Melbourne Village Voice November 2013 by Village Voice

Village Voice No 252 November 2013

Melbourne & District

FIRE STATION BID HOTTING UP

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Girls’ locks cut for charity – Page 3

THE campaign to save Melbourne Fire Station is hotting up. Already hundreds of signatures have been added to a petition. Supporters, including local children, have been handing out leaflets and consultation documents to ensure the public are fully aware of the threat. At the Fire Station, staff are understandably worried for the future of the local area. On the wall are tributes of years of community service. Pride of place is a letter from Margaret Thatcher praising the Melbourne crew for their bravery and courage at the 1989 Kegworth air disaster, and the roll of honour extends back to 1930, packed with Melbourne family names. “Losing all of this doesn’t bear thinking about,” said one officer. BBC East Midlands Today covered the story with reporter Simon Hare interviewing locals and now, Derby City Council have thrown their weight behind the campaign to resist the closures. A huge crowd of supporters packed into the Melbourne Assembly Rooms on November 4, eager to air their views. Many called for representatives of the Fire Service and Fire Authority to come and face the local residents to explain the plans, which were considered HEATED DEBATE ... Protesters gathered at the Assembly Rooms to hear about the proposals “absolutely ridiculous” by many. District councillor John Harrison, acknowledging the sense of to close Melbourne Fire Station. not just to property and potential life cruit and train staff. public concern at this emotive and senconsidered for closure and determined to Even in Melbourne this has been in- do all he can to keep it open. sitive issue, described the case to close loss, but also to cultural heritage. The crew in Melbourne can reach creasingly difficult over the years, with Melbourne as “flawed” and “unacceptCllr Harrison said he was “totally opless industry in the area, but in Hilton posed to the proposed closure unless and able”.There was a call to form a repre- Calke in six minutes, yet the consultasentative group to co-ordinate a tion paper inexplicably claims there there is no evident source of “volunteer” until I can be persuaded that alternative would be no worsening of response time. fire officers, and the prospect of dismiss- cover would provide the level of protecresponse. Melbourne is on the flight path to ing so many trained staff seems senseTop of the concerns is the likely retion Melbourne residents deserve”. East Midlands Airport; over the years less. sponse time to a fire or traffic incident. Both County Councillor Linda Chilton Melbourne firefighters have attended Melbourne fire station costs approxiWith a locally retained crew the current and Parish Council chair Jane Carroll calls both on site at the airport and incimately £80k per year to operate; by contarget of 10 minutes is easily achievable. urged everyone to engage with the contrast the expenses bill for the 16 Alternative provision would mean an dents along the flight path. sultation and let their views be known. The local racetrack hosts events representatives on the Fire and Rescue initial response around 20 minutes. A further public meeting with reprethroughout the year, with high volumes Authority was in excess of £92K last Heritage properties in the area, insentatives from the Fire Authority will year. cluding Melbourne Hall, the medieval of traffic on routes through Melbourne Local representatives were early to be held on Thursday, November 28, at church, Staunton Harold and Calke are increasing the risk of accidents on local roads. comment on the proposals. District coun- the fire station at the request of the Fire at heightened risk. Another point seemingly overlooked cillor Jim Hewlett described himself as Authority. An outbreak of fire in any of these It will start at 7.30pm. buildings would cause catastrophic loss, by the consultation is the ability to re- “horrified to learn the station was being

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Out on the litter trail – Page 11

Fun at the Wakes – Pages 14,15

Cricket awards night – Page 26

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2 Village Voice November 2013

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■ THE revived Melbourne Pram Push held on the August Bank Holiday weekend raised £670 in memory of Andrew "Joe" Laban. Cheques were presented by Joe's wife, Angela, and parents, Paddy and Joe, to: Melbourne Assembly Rooms £206, Melbourne RFC £206, Headway (Derby) £130 and Derby Neurological Outpatients Therapy Department £130, whose services greatly assisted Joe as his health deteriorated due to his brain tumour. Pictured (front row l-r) are: Joy Young and Lou Watkins (Derby N.O.T.S,) Joy Walsh and Marisha Szymczak (Headway Derby), Paddy and Angela Laban.

At loggerheads over tourist cabins plan A CONTROVERSIAL planning application to build three tourist log cabins has not been welcomed in Stanton by Bridge. The parish meeting was unhappy with the application made to place the three cabins in a disused quarry, in a wooded area bounded by the Stanton to Ticknall road, the main road from Melbourne to Derby, and the main street of Stanton. Apart from the parish meeting, 18 objections from villagers were made, but the planners at Swadlincote gave their blessing to the development, supported by the County Council Highways Department. And the Environment Agency, apart from

accommodation was growing faster than for conventional serviced accommodation. Sustainable growth in rural areas, and in South Derbyshire adjacent to the National Forest, had to be supported. The planning authority has applied conditions on the use of the log cabins, which must be for holiday purposes only, and that tenants must be registered by name and addresses, for periodic inspection by the planning authority. The planning and development committee of the district council gave unanimous backing to the proposals, although chairman of the Stanton Parish Meeting Bob Beard and district councillor John Harrison both spoke out against the idea.

CHOIR’S TREAT A CHOIR’D TASTE are gearing up for their annual Christmas concert with a festive repertoire at the Melbourne Assembly Rooms on Friday and Saturday, December 13 and 14. Included in the programme, the choir will be performing a specially written piece by former Musical Director Nic Robinson called The Oxen, and a beautiful Elgar tune, The Snow. There will be the opportunity for the audience to join in and capture the Christmas spirit. Tickets will be £10, which will include a festive mince pie, and are available from Forteys, the Assembly Rooms and Mair Aitkenhead (863653).

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a couple of suggestions regarding replacement of dead or dying trees, considered that wildlife and woodland would not be compromised. The objecting residents of Stanton saw no identifiable need for tourist accommodation, which would create extra noise and traffic, that there were no tourist amenities in the village, and the plans conflicted with the environmental objectives of the Local Plan. The South Derbyshire District Council planners, however, were able to point to a rising demand for self-catering accommodation in rural areas, a national demand trend which showed that such self-catering

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● BETTY Simms received her MBE in the New Year’s Honours list in 2001 in recognition of 50 years’ fund-raising for Cancer Research. She was recently celebrating 25 years of the Cancer Research shop in Swadlincote when she was invited to reopen it following a short closure for refurbishment. Betty currently resides at Pool Cottage, Melbourne. Pictured at the reopening are Alison Woodfield (manageress), Margaret Wheatley and Betty Simms MBE (seated).

Village Voice November 2013 3

Little princesses have hair cut for charity

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A MELBOURNE mum and her two daughters made a touching gesture when they cut off their hair so they could donate it to a wig-making charity for young cancer sufferers. When Victoria Street mother Rose Minifie discussed the knotty question of a haircut with daughters Megan, 7, and Lauren, 4, the enterprising trio came up with the idea of giving away their shorn locks to the Little Princess Trust, which makes real-hair wigs for young people who have lost their hair to cancer treatment. In donating their hair the Minifie trio are following in the footsteps of pop singer Jessie J, who famously shed her follicles for the same charity over the summer, as part of Comic Relief. HAIR TODAY ... Megan, who before her Mum Rose shorter hairdo had harboured Minifie with ambitions to have a mane as daughters long as Rapunzel’s, explained: “I Megan and was going to have hair down to Lauren. my waist but it wasn’t growing right, it stopped growing. “We decided to give it to charity and children who are poorly and don’t have any hair. Mum said that if you cut your hair, when it grows it will grow longer than before.” Rose said: “Megan was going to have her hair cut and I needed my hair cutting and we thought we couldn’t leave Lauren out! My mum suggested the charity and then I found it online – one of her friend’s daughters had done it. “It’s such a good idea. What else do you do with your hair when it’s that long and you cut it off? You just throw it in the bin. I never thought of giving it to charity like that.” The three visited Alive ‘n’ Klippin in Melbourne High Street to have their hair cut by owner Pat Watts. To qualify for wig donation, The Little Princess Trust asks for a minimum hair length of 17 centimetres. On the appointed day Pat

carefully arranged the girls’ hair into plaits which were then gently severed and put into plastic bags, to be sent to a specialist wigmaker in China. “It’s a really good idea,” said Pat, during the hair-cutting operation. “I just chuck so much long hair away, it would be easy to do what I’m doing here and send it away.” After having her hair cut, Megan said: “I don’t even recognise myself! Every time I look in a mirror I think ‘who’s that?’ But I will get used to it. “I feel happy … and a bit light-headed! I feel very proud of myself.” For more information on the work of Little Princess Trust and how to donate money or hair, you can log on to http://www.littleprincesses.org.uk. Real hair wigs would normally cost in the region of £2,000, so donating hair in this way is definitely worthwhile.

Church autumn fair

Print exhibition

MELBOURNE Parish Church will hold its autumn fair on Saturday, November 23 (10am – 1pm) at the Assembly Rooms. Together with the usual stalls there will be the return of the famous 'Brame Tombola', which will need loads of prizes – choccies, smellies, bottles etc. (Please call Edna on 862453 regarding donations). The social committee would greatly appreciate help, especially with setting up, clearing away or manning the stalls, and also by supporting the event.

ON Saturday, November 16, the Melbourne Photographic Society will be holding a coffee morning and print exhibition at the Thomas Cook Memorial Hall at 10.30am. There will also be a sale of photographic prints and cards and an opportunity to enjoy a display of contemporary photography in a relaxed and friendly environment. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. For more information contact Gavin Lake on 01332 864633.

