Holmesfield Parish Council Newsletter - January 2023

HOLMESFIELD VILLAGE HALL HIRING RATES

Main Hall : £15.00 per Hour

Small Hall : £10.00 per Hour

Committee Room : £8.50 per Hour

Kitchen : £6.00 per Hour

A refundable bond of £20.00 is required at the time of booking to cover any breakages and damage. Parties running later than 9pm will be charged an additional £40.00 to cover clean up time. Residents living in the Parish of Holmesfield will receive a 10% discount for Private Functions.

Licensable activities such as music, dancing and particularly the sale of alcohol may require a Temporary Event Notice which must be applied for at the licensing section of North East Derbyshire District Council prior to the booking.

For more information and bookings please contact the Hall Letting Officer, Lucy Perry: 07752 478866 Email: holmesfieldvillagehall@outlook.com

INFORMATION ON LOCAL SERVICES

Derbyshire County Council: County Hall, Matlock. DE4 3AG Tel: 01629 580000 – Call Derbyshire: 0845 6058058

Monday – Friday 8.00am – 8.00pm, Saturday 9.30am – 4.00pm Education, Libraries, Rights of Way, Social Services, Gritting, Street Lighting, Pot Holes, Trading Standards.

North East Derbyshire District Council 2013 Mill Lane, Wingerworth, Chesterfield. S42 6NG. Tel: 01246 231111

Bulk Waste, Council Tax, Dog Wardens, Energy Advice, Environmental Health, Fly Tipping, Housing, Event Licensing, Pest Control, Planning, Recycling and Refuse, Street Cleaning Holmesfield Parish Council: Tel: 07758 460757

Bus Shelters, Dog Bins, Playground, Village Hall, Grit Bins.

CONTACTING DERBYSHIRE POLICE ONLINE

A team of helpful call handlers are here for the people of Derbyshire 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The links you can use to get in touch digitally are: Facebook: message www.facebook.com/derbyshireconstabulary Twitter: direct message www.twitter.com/derpolcontact Website: online forms and Live Chat by visiting www.derbyshire.police.uk

WELCOME TO HOLMESFIELD VILLAGE HALL

We offer an exciting programme of classes and events for all. Holmesfield Village Hall is a clean, spacious, well ventilated community venue with ample private parking, available to hire for your events and celebrations. Email for info: holmesfieldvillagehall@outlook.com

Here is a taste of our events:

Mondays

Art Class : Develop your creative talents. Adult art class / painting class suitable for all. Contact Glen: 07710 600453. 10am start.

Rhythmix Dance : Inspire confidence, dance technique and performance skills. Dance and gymnastics classes for all children from pre-school to teens. Contact Jess & Hayley: 07725 908390. 4pm start. Zumba : Latin Inspired dance/fitness class. If you love to dance, enjoy moving to great music and want to keep fit then this class is for you - feel good fitness suitable for all. Contact Lucy: 0775 2478866 Email: zumba.dronfield@hotmail.co.uk. 7pm start.

Tuesdays

Rhythmix Dance : Inspire confidence, dance technique and performance skills. Dance and gymnastics classes for all children from pre-school to teens. Contact Jess & Hayley: 07725 908390. 4pm start.

Wednesdays

Kilners Cakes : Creative cake decorating workshops, running on regular Wednesday evenings. Contact Andrea for details of the next workshop: 07961 454943.

Holmesfield Gardening Association : If you are a keen gardener and looking to join a club come along to our next meeting on the first Wednesday of the month. Contact Hilary 07748 846257. 7.30pm start.

Holmesfield Flower Arranging Club : New to flower arranging or keen to develop existing skills? Come along to our demonstrations and club workshops every third Wednesday of the month commencing in February. Contact 0771 8925514. 7.00pm start.

Thursdays

Rhythmix Dance : Inspire confidence, dance technique and performance skills. Dance and gymnastics classes for all children from pre-school to teens. Contact Jess & Hayley: 07725 908390. 4pm start. Keep Fit : Aerobics and body conditioning exercises suitable for all. Contact Geraldine: 07594 684676. 7.30pm start.

