Melbourne Village Voice November 2022

MORE SHOPS JOIN IN XMAS EXTRAVAGANZA

Council agrees to extended road closure for evening event

MELBOURNE’S Christmas shopping event is set to be big ger and better than ever this year with the closure of a longer stretch of road to include more of the village’s retail ers

Event co ordinator Sue Statham, of Melbourne Florist & Gifts, said the Christmas shopping evening on December 2 was the retailers’ and businesses’ thank you to local people for their support over the year

Melbourne Parish Council has asked to extend the closure of Derby Road this year all the way to its junction with Queensway so that as many businesses are able to benefit from the festive evening

The parish council and Sue have been having meetings for months to make sure the event goes with a swing

Sue said: “As business owners it’s our way of saying thank you to Melbourne for supporting us all year

“With the road closure being extended this year hopefully more shops will get some cus tomer support It’s going to be bigger and better than ever!

“It’s just a really, really good festival I hope people come down, have a drink, get merry and enjoy themselves!”

Melbourne Parish Council chair Cllr Terry Summerlin said: “We’re trying to build on what we had last year for this one I hope everybody from Mel bourne and Kings Newton can

by Lucy Stephens

come down and have a great time It’s a way of getting the community ready for Christmas and into the festive spirit Sue has been doing a great job for us ”

The Christmas shopping evening takes place on Friday, December 2, with the lights switch on at 6pm

The Village Voice has received word that Santa himself will be taking a breather in his busy schedule to come by on the night, in time for the lights switch on

As well as shops opening up in the evening, the event also fea tures stalls organised by local businesses and organisations, including Amalfi White and Wayne Spiers the butcher Mel bourne Animal Farm are sched uled to bring some of their furry friends down for the occasion

There will be a fairground ride for little elves plus music for all including from Melbourne Town Band, the local steel band and A’ Choir ’d Taste

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Crime writer reveals clues

MELBOURNE Assembly Rooms was the setting for a ‘Meet the Author ’ evening with Derby crime writer Mark Eklid

Mark, who was well known as a Derby Telegraph cricket reporter, discussed his four crime thrillers, read from the latest (The Murder of Miss Perfect) and signed copies, complete with witty inscriptions

In an informal question and answer session, led by Andy Heafield, and the lively discussion which followed, Mark explained that he always started with the plot, and had been drawn to crime writing because he ‘liked killing people off ’

He enjoyed seeing his characters develop a life of their own as the book progressed

All his novels are standalone with different main characters; the unifying theme is that they are all set in Sheffield, and he could envisage at least one of the char acters being played by Sean Bean!

Mark recounted some of the awkward situations he had got into researching for his crime scenes For example, in the in terests of accuracy he had been to a large supermarket to ask if he could see the area behind the store so he could work out where it would be possible to dump a body! And for The Murder of Miss Perfect he had questioned an academic in some detail about how the consequences would play out if a teacher se duced a pupil He couldn’t even say he was asking for a friend!

Mark is a very entertaining speaker, passionate about his subject, and loves to engage with his audience all of which made for a fantastic evening Margaret Gildea

New group is now needed to run library

DERBYSHIRE County Council Libraries are now looking for a new organisation to transform the local library in Melbourne into a community run service, after the group who initially put forward a business case decided to withdraw

Of the original plan to transform 20 of the county’s 45 libraries into community led enter prises, Woodville has successfully opened, and three others are still in the procurement process

The remaining 16, including Melbourne, are now looking for new partner organisations or groups to work with

The group who had expressed an interest in Melbourne decided to withdraw earlier this year as, following the long interruption of Covid, plans for longer term funding beyond the initial sup

by Frank Hughes

port package were no longer viable

It was clear, too, that no additional funding support would be made available under the scheme

In addition, the stated policy that no libraries would close under the current administration gave an assurance that the local library was safe from closure

Phil Dobby, who chaired the local group, said: “It is with regret that we had to withdraw as we simply could not guarantee longer term funding for a community library and the assurance that the library would not close removed one of the original reasons for being involved ”

CHILDREN from a primary school have been enjoying a calming ‘paws’ in their day by reading a story book to a dog

Poppy, a nine year old Jack Rus sell cross who was born in a rescue kennel, sits down calmly with her paws crossed as children line up to read her a page of their book.

Poppy and her owner, Elaine Fountain, have been visiting We ston on Trent Primary School each week as part of the Pets as Ther apy charity which aims to enhance wellbeing in different communities through the companionship of pets.

The idea behind the reading scheme in schools is to allow chil dren some of whom may be reluc tant readers to get the chance to read to an animal which may pro vide a more calming environment

Elaine said the Pets as Therapy charity was a highly valuable one and there were not enough volun teers and pets to meet the demand.

Anyone interested in getting in volved in the activity is asked to visit the charity’s website on https://petsastherapy org/

SIGNING ... ( left to right) Fiona Wilson (who was buying a copy for her mother in hospital), Linda Mills, Mark Eklid and Simon Gotheridge.

£2,000 in Carnival cash handed out to charities

by Lucy Stephens

LOCAL charities have bene fited to the tune of more than £2,000 after this year ’s Melbourne Carnival com mittee held its annual awards evening.

The Carnival was back with a bang this year after a two year absence due to Covid Record crowds of more than 2,500 people turned out to watch the opening procession and enjoy an afternoon of stalls, food and entertainment in the sunshine

Every year the carnival raises thousands of pounds for charities and the recipients are given their cheques at a special awards evening later in the year

This year ’s event was held on October 20 in the Royal British Legion on Derby Road

The carnival committee handed out more than £2,000 to more than 20 local charities, in cluding Melbourne Community Care, Whistlewood Common, Melbourne Scouts, and the in fant and junior schools Parent Teacher Associations

Carnival committee chair Rachel Hill said: “The carnival was a real success this year and it’s great to have the opportu nity to be able to give back to the community like this, espe cially to all the volunteer groups like the Methodist Church and Rotex, amongst others, whose help is invaluable in running the day I can’t wait for next year ’s carnival!”

Drum roll please … the car nival committee has also an nounced the theme of next year ’s carnival It is “Around the World”

Every year, a new carnival theme is announced so that local organisations putting to gether their floats for the pro cession which kicks off

FETE

proceedings can get their thinking caps on to come up with some spectacular ideas The theme for the carnival in 2022 was Melbourne Does Mu sicals, giving rise to a wide range of floats and procession characters including Aladdin, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty

Bang Bang and School of Rock The guest of honour in 2022 was John Wall

The carnival committee has also announced the date of this year ’s Annual General Meeting, which is being held on Novem ber 22 at The Spirit Vaults

All are welcome to attend

Evening bus service still not back in action

A LACK of bus drivers is making it difficult to get the number two Arriva evening service be tween Melbourne, Derby and Swadlincote back up and running

We reported in our October edition that the bus service connecting Derby, Melbourne, Tick nall and Swadlincote in the evenings had been cut from October 2

The sudden cancelling of the service has af fected many in the area, including people trying to get to work and visit loved ones in hospital, as well as attend social gatherings

Arriva said the subsidy that enabled them to keep the service going had been withdrawn

A spokesperson for the operator said it knew how important bus services were to passengers

in Derbyshire, but a combination of reduced pas senger numbers and higher operational costs meant some services were no longer economically viable

However, both Arriva and Derbyshire County Council said they were working together to get the service back up and running again

When Village Voice asked at the end of October how this was going, a spokesperson for Der byshire County Council said: “We are still hoping to get this service up and running again but a local and national lack of bus drivers is making this difficult

“We are doing all we can working with the op erator to get this service back and would hope to have some news in the next few weeks ”

Students get to quiz our MP

It was Question Time for South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler when she visited a local university to chat to stu dents

Mrs Wheeler went to the University of Nottingham to address students on October 21

She was invited as part of the university’s School of Poli tics series of talks by politi cians over lunchtimes on Fridays

Mrs Wheeler said: “I am al ways very happy to speak to students both at our local uni versities as well as our college and schools in South Der byshire

“Students always have the most interesting questions and insights and today’s ques tions were no different Partic ularly in the current situation the questions were extremely pertinent and well informed

“I aways explain what got me in to politics and then more about the realities of the job

“You never know, I may just be encouraging a future Prime Minister or other equally im portant public servant such as a local councillor to start work ing ”

l Members of the Melbourne Carnival committee with this year ’s Carnival Queen in attendance and recipients of the cheques.

Photo: JANSEN BROWN STUDIOS

Our story leads couple to take a long dog walk

THE Village Voice has many uses one of them has been to inspire a Melbourne couple to go on a very long walk, with their dog!

Dave and Fiona Wilson and border collie Sky have re cently returned from an epic trek walking the length of the Trent & Mersey Canal

Running 93 miles from Preston Brook in Cheshire all the way to Shardlow, Dave said the couple’s interest in complet ing the walk had been sparked by reading in this newspaper of friends Andy Hobson and Matt Neill, who had done the same thing earlier this year.

He said: “We walk and cycle up the canal towpath and you can see the mile post which says it’s 87 miles to Preston Brook. You wonder where Preston Brook is and you think ‘Is it navigable to walk the length of the canal?’

“I saw the feature in the Village Voice about the two lads that had walked from Preston Brook. I realised then that it was possible to walk the length of the canal so we set about researching how long it would take and suitable stopping places, so we walked a reasonable distance over seven days ”

Dave and Fiona took the train to Runcorn in Cheshire to begin the long walk back home.