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Melbourne Parish Church Bazaar SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30th 10am to 4pm

Craft Fair SUNDAY DECEMBER 1st 10am to 2pm

Melbourne Food Fair and Market SATURDAY DECEMBER 7th, 7.30pm

Melbourne Operatic Society Xmas Concert FRIDAY AND SATURDAY DECEMBER 13th and 14th, 7.30pm

A Choir’d Taste in Concert SUNDAY DECEMBER 22nd, 10am to 2pm

Last Minute Christmas Gift Fair SATURDAY DECEMBER 28th, 7.30pm, tickets £7

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4 Village Voice November 2013

Country Living with Robert Parker

THE second half of October was a great disappointment for farmers as the weather showed us shades of 2012 – but not quite as bad. A lot of cattle suddenly had to come off the fields, which was a great shame because, with the mild weather, there were literally acres of grass to eat. Dairy cows which have calved in the last few weeks can’t get all their sustenance from this grass so have to be fed heavily with grain-based feed to make the most of their potential. There also seems to be a lot of potatoes still to harvest and quite a large area of cereals still to plant. One thing’s for sure, farming is never dull. ■ I was interested to see the proposals by the Whistlewood Common group for the field on Melbourne Common which they have recently purchased. The two fields in that area have been abandoned in the last two years, which is an appalling situation and which will take some sorting out. Land soon goes wild when it is not farmed

Things to do & see at Calke

and these fields are covered in dead, thick grass. This is such a shame as it could have been used this summer. The plan to create a food forest and orchards is a good idea and I think getting children involved at an early age can only be right. I do hope that when they do show children about food production they don’t ignore mainstream agriculture as this is what provides the majority of our food. Ordinary agriculture has had a lot of criticism in the last 10 years, some of it justified, but overall it does do a good job. Food is plentiful and not really expensive if you shop around for the best deals. I do wish Whistlewood Common the best of luck nevertheless. ■ Despite all the recent high winds the leaves on the trees and hedges seem to be holding on remarkably well. Just as it is a good fruit year, there are loads of nuts as well, in particular sweet chestnuts. I love these but have to restrict myself as having too many doesn’t suit my constitution.

● Kevin Morris, who won first prize for his ‘Best Pair’, is pictured during the ploughing competition. Kevin also won ‘The Best and Cleanest Tackle’ award.

Christmas at Calke

Record attendance for match

A Christmas of Past Presents

Sat 7, Sun 8, Sat 14, Sun 15, Sat 21, Sun 22 December 11am – 6.30pm (last entry 6pm) Unwrap a traditional Christmas searching for hidden presents in the house. Enjoy children’s crafts and visit Father Christmas in his grotto. As darkness falls, experience the illuminated grounds. You may wish to bring a torch. Adult £4, Child £2.50, Family £12 (members free). Father Christmas grotto £4 (includes present).

Christmas Craft Show Sat 7 – Sun 8 December, 11am – 6pm

Calke will be hosting a craft show in the Riding School, featuring ﬁne crafts and unique Christmas gifts to buy.

Christmas Fine Food Fair

Sat 14 December, 11am – 4pm Local food producers will provide delicious foods to taste and buy in the Riding School. Produce on oﬀer is grown, raised or baked within a 30 mile radius of Calke. Enjoy cooking demonstrations from the Calke chefs.

Handel's Messiah sung by Derby Bach Choir

Sun 15 December, 4pm – 7pm Enjoy musical delights in the Riding School as the Derby Bach Choir perform Handel’s Messiah. Booking required on 01332 863822, Tickets £25 including a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie.

THE Brailsford and District Ploughing and Hedgecutting Society held its 108th annual ploughing match at Barrow on Trent. This was the fourth time in 60 years that the event has been held at The Grange, in Twyford Road, farmed by society president Ken Atkin. Ken has been a committee member for 50 years. An arena was included in the show layout for the first time and a record 3,000 visitors attended. There were hedge laying competitions with 23 competitors taking part, each laying eight metres. A total of 85 trade stands were on the site in addition to the vintage tractors and steam engines.

The Meynell Hunt also attended and paraded the hounds in the ring. The ploughing site covered 90 acres and there were 111 competitions for tractors. Society chairman for this year was Colin Prince, who – with a strong committee – looked after the different sections, and the whole event went off well and without a hitch. The society donated £1,000, which included £200 from the ladies committee, to the Women’s Land Army towards its Arboretum Memorial fund. Seven members of the land army turned up to enjoy the event. A date has already been set for the 109th annual match – Wednesday, October 1, 2014, at Park Nook Farm, The Common, Quarndon.

Gourmet Night Fri 20 December, 7pm

Enjoy a 5 course festive feast in the restaurant cooked with local produce by the Calke chefs. A special wine list with wines to suit each course will be available to purchase by the glass or bottle. Booking required on 01332 863822, Tickets £35 Normal per person park entry applies Opening for 2013: House: Sat-Wed 12.30pm - 5pm End of Era Tours Thurs & Fri 11am - 4pm Garden: Open daily 10am - 5pm Restaurant/Shop: Open daily 10am - 5pm Calke Park & Nature Reserve: Open daily 7.30am - 7.30pm (dusk if earlier, closed 25 Dec) Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/calke for more information Normal park admission applies to all visitors. For more information on what’s on at Calke please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/calke or telephone 01332 863822

www.facebook.com/NTCalkeAbbey @NTCalkeAbbey

NEAT JOB … Ken Atkin surveys the hedge he planted 15 years ago and admires the work carried out by the winning hedelayer, Malcolm Johnson.

Village Voice November 2013 5

it’s all hands to the pumps ... THERE were no fireworks at the November 5 Parish Council meeting, but the proposed closure of the Melbourne Fire Station featured significantly in the discussions. Following the public meeting held on the previous evening and attended by at least 120 residents, parish, district and county councillors had all taken cognisance of the mood of the meeting and the seriousness of the proposals and had taken some action. County Cllr Linda Chilton reported that she had written to the Chief Fire Officer advising him that the Fire Authority proposals with regard to the closing of the Melbourne station were flawed. She will pursue this in respect of the effect on all her constituents. District Cllr John Harrison had also been in touch with the Fire Authority and confirmed that the latter had held a meeting that day to decide how it can or will respond to the mounting number of complaints it has been receiving. The most significant request has been for ‘consultation’ meetings to be held in the local areas where stations are proposed for closure, and that those meetings to be held at night when residents are more likely to be able to attend. Cllr Harrison also reported that the Fire Authority had failed to take into account the planned growth in new house building as part of the local plan. Parish Council chair, Cllr Jane Carroll reported that the council had written to the Fire Authority following the October council meeting highlighting the potential risks in closing the Melbourne station. Cllr Carroll had pursued the availability of a venue for the requested ‘local’ meeting. This will take place on Thursday, November 28, at 7.30pm. Fire Authority representation is essential at this public meeting and residents are urged to attend. Cllr Carroll has also agreed to chair the meeting. The parish council will also make a formal response to the Fire Authority. A smaller group will be formed to prepare a cogent argument about the Fire Authority proposals. The Fire Authority still plans to hold a ‘consul-

tom miLLs reports from the november meeting of melbourne Parish council tation’ event at Swadlincote on November 14 which will be open to all South Derbyshire residents. ■ PC Rob Buckley reported that there had been only a handful of crimes in the area during the last month. His good news was that a number of arrests had been made for earlier offences primarily as a result of good CCTV footage obtained from the new system installed in the town centre. He reported that the police are pursuing restorative justice in most instances. The offences have all been committed by local youths aged between 13 and 16. All the young people involved will be brought together and shown CCTV footage and will be invited to engage in the repay scheme. PC Buckley also reported that Wakes Week passed without any serious incident. ■ The district council is delighted with the latest Green bin Recycling results which show a reduction of material sent to landfill from 1400 tonnes to just 400 tonnes. ■ The SDDC local plan road show was well attended but failed to address several important factors – Education and infrastructure. ■ The one-way system proposals for the centre of Melbourne will be resurrected as a topic for the Highways subcommittee. ■ The play scheme was seen as a successful venture this summer with an increased take-up. ■ The parish council agreed to contribute £1,000 towards establishing a current bank account for the Melbourne Sporting Partnership to match the contributions of the individual sports clubs.

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6 Village Voice November 2013

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WHILE ‘Save the Badger’ protesters were out in force in Derby recently, petitioning to stop the cull, one group of the threatened animals were settling into their new home. A sett of badgers had been causing extensive damage to a local railway embankment, and delaying the trains in the process. A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “A routine inspection of the railway line in Swarkestone uncovered an extensive badger tunnel network, causing a speed restriction to be in placed on the line for several months.” This is not an unusual situation and Network Rail are required to operate in accordance with The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 (c. 51). The site, between Pingle Lane and the A514, was then the subject of an application to Natural England to rehouse the badgers. Legislation has been in place since 1992, making it illegal to interfere with a badger sett. The process then involved fitting a one-way badger gate, and once the badgers were out of the setts they were closed and covered with wire mesh to prevent any return. A new sett was built and the badgers relocated. Local South Derbyshire Badger Group, based in Findern, was pleased that the conservation work had taken place. “Public safety is a main concern,” said spokesperson Stephen Grimley “and Network Rail are usually very good at dealing with this problem.”

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ABOVE: Network Rail contractors are pictured restoring the rail embankment at Swarkestone. BELOW: Just one of the many entrances to the badger sett after being closed off by Network Rail contractors. (Photograph taken by Joe Langton, who farms the land adjacent to the rail embankment at Swarkestone).

Badger support groups, including the South Derbyshire gro,up have been protesting against the extension of the pilot culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset, introduced to reduce the risk of bovine tuberculosis in cattle, thought to be spread by badgers.

Network Rail were not able to provide any costs for carrying out this work, nor were they able to confirm that they have a budget for track repairs for similar incidents. However, the impact on rail movements and costs involved must have been considerable.

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● MEMBERS and friends celebrated the 60th birthday of Pastor Jackie Birnie at Melbourne Baptist Church. A service on the theme of ‘joy' was followed by a birthday buffet.

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■ ALL Saints’ Church will be holding a Shop in Comfort event at Findern Village Hall on Saturday, November 16 (10am to noon). Stalls include cakes, quality wooden toys, arts & crafts, handcrafted cards, cottage confections, cushions, bottle tombola, Cynth's Knits, Tangent Treasures, second-hand books, games of chance, raffle and lots more.

