Melbourne Village Voice November 2018

NEW BAR GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD

by LUCY STEPHENS

MELBOURNE is to get a new bar and restaurant with room for 150 covers

Planning permission has been granted for a £500,000 conversion of a heritage building that was formerly a gym and shoe factory – despite what was described as “grave disquiet” over car parking

At a meeting in Swadlincote on November 6, members of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee spent an hour listening to speakers and debating the proposals to bring The Cobblers’ Arms to the former shoe factory on Derby Road

Councillors decided the new bar would bring vibrancy to Melbourne and would be a good use for an important heritage building

They felt that outweighed concerns over parking –despite the fact the car park over the road from the site, which used to provide five spaces for the old gym, was now in separate ownership and not being offered for users of the new bar

Both Melbourne ward councillors, John Harrison and Jim Hewlett, had supplied statements read out in the meeting expressing disappointment that the car park was not being made available

Cllr Hewlett’s statement said: “While I support the change of use I must mention the grave disquiet among local residents about the extra demand for parking which a restaurant seating 150 at maximum would bring about

“We have already had many incidents of road rage on Derby Road because of parking restricting traffic flow ”

Local resident Matthew Lee spoke at the meeting, presenting multiple objections to the bar, including expressing disbelief that the transport assessment submitted with the application suggested that only four extra car parking spaces would be needed to accommodate a 150-cover restaurant

But, in a meeting of finely balanced arguments, members also heard how the proposal represented an opportunity for an investment of just under half a million pounds to sympathetically convert a heritage building

George Dunnicliff, speaking for the proposal, told the room how the building had been bought by his great grandfather in 1903 for £350, had run as a shoe factory until 1974, was closed for 25 years before re-opening as a gym – a business which changed hands several times

The building had now been shut for two years

He explained that, despite extensive marketing, no other viable schemes had come forward

“We believe we have found a use for the building which future-proofs the building,” he said, adding that the new bar would also create jobs for between 15 and 20 local people

One councillor, Mike Stanton, argued that, while he thought the change of use was for a “super building in a conservation area,” he also felt “Melbourne is choked with traffic”

But Councillor Peter Watson observed that many of the younger generation do not use cars in the same way as in years gone past, instead using taxis for nights out

And Councillor Martyn Ford added that other businesses in the village, such as Amalfi White, had also been given planning permission despite not including provision for car parking and, therefore, it would be unfair to deny permission on that basis

Presenting the case to the room before the debate, planning manager Tony Sylvester said: “If we always made decisions about what happens in Melbourne in buildings such as this, based on how much parking would be generated, I don’t think Melbourne would be the vibrant place it is today ”

One councillor abstained from voting, but all other members voted in favour of the bar

l Janet Collett and Julie Tibbert beside their striking cascade of poppies Cut from red felt with a painted stamen in the centre of each, they were then attached to camouflage netting and displayed on the ruins of the old church in Ticknall Poppy tributes – Page 2

INSIDE STORIES

l Melbourne witnessed the end of an era with the closing of L Ward ironmonger store on Derby Road Owner John Coton (left) finally gave up his post behind the counter Pictures and words on Pages 8-9

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18 HUNTINGDON

Viv’s 7,000 poppies tribute to the fallen

THIS month marks 100 years since the guns fell silent at the close of the First World War, and around the region many people have been marking the occasion with a range of heartfelt projects around the theme of the deeply symbolic red poppy

One of those has been the truly remarkable efforts of Viv Toon, who personally knitted an incredible 7,000 poppies to mark all the men who fell in the Great War from the City of Derby

Viv spent a year knitting and crocheting 20 poppies a day in order to create the display, which was put up at the Intu centre in Derby (pictured above, right) for all to see, and was also due to be shown outside the gates of Derby County Football ground

For Viv, whose relative Frank Green had been a Grenadier Guard in the Second World War and was a resident of Pool Cottage in Melbourne before he died in 2017, the project was a true labour of love

“This has been a lovely thing to be part of,” said Viv, who was taught to knit aged five by her aunt, and has enjoyed doing it ever since “ but it’s been quite an emotional thing to be part of too ”

During Viv’s project, she has also been involved in creating a poppy display at Melbourne Pool

where 4,680 knitted poppies represented fallen Grenadier Guards – as well as a similar project at Chesterfield, where 1,576 poppies represent the fallen from that city She also knitted more poppies to mark 100 years of the RAF

During the year she has also talked to people

from around the area, hearing stories of how their families were affected by the war – including one lady whose grandfather had been killed aged 32 and all his seven children left destitute and forced to go into the workhouse

In Aston-on-Trent, members of the CAMEO group were also busy knitting and crocheting, creating a stunning waterfall of 2,432 poppies (pictured above, left) which has been on show at All Saints’ Church since the start of the well dressing in the summer The Rev’d Tony Luke said: “Everyone who has come to the church has been bowled over by them – the way the light catches them as it comes through the South Window, they look spectacular ”

And in Kings Newton (below), the social group collected old photographs of village people who had been caught up in the Great War to make a special display, along with a further showing of poppies on the war memorial in the village centre – Lucy Stephens

New spa complex given the green light

A LARGE-SCALE proposal to create a new spa at Wilson’s Breedon Priory Gym has been given the green light.

Work, due to start next spring, will involve knocking down Breedon Priory Golf Club House and building six new holiday lodges and a spa, in a project that will create between 30 and 40 jobs

Because of the location of the proposal, right on the border between South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire, the plans had to be put forward to two separate councils, so have been in the pipeline for several months

Breedon Priory Health Club director

Sigourney Gates said: “We are delighted to announce that our planning application to redevelop the decommissioned golf course on Green Lane Wilson into a new spa complex has been granted

“The spa will have a range of experience rooms including a sauna, steam bath, laconium, salt sauna, an

indoor/outdoor pool, outdoor spa bath, feature showers, foot spas and eight treatment rooms There will also be six lodges on what was the eighteenth fairway so that people can stay for spa breaks

“The spa will have a restaurant and cafe that will serve our existing health club members and spa visitors The restaurant will also be open to the general public in the evenings; the location of the restaurant means it will overlook the lake and surrounding countryside, giving a very attractive outlook to diners

“We hope to start construction in the spring and we estimate the work will take between nine and 12 months to complete Once the complex is complete it will create between 30 and 40 jobs

“We believe the project will also significantly boost the local economy as visitors, particularly those who stay in the lodges, are likely to use local shops, pubs and restaurants ”

– Lucy Stephens

Mat’s the way

AN operations manager for a Kings Newton firm has been crowned best rural employee in the Midlands.

Mat Bonner, who is the operations manager for DG Light Haulage, was crowned Rural Employee of the Year at the Midlands regional heats of the Rural Business Awards, held at Eastwood Hall in Nottingham on October 11. Mat said: “I am so honoured to receive the award for Rural Employee of the year Working for DG Light

Haulage over the last three years has been an incredibly rewarding experience I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to David Guilford for nominating me, and for seeing my potential from the first time we met ” Mat will go on to the national final in February

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YOUNG local dancers were dressed in all colours of the rainbow when they took part in the latest show put on by Tindle’s Ballet Tindle’s runs dance classes on Saturday mornings in Melbourne Assembly Rooms, and every 18 months the company puts on a show featuring dancers from this village and from those who attend classes in Hilton

Some 200 young people took to the stage in the latest production, held at Repton School’s theatre Rainbow Brite and the Colour Kids saw children dressing up in different colours as they told the story of how colour was drained from the world by ne-er-do-wells, to be restored by the colour kids

These children were dressed

in beautiful forest green ballet frocks and danced to “Evergreen”, and there were also scarlet-clad children dancing to Red Red Robin, with further dances to many-hued classics such as Yellow Submarine, Pink Cadillac and Purple Rain

Tindle’s owner Sarah Tindle said: “It was a fabulous show, the children really rose to the

occasion They pulled out all the stops and performed very well, and the parents really enjoyed seeing them on a proper stage with theatre lighting ”

If your child is interested in dance lessons, you can book trial sessions through the Tindle’s website

The next Tindle’s show is being put on in early 2020

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n YOU’VE heard of the Calendar Girls – but have you heard Melbourne now has their own version?

Melbourne’s pink miles fund-raiser Dawn Aston and her band of female cancer-fighting warriors are now the stars of a new 2019

Flagging up a change of mind

calendar with the aim of raising more money in the fight back against the disease.

The brave souls have posed for cheeky shots for each month, supporting their friend Dawn, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017

Dawn has also been walking 2018 miles this year as part of her fund-raising efforts for both breast and prostate cancer charities

The calendar is on sale in various local businesses: Melbourne News, Cuts 4 All, Forteys, Eighty Seven, Tori & Ben’s, and Shop and Scoff in Ticknall, as well as the doctor ’s surgery and the Post Office.

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STARTERS

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Cornish crab cakes

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THE

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The Malt’s turkey escalope

Homemade chicken & leek pie

Duck, port and wild mushroom pudding

Sea bass fillet with a light curried mussel sauce

Portobello mushroom, spinach and cranberry wellington

DESSERTS

Traditional figgy pudding

Homemade lemon tart

Grand Marnier brioche bread & butter pudding

Christmas Eton mess

ON Remembrance Day – in the year in which the nation is marking 100 years since the close of the First World War – the flags flying down Derby Road in Melbourne alternated between the Union Jack and the flag of St George, after a lastminute change of plan in response to criticism of the original display

For around two weeks leading up to Remembrance Sunday, the flag of St George – or the England flag – had been fluttering on flagpoles along the road

This had been a result of a decision by a parish council committee after being asked to fly flags as part of this year ’s step-up in Armistice commemorations

But the choice of flag did attract some negative comments in the local community, since it was felt by some that the St George’s flag only represented the English who died in the First World War, whereas people from all over the UK and the Empire fought under the Union Jack from 1914-18, and therefore that was the correct

flag to have been flown

Dr Paul Grimley, speaking at Melbourne Parish Council at its meeting on November 6 – as an individual, he explained, and not on behalf of Melbourne Civic Society – said: “I was shocked, really shocked, to see the flags of St George flying to mark the centenary of the end of World War One

“It wasn’t an English war, it was a UK war and the Royal British Legion’s ceremonial handbook clearly says that you should fly the union flag on Remembrance Day and that parish councils can fly the union flag on any other day, so there was no bar on flying the union flag two weeks ago ”

The meeting heard how the choice of the St George’s flag had been included in a report to councillors after guidance from the Royal British Legion But, on hearing the criticism, parish councillors felt that at short notice they would like to offer a compromise solution, having not meant to cause offence

The following day, replacement flags were erected so that a mixture of Union Jacks and St George’s flags were dis-

played in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday Melbourne Parish Council said in a statement provided to the Village Voice: “The parish council, having taken advice, voted at the October meeting to erect small St George’s flags along the remembrance parade route In view of the feedback received from a group of people who made the effort to attend the parish council meeting on 6th November and comments received from people around the village, the parish council were moved to reconsider the decision

