursue grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Initial meetings with the HLF representatives had taken place and were well received. It is planned to make the Stage 1 application in November 2014 following which it is anticipated that approval will be given to obtain costs to pursue a tender bid.

Mr Heath showed an outline plan of the building which illustrated some of the planned

changes and additions. The most significant change would be moving the kitchen from the front of the building to a room at the side, giving access to/from three rooms instead of the current one. The space created by moving the kitchen would be combined with the entrance foyer to create a welcoming display area for tourist and community information.

Although the provision of toilets with external access was shown on the plan there is no current intention to do this without provision of funding.

The work of the premises and development committee was reported on by Neil Wright and confirmed the work that has been undertaken to date and that it will continue to consider the changes and improvements that can be pursued without impacting on the HLF considerations.

Marketing and membership was presented by Frank Hughes. He spoke of four points that have been the main focus of attention during the year: promoting further use of the building; promoting the membership scheme; improving the website; and reviewing the pricing structure.

The building now attracts 30 groups on a Monday to Friday basis and most weekends there is at least one activity/function taking place. Further opportunities to extend its use are being reviewed. The membership scheme has attracted 300 members but now seems to have stagnated.

What can be done to encourage further interest in membership is still under consideration.

The website has been developed to help promote the venue for potential hirers, but there are still some elements that require further development and others that are still to be completed.

This will be an ongoing task.

With the formal element of the AGM finished a proposal from the floor that development manager Andy Heafield should be congratulated for a job well done was met with a round of applause.

In conclusion, in response to a request from the floor concerning the MARs position regarding the provision of toilet facilities to replace the public toilets in the Market Place, the chairman confirmed that the board had agreed with SDDC to incorporate public toilets subject to resolving various issues including the granting of a long-term lease. The agreement was only in principle, he said, adding: “We are only an interested outsider on the matter.”

– Tom Mills l AT a recent meeting of the Melbourne Royal British Legion Women’s Section, merit awards were presented to Sue Worrall and Brenda Sharratt for outstanding work for their branch.

Gill Frawley, county vice-chairman, presented the awards and is pictured (centre) with Sue and Brenda and other branch members looking on.

Any unwanted electrical appliances?

A CALL for unwanted household electricals is being made by Derbyshire County Council. A special recycling and re-use event will take place on Saturday, July19, in the car park at Budgens, Derby Road, Melbourne, where unwanted electrical appliances can be dropped off between 10am and 4pm.

The list of items that will be accepted on the day for recycling and re-use include microwaves, electric cookers, vacuum cleaners, music systems, washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers,

stereos, radios, irons, toasters, food mixers, shavers, kettles, hair dryers, DVD players, power tools, electronic fans, lawnmowers and strimmers.

Other items for recycling only include fridges, freezers, fridge-freezers, printers, scanners, games consoles, set top boxes (eg Sky/Freeview), PCs and laptops, TVs, keyboards and mice, modems, mobile phones, household batteries and car batteries.

Everyone who takes along an appliance to the event will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win £50 of shopping vouchers.

Hundreds enjoy well dressing

CROWDS of people thronged the streets of Aston-on-Trent to enjoy the village’s annual well dressing celebrations in the summer sunshine.

The weekend-long extravaganza is now in its 18th year and forms part of a regional tradition of well dressing.

Local groups get together to make the “dressings” – elaborate pictures made with a wide range of different coloured natural products such as flower petals, eggshells and seeds.

This year’s main theme was the 100th year commemorations of the start of the First World War and it took a team of 20 people around 30 hours to make the main well dressing – a beautiful and poignant depiction of local lads going to war in 2014, many never to return.

With the bells of All Saints’ Church tolling in the background, a large crowd of people gathered to hear local Methodist Minister Rev John Hartley and church reader Bruce Ward perform the well blessing service and admire the entrants to the children’s fancy dress competition.

They had been invited to come as historical figures to the occasion.

Winner was Caitlin Hatton, who came as Coco Chanel, with Leah Clarke as Queen Victoria in second place and Katie Chamberlain as Cleopatra third.

Hundreds of people who had turned out for the occasion stayed to admire the rest of the well dressings – including a stunning contribution from the WI illustrating wartime nursing at Aston Hospital – before strolling round the wide variety of stalls and children’s funfair.

– Lucy Stephens

Village Voice July 2014 11

Muddy good Monster fun

LEFT: Rev John Hartley, Robert Archer, Carole Bagnall, Jim Ballington, Bruce Ward , Susan Winter, Cllr Mike Selby, Elaine Upton with (bottom row) Eloise Chamberlain, Satia Badwal, Freya Badwal, Caitlin Hatton, Katie Chamberlain, Leah Clark and Lily Petersen.

ABOVE: Preparing the well dressing.

THE Breedon Monster came out of hiding for the special community event held at Breedon on Saturday, June 21.

There were 450 people taking part plus spectators for this wellorganised and enjoyable activity aimed at getting young people and families out of doors and being active.

The fun-filled 3k or 6k obstacle and adventure course was planned to get everyone dirty with a mud pit and slide and, as an added bonus this year, entrants could become members of the Breedon Monster Mud Club once they had been totally immersed in the pit.

Any funds raised benefit the Activate Sport Foundation, a charity that provides sporting opportunities for young children.

The after-race fete funds raised were in aid of St. Hardulph’s School’s Parent Teacher Friends Association. l PARTICIPANTS enjoy the challenges of the Monster obstacle course with smiles on their faces be it mud pit (left) or bale mountain (right).

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12 Village Voice July 2014

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ABOVE: Mick Mumford drove royalty (Paddy Laban and Wendy Moss) to the Carnival.

LEFT: Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Vickie Talbut, Josie Banks and Bron Barker.

Hector McLean enjoying a sausage roll and wearing his I Love Melbourne T-shirt.

CARNIVAL day began early in th morning with groups of people busy cre ating their floats before meeting in Cas tle Square for the judging and the star of the procession.