Village Voice November 2013 7

● STAFF from Melbourne Health Centre are pictured with a cheque for £2,000 prior to presenting it to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. They are (l-r) Vicky Spear, receptionist; Tanya Hunt, prescriptions administrator; Jane Carroll; and Bev Tonks, secretary. The cheque represented the amount raised at Jane Carroll’s ‘retirement do’ in August. Jane said: “I must once again thank Bev and Tanya for all their help in organising a great retirement event to enable this tremendous donation. Thanks also to all my friends, colleagues and patients who have given me such support over the years.”

Doctor to retire DR IAIN BLACK, senior partner in Melbourne's medical practice is to retire. Following part-time working for the last three years, he will retire at the end of March next year. A farewell party is being arranged at the Melbourne Assembly Rooms to mark his many years of medical service to the local community. A date of April 12, 2014, a Saturday, has been pencilled in for this event, subject to final confirmation within the next few weeks. Dr Black has requested a Ceilidh band, very appropriately, as he is a Scotsman, but the organisers have not yet been able to firmly sign up such a band.

Finishing touches for town’s late night event BEHIND the steamy windows of Forteys sweet shop, huddled over a foaming coffee, the Promote Melbourne organisers are working late into the night planning the final touches for the annual late night Christmas event, taking place on Friday, December 6. Such events appear to happen effortlessly on the night, but there is a lot of organisation beforehand. Road closures, entertainment licences, banner licences, room allocations, security, first aid ... it’s all headache-inducing, but fortunately the small band of helpers just get on with it. This year the plan is to make it even more family friendly with a children’s fancy dress competition, fair rides, an in-

door location for children’s activities and a Santa’s Grotto. Christmas lights will be switched on at 6pm to get the event underway, although Santa will be in his grotto in the Wesley Hall earlier, from 5.30pm, to enable the younger ones to visit him before bedtime. There is no candlelit procession this year. The Town Band, including the training band, and the bell ringers will be around the Market Place to lead the festive music. There will be stallholders showcasing the best of local produce, and the shops will be open until 9pm for all to enjoy, socialise and make your Christmas gift selections.

In addition there will be a grand raffle, with prizes being drawn the week after the event. Tickets will be available from Fairtrade and Forteys. Promote Melbourne, under the stewardship of Clare Bampton, the parish council and South Derbyshire District Council, organise the event. But it is the stall holders, shopkeepers and the great Melbourne public who make it a great local tradition. If you are in the mood for volunteering, the organising committee would welcome any help and there is still the opportunity to grab a stall, if you are interested. Or if you are a local business and can provide a raffle prize, get in touch with Clare on 01332 865452. – FH

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8 Village Voice November 2013

Switch that was an electric move A MELBOURNE man ‘born and bred’, David Worrall took a leap in the dark when he left a secure job with the East Midlands Electricity Board at the age of 21 to venture into business. Now, 40 years on, Melbourne Electrics is still going strong and he has never regretted the switch. David had just completed his apprenticeship when the idea of becoming self-employed appealed to him and, in 1973, in partnership with a work colleague named Paul, the business began. The partnership was short-lived, lasting only two years, as the business was unable to sustain two full-time wages. After a mutually amicable decision to part company Paul decided to move on. Tragically, he was killed in a road accident six months later. David met wife Susan in December 1976 and something must have sparked, for he proposed after only six weeks. They were married in June 1978 and have two daughters, Karen and Cathy. Just after the birth of his eldest daughter in 1982, David accepted a contract to wire central heating systems in council houses in both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, followed by a larger contract to design and wire similar systems in every police house and fire service house between Manchester and the East Coast. He says that the ‘down-side’ to the success of the business at that time, was that for the first six months of her life he did not see much of his new daughter. However, even with a successful business running for so long in the town, David is probably better known locally for his other interests. From a musical background, he has been involved in several local organisations. He started at the age of 10 singing with Melbourne Operatic Society – an association that lasted 40 years. As a founder member in 1976 of the re-formed Melbourne Male Voice Choir and also as a playing member of Melbourne Town Band since its formation in 1992, music has always featured in his life

and that of his family, who all play for Melbourne Town Band. Daughter Kathy is also musical director of the Melbourne Town Training Band. Always ‘on hand’ to help promote Melbourne, David has also been a member on various committees over the years, including those organising the VE and Millennium celebrations and the annual Fete and Carnival. Currently he is a trustee of the Thomas Cook Memorial Cottages. David’s involvement with the Melbourne Royal British Legion spans a lifetime as his father, Henry, was both club and branch secretary. In addition to holding the post of parade marshal with the responsibility for organising the procedures and protocol of the RBL local Remembrance parade, David has also been RBL branch secretary for the last 25 years. – FH

■ IT was another success for Melbourne’s own St Michael’s Players with their recent production of 'Murdered to Death'. The full length spoof thriller by Peter Gordon ran for three nights in October at the Melbourne Assembly Rooms and played to appreciative audiences. The plot cantered around a weekend at a country house in 1930s midsummer Melbourne, with the scene set for multiple murders and mayhem. With the rich widow and hostess (superbly played by Kath Nightingale) being shot, could the clueless Inspector Pratt (from Swad ) and the local bobby PC Thompkins, find the murderer before amateur sleuth Miss Maple finished her knitting? The audience were kept guessing. Excellent performances by all the cast in this period piece clearly identified the wealth of talent within the players. The roles of Pratt and Thompkins played by Gordon and Frank Hughes (not related) gave much of the comedy opportunity which they milked so well. A very enjoyable evening with some good laughs and surprise murderer/s. – R Timmins

Fete AGM THE Melbourne Fete and Carnival Committee will be holding its AGM on Thursday, November 21, at the White Swan, Melbourne, at 7.30pm. The committee is seeking to recruit new members to swell the numbers. There is specifically a requirement to appoint a new treasurer. Without this position being filled the committee will be unable to continue. All are welcome to attend the AGM. If anyone would like to be involved but can't attend the meeting, please contact Rose at roseminifie@gmail.com or through the facebook page.

Village Voice November 2013 9

● MELBOURNE residents engage with South Derbyshire planning team at the Local Plan (Part 1) road show consultation event at the Assembly Rooms in October.

Why your objections may not be enough THE planning team from South Derbyshire District Council returned to Melbourne for a low-key demonstration of the draft Local Plan (Part 1), outlining the latest thinking on housing and employment growth. While there is still no “strategic scale growth” planned for Melbourne and most other neighbouring villages, there remains substantial local concern over educational provision and transport infrastructure, which did not appear more advanced since the consultation last year. Aston residents will be looking closely at the development of 100 houses earmarked for the Aston Hall site. Those who responded negatively to the Preferred Growth Strategy consultation last year will be disappointed, if unsurprised, to find out the only change seems to be the number of houses planned – which has risen from 12,700 to 13,451. Explaining why the views of the public apparently seem to make little difference the team said that, unfortunately, just objecting to the growth was not enough and views had to be “tinged with reality”. Where comments had been made about specific sites, or concerns about them, they had been taken on board. There had been comments, too, mainly from developers, suggesting the original growth figure was inadequate. The team was not able to answer the “elephant in the room” issue of secondary education. With 500 homes planned for Chellaston Fields and a further 150 on Holmleigh Way the question of continuing access to Chellaston Academy is bound to refuel parental anxiety. The plan did acknowledge the need for a new secondary school, however, but the question is where? The idea for a secondary school in Melbourne might appeal to many, but with a £20mil-

lion price-tag the most likely solution appears to be a school nearer the city boundary. Similarly, transport infrastructure remains an open question. “Development money for a bypass to Swarkestone Bridge is not likely in the current climate” and the transport modelling for the plan appears to suggest no significant growth in southbound traffic across the causeway. That is far from the experience of many crossing the causeway every morning. With huge population growth north of the A50 corridor there is bound to be an impact on routes across the Trent and beyond. Parish council chair Jane Carroll was pleased that the plan showed no significant development in the Melbourne area, but had noted the reference to some further smaller scale development to total 600 homes in 10 “ Key Service Village” sites, like Melbourne, and the “Local Service Villages, like Ticknall. This had been “parked” for the time being but would be revisited under phase two of the plan in 2014. Cllr Carroll said “we have to remain vigilant” to ensure that any development is challenged appropriately. There is mixed reaction in Aston to the development growth there. While many will welcome the proposal to do something with the derelict and insecure site of the former hospital, there will be natural anxiety about the additional pressure on local services. Asked why the overall figures had increased the planning team explained that the 2011 census had impacted and the population growth forecast in South Derbyshire had been revised upwards. Consultation on the draft plan is open until 15 November. – FH

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G and S church fund-raiser THE Cambridge Gilbert and Sullivan Society performed in concert at St George’s Church, Ticknall, in October, singing many favourites from the G and S operas. It provided lots of fun and a little audience participation for those attending. The group hopes to return again next year to sing once more for the appreciative audience. The concert was in aid of the renovation programme being undertaken at the church. Pictured on the left are Mary Hirst, Elizabeth Freeman and Jenny Stewart from Ticknall with members of the group.