“The parish council has now decided that it would be more appropriate to erect a mixture of St George and the Union Flag along the route The Union Flag was always planned to be flown from the main Market Place flagpole on Remembrance Sunday

“The parish council is very appreciative of the huge effort made by the group of volunteers to commemorate this important anniversary, and we believe that our village can be proud that a fitting programme of events has been delivered ”

‘Mob rule’ over footpath

SPEAKING at a recent Local Area Forum, where crime issues are discussed, county councillor

Linda Chilton described a recent incident in Kings Newton as “mob rule”

She had been sent a video taken of some local residents equipped with tools to remove “an illegal barrier” which had been erected to prevent access between Woodlands Close and Cartwright Close on the new Kings Croft [Persimmon] estate

Whilst the police had been called to the incident, no action had been taken, but Cllr Chilton had since written to the sergeant of the Safer Neighbourhood Team for his account of the police’s involvement

As reported in the Village Voice (August 2018) the footpath linking Footpath 7 ‘Bucks Orchard’ to Woodlands Close was recently recognised after a planning inquiry and is now clearly marked on

the Derbyshire map of Public Rights of Way (identified as footpath 40) However, the path remains overgrown with a hedge at the end near Woodlands Close, making it nearly impassable

Since an additional pathway has been established from Cartwright Close, residents have been using a route via the Woodlands to take children to school or go to the shops – until a fence was mysteriously erected preventing that access

Neither Persimmon Homes nor any of the nearby residents have claimed responsibility for erecting the fence Some residents, after taking advice from the police, decided simply to remove it

Cllr Chilton said she was working with the county council officers to get the designated pathway accessible and to sort the issue to everyone’s satisfaction

GREEN - ASTON ON TRENT - DERBY

Simon’s spider is Hallowe’en treat

GHASTLY goings-on are a macabre tradition to mark Hallowe’en – but one Melbourne householder went further than most when he spent three months building an entire themed extension to his home

Those trick or treaters who ventured down Station Road in Melbourne were in for a treat, as Simon Quinn had created an impressive ghoulish delight at the back of his property

It featured an 18-foot spider spanning the top of the house, plus a specially constructed wooden cabin with singing pumpkins and hologram ghosts flying around The Village Voice was also on hand to take a picture when the Quinns had a Hallowe’en themed party at which around 70

guests admired the creation Keen DIY-er Simon said he liked to create Hallowe-en-tastic creations every once in a while: “I do it fairly regularly; I used to live in LA and they are absolutely nuts on it there I think I caught the bug from that My wife is very understanding!”

In the past Simon’s Hallowe’en builds have included a 40-foot ghost ship in the garden Meanwhile, other local Hallowe’en celebrations included a visit by animal company Bugs ‘n Bones to young party-goers at the Royal British Legion, while The Blue Bell pub on Church Street also joined in the spirit of things with parties for adults and kids

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RIGHT: These revellers dressed in their ghoulish best at the Hallowe’en party at the Blue Bell pub.

ABOVE: Spider jiving at Station Road, Melbourne, while (ABOVE RIGHT) this house in Melbourne got into the Hallowe’en spirit, with spooky Harry Potter-themed graves and even some atmospheric smoke effects.

TOP LEFT: Chloe Archer and Layla Thurman

ABOVE: Lily McDonold

LEFT: Alice Barker and a handsome spider.

FAR LEFT: Ellie May Holmes.

Country Living with

Robert Parker

Reaping the benefits of a glorious autumn

WHAT an absolutely glorious autumn we are having For the most part dry and sunny with the odd wet day – and farmers are reaping the benefits!

All our winter sown grain has been completed in October, which is a first for us, and all other field work done. Cattle have been able to graze out of doors until now, which has shortened the winter well in a year when feed is at a premium

The ground is just unbelievably dry and I can’t remember the last time it was like this in November We are very much still in a drought, which will take some weeks to break

The reservoir continued to fall throughout October, although not as fast as in the previous months but the last few days it has started to rise.

I was amazed to see the large amounts of what I thought were freshwater mussels on the banks

of the res But apparently they are zebra mussels, an invasive species which have colonised our freshwaters over the last few years

They are very prolific and cause quite a few problems blocking pipes Because of their vast quantities in some waters where swimming is allowed they are very dangerous to swimmers’ feet

In some places at Staunton you could shovel them up by the barrowload, and when walking on them they crunch like eggshells

Another thing which always amazes me is how much vegetation soon grows on the upper banks of the reservoir.

Various plants grow up to two feet high and the only one that I can identify without consulting a book is redshank

This has green and black leaves and red seeds. Obviously some seeds survive under water and take the chance to germinate and seed in a very short time.

IT’S

A STAG PARTY ...

THE magnificent sight of rutting deer is one of the highlights of Autumn, with a surge of visitors through the gates of Calke Abbey in Ticknall hoping to catch a glimpse of stags in action

Calke is home to around 100 deer, of which around a quarter are the large red deer – particularly known for their impressive rutting

Unlike fallow deer, which make up the majority of animals in Calke’s deer park, red deer stags

roar loudly when trying to attract a mate

In contrast, explained Calke’s countryside manager Bill Cove, fallow deer stags make more of a “piggy sort of grunt” during the rutting season

“We have had a lot of visitors,” said Bill “We get a lot of people with cameras at this time, hoping the deer are going to be getting close to the fences or near the car parks and there’s all the autumn colours too.”

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PHOTO: Gillian Day, National Trust

Full houses for the Players’ two-card trick

RIGHT: Anne Payne, Gordon Hughes, Stephanie Hughes and Frank Hughes in Fat Lady sings in little Melbourne.

BELOW: Ian Payne as Hercule Poirot.

LEFT: Matt Gotheridge and Des Gosling as Jeeves and the lord of the manor

New sports hall part of £3m school scheme

A £3MILLION scheme to create a new sports hall and classroom block at Chellaston Academy, as it prepares to be a 2,000-pupil school by 2021, is to be lodged with city planners.

Chellaston Academy head teacher Kevin Gaiderman told families at a recent meeting for prospective parents that the school was currently preparing to expand due to rising numbers

Speaking afterwards to The Village Voice, he confirmed that the £3million scheme was currently “at the planning stage” and about to be put forward for consideration with the planning department at Derby City Council

“It’s an exciting time for us all,” he said

The school has in the past had room to accept 265 pupils into year seven, but rising numbers have meant that this academic year there were more than 300

That figure is expected to rise even further in September 2019 with 334 year sevens planned to be admitted – and there will also be rising secondary provision across the city of Derby to provide education for children living in the thousands of new homes being built

If the academy’s plans are approved by Derby City Council, the school is expecting to have its new sports hall and classroom block up and running by January 2020, with temporary classrooms in action for next year ’s autumn term in order to accommodate the extra pupils

As to where the building would be – Chellaston Academy’s site being surrounded by houses – an area of wasteland has been identified at the edge of the school’s fields which it is planning to reclaim

If granted, the school would expect to be educating 2,000 pupils by 2021, including the sixth form

Mr Gaiderman told the meeting that section 106 money from housing developments would be going towards the build – with the Miller Homes development in Melbourne’s Jawbone Lane expected to produce just under a quarter of a million pounds for the academy

It was confirmed earlier this year by Sue Pegg, head of development for children’s services at Derbyshire County Council, that children from the new Chellaston Fields estate would be within the catchment for Chellaston Academy

Talking to a meeting of Melbourne Parish Council in June, she said there were currently expected to be just under 1,000 new houses being built within Chellaston Academy’s catchment area by 2023 – producing around 150 extra pupils – but that a drop in birth rates was also being seen, which would also bring about a corresponding downturn in numbers in the future

A new secondary school at Lowes Lane near Barrow-upon-Trent is also proposed, but those plans are still at a very early stage – Lucy Stephens

ST MICHAEL’S Players had three full houses for their latest showing at Melbourne Assembly Rooms.

It was a ‘game of two halves’ with the opening half, The Fat Lady Sings in Little Melbourne, slightly adapted for a local audience from David Tristram’s play about Little Grimley

A group of four St Michael’s Players plotted the downfall of a rival am-dram group set up in where else but Ticknall, with amusing consequences.

The second half was a parodied Agatha Christie mystery, Murder on the Arriva Express, written by Mar-

garet Gildea and Gordon Hughes. The storyline had a cast of pastiche characters, including a butler, a lord and a countess, explaining a mysterious death on a No 2 bus on Swarkestone Causeway.

A series of six film trailers incorporated into the show, included many favourite and well-loved characters from the village, in a mix of disguises

With a local slant and jibes at familiar targets, the players’ performances always receive a warm reception from a welcoming audience. Pictures: TINA BAKER

THE end of an era finally came to Melbourne when L Ward ironmonger on Derby Road finally closed its doors

Some may have thought the day would never come but it did, on September 28.

Proprietor John Coton shut up shop for the last time, bringing an end 150 years of the family’s ironmongery trading in the village, nearly 100 of its premises in a former World War One British Army Hut on Derby Road

It was Melbourne’s longest surviving shop. John’s family first started an ironmonger ’s business in the mid-19th century, and it moved to Derby Road in 1920, at which time planning permission was sought to put shop windows into the front of the hut

John (pictured above in his customary spotbehind the counter) himself took over in 1963 and his shop was well known for selling a huge range of goods, which would be dispensed in brown paper bags.

Unlike many modern hardware shops, DIY enthusiasts particularly appreciated the fact you could buy the exact number of screws you needed, rather than having to buy a box of several hundred from large corporate stores, or wait for your delivery from your online retailer of choice.

But times change, and L Ward is no more Thanks to MARTIN LEEDHAM for taking these nostalgic shots, capturing the spirit of a store that belongs to a former Melbourne

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Residents’ traffic misery nears end of the road Santa’s sleigh times

TRAFFIC headaches being endured by residents of Melbourne’s Ashby Road should be easing soon, as work to finish five properties nears completion.

