As the year to forget draws to a close the staff of The Village Voice would like to take this opportunity to wish all our advertisers, distributors, readers and correspondents
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.
It has been a challenging period for all and we can only hope that the new year will make life a lot brighter for everyone.
CHRISTMAS began early this year with nurseries reporting an upsurge in customers buying their tree before November was out.
All over the local area, people were already putting up their trees and lights before December started to introduce some sparkle and cheer into the end of 2020
Graham Worboys, plant area manager at Swarkestone Nursery, said he had never sold so many trees in November in 35 years of doing the job
“They are selling amazingly well,” he said of the nursery’s festive trees
“They were certainly selling a week earlier than they normally would
“I’ve never sold so may trees in November and I’ve been doing it a long, long time – 35 years
“I just think everybody wants to have a good Christmas because of the Covid situation It’s what people are after ”
The best-selling tree at Swarkestone so far has been a six to seven
foot Nordman Fir, which is well known for keeping its needles so they do not drop on the floor
Heaths of Melbourne told the Village Voice they had also seen customers coming earlier than usual this year to pick up a home-grown tree
Cathy Hill, at Staunton Harold Nursery, said growers had had time this year to nurture Christmas trees, so they were seeing specimens of particularly fine quality
The nursery had got Christmas trees in earlier than usual to meet demand this year
“I have noticed an increase in demand,” she said “People are just wanting to have a lovely traditional Christmas ”
Kate Venables, of Kings Newton, is one of many people who decided to put up her tree before November had finished this year
She said: “2020 has been stressful, upsetting and quite frankly dull
I would never ever put my tree up in November normally but this year it seemed like a good opportunity to bring some sparkle and joy into our lives and hopefully that of others who see it ”
If Archie the dog could talk he would tell you that his owner, Nicole Brown, has been a charity cake-baking star. You can find out how on Page 3.
l Graham Worboys (left) and Laura Jackson of Swarkestone Nursery with some of their Christmas trees
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NEW areas of countryside near Twyford and Ingleby are being considered for sand and gravel extraction under proposals now being consulted upon
The Derbyshire and Derby Minerals Local Plan is proposing that Swarkestone Quarry could be extended both north and south of the River Trent
Sites at Willington and Elvaston are also up for consideration
The plan is being put together by Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council, and anyone who wants to comment has until December 13 to do so
The new sites are being put forward because of a need to provide a supply of sand and gravel for a longer period than previously
This stipulation is part of the National Planning Policy Framework, which now states that Local Plans should cover a 15-year period from when they are adopted
That has meant the need to re-examine local minerals supply and find extra provision up to 2036
Sand and gravel operators in Derbyshire were asked if they
We will remain open for Take Away only ursday - Sunday 10 - 4pm and until Christmas we will be open on Friday until 6.30pm
We have a wide selection of cobs, sandwiches, hot food and sweet stu , plus our extremely popular Take Away cream teas!
Orders for whole cakes for weekend collections.
Lou and all the staff would like to wish all our customers a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year
wanted to promote extra sites for mining
Swarkestone North is a 100hectare site currently in agricultural use It lies between the existing pit and the village of Twyford Swarkestone South is slightly smaller at 79 hectares and is situated to the west of the existing quarry, south of the River Trent
It is estimated that the combined sites would produce seven million tonnes of sand and gravel between them, although the southern site would have a slightly shorter lifetime of between eight to nine years, as opposed to 15
Sand and gravel produced from Swarkestone South and North would be destined for a variety of uses including ready mixed concrete, pipes, roof tiles and slabs, generally within 25 miles of the site
Councillor Martyn Ford, chair of the Derbyshire and Derby Development Plans Joint
Advisory Committee, said:
“Minerals are important to our way of life, not only in building houses, factories and roads, but also in the manufacture of a huge range of everyday products such as paints, paper and toothpaste They are also important in the production of energy used to heat our homes and fuel our industries
“Derbyshire is rich in minerals, making the county one of the most important in the UK for resources, particularly limestone
“But the same geology which gives rise to this wealth of resources also creates the striking landscapes which are important to Derbyshire people, the visitor industry and the local economy
“Unfortunately, mineral working almost always causes some impact on the environment and local communities The challenge now is to find the best balance between these competing interests, and this is
where we need local people to help by completing the consultation ”
The Swarkestone Gravel Liaison Group has said it intends to comment on the proposals, voicing concerns regarding operational noise, disturbance to local villages, the need for restoration and aftercare and the timescales proposed The group was set up in 1970 when there was an application to excavate gravel near Barrowupon-Trent with no commitment to restore the land afterwards This application was refused, lost at appeal and then approved with restoration conditions
To take part in the consultation, email comments to ete wastemin@derbyshire gov uk or write to: Development Plans Team Planning Services Economy, Transport and Environment, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3AG – Lucy Stephens
The Etwall school, whose catchment area includes Milton, Twyford, Findern and Foremark, will see a re-modelling of three existing buildings
The work will provide extra art and design teaching accommodation with new classrooms, a graphics room and a larger ICT classroom, plus associated storage
An extra 54 spaces will also be created in the car park
Derbyshire County Council is investing £1 2million in section 106 funding This is money contributed from local housing developers to mit-
JOHN WALL sends greetings and best wishes for a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to all my friends.
igate the impact of new homes on local communities and their infrastructure
Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Young People Councillor Alex Dale said: “It’s great news that we are investing in these fantastic additional facilities for pupils at John Port Spencer School This is an exciting time for the school as they develop this much needed extra capacity ”
Paul West, Chief Executive of Spencer Academies Trust, said: “We are delighted to be further investing in the accommodation and infrastructure at John Port Spencer to the further benefit of our students”
Jack & Linda Iliffe would like to wish family, friends and clients, good health, peace and happiness for Christmas and the New Year and we thank you very much for your custom.
JOYCE AND ALAN WINTERS wish all their friends a Happy Christmas and Healthy New Year.
l A temporary bridge being built over the River Trent, close to Anchor Church, to facilitate works already agreed at Swarkestone QuarryMELBOURNE home baker Nicole Brown has raised hundreds of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support with her scrummy cakes
Macmillan Cancer Support has been holding its famous coffee morning event since 1990 Over the years, it has raised more than £275million to help the charity fund its cancer patient nurses
Nicole had signed up to host her own coffee morning this year but could not hold it due to pandemic restrictions
Instead, she decided to use her baking skills to create boxes of cupcakes which she sold to raise money for the charity
Nicole spent several weeks this autumn creating the boxed cakes which she sold, raising £750 for Macmillan Cancer Support
Like many who support the coffee morning every year, Nicole has personal reasons for supporting this particular charity
“My grandma passed away five years ago, and in the last week or so Macmillan nurses cared for her,” she said
“They did such an amazing job It’s stuck with me They gave her such good care ”
Nicole, a research analyst for Leicestershire County Council, has always been a keen home
baker
“I decided that instead of doing the coffee morning, I was going to fill boxes of cupcakes,” she explained “All of a sudden I had 60 orders! I was doing it over five weeks, putting a range of things on them, ordering more stickers from Macmillan and putting them on the boxes
“I feel really proud I think when I was doing them all, it excited me because I love baking and I have been trying to get better at it, so this has helped me get lots of practice as well ”
Hannah Lumb, regional fund-raising manager for Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Our supporters are incredible and we have been overwhelmed by the imaginative ways in which people have got behind coffee morning this year, whether it be doing so virtually or in a socially distanced way
“Every penny raised will make a real difference, particularly at a time when our fundraised income has dropped significantly
“People affected by cancer need us now more than ever so the support of people like Nicole is crucial to enable us to continue to provide physical, financial and emotional support to the millions of people that count on us Thank you!”
Lucy StephensPARENTS have been asked not to buy their children electric scooters for Chritmas unless they have private land they can be used on.
Police have issued the warning after safer neighbourhood teams from Mel-
bourne and Swadlincote seized one electric scooter rider for riding without insurance
The incident happened during a speed check exercise undertaken by police in November
(MARs) re-opened their doors for under-18 activities on December 2, in line with South Derbyshire’s tier three guidelines
In normal times, the community venue hosts over 50 weekly and monthly activities Under the new rules, they were only able to open for “supervised activities for children under 18”, a small percentage of their regular programme, with all adult groups unable to re-start.
However, the board at MARs decided to open their doors nonetheless Chair of the venue Jane Carroll explained: “Whilst we could have remained closed and continued to
receive Government subsidies, we took this decision to re-open We felt that, as a community centre at the heart of the town, we needed to show a positive approach and be prepared to effectively subsidise activities for a short period of time.”
With some venues in the area either unable to re-open or taking the decision not to, MARs has also attracted some additional groups for a short period of time until they are able to return to their usual location.