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Coast to Coast riders raise over £7,000 ADVANCE International, a lighting company based in Melbourne, has raised over £7,000 in its latest fund-raiser for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, cycling Coast to Coast. A team of Advance employees and clients cycled 140 miles in three days across northern England’s rugged countryside from Workington, Cumbria, to Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear. The team contended with torrential rain, crossing the Pennines and a variety of equipment issues making the event a personal challenge as much as a fund-raiser. Several Advance employees have personal family connections to the disease making it an easy decision to nominate Breakthrough Breast Cancer as the chosen company charity of 2013. Throughout the year, Advance has supported a charity ball, taken part in the London Marathon and most recently Coast to Coast, all to raise funds for Breakthrough. The addition of funds from Coast to Coast has helped Advance raise a total of £30,000 for Breakthrough in 2013. Simon Deacon, managing director at Advance, said: “The commitment the team has shown has been outstanding. Coast to Coast was a big challenge, but the camaraderie shows what a fantastic team we have at Advance and amongst our clients. I would like to personally thank everyone for their generosity.” For more details on the event or to donate visit: www.advancelighting.co.uk/coast2coast

Endangered species WITH so many habitats at risk in this country and more than a thousand endangered species it was no wonder that Nick Moyes, the speaker at a recent meeting of Melbourne Civic Society, hoped to inspire his audience to improve the natural environment. In his work as Project Officer he implements the local authority's Biodiversity Action Plan. He explained that Lowland Derbyshire has 17 priority habitats including woodlands, heaths, rivers and fields. Melbourne lies in the Trent and Dove Valley action area. By working in partnership with landowners, community groups, business organisations and enthusiastic individuals, wildlife habitats are identified, conserved and restored. Hopefully, species at risk like the water vole, otter and great crested newt should prosper under such targeted action. The next meeting of Melbourne Civic Society will be on November 25 at 7.30pm in the Assembly Rooms, Melbourne. Brian Crosbie will be talking about the Culture and History of Mumming Plays. Such folk dramas date back hundreds of years and were often performed at Christmas time. The speaker will no doubt refer to the Melbourne version which was revived only last year and toured the local public houses in true traditional fashion.

Snape - Kathleen Mary Following their sad loss John, Mark , Louise and Claire would like to thank everybody for their messages and kind support and their generous donations to The Derby Hospitals Charity - Renal Unit.

Village Voice November 2013 11

Sponsored ride to Mablethorpe a cash hit DIRECTOR and founder of MeandDee Charity Maria Hanson was “absolutely overwhelmed” with the sponsored bike ride to Mablethorpe early in October. “Luckily, it was a lovely day,” she said, ”as the 30 riders set off at 6am from the Derby Conference Centre. Although the course was longer than we calculated, the first riders were in Mablethorpe by 1.15pm and the tail enders had arrived by 4pm.” After a quick shower and change it was off to ‘Tonics Bar’ to rehydrate! Unfortunately, rider Clive Beardsley had to abandon the trip when his bike was involved in a collision with a car. Luckily, he escaped without injury but the bike was left in a crumpled heap. Maria is still calculating the total receipts, but she hopes it will have made well in excess of £2,000. One Melbourne fund-raiser had single-handedly achieved sponsorship of £1,000. The cash will be going towards the charity project to provide a holiday home for families where time together is limited by serious illness. Maria said there were so many people to thank, including Y bcm designs, Anita Marbrow and Sandra Jackson as organisers, Harpurs Coaches, who supplied the bus to return the riders, and scores of helpers, riders and sponsors. And she is looking forward to doing it all again next year. A consumate fund-raiser, she is now working towards “Derby Fashion Day” on November 17.

■ MELBOURNE Civic Society members gathered together for the Autumn litter pick on a miserable Saturday morning in October. A dozen stalwarts, including two visitors from Willington, set off armed with their picking tongues and plastic bags targeting the litter in the hedgerows on the approach roads to Melbourne. The town centre is generally free from litter thanks to the attention it receives from the parish council lengthsman and a few caring residents. Pictured (l-r) are: Brian Budd, Paul Sturges, Barbara Simpson, David Calvert, John Sheppard, Alice Potter, Neil Wright, Gillian Owen, Claire Sturges and Barry Thomas.

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Findern date for choir MELBOURNE Male Voice Choir together with the Derby Acappella Chorus will be appearing at Findern Village Hall on December 7, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets at £5 (including refreshments) are available from Pat (01283-701835). All proceeds are in aid of All Saints' Church, Findern.

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Labour choose Cheryl as Election candidate CHERYL Pidgeon, a lifelong Socialist with a proud working class heritage, has been chosen by the Labour Party to contest the South Derbyshire seat at the next General Election. The hard working mother of four was selected to fight for the seat held by Tory Mrs Heather Wheeler with a 7,128 vote majority. Mrs Pidgeon was a Derbyshire county councillor until this year, when she decided not to contest the Erewash constituency, but she remains a district councillor in Erewash. The 55-year-old Labour candidate, Midlands Regional Secretary for the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT), said: “I feel exceptionally proud and privileged to represent Labour in such a fantastic constituency alongside such a brilliant Labour team! Good people have placed their trust in me and I’m not going to let them down.” Mrs Pidgeon described her selection as ‘the culmination of a lifetime of representing people, business and communities’ and said it gave her a chance ‘to help leave a fairer and more inclusive world for our children’. She pledged that if elected she would fight for her constituents’ interests while campaigning against poverty and for quality jobs, education and transport, a publicly-run NHS and a sustainable environment. Mrs Pidgeon said: “I want to be the voice of South Derbyshire in

Parliament rather than an MP who imposes Parliament on South Derbyshire.” Born in Nottingham, Mrs Pidgeon attended Long Eaton Grammar School and then worked as a direct procurement officer for the Ministry of Defence in Nottingham and as a buyer for Raleigh Industries Ltd and Bell Fruit in the same city. She became Head of Materials Planning, Exporting and Importing at Raleigh before serving as Parliamentary Assistant to Nottingham North Labour MP Graham Allen. She was membership development administrator at the KFAT union, senior organiser and political officer at the GMB union, and the TUC Midlands Regional Secretary before becoming the first woman in the history of UCATT to hold her current post. Cheryl is married to Philip, a 53-year-old civil servant, and is a proud grandmother of two. Mrs Pidgeon’s interests include spending time with her family, music and reading. Selected as a prospective candidate only the weekend before, she quickly showed her commitment to local matters by attending the meeting called to rally support for keeping the Melbourne Fire Station open. She said afterwards: "I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting tonight. I want to pay tribute to the community of Melbourne – great people, great passion, great cause, great community spirit; reminds me of the great spirit of 1945.” – DOB

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BASEDÂ&#x;AT â&#x2014;? The â&#x20AC;&#x153;woollies and welliesâ&#x20AC;? party for Whistlewood Common shareholders was joined by Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive of the National Forest, seen planting a tree.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the common touch WHISTLEWOOD Common Limited, the society set up to create a new kind of community woodland in South Derbyshire, has successfully purchased almost 10 acres of land near Melbourne and has celebrated the occasion. The societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inaugural event â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a â&#x20AC;&#x153;woollies and welliesâ&#x20AC;? party for shareholders â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was held on its new property at the beginning of the month. Whistlewood, a not-for-profit community enterprise, was set up by a small group of volunteers to purchase land on Melbourne Common. The land was last held in community ownership before 1791. The group quickly attracted funds from The National Forest Company, but

still needed to raise a further ÂŁ50,000 to meet the asking price for the land which was on the open market. Within just 16 weeks the group had formed an industrial and provident society â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a type of co-operative â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to hold the land and raised sufficient funds to put in a successful bid for its purchase. The land deal was completed on October 18. Whistlewood now has nearly 150 shareholders drawn from Melbourne and beyond. This diverse group of individuals and community organisations with an interest in resilient and sustainable local enterprise, will determine what happens next.

Six months into the job BACK in May life was about to change significantly for Melbourne County Councillor Linda Chilton. Here she reports on progress on her first six months into the new job. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It went from pounding the streets delivering campaign literature to a whirlwind of meetings and on the job training.â&#x20AC;? Whilst always on the periphery of politics the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;new girl on the blockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; found it a different learning curve. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Politics is all consuming,â&#x20AC;? she reports. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With all honesty, I can say that whilst very tiring at times, it is rewarding in so many

ways. It has been very enlightening meeting many wonderful people who do so much in and for our community and, in some way, this is a way of me putting something back into that community.â&#x20AC;? One of the roles she has is to attend parish council meetings, not only to report on county matters but also to be aware of what is happening locally. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A wealth of information comes from attending these meetings and there are seven parishes, most meeting monthly.â&#x20AC;? Parish councilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; principle role

is to represent the views of their village to other tiers of local government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a distinction between the responsibilities of the district council and county council, whose services need to be co-ordinated on a countywide basis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My role as a conduit between constituents and the county council to help resolve issues has been challenging but when a constituentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gratitude is expressed after resolution of their problem, it makes me feel, I may just be on the right track,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Barnsdale comes to Ticknall TICKNALL Garden Club members were joined by Nick Hamilton, owner of Barnsdale Gardens, Rutland. Barnsdale became well known amongst gardening enthusiasts during the 1980s and 90s when it was the late Geoff Hamilton's BBC Gardeners' World garden. Geoff was a much loved gardening personality with a down-to-earth approach to gardening and a gentle humour. He championed recycling, organic gardening and the use of peat-free alternatives; nearly 25 years later the garden is still run on these organic principles by his son Nick. Nick talked about maintaining the 39 gardens that Geoff created at Barnsdale, each showcasing different themes and ideas with the intention to inspire people to have a go. He recalled what it â&#x2013; A MORNING talk about Peter Bealesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roses presented by Ian Limmer and his wife Tina took place at Melbourne Hall to raise funds for Melbourne Community Care. Ian Limmer has been the Nursery and Production Manager of Peter Beales' Roses Nursery in Norfolk for many years. His talk was interesting and informative and enjoyed by a good turnout of over 50 people. Peter Bealesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roses have won 19 RHS Gold Medals at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show and over 100 more at other flower shows. Ian illustrated his talk with a computer display of photographs. Pictured (l-r) are: Lord Ralph, Griselda Kerr, Ian Limmer, Tina Limmer and Lady Marie-Claire Kerr.

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was like to live on a film set and then how he suddenly became responsible for delivering his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision for Barnsdale, turning the private garden into a public attraction. Nick has created a garden that continues to inspire and inform and has a clear concept of real gardening; a passion for gardening is clearly in his genes! Members were able to take a piece of Barnsdale home as Nick had brought along a selection of plants for sale from the Barnsdale Nursery. The November meeting of the Ticknall Garden Club is a ticketed event and is already sold out. Helen Yemm, The Telegraph gardening columnist, is the featured guest. For future meetings, please join us at Ticknall Village Hall, second Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm.