Fiona said: “The canal was beautiful Most of it was in the open countryside There was some lovely scenery

“It was great because we didn’t really go near many roads for the whole week ”

The couple said that, while they had enjoyed the chal lenge, it had been hard going at times. Passing through the 1 6 mile Harecastle Tunnel as darkness was beginning to fall was somewhat daunting, but they were pleased to finally reach their destination at Shardlow at the end of the week.

Fiona said: “It was difficult, quite an ordeal, and it did rain on the first day! But it was interesting and I realised I could do more than I thought I could.”

Pharmacy explains reasons for delays

STAFFING problems and the volume of work coming through at Melbourne Phar macy have resulted in delays for patients getting necessary medication.

“There have been colleague changes recently and we were below staff numbers, but we have been recruiting lately and providing training so that new staff are fully up to speed,” said tempo rary pharmacist manager Mohammad Madar bukus He also advised that a new pharmacy manager had been recruited and was due to start soon

The problems had been exacerbated recently, he advised, by the sheer volume of requests com ing through The local chemists dispense around 7,600 items every month, somewhere between 15 and 18 “blister” packs (of weekly drug doses) and supply to two care homes Then there are also the in store inquiries to deal with At the moment there are four part time staff covering all the work

Mohammad also suggested that the local sur gery could help by advising that the turnaround time to fill prescriptions was around three days, to change the expectation that once the prescrip tion has been forwarded it is ready to collect He said that there is a lot of work at the pharmacy to make up medication and not everything is al ways available in stock

by Frank Hughes

Staff have been getting complaints and even abuse from frustrated patients, but most people on social media understand that the problems are not the fault of the staff, who are doing their best in trying circumstances

A spokesperson from Well Pharmacy said: “Our pharmacy in Melbourne has recently been expe riencing some operational challenges We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers

“Our management team are supporting the pharmacy to ensure that we can get back to our normal level of customer service as soon as pos sible We encourage patients to sign up for our free text messaging service They will receive a text message when their medication is ready for collection and thus avoid unnecessary trips ”

Mohammad was also in Melbourne to provide the flu vaccination service located at the British Legion He said that they had successfully run a blood pressure clinic earlier in the year and had responded to the many requests to return with a flu jab clinic

About 60 people a day had dropped in during the five day stay and, as a result, it is hoped to do the same next autumn

THE Big Village Small Town music event taking place in Melbourne over the late Bank Holiday weekend in May next year continues to grow

Organisers say the latest announcement of perform ers and venues means Big Village Small Town looks to take its place as an annual event that will prove to be popular with both local and far afield music lovers.

Ticket details and further additions to the line up are

to be announced shortly in cluding other venues taking part in the Big Village Small Town

Event manager Andy Heafield said: “This will be the event’s first year but I’m hopeful that it will become a fixture in the music calen dar, the signs are already there in the reaction to the performers attending and the enthusiasm locally from other venues ”

LEFT: Dave and Fiona Wilson in the early stages of the walk from Preston Brook to Shardlow along the Trent and Mersey Canal

ABOVE: Fiona with border collie Sky at the Preston Brook tunnel.

MELBOURNE has a new restaurant set to open its doors this month, and a chef who has cooked food fit for The King is in the kitchen!

Married couple Matt and Evie Clayton are planning to open their new 20 cover restaurant, Leddy’s, in the High Street at the end of Novem ber

Matt, who has cooked for King Charles and the late Queen, said opening his own place was a dream come true

He said: “Obviously, it has always been a dream to open my own restaurant We’re really excited to open up and do something for the com munity, do it all ourselves, and hopefully bring some really nice food and wine to Melbourne and Derbyshire I’m really proud and thankful for the opportunity ”

Over the last 20 years Matt has worked in some of the county’s most prestigious restaurants including Fischer ’s at Baslow Hall, The Peacock at Rowsley, The Cathedral Quarter Hotel in Derby, and The Lace Market Hotel in Notting ham, as well as Melbourne’s own Amalfi White where he was head chef

It was while working at The Cathedral Quarter Hotel that he cooked for the late Queen and cur rent King, as part of the Maundy service lunch eon He was also a contestant on Masterchef: The Professionals in 2018

The new venture is being housed in the prem ises that has been home to Melbourne Carpets for

glory

by Lucy Stephens

many years, a business run by Evie’s parents

Melbourne Carpets is still carrying on as a business, but will no longer have a shop front, in stead focusing on providing, measuring and fit ting carpets in customers’ houses As well as continuing with his carpet business, Nick Carter is a third director and owner of Leddy’s

The incoming Leddy’s Restaurant, which will offer a ‘gastro fine dining’ experience as Matt de scribed it, has been months in the offing with the need to kit out the 300 year old building fit for a contemporary restaurant

So why call it Leddy’s?

“It was my nickname from school!” laughed Matt “Even from when I was a really young age, six or seven, I was called ‘Leddy’!

“I was really tall and skinny, like a pencil lead so I was called Led at school and then it some how became Leddy I’m not particularly tall and skinny these days! But we thought we’d keep it simple and stick with the name for our new restaurant ”

Originally from Ashbourne, Matt said he thought Melbourne with its increasingly thriving food and drink scene meant this was a good place to start a restaurant

“I think it’s good It brings more people in, and greater footfall in the area is a good thing for business,” he said

Poppy Appeal given

£1,000

MELBOURNE Assembly Rooms was the set ting for the launch of this year ’s Poppy Ap peal in the village.

The organiser of the appeal locally, Brenda Sharratt, worked closely with the Assembly Rooms to ensure a sell out capac ity crowd CJ Jackson (pictured above) took to the stage and from the outset had the crowd up and dancing to a first half of the Drifters’ greatest hits

In the second half he sang a medley of Mo town hits to keep the crown on their feet right to the end

A brilliant night was even more successful when Brenda announced that the whole evening, thanks to a combination of a raffle, entry fees and 'roll the £1 coin', had raised £852 Later on, thanks to an anonymous do nation, this was increased to £1,000 to kick start the appeal in Melbourne

Speaking on behalf the Assembly Rooms, manager Andy Heafield said: “We were proud to have been asked to host the event and we hope that the fund raising carries on to surpass all previous amounts raised for a wonderful organisation.”

Legion garden to honour fallen heroes

A CHARITY club is set to pay tribute to local fallen heroes whilst creating a bet ter outside space for its members

Melbourne Royal British Le gion Club on Derby Road has created a small memorial gar den near the roadside as a trib ute to fallen heroes and plans to have its official opening in time for Remembrance Sunday on November 13

Melbourne RBL has raised the money from donations and internal funds to create some thing to give the property ‘kerb appeal’ whilst keeping the pur pose of the Royal British Legion at its heart

Brendan O’Neill, Royal British Legion branch chair man, said: “The club committee which has been in place since May 2022 have discussed at length how we can tidy up the

outside of our building When you come into our club you will find a welcoming atmosphere with a good selection of high quality wines and beers

“Our outside area is lacking and our job is to make a space look as welcoming as the inside while remembering what the Royal British Legion repre sents

“Our memorial garden is part of a bigger project with dona tions gratefully received from Greens of Allenton and club members as well as Breedon Aggregates and Graphic Worx

"It has been a colossal under taking by our club committee members, taking time out of their evenings and weekends to make sure it was completed on time Now we are looking for ward to its official opening, the day before Remembrance Sun day ”

The official opening of the garden is scheduled to be at 3:45pm on November 12 when a short service will take place and the Last Post, a short fan fare played in honour of our fallen, will be sounded

“I’m so proud to have been in volved with this project,” said Brendan “To be able to say thank you to all our local heroes and pay tribute to everyone who has paid the ultimate sac rifice is an amazing thing to do ”

Melbourne RBL branch pres ident David Worrall said: “This is a fantastic project and will bring the Royal British Legion further into the hearts and minds of the community of Mel bourne

“It is an excellent tribute to our fallen heroes and my con gratulations and thanks go out to all those involved ”

Got an idea?

This fellow is keen to help

by Lucy Stephens

So said one of the UK’s most famous ever statesmen, Sir Winston Churchill

Now a craftsman from Aston on Trent is urg ing people with projects worthy of being consid ered for a fellowship in Churchill’s name to apply, having won one himself in the 1970s

Bob Neill, who runs his own pyrography busi ness, Burnt Offerings, said it was well worth ap plying for a fellowship and anyone interested was welcome to get in touch with him to find out how he was successful in 1975

Winston Churchill Fellowships are awarded to applicants who have identified forward thinking practical approaches to challenges faced by peo ple in the modern world

The broad range of areas considered for fellow ships includes the arts, children, climate change, Covid 19, ‘creative ageing’, disability, emergency response and early years intervention to name a few

Successful candidates receive a sum of money that enables them to pursue their project, discov ering the latest innovations and best practice, anywhere in the world

They are then able to meet leading practition ers, engage with cutting edge projects and create a report

The fellowship gives freshly fledged fellows support to share their new found knowledge and, in its words, “turn their ideas into action”

Bob won a Winston Churchill Fellowship for his idea to explore the best ways to make toys for children with disabilities

At the time he was head of creative studies at Kirk Hallam Community School in Ilkeston, where children would spend a lot of their spare time making colourful toys for children with dis abilities and their local toy library

His Winston Churchill fellowship enabled him to travel to the USA where he was able to meet other toy makers and visit specialist schools for children with disabilities so that he could find out more about what they needed

At the time, he was an early member of the local toy library, which loaned out play equipment to parents who could not necessarily afford ex pensive wooden toys for their children

He said: “When I took over the department at Kirk Hallam Community School, we learned tra

ditional craft in schools Actually, King Charles has always said a lot of kids are not academic and they would be much better off doing an appren ticeship

“The fellowship was about exchanging ideas, meeting up with people who were working in sim ilar situations to myself in America I then started making much bigger objects ”

Bob said one of the advantages of becoming a Winston Churchill Fellow, of which up to 150 are named each year, is that no qualifications are needed: just a great idea

He said: “You could be a 15 year old gymnast or someone in their 80s who’s got an interest in model trains!”