“At this time of year, we are usually hosting three events every weekend from concerts and children’s shows to annual dinners and parties It’s a difficult time for venues and local groups
and if, by opening, we can provide some temporary good news then we are only too happy to do so,” said MARs development manager, Andy Heafield, who is also taking the opportunity to work with local artists and host a two-day exhibition over the weekend of December 12 and 13
Andy went on to say: “Like every other business, MARs will continue to review what we can and cannot do and are waiting for the next announcement to plan for January 2021 and beyond I am ever hopeful!
“I’ve not yet cancelled our annual New Year ’s Eve concert but, sadly, even I may have to admit defeat on that one ”
BUSINESSMAN Philip Mitchell has come up with a clever invention which could overcome the need to stand out in the winter cold queuing for your supermarket slot.
Philip has a great track record of coming up with innovative ideas at his business, Ticknall Solar, where he manufactures several patented modern designs of the traditional Belisha Beacon
His latest idea is a unit which integrates a powerful Bluetooth Beacon (BLE) and transmits a signal over a range of 100 metres
The practical application means is that arriving at a given location, like a supermarket car park, a customer passing the beacon automatically alerts the store of their arrival, which then, through an app, such as Sainsbury SmartShop, automatically allocates them the next available slot in the queue The app on a smartphone, then gives an alert when it is safe to enter the store, using a QR code and scanner at the door to authenticate the process
The system could be adapted to give precedence to vulnerable or priority shoppers
By using the system in these Covid times, Philip said “you would be able to sit safely and comfortably in the car, entertaining the children if need be, until your turn came to go in the store”
An added attraction is that the same app could alert shoppers to special offers or any information the store wanted to provide while they wait
Philip thought the device had further applications beyond the stores – “it could be used on building sites, or in the big new lorry park being constructed outside Dover to control queues or provide information” It can be (and already is) used to warn visually impaired people of pedestrian crossings or blocked pedestrian routes They are also designing a solar powered bollard with the integrated Bluetooth technology for this very purpose
Added features of the system are that it is 100% carbon free, the whole units are lightweight and easy to install with no costly wiring or construction needed, and the lithium batteries have a very long shelf life Philip said: “Using Bluetooth rather than wi-fi consumes 30 times less energy, saving not just on the beacon unit but also on smartphone battery life ”
The Belisha Beacons, which are the company’s main product, have also had something of a makeover in recent years New features include a system which can synchronise a series of beacons to avoid the distraction to drivers of too many flashing lights, and they can automatically reduce brightness in the dark or wet conditions to reduce glare
The new units operate on solar power, around the clock, and can be installed on top of a pole with minimal installation costs They are made to the highest quality standards (ISO9001-2015) and with over 2000 units sold, the beacons are, quite literally, everywhere throughout the UK and Ireland
In 2018 they produced a new range of “Ultimate High Visibility Beacons, with a patented design which enhance the visibility of the traditional yellow globe, with a circumference of LED lights, flashing either alternately or in-sync
Philip said one difficulty he has had is getting through to the right people in the retail world, with many staff on furlough, to demonstrate the potential benefits of his invention, which it seems could make quite a difference to the regular weekly shopping trip
Heather Wheeler, MP for South Derbyshire, said: “This new invention could provide a safe alternative to queuing outside supermarkets and allow customers to wait in their cars until safe to enter As we approach the cold winter months it will mean that older customers and others do not have to wait outside in the rain
“I am proud to see such innovative ideas coming from companies based in South Derbyshire ”
– Frank Hughes
l Philip Mitchell with MP Heather Wheeler before mask-wearing rules came into place in the UKLOTHIAN Gardens playground is expected to re-open after many months of being closed – or it may have even done so by the time this newspaper comes through your door.
The latest meeting of Melbourne Parish Council on December 1 heard that work to install new play equipment at the park had very nearly been finished, but just needed a final safety sign off
The play park has been shut since March, initially because of the pandemic.
Councillors felt that they would not be able to keep the public safe from the spread
of the virus if they used the park
In the autumn, it remained shut so that a £35,000 new toddler play area could be installed
That was after a safety inspection by RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) had failed the toddler equipment on health and safety grounds.
South Derbyshire District Council awarded a £17,500 grant towards new equipment, which was matched by the parish council.
Now councillors are looking at updating the facilities for older children.
MELBOURNE is above average for Derbyshire for the number of penalty charge notices issued for poor parking, a public meeting heard.
The latest meeting of Melbourne Parish Council heard from Derbyshire County Council officer Paul Jameson who was there to talk about parking issues
Mr Jameson was updating councillors on December 1 about Derbyshire County Council’s role in parking enforcement, after some powers were transferred from the police to local authorities in 2009
He said that Melbourne was, on average, seeing one penalty charge notice issued for every hour that the county council’s enforcement team was in the town checking up on parking
That was slightly above the county average of 0 75 penalty charge notices issued per hour in Derbyshire
Mr Jameson said that the county council’s civil enforcement team spend around 100 hours a month in South Derbyshire
Responding to a question from Cllr Nigel Collyer as to the proportion of that time spent in Melbourne, he said that so far in 2020, civil enforcement officers had spent just over 50 hours in the town
During that time, 50 penalty charge notices
have been issued
“That’s one per hour of enforcement,” said Mr Jameson “That’s above the county average It’s above what we would normally see Obviously it’s been a bit of an unusual year ”
However, there has been a consistent picture for Melbourne In 2019, Melbourne saw 70 hours of county council civil parking enforcement, with 71 penalty charge notices issued
Cllr Joe Ward asked whether resident parking permits could be considered for Melbourne
But Mr Jameson said that, while these were in place in other areas of the county, he did not think it would be a good option for Melbourne because residents would still be competing for spaces whether there were parking permits or not
Parking permits have been suggested as being a possible solution for houses on Derby Road, where there are shops as well as residential properties
But Mr Jameson said that a parking permit scheme would not operate on one street alone
The meeting also heard that a county councildriven traffic solution for Melbourne was still being considered
This has followed proposals for a one-way system and added double yellow lines in Melbourne that attracted considerable controversy locally
Lucy StephensVIRUS cases in South Derbyshire dropped by nearly a quarter a fortnight into lockdown, the latest figures reveal
According to the most recently available numbers, South Derbyshire still has more cases of coronavirus than most other parts of Derbyshire, with only Amber Valley reporting more
But figures from Derbyshire County Council show that over a week from November 14-20, there were 332 cases in South Derbyshire – down from 433 re-
ported from October 24-30
The Melbourne area, which includes Kings Newton, Staunton Harold, Ticknall, Calke and Smisby, has also seen a sharp drop in case numbers
During the same week (November 14-20) there were 11 cases, down from 18 during the last week of October
However, there was a rise in cases in the Aston area, which includes Barrow, Weston, Swarkestone, Chellaston, part of Boulton Moor, Shardlow, Great Wilne, Ambaston and El-
vaston
Here over November 14-20 there were 36 cases, up from 25 during October ’s final week
Since reporting started on February 25, there have been 19,675 reported cases across Derbyshire
Up until November 21 in Derbyshire, 1,009 people who have died had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificate
The total number of people who have died in Derbyshire since that date is 7,758
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ANOTHER year has nearly gone How can they pass so quickly?
Here we still haven’t done everything we hoped to do with some crops not sown, and it’s looking like they will have to wait till next Spring.
This Autumn’s weather hasn’t been anywhere near as bad as 2019’s but it’s not been as good as it could have been. We literally only finished maize harvest on the first day of December on some very boggy ex-opencast land in Leicestershire. I’m very glad that we achieved that We also still have some cattle out of doors which are doing OK but that must come to an end in the middle of the month when we have our annual Tuberculosis test n The Government has lately announced its new bill to guide agriculture into the future and, although a lot of the finer details still haven’t been revealed, it’s all rather concerning
The biggest omission is that it doesn’t mention the production of food which, of course, is our main goal Apparently, we are going to be paid for improving the environment, which is what we have been
MELBOURNE’S Pubs Past and Present a new book produced by t research group, went the printer at the end of November Village Voice understands this new publication will b ready for sale mid-Dece ber
doing in the past alongside our main function.