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■ EILEEN Sutcliffe has served the Weston on Trent C of E Aided Primary School for more than 23 years and retired on October 25. She received special thanks, gifts and a long service award at a retirement presentation. Pictured (l-r) are: Jo Mathews (administrator), Judith Willers (assistant head), Spencer Johnson (Year 4), Helen Salih (headteacher), Eileen Sutcliffe and Chris Scott (teaching assistant).

ANYONE wanting to get into the festive spirit will be able to do so at the Ticknall Church Christmas bazaar next month. The event is being held in Ticknall Village Hall between 10.30am and 12.30pm. Visitors will be able to browse a variety of stalls, plus amusements and food in the form of hot turkey and stuffing in homemade rolls, tea, coffee and cakes. Ticknall’s St George’s Church is also holding its Christmas tree festival over the same weekend – December 7 and 8 – between 10am and 5pm.

An upbeat Inspector A LEADERSHIP reorganisation in Derbyshire Constabulary has given Inspector Nigel Lidsey the opportunity to take charge in a locality he knows very well. Having replaced Inspector Paul Cannon, Nigel says his job is about continuity, making sure that the police provide a good service, and about finding ways to improve further. Nigel has very strong connections with the area. He grew up in Aston on Trent, and his father, Roy Lidsey, ran a garden centre in Kings Newton adjacent to the Hardinge Arms. Roy, who sadly died last year, will be well known in the area as a former president of the Rotary Club and supplier of flowers to prestigious customers, including 10 Downing Street. After joining the force as a ‘Special’ Nigel became a PC in 1985, being promoted to Sergeant in 1994 and to Inspector five years ago. He has an extensive knowledge of many parts of the county and, until re-

cently, played a major role in training new officers. He was delighted to be selected for the role, as it will give him “the chance to shape policing to the needs of the community and, within available resources, meet the expectations of the public” in a part of Derbyshire he knows and loves. From a policing perspective it is a relatively quiet area and he was pleased to report that crime was significantly down (by 32%) overall from last year. Anti-social behaviour had seen a distinct improvement, as had vehicle crime and “other stealing”. Of concern was a small rise in shoplifting and domestic burglary – mainly due, he thought, to the national trend of burglary to steal cars from driveways. He encouraged homeowners to use the garage. “The area also has a great team of officers,” he said “and the results of the Safer Neighbourhood initiative are in no small way down to the motivation and excellence of Sgt Todd and his team. There is a clear correlation between the success of the Safer

Neighbourhood scheme and crime reduction” so he wished to encourage local people to engage with it. “To be effective we rely on people working closely with us,” and people should never feel reporting an incident or something suspicious is not worthwhile. The challenge, he outlined, is to improve service within an increasingly tight budget. He had some ideas on achieving a better balance of reactive versus preventative policing and some of the early changes he had introduced were delivering a quicker response time in some of the more remote parts of the 300 square miles patch. “Our force is committed to providing high quality policing to everybody in Derbyshire; we wish to work with the community to ensure that we do everything we can to tackle and reduce crime, and, if you are unfortunate enough to be the victim of a crime, we will have a contract of service to outline what you should expect from us,” he said. – FH

Village Voice November 2013 17

Man with an eye on the past – and future JOHN SHIELDS has a deep association with the history of the local area. He also has a keen sense of responsibility in safeguarding the future. John has been running the Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel since 1984 and has seen it expand from a small four-bedroom guest house to a 20-bed hotel with some 20 staff engaged in its upkeep. The farmhouse has a fascinating history, unfamiliar to the many passing travellers. The road outside – Melbourne Road – was called the Redway , either because it was a common route to and from the reed beds on the River Trent, or because of the colour from the red mudstone soil seeping from the nearby fields. The farm was part of the Donington Estate owned by the Hastings family, and Wilson Lodge, now adjoining the hotel, was an arched gatehouse. Travellers bound for the estate would stop atop of Walton Hill (the A453) where a bell pull rang in the gatehouse, giving the gatekeeper enough time to put on his boots and open up. John’s great grandfather became farm bailiff in 1882 and was soon promoted to run the whole estate. Following the death of Lord Donington, he was able to purchase the Breedon Quarries in 1920 and the remainder of the estate a few years later, beginning a Shields family connection to the area now into its second century. John was born in former Tanganyika, East Africa, where his father was involved in groundnut oil schemes, but they resumed life in Donington after the Army had returned the estate to them in 1955. It had been requisitioned as a vehicle depot, and was abandoned with many vehicles dumped in the deer park. After studying philosophy at university he went on to jobs as a dolphin trainer and then as manager at Dudley Zoo before running the Priest House as a business for 12 years from 1975, turning it from a restaurant into a country inn with 14 bedrooms.

In 30 years (almost) running the Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel he has retained many of the original features of the historic buildings as they have been modernised and extended – the threshing barn is almost entirely original, and the old pigsties are now a cosy dining area. It is a hugely popular wedding venue, being fully licensed for ceremonies, with a record 120 having taken place there in a year. John is fully committed to stewardship of the countryside which surrounds the hotel. The Deer Park, which he describes as his hobby, has wild fallow and red deer roaming freely across it, and many surviving ancient oak trees up to 900 years old. Accompanying John on one of his walking tours across the park is one of the local top 10 ‘must do’ activities. Sustainability and green credentials are uppermost in planning for the future. He proudly said: “We have just installed a biomass boiler using wood from our own estate, and we are now totally self sufficient.” The hotel won the North West Leicestershire “Green Footprints” award in 2013 as the greenest business in the area. John is totally committed to maintaining the business as family run, with wife Linda, and his two grown-up children; he strongly believes that businesses bring more to communities when they have family values at heart and a sense of responsibility for their employees. A well known character in both Donington and Melbourne, having been a parish councillor for 22 years in Castle Donington, he is a founder member and patron of the Treetops Hospice. The popular “Off the Tracks” Festival he hosts at the hotel is now into its 25th year. And – not a lot of people know this – he has several Lord of the Manor titles to his name. – FH

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18 Village Voice November 2013

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PCSO Emma Guest, from Melbourne Safer Neighbourhood Team, visited a group in Barrow-on-Trent as part of the annual national personal safety awareness day. The visit featured tips on how people can protect themselves from crime when out and about. The talk, which took place at the Brookfield Club, also featured Paul Smith, from Derbyshire County Council’s Trading Standards department. He spoke about various issues including advice on how to deal with door step sellers, rogue traders, distraction burglary techniques and nuisance phone calls. He also gave information on the Trust a Trader Scheme with which he has direct involvement. PCSO Guest said: “The national personal safety day is all about giving people useful information and advice about how they can protect themselves from criminals and stay safe at home and when out and about in public. The reaction we had on the day was fantastic and the wide range of topics we spoke about will hopefully give people a better understanding of crime prevention.”

● BARROW on Trent residents (seated) are pictured with PCSO Emma Guest and Paul Smith.

Church work proves an award winner

DERBYSHIRE-based renewable energy business, Mainline Energy Solutions, was awarded the Best Community Installation at the inaugural Solar Power Portal Awards 2013 for the work completed on Melbourne Parish Church, a Grade 1 listed building. The project was the first of its kind for Derbyshire and one of the first in the UK. The system was installed on the south aisle and south nave roofs and frees the church from everincreasing energy bills without compromising the beauty and heritage of the building itself. Mainline worked alongside the parochial church council (PCC) and the Melbourne Area Transition group to achieve both planning permission and diocesan approval to install a solar PV system. There were 11 award categories judged by a

panel of industry experts and leaders from the solar and renewable energy sectors and the wider business world. Judges said: "The Melbourne Parish Church of St Michael represented a fantastic project. “From access challenges, protecting precious artefacts to engaging a specialist stonemason and corralling various stakeholders in to agreeing a project that was, on many levels very complicated.” Commenting on the news of Mainline Energy Solutions Award, the Revd Mark Powell said: “We have been very pleased with the installation and the results for the church. “Since it became operational in November 2011 until September 2013, we have sold back to the national grid, £6,058. We are also delighted to be making a contribution to the environment.”

Village Voice November 2013 19

Stamp & Deliver time again STAMP & DELIVER, the charity Christmas card postal service, will be operating again in time for Christmas 2013. This is a landmark year as the scheme sets out to raise the second million pounds for charity from the sale of specially printed stamps. This year has also seen a move to provide self-adhesive stamps. In December 2012 the sale of stamps took the total sales value to £1million for nominated charities plus vital income for all of the Scout and Guide groups who have been involved in the organisation and running of Stamp & Deliver over the past 31 years. Next month Scout and Guide groups in Derby and some of the surrounding areas will be delivering Christmas cards in envelopes bearing the

specially printed 25p stamps, which have been posted in the distinctive yellow boxes sited within each sales point. Without the generous help of the owners or organisers of these sales points, set up during November each year in their shops, businesses, churches, pubs and clubs, Stamp & Deliver could not continue to raise the much-needed funds for Scouting/Guiding and all the charities it supports. This year the chosen charities are: The Children’s Air Ambulance and Cardiac Risk in the Young. The first collection will be on Monday, December 2, and the last on Monday, December 16, for delivery by December 24.