Many householders living along Ashby Road have been complaining of parking and traffic problems while building works have been going on to complete the new homes

Local building firm Alexander Bruce Estates won planning permission to build the houses on the former allotment site back in 2017, and work has been going on throughout this year

But residents have said that the works have brought a large number of extra builders’ vehicles on to their road, making things difficult and even dangerous for people living there

This has been exacerbated by the addition of traffic lights late on in the build, which residents say has often meant stand-offs between large vehicles such as bin lorries and buses trying to pass each other on the road and being unable to do so due to the number of extra cars and vans parked on grass verges or half on the pavement

This has led to long lines of traffic having to mount the kerb in order to get past, leading to safety fears for pedestrians, including children trying to get to the school bus in the mornings

Alexander Bruce director James Ottewell said he well understood residents’

feelings, but on the plus side added that the works were now nearing completion

He said: “This is a 12-month project (Jan 2018 to Jan 2019), which involves a significant amount of on and off site works to include major improvements to the public infrastructure

“Our contractors are working hard to complete the project; however, I can see how frustrating it must be to local residents, who are having to put up with noise, and limited access to on street parking I can see on-street parking spaces appear to have been hijacked

during working hours by the ‘white van’ brigade

“We have encouraged contact with residents and have worked hard with our contractors to develop and maintain a traffic management, parking and material delivery plan together with ensuring access and parking for anyone with disabled access requirements is maintained

“We do this by encouraging car and van sharing to limit the number of vehicles, we encourage contractors to park sensibly and considerately and we ensure deliveries are planned at different times of the day Almost daily contact is had with local residents who are able to discuss any concerns on site

“This is achieved via a full time ‘on site’ foreman He is approachable and works hard to minimise the impact on the community However, I can see from time to time the overspill can appear too much

“We will continue to reinforce the traffic management and parking plan and ensure deliveries are regularly spaced if possible This will help minimise disruption

“On a positive note the street works should be substantially complete within three weeks (from November 2) as, too, handover of the first two homes That will relieve the pressure and reduce the number of attendees on site ”

Lucy Stephens

–

OPENS

ALL VISITORS GET A TRAIN RIDE AROUND MANY ANIMATED SCENES BEFORE VISITING THE MAN HIMSELF

SANTA’S sleigh is being dusted off ready for some for festive action – and the routes and times Santa and his helpers will be touring Melbourne and Ticknall in December are as follows:

Sunday, December 9, from 5pm: Oaklands Way, The Woodlands, Nettlefold Crescent, Smith Ave, Main Street, Kings Newton, Station Road, Sweet Leys Way Estate, Huntingdon Ct

Monday, December 10, starting at 6pm: Derby Rd, Blanch Croft, George St, Dunnicliffe Lane, Moira St, Selina St, Washington Close, Quick Close, South St, Alma St, North St, Victoria St

Wednesday, December 12, starting at 6pm: Ticknall village, Commerce St, Hope St

Friday, December 14, starting at 6pm: From Melbourne Arms, Ashby Road, Penn Lane, Peniston Rise, Salsbury Lane, up Church St, turn and down Church Street, Castle Mills, Castle St, Jubilee Close, The Lilypool, The Crescent, Chapel St, Potter St

Sunday, December 16, starting at 5pm: Packhorse Rd, Queensway, Derby Road, Windsor Ave, Melton Ave, Spinney Hill and side roads

EACH

OPEN 11AM TO 4PM

(SANTA GOES TO FEED HIS REINDEER FOR 30 MINUTES AT LUNCH TIME)

Gypsy caravan plan rejected

CONTROVERSIAL proposals for a six-pitch gypsy caravan site in Aston-on-Trent, that have been rumbling on for more than a year, were finally rejected at a tense planning meeting in October, with hundreds of residents turning out to object

Around 250 people from Aston turned up to South Derbyshire District Council’s civic offices in Swadlincote on October 16 to hear the decision as to whether the gypsy caravans and amenity blocks proposed for Shardlow Road would be approved

There was room for only around 40 of those who had turned up within the debating chamber so the rest of the crowd waited outside while the meeting took place, greeting the final result with loud cheers

During just over an hour of careful debate, councillors discussed whether to overturn the officers’ recommendation that the site should be granted

The proposal for the permanent site for six gypsy families had originally been submitted back in 2017, with a decision deferred at the previous planning committee meeting in September so that councillors could visit the site in question

The plans attracted 281 objections from the local community, with both Aston and Shardlow parish councils voicing their concerns as well as SAVE (Save Aston and Weston Village Environments) and MP Heather Wheeler

Speaking at the meeting, SAVE chair Albert Willow said: “Welcome to the 250 objectors who have come this evening, all here to show their depth of feeling against this planning application also the 281 objection letters about 560 people, about a third of Aston, who have written in with their objections, but this all appears to have

been swept aside by the planning committee report in just 25 words

25 words with which we most certainly disagree All this open concern and pain to be basically swept under the table ”

A representative from the Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group had supplied a statement which was read out at the meeting, which said the site would “greatly reduce the shortfall” of gypsy sites in this area

The statement writer also said she was saddened that one objection had been included in the documentation, asking for policing support for the rise in crime that would be expected if the caravan site was allowed to go ahead, saying this was discriminatory

When it came to debating the plans, the arguments centred around the fact that at 600 metres from Aston’s boundary, the caravan site would be in open countryside; the provision of gypsy caravan sites already in South Derbyshire; and the safety of the road next to the site

Aston councillor Peter Watson, speaking at the meeting, said that at five metres high, the caravans would constitute a visible “eyesore” in the landscape – and while there were other intrusions such as gravel quarrying sites, these would eventually be cleared away, while the caravans would be permanent

Cllr Watson said South Derbyshire had a lot more sites than any of the surrounding areas, with a total of 63 compared with 13 in East Staffordshire, none in Amber Valley and 17 in Derby City

The vote to reject the site was narrowly won by six in favour and four against, with two abstentions

One person had written to planning officers to support the proposals – Lucy Stephens

Sailors’ Royal honour

THREE sailors from local clubs will be presented with prestigious awards from HRH The Princess Royal this month in recognition of their commitment to grassroots sailing

At the Royal Yachting Association’s (RYA) annual awards ceremony on Friday, November 16, Staunton Harold Sailing Club’s Nick Waters will receive a RYA Lifetime Commitment Award; Swarkestone Sailing Club’s Terry Radford will be presented with a RYA Outstanding Contribution Award; and Nick’s clubmate, Poppy Smith, will collect a RYA Youth Award

Nick, who turns 60 this month, is an active dinghy instructor, Laser class sailor and was pivotal in helping Staunton Harold Sailing Club gain substantial grant awards to expands its facilities and activities, which meant a 50 per cent growth in its membership and securing the RYA Club of the Year Award trophy for Britain’s best sailing club in 2014

He said: “I was pleasantly shocked when I heard I had won I had no idea my name had been put forward! Sailing has brought me many things I enjoy the exhilaration of getting out on the water, it’s a great way to switch off from the pressures of life ”

Terry, 71, has driven access to sailing for people with disabili-

ties as the backbone of Swarkestone Sailability, becoming a senior instructor to run the Sailability sessions in 2012

He said: “Sailability has filled me with a sense of purpose, meaning and fulfilment, together with the sense of everyone giving and taking something from the day

“The only way I could accept this award is on behalf of everyone involved with Swarkestone Sailability as a massive thank you ”

Meanwhile, Poppy, who is 19 the day after the ceremony, has led her club’s junior open training for three years and in 2017 she taught more than 15 youngsters to drive powerboats as

Pictures: MARTIN STEPHENS

TIME TO DO A RAIN DANCE?

LOW water levels at Staunton Harold Reservoir have been much commented on in recent weeks with many taking to social media to post photographs on the surprising new landscapes now visible due to the lack of H2O But why is there so little of the wet stuff, writes Frank Hughes.

When we contacted Severn Trent Water for a response on the issue, the answer turned out to be good old supply and demand with local reservoirs just over half full (or if you’re a pessimist half empty) in mid-Autumn

A spokesman said: “As of 15 October, the Dove group (which is Foremark and Staunton Harold combined) had just over 10 billion litres of water in the two reservoirs, which is about 52 per cent of maximum capacity

“Demand this summer was extremely high for water – unsurprisingly given the record temper-

atures and lack of rain the Midlands experienced – so there’s less than there was last year, but the autumn and winter months are when we look to recharge all of our reservoirs as demand is lower and the likelihood of rain that much higher

“We always want our customers to be waterwise, and to consider how they use water, but there’s plenty of water in our reservoirs as they start to recharge after such a hot, dry summer ”

The spokesman added that there were no ongoing engineering or business reasons for keeping the levels low, it was just a balance of rainfall and usage

He also mentioned that the water operator publishes the reservoir levels on their website at https://www stwater co uk/about-us/reservoirlevels/

n See Philip Heath’s feature on Page 19

‘Tis the season to

a t The Queen’s Head

part of the Honda RYA Youth RIB Challenge

Now training to be a senior instructor, Poppy credits sailing and volunteering with maintaining her physical and mental health as she has Cystic Fibrosis

Poppy (pictured) said: “My whole family sails so it’s always been a part of my life Volunteering has been proven to help improve mental health, which has at times been a struggle due to my Cystic Fibrosis

“Teaching sailing has also given me a sense of responsibility, leadership and commitment It’s an amazing feeling to know how valued my help has been ”

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ABOVE: Melbourne Junior School’s choir with the Melbourne Male Voice Choir in the parish church.

RIGHT: Long serving members of Melbourne Male Voice Choir

Choir that spans the ages

SINGING is good for the soul – and some members of Melbourne Male Voice Choir have proved just that by receiving long service awards marking 40 years of song, while the youngest members of the long-running group are just nine and eight years old!

Melbourne Male Voice Choir joined forces with young voices from Melbourne Junior School Choir to give a concert in the parish church, proving that whether you’re part of a school choir or a male voice choir, when voices join together, the effect can be truly uplifting – especially when the setting is a magnificent 800-year-old church

The male voice choir sang a range of music from traditional Welsh songs such as Cym Rhonda and other favourites – Danny Boy and My Lord what a Morning – to more modern classics such as Hallelujah, penned by the late Leonard Cohen

The junior school sang nine songs they had been busy rehearsing over the previous weeks, including My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music; Stand by Me, and Somewhere Only We Know, the track made famous by Lily Allen

The male voice choir had recently held a special evening at Melbourne Hall hosted by choir president Lord Ralph Kerr, at which several members were handed long service awards

Ken Leech, Brian Symons and John Hyde received 40-year service awards, with Alan Dunnicliff also having completed 40 years with the choir but not able to be present

CAROL singing around the Christmas Tree in the Market Place will take place this year on Thursday, December 20, commencing at 6.30pm. Melbourne Town Band will provide the musical backing, as usual, and warm mince pies, generously provided by Churches Together in Melbourne, will help to keep out the cold The event is promoted once again by Rotex

Denys Collyer, Bill Sharp and Cliff Warner were each presented with 30 year awards – Gordon Frost also being a member for 30 years but not present on the night

Meanwhile, the male voice choir also has two new members to its ranks – and they are only eight and nine years old

After last year ’s concert with Melbourne Junior School at the parish church, young music lover Jaidyn Dennis was so taken with the sound produced by the male voice choir that he requested to join, and is now a regular with dad Paul

“I enjoy the singing and going to the concerts, everyone singing and smiling at me, and I smile right back at them,” explained Jaidyn, a pupil at St Hardulph’s School in Breedon

“He was singing before he was talking,” added mum Jodie

Samuel Jackson, nine, meanwhile, a pupil at Oakwood Junior School in Derby, goes along to the choir with his granddad John

So, what’s the best bit for him? “That you get to wear a tie and a suit,” he told the Village Voice

Pupils bring new dream team dolls to life

FRESH faces in the doll market have been given unique voices thanks to these young people’s dramatic talents.