I feel our politicians have been got at by some high profile “environmental celebrities” who seem to think it’s OK to run down agriculture in the UK and increase imports of food from overseas
You may have thought that the problems of the last nine months might have taught them that this is a very dangerous policy, with Brexit a few days away
I know of three local farms who have taken their whole acreage out of production to make sure that they get the maximum payments possible. These farms are being planted with numerous crops to provide feed for birds and insects and, of course, no chemicals will be applied. If you multiply this up over the country the results could be quite substantial
Sadly, this is the last regular column that Robert will be writing for the Village Voice. In our January edition we will take a look back at his time as one of our readers’ favourite contributors
Pre-publication orde being taken now at £ copy and Melbourne Research Group’s littl helpers are ready to d three miles of Melbour unable to collect, or postage and packing
can be arranged at cost for those further afield searched and written by Sue Webster and Philip ublication contains a history urne’s pubs, beerhouses, es, off-licences and maltAs soon as the books are received from the printer, Jean Grimley will make contact to arrange collection or delivery with all Vile Voice readers who have ed interest Contact Jean by 332 863385, emailing grim jeannie@aol com or texting 07904 245789
AN application to turn a family home in Findern into a house of multiple occupancy has been green-lit, despite local opposition
The former family home on Doles Lane can now be turned into a house for seven people in plans granted at a virtual meeting of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee
There was strong local objection to the scheme, summed up by Findern councillor Martyn Ford, who said the application was like “squeezing a quart in a pint pot”
Much of the objection centred around the issue of parking, as the property has only three spaces
Findern Parish Council voiced concerns, saying the application felt like over-development
Eight further objections and comments were sent to planning officers, including fears that turning the property into a house of multiple occupancy would lead to increased parking in the village
Poor visibility when exiting from the site was also pointed out, as was concern over the “inadequacy” of the bedroom sizes and garden
Derbyshire County Council’s Highways department had also initially recommended refusal, but the planning meeting heard how this had been withdrawn because of guidance produced in 2007 which showed that three quarters of people living in multiple occupancy houses do not own a vehicle
A report prepared for councillors said that research from the Department of Communities and
Local Government found that a house catering for eight people would need 1 7-2 1 parking spaces
Cllr Martyn Ford, speaking at the meeting, said: “The issue is around over-development We need to remember this house was a family house Now we are looking at seven bedrooms They have got a very small, tight site for a minimum of seven people, potentially more
“It seems miraculous that all of a sudden, an objection (from highways) is suddenly removed
“Parked cars are already encroaching down Doles Lane ”
Later, he said: “It’s squeezing a quart in a pint pot ”
Other local objection had centred around the possibility that the house could be inhabited by more than seven people, but the planning officer speaking at the meeting said that a condition of the application was to restrict the occupancy to seven
In a report prepared for councillors, the council’s planning department also pointed out that the applicants would already have the right to turn the property into a multiple occupancy house for six people – so in reality, only one further person was being considered
Cllr Peter Watson, commenting on the plans at the meeting, said: “We do in South Derbyshire need more single person accommodation for people who have grown up, left home and wish to consider living and working in South Derbyshire independently ”
– Lucy StephensPUPILS at Melbourne Junior School raised hundreds of pounds for BBC Children in Need this year when they took part in a socially distanced Pudsey ramble with a difference.
The event in November saw each child aiming to complete a two kilometre obstacle course ramble around the school grounds
Together, pupils walked just over 400 kilometres for Pudsey
Thanks to donations from parents and friends, the school has raised nearly £500 for the charity.
I would like to wish everyone a happy Christmas and hope that 2021 will be better for all of us.
CHRISTMAS carol-themed windows will be on display in Melbourne this year in a new festive celebration for the town
Children and families will be able to print off a special trail map to take part in the Christmas trail from December 18 to January 2
There will be 25 carol-themed windows on display, including churches, private houses and other organisations
The idea is a bit of festive fun for children to enjoy working out the name of the carol based on the window display
Churches Together said the trail was being organised in recognition that Christmas in Melbourne would be “very different this year, with many annual events such as carols around the tree being unable to go ahead”.
They said: “In response to this, Churches Together are organising a Christmas window trail for children and their families. Windows will be decorated in private homes and public buildings
“Children and their families will be invited to print off a map from church websites and follow the window trail around the village, guessing which well-known Christmas carol or song each window depicts.”
Completed entries can be posted through the Wesley Hall letter box on Potter Street. A correct entry drawn at random in early January will win a small prize suitable for a child
MEMBERS of the public are to be asked for their views as to whether recycling bins in Melbourne’s High Street car park should be taken away.
The proposal has come from South Derbyshire District Council which wants to close all its recycling “bring sites”
South Derbyshire district councillor Jim Hewlett, who represents Melbourne, told members of Melbourne Parish Council about the proposals in his report for its latest meeting on December 1
He said that members of the district council’s Environmental and Development Committee had voted to close bring sites at a recent meeting
That was on the grounds that the public was “abusing the service to a great extent”, he said
Cllr Hewlett reported how people were often putting the wrong items into bins, meaning that the entire contents are rejected by the processing company and sent for landfill
It was felt that most items taken to bring sites such as the one in the High Street car park can be recycled kerbside anyway
Cllr Hewlett said: “Any green bins with the wrong contents will be rejected by the collec-
tors, keeping the recycling ‘clean’, thus increasing our rate ”
South Derbyshire has fallen behind others in Derbyshire in terms of its recycling percentage
Like other councils, said Cllr Hewlett, it is not achieving either its own or the Government’s recycling targets, from having been the top performer in the county
Parish councillor Jane Carroll asked Cllr Hewlett in the meeting whether bins in Melbourne’s High Street car park for items not collected kerbside would be included in the proposal
She said: “I was a bit concerned about the collection for electrical equipment and also
for clothes, the Salvation Army one Are those included? I understand about the cardboard and things but those specific items, I think, would be sorely missed ”
Cllr Carroll also raised the issue of recycling Tetrapaks, such as juice cartons, which cannot be recycled with cardboard in the green bin
There is a special bin for Tetrapaks in the High Street car park It also takes takeaway coffee cups
The issue of removing the recycling bins has been raised previously, with the suggestion that it would create additional car parking
The matter is going out for public consultation – Lucy Stephens
STAUNTON Harold Reservoir car park has been the scene of “imprudent activities” while closed to the public during lockdown, police have said
Police reported on November 22 that they had attended several incidents at car parks around Staunton Harold and Calke during the month
They said: “These imprudent activities have included reports of large groups setting off fireworks; young persons engaged in antisocial behaviour; and other inappropriate after-dark activities
“In response SNT (Safer Neighbourhood Team) officers and Swadlincote response officers have been conducting regular patrols at car parks ”
Earlier in the month, on November 10, officers came across what they described as an “unsecured vehicle” at Staunton Harold Reservoir They searched it to find “items that can be used for poaching”
Detective sergeant Tarj Nizzer said: “We are a community of animal lovers and poaching is against the law; we will take positive action against anyone caught or involved in poaching!”
MELBOURNE Sporting Partnership
(MSP)’s application to build additional tennis courts has been given the green light by South Derbyshire District Council.
The application was originally submitted in January 2019 but was deferred in April last year because of car parking issues, which have recently been resolved by the provision of additional spaces
Three artificial grass courts will be built adjacent to the existing courts in the north-west corner of the recreation area, with a gate between the two areas to provide access The courts will be surrounded by a three-metre-high fence No floodlighting has been proposed
Objections had been received from residents living along Hope Street, concerned about additional noise, inadequate parking, querying the need based on the level of usage, and potentially diminished property values
Evidence was put before the committee showing how the demand for courts had grown, justifying the additional requirement
To address some of the residents’ concerns the
planning officer ’s report quoted the local environmental health manager who ‘did not feel that neighbours would experience unreasonable impacts’ Given that the nearest part of the new courts would be around seven or eight metres from existing property boundaries there would be no significant overlooking, either
Playing times would be limited to the existing hours of use, i e only between 8am and 9 30pm
In allowing the application, the committee accepted the officer ’s recommendations set out in his report In addition, it was agreed that the MSP would facilitate any resident who wanted the existing boundary hedge to grow taller for additional privacy
MSP vice chair and Melbourne Tennis Club chair Tim Shone said: “This is absolutely fantastic news for tennis in Melbourne We all now have a fabulous opportunity to further the development of tennis at all ages and levels
“We are hoping to commence construction of the new artificial grass courts early next year and have them ready for play in the spring ”
– Frank Hugheshas a new manager
Dawn Kendrick (above) has joined the store after the previous manager, Gary Dunne, retired.
“It’s nice to be in a shop that’s part of the community,” said Dawn, who comes to Melbourne having transferred from managing a Sainsbury’s store in Burtonon-Trent
“My previous store was more of a town centre one. It’s nice to have your regu-
lar customers and be part of the community,” she said
“Obviously, this is a lovely area ”
Dawn, who lives in Donisthorpe, is looking forward to exploring more of Melbourne’s shops when time and restrictions allow.
She said that while Melbourne Sainsbury’s is busy at the current time, things were not the same in the second national lockdown as they were in the first, when many people bulk
bought and stores were empty of various essential goods such as bread, pasta and toilet roll for weeks
“Thank you to people for continuing to come into our store,” said Dawn
“I take from the fact that it’s so busy that people feel safe and happy to come in here ”
Sainsbury’s in Melbourne will be participating in the “Help Brighten a Million Christmases” campaign this year
THE Community Volunteer Service (CVS) in South Derbyshire has launched a winter giving campaign so that it can continue to provide for the most vulnerable people in our area, not only for the festive season, but on into 2021
Green Lane, Wilson, Nr Melbourne
Wifel Green is a stunning courtyard scheme of 5 new homes by Alexander Bruce Estates, fronting Green Lane, Wilson. The scheme offers a range of houses, including two 4-bedroom family homes & three homes for local residents who need to stay within the Parish.