Another positive about the fellowship, Bob said, was that trustees were keen that recipients should not be out of pocket, so funds are made available for travel and hotels, if necessary

The deadline to apply for a Winston Churchill Fellowship is 5pm on November 22 Up to 150 new fellows are supported each year, and since the organisation was founded in 1965, 5,800 have been awarded

Anyone who would like to phone Bob to find out more about his experience in being a Winston Churchill Fellow can do so by ringing 01332 792036

Naomi French, research and engagement man ager for The Churchill Fellowship, said: “A Churchill Fellowship is a once in a lifetime op portunity to inspire change in your community or sector based on global learning

“Fellowships are open to all adult UK citizens and are available on any topic This year we also have special themes in a range of areas including rural communities, healthcare, education and the environment So if there is an issue you care pas sionately about and would like to help create change then please do consider applying

“We will fund you to spend up to two months discovering new ideas and best practice among leading practitioners anywhere in the world, in person or online, and then help you to share your learnings and make change happen in the UK Applications can be made via our website until 22 November ”

For more information visit the website at www churchillfellowship org

n GENEROUS fami lies from Weston on Trent Primary School came up trumps when they donated produce for their harvest appeal

Children took in a large array of goods for the Harvest Fes tival which was do nated to the YMCA.

Sophie Swanwick from the YMCA is pictured receiving produce from Elise and Hollie Newton.

“I LIKE things to happen, and if they don’t happen I like to make them happen ”

l Bob Neill at work and (below) some of the toys that helped him win a Fellowship in the 1970s.

Flood alerts after river levels rise

WATER levels around Swarkestone and Barrow upon Trent rose high enough for flood alerts in early No vember

Alerts were issued after persistent rainfall saw river levels rising at Will ington Cableway and Shardlow gauge meaning flooding of roads and farm land was possible

Areas most at risk were low lying agricultural land and roads including

Local people were advised to avoid low lying footpaths near watercourses and to plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers

The alert was in place for an area stretching from Aston on Trent to Newton Solney, including Kings New

ton, Stanton by Bridge and Sinfin

By the morning of Friday, Novem ber 4, the alert had been removed with water levels having dropped below the flood risk threshold According to the Flood Assist insur ance website, which has been moni toring flood alerts since 2017, this area has seen 28 alerts in the past 12 months, compared with 31 over the past five years

New homes plan is given the boot

PLANS to build two three bed houses plus an orchard on land off Trent Lane in Kings Newton have been thrown out.

At their latest meeting on October 18, members of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee rejected the proposal to put two houses on land outside the “settlement boundary” of Kings Newton

The district council’s planning officer had also recommended the proposals be turned down

A report provided to councillors fea tured comment from the conservation of ficer on this case, who said: “This case has required more of my time and con sideration than I initially expected and surprised me in its complexity of her itage issues ”

The officer concluded that the pro posed houses would have some harmful impact on the character of a conserva tion area, the setting of listed buildings, and the character of historic landscape, and would potentially affect archaeolog ical remains too

Ten letters of objection were sent in, saying the area had open countryside views and was enjoyed by dog walkers and cyclists using the nearby Cloud Trail

Objectors argued that the conserva tion area would be affected, and that the lower end of Trent Lane, where the homes were proposed, “was in danger of becoming a street”

There was also objection to the de scription by the applicants of the pro posed area as “scrubland”

Local resident Jo Gregory spoke at the planning meeting to convey the “strength of feeling” against the pro posed homes, saying they should not be considered as infill, and building them would have no economic benefit

Mrs Gregory said records dating back to 1882 showed the land had not been built on in all that time

The meeting also heard that the ap plicants had worked with the council to try to come up with a suitable proposal

Having been advised that four homes would be over development of the land, the plan they submitted was for two, plus an orchard

It was also commented that the piece of land in question was also one of those put forward as being potentially suitable for housing under the council’s consulta tion documents for the new Local Plan

In that document, it has been as sessed as being potentially suitable for nine houses

Willington, Barrow upon Trent, Swarkestone, Twyford Village access road, Church Lane at Barrow and In gleby Lane

l

a lovely autumnal picture like this then the National Trust would love to see it.

Photo: John Hammond, National Trust

Festive shopping night at centre

THE Ferrers Centre at Staunton Harold will look as pretty as a picture this Christmas and there will be a chance to raise vital funds to support families struggling with the cost of living crisis too

Artisan craftspeople at the Leicestershire centre are putting on a Christmas late night shopping event on Fri day, November 25, to get people ready for the festive sea son.

And shopkeepers who have premises at the centre have all clubbed together to contribute to a Christmas raffle as part of the evening’s celebrations

Every penny raised from the raffle is being donated to The Ashby Foodbank, run by The Trussell Trust

Jo Margett from Ferrers Frames at the centre said: “We have chosen the Ashby Foodbank as a local charity to support as we wanted to help the many struggling fami lies during this uncertain time of high living costs and economic uncertainty.”

Tickets for the raffle cost £1 each and prizes include a £100 voucher to spend at the centre; GHD hair straight eners; breakfast with Santa for a family of four at The Stables coffee shop; a hand made chopping board; a hand signed hare print; a bottle of artisan gin; a ceramic incense house; a candle and reed diffuser set; three £30 vouchers to spend in named shops; and four £25 vouchers to spend in shops

The shopping evening is free to enter and will have live music from 5pm. Visitors are invited to go and enjoy a late night shopping experience in the courtyard, which will be decorated for Christmas

There will be a licensed bar and brass band, plus hand made fudge and a wreath and festive plants display.

Ashby Foodbank provides three days of nutritionally balanced emergency food to those referred to its services when in crisis.

Last year, it gave away 1,700 emergency three day food supply packages

According to the food bank’s website, one in five people in the UK are currently living below the poverty line

Lilly in running to be Derby Youth Mayor

by Lucy Stephens

A CHELLASTON Academy pupil from Melbourne is in with a chance of be coming Derby Youth Mayor after mak ing the shortlist of candidates.

Lilly Copeland, 14, said she applied for the role in order to try to make a difference to young people in Derby

She has now been told she is one of 12 to have been chosen for the shortlist in the penultimate round of the process

She said: “I got a bit nervous when I first found out! But it sunk in and I got more and more excited about it!”

The Derby Youth Mayor is elected each year and their role is to represent the city council and young people across the city

The city council says they are there to raise awareness of the positive contribution of young people in Derby and ensure their voices are heard

Lilly said: “I just want people to feel like they have their voices heard and that no one is forgotten about Every person should have their say ”

Lilly has to make a speech on three top ics of her choice at the Museum of Making in Derby on December 5, before the final four candidates are voted on by young peo

ple across the city

Proud mum Lisa said: “I’m incredibly proud I think she has got such empathy and feeling and passion in her For her to be recognised for that is great I think she could make a difference I think she engages with people of her age and she’s able to

communicate really well with the council too ”

Lilly has been showing her public spir ited side for a while now, being a member of the Voices in Action Youth Council which has monthly meetings These meetings are chaired by the Derby Youth Mayor

Lilly said that when she is older she would like to either be a teacher or a cogni tive behavioural therapist

A spokesperson from Chellaston Acad emy said: “We are exceptionally proud of Lilly and her achievements in getting this far in the selection process Lilly is a won derful, positive and kind member of our school community involved in so many as pects of school life

“This is the second year we have had an entrant get this far and we wish her lots of luck for the next and final stage Hazim, one of our head students in year 13, was in this position last year and will be support ing Lilly all of the way, as will we all ”

Teenager Tian Zhang has been given a huge boost to his ambi tions thanks to the John Merricks Sailing Trust (JMST) and the grassroots OnBoard programme for children and young people run by the sport’s governing body, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA)

Tian joined the sailing club at Foremark Reservoir at the begin ning of 2022 to further develop his skills and racing knowledge

Prior to the award, Tian was borrowing equipment to compete, including at the RYA Regional Windsurfing Junior Championships at Glossop Sailing Club in Derbyshire over summer His perform ance at this event and others has enabled Tian gain selection for this winter ’s RYA Regional Training Group for aspiring wind surfers

Tian’s dad Yi Zhang said: “Tian joined Burton Sailing Club in January and a weekend trip to the Foremark Reservoir with his coach Natalia and other windsurfing friends is his favourite thing to do We are grateful to be part of this great little community ”

Saturday

A JUNIOR windsurfer from a sailing club based at Foremark Reservoir is celebrating after being awarded a new board and sail through a national scheme helping young talent to progress in the sport

Village green’s tribute to war dead

A MOVING tribute to the 20 men from Aston on Trent who lost their lives in the two world wars has been erected on the village green

The 20 crosses were made by local residents Bob Neill and John Holloway and have been placed on the green as a tribute to each life lost in the world wars.

Behind them are life size models of two sol diers which have been bought by Aston on Trent Parish Council and the local British Legion.

Bob, who used his pyrography skills on the crosses, said the idea was to make a larger trib ute around the time of Remembrance Sunday so that more people in the village could see it He said: “The traditional small crosses were in the churchyard but I felt the only people who would see them were people going to church “Most of the village was not aware of these people who have given their lives in the first and second world wars.”

The intention is for the crosses to be erected at around the time of Remembrance every year.