Kruselings are a new type of doll that have been launched with the help of The One Off in Melbourne – and fab five girl group, all pupils at Foremarke Hall, were joined by Melbourne Infant School’s Elliott Halliday to give the dolls their voices in the launch video

School friends Jemima Leavesley, Caoimbhe Kirtland, Amelia Hall, Zara Dunn, Eliza Moseley and Elliott Halliday were asked by The One Off to voice a special video that’s being shown on YouTube to launch Kruselings, with hopes of a possible spin-off series about the dolls’ antics

Kathe Kruse is a renowned premium doll brand with models fetching up to £3,000; the aim behind the new Kruselings is to be an affordable toy with a strong message of female empowerment

The dolls are called Luna, Vera, Sofia, Joy and Chloe and hail from different countries, coming together in Dreamland where they fight nightmares, helping soothe a small frightened boy called Michael – the aim being to encourage young people to chase their dreams

The girls spent an afternoon in the studio recording the script, before coming back to The One Off in October along with Elliott to be presented with their dolls at a launch screening

The girls said they all enjoyed drama at school but had never previously done anything like this: “It was amazing,” said Zara “It was the best thing I’ve ever done ”

“We were altogether, and we are all really good friends,” added Amelia “We’ve never done it before; it was just really fun ”

To give the girls a feel for what they were being asked to do, they were first shown the launch film about the Kruselings dolls with no voice-overs, so they could get a sense of the characters of each one

At the launch screening, The One Off director Adam DeveySmith spoke of how Kruselings represented a positive role model for women, and thanked the girls and Elliott for taking on the challenge

Centre quids in thanks to annual quizzers

QUICK-THINKING residents from Aston-on-Trent raised hundreds of pounds when they put their heads together for the annual village quiz

The event was held in the village’s War Memorial Hall and raised £505, which will be used to buy furniture for Aston Recreation Centre

Questions were set by Robin Sedgewick and his wife, Ann, to suit all abilities of quizzer, while fish and chips were delivered by George’s Tradition of Long Eaton

George’s head office also donated two of their discount cards as raffle prizes and these were very quickly snapped up by raffle winners

The winning team, ‘Cathy Come Home’, was presented with the David Smith Memorial Trophy by Councillor David Muller, deputy chairman of South Derbyshire District Council, who attended the quiz along with his wife, Annie Sandra Bayliss, from Recreation in Aston, urged people to go along and visit the new recreation centre, which is now nearly complete

“These girls stepped up at very short notice and gave these characters a voice,” he said “A huge thank you – they did a phenomenal job ”

l Dolly mixture ... (l-r) Jemima Leavesley, Caoimbhe Kirtland, Amelia Hall, Zara Dunn and Eliza Moseley with (in front) Elliott Halliday.

Lucy Stephens

Rotex writing competition winners

THE awards evening for the themed writing competition, which former members of Melbourne Rotary (Rotex) run annually for Melbourne Junior School, saw four young talented writers read out their stories

The theme this year, in honour of the WW1 centenary, was “Where the poppies now grow” and featured two characters, Ben and Ray Kate Dumelow said there had been many good entries and it was an impossible task to choose the winners Isaac Walker, Amelia Hughes and Isabel Hayes, whose entry was a poem about the search for a comrade, were the year three to five winners

The overall winner was Evie Margett whose fictional letter written home to his mum by

Rise and Recline Chairs

character Ray, had described how he had rescued his friend, Ben

All the stories were both touching and eloquent, and Margaret Sharp paid tribute to the children, the school and the parents

Guest of honour for the event was Kevin Iliffe, who had served as National Standard Bearer and Parade Master for the Royal British Legion, and is former chair of the local legion branch He talked of the significance of the poppy

The youngest winner, Alex, said he had been “a bit nervous” reading out his story, but dad Tim said how very proud of him he was and how good it was to have the competition to encourage the children’s writing

Activate your Inner Healing Force

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To nd out more about us and to book an appointment or class, please visit our website www.staywellhealth.co.uk or call 01332 410023 (Inside Chellaston Medical Centre) Rowallan Way, Chellaston DE73 5BG

Photo: The One Off

FROM the kids – and kids at heart – daring each other to brave ‘Extreme’, to the vast quantities of candy floss consumed, to trying to bump as many of your mates as possible on the dodgems … everyone loves Melbourne Fair

But did you know that the fair – officially the Melbourne Wakes – is now run by the fifth generation of the same family that has been at the helm for more than 100 years? That its origins go back many centuries? And even why it’s called The Wakes in the first place?

Those were just some of the insights revealed in a fascinating new exhibition held at The Assembly Rooms, which celebrated more than 100 years of the Holland family running Melbourne Fair

Put on by Neil Calladine in association with Melbourne Parish Council and the Assembly Rooms, the exhibition saw five generations of the Holland family present to admire painstakingly put together working models of the fair in years gone by, along with artwork painted by renowned fairground artist Pete Tate that will be easily recognised by those who have attended the Wakes over the years

Proceedings were officially opened by Linda Holland, who told The Village Voice: “I’m very, very pleased with this There are five generations of the Holland family that are here – we have got good support from Melbourne and the surrounding areas ” Melbourne Wakes – so called because they were traditionally held on the eve of the local church’s saint’s day, and people would stay awake and sweep the

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church in the saint’s honour – stems way back to the 13th century when there is evidence of several market charters having been granted in the village

Fast forward to 1845, when Melbourne was visited by George Wombwell’s Menagerie, one of the biggest exhibitions of travelling wild animals at the time In 1908, indeed, there is even a report of a local landlord entering the lion’s den and stroking the head of one of the animals – the health and safety forms of which don’t even bear thinking about

When it comes to the Holland family, who also run the Goose Fair in Nottingham, their association with fairs starts in the second half of the 19th century and it is thought they took over the Melbourne Fair some time in the early 20th century

In modern times, rides that have popularly fea-

THE fair in its Market Squ picture is thought to ha around 1910.

BELOW: Albert Holland bo rocket ride in 1938; it would in the Melbourne Fair

tured include the Disco Ri Noah’s Ark; the Moonrock dodgems – the set that still bought by Albert Holland in At the exhibition in The artist Pete Tate and Gaynor him for many years, and was of a glamorous lady in a cat s orated hand rail on the side many years “I used to work with Pete w down and drew around me to Gaynor “At the time, cat sui But, despite its history, adapt and thrive with moder computer

The most recent ride, Extre cently as 2014 – but some thi screams, the laughter, the lig

After the exhibition organ “Thank you to the people of M whole thing such a success; i tations and it was a pleasure and, on behalf of all the exhi support me, to thank them fo exhibits and hopefully we'll time in the future ”

that’s ears

uare days. This ve been taken

ught the Moond have appeared

We are friendly establishment located on the outskir ts of rural Melbourne o ering comfor table, secure accom ation, daily exercise sessions, playtime and love from our knowledgeable and experienced sta We welcome dogs and cats of all breeds and sizes and invite owners to visit by appointment to see our

der, formerly known as et; and, of course, the comes to Melbourne was 1951 Assembly Rooms were Hunt, who worked with the model for a painting uit who adorned the dece of the Cyclone ride for when I was 20; he lay me create the painting,” said ts were all the rage!” the Wakes continues to rn rides now operated by me, was purchased as rengs remain the same: the ghts, and the fun iser Neil Calladine said: Melbourne for making the t far exceeded my expece to meet so many of you bitors who came along to r their interest in all the see you all again some

– Lucy Stephens

LEFT: Gaynor Hunt and Pete Tate at the exhibition, with (picture at top of the page) the handrail that Gaynor posed for THIS

WAKES FUN IN PHOTOS – Page 16

FAMILY BUSINESS (l-r) Albert Holland, Olivia Holland, Jodie Holland, John Holland, John Holland and Linda Holland with Melbourne Parish Council chair Sheila Hicklin

ABOVE: The model of the Disco Rider from the exhibition.

Fun for all at Wakes

IT was all the fun of the fair in Melbourne as this year ’s annual Wakes once again saw smiles all round

With strong winds threatened on Friday, October 12, conditions had calmed down by nightfall and there were crowds of people, young and old, flocking to dare themselves on Extreme, bump into each other on the dodgems and strap themselves into the bungy ropes Many families went down to the fair on Saturday, October 13

For the second year running, the fair was held on the Sunday rather than the following Monday, which event organisers the Holland family aim to continue doing “We like coming to Melbourne,” said Albert Holland

Photos: TINA BAKER

TOP LEFT: Rachel and Steve Hill.

TOP RIGHT: Baby Annabelle with mum Sarah Butler

ABOVE: Fun on the dodgems.

RIGHT: Corey has a swinging time

BELOW: Jacob and Arthur find time for a snack.

Lorna heads up new chapter in school story

DAME Catherine Harpur ’s School in Ticknall has started a new chapter with a fresh face at the helm, after the retirement of former head teacher Margaret Whyte.

Lorna Harvey has joined Dame Catherine’s as its new head-teacher, Margaret having retired in the summer after 18 years in the job

Lorna joins Dame Catherine’s after spending many years in schools in the West Midlands, working as a languages teacher, school adviser and latterly as a head

With its ethos centred around working with each child’s interests and experiences in order to develop their confidence, Dame

Catherine’s has a long and interesting history and a different take on modern educational methods, for example, the fact that children do not sit SATs

The school provides a smallscale environment with a focus on spending quality time outdoors

Set up in 1744 by Dame

Catherine Harpur as a charitable trust to provide free education to local children and surrounding parishes, it continued as a village school until 1987 when the Local Education Authority closed it down because there were only nine children there But when parents

discovered the building was not owned by the council they took it on and it re-opened as an accessible independent school

Lorna joins the school as it experiences a further interesting development, with around a third of the current pupils on the roll attending on a parttime basis as they are homeschooled Children attend from as far away as Nottingham and Chesterfield in order to supplement their home school education whether it’s for certain sessions such as PE, or for one or two days a week

It’s all part of a flexible approach to education that Lorna is enjoying as the new head “I think it is that flexibility,” she said, “of being able to do what you want with the curriculum, and having a bit more time to spend on exploring and investigation ”

Despite having retired, Margaret – who lives locally – is still a regular fixture at the school, popping in to take children for various sessions

She went to lead the school with a background in training nursery nurses, and saw it develop from not even having a single computer when she arrived

“You get to know the children really well here,” she said

“I think society has changed a lot over 18 years and I think what parents want from educa-

tion has changed as well You have got mummies and daddies at work and the school has changed and adapted for that with breakfast and after-school clubs

“I think in Lorna there’s an opportunity for the school to move on – we have got to adapt and change ”

And Lorna is not all that’s new at the school, with a £10,000 Lottery grant recently awarded which has paid for new wooden play equipment for the garden