Led by Town Cryer Roger Leng and the Long Eaton Militaires Carniva Band, the procession was one of th longest in recent years.

In addition to an increased number o floats and motorcade there were pram and pushbikes, wheelchairs and walk ers, scooters and motor bikes and a pai of ponies and riding carriage.

Miss Melbourne, Eleanor Gardener and her attendants headed the caval cade with guests of honour, the remain ing veterans of the Woman’s Land Army in Melbourne. Their transport was a fleet of Triumph Stags driven by mem bers of the owners club.

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Village Voice July 2014 13

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Carnival, held on the School Fields, Packhorse Road, took place when carnival committee chair Tracey Ridley had introduced the guests of honour, Joyce Smith, Doreen Beardsley, Millie Pass and Ruth Bradshaw.

On their behalf, Ruth said how honoured they all were to be invited to open the Carnival. In their time in the Women’s Land Army they had been drafted to accommodation at the Rectory in Stanton by Bridge, guests of the Revd Raynor and his wife. She told how each of them had married Melbourne men and Melbourne had been their home ever since and then declared the carnival open.

And what a Carnival it was with a marching display by the Militaires, Melbourne Town Training Band, Dance routines from the Oakden School of dance, the Infant and Junior Schools and music

Julie’s

from Bon Jazz. The arena and the stage both featured for the entertainment and the beer stall, Pimms, ice cream and tea tent were very popular with a continuous flow of customers all afternoon.

There were numerous charity stalls and entertainment throughout the playing field and the whole event had a wonderful atmosphere about it.

Competition results were: Winning float Puddleducks for the second successive year; second Melbourne WI; and third Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The Best Decorated Shop Window went to Flaxen.

The baking competition was split into several categories. The winners were: Scones – Kevin Bloor, Victoria Sponge – Mary Stephens, Best Sausage Roll (men only) – Chris Baggot, Cake Under 12 – Edith Stephens, Cake Over 12 – Miss Melbourne Eleanor Gardener.

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AUGUST EVENTS Sunday August 3rd Ashbourne Classic Cars from 1pm Sunday August 10th Farm Engines (static) from 12.30pm Saturday & Sunday August 15th & 16th.

Melbourne Photographic Society from midday Friday August 29th Shakespeare in the Garden at 2.30pm (garden admission charge) Sunday August 31st Melbourne Male Voice Choir from 2pm (hall admission charge) All events take place weather permitting and are subject to last minute changes.

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Rotary Club’s annual award

14 Village Voice July 2014

n MELBOURNE’S Max Lowson, 15, is one of just two Explorers from South Derbyshire to be selected to represent the district at the 2015 World Scouting Jamboree in Japan.

Max has to raise £3,000 to fund the trip, and the Rotary Club made a contribution to this target at its midsummer presentation evening, where he was principal guest.

A pupil at Chellaston Academy, Max has been part of the scouting movement for eight years, and is currently a volunteer helper at Melbourne Cubs; he will be one of 40,000 scouts from 166 different countries at the Jamboree, many of whom will visit Hiroshima on the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the nuclear bombs.

He has promised a further visit to the Rotary Club on his return, to tell members about his memorable trip.

Max is pictured receiving a cheque for £200 from Rotary president Douglas Keith.

Garden glory

MELBOURNE Rotary Club’s Ray Gill Award, named in memory of a past president of the club, is presented annually in recognition of outstanding contribution in the field of youth sporting achievement in the town.

This year the award was made to well-known cricketing enthusiast Tel Potts, vice-chairman and past chairman of Melbourne Town Cricket Club, and a member for over 50 years.

Six years ago he inaugurated the new junior section of the club, catering for young cricketers from eight to 15 years old, and running teams at

under-11, under-13 and under-15 level.

There are now around 50 juniors in these age groups, and Tel, with his wife Sue and a strong group of volunteer helpers, provides coaching and playing for them almost every day of the week, particularly in high summer.

As Tel says: “We sometimes actually look forward to a spot of rain, to relieve the pressure.” But he doesn’t really mean it!

Tel and Sue Potts are pictured with Rotary president Douglas Keith.

BREEDON Open Gardens event took place in June and was well supported.

The 14 gardens attracted many visitors with two serving teas and one dishing out pizzas.

Members of the WI, who organised the event in conjunction with the church, sold tickets in the form of stickers designed by pupils from St Hardulph’s School. Almost £700 was raised for church funds.

Visitors Jade and Nolan Foster (left) are pictured with hosts Ken and Jan Jones in their garden.

Hunt for schoolboy war victims plaque

AN APPEAL has been launched to find a plaque commemorating the lives of Ticknall schoolboys killed in the First World War. The missing plaque shows a symbolic painting of a mourning woman. It bears the names of 24 boys who were pupils at Ticknall School before going to the 1914-18 war, never to come home.

Unveiled in 1921, the plaque was a result of a campaign by the then headmaster and headmistress’s daughter Emily Harrison. It cost £30 and used to hang on the school wall.

A contemporary newspaper report from the Derby Mercury tells

n MELBOURNE Royal British Legion Club hosted a World War One exhibition of memorabilia and a magic lantern show of both British and American photographs from the front.

Richard Heath also presented a slide show of the period featuring local involvement.

There was a steady flow of visitors throughout the day and the event was well received.

Pictured (l-r) are Dave Worral, Kevin Varty (who supplied many of the exhibits) and Heather Bainbrigge inspecting a Vickers machine gun and equipment.

us that the original unveiling ceremony was attended by a large crowd at which “young and old alike” were “deeply moved”.

But the plaque has not been seen for well over half a century, having last been spotted in a coal shed.

Now a concerted effort is being made to track it down so it can form the centrepiece of a special exhibition in the village in August marking centenary commemorations of the First World War. After that, it is hoped it can be placed in a prominent position in the village.

Teresa Johnson, who is helping with the campaign to find the plaque, said she hoped someone had rescued it and held it for safekeeping.