KEEPING WARM

VOLUNTARY, community and charity organisations can now apply for a grant from Derbyshire County Council to open warm spaces this winter

The authority has launched a £50,000 Warm Spaces Fund to support them to provide a refuge for residents and their families struggling to heat their homes Organisations can apply for up to £1,000 towards the cost of opening up community venues or to extend their opening hours during the colder months

For more information about warm spaces and how to apply for a grant visit: www derbyshire gov uk/warmspaces

Mixed reaction to Local Plan exhibition

THE ISSUES and options consultations, part of redefining the Local Plan for South Derbyshire and organised by the district uncil had “lots of interest over the district d had been fairly well received” accord g a council spokesperson attending an ent in Melbourne.

Residents at the exhibition at the Melbourne orting Partnership on November 2 were less sitive, however, with many saying they were appointed that there were no maps of the ely housing areas One visitor said: “They are not telling us anything we don’t know already ”

Starters

Roasted Garlic and Parsnip Soup.

Beetroot Cured Salmon Gravalax, Avocado Cream and Pu ed Quinoa served with a Dill Oil.

Baked Sour Dough topped with Winter Wild Mushrooms, Pickled Walnut Relish and a Tarragon Oil.

Ham Hock and Pistachio Terrine with a Sweet Onion Marmalade and Crusty Bread.

Mains

Traditional Carvery with a choice of Derbyshire roast Turkey, Owen Taylor’s Beef, Steak & Ale Pie or the Chefs Chicken dish of the day, accompanied with all the trimmings.

Cod Loin served with Hasselback Potatoes, a Lemon Herb Caper Beurre Blanc and Tenderstem Broccoli.

Duck Breast with a Smoked Bacon and Spring Onion Mash, Braised Red Cabbage and a Sweet Cherry Jus.

Goats Cheese Butternut Squash and Sweet Onion Pie with Rosemary and Garlic Roast Potatoes and Tenderstem Broccoli.

Desserts

Traditional Christmas Pudding served with Brandy Sauce.

Sticky To ee Pudding with Ice Cream.

Baileys Cheesecake with Pouring Cream. Tap House Cheeseboard (£4 Supplement). Our Christmas Fayre

served 12-2pm, 5-8pm, Tuesday-Saturday (excluding Wed. evenings).

at The Tap House on: 01530 413604.

The “issues and options” include how the new plan, to be adopted in 2024, will accommodate over 500 new homes needed every year plus an unknown number of additional homes required to meet Derby City’s unmet quota

A key question for people from Melbourne is how many should be built in urban areas, such as Swadlincote, or in the 10 key service villages, in cluding Melbourne, or whether there should be a new settlement in the district

Residents also wanted to know how the char acter of the village could be maintained and vital agricultural land be protected whilst recognising the need to have more housing In particular, res idents from Kings Newton were concerned about the plots outside the village settlement which

by Frank Hughes

would see the two villages coalesce against many people’s wishes

A section on the environment seeks views on whether the policies do enough to protect the countryside and rural villages Staff at the consultation said there had been a mixed response at the six drop in events across the district, with some being busy, and others qui eter There was a steady stream of visitors to the Melbourne event

Melbourne Parish Council chair Cllr Terry Summerlin said it was important that we are part of this process and, in completing our Neigh bourhood Development Plan, it had been realised local people can make a contribution to what hap pens Other visitors were equally keen to have their voices heard

The consultation document includes many questions, but it is not essential to answer every one Respondents can pick and choose and an swer those of interest Online it is available at w w w s o u t h d e r b y s h i r e g o v u k / i s s u e s a n d o p t i o n s but can also be found in all South Derbyshire li braries and at the council offices

The consultation period ends on December 5 with the current timetable for the revised Local Plan to be adopted at the end of 2024

Project D miss out on Aldi chance

MELBOURNE raised bakers Project D may not have won the chance to sell their spectacular doughnuts in Aldi but they still enjoyed a prime time TV slot nonetheless

Jacob Watts and Max Poynton, two of the founders of hip baking brand Project D, starred in the second episode of the highly watchable Channel 4 show ‘Aldi’s Next Big Thing’

The programme offers winning producers the chance to stock their goods in Britain’s fourth largest supermarket

It was not to be for the enterprising Melbourne bakers, but they still impressed the judges with the taste and look of their doughnuts

The team from Project D were up against a range of other bakers all hoping to be chosen by Aldi, including a vegan meringue maker, a maker

of sushi style puddings and a producer of Indian spice flavoured pastries

Introducing Project D at the Aldi headquarters where the taste testing took place, Max told view ers: “It’s really exciting It’s the first time I’ve ever been to any headquarters! It’s a bit overwhelming actually ”

Project D won a spot on the programme out of hundreds of applicants They showcased their doughnuts in a specially designed box with a clear lid so shoppers could see immediately the delights inside And, while judges Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi; grocer and cookbook author Chris Bavin; and TV presenter Anita Rani were impressed with Project D’s pitch and their finger licking doughnuts, they decided their price was perhaps too high for Aldi buyers

Lighting up time back at church ...

CHRISTMAS trees and lights are back with a twinkle in their eye at Weston parish church this year, after a two year absence due to Covid

The church’s newly formed Friends group is inviting everyone to go and along and help celebrate its annual Christmas trees and lights event at St Mary’s Church in Weston

The event takes place from 11am to 4pm on Sunday, December 11, and the Friends have promised it will be “bigger and better than ever”

A candelit carol service will follow the event, at 5 30pm

The Friends group said: “The event promises to be bigger and better than ever, and follows just a few months after the ex tremely popular and successful Derbyshire Day event that took place during late Sep tember

“Thanks to the efforts of many volun teers, including The Friends of St Mary the

Virgin Church Weston on Trent group that formed earlier in the year, there are re newed efforts to use the church as a com munity resource in order to generate much needed funds and save the church from clo sure ”

As well as decorated Christmas trees and sparkling lights, there will also be refresh ments including homemade cakes, indoor stalls and a raffle

The Friends have also organised an illu minated winter wonderland walk around its new copse as part of the day’s festivities

St Mary’s recently became a “Festival” church, meaning it is no longer used for weekly worship, but is valued and required by the community for local events, and also festivals of the church and rites of passage such as baptisms, weddings and funerals

The church is open for festivals such as Christmas, Easter, and harvest festival, and also Saints’ days and Remembrance Sunday

In order for this historically significant church to remain open, and in a usable con dition, more money is needed

The church’s funds are rapidly diminish ing due to depleted congregations, and the building requires some essential mainte nance and repairs

As well as being an important part of the community, used for meeting and events as well as worship, baptisms, burials etcetera, the church is also historically significant with parts of the building dating back to the 12th century Situated on a hill above Weston, it commands views over the Trent Valley and enjoys a uniquely picturesque and peaceful location As such, the commu nity and volunteers are very keen to secure the future of the church

You can keep in touch and up to date with what’s happening, including how to take part in a monthly lottery, via the church website: www trentderwent parishes org/weston

ELVASTON Castle is set to be lit up in a stunning display of light and sound this month

The Shine A Light extravaganza’s first instalment took place in the atmospheric grounds of Cromford Mills for the second year running

The after dark light display will move to Elvaston Castle on November 19 and 20

DANIEL WINS AGAIN

MELBOURNE boy Daniel Sabin has danced his way on to the podium again after winning a national prize

... OPEN SATURDAY 19th NOVEMBER THEN EVERY WEEKEND DAY UNTIL CHRISTMAS.

It is one of four historic venues to host Shine a Light, the others being Hardwick Hall, Cromford Mills and Barrow Hill Roundhouse

The cutting edge projections are unique to each venue, and visitors who watch all four displays and successfully spot the ‘hidden animal’ at each will have a chance to enter a prize draw to win a hamper of

and at the castle, too FANTASTIC RANGE OF CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS AND GIFT IDEAS NOW AVAILABLE! Cost is £1 for adults, £9 for Children to include a present. Open 10.30am to 4pm (although santa has to go and feed his reindeer for 30 minutes at lunch time)

Daniel, 11, a pupil at Chellaston Academy, was named IDTA (International Dance Teachers Association) National Medallist of the Year for Stardance, in the 6 10 year old boy category.

Dancing his way to the final on October 30 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool Daniel impressed yet again with a Waltz, Tango, Two Step and Samba.

This is Daniel’s fourth national title, and he now steps up into the under 12s category

Pictured with Daniel are (l r) Elliott Blant Harwood, May cie Kerr and Amy Louise Heald Lee

OPEN NIGHT FRIDAY 25TH NOVEMBER SANTA 6 - 8PM CHECK WEBSITE FOR DETAILS Staunton Harold Nurseries, Nr Ashby, Leics, LE65 1RU. Tel 01332 862769. Open 8.30am - 5pm Mon-Sat 10.30am - 4.30pm Sundays. www.stauntonharoldnurseries.co.uk Peach House Restaurant open daily for home cooked lunches and teas. Open 9.30-4.30 Mon- Sat, 10.30 - 4.30pm Sundays. Hot food cooked until 3.30pm each day.

Families get their fun the fair at the Wake

ALL the fun of the fair was back in Melbourne and,, despite a parade, organisers reported a good time was had by all. The annual Wakes week in October saw plenty of teens and tral Melbourne to get dizzy on The Sizzler before swiping a fe Albert Holland, whose family has been running Melbourn years, said the event had gone well in 2022

“We had a good fair,” he said.

“The weather affected it a lit tle bit, but it was still a good fair. We had lots of teenagers coming down at night time, and quite a few families on the Sun day afternoon.”