Stamp and Deliver back in action

IT’S beginning to look a lot like Christmas well, perhaps not quite yet – but it is nearly time to start thinking about sending those festive cards

The Derbyshire Scouts Stamp and Deliver scheme will be up and running again this December, with the charitable project now adding two more local charities, Me & Dee and Down’s Syndrome Derby, to its list of beneficiaries

Stamp and Deliver has been running since 1982 and has raised more than £1million for local causes in that time

Beginning this year on December 3, with the last collection at 2pm on December 18, stamps can be bought for 30p from more than 200 outlets, and all cards posted in one of the scheme’s iconic yellow post boxes will be collected, sorted and delivered by local Scout groups, who receive a proportion of the sale of the stamp

In 2017 Stamp and Deliver raised more than £50,000 for Derby Mountain Rescue Team and The Children’s Air Ambulance along with smaller donations to other local charities, with the rest of the money divided between each of the Scout groups which support the scheme

Me & Dee provides holidays for adults and children facing life threatening and shortening conditions, while Down’s Syndrome Derby is a support group for people with Down’s, providing speech and language sessions and other events

Derby Mountain Rescue Team is a voluntary emergency service on call throughout the year, while the Children’s Air Ambulance flies critically ill children across the UK, also acting as an intensive care unit while in the air

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FIELD DAY FOR PUMPKIN FANS

A FIELD full of glorious pumpkins made a beautiful sight as Heath’s of Melbourne held its third annual pick-your-own fun day

Around 2,000 pumpkin plants had been planted ready for the season, and the fine weather helped draw a stream of people throughout the day to choose their favourites ready for Hallowe’en and the autumn

One of the families attending were the Smiths, of Melbourne, with three-year-old George (pictured) hitching a ride on the

pumpkin wheelbarrow, accompanied by parents Katie and Daniel, and brother Jacob The family said they were attending for the second year running Brian Heath said that various more exotic varieties had been planted this year, including Turk’s Turbans, Crown Prince, Autumn Crown and Munchkins, a small ornamental version of the fruit

“My passion is for growing stuff and it’s nice when it all comes to fruition like this,” said Brian

l New head teacher Lorna Harvey (left) with former head Margaret Whyte, in front of the 270-year-old Dame Catherine Harpur ’s School.

Legion night fund booster

A FUND-RAISER to help a Melbourne couple with their legal battle to remain in the UK helped boost the cause by hundreds of pounds

The bingo and race night was held for Clive and Yvonne Karusseit at the Royal British Legion in Melbourne

Organisers said the event was well attended by friends and supporters and raised £710

The Karusseit support group is trying to raise £10,000 to support the couple’s fight to get the permanent right to remain in this country – they were turned down for permanent residency over a misunderstanding over whether they needed to sit the English test

Anyone who wants to take part or help with the support, can contact Martin Fitzpatrick on mfitz@talktalk net

Market funds

OUR report last month about the Aston-on-Trent medieval market suggested that proceeds from the stalls went towards church funds In fact they were collected for various charities including those relating to brain cancer and Motor Neurone Disease, and ShelterBox, which provides emergency shelter and tools for families around the world who are affected by natural disasters and conflict

It’s musical chairs for shops

IT is going to be pass the parcel time for three Melbourne shops which are swapping places well, nearly

ing products that are kinder to the people who made them and the planet

Floristry shop

The Blossom Tree is moving from Derby Road to the premises now occupied by Eighty Seven women’s clothing in Potter Street; Eighty Seven is moving to the shop vacated by Bare Necessities in the Market Place, while, over the road, children’s shop

Duck Duck Goose is moving into Blossom Tree’s Derby Road shop

For all three businesses, the musical statues arrangement signals a vote of confidence in the Melbourne shopping scene and a big thumbs-up for the independent shops which have their home in the village, as opposed to the high street chains which dominate much of the UK’s retail landscape

“I think the high street is experiencing a bit of negativity in the news,” said Amy Cook, owner of Eighty Seven, whose new shop will see her forging a partnership with mum Sally, who runs a beauty business

“This is a bit of positivity for our businesses – the high street may be suffering but independent businesses are thriving ”

“Independents are better than the high street because you’re not so price conscious – the high street shops are having to push their prices down the whole time,” reflected Jess Oates, co-

owner of Duck Duck Goose

“This is about keeping that independent community alive,” added Amy Roome

“None of us are closing down, we are

all just moving – it’s a moment of serendipity in a way, all of us needed somewhere different,” said Jess

Another interesting factor in current shopping habits is the new focus on buy-

This is a focus which may favour independent shops where consumers can discuss the origin of products on the shelves with the shopkeeper responsible for buying them, rather than deal with an often faceless corporate website where an answer may not be so forthcoming

There is also the friendly smile of the shopkeeper that you know and may be able to source products specially for customers, rather than a large-scale corporation which cannot respond so well to individual consumer needs

Eighty Seven’s new shop will include a treatment room run by Amy’s mum, Sally, and, in common with Duck Duck Goose, an expanded stock range

The Blossom Tree, which has been trading in Melbourne for 12 years now, will now become The Blossom Tree Flower Studio focusing primarily on wedding flowers but also offering floristry training and workshops, with a pop-up shop open on selected dates each month

Pictured discussing their plans over a cup of coffee in Jack’s of Melbourne are (l-r) Kerry Brown from Blossom Tree; Amy Cook from Eighty Seven; and Amy Roome and Jess Oates from Duck Duck Goose

Festive alert over the bin collections

RESIDENTS heard a number of important announcements at the recent quarterly Local Area Forum for Aston-on-Trent, Elvaston, Melbourne, Shardlow, Thulston, and Weston-on-Trent.

n BIN COLLECTIONS: With Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year Bank Holidays falling on normal bin collection days in the area there would be some disruption to services

Residents are urged to look out for collection date notices being circulated and to be aware that extra provision is going to be made at the local recycling centres

n FREE TREES: 1,000 trees are being given away for free! Residents, community groups, schools and other organisations can apply for up to six trees of up to six different varieties All trees are two years old

n LOCAL GREEN SPACES CONSULTATION:

There is a further consultation exercise running until November 19 on the 86 Local Green Spaces proposed as designated green spaces All the sites have been considered against a set of strict criteria, but the council would like people’s views as to whether they are appropriate or not Copies of the plan can be found in local libraries, the council offices and online (www south-derbys gov uk)

Speaking at the meeting, district council

THE forthcoming Melbourne Festival Comedy night on November 30 features two well established comics

Headlining is Ivo Graham, who has very successfully appeared on the Edinburgh Festi-

strategic director Alison Thomas also outlined some of the recent changes at the council In particular she mentioned that the council had now published a clear set of standards, for example on street cleaning, which will hold the council to account

She also mentioned better contact arrangements for reporting problems such as logging complaints, grass-cutting, public spaces play equipment

She further advised that there were to be additional volunteer staff to empty litter and dog waste bins, and that there was a plan to generate “litter heroes” as a collaborative effort to keep South Derbyshire cleaner and safer

Some additional customer care training had been arranged for some SDDC staff, following complaints

The problem with plastic waste recycling was also raised, and Alison explained some of the difficulties all councils were facing, especially with non-recyclable black plastic

The following contacts provided were:

To log complaints ring 01283 595795

For grass cutting/refuse matters email waste cleansing@south-derbys gov uk

For open space or play equipment issues email cultural services@south-derbys gov uk

val, Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week

Noel James will be well known to viewers of Britain’s Got Talent, as he was the Welsh comedian narrowly pipped for a place in the final He has been

in stand-up comedy for 25 years, and has developed a strong reputation for clever and surreal word play

Completing the line-up will be Lukas Kirkby and compere Howard Read

Reservoir reveals its underwater secrets

EVERY time the water level of the reservoir drops significantly, there is curiosity about the various features that are brought back into view

Big Dogkennel Pond at Calke soon emerges, with its island, inlet and outfall systems, and breached dam with remains of the park wall crossing it This was all created as an ornament to Calke Park in 1779-81, when the village street of Calke was re-routed further from the abbey and the park was enlarged

At the Melbourne end, the foundations of Taylors’ house from about 1920 are uncovered alongside the old Calke Road, and at the Staunton end the sluice and leat can be seen that conducted water on a level from the brook to Calke Mill pond

When the water drops low enough, the outline of Calke mill pond can be seen, with tree stumps around it, but I have never seen the level fall any lower than that

On the arm of the reservoir heading off towards Broadstone Lane and the Ticknall limeyards, a patch of rubble marks the site of a small farm known as “New England”, which first appears in the written record in the 1690s Close by, on the brook, are the remains of a sluice gate of about 1805, neatly constructed of stone, built by two Melbourne Estate tenants as part of a scheme to create nine acres of catch-work water meadows for early grass

The most intriguing and enigmatic structure uncovered at low water is a substantial dam, partly faced in stone, just downstream of the lastmentioned sluice gate Even the late Bill Bentley, who knew the area intimately, was puzzled by this dam; he didn’t remember noticing it before the reservoir was built, probably because it was camouflaged alongside trees

Careful piecing-together of the evidence uncovers the strange story of the dam, which begins in another place entirely – at Melbourne Pool When Sir John Coke of Melbourne Hall purchased the Melbourne Estate in 1629, one of the properties belonging to it was a new-built watermill alongside Melbourne Pool, close to the remaining old mill there

WHICH structures become visible when water levels drop at Staunton Harold Reservoir? PHILIP HEATH gives a tour on what you can now see that is normally covered with water.

But the pool belonged to the Earl of Huntingdon of Donington Park, and the earl was disgruntled that Sir John’s mill took water from his pool There was often insufficient water to work the two wheels at the earl’s own mill, let alone anyone else’s

The present Melbourne Mill was built to replace the previous one sometime around 1632, apparently on a slightly different site The associated engineering operations “accidentally” cut off the water to Sir John’s mill, leaving it high and dry as a watermill with no water!

Fortunately, when Sir John purchased Derby Hills in 1633, it provided him with a suitable stream for his waterless mill After some surveying work, the mill was transplanted from Melbourne to Derby Hills in 1636 by William Howet the millwright, and the dam now uncovered at low water was built for its new mill pool I pieced this story together in the 1980s before I realised that the Derby Hills dam still existed, so was very pleased to see it for the first time at low water in the 1990s

The Derby Hills mill did not have a long life

The dam was damaged by riotous soldiers in 1640 (probably the most excitement that Derby Hills ever saw, but that’s another story!) and in 1701 the Melbourne Estate took a long lease of the Earl of Huntingdon’s Melbourne Mill, meaning that they no longer had need of their own mill

The Derby Hills mill was dismantled, but the mill pool appears to have survived longer; in the mid-18th century it appears to have been used to provide an additional head of water for the wheel at Melbourne Furnace further downstream, which also had a pond of its own

By the 19th century the Derby Hills mill was forgotten history, leaving future generations to puzzle over the meaning of this curious dam, now nearly 400 years old

GROWERS showed off the fruits of their labours at this year ’s Ticknall Produce Show, held for the eighth year running

The event has been revived from the Ticknall Show that was held many years ago.