She said: “A great deal of effort was undertaken by Emily Harrison at the time, backed by villagers who wanted to honour the memory of their sons and husbands, past pupils of the school, who were killed in the war.

“It’s such a shame that after all that effort and the great occasion of its unveiling ceremony it has just disappeared.

“Now the time has come to again remember those who lost their lives and it would be great to put it back on display and ensure its safety for the future."

The exhibition marking the First World War centenary is being held in Ticknall Village Hall and there is a further appeal for anyone who has any Ticknall Great War memorabilia they would like to share to get in touch with parish council clerk Celia Bunston on 01332 865226, or email: enquiries@ticknallparishcouncil.co.uk The exhibition is part of commemorations that have been given a boost after the village won £4,500 in Heritage Lottery Funding for their First World War project.

The money is being put towards the exhibition along with a specially made map dedicated to the 127 Ticknall men who served their country a hundred years ago, which will be unveiled in the Ticknall Village Hall garden on August 2.

The exhibition promises to be a collection of photographs, newspaper clippings, documents, letters and photos as well as family tales, giving a clear picture of what life was like in the village at the time.

Ticknall Parish Council chairman Councillor Nigel Picken said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and this will make a significant difference to how we can now commemorate Ticknall village's contribution to the country's war effort in the Great War.” The exhibition is being held on August 2 and 3 from 11am to 4pm in Ticknall Village Hall.

– Lucy Stephens

Great War exhibition

2014 – a year of two historic anniversaries. On June 6, the country commemorated the 70th anniversary of D-Day and on August 4 will commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of World War One. This year the annual exhibition of the Melbourne Historical Research Group will commemorate this latter event.

The Great War had an enormous impact on the lives of everyone, irrespective of whether or not their family members were directly involved with the services. The whole structure of society and social attitudes were changed by these years of conflict.

The exhibition will include the current results of research, not only into the people who died during the conflict, but also those who served, and will illustrate some aspects of life in the village at that time. More than 400 men – over 20% of the whole male population – served in the armed forces at home and abroad, with others, both men and

women, involved in war work at home.

It is the intention that this exhibition will not be a finite event but will provide the basis for an archive of material available for use by schools and by the public. It is also hoped that it may be a catalyst for drawing in material for inclusion in this record.

The exhibition will be held at the Melbourne Assembly Rooms on August 23 and 24, with doors opening at 10 am on Saturday and 11 am on Sunday.

It is the intention to give short talks on the research on both days. Refreshments will be available and admission is free.

Melbourne Historical Research Group would welcome any information or photographs of people or events, military or non-military, during this period.

Should you have any material which you would be willing to have copied for inclusion in the project please contact Adrian Earp on 01335 343203 or Jean Grimley on 863385 or grimjeannie@aol.com

Operatic society award goes to Gill

FRESH from their successful production of Iolanthe at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton, members of Melbourne Operatic Society enjoyed an evening of dining and dancing at Castle Donington Manor Hotel.

During this annual event the Gerry Shaw Memorial prize is awarded to the member who has given outstanding service to the society during the previous year.

This year society chairman Mike McGhee had the double pleasure of presenting this award to his wife, Gill, who was voted for by the members for taking MOS into the 21st century through Facebook and Twitter, increasing the number of business sponsors and

producing a modern and highly readable Iolanthe programme.

The society is now in rehearsals at Melbourne Assembly Rooms every Tuesday evening making preparations for their summer concerts which will be held on Friday, July 25, at the Duchess Theatre and Saturday, July 26 at Melbourne Assembly Rooms.

Tickets are £7 and will include wine and snacks at Melbourne.

There is a licensed bar at the Duchess Theatre. Tickets may be purchased through the website or by calling 01332 875350 for Long Eaton or Margaret on 01332-863030 for Melbourne.

This summer the concerts will include a section dedicated to the music of the First World War.

FAMILY OPEN DAY

Village Voice July 2014 15

MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club is having a family open day and sponsored bike ride on Sunday, August 10, in memory of Bob Marshall (Marsh), who was a former MTCC captain and player.

Other attractions will include an Under 11/13s club match, a BBQ, beer tent and bouncy castle at the ground.

The bike ride will start at 2pm with the 20km course going through Ticknall, Hartshorne and Woodville before returning to Melbourne.

The club is asking all players, club members and members of the public to take part in the ride and to obtain sponsorship for doing it. Proceeds from the day will be split with half donated to Cancer Research UK and half towards new covers for the club.

For offers of help on the day contact Alex Slater on 07966933583. n HEATHER Wheeler, MP for South Derbyshire has been reelected by her Parliamentary colleagues to sit on the executive of the prestigious 1922 Committee. Mrs Wheeler said "I am delighted to have been returned by my colleagues; they know that I will continue to work with my fellow backbenchers to ensure that their thoughts and opinions are passed to the Conservative leadership.”

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MELBOURNE COMMUNITY CARE SHOPPING TRIPS/SOCIAL OUTINGS MINIBUS TIMETABLE – JULY - AUGUST 2014 For further information, cost of trips, or to book a seat, either call in the Community Care Office, Mon-Thu 9:30am-1:30pm; Fri 9:30am-12:30 or telephone 863585 All journeys subject to number of booked passenger.

• WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REQUEST A LATE CANCELLATION FEE • Community Care do not provide escort assistance on these trips.

• For information on our “escorted trips” please contact the Community Care Office.

• Every Friday we run a local door-to-door service to Budgens Supermarket and escort assistance can be provided if required.

DEPART MELBOURNE

JULY Wed 16th Mon 21st Mon 28th Tue 29th AUGUST Mon 4th Tue 5th Mon 11th Tue 12th Mon 18th Wed 20th Tue 26th Wed 27th

DESTINATION

DEPARTURE APPROX.