With fairground operators badly affected during Covid, Al bert said things had recovered well as we emerge from the pandemic

The family also runs Notting ham Goose Fair which was held for two weeks this year, and was another successful event, he said.

ABOVE: Anabelle Butler with her unicorn balloon.

TOP

COMPANY selling delicious traditional handmade fudge.

BELOW:

Quarry firm gives pupils some space

SCHOOL children in Breedon have been treated to a new outdoor space thanks to a company which runs the local quarry.

Staff from The Breedon Group volunteered their time to create a new multi use space for St Hardulph’s School children to enjoy outside, using many materials the company produces

The company has been working with St Hardulph’s over the last few years on several projects to enhance children’s learning

Pupils have been able to visit the quarry and have also taken part in road safety sessions and community poster competitions

The company has also helped the school to buy new reading books and has paid for end of term treats for the children

The school’s newly made over outdoor area is for children to enjoy a break and lunch time as well as being available for group work, reflection and story time

The project was led by Linda Lawrence, PA to Breedon Group chief executive Rob Wood, and brought to life by Simon from Whittington Land scaping and staff from Breedon Group head of fice, who volunteered their time to make the seating area

Mr Wood went to the school to officially open the area, and children were able to say thank you to the company for creating their new space

School children from St Hardulph’s have also been given the chance to find out a bit more about jobs and careers in their local community too, courtesy of The Breedon Group

Just before half term, older children spent the day at Breedon Group head office across the road from the school, working in teams on ‘The Big Breedon Project’

This project required the children to design

by

and plan a hypothetical local attraction Staff from the different departments based at head of fice supported them to complete tasks relating to planning the set up of their attraction

In doing so, the children had the opportunity to learn about finance, communications and media, human resources and sustainability jobs that people do in their local area

At the end of the day, each group of children pitched their business idea to directors and sen ior management for the chance to win prizes for the most innovative project

Headteacher Kelly Ellis said: “As educators, it is part of our job to grow the workforce of the fu ture, and projects such as this provide the chil dren with an early opportunity to experience the jobs and careers available to them within their local community that one day they may fulfil

“We are incredibly grateful for the continued support and opportunities our partnership with Breedon Group provides to help our children flourish ”

Linda Lawrence from Breedon Group said: “We really enjoy the relationship we have formed with the staff and pupils at St Hardulph’s

“It is really important to Breedon that we are able to support local communities in which we operate, and this relationship provides us with a great opportunity to do that

“The engagement from the children is incred ible; they are so enthusiastic and excited about all of the projects we work on together, and it gives our colleagues an opportunity to share their knowledge and skills outside of a working environment ”

LEFT: The transformed outdoor space.

RIGHT: Rob Wood (Breedon Group CEO) and Linda Lawrence with headteacher Kelly Ellis and pupils.

Rob Wood, James Haluch (Manag ing Director Breedon Surfacing), Caroline Roberts (Group People Director) and children from the winning team of 'The Big Breedon Project’

MELBOURNE

Councillors voted to co opt Matthew Gotheridge as their latest member, after the res ignation of Cllr Steve Hogan

Lucy Stephens

PENNY LANE FUDGE

GIDDY KIPPERS offering a beautiful display of handmade wreaths and festive plants.

CHARITY CHRISTMAS RAFFLE with fantastic prizes from shops at the Ferrers Centre.

giant spiders ... autumn’s here

THE season of mists and mellow fruitfulness has provided some great sights in the local area with pumpkins, autumn leaves and local people getting into the spirit of Hallowe’en Heaths Farm Shop opened up its pumpkin field to the public once again this year to allow local people to pick their own locally grown vegetable whether for the pot or for carving at Hallowe’en

Brian Heath said pumpkins this year had grown slightly smaller than usual due to the very dry conditions over the summer

But he said the low lying field at Heaths with its prox imity to water did make up somewhat for that, and the open pumpkin field had been well used this year by visitors to the shop

Local people had got busy and creative with their carving knives this year with some brilliantly absurd pumpkin faces adorning the outsides of homes

The Village Voice particularly enjoyed this ghoulish fam ily pumpkin scene outside a home in Smisby, which had been put out right at the start of the season in early Octo ber

Meanwhile, the National Trust has been urging people to get creative with their cameras by publicising the most in stagrammable’ autumn scenes at its properties for visitors to enjoy

Among its recommended spots for a picture was Calke Abbey where National Trust experts highly rated Lime Av enue and Serpentine Wood for great photography opportu nities

The trust said: “Discover the rare surviving auricula the atre in one of the walled gardens Historically used to show case auricula plants, the theatre is repurposed every autumn to create a vibrant display of homegrown pump kins, squashes, and ornamental gourds ”

Lastly, hats off to Melbourne resident Simon Quinn, of Station Road, whose home was once again a masterclass in Hallowe’en decoration

With a giant spider outside complete with sinister red eyes, sweets placed in the hand of a monster for children to help themselves, and even a ghostly apparition in the top window, local youngsters must have had their hearts in their mouths when approaching on trick or treat night

When the Village Voice popped by to take the picture (right), even heavy rain could not keep eager families away!

MORE CHANCES TO TALK TO YOUR COUNCILLORS

PARISH leaders in Melbourne have decided to join district and county councillor surgeries to give local residents more chances to talk to them

At the November meeting of Melbourne Parish Council, members agreed to attend the regular surgeries held by local district councillors Jim Hewlett and Martin Fitzpatrick, and county councillor David Muller

The idea behind the move is to increase visibil ity and awareness about the work of the parish council

District and county councillors have regular Saturday surgeries in Melbourne Assembly

Rooms, which are advertised in the Village Voice These surgeries mean members of the public can go along and ask questions to councillors who are local representatives of organisations respon sible for different areas of public life

While the county council is responsible for mat ters including education, highways and adult so cial care, the district council takes care of different areas including planning and bin collec tions, and the parish council’s remit includes var ious spaces in Melbourne it looks after, including the cemetery and chapels, plus Lothian and Thomas Cook gardens

Multi-million pound castle decision on hold

A LONG AWAITED decision on the first phase in a multi million pound proposed re vamp of Elvaston Castle has been put on hold so councillors can pay the site a visit

Proposals to refurbish large parts of the estate, creating use for previously inaccessible historic buildings, were up for debate at South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee meeting on October 18

But councillors said they did not feel able to make a decision without visiting to see first hand what is being proposed

Cllr Stephen Taylor said: “In terms of the progress at Elvaston Castle, clearly it’s a fantastic estate

“However, I think it’s actually reasonable, and I can recall another instance where I certainly didn’t know a heritage site at all I do think it’s actually reasonable to allow members to see what we are proposing ”

Derbyshire County Council’s multi million pound masterplan to restore and update large parts of Elvaston Castle has attracted consider able controversy

The main objections centre around the proposal to create a new access road and car park, taking visitors arriving by vehicle right up to the main house

In fact, so controversial has the county council’s masterplan been that it attracted a protest peti tion with more than 10,000 signatures

by Lucy Stephens

But the proposals that lay before councillors at the district council meeting did not include the car park and access road; instead they were con cerned with the refurbishment of historic build ings

Councillors were being asked to consider pro posals for a revamped café with room for 150 peo ple, which would replace the current ground floor eatery catering for 50

Also included was the creation of a visitor cen tre in Springthorpe Cottage, with its eye catching ‘Moorish’ design, plus a gift shop, interpretation spaces, education centre, adventure playground and toilets in the upper stable yard

A tea room is planned for the old gardener ’s cot tage; a plant sales area would go in the former saw yard; and the council also wants to bring back the historic use of the old blacksmith’s shop with live demonstrations

A statement from the applicants said: “Hitherto inaccessible historic buildings and spaces will be opened to the public, their historic significance re vealed and interpreted

“The William Barron gardens will be restored and better protected through reduced foot fall pressures around the existing car park Events spaces will be created to help increase the range and depth of public engagements with the in tention of reaching ‘hard to reach’ groups

“Increased public engage ment with Elvaston and im proved visitor facilities will enable more people to benefit from its cultural and recre ational opportunities with the associated benefits to physical and mental wellbeing that this will bring ”

Elvaston was the UK’s first country park and has been owned and run by Derbyshire County Council for decades However, since the 1990s the cost of running it has become harder and it is now costing tax payers nearly a million pounds a year

The council’s masterplan to restore the site and make it fi nancially sustainable has been rumbling on for four years

RE: MELBOURNE AT CHRISTMASEVENING MARKET ROAD CLOSURE

Dear Neighbours, The Parish Council is writing to let you know that road closures will be in operation during the evening of the “Melbourne At ChristmasEvening Market” event.

The road closures will be short and stewarded, allowing the Parish Council to host the Christmas lights switch on and start the festive season with the annual late night shopping get-together, giving everyone the opportunity to participate safely.

If you live on a street affected by the closure, we apologise for any inconvenience and ask you bare with us during the closure. The road closure points will be marshalled by volunteers. Through traffic will be diverted, but any residents wanting to enter or exit the street will be asked to drive in and out at walking speed.

The road closures are planned for FRIDAY 2nd DECEMBER 2022 between 4pm and 10pm.