Fridays

Helen O’Grady Drama Academy/After School Club : Drama Classes for primary/secondary. Contact Nick or Helen: 07952 780823 Email: sheffield@helenogrady.co.uk. 4.30pm start. Fused Glass Workshops : Artistic adult class in Fused Glass. Contact Jan Ward for Workshop dates & information: 07751 529378

Saturdays

Kilners Cakes : Creative cake decorating workshops, running on regular Saturday afternoons. Contact Andrea for details of the next workshop: 07961 454943.

Holmesfield Local Market : A local farmers, producers and artisan market running four times a year. Contact :07827 854522

VILLAGE HALL CALENDAR : JANUARY

4th January (Wed.)

Holmesfield Gardening Association – contact Hilary Olsen : 07748 846257 Main Hall 7.30pm - 9.30pm

8th January (Sun.) Private Booking Small Hall 10.00am - 12.00pm

Glen Wright Art Class (suitable for all) - contact: 07710 600453

Live Longer Live Stronger Age UK Chair Based Exercise - contact Kerry: 07923 672165

9th January (Mon.)

10th January (Tues.)

Main Hall 10.00am - 12.00pm

Main Hall 2.00pm - 3.00pm

Rhythmix Dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com Main Hall 4.00pm - 6.30pm Zumba Latin Inspired Dance/Fitness class suitable for allcontact Lucy : 0775 2478866

Holmesfield Neighbourhood Watch Meetingcontact Sally Marples-Shaw : 07930 430044 / sallyannms@icloud.com

Penny Acres School

Main Hall 7.00pm - 8.00pm

Committee Room 8.00pm - 9.00pm

Main Hall 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Rhythmix Dance Workshop – dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com Main Hall 4.00pm - 8.30pm

11th January (Wed.) Holmesfield Parish Council Meeting Committee Room From 7.30pm

12th January (Thurs.)

13th January (Fri.)

Rhythmix Dance Workshop – dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com

Main Hall 10.00am - 11.30am & 4.00pm - 8.00pm

Holmesfield Keep Fit (suitable for all) - contact Geraldine : 07594 684676 Main Hall 7.30pm - 8.30pm

Private Booking Main HallHelen O’Grady Drama Academy / After School Club

Primary & secondary age - contact: sheffield@helenogrady.co.uk

Main Hall 4.30pm - 6.00pm

14th January (Sat.) Kilner Cakes – Cake decorating workshop - contact Andrea: 07961 454943 Main Hall 10.00am - 4.00pm

15th January (Sun.) Private Booking Small Hall 10.00am - 12.00pm

Glen Wright Art Class (suitable for all) - contact: 07710 600453 Main Hall 10.00am - 12.00pm

16th January (Mon.)

17th January (Tues.)

Live Longer Live Stronger Age UK Chair Based Exercise - contact Kerry: 07923 672165 Main Hall 2.00pm - 3.00pm Rhythmix Dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com Main Hall 4.00pm - 6.30pm

Penny Acres School Main Hall 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Rhythmix Dance Workshop – dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com

Main Hall 4.00pm - 8.30pm

19th January (Thurs.)

20th January (Fri.)

Rhythmix Dance Workshop – dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com

Main Hall 10.00am - 11.30am & 4.00pm - 8.00pm Holmesfield Keep Fit (suitable for all) - contact Geraldine : 07594 684676 Main Hall 7.30pm - 8.30pm

Private Booking Main HallHelen O’Grady Drama Academy / After School Club Primary & secondary age - contact: sheffield@helenogrady.co.uk Main Hall 4.00pm - 6.00pm

21st January (Sat.) Private Booking Main Hall -

22nd January (Sun.) Private Booking Small Hall 10.00am - 12.00pm

Glen Wright Art Class (suitable for all) - contact: 07710 600453 Main Hall 10.00am - 12.00pm

23rd January (Mon.)