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IKEA Store & Others, Eastwood, Nottingham Newark – Market Day Victoria Centre, Nottingham Burton-on-Trent – Octagon Centre Trentham Gardens Fosse Park Melton Mowbray – Market Day Burton-on-Trent – Octagon Centre

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M.C.C. PATRONS SCHEME: THANK YOU to all who have already become a valuable Patron. If you would like information on this scheme, please contact the Community Care Office (863585) – where forms are available.

Your contributions, however small, are hugely important to us for the future continuance of our valuable services. Your support is always greatly appreciated.

Office: Unit D, William's Yard, Derby Road, Melbourne DE73 8JR

GARDEN CLUB’S BUSY HEREFORD TRIP

16 Village Voice July 2014

FORTY-SIX members of Ticknall Garden Club travelled to Hereford to visit gardens in the area.

Members were based at the Green Dragon Hotel in the middle of the city, close to the cathedral, so were able to take advantage of that to see the Mappa Mundi and the Chained Library as well as the lovely building itself.

The programme of visits included some very lovely, private gardens as well as Hampton Court Gardens and then Coughton Court, which the group

Members of the Parish Council Chair Wendy Earp Vice Chair/Highways David Smith Burial Grounds Sheila Hicklin Recreation & Ameneties Andrew Jackson

865019 862699 865726 07931 541387

David Carpenter Jane Carroll Nigel Collyer Sarah Dunnicliff Christopher Howard OBE George Hudson Rose Minife Robert Parker Margaret Sharp Malcolm Stockill Paul Willmore

864521 863269 07831 540538 862162 07795 484120 07503 247953 07795 362936 07973 297404 862471 694598 863044

Jacqui Storer - Clerk

07734 939292

Useful Numbers Aircraft Noise & Complaints Clean Team (fly tipping) Street Lighting Faults Potholes

0845 1088540 0800 5872349 0845 6058058 0845 6058058

visited on the way home. There were too many visits to mention them all but those to the garden at Aulden Farm with its emphasis on wildlife, The Nest at Moreton with an amazing wild flower meadow and The Old Rectory at Thruxton with wonderful panoramic views stand out.

There was also a visit to Sir Roy Strong's Laskett Gardens at Much Birch, as idiosyncratic as the man himself. All this was arranged beautifully by Pat Chinnery to whom the club is very grateful.

Melbourne Parish Council Quarterly Report - July 2014

The Annual Meeting held in May resulted in my election as Chair, taking over from Jane Carroll and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jane for the great job she’s done as Chair of the Parish Council over the last 2 years and also for the support she’s given me since my election.

Following an interesting & well-attended traffic meeting with Ben Hamilton-Baillie in April, one of my aims for the forthcoming year is for the Parish Council to investigate his recommendation regarding a Neighbourhood Development Plan, which would give us more control over where development takes place in Melbourne over the next decade.

This is an issue which is becoming ever more pertinent with the number of planning applications that are currently being submitted.

Other issues to report: - The Parish Council has expressed an interest in the public toilets following their listing as a Community Asset and South Derbyshire’s proposal to sell them. Members of the Facilities Committee are shortly meeting with SDDC to discuss this further.

- The Parish Council has set up 2 working parties; one to organise this year’s Christmas event and the other to look into the possible refurbishment/relocation of the red telephone box on Packhorse Road.

- The replacement of the bulbs for the main Xmas tree in the Market Place with LED versions is being considered.

- Numerous repairs have been carried out in the Lothian Gardens, thanks to a donation from the Download Festival and the play equipment is due to be painted with the help of the Probation Service. This will unfortunately necessitate the closure of the Lothian Gardens for 3 Mondays commencing Monday 14th July and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

Wendy Earp, Chair, Melbourne Parish Council

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Jeani-us of a local business

l Kings Newton Social Group organised an Italian evening at the Scout and Guide Headquarters on Packhorse Road. The room was decorated in green, white and red together with balloons and pictures of famous Italian landmarks.

Committee members and quite a few others dressed up for the occasion. Accordionist Robert Burton enhanced the setting with his music. He entertained the gathering with some delightful Italian music reminiscent of holidays abroad.

A buffet was served with a selection of Italian food to complete the evening.

THERE are not many small businesses in the area which can boast a pedigree dating back over 100 years, lasting through two world wars, the depression of the 1930s and fire and flood along the way. But “Jeani” Accessories Ltd, based on the Castle Lane industrial estate, is one such family-owned company.

Tony Howard, who is a director, said: “The business was started by Mr H A Murray and Mr R C Fitzgibbon using one first floor room in West London.

“At that time they made hand-turned wood products for the furniture trade but, with the spread of electricity into most homes, turned wood products such as door bell pushes and bell rosettes were introduced.

As the demand for wood products declined and new Pictured (l-r): Rebecca Wright, sales office trainee, Georgina insulated materials, such as Howard, director, Tony Howard, director, Linda Robb, sales ofBakelite, became available fice manager, and Ray Lees, warehouse manager. the business grew to be a They now have three other brands, Kew Techleading supplier of electrical components.” nik, Westinghouse and Pratley, and supply their Originally from the North West, Tony worked products to the wholesale electrical trade. They as an agent for the Jeani brand but, with the rehave a small export trade also, with Europe, Austirement of the owners, he had the opportunity to tralia and the Middle East. buy the company and move the business from Tony and Georgina have firmly established Horley in Surrey to Melbourne, his adopted themselves after 24 years in the village. Living home. on Derby Road, they have raised three daughters At first Tony and wife Georgina ran the busiand now have five grandchildren. ness from their garage on Spinney Hill but soon Asked about the economic recovery, Tony felt needed to transfer to bigger premises on Toon’s business had started to pick up again after some Industrial Estate. About four years ago they purleaner times. “I’d say since the middle of last year chased the land formerly occupied by the foundry things have started to pick up again and we are at the end of Castle Lane and built two units, now particularly busy now.” the firm’s home.

Given that his firm supplies the clear lamps for “Like a number of the businesses on the indusMelbourne’s Christmas display, we all have a trial estate, there is not a lot of local interaction as we primarily supply the wholesale business,” strong vested interest in hoping the business continues for at least another 100 years. said Tony. But they do employ five staff locally.