Organisers said many people entered the social occasion, with St George’s Church serving tea and cakes and making more than £100 towards its funds.

Pictured (l-r) are Irene Anderson, who won the best in show prize for her flower arrangement; Dave Armstrong, who won best in show for his prize onions; and Christina Oppenheimer, who won best in show for her apricot and elderflower jam.

l The Derby Hills dam when it was uncovered in 1995

Heaths Farm Shop

Stage set for Tom’s Kenyan adventure

ONE drama-loving teen from Melbourne will be working his stage magic in Kenya after winning a major competition.

Tom Unsworth, a 16-year-old drama scholar at Trent College, was selected as Derby’s National Citizen Service (NCS) graduate of the year after attending a month-long programme this summer

Tom beat off competition from more than 500 participants with his winning project to create a theatre stage for African school children in a deprived area of Kenya

As the winning graduate, Tom will travel to Kenya next summer on an expenses-paid trip with a team of supporters from Derby County Community Trust to help turn his theatrical plans into a reality

National Citizen Service (NCS) is a youth empowerment programme with schemes taking place regionally It is delivered by global work rehabilitation company Ingeus and Derby County Community Trust, which has charitable links with several schools in the Nakuru district in Kenya

The NCS Graduate of the Year is chosen by Derby County Community Trust from 12 local finalists nominated from more than 500 participants who took part in this summer ’s scheme

The programme involved outdoor activities, skills development and a final fortnight planning and working on a community volunteering project to benefit Derbyshire people

Tom and his team supported the local charity ‘First Steps’ that works to create positive and lasting change to the lives of people affected by eating difficulties and disorders

They organised a series of charitable events, raising more than £500 to help the charity’s work

After his win, Tom said: “I can’t believe that I am NCS Graduate of the Year I was so shocked when they announced my name at the gala event I got up from my seat and I went to the front to pick up my trophy, but I don’t remember a word that I said in my speech

“Drama has been my passion for as long as I can remember I want to share my love of the theatre with the schoolchildren at the Jubilee Academy in Nakuru and provide a working stage to benefit their performances

“I am very excited at the challenge ahead as I have never

travelled as far as Kenya before I have so enjoyed my experiences on the NCS summer programme and now I have been given the chance to make my dream for the schoolchildren of Nakuru become a reality ”

Tom is now busy planning his fund-raising campaign to contribute towards the cost of the stage’s construction as well as being able to supply new scripts, costumes and masks for a range of performances His stage design features several connecting sections that will enable the schoolchildren to select the size that best suits their production requirements

Underneath the main structure will be a locked metal box to keep the props secure

Village Voice Postbag

WHAT a shame it is to see that in recent times, all available ‘free advertising’ space on local lampposts, telegraph poles and railings is being used to tout anything and everything

It would seem that local entrepreneurs are more than willing to adhere all sorts of laminated advertising all round the village, either cable tied or drawing pinned to everything possible

Whilst out walking the dog I seem to count more of these signs appearing daily It’s a pity that those putting them up never take them back down, instead just leaving them to slowly disintegrate and to litter the streets, the cable ties a danger to pedestrians and animals protruding from posts at eye level

I’ve got to say, the village is starting to look a bit of an eyesore with tatty laminated posters, cable ties and string adorning every available post, pole or railing

Ian Casson

A letter written in response to the Melbourne Historical Research Group’s recent exhibition held at Melbourne Assembly Rooms:

Melbourne During the War Years

THIS was an excellent exhibition I am not a native of Melbourne but I thought it gave a very good insight into life in any English village during the war years

It was very moving to see war weddings, and to read that often the bridegroom immediately returned to camp after the ceremony All the research done on food and rationing interested me – particularly the information about bread; bakeries were asked to sell three-day-old bread so that the customer would eat less!

For more, see www gof u n d m e c o m / m a n a g e / j u b i l e eacademy-fundraising

Simon Doherty, NCS Project Manager with Derby County Community Trust, said: “Tom was selected as our winning graduate because he displayed great compassion and charisma throughout the NCS programme

“His inclusive nature ensured that his entire team was supported in all the social action activities

“Tom feels that drama has assisted him in building up his confidence and he truly cares about enriching the lives and raising the aspirations of the Jubilee Academy students through performing on a real stage ”

It was good to see how the churches contributed to the war effort (an impressive number of Oxo cubes collected by the Baptist church), and the familiar names of church members, names still to be found in the Village Voice today

It was quite sobering to see hundreds of soldiers in the Market Place during a recruiting campaign and to realise that was how so many young Melbourne men and boys left home and so many of them would never return

Altogether, it was extremely well researched and thoughtfully displayed

Ann Nicholls

Melbourne

l Tom receives his award at the Derby County Community Trust awards ceremony, with Pastor Alex Maina (left), director of the Walk Centre in Nakuru, Kenya, and NCS director Simon Doherty (right).

BE A FUND-RAISING SANTA

TOO early to think about Christmas?

Those who fancy dressing up as Santa himself and taking part in a charity fun run can now do so – and it will benefit an important local charity

This year ’s three kilometre Santa Fun Run and Walk organised by Ashby Castle Rotary Club will be taking place on Sunday, December 2, and one of the charities set to benefit is Staunton Harold Sailability Trust, which offers sailing opportunities for disabled children and young people at Staunton Harold Reservoir

Last year ’s event saw a record 1,400 Santas enter to run or walk the course around Ashby-de-la-Zouch, raising more than £11,600 for local charities, and organisers are hoping for another recordbreaking year

The emphasis is on providing a fun

Christmas fund-raising event suitable for families, friends and groups looking to get into the Christmas spirit whilst raising funds for some fantastic local causes

The event takes participants on a 3km route of Ashby taking in some of the town’s picturesque sights, starting and finishing on the Bath Grounds

As part of the entry fee, all participants are provided with a Santa suit, hat, belt and beard to run or walk in It all starts at 10 45am with event sponsors Fitness Republic providing a fun warm-up routine to some famous Christmas songs before the event formally starts at 11am

Full details of the event including online entry are available at www ashbysantarun com or search Ashby Santa Run on Facebook and Twitter

Margaret receives long service award

A LONG-SERVING volunteer from Melbourne who offers counselling to those who have lost their loved ones has been rewarded with a special service award by a local hospice

Treetops Hospice, based at Risley, recently celebrated its long service awards and one volunteer – Margaret Stanford, from Melbourne – was among those honoured

Margaret, 76, received her 15-year service award for her voluntary work at Treetops, where she offers bereavement counselling at the Cheetham Centre on the hospice’s grounds

“I talk to people who are bereaved, for whatever reason –wives, husbands – and just help through this trauma,” explained Margaret “We chat about their issues and hopefully help them find a way forward

“I do it because I lost my husband many years ago and thought I would be useful It’s just so gratifying and rewarding, you feel you’re being helpful ”

Margaret’s husband, Robert, died 29 years ago and she says, although that never goes away, “ it gets easier to talk about”

But, she adds: “I thought because I’d been in that situation that I’d know all the answers –but I don’t It’s amazing how much you learn every time you see someone different ”

The important thing, says Margaret, is to listen

“People talk about how they feel, how badly they feel, whether they are going mad,

and whether it will get better I normally get them to bring in photographs, perhaps of their wedding day, some lovely holiday they went on Once people get going, it’s amazing how much they have got to say to you about how they feel ”

Over the years Margaret has talked to up to 100 people who have lost loved ones, generally for around eight to 10 weeks –but she has had people coming to her for as many as 30 sessions

“When you see them, they are bereft,” she said “But when you’ve seen them for a few weeks, when they say ‘I’m OK’, you have moved that person forward to perhaps finding a new normal ”

So what advice does Margaret have for when you see someone you know has recently been bereaved?

“People in general are very

Better Movement Massage and Soft Tissue Therapy

good at crossing over the road because they don’t know what to say to someone who’s bereaved,” she observes, adding: “Acknowledge what has happened to them

“They don’t need sympathy, they need empathy Sometimes, it’s not the first few weeks, it’s six months later that they need the help ”

But for Margaret, the service offered at Treetops is simply second to none

“Everyone at Treetops is amazing,” she says “It’s an extremely pleasant place to work, it really is ”

Treetops has submitted plans for a new in-patient unit for those who would prefer to be looked after away from their home towards the end of their life

They expect to hear the result at the end of this month

Lucy Stephens

QUIZ TIME COMING UP

TIME to get those thinking caps on the closing date for teams to enter the 2019 Melbourne Village Quiz will be just after the New Year

Next year ’s quiz will be held at a new venue in Melbourne Sports Park on Cockshut Lane, rather than the Royal British Legion where the event has previously been staged

The time is now for local teams of quizzers to get together and enter the annual charitable

event: for entry forms contact Paul Fox on pfswingwell@gmail com

The last date for entries will be January 2 and the draw will take place the following day, with the quiz itself starting on January 11 at the sports park

Each quiz night starts at 7 30pm and all money raised will benefit a local charity, the identity of which has yet to be announced

Contact Beth Jones: 07852 000695

bethjsportsmassage@gmail.com

All sports & muscular conditions treated GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE www.bettermovementmassage.co.uk Book online at www.melbournephysio.co.uk

Christmas at Calke Abbey

Experience a Christmas like no other at Calke Abbey – the country house in decline. Take a lantern-lit walk through the gardens, check out the festive gift and food fairs, and discover the Twelve Days of Calke's Christmas on a new family trail.

On the First Day of Christmas…

Fri 30 Nov - 17.00–20.00

…Father Christmas and his reindeer come to Calke! Watch them arrive at the mansion, then join a lantern-lit parade up to the Stableyards. It’ll be a magical evening with lights, illuminations and a festive fair in the Riding School, with something for all the family.

Festive food, gifts and crafts

Get set for Christmas at a range of festive food and gift fairs every weekend in December. Discover handmade crafts, traditional gifts and local food and drink in the Riding School, then pop into the shop for your National Trust favourites. Warm up in the cosy café, where we’re serving Christmas Lunches on select dates in December.

Crisp winter walks at Calke

Follow the twinkling trail of lights through the Pleasure Grounds and discover Twelve Days of Calke’s Christmas on a new family trail. If you prefer to escape the crowds, enjoy the freedom to beaten track and create your own winter adventure. You can even bring your dogs into the gardens this winter, as long as they’re on short leads.

By becoming a member of the National Trust, you help us to protect the country’s heritage and landscape, while enjoying free entry to over 500 places. Here at Calke Abbey, membership supports our conservation work both in the house and gardens, as well as the

Calke Abbey winter opening Restaurant & Shop: daily 10.00 – 16.00 Park & National Nature Reserve: daily 7.30 – dusk Gardens : daily, 10.00 – 16.00 House: closed.