A unique opportunity to purchase one of these Freehold properties at a huge discount for local residents. Buyers with a strong local connection to Breedon Parish will be able to purchase 100% of the equity at 65% Market Value. Completion expected September 2021.
CALL ASHLEY ADAMS TODAY TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST 01332 865 568
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Roger Moors, chief executive of CVS, said the food bank had evolved over the last eight months to cater for many more people now needing support
The increased demand has prompted a move to bigger premises at the Baptist Church on Hill Street, Swadlincote
During the period from March through to October over 12,600 meals had been provided, with 552 children and 854 adults needing help
“People have been incredibly generous in giving to us,” he said, paying tribute to the team of volunteers who run the centre He encouraged those who can afford it to continue to make donations through the trolleys in most supermarkets, and commended the “pick-up bags” now available in Morrison’s who supply pre-packed donations bags you can just add to your own shopping
“Unfortunately, demand is growing and we are launching the Winter Giving appeal to enable us to help feed families across South Derbyshire,” he said He thought the economic impact of our current situation would continue to hit families well into next year
He outlined that one of the problems is that people do tend to donate similar things, for instance tins of beans, and there was a need to sup-
plement that with, for instance, personal hygiene products or food for pets, recognising that sometimes people will feed pets before themselves
CVS is a registered charity without any statutory funding and relies very heavily on donations from the public Roger outlined that the costs of running the food projects, having to pay for instance, for protective items for volunteers and the rent and utilities in the centre, have more than doubled
“The service is not just about providing essential food items, either,” he outlined
“One client visited the centre in distress, having just lost his job because of the crisis After talking to him about his skills the staff member was able to put him in touch with a firm looking for an employee like him and he was quickly back in a job ”
Similarly, people, maybe with mental health or addiction issues, can be signposted to essential services
Support is time limited, however Most often a tailored package of around six weeks can get most people back on track
With additional funding Roger hoped they would also be able to reach out to those in need further afield, presently being supported by arrangements with parishes or the police
Details of ways to support the Winter Giving campaign are on their webpage https://sdcvs org uk/donate There is also a list of items which they regularly need
– Frank Hughes
AN innovative bike recycling scheme that local people have taken part in has raised more than £25,000 for Treetops Hospice Care
Treetops volunteer Paul Wilcox, affectionately known as “Puskbike Paul”, collects donated bikes from the local area, makes them roadworthy and then sells them in return for a donation to the hospice
Since the scheme began 18 months ago, Paul has recycled and sold more than 1,000 bikes,
including some donated by people from Melbourne
Lifelong bike enthusiast Paul said: “From being a child, I have always been interested in how bikes work and was often rescuing old bikes to renovate
“We receive a whole range of donations and some of which we thought were scrap, have turned out to be very collectable
“We’ve also received some extremely generous donations of almost brand new bikes One in
particular springs to mind – a Pashley trike which was purchased by someone in Cornwall ”
Paul said: “It was an interesting project to pack and send it, but thankfully it arrived safe and sound for one very happy customer ”
The bike recycling scheme accepts bikes and trikes of any age, condition and size and local collection is available
To donate a bike, you should email your details to Paul at pushbikepaul4treetops@gmail com
l A volunteer working at the CVS food bankA YEAR to forget. In many respects, yes. But Village Vo i c e N e w s E d i t o r L u c y S t e p h e n s h a s b e e n o u t a n d a b o u t t o d i s c o v e r h o w s o m e o f o u r l o c a l b u s i n e s s e s and organisations have managed to cope throughout 2020.
Their stories are truly inspiring and we hope they and others will come through these tough times all the stronger.
“DIFFERENT.” That’s how Lou from Melbourne Tea Rooms sums up 2020.
With hospitality hard hit by lockdowns over the year, many cafes and restaurants have had to adapt to suit changing times
Melbourne Tea Rooms has been no different, offering home-made food such as cakes, quiches and a highly popular ‘cream tea in a box’ to take away.
“I did try and see the first lockdown as an opportunity that we were hopefully not going to get again,” said Lou (above) who marked 10 years at the tea rooms this year.
the venue’s interior.
“If I was going to sum up 2020, it’s been different,” she said “It’s been challenging, but we have tried to find the positives in it and I think there have been some It’s given me a lot of time for reflection about how I don’t want to do things and how we can improve things
“2021, I do firmly believe that some time we will be back to normal as we knew it
“The warmth we have had from people coming in here has just been amazing
Thursday
“People come and just appreciate what we are doing, that we are trying, we are doing what we can ” More
In the early summer, not able to open, she spent five weeks re-painting
FOR SCALLYWAGS NURSERY, which has sites in Melbourne and Chellaston, the challenge of 2020 has been how to manage looking after 180 children and staff in the time of Covid
As co-director Sarah Butler explains, it has not been easy but thanks to co-operation from staff, parents – not to mention the children themselves – the busy nursery has been able to adapt
“At the beginning of the year, it was all good news; our children were happy, it was all going really quite well,” she said “Then March came and everything was thrown up into the air ”
The biggest initial challenge, Sarah said, was in keeping up with the continually evolving guidance from the Government on how educational settings were expected to operate safely, and who was classed as a key worker entitling them to send children to nursery or school
The Melbourne Scallywags site was
“WE HAVE had a busy year at MELBOURNE LETS It has been interesting to see the changes which have arisen due to the pandemic Families relocating from cities to enjoy a more peaceful country life, an increase in investment buyers, plus offering support to people who have found 2020 a very difficult time
“Melbourne Lets has evolved due to changing practices and procedures which have arisen throughout Covid-19
“As always, we are so grateful to our wonderful team of trades people, who have been amazing throughout the year “2020 has been full of challenges but we are feeling positive for the future ”
locked down from March to the end of May, but families were still kept in touch with during that time
In June, as restrictions eased, the nursery re-opened and children started to go back
Today, Scallywags has had to put in place many procedures in order to look after all the children who go to the site from as young as a few months old
Staff wear masks in communal areas; the nursery closes earlier to allow for a daily deep clean; and children are separated into ‘bubbles’ with no cross over permitted between them and a separate entry door assigned to each
“The children have all come back really, really well,” said Sarah “A lot of children now are doing more hours than they were
“Parents have been amazing, they have all followed our guidance really well The staff have done really well We’re optimistic about 2021 ”
A COMMON sight in Britain in the sunny Spring of 2020 was how many people were seen out and about getting their daily exercise
But that had a knock-on effect too: more people getting injured and requiring the services of a physiotherapist
When the first lockdown was declared in the UK, MELBOURNE PHYSIOTHERAPY AND SPORTS INJURY CLINIC on Castle Street shut down
Physiotherapist Stuart Warnock (pictured) was still offering advice to patients over the phone, however
But, says Laura Warnock, they were able to open again fairly soon in order to provide an important health service and take pressure off the NHS
“We count ourselves very lucky,” she said
“When our governing body advised that if we could clinically see people face to face, we should do so Patients ended up in a lot of pain through not seeing people for a few weeks
“During lockdown, a lot of people upped their exercise too ”
The clinic has put in place safety measures, such as allowing extra time between patients to disinfect, as well as wearing masks and having hand sanitiser in place
2020 has been a “rol tions, says John Sm TREE CARE
As a tree surgery b Care, which has been had already had plen during 2020, helping m services after Februa “I had 100 calls in storms,” said John Then, after lockdo like all other busine needed to be given to safety
That meant things people’s properties, a
lercoaster” of emomithard of EDEN
usiness, Eden Tree going for 18 years, nty to contend with meet demand for its ry’s storms one day during the own was declared, sses, consideration staff and customer
like not going into and ensuring gates
EARLIER this year, during the first lockdown, a priest friend commented ‘this is the Lentiest Lent I’ve ever known”, says
MELBOURNE PARISH CHURCH VICAR STEVE SHORT.
Their comment was a reflection on just how much had to be given up during Lent 2020 compared to normal Overnight our world had changed almost beyond recognition and, for sure, our hands had never been so clean
Like many others in March, I began using hand moisturiser as well as the omnipresent hand sanitiser!