– Frank Hughes

Isabelle’s a top ambassador

THE World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) Green Ambassador scheme aims to encourage a new generation of sustainability champions. It is aimed at inspiring primary school children (5-11 year olds) to become active in making their school greener by looking at issues such as reducing energy, food, encouraging wildlife and reducing waste.

Melbourne Junior School has adopted the Green Ambassador scheme and Isabelle O'Toole, a pupil at the school, was highly commended in the WWF Green Ambassador of the Year 2014 awards.

The awards were presented at Highgrove, the Gloucestershire home of WWF-UK's President, The Prince of Wales.

Isabelle's mother, Charlotte, said: "Isabelle has had a fantastic time as a WWF Green Ambassador at Highgrove. She has really embraced sustainability and has been a credit to Melbourne Junior School.”

During their time at Highgrove, Isabelle and the other ambassadors helped The Royal Entomological Society mark National Insect Week by undertaking an insect survey. Green Ambassadors were also given a private tour of the beautiful organic gardens and learnt about how Prince Charles has incorporated sustainability princi-

ples into the way that the gardens are managed.

The pupils were accompanied by members of the gardening team.

The Green Ambassadors also worked with communication experts from WWF and sponsors, Alpro, to define what it is about nature that they loved and produced a short video message which was created in a specially created video pod.

Parent Volunteer Sarah Spencer won the WWF-UK Green Ambassador Teacher of the Year Award. Sarah helps to run the Eco Warrior Club at Melbourne Junior School and has designed and created a food garden at the school as part of Melbourne Area Transition.

Sarah said: “I was thrilled to be nominated for the award and even more surprised to have won.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the summit at Highgrove due to another volunteering commitment. I am pleased that the efforts made by the enthusiastic group of Eco Warriors, supported

by Melbourne Area Transition and parent volunteers in creating the garden, have been recognised at such a high level. We wish to thank all the local groups and businesses who have donated money and plants to the project."

Any parents or local community members able to help with the garden are asked to contact Melbourne Junior School.

– Tom Mills

Village Voice July 2014 17

l Melbourne Junior School’s Eco Warriors with Mrs Sarah Spencer at the back, Isabelle O’Toole, who won pupil of the year, with her trophy and panda, and Lily Ormsby in the yellow hat, who accepted Mrs Spencer’s hamper for winning teacher of the year, in her absence.

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FRIDAY, June 27, saw more than 100 people enjoy an outdoor Ceilidh at Whistlewood Common in Melbourne. Despite heavy rain earlier in the day, the weather was kind for the evening and young and old enjoyed dancing to the music of local band Stargazy.

Local group Wallflower also played, and it is hoped that this will become an annual event at midsummer.

One highlight of the evening was the christening of the new “Treebog”, a composting toilet made from entirely recycled donated materials. The evening raised over £700 which will be used to maintain and develop the site.

The community project, which has more than 180 members and is run entirely by volunteers, has big plans to plant community woodlands, or-

Wheel-chair gift

MELBOURNE Inner Wheel president Judith Rosser was joined by members at a presentation of a wheelchair to Richard Baker, of Budgens.

The wheelchair is for the community to use in the store and is a small part of the national Wheels Project to celebrate 90 years of Inner Wheel service to their communities.

It is expected the project nationally will raise well over £1million for local charities and groups with everything from minibuses to prams being donated. Richard Baker, on behalf of Budgens, said how pleased they were to receive the wheelchair and how useful it would be to their customers. Richard thanked Inner Wheel for their generous gift.

chards and create an education centre for sustainability.

Volunteers will shortly begin work on a natural children’s play area.

Whistlewood Common is holding weekly “Whistlewood Working Wednesdays” where anyone can go and spend time with others developing the space. Anyone wishing to attend or has ideas can email admin@whistlewoodcommon.org

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Mixed choir and the Opera Babes prove a mouthwatering combination

18 Village Voice July 2014

MEMBERS of Melbourne’s mixed voice choir, A Choir’d Taste, could be forgiven for being a little light headed following their most recent concert.

Away from their home base, the choir performed in concert at Derby Cathedral, supporting the internationally renowned operatic duo, The Operababes.

In the magnificent setting of the cathe-

dral, the excitement and expectation amongst the audience was palpable in the countdown to the 7.30pm start of A Midsummer Night at the Opera.

An early sense of nervousness as the choir opened the concert with the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin by Wagner was soon dispelled as they found their confidence and continued with Die Fleder-

maus, by Strauss. Musical Director Paul Marshall set a fairytale scene for the audience with thumbnail comments to introduce and link each piece as the Operababes, Rebecca Knight and Karen England, sang both solo and duet performances with accomplished support from the choir.

Following a short interval, the choir

opened the second half of the concert with verve as they sang the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco by Verdi.

Taking nothing away from the choir’s performance, the stars of the show were the Operababes and they did not disappoint their audience. Their stunning performance was a joy. My personal favourites were: On my lips every kiss is

like wine, sung by Karen, and Rebecca’s rendition of O mio babbino caro.

At their best with the Flower duet and the ensemble piece Brindisi from La Traviata by Verdi, the concert came to a close and A Choir’d Taste returned to Melbourne with a justifiable spring in their step and a feather in their cap.

– Tom Mills

l THE adult choice for Best Scarecrow 2014, “ M i n i o n Rush” by the Lawson family is pictured left with the children’s c h o i c e ‘ F r o z e n Palace’ by the Cooke family below.

THE 13th Annual Weston-onTrent Scarecrow Trail took place in the middle of June with scarecrows popping up at 51 sites around the village.

The creativity and imagination of the scarecrow makers resulted in some stunning scarecrows with the film “Frozen” being extremely popular with no less than four Olaf snowmen on display.

Hundreds of visitors voted for their favourite scarecrows with the children choosing the Cooke family’s version of “Frozen” as their winner and the adults choosing “Minion Rush” – a tableau of no less than 23 minions expertly made by the Law-

son family from Trent Lane.