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 this Winter please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/calke or telephone 01332 863822

www.facebook.com/NTCalkeAbbey

@NTCalkeAbbey

l Margaret Stanford receiving her long service award from the Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Chris Corbett.

FRANK HEATH

Jane and the Heath family would like to thank everyone that has sent cards and messages since the loss of Frank on 2nd October.

We all greatly appreciate your support and kindness.

Melbourne Dental Practice

TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE

To try and reduce the amount of clinical time lost due to missed appointments and late cancellations, the practice is now o ering a text messaging service. Any patients who wish to receive these will need to complete a text messaging consent form, available at reception. Please note, we cannot o er this service unless a consent form has been completed.

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

WREN’S

NEW AUTUMN AND WINTER YARNS NOW IN

Wendy Britannia chunky, Marble chunky, Mohair style chunky yarn and King Cole Tinsel now in. Knitting bags and sewing boxes, Haberdashery and Dress patterns. Dylon dyes, handkerchiefs, tablecloths, doilies, armchair covers, toy lling. Slenderella nightwear - ladies and gents slippers. Menswear, ladies wear and Babywear.

- All major credit cards acceptedVisit us at www.wrenswoolshop-derby.co.uk email: wrensofderby@hotmail.co.uk

870 Osmaston Road, Allenton, Derby DE24 9AB Tel/Fax: 01332 340965 FREE PARKING

FRENCH TUITION

MUSIC TUITION

UKULELE CLUB

FOLK DANCE

OBITUARIES

KATHLEEN MARY DINGLEY

July 6, 1938 – October 24, 2018

KATH spent her early years in Essex and London, enjoying days out in Southend with childhood friends Sheila, Beryl and Roger She had a career in the Post Office and Barclays Bank, and served in the Territorial Army

Significant events in her life included her marriage to Ian and her move to Melbourne in 1989 with Ian and her mother, Doris But beyond these basic facts strong threads ran throughout her life

Kath inspired friendships that endeared her to the community Amongst these friends were many who helped during her final illness: people who sat by her bedside in quiet companionship and friends who took on practical tasks to help her

For nearly 30 years we had the privilege to live next door to Kath on Spinney Hill and shared good times and bad times, but where our bad times could be noisy and messy, Kath was never one to draw attention to herself or her own troubles The truth is, she quietly, gently, effectively got on with building friendships and community, no matter what difficulties she might herself be facing

FRANK EDWARD HEATH

1936 - 2018

DERBY’S New Jerusalem Church was full for the service to celebrate the life of our dad, Frank Heath, of Woodhouses, on October 23

As a market gardener, the tributes were both floral and vegetable, and the service began with “We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land” We hope Dad would have approved

Dad was the third generation in the family market garden business It began over a century ago when his grandfather, Marson Gregory, left work at a Melbourne shoe factory to set up on his own Initially he rented a house at Pingle Cottages, before buying a substantial house with a yard and outbuildings at Rawdon Street in 1917 where dad, with his parents and sisters, had a happy upbringing in the 1950s

Then there was her faith This was evident in her volunteer work for the parish church of Our Lady of Mercy Serving on the church council, organising rotas, flowers and social events was simply something she did Supporting others came naturally to her That steadfastness, so evident in her faith, was also familiar to friends in other organisations she supported Members of the WI and A’Choired Taste could rely on Kath to do whatever needed doing; quietly, kindly, and

without fuss

Kath enjoyed happy times to the utmost when they came Her hope and positivity could find humour in the simplest of things Indeed, she helped to create good times, from simple coffee mornings to the fun of driving (badly) a narrowboat on a day out with friends, or revelling in being accidentally caught up in a Gay Pride parade in Liverpool with friend Karen, a situation that led to giggles for weeks thereafter A wicked twinkle in her eye or a roll of her eyes would throw humour on a situation as frustrating as lost luggage, or as serious as the illness of her mother, for example, that would have utterly exasperated anyone else Kath appreciated the positives in life She expected, hoped for and found good times

Her singing, flower arranging, gardening and concern for nature were quiet acts of love The care for her mother and for Ian –and her dog, Simba – these were definitely love Calmly, quietly, Kath inspired deep affection and bonds of friendship amongst the people who knew her In her humour and wry commentary on life, we experienced that affection We relish it, we cherish it We will not easily forget it – Graham Truscott

polytunnel especially for you to have a party, as at Lorna’s engagement and Phil’s 40th Dad always enjoyed a party, and it was on those occasions that his love for the family and sense of humour came to the forefront

When out and about in work mode, Dad would wear a dusty black beret trimmed with leather, cigarette between lips, tongue clenched between teeth when concentrating, pencil behind ear, blue boiler suit, wellies, and half a cup of tea somewhere He was often accompanied by his dog, and a tape measure or some orange bailer twine were never far away Sometimes his improvisations were at once simple and very clever; at other times we wondered why he hadn’t just gone to Wickes and saved himself the bother

French taught to all ages and abilities

Guitar, ukulele, ddle, keyboard & melodeon

The ukulele club is a fun, sociable evening of song and playing.

We also do barn dances and maypole

Bryan Dawson 01332 702386 or 07949 108037

bryandawson@hotmail.co.uk

Melbourne Infant School

OPEN DAYS

Prospective parents and children are invited to look around the school - rated as outstanding by Ofsted

Monday 3 December 9.30am

Wednesday 5 December 1.30pm

• School age 4 to 7

• High quality teaching & learning

• Caring school in a desirable location

Tel: 01332 862325 to book your visit

www.melbourne-inf.derbyshire.sch.uk

The Heaths were affiliated to the New Jerusalem Church on Derby Road, Melbourne, up to its closure in 1977 Dad met our lovely mum Jane (née Jarmin) at a New Church summer school in Warwickshire

They were married in 1957, a couple of years before taking the tenancy of Woodhouse Farm in partnership with grandad Frank Heath senior (1900 - 1974)

All of us have happy memories of a carefree and stable childhood at Woodhouses We were expected to help Dad with market garden jobs, but we still had plenty of time to run free Whether inside or outside, we lived to the accompaniment of the family dog and other animals, the radio, friends and relatives both local and from the other side of the world, and endless cups of tea, sometimes alongside industrial quantities of broken biscuits sold off cheaply from the Ashby biscuit factory

Dad was intelligent, and an honest, friendly and industrious man, who loved to talk politics He would help anyone where he could, especially by finding practical ways to solve problems, and was noted for his resourcefulness It was surprising what he could do with his favourite construction materials such as plywood, straw bales, corrugated iron, timber pallets, metal pallet racking, and lengths of perforated angled steel (“Dexion”) If you were lucky, he’d put up a

ELIZABETH PRINCE (nee Bradshaw)

10 11 1949 – 6 10 2018

ELIZABETH was born on Derby Road, Melbourne, to Elsie and Don (who owned and ran the electrician’s shop, in what is now Newton Fallowell) Just before her younger sister, Julia, was born two years later, the family moved into their brand new house in Windsor Avenue where they spent their childhood

Elizabeth went to Hargrave House School in Derby from the age of nine, catching a bus and two trolley buses across town twice a day to get to and from school All she really wanted to do was work and Elizabeth started work as a Saturday girl at Dorothy’s the hairdressers on Derby road when she was 13

When she left school, she worked hard, qualified and became a full-time hair dresser at Dorothy’s

In 1971 Elizabeth married David Prince and moved to Aston-on-Trent In 1976 they had a daughter, Fiona Sadly, the marriage ended in 1983 and she then got a job in Debenhams, within six months being pro-

Dad was proud that his family had a lot of skills and could do a wide range of useful things Let’s call this wide range of things “it”: Dave will hunt it down, Lorna will keep it alive and look after it, Bill will put it out if it’s on fire; Philip will get planning permission for it; Greg will write about it; Brian will grow it, and Colin will make sure it toes the line and doesn’t get arrested Dad also lived long enough to enjoy seeing his fourteen grandchildren start to develop their own families and careers

The family market garden business meant the world to Dad, and remained so until the end He liked nothing better than to see a field ploughed straight, or full of healthy young crops, or making his contribution to the harvest festival in church It was a series of cruel and bitter blows to him as he gradually lost his pleasures and freedoms over the last few years following an Alzheimer ’s diagnosis Since the start of this year Dad was at a residential home, but we brought him home for frequent visits

Dad faced his illness stoically and with dignity We had a long time to prepare to say goodbye to him, but it will take much longer to get used to him not being around Brian now represents the fourth generation in the business, and so long as the family stays at Woodhouses, Dad will still be there in spirit

– DRH, LMP, WJH, PEH, GJH, BAH and CMH

riage they began a relationship in 1990 With three teenage children to consider, they decided to wait to get married until schools were finished and everything was more settled Sadly though, John died very suddenly and unexpectedly in 1998

Elizabeth had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1995 and her condition worsened following the death of John, eventually meaning that she had to take early retirement from work in 1999

She continued to live at home with the support of family, friends and wonderful carers until 2017 when she needed more medical support and moved into Littleover Nursing Home Elizabeth was very strong-willed and determined to live her life with as much dignity as possible She never once complained about her condition or situation

moted to department manager She loved her job and worked very hard, enabling her to buy her house on Derby Road in Aston, her pride and joy

While working at Debenhams she became friends with John Wilmington (pictured with Elizabeth) and following the end of his mar-

Elizabeth passed away very peacefully at the Royal Derby Hospital on October 6 She will be greatly missed by her daughter, Fiona, son-in-law Simon, grandsons Oliver and Leo, sister Julia and all her family and friends

Sports clubs benefit from Matthew fund

NEARLY £10,000 has been distributed to local clubs in memory of a young Melbourne sportsman, so that others can get the same enjoyment out of sport that he did

The Matthew Sanders Sports Foundation (MSSF) was set up in 2001 by his parents, Mick and Jan, in memory of their son who died suddenly in 1999 of an undetected heart defect He was only 17

Matthew had been a very keen young Melbourne sportsman, playing for the village’s football, cricket and tennis clubs

After his death, his parents, with the support of family and friends and many of Matthew’s own friends, established the MSSF with the aim of providing sporting opportunities for under-18s living in and around Melbourne

Running for 17 years, the scheme was intended to help local youngsters by providing financial assistance for projects that might otherwise be beyond their reach: for example, paying for professional coaching or improving facilities

This year, Mick and Jan decided that they would wind up the fund and distribute the remaining balance between clubs that have been involved with the fund – with Melbourne Rugby Club, Melbourne Tennis Club, Melbourne Cricket Club and Melbourne Dynamo Football Club receiving £2,290 each

“Quite a number of youngsters and local sporting clubs and organisations in and around Melbourne have benefited from the foundation over the years, through helping

youngsters who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to take part in events and in supporting junior sporting projects,” explained Mick

“This has gone on since 2001 – 17 years into the fund, we took the view that the remaining money could be far better used if the clubs had direct control over it ” Melbourne Sporting Partnership chair-

man Steve Hollingsworth said: “I know all the sports clubs are extremely appreciative of the donations from the Matthew Sanders Foundation They are committed to providing sporting opportunities for children of all ages and this donation will be used in developing the appropriate infrastructures in the clubs, together with the MSP, for the children of Melbourne ” –

Lucy

Stephens

LOCAL organisations were all smiles at a special presentation evening

at

they received cheques from money raised at this year ’s Melbourne Fete & Carnival,

25 local organisations benefiting from funds. This year ’s carnival theme was all things from the USA – next year ’s theme is “Under the Sea”. The largest beneficiary was Melbourne Junior School, which received £3,000 for an electrical works upgrade, while other groups to benefit included Melbourne Community Care, the Remembrance Day concert held in Castle Square, plus local scout and brownie groups. Next year ’s carnival is being held on July 13.