Many clergy, myself included, became increasingly familiar with Facebook, Zoom, Face Time as well as our landline phones in an effort to keep in touch and stage online acts of worship
In the midst of such challenging times, it has been incredibly humbling to witness the efforts of so many to reach out to the isolated and vulnerable in new, creative and safe ways It has also been incredibly humbling and profoundly moving to work with families who have had to say goodbye to loved ones and put together funerals with lockdown restrictions preventing almost every normal way of contact Weddings, too, have been a challenge for everyone involved but, undeterred, happy couples and their families (hopefully aided by the clergy and colleagues) have found ever inventive and innovative ways of ensuring the celebrations have been full of joy and hope for the future
It is important to reflect on the past as it is to look to our future I don’t know about you but I want a very large party when we are able! My curacy in Tewkesbury coincided with those 2007 great floods where people died and hundreds were made home-
We are friendly establishment located on the outskirts of rural Melbourne o ering comfortable, secure accommodation, 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 facilities.
less A year later in the summer of 2008 a huge festival based in and around the abbey called ‘over the rainbow’ was held It was a time of looking back and remembering as well as looking to the future with renewed hope and determination
Perhaps we might be able to host something similar in our towns and villages when safe to do so? This when we are able to gather – to eat, to drink, to tell stories, to laugh, to cry, to shape our future together
We know that there are going to be hard times ahead even when vaccines are rolled out, but even when socially distant we never have to be emotionally distant As we journey forward together, I am reminded of a quotation of Mahatma Ghandi: ‘‘The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”
The season of Lent that I began with can indeed be a time when things are ‘given up’ but it can also be a time when extra is ‘taken on’
What might we ‘take on’ to benefit others in a post-COVID world?
are open before arrival
John said: “We knew the virus was on its way I think everybody downplayed it and it was a massive shock when it happened
“When you have your own business, you put so much effort into it I’ve been through the recession in 2010 – it’s quite scary
“But we were able, with a few adjustments to how we work, to carry on ”
At the end of quite a year, John is grateful that Eden Tree Care has pulled through
“I feel so lucky,” he said
THIS year ’s Remembrance Day was a vastly different occasion from usual, given the advice to stay at home and observe the national lockdown.
The forecourt at the Royal British Legion in Melbourne, normally thrang with participants marshalling for the parade, was abandoned, the streets silent and deserted even the Union flag at half-mast in the Market Place barely moved At the Cenotaph a small party of officials and dignitaries were cordoned off to pay respects on behalf of the village and a small gathering of around 50, all sensibly observing social distancing, had collected for the event, notwithstanding the advice
Oddly, with a smaller congregation, the occasion felt more sombre as a single bell tolled from the Parish Church; the voices of RBL (Royal British Legion) officials David Worrall
The churches pray that you and your loved ones will know God's special peace and joy this Christmas. We wish you every blessing as you celebrate Christmas in the best way you can. You are very welcome to join our services, but please note that there may be changes at short notice. Please check beforehand.
Shepherds were watching their sheep near Bethlehem. Suddenly God's angel stood over them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great, joyful event for the world. A Saviour has just been born. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.” At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises, “Glory to God in the heavenly heights. Peace to all people on earth.” Luke 2: 8-14
and Kevin Iliffe then echoed the Exhortation and, later, the Kohima Epitaph across Church Square, and The Lsst Post was hauntingly played by Cathy Lester The two minutes’ silence was immaculately observed, with even the aeroplanes silenced As reported in last month’s Village Voice, East Midlands Airport had agreed to suspend flights for two minutes to mark Remembrance Day following a request from Melbourne Parish Council
Airport managing director Clare James said: “Having served for over 20 years in the RAF, I know personally how important it is to hold two minutes’ silence to remember those who have made a massive sacrifice to keep us safe In a busy world, especially at a time when things are uncertain, it’s more important than ever to set aside a moment of reflection on Remembrance Sunday Therefore I have agreed with Mel-
Melbourne Baptist Church
th Sunday 20 December 10:30am
Christmas Celebration and Sunday School Prize Giving
Please check or phone 01332 863726
www.melbournebaptistchurch.com
Our Lady of Mary and St Philip Neri, Melbourne
Christmas Eve 9:00pm Christmas Midnight Mass
Christmas Day 10:30am Christmas Day Mass
Please contact 01332 862631
To book go to
www.massbooking.uk
Melbourne Methodist Church
All the details of our Christmas services, Zoom links and YouTube services will be posted on Facebook page: Melbourne Methodist Church - UK
Website:
www.melbournemethodistchurch.com
Melbourne Parish Church
Sunday 20th December 6:30pm Online Carol Service
(pre-recorded and broadcast on our Facebook page)
Christmas Eve 4pm Online Facebook Christingle & Crib Service
Midnight Mass 11.30 pm at St George’s, Ticknall
(Please book a place by phoning 01332 862647)
Christmas Day 10.30 am Family Eucharist (to book your place please phone 07747 898638 or email rach.short27@gmail.com)
Website:www.melbourneparishchurch.org.uk
Melbourne United Reformed Church
th Sunday 20 December 10:30am Christmas Celebration
Christmas Day 10:30am Family Christmas Praise
Please check Church Notice Board or Website:
www.melbourneurc.church
Telephone enquiries: 01332 862175
Above: Andy Boardman with the Royal British Legion standard. Right: Cathy Lester playing The Last Post. Far right: Cllr Sheila Hicklin of Melbourne Parish Councilbourne Parish Council that there will be no flights over the area during the two minutes at 11am on Remembrance Day in order to help the period of time be totally silent for Remembrance to be observed ”
Wreaths were laid by Deputy Lieutenant for Derbyshire, Mr David Williams, by Mr Brian Budd on behalf of the RBL, and for the parish council, Ms Sheila Hicklin Others were able to lay wreaths after the official ceremony had ended, including a wreath laid on behalf of the Royal Engineers at the site on Church Street, marking the spot where nine soldiers lost their lives in a bombing of 11 July 1940
Elsewhere in Melbourne, some residents partici-
pated in the occasion on their doorsteps
Cheryl Webster, who alongside neighbours in Quick Close observed the two minutes’ silence outside their houses at 11am, said: “I think this brings us together as neighbours It’s a shared experience ”
After the commemoration David Worrall said he thought that given the circumstances “it had gone very will indeed”, although it had made him feel a bit more nervous for some reason He also quipped, noting the foggy but dry weather, that in 29 years of organising, it still had never rained on his parade!
Words: Lucy Stephens, Frank Hughes Pictures: Tina Baker
Daniel runs our Family Butchery, where you can buy Award Winning* hand-made sausages, dry-cured bacon, and pork, beef and lamb. We are now also taking orders of cockerels, turkeys and other meat for Christmas. At
*National Trust Fine Farm Produce Award.
Left: Devin Bethal with the standard and Andrew Vitner in Aston-on-Trent.
Right: Wreath layers paying their respects in Melbourne.
PEOPLE of my age and older will perhaps remember the 1969 recording of Silent Night by Simon and Garfunkel
As they sweetly sing the carol, the voice of a newsreader is heard over the music, describing the latest happenings in Vietnam We are clearly intended to contrast the quiet, silent holiness of the night in the carol with the real night described in the news, a night full of war and violence
Carols can be misleading, particularly many of the well-loved Victorian ones They all too often paint an idyllic scene of quaint little Bethlehem in its “deep and dreamless sleep”, of angels “bending on hovering wing” and the shepherds “leaving their flocks to draw nigh with holy fear”
Even the “lowly cattle-shed with oxen standing by” has a certain rustic charm, and the baby doesn’t disturb the peace either with the usual shrill cries, because “little Lord Jesus no crying he makes!”
By contrast, many of the writers of the carols in the late Middle Ages recognised much better what was really important in the Christmas story; namely, that the world was all too often a harsh and sinful place, both then and in the time of Jesus
Think of the Coventry Carol: “Herod the King, in his raging, charged he had this day his men of might in his own sight all young children to slay”
The world into which Jesus was born was far from always silent
and holy Bethlehem was full of hustle and noise as the crowds gathered for the state census There were taxes to be paid to a foreign power The stable was not chosen for its rustic charm, but because it was marginally better than sleeping rough on the streets A cruel despotic king was breathing threats of murder, so much so that Mary and Joseph fled as homeless asylum-seekers in Egypt The world of the Christmas story is a world where the powerful oppress the weak and the poor, where women and children all too often come off the worst, where there is money to be made by some, whilst others go penniless, where the little people get lost in the crowd and pushed to one side Sounds familiar?
Of course, it is the same world of human sinfulness into which the love of God came in the person of Jesus all those years ago The Christmas story is not a fairy tale full of “once upon a times” and “happily ever afters”, but a story of the real world, our world, which God came to heal and renew in Jesus Christ “God so loved the world that he gave his Son,” said Jesus to Nicodemus
The Christmas message is not about providing an escaping from the world, but about loving the world back to life That is why the Christmas message is one of hope in every age and is an occasion for rejoicing, even in the midst of Covid-19 restrictions
Have a very Happy and Hopeful Christmas
Tony
The Rev’d Tony Luke is Rector of Aston on Trent, Elvaston, Weston on Trent, Shardlow, Swarkestone, Barrow upon Trent and Twyford and Club Chaplain at Derby County FC
Everyone at the Village Voice wish our readers, advertisers and distributors a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS and a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.
and Jonathan Sread of Poplars Farm supplied this year ’s Melbourne tree Peter is pictured centre, behind the tree, Jonathan is far right, with Robert Holman, of Melbourne Parish Council, Dan Castledine (far left) and Dan Gale of Aspen Tree Surgery, who helped install the tree, which is seen (right) lit up
THINGS may be very different this year, but the traditional festive walk is still going ahead in Aston-onTrent.