Walkers welcome up and running THE Melbourne Walkers are Welcome Town celebration launch took place at the Senior Citizens’ Community Centre. The two planned walks were rather washed out by the appalling weather over the weekend. The official presentation of the award was made by Mrs Ann Hood, chair of South Derbyshire District Council, to Professor Paul Sturges representing the Melbourne Footpaths Group. Other guests included Dr Sophie Churchill (CEO of the National Forest Company), Jane Carroll (Melbourne Parish Council), William Wright (Western Power), John Harrison (district councillor), Linda Chilton (county councillor), Lord Ralph Kerr, John Blunt, Clare Bampton (Promote Melbourne), David Jenkin-

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20 Village Voice November 2013

Lunch club launched

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A NEW monthly lunch club has been launched for residents of Milton and beyond. The club has been set up by Lyn Hyatt and three of her friends from Milton. The target clients for the club are mature people who perhaps do not enjoy an active social life and may in fact be living alone. At the first lunch, the event attracted 18 people from Milton, Willington and Newhall. The organisers will fetch people if they are unable to obtain transport to Milton. Those attending for lunch will receive a hot meal and a pudding at a cost of £5 per person at Milton Village Hall. Contact Lyn Hyatt to book a place on 01283 704540 or Sue on 01283 701978.

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Night out at the Inn

THE wedding of Claire Caulton, daughter of John and Sheila Caulton of Melbourne, and Thomas Donnachie, son of David and Beverley Donnachie, took place at Staunton Harold Hall. The couple, who met at Chellaston School, will reside in Shardlow and take a honeymoon in Saint Kitts in the West Indies later this year, as a result of Thomas's prize-winning effort on a British Airways flight simulator.

MEMBERS of Breedon on the Hill WI enjoyed a night out at the local Holly Bush Inn, for their combined AGM and September meeting. The tempting aromas of awaiting homemade steak and ale pie encouraged a swift but businesslike meeting. Retiring after five years, Jo Yates was congratulated and thanked for her hard work as president and Diana Wilkins was welcomed into the role. New committee member, Hazel Shearer will take on the role of treasurer.

Village Voice Postbag I WOULD like to say a big thank you to all who supported the Breedon-on-the-Hill Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday, Sepember 27, at Breedon Hall. It was a great success and much enjoyed by everyone who attended. We raised £1,150, which is a terrific result, and I am so grateful to all who

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came, gave donations, made cakes and bought raffle tickets for this important charity so that it may continue to research and care for those affected by cancer. With my personal thanks and those of the Breedon Coffee Ladies. Roddy Lott

Village Voice November 2013 21

Robinsons on crest of a charity wave JOHN and Yvonne Robinson are back from their sailing adventure around the coast of Britain, having covered 2,600 nautical miles (3,000 land miles). They made 88 stops along the way and have raised an amazing £4,000 for their nominated charity. Skipper John said it was “ a great trip – sometimes getting round the headlands at the ‘corners’ of the country were a bit of a challenge in view of the strong tides, and it is no wonder that Britain has produced so many top round the world sailors”. Among the highlights of the trip were the Cornish and Pembroke coasts, the Scottish islands, the Orkneys with wonderful prehistoric civilisation, the Northumberland coast and the beauty of the East Anglian rivers. Sailing up the Thames to Tower Bridge was also an unforgettable experience. They were also able to take some time off sailing to visit the Titanic Exhibition in Belfast, and the Edinburgh Festival. John said they had seen so much wildlife you would not see otherwise, including 80 species of birds, puffins, whales, dolphins and seals. The money they have raised through sponsorship will go to SUDEP Action (formerly called Epilepsy Bereaved). As a result of the generosity of sponsors and the Melbourne

community they are able to fund the next stage of the Epilepsy Deaths Register which records the circumstances surrounding epilepsy deaths to assist research and hopefully produce a cure. They wish to thank all donors, and in particular Wayne

Spiers and Alive ‘n Klippin for organising collections, and of course the local sailing club at Staunton Harold. After four months at sea the Melbourne couple are now getting their land legs back and contemplating their next adventure.

Six of the best for poet John JOHN Hyde, one of the founder members of the Melbourne Male Voice Choir, is bringing out the sixth in a series of small poetry books which he sells on behalf of the choir. John, who lived in Melbourne from 1964-1980, started writing poetry during his time at Melbourne Engineering. He also wrote gags for radio’s ‘Huddlines’ and provided material for the Grumbleweeds. His proudest writing moment, however, was when the late Ronnie Barker performed John’s monologue ‘The Commissionaire’ on ‘The Two Ronnies. It has now been shown three times on TV, including ‘The Best of the Two Ronnies’ of that year. John remembers: “I’d no idea it was going to be used or when it was to appear. Oddly enough, it had been turned down by the script department and I then sent it to Ronnie himself. “He wrote to me saying he would put it forward to the producer. I’d written it solely with him in

mind and he obviously saw its possibilities. So, when I was watching their Christmas show that year and first saw it, I nearly collapsed! “Even more remarkable, it appeared in a thick book of scripts claiming to have been written by Ronnie and entitled ‘All I Ever Wrote’ – except that he didn’t write that particular one. I took it up and couldn’t believe it when Ronnie himself phoned one evening to apologise for the mix-up. Talk about Surprise, Surprise!” The new book ‘Di-verse-ify’ is John’s usual mixture of the silly and the serious and contains 36 pieces of his work including a sequel to the famous Stanley Holloway monologues about Albert Ramsbottom. The front cover to the book features a painting of Church Street in Melbourne and the Blue Bell Inn by local artist and choir member Ron Kenning. It will be on sale at the choir’s Christmas concert on Saturday, November 30, in the Assembly Rooms.

Author’s turn for the verse ASTON on Trent resident John Holloway is launching his first poetry book for young children, ‘Funny, Sad and Downright Bonkers’. Aimed at young children of primary school age, the book contains 23 illustrated and original poems designed to encourage children to share his madcap world of fierce pirates, aliens, strange pets and revolting recipes; along with others of a more thought-provoking nature. “I wanted to write a book,” said John, “that children could read on their own but also share

with others. “I love the idea of a family or friends sitting down to read and using their imagination to bring a world of simple poems and pictures to life. “The poems include humorous ones plus some with a little deeper meaning. “Children should be encouraged to think about the world around them and perhaps be stimulated to write their own verses.” ‘Funny, Sad and Downright Bonkers’ is available to purchase from Aston on Trent Post Office.

Variety of Stalls

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Family Friendly Activities Children’s Fancy Dress Competition with Prizes Santa’s Grotto - Open from 5.30pm in Wesley Hall (Proceeds to Melbourne Infant School PA & Melbourne Junior School PTA) Activities for Children in Wesley Hall Children’s Fairground Rides

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Light Switch on at 6pm Promote Melbourne would like to thank all of the individuals, local organisations, business & public sector supporters who make the event possible. To volunteer to support the event please contact Clare Bampton on 07852 824 295 / 01332 865 452 clare@bamptoncommunications.co.uk A Parish Council event, organised by Promote Melbourne with support from South Derbyshire District Council

22 Village Voice November 2013

Top chef competition

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ASPIRING young cooks, aged between 11 and 17, from Melbourne and the surrounding villages, are invited to take part in Melbourne’s “Best Young Chef” competition. There will be a cash prize of £50 and a certificate for the winner of the competition, which is run by the Rotary Club of Melbourne, and will be held during November and December. The winner will also be invited to represent Melbourne in the Rotary District competition, to be held at Kirkby in Ashfield in February. The challenge is to provide a threecourse meal for two people, and judging will be in the hands of some of the best commercial chefs in the area. Entry is free of charge, and applications should be made to either of the local organisers, Margaret Sharp (telephone 862471) or Kate Dumelow (862666) no later than November 20. They will provide full details of the competition.

● THE ever popular Fine Food Fair took place at the National Trust's Calke Abbey Riding School. Visitors were invited to taste and buy from a delicious line-up of locally grown, raised, baked and caught delicacies – all sourced within a 30 minute radius of the

Calke estate. The Calke Abbey chefs also cooked up some tasty dishes with the freshest local ingredients for visitors to try. Pictured is Laura Fortey of Fortey's Fudge tempting some smiling customers with her delights.

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Revd. JANE BARRON (1953 – 2013) JANE came to Melbourne two years ago, having ministered previously for 12 years in the Goyt Valley Pastorate, comprising three United Reformed churches, Marple, Marple Bridge and New Mills. She was born and brought up in a family of Congregationalists with both parents in leadership positions in their local church, Parrs Wood Road Congregational Church, Didsbury, Manchester, which became a United Reformed Church in 1972. She was the youngest church member and deacon in the history of that church and was later ordained as an elder in the URC, serving in that capacity for 20 years. Educated at Fallowfield C of E High School, Manchester, Jane went on to the Birmingham School of Speech and Ther-

apy (affiliated to Birmingham University) where she gained her professional qualifications as a speech and language therapist, after which she worked for the NHS at Withington Hospital for 24 years. the last seven years of which she specialised in work in the area of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

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When Jane made her significant career move it was not in order to change her occupation or take up another profession. It was to respond to her sense of vocation. She felt God calling her to serve as a minister in the United Reformed Church. After training at Northern College Manchester, where she gained an Honours Degree, she was ordained into the Christian Ministry in July 1999. In 2003 she returned to the college, on a part time basis, as a tutor in speech and communication skills. Jane held a very strong belief that she had been called by God to minister in Melbourne and, since her arrival in October 2011, had made a great impression in the church and community. Her strengths lay in the leading of worship, particularly in prayers and preaching, in communicating by the written

word – this was emphasised in her magazine letters during her illness – and in her pastoral care. Her life reflected God’s love for others as she gave herself unstintingly in the service of all and in caring for anyone in need. Jane’s great Christian faith was an inspiration and encouragement to all who met her, and the courage and fortitude she showed during her illness is something we shall never forget. Jane leaves a husband Nigel, three children Emma, Simon and Amy, four grandchildren Michael, Jack, Brooke and Poppy, her parents and her sister Jill. A Service of Thanksgiving for Jane’s life will be held at the Melbourne United Reformed Church on Sunday, November 24, at 3.30pm, to which everyone is invited. – M Loydall

SIMON JEFFERY COLLINS 1968 - 2013 SIMON Collins was born in Derby on May 25, 1968. He was blessed with three young daughters, Lauren, Victoria and Abigail, and was also a granddad to Evelyn. Just recently he had met his partner, Jenny, with whom he had become very close. Simon was a well-known figure within the community, some through his work in the ‘Spar Shop’ and others through his local, The Lamb Inn, where he was captain of their pool team and would be found frequently enjoying his favourite tipple of JD and Coke. He was a very devoted dad to all his daughters. In all weathers he would be stood on the side-line, as a linesman supporting his daughters who, at the time were in the local football team. He was also a keen Derby County supporter who would take great pleasure in telling anyone who would listen if they had won that day. In quieter moments memories may be of Simon sitting in front of the TV watching programmes such as Red Dwarf, Star Trek, Moto GP, Formula One and Top Gear. Many people who knew Simon will know that nothing was ever too much for him. He was regularly being asked for favours, help and advice which he would always give without hesitation, more often than not putting himself second. The untimely passing of Simon has shocked and hurt many. Everyone seemed to have a story to tell involving Simon but all memories will end with ‘He was one of the good guys’. Simon’s funeral took place at Loughborough Crematorium and was attended by a great many family and friends who shed a tear and celebrated his life at Melbourne British Legion, as he would have liked. A memorial night took place at the Lamb Inn on October 18 with all proceeds, in excess of £2,000, to be donated to the British Heart Foundation.