Ring and bracelet stolen in burglary

A DISTINCTIVE diamond and sapphire ring, similar to the one pictured, is amongst items stolen from a home in Huntingdon Court, Melbourne

A gold bracelet and a quantity of cash were also taken in the break-in, which happened sometime between noon on October 13 and 12 40pm on October 14

It is believed that the burglar/s entered the house by forcing open a window

Anyone who saw anything suspicious, or who

has been offered a similar ring or bracelet for sale, is asked to contact police with any information quoting the reference number 18000493900, the name of the officer in the case PC Kimberley Wheldon, in any correspondence

You can contact the police via private messaging them via Facebook: /DerbyshireConstabulary; Twitter: @DerPolContact, on the contact page of the website, by calling them on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

l

held

the Royal British Legion, where

with

l Mick and Jan Sanders hand over a cheque to Melbourne Dynamo’s Mark Jackaman, watched by members of the team and committee members Don Miller, Chris Archer and Caroline Martin

Black belt bonanza

DEDICATION and hard work have seen local karate practitioners achieve their black belt, under the watchful eye of local instructor Mark Rotherham, whose club celebrates its 18th birthday this year.

Maximum Response Academy karate club runs in Melbourne Assembly Rooms on Monday and Tuesday evenings, and this group of committed students came together to be tested in Castle Donington Village Hall on October 6

Five students took part in the black belt grading exam, with Dan Black, from Castle

n NETTING fish raised more vital funds for prostate cancer research when these anglers took part in a charity competition at Foremark – and the winner was the youngest of the lot.

The charity competition was organised by Belinda Elliott Dawes, a member of Foremark Fly Fishers Association, with her husband Alan Belinda said she had lost a close friend to prostate cancer earlier this year and so was putting her efforts into raising money to fight back against the disease

The match included a raffle and collecting tin and raised more than £250 for a prostate cancer charity – and the winner was young Joe Saconi, who fishes with his dad

The Graham Tagg Trophy was also presented and pictured (l-r) are Mark Redfern, Martin Smith (Graham Tagg Trophy winners) Belinda Elliott Dawes, Christopher Addis, Jenni Lord and Joe Saconi

Donington, Hope Evans, of Ticknall, Oliver Edmonds, of Stanton-by-Bridge, Paul Bourke and Robert Mead, both from Castle Donington, all awarded first Dan Luke Spear, of Melbourne, was awarded second Dan

The group came together to be tested by chief instructor Mark Rotherham – fifth Dan – and two of his third Dan instructors, Myles Lound and Paul Slee

The students were tested on their skills in Wado Ryu karate and defence The grading consisted of combination drills up and down the hall, katas, blocks and sparring

Mark said: “The students deserve congratulations The standard of students who were successful just seems to get better and better The club, which has been established since 2000, is going from strength to strength and retention is fantastic, which speaks for itself

“They have been training hard with dedication and commitment for the last five to seven years, which is how long it takes to achieve black belt – there are no short cuts ”

You can contact Mark about karate sessions on 0782 481 0746

l DAN-TASTIC (l-r): Robert Mead 1st Dan, Paul Bourke 1st Dan, Myles Lound 3rd Dan, Hope Evans 1st Dan, Mark Rotherham 5th Dan, Paul Slee 3rd Dan, Oliver Edmonds 1st Dan and Luke Spear 2nd Dan

Tennis teams serve up four promotions

MELBOURNE Tennis Club completed its 2018 season in some style with four of the teams claiming promotion, as the Ladies Burton B Team also went on to win division four.

A packed month for the Burton B team began with a couple of 2-2 draws, both home and away against Lichfield Friary with skipper Sallie Allen and Mair Vater winning both their rubbers in the home match and Emma Guest and Sallie Allen winning both in the away match

Next up was Burton as Melbourne won both the home and away matches 4-0 with the Allen/Laura Clarke and Emma Guest/Marjorie Tunnicliffe partnerships winning all their sets in the home match along with Allen/Vater and Guest/Clarke pairings winning the away rubbers

A 4-0 win against Netherseal gave Melbourne the league title and they finished their 2018 campaign with a 2-2 draw against Spital

Melbourne’s ladies Burton A team also claimed promotion from division three, winning the last match of the season 4-0 against Denstone Skipper Karen Brenchley led the way as she and Laura Clarke won both their sets, as did Pam Oliver and Pat Milham, to give the ladies the win they needed to claim a spot in division two next

season

Melbourne’s Derbyshire mixed side beat Wingerworth in their final league match and finished equal second – only to agonisingly miss out on promotion on the win/lose ratio rule

The club’s Burton league mixed side finished a respectable third place as they beat Lichfield 4-0 with Howard Cheshire/Leslie Heath and the Karen Brenchley/Rob Heldreich pairings winning all their rubbers; and the mixed team ended their campaign with a 2-2 draw versus Spital to end up level second

Not to be outdone, the men’s Burton A team secured promotion for the second successive season with a 4-0 win against Barton B to claim second place in division five

The Howard Cheshire/Andy Fleming and Gareth Hammond/Ian Ward pairings won all their rubbers, which left Melbourne equal top of the table

However, they missed out as champions on games won Again it was countback that denied Melbourne’s Derbyshire A team a promotion place as a 6-3 win against Ashbourne 4ths gave them 10 points to finish joint second, but sets difference has meant that Melbourne will stay in division five next season

RUNNING IN THE RAIN

THESE runners were braving a wet day when they took part in the Golden Gates Gallop at Elvaston Castle

The event has been going for several years now and raises money for Bloodwise, a charity that funds research into different types of blood cancer

Our photographer Tina Baker was on hand to capture runners setting off for the five and two mile races

The two mile run was won by Pascal Sutton, in the children’s age group in a time of 15 minutes and 14 seconds, but close behind him was Wendy Wheawall, in her 50s, who completed the two minutes in third place at 16 minutes and 19 seconds

The five-mile race, meanwhile, was won by Dean Bethell in 30 minutes and 28 seconds

IT’S A RUM DO IN THE SIX-A-SIDE LEAGUE

THESE Melbourne six-a-side footballers were celebrating after working hard throughout the season to secure the league title.

The team, Rum DMFC, celebrated their win at Zeerah’s Indian restaurant in Melbourne, with the league also marking its first birthday in the autumn

Team captain Jack Tivey said: “We’ve played in the Melbourne 6-a-side League right from the start; this is our third season. Each season we have developed our technical skills, teamwork and fitness levels and all our hard work has finally paid off.

“We’ll enjoy giving it our all next season to retain the top title.”

Steve Hollingsworth, chairman of the Melbourne Sporting Partnership, said: “We’re pleased that the league is continuing to grow The number of teams playing on

Sunday evenings has doubled during the last year, a testament to our excellent sports facility, support from Derbyshire County FA and the commitment of the league organisers.

“The league is encouraging adult footballers of all standards and ages from our local community to come together to become more active and enjoy playing at our fantastic sports facility.”

The open age adult league plays on the state of the art 3G artificial grass pitch at Melbourne Sports Park every Sunday evening from 6-8pm, all year round. All standards are welcome

The new season kicked off in October with 12 teams in the league To join, interested teams and single players can contact the league on 07513 30 6000, melb6aside@outlook com or via Facebook

Dynamo teams all up their game

MELBOURNE Dynamo Football Club had a much more successful month of October with all four men’s teams putting in improved performances

That started on October 6 when the first team won convincingly 6-0 away at Ripley, with the Foxon brothers, Toby and Harry, both scoring a brace and Jack Goodband and Michael Tristram completing the scoring

A week later, Dynamo went out of the Derbyshire Cup to a very strong Derby Singh Brothers side 4-1 with Jack Goodband getting the consolation and this was followed by Melbourne’s worst per-

formance of the season as they were beaten 1-0 at home to Ashbourne Reserves

However, Gav Salisbury’s men climbed to sixth in the table as goals from Toby Foxon and the in-form Jack Goodband gave them a 2-0 away win against high-flying Mayfield

Melbourne Dynamo Saturday Reserves began the month with the defence of the Derbyshire Junior Cup as they brushed aside Netherseal St Peter ’s Sports 3-0 with Brad King, Finn Charles and Toby McCabe getting the goals

This was followed by a 4-2 home win against Holbrook St Michael’s Juniors, this time in the Challenge Cup as leading goal scorer Brad King scored two along with Joe Shadbolt and substitute Scott Harris

The Reserves dropped two points away to South Normanton United as, despite strikes from Brad King and Toby McCabe, Melbourne were held, but they ended the month in fourth place, with South Normanton Colts beaten 4-1 – thanks mainly to a hat-trick from Joe Shadbolt plus a very rare strike by Scott Radley

Melbourne Dynamo Sunday first team have climbed to fourth in the table after a good run by Ash Smith’s men October began with a hard fought 3-2 away win against Wanderers as Dynamo came from behind to win thanks to two goals from Jack Weston plus a left foot strike from veteran Alex Slater

A hard fought 3-3 draw away to top of the table MJ Construction saw Dynamo again come from behind, this time being 3-1 down A double from Jack Goodband plus a goal from substitute Brad King earned a decent point

Dynamo ended the month going out of the divisional cup 3-2 at home to White Horse as, despite goals from Max Suthern and Jack Scothern plus umpteen chances missed, Melbourne failed to find an equaliser

Melbourne Dynamo Sunday Reserves’ form has picked up and the month included their first league win But they began with a 4-0 away defeat to top of the table Abbey Court Sales Reserves, followed by a 3-2 away defeat to Willington in the divisional cup with Scott Harris and Andy Butterworth goals proving the only consolations

A 2-2 draw away to Nags Head saw Dynamo come from 2-0 down, a Brad King finish plus a last minute equaliser from Morgan Johnson completing a fine comeback for Andy Mackin’s men

They finished the month with their first ever league win away to high-flying Derby Rovers Goals from leading goal scorer Brad King, Jacob Vella and Joe Dale gave the reserves a vital three points as they climbed up to eighth in the table