The free route and quiz for this year ’s ramble will be available from December 21 from the Post Office, Village Shop, church porch, pubs, and from www.astonon-trent co uk
Anyone who wants to take part is invited to do so at any time during the festive period, answering the quiz questions as they do.
Answers will be posted on the church door
Any donations will go towards funding a safe new staircase for All Saints Church’s bell ringers.
Dougie
l Peter
l Melbourne town centre
Do you have a child starting school in 2021?
Are you a family looking for a place for a primary school child?
Are you looking for a school offering a warm and friendly Christian ethos, in a beautiful setting with small class sizes? THEN LOOK NO FURTHER.
Due to Covid 19 guidance we are not able to hold our new intake open days as we normally do. However, please contact the school office on 01332 862572 and we will arrange a virtual meeting with you so that you can find out what St Hardulph's has to offer your child.
ST HARDULPH’S C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL
Main Street, Breedon on the Hill DE73 8AN 01332 862572 www.st-hardulphs.leics.sch.uk
Headteacher – Mrs Kelly Ellis
July 20, 1941 –November 10, 2020
BORN in Redditch, Worcestershire, Brian grew up with his sister, Daphne, at the Green Door Tea Rooms in Pershore He made many great friends while at school in Worcester, with whom he was in touch right until the end
In the early sixties Brian studied at the National College of Food Technology in Weybridge, which later became the Food Science department at Reading University, graduating with distinction Here, he continued to pursue his love of sports He went on to join English Grains Ltd in Burton-uponTrent as a food technologist, developing yeast-based flavours for savoury snacks and soups He also worked on a diverse range of foods including granary bread and fru grains Brian settled down with his first wife, Gilly, in Ingleby, where children Gareth and Kristy grew up In 1970, Brian was invited to join a partnership with Gordon Booth and they created Booth Smith Technology Based at the “Piggery” at the bottom of the garden, it was there that he grew his knowledge of food-making processes, people and the world Over the next 50 years he contributed technical excellence and innovation to hundreds of food manufacturing projects worldwide, bringing about many collaborations in sectors such as infant food, instant tea, date syrup, croutons and malted beverages
11 July 1933 –
1 November 2020
EILEEN was born in Bulawayo in what was then Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe She was eldest of seven, with five brothers and a sister Her father was a miner and her mother a housewife There was no money for luxuries, especially during World War
Two
Eileen started out her training as a nurse, before changing to become a switchboard operator She became a relief operator, travelling around the country with her work Later in life, she became a driving instructor
When her husband, Peter, retired, the couple came to the UK, settling in Devon, where Eileen worked in several different places The couple returned to Africa when Eileen’s youngest brother was killed in a motorcycle accident
They lived in South Africa, returning to the UK in November 2010 with her husband, eldest daughter Yvonne and son-in-law, Clive The family lived in Nottingham for two years, before buying a house in Melbourne where they have lived since 2012
A new chapter began for Brian when he married Kandy in 1983 The couple enjoyed some very memorable, exciting and adventurous trips together, of the sort that only come to those who manage to combine work projects in the back of beyond with holidays
Travelling with Booth Smith Technology saw Brian and Kandy travel to many European countries, India, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Mozambique Wonderful at networking, he carried out many projects, especially in Africa involving feasibility studies, start-up business and co-operatives on a huge array of crops and products
Described by one colleague as an “encyclopaedia and world atlas of the food industry” Brian continued to travel extensively into his 70s with the energy and enthusiasm of someone more than half his age Sadly, he lost Kandy in 2019, when she was 69 He then moved to son Gareth’s house in Melton Mowbray
Brian contracted coronavirus in October 2020, and died three weeks later His sudden decline from a healthy, vigorous and enthusiastic man was shocking and unexpected
As one friend put it: “The book of ‘The Life of Brian’ would have been the Gulliver ’s Travels of the world of food for all to read, enjoy and learn Brian, a one-off, taken far too soon from us, as there was still much to do, and he will be missed greatly ”
zens Club, giving each member a gift at Christmas She also joined the Wednesday Group at Melbourne Assembly Rooms, becoming a leader, and giving each member a bottle of wine, chocolates or biscuits at Christmas However, ill health meant she stopped going along at the start of 2020
A kind, caring, loving, genuine and straight-talking person, Eileen never let the hard times she had been through affect her Rather, they made her into what she was: a strong woman with a presence that drew people to the family home from all walks of life
If Eileen heard a child crying outside the gate, she would go out and offer comfort in the form of one of her knitted toys, taking time to chat to the parent for all to part smiling
Eileen had a strong faith, which became particularly important when her eldest son, Terry, was murdered in Zimbabwe It was something that never left her but strengthened her faith in God, and enabled her to forgive the perpetrators in her heart
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Eileen enjoyed many aspects of local community life A keen knitter, she joined the Monday Knitting Group at Melbourne Parish Church until mobility issues prevented her from going
On Thursdays, she attended the Senior Citi-
Eileen will be sadly missed by the local community and those who loved her far and wide She leaves a son, Paul, who lives in Australia, her daughter and son-in-law Yvonne and Clive, Lorna and Richard in South Africa, Su in Australia and one grand-daughter, Carla
EAST Midlands Airport is to receive up to £8million in Government support
A statement from South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler announced news of the funding for East Midlands and Birmingham airports – part of £100million awarded to airports nationally
The money is the equivalent of the business rates the airport would have to pay, the statement said
The extra funding is intended to provide security by protecting jobs at the airport, where many local people work
The Government has also announced plans to reduce the time needed to self-isolate after travelling abroad
It is hoped this will help boost the aviation industry
Mrs Wheeler said: “I am thrilled that East Midlands and Birmingham Airports will receive up to £8 million each to
help it protect jobs during these challenging times
“Alongside the new testing strategy which could reduce the risks and the need to quarantine, I hope this funding will support jobs and businesses in our communities
“There are many in South Derbyshire who work at East Midlands or Birmingham Airport and I hope this news provides them with some reassurance ”
l At the bench are Chris Knight, Phil Foxon, Rosie Featherstone and John Hings
Above is Jim Morrison in his Ctype Jaguar.
A COMMUNITY champion who succumbed to Covid-19 earlier this year has been honoured with a new bench in Tonge
The steel bench, painted British Racing Green, was erected on the green in the centre of Tonge to honour James Morrison, who died in April
The bench was inspired by Melbourne’s 2018 war memorial centenary bench and honours Jim’s long record of community work
He served as chairman of Burton Hospital’s NHS Trust for over seven years, was a proactive member of Breedon Parish Council and chaired the Tonge And Breedon HS2 Action Group, TABAG, since its inception in 2013
TABAG’s purpose was to preserve Tonge and Breedon from damage potentially caused by HS2, which originally was planned to run through Tonge
It was only when an updated map for the high speed railway’s route was revealed with HS2 realigned alongside the A42, running on the opposite side of the road to Tonge, that TABAG felt able to finally celebrate success
The money left in TABAG’s fighting fund, together with donations from the Tonge community, allowed the memorial bench to be commissioned from engineering firm David Ogilvie of Kilmarnock
Speaking on behalf of TABAG, John Hings said: “When I saw Melbourne’s bench
at their war memorial commemorating the November 2018 centenary of the Armistice, I thought a similar one would be a fitting memorial for the man who had done so much to support and help our community
“Once we knew our HS2 campaign was successful, the people of Tonge supported the proposal that the money should be used to honour Jim ’’
The bench will be passed over to Breedon Parish Council, who agreed to take formal ownership on behalf of the current and future Tonge community and who will naturally inherit the next stage of work to monitor any local impacts during the construction of HS2
THERE’S so much interesting mythology and cultural history surrounding trees and, obviously, at this time of year a lot of us will be decorating a Christmas tree.
Traditionally the tree would have been decorated (thanks Wiki) with paper roses, apples and sweet treats, but today’s tree is likely to have a lot of plastic involved in its decoration – main culprit, tinsel!
Yes I know it’s lovely and twinkly but it’s not very environmentally friendly; by all means keep using what you have already but please don’t go buying any new. Don’t let the plastic Christmas sparkle dazzle you into spending your pennies!
What’s wrong with a good old-fashioned paper chain. You could just use all your old baubles, or go all natural and decorate with homemade decorations, strings of conkers or tie on some pinecones.
n In 2021 Whistlewood will be launching a volunteer-led project for ‘Tree Guardians’. We’ve nurtured our trees from saplings, and they are growing taller and stronger but now we need to manage and look after them in a different way. There will be more pruning, coppicing and health checks.
If you are interested in this side of our project and want to know more about trees and tree identification, keep check-
ing in on our Facebook page or website for more information.
n If you’re looking for an alternative green Christmas present, Whistlewood shares make a great eco gift (just saying) or you could ask Santa for an actual tree in your stocking.