Village Voice November 2013 23

Smart Alex is a man for all seasons ...

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by DAVID BELLIS ALEX SLATER is a rarity. For all his adult life he has been a leading Melbourne sportsman – footballer, cricketer, tennis player – as well as being a leading businessman in an iconic local business. In addition he has been an excellent reporter for the Village Voice on matters sporting. He is a Melbourne man through and through, and was honoured this year by the Derbyshire County Cricket League as one of the six players of the year. He was pictured with his grandfather and his mother in the 2013 county handbook. The three of them together run the Welcome Cafe, a Melbourne institution, patronised by many Melbournians. In being pictured, in his baker's work clothes, he shows that he has loyalty to his family business, one which is now a 60-year firm fixture in the town, and which he expects to carry on. He learned his skills as a baker from grandfather Sid, and the cakes and the rolls and the bread have a very loyal clientele. The traditional lunches are a Melbourne marvel, and seats are filled every day by grateful locals. Alex told me: “"I did want to become a PE teacher when I was in school, but the business needed a young man, and I needed to continue the work of my granddad, who is such an unbelievable man.” Apart from an NVQ in catering, he has learned all he knows from his granddad and from his mother. The loyalty to his family business is mirrored by his loyalty to his friends. He plainly relishes the camaraderie of sport – a game with mates, a few drinks afterwards, and the light-hearted banter of trusted friends. The "togetherness of sport", as he calls it, is very important to him. Alex admits he could have played in higher grades of football, and did in fact join Gresley Rovers, as a semi pro. But he missed his friends, and did not take kindly to the enforced training. "Well, I played twice, sometimes three times each weekend, so I saw little point in training, as I was already fit.” Similarly, in cricket. The citation in the League handbook says: ”There is no doubt he had and still has the ability to play at a higher level. That he chose to stay at Melbourne is a testament to the man.” Alex is also a great footballer. He calculates he has scored over 1,000 goals, starting when he played at 17 with Brown and Sharp 24 years ago, and later playing for the Melbourne Dynamoes. He still plays once a week, on a Sunday morning with Ticknall Rangers, with many of his old mates. He started playing cricket at 13 and reckons he has racked up more than 13,000 runs with 14 centuries – as well as taking over 600 wickets. A truly remarkable record. But his service to sport is not solely as a great performer. He is an organiser, an arranger, in fact, as local cricket author Andy Heafield has said "think of any job in a cricket club, he has done it – secretary, fixtures, coaching, sponsorship, teas, recruitment. “It is hard to imagine where Melbourne cricket would be without him.” The same could doubtless be true for his contribution to Melbourne football. Alex is still a very fit man, up at his bakery at 5.30am, an

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aware businessman, who understands his customers and gives them what they want and what they expect, which has to be the secret of any successful business. As for his contribution to the Village Voice, his copy is always on time, and always accurate of facts, as well as being an invaluable record of Melbourne's sporting successes over the last 20 years. With Heather, his partner, he has a son George, who is three. Alex is now officially engaged, so it will be a really important sporting wedding. Match of the year, you could say.

There’S A loT going on

COPIES of the most current free South Derbyshire What’s On guide can be viewed at www.south-derbys.gov.uk or picked up at Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre, in West Street. Here are just three of the activities identified in the guide: Saturday, December 7, 10.30am–noon Melbourne Civic Society annual Christmas coffee

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morning and photographic exhibition in the Thomas Cook Memorial Hall. Thursday, December 12, 7.15pm Swadlincote Odeon cinema. Beamed by satellite from The Royal Opera House, The Royal Ballet – The Nutcracker live. Sunday, December 15, 4-7pm, Handel’s Messiah sung by Derby Bach Choir at Calke Abbey in the Riding School.

Area forum set for Shardlow THE next forum meeting for Area 3 Melbourne and surrounding villages is scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, to be held at Shardlow Village Hall. It will start at 6.15pm.

Please send us your message together with payment for £20.40 no later than 29th November to… Village Voice, Highfields, Sleepy Lane, Kings Newton, Derbyshire DE73 8BU ACTUAL SIZE - MAX 40 WORDS

THE SMITH FAMILY would like to send Christmas Greetings to all their family and friends and to wish them all a Happy New Year

24 Village Voice November 2013

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TREVOR MARKS GARDENING SERVICES Too busy or unable to do the Gardening? Then maybe Trevor can help! Grass Cutting - Hedge Cutting - Weeding - Pruning Block Paving - Turfing - Fencing - Patios For a regular, reliable Service by a local person at a competitive price call

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Village Voice November 2013 25

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26 Village Voice November 2013

Flying start for the Swifts THE newly formed Melbourne Swifts Table Tennis Club had a great start to its inaugural season in the Derby and District Table Tennis League, with a win for both teams. Melbourne 1sts, playing in Division 2, beat Rolls-Royce 4th 6-4. Sandra Hewitt won all three of her matches, Carl Jackson won two, and Nigel Webster won one. Carl had a particularly good game as it is over 10 years since he played competitive table tennis. Melbourne 2nds are all new to league play and are to be commended by beating Rolls-Royce 8th 6-4 in Division 4. Simon Croft had a great evening, winning all three of his matches and partnering Stuart Uprichard to a win in the doubles. Stuart also won two of his singles matches, and Alan Saywell battled hard but lost his three. Club coach Mike Starkie said that whilst there

is a long season ahead, both teams had started extremely well. Table tennis coaching and practice sessions are held every Tuesday night at the Assembly Rooms in Melbourne. Juniors are from 5.30 to 6.30pm and seniors from 6.30 onwards. All standards of player are welcome from beginners to international players! Juniors pay £1 per session and seniors £2, so it is not an expensive game to take up. If you fancy it, go along and try it out. It is hoped to start over 60s classes in the Senior Citizens’ Centre one morning a week. Table tennis is a useful way of staying fit without too much exertion, and can be played by people with less mobility and some physical disabilities. If anyone is interested in playing, contact Mike on 01332 862060.

End of season awards

✬ SOME OF THE WINNERS - Melbourne Cricket Club held its end of season awards night when the following received trophies:

Swarkestone cricketers celebrate AN end of season match was played between a Swarkestone XI and a Derbyshire County Cricket Club XI. The Derbyshire XI included Chris Grant who is chairman of the county club, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tom Poynton, Ben Slater, Paul Borr,ington, David Wainwright, Alex Hughes, Tom Knight, Peter Burgoyne and Jamie Pipe. Due to the inclement weather, the match was shortened to 15 overs a side. Swarkestone amassed 175 runs for five wickets in their overs with Lancashire CCC player Wayne White, who was a junior player at Swarkestone, scoring 54 with five sixes, Harry White 28 and Tom Hamilton 26.

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The Derbyshire side opened with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the world number two ranked Test batsman, and Chris Grant. As conditions worsened Derbyshire closed on 133 for 7 with Chanderpaul scoring 64 including five sixes. Swarkestone won the game by 42 runs. All those present were grateful to the Derbyshire players who gave their time to support Swarkestone Cricket Club in the naming of their pavilion.

MELBOURNE COMMUNITY CARE JOHN SMITH (MELBOURNE) LTD SHOPPING TRIPS/SOCIAL OUTINGS MINIBUS TIMETABLE – NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2013 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 (answering machine when office is closed). All journeys subject to number of booked passengers, minimum number required is 8, max 12 • 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

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Naomi Fry BDS & Associates, Helen Baker BDS ● Family Dental Care using latest techniques and materials ● Friendly and caring service ● Cosmetic Dentistry including tooth whitening Naomi Fry accepts child orthodontic patients on the N.H.S.

Castle Street, Melbourne, Derbyshire Telephone 01332 862942

Melbourne Town 1st XL Batting - Lee Tallis, Bowler - Mick Meakin, All rounder - Matt Briers, Fielder - Mark Rossi. Most Improved - Ben Newton. Players Player - Matt Briers, Highest Score - Lee Tallis 137* vs Mickleover, Best bowling - Matt Briers 8-17 vs Elvaston. Melbourne Town 2nd XL - Batting - Andy Stanley, Bowling Jason Lander, All rounder - Julian Humpidge, Fielder - Joe Storrar, Most Improved - Dan Marshall, Players Player - Marc Towell, Highest score - Simon Fletcher 77* vs Etwall Best bowling - Marc Towell 5-33 vs Ticknall. Melbourne Town 3rd XL Batting - Paul Scrimshaw, Bowling Paul Scrimshaw, All rounder - Vinny Hallifield, Fielder - Jack Slater, Most Improved - Ashley Ellwell, Players Player - James Hogwood, Highest score - Paul Scrimshaw 87*vs Castle Donington, Best Bowling - Paul Scrimshaw 4-59 vs Yoxhall.