If you have any questions or concerns, would be able to help with stewarding, or are interested in finding out more, please do get in touch with the clerk at clerk@melbourneparishcouncil.gov.uk

Historic England had voiced concerns over the design of the café, saying initially that it would not “sit happily” in the landscape and in relation to the surrounding buildings

But a report prepared by the district council’s planning office said a site visit with Historic England and conservation rep resentatives had addressed these concerns

Planning officers have re ceived 43 comments regarding the plans but these were largely concerned with the proposed driveway

Friends of Elvaston Castle also voiced their objection, say ing the scale and massing of the proposals were “incongruous’ that several views of the castle would be compromised, “com pletely destroying any possible historical interpretation of the significance of the setting of the house, and, in particular, its re lationship to the Grade 1 listed St Bart’s Church”

FAR

Tractor charity drive

WHO knows their Fordson Dexta from their Massey Fergu son?

Whether you do or don’t, it was certainly a great spectacle when tractor drivers from near and far on a range of vehicles turned up to take part in a char ity ride

So successful was the Ticknall Tractor Run on October 16 that organisers are planning to make it an annual event.

The ride was the brainchild of friends Rachel Ede and Robin Raine and it raised more than

£2,000 for Bowel Cancer UK.

The idea was for tractor en thusiasts to showcase their vehi cles ranging from modern to vintage by taking them on local roads for each other and passers by to admire.

Robin, who drove his 1961 Fordson Dexta, said: “We had 33 tractors, some of which had extra passengers, and 50 people taking part “I think we’d love to make it an annual event We had such fantastic support for a very worthwhile cause.”

Drivers had spent time before the run ensuring their vehicles, one of which dated back to the 1950s, were roadworthy.

On the day of the ride they gathered at Poplars Farm in Twyford by kind permission of Peter Woodward The farm is where Robin’s business, Trent Adventure, is based. One driver had come all the way from Grantham for the occasion

After admiring each other ’s vehicles, they set out on a ride which took them over Swarke stone Causeway, down Robin

son’s Hill, past Dimminsdale Wood and back to Ticknall via Boundary

All were then royally looked after with food and refresh ments at The Chequers Inn at Ticknall.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest killer, with nearly 48,000 people diag nosed each year

But, according to Bowel Can cer UK, this type of cancer is highly curable if diagnosed early.

More homes are sought for refugees

COULD you open your home to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine?

That is the question being asked by the Derbyshire reset tlement partnership which is seeking more local hosts to sup port the Homes for Ukraine scheme

The partnership, which in cludes Derbyshire County Council, local district and bor ough councils and a range of other public sector agencies and charitable organisations, is par ticularly interested in hearing from people who may have al ready expressed an interest to offer accommodation to Ukrain ian nationals but have yet to be matched with a guest

The resettlement partnership previously co ordinated the re sponse to calls from Govern ment to house Afghan refugees Currently, there are known to be around 1,100 Ukrainian refugees who have joined their Derbyshire hosts Prospective hosts need to be able to offer ac commodation for a minimum of six months, and those who are successfully matched to Ukrain

ian guests are offered a £350 per month ‘thank you’ payment Hosts should also expect to provide a basic level of support including welcoming their guests to the local area and helping with tasks such as reg istering with a GP, accessing local and public services and opening a bank account

The Government’s Homes for Ukraine ‘Sponsor Guidance’ which can be found online at w w w g o v u k / g u i d a n c e / h o m e s f o r u k r a i n e s p o n s o r g u i d a n c e outlines important information and things to think about before signing up to the scheme Local information is also available on the county council’s website at www derbyshire gov uk/Ukrain eHosts

You can find out more about the Government scheme at www gov uk/guidance/homes for ukraine scheme frequently asked questions

Support provided by the part nership includes carrying out safeguarding checks to make sure refugees are settled into safe and supportive homes, ad ministering emergency pay

DETAILS of how vulnerable residents will receive further help from a £5 4m extension to Derbyshire County Council’s Household Support Fund have been confirmed in a spending plan outlining how the Gov ernment funding will be distributed over the winter months House holds most in need, including families with children of all ages, older people and other low income households particularly those who are unable to increase their income through work will be the focus of the latest round of funding to support them through the winter

ments of £200 to refugees and the monthly ‘thank you’ pay ments to hosts, helping to se cure school places for arriving children and young people and offering advice on how to access other services, like healthcare or welfare benefits

If you think you could commit to hosting, please contact ukrainesupport@derbyshire gov uk

Leader of Derbyshire County Council Councillor Barry Lewis said: “Derbyshire has always been a welcoming and compas sionate place and we give our heartfelt thanks to Derbyshire families who have opened their homes to help those fleeing war in Ukraine

“Now we’re calling on those who offered their support ini tially but weren’t matched with a guest, as well as residents who were not in a position to help earlier in the year but whose circumstances have since changed, to get in touch if they are able to offer accommoda tion

“We recognise that circum stances change for both hosts

and guests and our Homes for Ukraine team is on hand to answer any questions from those interested in sup porting the scheme ”

Anyone who would like to offer support other than ac commodation is asked to email ukrainesupport@der byshire gov uk

VILLAGERS in Ticknall pressed ap ples into service last month and pro duced 95 litres of fresh juice!

The apple pressing day was held on a bright October morning at The Grange, with around 20 villagers turning up to turn fruit into juice.

The village newsletter reported that this had been one of the best crops of apples to have been pro duced in years

Ticknall has recently started a com munity orchard with seven trees al ready planted and a further 14 in the offing

LEFT: Rachel Ede on a Massey Fergu son 35

LEFT: Peter Woodward from Poplars Farm in Twyford, on a 1963 Fordson Super Dexta

ABOVE: Robin Raine on his 1961 Fordson Dexta.

Pictures by ‘Z’

JOHN TODD OLIVER

December 20, 1925

October 8, 2022

JOHN was born in East Jar row, Newcastle, to William Oliver and Priscilla Todd His father had joined the po lice force in 1919 in East Jar row but found it hard supporting the couple’s five children Ruby, Gladys, Thomas, William and John so joined the Canadian Mounties in 1928

Tragedy struck the next day when William drowned in a canoe accident He is buried in a memorial ceme tery in Canada

When the second world war broke out in 1939 John’s older brother Thomas joined the Navy but died aboard HMS Neptune in the Mediterranean, one of the war ’s least known naval disasters in which 764 officers and men were killed The day was John’s 16th birthday Undeterred, John joined the Royal Navy himself having lied about his age and started life as a signalman in January 1942

John spent 10 years in the Royal Navy and was serving on HMS Surprise when the then Princess Elizabeth did her Commonwealth tour of the Mediterranean

In 1952 John left the Navy and joined the po lice force Shortly afterwards he met his future wife, Rosemary, at Kettering General Hospital where she was working as a nurse The couple married at All Saints Church in Granby, Notting hamshire, on March 9, 1954, a service conducted by Rosemary’s father Gerald Francis

John served with the police in Kettering, Wellingborough and Northamptonshire, leaving

Members of the Parish Council

OBITUARIES

in 1978 after 25 years’ serv ice He and Rosemary had four children together, Gillian, Christine, Jacque line and Ian

The next exciting chapter in the Olivers’ lives arrived when they moved to Tick nall as Rosemary had been asked to look after Airmyne Jenney, of Calke Abbey

Working with Airmyne, Charles and Henry Harpur Crewe at the end of Calke Abbey’s tenure in private hands, the Olivers contin ued their association with Calke when crippling death duties at the demise of Charles in 1981 meant after some wrangling the estate passed over to the National Trust as payment

John stayed on to oversee security at Calke and manned the gate to visitors until he was 70 In one particularly interesting episode during his time there, he and Henry helped uncover the magnificent state bed which is one of the treas ures of Calke

John’s health declined in his later years and he suffered a bad fall on September 8, 2022, the day of the late Queen’s death

His funeral service was conducted by Rev Steve Short at St George’s Church, Ticknall John’s po lice and naval helmets were placed on his coffin, along with naval and police flags, and his police man’s truncheon His son Ian read out a poem that John had written for Rosemary:

“Though distance now divides us, and thy face I cannot see, Though hand in hand we cannot stand, I often think of thee ”

Melbourne Parish Council

Chair’s Report - November 2022

What a contrast in emotions... from celebrating the Platinum Jubilee to the sadness of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. The Parish joined the Nation in mourning Her Majesty's passing; a wreath was laid at the War Memorial, ags were lowered, the Book of Condolence signed, and a letter of Condolence sent to the Palace. But, as one door closes, another opens and we welcome King Charles III as our Monarch. Preparations are underway to celebrate His Coronation, an event to look forward to next May.

You may have noticed "Dog Fouling" notices recently displayed throughout the village. Dog fouling continues to be a problem so please do report o ences.

Unfortunately, antisocial behaviour continues at the public toilets. This a ects everyone, our community and visitors alike. We do not want to close the facility so, to the culprits, "STOP IT! You are not being clever. When you are older you will look back and regret your actions".

Last month the Village Voice reported on the Local Plan, proposals for potential development within the Parish. It is inevitable that Melbourne and Kings Newton will have to take a share of new developments within South Derbyshire. Any planning should recognise our NDP, however it is important you have your say. Go to the South Derbyshire District Council website for details on how to submit your comments, or contact District Councillor Fitzpatrick directly, by 5th December. Help keep the characteristics of our villages!

A couple of events for the diary....the Remembrance Sunday parade and service on 13th November. If you are marching with us, muster will be at 10:20am at the Royal British Legion, followed by a service in Church Square. Please note that road closures will be in operation.

And, Christmas will be upon us before we know it. Preparations for the annual Christmas Lights “Switch-On” and Late Night Shopping event are well underway. There will be something for everyone so please come along on Friday December 2nd, starting 6pm, we look forward to seeing you.

Melbourne Parish Council

ANTHONY “DAVE” GOSS May 5, 1942 August 21, 2022

BORN in Derby, Dave soon moved with his granny and parents, Ken and Dora, to Aston on Trent He loved his village school and especially art He had the freedom to roam Aston and recalled shooting pi geons from the church tower to help the vicar!