Have you got space in your garden for a fruit tree? The end of winter, beginning of spring is the best time to plant bare rooted trees.
There’s loads of choice and think of all the bountiful fruit that you could have year after year. You can even get a ‘family’ tree, which has more than one variety on it, so you could have a dessert apple and a cooker all on the same tree. A very spacesaving option
The tree would need some care in its early years but if you choose carefully it wouldn’t be long before it produces some actual fruit. Bear in mind the space you have too; there are some dwarf rootstock fruit trees which stay very small or can even be grown in a pot. You get beautiful blossom in summer and fruit in autumn and come winter you could even decorate it for Christmas.
Wishing all the Village Voice readers peace and joy
– Katherine Parrish
MELBOURNE Festival team members are providing some Christmas cheer by writing cards for users of Community Care and the Senior Citizens Centre
Anyone who knows anyone who might appreciate a card is asked to drop a note through the Melbourne Festival gallery door at 2 Market Place
The Melbourne Gallery shop is open once again this Christmas
Visitors to the shop can add their Christmas wish to stars on the Christmas Tree made by Maggie Cooper
After Christmas, the festival team will be revealing more about their plans to collect photographs of favourite places in and around Melbourne
“Remember to take your camera on your Christmas walks!” they said
They are also still continuing to collect “Memories” of Melbourne – things that people love about the local community and what they are looking forward to next year
JOHN Williams eloquently expresses his frustrations with the medical practice in Melbourne (Village Voice, November) He asks where have our doctors gone? This question is the simplest one to answer
They have continued to work at both the Melbourne surgery and the Chellaston surgery since day one of the Covid pandemic
At the outbreak of the Covid pandemic NHS England stipulated that all Primary Care contact with patients should be via a telephone consultation This was in line with Government advice to ensure the safety of both parties GPs were more likely to be exposed to patients with Covid and, despite using PPE, could transmit infection
The Chellaston Medical Centre is a much larger building and served a larger population and was better suited to maintaining social distancing The decision was made to use Chellaston surgery as the main hub Doctors have continued to work at the
The writer of this letter has made it clear he is responding to John Williams’ letter of last month as an individual doctor, and not on behalf of Melbourne Surgery
THROUGHOUT the coronavirus pandemic, Melbourne Surgery has been open with doctors being always present and providing patient care
When a patient feels that they have symptoms that require a medical opinion, all that Mr Williams would require to do is to telephone the surgery, speak with a receptionist and they would subsequently be telephoned by a doctor, who may take any course of action from inviting the patient for a face to face appointment with a doctor, a prescription, that would be collectable with immediate effect, to a home visit, for example
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Melbourne site throughout this period and have continued to see patients in the Melbourne surgery when this has been necessary
The larger cohort of doctors have been working at the Chellaston surgery and have encouraged patients to attend that surgery when face to face contact has been necessary Yes, it has been inconvenient for some but so has this pandemic
The insistence that all initial contact is by telephone has had unexpected consequences The NHS computer system could not be adapted for internet bookings of appointments for telephone consultations This has created significant problems and the frustrations of both the provider and users of the system is clearly visible
A solution of employing more short-term staff is not that simple as any business managers will know Staff have to have cleared with police for DBS, computer training is required and a knowledge of how
Patients have received consultations at Melbourne Surgery throughout this pandemic and home visits are also sanctioned whenever appropriate
The unrestricted access to the Melbourne Surgery via the front doors has been curtailed as a public health measure as I am sure that Mr Williams is aware, for restriction of potential transmission of coronavirus Surely this is a pertinent, public health measure that he supports and understands
The phlebotomists are not employed by the surgery but by Derby CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group), who made a countywide decision to centralise phlebotomy provision The partners had no control on this decision and have been engaged with the Local Medical Council to attempt to facilitate this provision once
again
the “business” functions is not something that is learnt in a matter of days The back office at the Chellaston reception area is more like a call centre than the vision of a traditional doctor ’s reception –none of which is seen by patients who simply see one person at the front desk
Much has been said about the phlebotomy service at Melbourne Along with many of the services in Primary Care, phlebotomy as well as podiatry, physiotherapy, counselling, midwifery service, health visitors and district nursing staff are funded by the RDH and DCIS, and the GPs have no budget for these activities
Over the years I have argued against the withdrawal of these services and their removal from the Melbourne surgery The decision to remove phlebotomy from both the Melbourne surgery as well as Chellaston was not ours but that of the RDH to locate it more centrally We had no control over this
In answer to Mr Williams’ question: “Can a telephone interview really replace a visit to a doctor?”, in many cases it can indeed The practice, as has the whole of the NHS, has embraced the use of video consultations and email technology during this pandemic You correctly note that the NHS is straining but seem to allude that the surgery and in particular the doctors at the surgery have felt no impact of the increased demands and workload on the NHS
We work alongside our colleagues in secondary care and certainly do not advise people to attend accident and emergency unless we feel they have a medical need for an emergency assessment, such as chest pain Some of the surgery doctors also work in the GP streaming serv-
The parish council would like to welcome Joe Ward as a new councillor following the death of Andrew Jackson earlier on in the year.
Like everything else COVID-19 has disrupted most of the traditions and events that Melbourne usually puts on. The Wakes were cancelled but a small attraction did come so as to not to break the years old charter.
The Remembrance Parade that Melbourne does so well and for which many people turn out to pay their respect, was scaled down to a simple but poignant service at the War Memorial.
The council would like to thank the Branch of Melbourne Royal British Legion for all their hard work and assistance to make ensure the event followed all the relevant guidelines.
After months of planning the V.E. Day celebrations also had to be cancelled. The council working alongside Andy Hea eld, had an afternoon of great entertainment lined up at the Melbourne Sporting Partnership.
The summer sports scheme, another popular event had to be cancelled. Melbourne at Christmas is another event that has had to be cancelled however the Christmas trees will be in place by early December and the lights will turned on without Santa's help this year.
It hasn't been all doom and gloom though - on a brighter note, the hanging baskets this year provided a wonderful burst of colour throughout the Market Place and Derby Road, local company Sharpes did a wonderful job.
Andy Twigge from Radio Derby and John Wall were the guests at the opening of the new public toilets. The new toilets are a wonderful asset to our village.
The new small children's play equipment is now installed at the Lothian Gardens and we hope it provides many happy hours of play for the younger children in our community. The Lothian Garden will reopen as soon as guidelines allow.
All that remains is for the parish council to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year.
Sheila Hicklin, Chair Melbourne Parish Council
decision “He who pays the piper calls the tune ”
It might surprise people to learn that 90% of all patient contacts in a year are with Primary Care but Primary Care received 10% of the budget
Over the past 32 years spent working as a GP here in Melbourne I have seen many doctors come and go They have all tried to provide personalised care wherever possible and I believe the skill and dedication of those doctors working in this practice is no different to that shown previously
Times have changed, attitudes have changed, demands on a system have increased and we are all working towards a common goal Doctors too are human and need a work life balance like everyone else
John Williams has indicated areas of management where we can improve We shall try to do so
Dr James Long Melbourne Surgeryice at both the Royal Derby Hospital and Burton Queens Hospital and feel the frustration when patients have attended inappropriately so they would never condone hospital attendance unless clinically indicated
The doctors have worked on Bank Holidays, evenings and weekends during the pandemic; these duties were performed extraneously to normal NHS commitments to help support the NHS during the pandemic and have worked extremely long days, in order to provide highly efficient and targeted health care, to patients like Mr Williams
Several partners have participated out of their normal surgery hours in working for the CCG covid home visiting service and the CCG covid ambulant patient hub, therefore putting their lives at risk
They have not limited access to Melbourne Surgery to protect their own health but have done so to protect that of patients and of other members of the surgery staff The work is often busy, very challenging and, ultimately, dangerous I have personally experienced a colleague's passing away with coronavirus infection, in the ‘call of his duty'!