Presentations were made to the winners and certificates given to all participants at the awards tea where it was announced that just over £2,000 had been raised to be shared between the village hall and the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.

Other prize winners were Richard Grundy for the Most Unusual Scarecrow and the 1st Weston Brownies, who were the inaugural winners of the Scarecrow Trail Award in recognition of their enthusiasm (every year!) for making scarecrows.

The Scarecrows expect to return to Weston in June 2015.

Safari so good ...

MEMBERS of Breedon-on-the-hill WI were blessed with a warm, sunny evening for their annual safari supper.

Three branch members opened their gardens to their friends and colleagues, starting with cocktails and nibbles, moving on to a magnificent spread of salads and main dishes before finishing with sumptuous desserts in the third garden.

A wonderful evening of sharing food, wine and chatter that has become an annual fixture in the WI programme and much enjoyed and looked forward to each year.

The July 30 meeting, at the community room at Breedon School, will be about the energy challenge of the future. Helen Brailsford will be the speaker and visitors are most welcome for what is going to be an important and enlightening discussion.

Village Voice Postbag

Village Voice July 2014 19

Simply parking mad

Caring for the local doctors

l ASTON on Trent Primary School's Summer Fair was organised by the parents association and held on a sunny Saturday afternoon on the school playing field.

The children, family and friends were able to enjoy a BBQ, cream teas, crafts, face painting, games, bouncy slide and stalls selling an array of things.

The organisers would like to thank all who visited and everyone who helped make the event successful. Proceeds will go towards many projects supported and funded by ASPA.

IN COMMON with many surgeries across the country, local practices in South Derbyshire are facing challenges in delivering services and are calling upon the public to support the ‘Your GP Cares’ campaign being sponsored by the British Medical Association.

Practice Managers at two local surgeries are concerned that the public do not fully understand the pressures and all too often just see the end results, which can be delays in getting appointments or having to go elsewhere for services previously conveniently provided at the surgery.

Janine Miller, practice manager in Chellaston and Allenton, and Annette Jennison, practice manager at Melbourne and Chellaston surgeries, are spearheading a local campaign in support of the BMA. The key issues are: m increased demand for GP services caused by demographic changes; m more complex health needs and care moving away from hospitals; m recruitment to fill vacant posts in the practices and the cost of locum cover; and m low morale and stress, causing GPs to leave the profession.

One doctor said: “In 18 years I have never seen General Practice in such a bad way. There is an imminent fear of collapse and extra boxes to tick, just to prove we are doing what we would naturally do anyway; it is a costly and wasteful lack of trust.”

According to Janine, “some surgeries in Nottingham have gone bankrupt, others are struggling.

As one GP said ‘it feels like being in a pressure cooker’.

It has been reported that there is a potential for about half a dozen practices in Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group to go bankrupt within the next 18 months if something is not done.

As well as seeking the support of the public to sign a petition, which is available at the surgeries and support the campaign, the two practice managers have involved local prospective parliamentary candidate Cheryl Pidgeon.

Mrs Pidgeon said: “I have been speaking with

many local residents, local GPs and Practice Managers who care deeply about local people and our local medical services. Like me they are deeply concerned about what is happening to our NHS, the crisis in demand and funding and the effects that this will have on our community and the services that they need and deserve.

“I am very worried about the over-subscription for local surgeries – in South Derbyshire we are the fastest growing constituency in the UK and, with new homes being built, this increase in demand puts pressure on future service provision never mind the effects on GPs, staff and patients who desperately need GP support. We need to do whatever we can to help.

“The BMA campaign calls for long term, sustainable investment now to attract, retain and expand the number of GPs, to expand the number of practice staff and to improve premises. I support this campaign wholeheartedly.”

South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler said: “I have met with one of the largest GP practices in the constituency to talk these issues through and was really interested to hear their views.

“There is a group of GPs who will be reaching retirement age shortly and, under the rules for recruitment, those who are studying in the East Midlands have to take placements in the same area and a smaller percentage are choosing to enter General Practice than other medical disciplines.

“This could be a concern but, fortunately, two GP practices in South Derbyshire that needed to recruit recently have been able to.

“I am always interested to meet with GPs in South Derbyshire and listen to concerns and help find ways to improve matters and, of course, make sure those concerns are passed on to the Secretary of State for Health."

Changes in practices have also contributed to the problems. Simple tasks like blood tests and wound dressings are no longer funded at many surgeries. Janine and Annette intend to raise awareness with public meetings which will describe the day in the life of a GP and explain the issues of funding.

Information on the campaign is available at www.bma.org.uk/working-for-change/your-gp-cares – Frank Hughes

I DON’T suppose I am the only Melbourne resident getting heartily sick of sloppy parking habits of car drivers around the village, so what I'd like to know is when is something positive going to be done about it?

I don't know if it is people from outside the village or locals or a combination, but currently there seems to be a blatant disregard for yellow lines. This has been happening in the Market Place for some time, but it has spread to the top of Potter Street and now to the bottom of Blanchcroft.

Don't people realise yellow lines are there for a good reason? One morning a while ago I pointed out to a Jaguar driver, who was just walking away from his car to a shop opposite at the bottom of Blanchcroft, that he had parked on the yel-

low line and he just shrugged his shoulders, as if to say "so what?”

It is vital to leave this area clear to allow cars to pass in an already difficult spot.

People who park like this are, at least, inconsiderate, and at worst, downright arrogant!

There is plenty of free parking around Melbourne, but people don't seem to want to be bothered to walk a couple of hundred yards (at the most). I believe that it's long past time this sort of parking should be penalised properly but it is very rare to see a warden around the village. Let's have a blitz on it and hand out a few fixed price penalty notices – there should be zero tolerance.

Maybe these inconsiderate parkers might then get the message (but somehow, I doubt it).