He succeeded in getting to Be mrose School and then growing his interests in history, litera ture and Spanish, for which he won prizes! He became passion ate about country pursuits and worked at the Aston pig farm, whilst learning to drive a trac tor

He then became a manager in the gas industry, until he as able to fulfil his ambition to be a gun smith and own a gun shop near Nottingham He was well known and respected for his repair skills, advice, knowledge and brilliance at shoot ing Never seeking the limelight, he loved to teach shooting at Loughborough University Summer School or advise his family and friends

In his middle years, Dave re trained and lec tured at Wilmorton College in maths, business studies and catering He became the manager of the Derbyshire Advocacy and Appropriate Adult Services As services expanded with his leader ship, they did not let him retire until 68!

Dave had lived in Swarkestone and Chellaston and remained friends with people from the “Crewe and Coopers” of his single life, the Bell Target Club in Melbourne and shooting friends from three surrounding counties

He met his partner, Jane, in Aston and to gether they raised Jane’s son, Kieran, Dave’s daughter, Georgina, and remained close to Adam, Dave’s stepson

Friends from Aston and Mel bourne often joined the family for holidays in Southern France at their campsite and mobile home Dave was always willing to join in with “holiday madness”, in cluding performing in their gar den to dress up and entertain with songs, spinning plates, monologues, on a country walk, quizzes, car boot challenges, auc tions in French and huge birth day parties for his daughter!

Likewise in Aston, he got cajoled into helping on a well dressing stall, Aston Fun Run and even occasionally timekeeper at the village quiz He also supported Jane by watching A’Choir ’d Taste perform whenever he was bought a ticket!

Dave truly loved his village, his community, the cottage, his gundog and his family He became a very proud ‘Grandad Goss’ in his final six years, to Emily, Heidi, Lucy and Henrietta

His honesty, kindness, humour, love and friend ship to us all, will live on and be remembered

T he Common Touch...

AS AN off grid site, we’re not directly im pacted by gas and electric prices, but we have noticed the rise in price for logs and of other consumables just like everyone else at the minute, so being financially prudent is important

We want to focus on the long term finan cial sustainability of our project and that colours our decision-making process We also want to encourage everyone to think about what is really required for everyday living, conscious consumption and people to change away from wasteful behaviours, with the aim being to reduce carbon emis sions

Green choices are not always easy in today’s society and no one is perfect, but it’s always worth stopping and thinking “is there a better choice?”

We must lead the change we want to see. This November we are having the an nual general meeting of our co operative and it’s a time for reflecting on the year gone by, what plans there are for next year and further ahead

As a board we are directly responsible to our co op members and they also have responsibilities to be involved in the busi ness.

At the AGM this means taking part and,

among other things, voting on resolutions and electing the directors, but it doesn’t matter how many shares a member has, it is one member one vote, so no one has more influence than another.

Being a co op is important to our per maculture principles, especially the ethic of fair shares. We do need some extra board members to assist with financial and business planning and, as we move forward with making a new 10 year busi ness plan, we’re asking members to take part in this way There’s always lots of other jobs which need doing, and support ers and members are vital in volunteering for these roles

There will be plans made together at the AGM for how we celebrate our 10th an niversary next year; we’ll have our bring and share lunch and try to keep the busi ness side of the proceedings to a suitable length

Over the winter we let the land rest for a bit, we carry on caring for the trees, pruning and mulching but everything else slows down.

I hope you have a chance for rest over winter too

KATHERINE PARRISH

Council budget survey

RESIDENTS wanting to have their say about Derbyshire County Council’s services and how the authority should spend its budget have less than two weeks remaining to complete a survey

The wide ranging Your Coun cil Your Voice residents’ survey was launched at the beginning of October and runs until Sun day, November 13

All Derbyshire residents are being encouraged to take part in the survey which they can complete online at www der

byshire gov uk/yourvoice2022

More than 2,400 residents have already taken the survey, which is an opportunity for peo ple to tell the council what they think about the services they use, how satisfied they are with them and which ones they think are most important and why

People have the choice of completing the main question naire or a shorter version which contains key questions relating to the county council, budget priorities and living in Der

byshire

Those taking part have the opportunity to enter a prize draw with one person winning £100 of shopping vouchers

Paper copies are available on request by ringing Call Der byshire on 01629 533190

The council’s cabinet will con sider the survey responses re lating to the budget, along with budget proposals, at a meeting in early 2023, and it will then be considered at a meeting of the full council in February

Terry

Church boosted by its number of Friends

AT THEIR recent AGM the Friends of Mel bourne Parish Church had a good news story to tell in that membership numbers had grown and a series of successful events had helped raise funds for essential repairs and improvements

The Friends is a registered charity set up 18 years ago to preserve, improve and increase in terest in the magnificent 12th century Norman church, St Michael with St Mary It is ranked as one of the best examples of Norman architecture in the country and there are a number of theories about how such a magnificent, mini cathedral came to be built here

One theory is that it was built by Henry I, as part of his Royal Estate and subsequently given to the Bishop of Carlisle

The church attracts visitors from all over the world, including many from Melbourne, Aus tralia, who come to explore their famous city’s connection to our small town

At their meeting it was reported by member ship secretary Sarah Kington that membership numbers had not only survived the recent eco nomic and health upheavals but had actually in creased, to an all time high of 241

The charity had also been successful in recruit ing businesses and corporate members, recognis ing the importance of the church in bringing visitors and trade to the town

by Frank Hughes

Despite the very challenging trading conditions created by the pandemic most of the businesses involved have continued to support the work of the Friends

Over £30,000 had been spent on repairs and improvements, including the refurbishment of the exterior of Church House, next to the Rectory The costs of maintaining the historic building are very high and The Friends play an important role in meeting them

The Friends have also been working hard to strengthen the connection between the church building and the wider community, putting on events, talks and concerts for those already famil iar with the prestigious building and those who may never have even seen its interior

This objective was fully realised this year, with two brilliant classical music concerts, organised by local musician Graham Oppenheimer, one fan tastic jazz night, featuring the London based Dime Notes, an afternoon antiques roadshow and a number of guest speakers bringing in around 700 people between April and October

They are now working on next year ’s pro gramme of events which will include a visit by Philip King’s Cantabile Choir, a jazz evening in the Autumn and a Christmas Classical Concert

Row, Cockshut Lane, Forty Foot Lane, Penn Lane and The Pingle refer to? Why do we have Bond Elm, Gallows Piece, Lampad Hill, the Stinyard and the Spires? And what of the lanes named from local families such as Black well, Salsbury and Ward? All are welcome and no advance booking is re quired

THE

A packed church was treated to the blues drenched sounds of clarinet-driven 1920’s New Orleans jazz, performing forgotten gems of the era from musicians such as Jelly Roll Morton, Johnny Dodds and Red Nichols

Chris Barber ’s long time clarinettist, David Horniblow (yes, that’s his name!) a familiar figure on jazz stages worldwide fronted the four man line up, providing some highly amusing introductions to the numbers

Prize winning pianist/composer, Sam Watts played the church piano like it had never been played before. And the exceed ingly cool Louis Thomas on bass and the sublime Dave Kelbie on guitar anchored the band with an absolutely knockout rhythm section

The church was transformed into a won derful space for jazz by the brilliant mood lighting provided by Pete Gough, who made the most of the building’s wonderful archi tecture. The show benefited greatly from the publicity given to it by The Melbourne Festival and the generous sponsorship pro vided by Alan Staley Building Contractors Ltd

–GORDON HUGHES

Dime Notes, a hard swinging vintage jazz band, travelled from London to bring the Friends of Melbourne Parish Church’s programme of events for 2022 to a stomping finish

Photograph: Jansen Brown Studios

Melbourne Dental Practice

Rugby beer festival brings in £8k profit

The programme for Santa and his helpers to visit Melbourne and district households is as follows:

Friday 2nd, starting at 6.00pm

Melbourne Late Night ShoppingCome and meet Santa and post your letter.

Sunday 4th, starting at 5.00pm

The Woodlands, Nettlefold Crescent, Smith Avenue, Paget Road, Main Street - Kings Newton, Station Road, Sweet Leys Way Estate, Huntingdon Court, Sta ord Close.

Monday 5th, starting at 6.00pm

Derby Road, Blanchcroft, George Street, Dunnicli e Lane, Moira Street, Selina Street, Washington Close, Quick Close, South Street, Alma Street, North Street, Victoria Street.

Tuesday 6th, starting at 6.00pm Ticknall village, Commerce Street, Hope Street.

Thursday 8th, starting at 6.00pm

Chellaston - Eagle Drive, Crown Way, Duchess Way, Courtway Crescent, Rowallan Way, Glendevon Way, Prestwick Way, Montague Way and Cordella Way.

Friday 9th, starting at 6.00pm

From The Old Melbourne Arms, Ashby Road, Penn Lane, Peniston Rise, Salsbury Lane, up Church Street, turn & down Church Street, Castle Mills, Castle Street, Jubilee Close, The Lilypool, The Crescent, Chapel Street, Potter Street.

Sunday 11th, starting at 5.00pm

Packhorse Road, Oaklands Way, Queensway, Derby Road, Windsor Ave, Melton Ave, Spinney Hill and side roads.