So shame on you Mr Williams
If one could suggest to him, he should write a letter of apology, for his odious and offensive letter, particularly his ignorant statement “Where have our doctors gone?” He should temper his irritability with gaining some critical insight into the commitment shown to patients by the Melbourne and Chellaston Surgeries throughout this very difficult time Dr Keith Wolverson, Melbourne
ROBERT Parker ’s article ‘Changes that give food for thought’ in the Village Voice in November raises some very important issues
Firstly, the banning of a toxic class of insecticides (neonicotinoids) in one country, whilst they remain available in others, thereby giving those countries an unfair competitive advantage in producing oil seed rape, is clearly wrong
The answer, however, is NOT to reverse the ban in the UK, but to make the ban of such harmful chemicals universal and to control cabbage stem flea beetle by more environmentally friendly methods
There is now compelling evidence from independent studies, ie those not sponsored or conducted by the Agro Chemical industry, that neonicotinoids (Neonics) are harmful to bees in sublethal doses by reducing their fertility and their ability to navigate back to their colonies It is really not surprising that that bees are affected since these chemicals are systemic’ and thus found throughout a treated plant including in its nectar and pollen
It is also of very great concern that when seeds coated with neonics are sown more than 80% of this coating is washed off into the soil, where, depending upon soil type, these chemicals have been shown to persist for up to 16 years Clearly with annual usage their concentration in the soil (and water course) will progressively increase
Secondly, farmers are undoubtedly in for an anxious and uncertain time with so much change to their financial support However, these changes do need to be viewed through the lens of the climate and ecological emergency that we find ourselves in and the imperative for urgent and decisive action
The recently passed Agriculture Bill seeks to incentivise farmers to work with nature rather than
against it and so improve natural habitats and biodiversity, both of which we are losing at an alarming rate The bill is therefore a significant step forward and the government is to be congratulated on this
Thirdly, the article mentions the concern that the reduction of food production could be quite large’ (as the result of farmers carrying out environmental improvements) We should be reassured by knowing that we actually have more than enough land to feed ourselves if we became less reliant on eating meat and ate a more plant-based diet
Please note, I am NOT suggesting that we all become vegetarian or vegan, just that there is a need to reduce the amount of meat that we eat At present 60% of arable land is used to grow cereals and other food to feed animals and a proportion of this could be realistically diverted to produce food for us
Then there is food wastage We currently waste 30% of our food Reduce this, and again we use farmed land more effectively and at the same time find space for nature The slogan ‘look after nature and nature look will after us’ has a lot of merit
Finally, I couldn’t agree more with Robert that food grown or raised to lower environmental and animal welfare standards than ours should not be allowed into this country
Christian Murray-LeslieHAVE you enjoyed reading Robert Parker ’s Country Living columns, the last of which is in this edition? Have your say in next month’s Village Voice when we bring the curtain down on an era. Details on how to contact us are below.
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THE sad statement from our MP, Heather Wheeler, in the November edition of the Village Voice, I consider cannot pass without comment
This was, I believe, written as an attempt to justify her usual vote with the Government, this time to oppose the motion to supply free school meals to children during the half-term holiday I was pleased to note the large number of Conservative MPs who did not agree with her and voted against the Government whip
I, sadly, have first hand experience of having little food in the school holiday My father suddenly died through a heart attack some two weeks before Christmas in 1952 when I was just 10 years old
We went to our grandparents for Christmas so it was the New Year before we started with our free school meals; and, because the headteacher gave my mother a job as a dinner lady, she also got a free school dinner Weekends were hard, though, as there was little to eat until we were back in school on the Monday
The hunger problem really started with the Easter holiday My mother, I think, just stopped eating and my little sister and me were given what food there was available
I shall never forget the night my sister asked for food because she was hungry There was none to eat, and none for breakfast either
Thankfully, I do believe the Government has bowed to pressure from Marcus Rashford and decided that free school meals will in future continue through the school holidays
This is not a political attack on Heather Wheeler As from the day he was elected as MP for Watford, I had a lot of helpful dealings with the MP, Tristan Garel-Jones He was a Conservative, but always a caring and considerate constituency representative Brian Mayhew
LAURA and Richard Fortey are celebrating 10 years of being in business in Melbourne, and it has been “quite a journey” according to Laura
“We were a much smaller business when we began, mainly selling sweets to start off with,” she remembered, operating Forteys from the ground floor at No 2 Market Place
“Then we waited for three months for a planning application to be approved before we launched our coffee shop,” she recalled
“It was a complete change of lifestyle for us as well, as Richard had been made redundant and I gave up my corporate job But we had always wanted to do it, and Richard had driven through Melbourne, really liked it so we decided to give it a go
“Ten years on, we hope to finalise the lease on the whole building at
No 33 Market Place in the new year, so we have more exciting times ahead,” she added The move came about because son Harry had needed a suit and visited Rococco –“we said if you are ever thinking of moving let us know, and we made the move in January 2019”
A low point in the last decade has certainly been Covid Lockdown, “which forced us to do the outside garden more quickly than we planned But we decided that we did not want to shut down completely, as we wanted to support the village and the tie in with Hambleton bakery meant we were able to provide bread and cakes as well as takeaway teas and coffees ”
Trading as a small independent business is far from easy, and Laura says they have concentrated on what they do best, which is providing a great quality service in a very personal way
“We have built up an excellent re-
lationship with our many customers, and they have been extremely supportive in return ”
Behind the scenes, however, Laura brings her corporate experience to bear with detailed analysis of sales and profitability “If something is not working out, we are not frightened to stop; the reality is bills have to be paid, so we have to make sure we understand the numbers ”
It is hard work too – they have taken only one family holiday in the last 10 years, “and it was very tough too when I was ill two years ago, and Richard was managing on his own,” she said
Like most other businesses they are looking forward to the end of the current restrictions As well as
sweets, coffees, teas and food items, they now sell a small range of gift items – “all chosen specifically because we like them”, Laura added –and they are now selling their own brand of Italian coffee
“It’s a bit of a crossroads, as we have the space upstairs as well as outside now, so have to decide what to do next,” she said
Forteys has established itself as one of the focal points for the local community, and it is clearly apparent that is because of the commitment they show to providing an excellent service
“We think Melbourne is a very special place, along with the people,” they said –
Frank HughesNETBALL is back again in Melbourne, or rather it will be after the current covid interruption Castle Donington Netball has taken up an evening slot at Melbourne Sports Park (MSP) for regular sessions
“Back to Netball” previously ran at the MSP from September 2016 until August 2018 The coach back then, Fliss Moore, said, “there was a lovely atmosphere among the ladies who had the same goal: to enjoy netball, get back on court and benefit from a bit of fitness ” Sadly she “was gutted” that she had to give up coaching because of some very difficult family circumstances
After a break of over two years, ladies will have the chance to practise and play again
Rachel Scott, who coaches the Castle Donington group, said they will normally meet on Mondays from 7 30 until 9pm at MSP They have two teams in the North West Leicester League playing matches in Ashby on Sunday mornings New players of all abilities will be most welcome
They have a facebook page (cdnetballclub) For details about training email netballcd@gmail com to get in touch
They also have a resident poet amongst their number, and have penned a poem, from which the following lines are extracted: Seven months without netball, the best game in sport, Castle Donington Netball had taken their first steps back on to court
The whistle goes, the game begins,
Each team hoping it was them who wins
Whilst we all take our time to get back into form,
We realise that everyone was adapting to this the new norm Everyone working hard to make sure they are free, Only holding the ball for one, two, three Thank you to the NWL league committee for getting us back, Your drive and determination certainly does not lack With great heartache, we are forced to take a break, For
New
for
l Members of the netball team get ready to take to the court again.
in place for when training re-
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to maintain a greater social distance – Frank Hughes
which include modified
DESPITE the November lockdown there was a bit of local football early in the month.
Melbourne Dynamo Sunday side moved up to third place in the Derby Taveners division one with a convincing 4-1 away win against high flying Eaton Angels after going a goal behind
A superb penalty save by Ellis Dacre at 1-0 kept Melbourne in the game and a Liam Orme strike soon after equalised at the start of the second half
A close range Will Armstrong header, a cheeky flick by Harry Foxon and a stunning drive by top goalscorer Phil Mellors completed the comeback for Ross Carcary’s men as they moved up the table
just one point off the top
Melbourne Dynamo first team are still top of the CMFL Macron South Stoke Division 1 South, having won four out of four
Melbourne Dynamo Reserves sit proudly on top of the MRA Drayton PACS Division 1 going into the December re-start and the Dynamo Development side will look to climb the table from 12th in division two
One of the club’s junior sides, Melbourne Dynamo U16s, have had a positive start to the 2020/21 season, winning all four competitive games so far They find themselves top of the U16s Division 2 table and progressing to the next round of the U16s Cup
They started with a 5-1 cup win away at Mickleover with goals from Charlie Tovell (hat-trick) and one each from Samuel Whiteley and Felix Heard
They then followed this up with their first league game at home to Sherwin, where an excellent team performance saw them winning 13-2 with an outstanding strike contribution from Charlie Tovell (eight), and other goals from Noah Trivett (two), Freddie Oxspring, who the previous week had deputised in goal, and Samuel Whiteley and Seth Spencer
The third game was a closely fought contest against Spondon Dynamos Diamonds; the scores were locked at 0-0 at half-time Ten minutes into the second half, Melbourne conceded two sloppy goals against the run of play
Not to be beaten, they continued to push forward with Alex Walsh replying immediately with a 25-yard strike, followed by a second five minutes later to make it 2-2 Melbourne continued to play good passing football which paid off with the winner coming in the 70th minute, another fine strike from outside the box by Lucas Turrell
They had a close fought 2-1 victory against Spondon Dynamos with Alex Walsh and Seth Spencer getting the all-important goals just before the November lockdown The management duo of John Lewis and Andy Walsh are looking forward to the December re-start so the U16s can hopefully continue their unbeaten start to the season