Geoff Medland

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22 Village Voice July 2014

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SOUTH DERBYSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL

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ADVICE SURGERIES

at Melbourne Assembly Rooms - 11 am to 12 noon

Saturday 2nd August Saturday 6th September Saturday 4th October “ L i s t e n i n g t o L o c a l Pe o p l e ”

ON a gloriously sunny Saturday the curtain came down on a season of great success both on and off the field for Melbourne United with the annual end of year Football Fun Day. All 11 teams plus the Soccer School took part in a morning of matches and presentations, with the bright sun struggling to keep up with the bright future ahead for the club.

Pictured are just some of the 150 boys and girls who took part and played a huge part during the season in re-inforcing the name of Melbourne United within Derby junior football circles.

May saw the Under 14s Blue Sox complete their domination by winning the league and there were runners-up slots for the Under 14s Black Sox and the Under 12s.

The Under 10s were the serial bridesmaids, finishing runners-up in both cup and league, while the Under 15s won the end of season Castle Donington Tournament.

Strong performances across the other age groups leave the club well placed for next season and, judging by the volume of children involved in the fun day, the level of enthusiasm and the obvious ability next

season should continue in the same vein.

There have been no managerial casualties this season and they have all been given the vote of confidence by the board.

There are bound to be one or two summer signings, but on the whole the managers can put their passports away and give their network of scouts the summer off, safe in the knowledge that home grown talent is flourishing.

And finally, a big end of season “thank you” to all our sponsors, the parents who ferry their children around Derbyshire and the team managers for all their hard work.

Better never stops.

– MR

Colts’ tour crowns cracking campaign

BROOKFIELD Colts embarked on their first ever tour over the weekend June 6-8, travelling to Scarborough for a two-night stay.

The boys were quite rightly excited and everyone anticipated a great weekend. After settling in and exploring on the first night it was an early start on Saturday morning, after breakfast travelling to play Skirlaugh FC, who finished their season as Hull League and Cup winners without losing a game.

Coach Mick Poynton was anticipating a tough game and so it proved. The lads showed their great character fighting back brilliantly from 2-0 down after 20 minutes to win a pulsating game 5-3 with a superb team display of attacking football to stun their hosts.

The Colts were looked after brilliantly by all at Skirlaugh FC and it is hoped that Brookfield can reciprocate in the future.

Sunday saw them travel to York to play an 11-a-side tournament. With expectations high the opening games were lost 21 and 1-0 respectively, with missed chances costing the Colts dearly in both games.

The remaining two group games resulted in a 5-1 win and a 2-1 win against the eventual tournament winners. A third place group finish saw Brookfield into the semi-final of the plate completion; a 2-0 win put

them into the plate final but, although dominating yet again, poor finishing saw the Colts defeated 1-0.

Although not performing at their best during the tournament, the Colts travelled back to the Brookfield after a great weekend with the main objective of the tour achieved; to build the team spirit and togetherness of the lads ready for the challenge next season to retain the DCFL Sunday title and win back the Saturday title previously achieved at U14.

Brookfield held its presentation evening at Barrow on Trent Village Hall.

The Sunday Colts were presented with their Derby City Football League Under 15 Division 1 winners’ trophies and Challenge Trophy winners medals.

Unfortunately, due to the Derby Assembly Rooms fire, they were denied the official presentation night but to be double winners at any level is a fantastic achievement.

The Saturday Colts also performed well to finish third in a very competitive Saturday league.

All players representing Brookfield Colts, on both Saturdays and Sundays were pre-

sented with an individual memento.

The main awards were presented first to the Saturday side with the Manager’s Player award going to Devante Reittie, Players’ Player to Brad Cole and Team Player award to Josh Toplis.

The Sunday awards followed with both the Manager’s Player and Players’ Player awards going to Ben Cartwright with the most improved player being Oliver Williamson.

The presentation night was well attended and a great night; congratulations to all of the award winners.

Six-hit Ryan the star for Ticknall

TICKNALL Cricket Club has reached the halfway point of the season in decent shape – but will hope to improve as the campaign reaches the business end.

The Grange side were ranked as outsiders for the title when the season kicked off in April and, after starting with a bang against Swarkestone – quite literally – have fallen off the pace slightly.

Ryan Cowley won the match against the champions at Barrow Turn with a blistering six off the penultimate ball of the match. The powerful allrounder then went one better at home to Denby, blazing the last ball for a maximum to secure a dramatic win.

It was unlikely such a breath-taking start could be maintained and Scott Chilman's side – whom he dubbed "little horses" in the title race – bowed out of the National Knockout with a defeat to league rivals Dunstall.

A mixed May, not helped by the weather, followed and June was also an up-and-down month for Ticknall.

At halfway in the season they sat seventh in the table, 59 points off leaders Ockbrook & Bor-

rowash.

Chilman said at the start of the season: “I think Swarkestone are the clear favourites and everyone in the league will say that. “Our aim is to be up there. We’ve been in the top four in the premier league for three years running. Anything less than that will be disappointing.”

Nothing has changed from his honest assessment at the start of 2014. Ticknall have not been helped in the last few weeks by the loss of prolific opening batsman Paul Borrington and outstanding seam prospect Tom Taylor to Derbyshire duties.

"Obviously we miss them," said Chilman. "But as a club we're proud to see them playing for Derbyshire. The lads who have come in have done well and we've stuck together as a team."

Away from the first XI, Ticknall's second XI has performed well and is right in the Division Four South promotion race.

On the youth side, the club continues to have one of the biggest junior sections in the county, with training nights packing the Grange out.

– TS

Skipper leads way for Melbourne

MELBOURNE Tennis Club began its season with one win and one defeat as it aims to gain promotion out of division six of the Derbyshire League.

Melbourne started the campaign away to Rolls-Royce and came away with a superb 6-3 match win.

Skipper Mark Swallow, along with partner Vinny Hallifield, led the way winning all three

sets 9-2, 9-8, 9-8.

They were backed up by Ben Willians and Tim Shone, who also won all three of their sets 9-6, 9-6, 9-5.