A HIGHLIGHT of the local Autumn social calendar is Melbourne Rugby Club’s Beer and Gin festival, and ‘Beerfest22’ seemed bigger and better than before Social Secretary Roy Briscoe said the event was a “huge suc cess” with about 500 people at tending

With over 40 different beers, six “showstopping” ciders and a range of premium gins supplied by Highfields, (just across the road), the crowd were kept well lubricated as they sang, danced and generally cavorted to the music from local bands and “DJ to the Max” in the huge mar quee

Doubtless some locals on Hope and Commerce Streets would have had their regular Saturday TV viewing dis turbed, as it was noisy being an outdoor event, but thankfully the evening passed off with only minor incidents, largely be cause of the enhanced security presence this year

Roy said that it should be un derstood that the event is oper ated entirely by volunteers All the entertainment is provided

by

without charge with all the acts connected to the club in some way Local food vendors pro vided the sustenance and all the staff working on the night were members and friends of the club

One minor hitch, with the power supply cutting out early on, meant that the local choir, A Choir ’d Taste, did half their set “A capella” but, as one observer said “it didn’t seem to matter!”

As well as a great social occa sion, the event is designed to raise funds for the club and from the staggering takings of over £18,000, nearly £8,000 was profit

Ray said the funds are needed as the club moves to a new club unit near the other “top” pitch entrance

He said: “We rely on volun teers to put on an event of this size and we are blessed that so many friends of the rugby club give up their time to help We've made a healthy profit and the funds are all ploughed back to help improve our on

field and social activities

“The event is not just about the rugby club family, it reaches out and involves much of our local community; most of the ales, gin and food were pro duced in our immediate area, the choir and bands were local, the marquee from Crockers Most importantly and, despite the financial challenges people are currently facing, we wel comed a large crowd with a broad age range and provided a memorable event that we hope to repeat next year "

The year ' s event was signifi cant in that it helped to cele brate the rugby club's 40th anniversary since its formation The gathering of former play ers and coaches on the Friday evening, including some of the founding fathers who played in the team in the club's first year of competitive rugby, was an op portunity to reflect on how the club has developed and agree that if future generations of players can have as much fun, then long may Melbourne rugby continue

Frank Hughes

ABOVE: Terry Summer lin, Dave Smith, Heather Wheeler MP and David Muller

LEFT AND RIGHT: musi cians playing at the event

Photos: Jansen Brown Studios

Season of good cheer for rugby teams

Tennis club’s busy campaign

MELBOURNE Tennis Club completed its busiest ever summer as all 16 teams finished their league fixtures by the end of Sep tember Three of the teams actually won their respective leagues and another five claimed a promotion spot

In the Burton leagues the club’s Men’s A team led the way by winning division four and the Ladies A team matched this achievement in topping division three, meaning that both the club’s A teams will be playing at their highest ever level in the 2023 season

Both the Men’s and Ladies’ B teams claimed promotion as they finished in second place, the Men from division six and the Ladies from division three

The Ladies’ C team also claimed second place in division four but the Men’s C team just missed out, finishing in fourth place

The club’s D teams have struggled as both the Men’s and Ladies sides came bottom of league seven and four respectively, but the club’s Mixed teams did fare a little better

The Mixed A team claimed a promotion spot as they finished in second place in division three and they too will be playing at their highest level next season, while the Mixed B team went one better and topped division four to claim the title

The Mixed C team finished in fourth and the D team ended up bottom to complete the club’s 12 teams that competed in the Burton leagues The club also had four teams competing in the Derbyshire league with the Men’s A team just missing out on promotion by one point, coming third

The Ladies’ A team unfortunately ended up relegated from di vision two, the Ladies’ B team finished in third and finally the Mixed A team claimed promotion in lying in second place in di vision three to complete a superb season

WITH the new rugby season now in full swing and Mel bourne’s first team having been promoted to their highest level of rugby and their seconds entering the RFU leagues for the first time, they are currently in great form as a club

The firsts and seconds sit fourth in the league with some good wins already under their belts against tough opposition October began well for the firsts with a 24 38 five point victory over Sihillians of Solihull It was an entertaining game with tries from Holden, Travers, Smith, Suddaby, Whitten and Benstead Holden convertied four

On the same day the seconds fared less well, however, with a 15 29 defeat to a strong Chesterfield firsts side

The second team were back to winning ways a week later, with a stonking 14 53 victory over Dronfield seconds, with former mini and junior Gugu Ndlovu a well deserved man of the match

The first team rose to second in the table after another five point victory at home, with a mid October encounter against a strapping Belgrave, with a finishing score line of 28 12 Once again, Holden converted four

Their progress was somewhat halted in late October with a 36 23 loss away at Leek as second and third in the league battled one another

The disappointment and drop in points was used to fuel their final game of October which saw the first team come out on top against a strong and determined Leicester Forest with another five point win (36 29)

On the same afternoon, Melbourne’s second team scored a barn storming nine try victory against Long Eaton seconds

The third team, meanwhile, achieved a much needed morale boost with a 46 7 victory over Ilkeston seconds on October 22, after suffering a 27 5 defeat against Amber Valley earlier in the month

Twelve members of the ALL MAC girls’ side travelled to North Nottingham’s Paviours Rugby Club to play four 15 minute ses sions

With the home side securing victory against Melbourne in the first two games, Melbourne then came back strong to win the third They also nailed the final quarter by one point, emerging victorious from the game

n MELBOURNE Ten nis Club held its an nual Ian Ward Memorial Tourna ment in October with over 20 players from the club entering.

The event was won by Judith Hancock and Andy Fleming (pictured), beating Laura Clarke and Paul Fox in the final.

A total of £320 raised for the Nightin gale MacMillan Unit Patient Fund

l Melbourne

Photo: Jansen Brown Studios

Brother and sister in bid for world titles

A BROTHER and sister who are pupils at Weston Primary School will be fighting this month on the world stage, not with each other!

Siblings Sophie and William Taylor are competing in the Open ITF Taekwon do World Championships.

Sophie, 10, and William, eight, will be sparring against competitors from across the globe including Latvia, Wales, the Netherlands and India at the champi onships to be held in Linwood, near Glas gow, on November 12 and 13.

Mum Nichola said: “They are so dedi cated and train so hard. We are im mensely proud of them. It’s a big thing for both of them to have come so far ” Sophie and William have been practis ing Taekwon do since they were five and four, when they started attending Der byshire Dragons sessions at Aston on Trent Memorial Hall.

Nichola said: “My husband used to do it, and it was something we really wanted them to learn.”

William is now a Taekwondo red belt, which is two down from a black belt, and sister Sophie is one up from that, wear ing a red belt with a black stripe.

The siblings have both competed be fore, although never on the world stage, with William winning a gold medal at the British Championships last year They train on Thursdays and Saturdays at Aston and in Derby.

Sophie said she was looking forward to the championships, despite being nerv ous, and would like to take her Taekwon do forward in the future

She said: “It’s quite nerve wracking, if you’re against somebody a bit taller than you! In the future, I’d like to instruct and help people who might not know much about it.”

SIX OF THE BEST FOR DYNAMO

MELBOURNE Dynamo’s senior football club continued its bright start to the 2022/23 season in October with the first team moving to the top of the table during their good run of form.

A fourth straight victory was secured at home to Mickleover RBL Reserves with a comfortable 3 1 score line as Conor Poynton, Jack Goodband and Matt Brian all got on the scoresheet It was a win that took Dynamo to the top of the table

A week later they made it five wins from five Away to Little Eaton, a double for the in form Brian plus a thumping header from skipper Carl Allsop completed another 3 1 victory

The following week, the first team entertained South Norman ton Athletic Reserves which resulted in a 5 1 win

In what turned out to be their last game of the month another Matt Brian double plus strikes from Goodband, Allsop and Oscar Supple completed the scoring which left Melbourne top of the table with a sixth straight win

Dynamo Reserves had a topsy turvy month results wise, but began October with a superb result as they beat Willington United in the Derbyshire Junior Cup A Jack Shadbolt brace saw them through to the quarter finals

A week later at home to league leaders Newhall United, the re serves went down 3 0 and it didn’t get any better in the next match as they lost 3 1 away to Burton United with a Harry Foxon strike

their only consolation

Ross Carcary’s men stormed back to form a week later as Punjab United were hit for seven at the MSP A Harry Foxon double plus finishes by Joe Shadbolt, Oscar Supple, Charlie Tovell, Sam Simp son and Noah Trivett came in a 7 0 win

However, a five goal thriller to end October went the way of the visitors Mickleover Athletic who won 3 2 Despite going two up thanks to tidy finishes from Joe Shadbolt and Oscar Supple, Mick leover had drawn level by half time and, despite being down to 10 men, the visitors broke away to claim all three points

MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club held its annual end of season presentation and awards night at the MSP in October with over 100 senior and junior players and parents in attendance

The club had much to celebrate including the second XI winning the Division 7 South, the league trophy being presented to skipper Fraser Radcliffe with the team receiving individual medals from club president Tel Potts

Chairman James Hogwood was presented with the ‘Debbie Dore’ Memorial Trophy for his efforts on and off the field as he steps down after seven years in the role Fraser Radcliffe received the ‘Dave Potts Award for outstanding con tributions to the second team plus there were two main junior presentations as Issac Walker and Harry John won the ‘Tel Potts’ trophy and the ‘Mike Starkie’ awards respectively

The main senior awards were dominated by Muhammad Nadeem,Ranjit Rathore and John Collins Nadeem was first team batsman, bowler and play ers’ player with Rathore claim ing the same trophies for the second team along with the highest score award Third team skipper John Collins claimed batsman, players’ player and highest score trophies for his team The club’s first ever overseas player, Matt Barmby, won the first team all rounder trophy to take all the way back to Aus tralia