Councillor Linda Chilton, Councillor John Harrison and Councillor Jim Hewlett

ADVICE SURGERIES

at Melbourne Assembly Rooms - 11 am to 12 noon Saturday 7th December Saturday 4th January Saturday 1st February Saturday 1st March “Listening to Local People”

COAL & SMOKELESS FUEL MERCHANTS Prompt delivery to all local areas Competitive Prices Pre-Packed Cash & Carry Sales from The Yard Also Logs and Kindling The Common, Melbourne, Derby DE73 8HU

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Lomas Opticians Local, professional care by GOC registered Opticians Mr. M. S. Lomas BSc MSc MBCO Mrs. J. Lomas FBDO

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❱Home visits for the housebound in Melbourne 19 9 3 - 2 013 ❱Private and NHS examinations ❱Free tests and specs for pre-school to teens Opening Times: ❱Budget, fashion, designer frames Monday, Tuesday, ❱Sunspecs, sportswear, safety specs Thursday & Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm ❱Over 300 styles to view Saturday ❱Comprehensive lens choice dispensed by qualified opticians 9.00am - 12.30pm ❱Specialist low vision aids and magnifiers Closed Wednesday

1 Chapel Street, Melbourne, Derbyshire Telephone: 01332 865021

Village Voice November 2013 27

Green army marches all over Melton for a storming success MELBOURNE RFC’s first home league game was against Melton Mowbray. The visitors started the game with a clear tactic to kick towards one of the older looking members of the green army but shortly realised this was a huge mistake. After a couple of standard hand offs and tackle busts, Will Judge found himself making more yards than ever and completed his excellent start by popping to Watts, who finished the job off and ran under the posts for a try in the first minute. It was converted by Euan Holden. The restart ended in a similar way. After a good take from the forwards, Keir Biggins ran over a couple of shoddy tackle attempts before delivering the pass of the season so far to Tommy Howard, who did the rest to put the green army two tries up in five minutes. Again converted by Holden, it made the score 14-0. A solid scrum from a big Melton front row ended in a penalty try which was converted for 14-7. More penalties, march backs and yellow cards were dished out Melbourne’s way and Melton’s kicker racked up his three-point count for the season by hitting three out of five. Melbourne managed to grab a penalty back and the half ended 17-16. The half-time chat was dominated by the need to rectify the shocking discipline showed in the first half and, to everyone’s relief, Melbourne started to play rugby again. Phase after phase of fast paced rugby left a four on one in Melbourne’s favour and the hopeless Melton defender deliberately knocked it on and it was Melton’s time to be down to 14. More pressure from the green machine dragged the Melton defence side to side until

■ THREE Melbourne brothers – Matthew, Dan and Jacob Walker – created a little bit of family history when they all turned out for the same Melbourne Rugby Club 2nd XV. Matt has been out of the game for 10 years and has returned this season and played as a winger. Dan, a front row man, normally plays for the 1st XV but joined Jake, another front row man and regular in the Seconds and Matt. Another bonus was a win, 3814, in the Pennant game at home to Nottinghamians.

Snow sliced his way through a tiny gap to go over for his first Melbourne try. The conversion made 24-16. Melbourne were now focused on the bonus point and it didn’t take long to come. After a penalty took Melbourne’s lead to 27-16, excellent organisation and patience saw them make their way towards the line. After a few close attempts Fisher went over in the corner (conversion missed) for 32-16. Melton’s restart headed towards Mike Lowery but bounced back off his massive shoulder (pads). Luckily this was gathered up by the forwards and booted downfield. The cruel bounce of the ball resulted in Rob Foster being able to execute the volley, reading the bounce exquisitely to touch down for the last try of the game, which ended 37-16. The 1st XV then travelled to Notts Casuals and Melbourne used their excellent performance against Melton to spur them on. Melbourne's

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packs started off strong, taking the ball into contact, recycling well and giving Page options. Some excellent work by Will Judge and Kier Biggins meant Melbourne were consistently getting over the gainline. The pack showed great patience even when they had breached Casuals 22. This paid off when some 'pick and goes' from the forwards allowed the ball to work down the backs to Theo De Vies, who showed he had benefited from multiple two on one work in training, releasing Tommy Howard to race into the corner. It was 5-0 – and the only score of the half. A strong counter ruck from Casuals saw Morris suffer a serious ankle injury. This meant that a back needed to become a forward and, with Rob Foster meeting the required neck measurements of a prop, he was welcomed into the forwards with open arms. Hollis was moved to the wing and Jack Fisher came into the centre.

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Melbourne started to turn pressure into points when some great forward work from Jake Watts and Mike Lowery meant that the ball could be sent to Fisher, who floated a pass out wide for Hollis to step inside the covering defender and score. Euan Holden converted for 12-0. The rest of the half was played in the Casuals’ 22 once again. The final score came from a line break by Watts, who when tackled popped up to Hollis to score for a win of 17-0. The last league game of the month saw Oakham arrive at Cockshut Lane. Played in a stiff breeze, Melbourne competed well, but again came up short, losing 17-16 to a last minute penalty. Tommy Howard scored a fine solo try and Euan Holden kicked 11 points. THE Seconds took a strong side to West Bridgford, but came away with a 46-32 defeat in an entertaining game. Tries came from Kurtis Robinson (3), Matt Smith and Jake Oxspring, with seven points from the boot of Chris Fulton. Next up was a trip to play local rivals Castle Donington 1st XV and a strong performance resulted in a 14-10 victory. The next Pennant game was a home game against Nottinghamians. Another strong performance resulted in a 38-14 win with tries from Chris Williams, Jack Pearce (2), Dean Sylvester, Will Butler and Alex Lloyd with Chris Fulton converting four. Finally a mixed side went to Long Eaton 2nds coming away with a 35-12 win, thanks to tries from Jack Pearce (2), Matt Walker, Alex Dawson, Pete Ilott, Tom Line and Joe Thompson. Match Ball sponsors this month were National Forest Spring Water and The Lamb Inn.

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28 Village Voice November 2013

Dynamic Dave hits four in 7-0 rout

SPORT

● Melbourne Dynamoes Reserves: (back row l-r) Ben Stanley, Jack Goodband, Jack Stanley, Ben Dale, Ben Newton, Shaun Hayes, Adam Dolman, Dan Stanley and Adam Fox. Front row Tom Colclough, Connor Betteridge, Greg Salisbury (manager), Vinny Hallifield (capt), Eddie Dale (assistant manager), Dominic Saneria and Ryan Monk.

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MELBOURNE Dynamoes have continued their superb start to the 2013/14 season, remaining unbeaten and moving up to third in the league and through to the next round of the Derbyshire Cup. They began October with an emphatic 7-0 home win against Cromford with leading scorer Dave Brough showing the way with four goals aided by strikes by Micheal Tristram, Matt Brian and Danny Guild. A week later, away to Sandiacre Town a Tristram hat-trick secured the 4-0 win with Brian hitting the other goal. An unbeaten Derby Rolls-Royce were next up at the Grange and a thrilling 3-3 draw was thanks to goals from Dave Worger, Tom Ballard and another for Matt Brain. The aforementioned cup game followed once again away at Sandiacre Town with skipper Carl Allsop getting a brace plus James Jennison and the consistent Matt Brian with the other. Dynamoes first team ended a busy month with a stunning 4-2 away win at high flying Willington with Tristram scoring a double aided by a Ryan Grey free kick and a Carl Allsop header. MELBOURNE Dynamoes Reserves started the month well but fell away towards the end and, in doing so, lost their unbeaten record. They began October with a brilliant Challenge Cup win at home to a strong Rolls-Royce reserve side with Ryan Monk and Ben Stanley getting the all-important goals. The following week, this time in the Derbyshire Cup, Dynamoes Reserves hit Overseal St Matthews for seven with Jack Goodband leading the way with four goals and his strike partner Ryan Monk hitting the other three in their 7-3 win. The reserves’ unbeaten run was ended in style by Newhall United Reserves, who won 5-1. This was then followed a week later when Little Eaton Reserves won 3-1 with Jack Goodband getting the consolation on both occasions. TICKNALL Rangers have struggled at the start of their season in the Burton League division one but recent results have been encouraging. They started with a disappointing 4-1 home defeat to Red Lion Repton in the cup with Vinny Hallifield getting the goal. This was followed by a narrow 3-2 home defeat to Branston Gate with headers from Kevin Earp and Ian Hall getting on the score sheet. Hall was on the mark again the following week along with player-manager Alex Slater but again in vain as once again Ticknall lost 3-2 at home in the final minute to Royal Oak, Newhall. Goals from Jonny Armstrong and Adam Dolman were all Rangers could muster in another defeat, this time to Kings Bromley Swifts going down 4-2. A 6-3 loss in the Presidents Cup at home to Gresley Oak followed with Armstrong, a Craig Hall lob and a stunning volley from Luke Harvey the consolation goals. Ticknall earned their first point a week later with a long range strike from leading goal scorer Ian Hall in a 1-1 draw. They went one better in their final game of the month with a stunning 3-2 home win against Whittington United, Adam Dolman, Luke Harvey and an own goal earning the win.

Floodlit end to the bowls season AS the 2013 season comes to a close Kings Newton Bowls Club members held their final two competitions, the floodlit singles and doubles. The singles was won by Pete Balfour beating Neil Hill in a close fought final. The doubles was won by Barry Woodman and Bob Aldridge beating Terry Summerlin and Bill Bunston. Both competitions were played in wet conditions after torrential rain fell on both evenings. The green soon drained of any standing water and tremendous credit goes to groundsman Norman Widdowson on keeping it up to

a very high standard throughout the summer. The doubles event brought down the curtain on a busy summer of bowls at KNBC and everybody present enjoyed a fish and chip supper. The club members now look forward to the presentation evening in November and a Turkey and Tinsel evening in December before finishing the year on Boxing Day with the annual bowls competition. The club is always looking for new members and anyone considering playing bowls in the 2014 season will be made most welcome.