The partnership of John Mayers and Jason Lander lost 0-9, 2-9, 5-9 but it was a strong start from Melbourne.

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Elvaston’s eyes on the future

Elvaston 1st XI: (back row) Dave Bull (scorer), Jak Pollard, Zac Callaghan, Simon Lillie, Steve Bull, James Heafield and Dave Lewis; (front row) Naeem Akhtar, Nick Briars, Gareth Chalesworth (captain), Matt Gawthrop and Kashif Hussain.

HAVING a long and successful history, Elvaston Cricket Club is going through a period of transition and building for the future.

The club, which has its origins bound up with the Earls of Harrington, is deeply proud of its “glory days” when it won the Village Cup in 1994 partnering Malc Mason, this and 2000 and built the fine double-decker pavilion. time winning two of their three The ground is the envy of many clubs with sets 9-2, 9-2 and new players lesser facilities, and the picturesque view nestling Rob Wright and Mike Butterup to the Country Park is among the best in the worth winning one of their country. three 9-5 but losing the other Andy Heafield, vice-chairman of the club, extwo 6-9 and 5-9. plained that the history can also be a bit of a burHoward Cheisure and Dave den too: “We are restructuring the club after some Brown fought hard but went dormant years and we are seeking to make it down 7-9, 5-9, 3-9 leaving Mel- more economical and accountable. Elvaston does bourne fourth in the table with not have a major benefactor and we have to plan a lot of games still to play. our finances wisely.”

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The club is developing a strong reputation for bringing junior players through the ranks. Over half of the first team squad this year have come through from the junior teams. There is also investment in equipment, facilities and a professional approach to coaching with former Pakistan cricketer Naeem Akhtar now involved.

“We have over 200 cricketers of all ages and both genders associated with the club and we regularly field 12 teams,” said Andy.

“We are hoping for a good run in the Davidstow Village Cup which could see us at Lords again this year and there is also a realistic expectation of promotion for a couple of the teams riding high in their respective leagues.”

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SPORT

Town rattle up 267 for victory

MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club 1st XI continued their great form in June, winning two and drawing one of their three league games.

They started with a superb three-wicket victory away to Spondon 2nds, Town chasing a record 267 for victory.

Three wickets for skipper Alex Slater plus two apiece for Matt Briers and Jason Lander came at a cost as the home side racked up 266, but Melbourne's reply started well with Lee Tallis, who hit a brisk 46.

This was continued by Slater (64) and Russell Allaway, who finished the game on 82 not out as Melbourne won with four balls to spare.

The following week Melbourne won again, this time by just one wicket as they chased 184 at home to Etwall 1st XI. Anthony Wagstaff (5-64) and Mick Meakin (3-46) bowled the visitors out and Town were in all sorts of trouble on 91-7.

But Slater, with a superb 86, took his team to the brink of victory, leaving Jason Lander to hit the winning runs in another tense affair.

The first team ended the month away to Elvaston 2nds and came away with a losing draw as they failed in their chase of 172.

Meakin took 5-39 with two wickets apiece for Wagstaff and Briers in bowling the home side out. l Melbourne Town 1st XI: (back row l-r) Tel Potts (scorer), Kevin Meakin, Mick Meakin, Matt Town struggled in their reply with Rossi (31) Briers, Russell Allaway, Mark Rossi, Anthony Wagstaff; (front row) Dave Briers, Julian and Allaway (28) the only main contributors until Humpidge, Alex Slater (captain), Andy Potts and Jason Lander.

Kev Meakin saw Melbourne through to a draw with 22 not out.

By contrast Melbourne 2nd XI have struggled, losing three of their four league games.

They began with a heavy home defeat to league leaders Burton 2nds by 115 runs. The away side amassed 251-2 off their allotted overs and Melbourne struggled to 136 all out with only Andy Stanley (35) making any worthwhile score. The following day, away to a strong Ticknall 3rds, Town were bowled out for 195. Stephen Goalen hit a superb quick-fire 51 with 36 by Dan Marshall and 31 by Phil Maddocks.

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This was not enough as Ticknall won by six wickets, although 3-45 by Goalen capped a fine all-round game for him. Away to Castle Donington 1sts, the seconds ended up losing by four wickets as Town batted first and scored 193-7.

Stand-in skipper Ian Roberts was top scorer with 72 aided by 52 not out by Mark Hirons batting well.

Two wickets apiece for Hirons, Ashley Ellwell and Ben Newton weren't enough as Donington won with two overs to spare.

At least the seconds won their last game of the month, beating Barton 2nds by 48 runs – getting the final wicket with the last ball of the game.

Earlier Neil Thurlow hit a quite brilliant 138 not out supported by Simon Fletcher, who scored 80 as Melbourne finished on 266-5.

With 3-54 from Phil Maddocks plus two wickets apiece from skipper Marc Towell and Jason Lander, who took the vital last ball wicket, Barton were bowled out for 218.

The 3rd XI lost two of their three league games in June but they did begin with a superb sixwicket home win against Clifton 3rds.

They bowled the away side out for just 113 with veteran John Hallifield leading the way with 443 aided by junior Sam Barker, who took 3-27.

In reply skipper Paul Scrimshaw hit 71 not out and Matt Brian 31 to take the thirds to a superb victory.

This was followed by a 123-run defeat away to a strong Ashbourne 2nds as the home side scored 225 and bowled Melbourne out for just 102.

The thirds ended the month with a disappointing nine-wicket loss at home to Washlands 2nds, being bowled out for just 42.

The club would like to thank all its sponsors without whom they would struggle to continue.

This month they were Richard Heath (president), the Hallifield family, Newton Self-Storage, Wayne Spiers Butchers, Bounz.co.uk and Hudson's Hotelware.

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GB call-up

STAUNTON Harold Sailing Club members Sam Smith and Ali Ireland have been invited to be part of the GBR 420 team for the World Championships in Germany (Lubecker).

They fly out on July 22 and get back on August 4.

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