24th January (Tues.)

Live Longer Live Stronger Age UK Chair Based Exercise - contact Kerry: 07923 672165

Main Hall 2.00pm - 3.00pm

Rhythmix Dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com Main Hall 4.00pm - 6.30pm

Penny Acres School Main Hall 1.30pm - 3.30pm Rhythmix Dance Workshop – dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com Main Hall 4.00pm - 8.30pm

26th January (Thurs.)

27th January (Fri.)

28th January (Sat.)

Rhythmix Dance Workshop – dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com

Main Hall 10.00am - 11.30am & 4.00pm - 8.00pm

Holmesfield Keep Fit (suitable for all) - contact Geraldine : 07594 684676 Main Hall 7.30pm - 8.30pm

Private Booking Main HallHelen O’Grady Drama Academy / After School Club

Primary & secondary age - contact: sheffield@helenogrady.co.uk

Private Booking

29th January (Sun.) Private Booking

Glen Wright Art Class (suitable for all) - contact: 07710 600453

Main Hall 4.00pm - 6.00pm

Main Hall -

Small Hall 10.00am - 12.00pm

Main Hall 10.00am - 12.00pm

30th January (Mon.)

31st January (Tues.)

Live Longer Live Stronger Age UK Chair Based Exercise - contact Kerry: 07923 672165

Main Hall 2.00pm - 3.00pm

Rhythmix Dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com Main Hall 4.00pm - 6.30pm

Penny Acres School

Rhythmix Dance Workshop – dance classes for children www.rhythmixdancestudio.com

Main Hall 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Main Hall 4.00pm - 8.30pm

FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

All copy for the February Newsletter must be received by 18th January to ensure inclusion in the magazine.

Holmesfield Parish Council welcomes the submission of articles pertinent to Holmesfield by residents for publication in the Parish Newsletter. Any thoughts and opinions are those of the individual(s) and may not necessarily be shared or endorsed by Holmesfield Parish Council. Any submissions must include full name and contact details before publication can be considered by the editor.

Please send your articles typed via email if possible. This is especially important for images you wish to include.

Please email any articles to: holmesfield-newsletter@hotmail.com

PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

The next meeting of the Parish Council will take place on Wednesday 11th January from 7.30pm in the Committee Room at Holmesfield Village Hall on Vicarage Close. All are welcome to attend.

HOLMESFIELD NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

January

MATTERS

NEWSLETTER DISTRIBUTOR REQUIRED

Ken & Sandra Hunt have for many years provided an unsung but vitally important role in the delivery of these newsletters by arranging for their distribution to our team of volunteer doorstep deliverers.

They are taking well earned retirement from the role in the New Year and the Parish Council is urgently seeking a replacement volunteer distribution supervisor to ensure that all households in the Parish of Holmesfield continue to receive the Parish newsletter. Please contact Barry Wheat on 0114 2890018 if you wish to take over the role.

PARISH COUNCIL BUDGET FOR 2023/24

Councillors discussed the budgets for 2023/24 and considered the rise in costs for the following year which include wages, repairs and a substantial rise in fuel costs once the fixed term contracts come to an end in the summer of 2023. There are also works required to the flooring in the hall and to the play area.

As a result ,the village hall rates will rise by £1.00 per hour from 1 April 2023 and the precept will rise to £41,500; this will be approximately an increase of £11 per annum per band D property.

The Parish Council is sorry to have to take this course of action.

POLICE REPORT TO PARISH COUNCIL

Two members of the Dronfield SNT attended the December Parish Council meeting. During November there were three reported crimes including one theft, one public order and two violent incidents. A number of burglaries have occurred in Dronfield and residents are reminded to remain vigilant.

A theft from an egg box on Cowley Lane has been reported. There is clear CCTV of the perpetrator and his vehicle; an update has been requested.

Work is still on going with Derbyshire County Council with regards to speeding outside Penny Acres School.

There has been very little work with the speed watch due to adverse weather conditions and lack of volunteers.

CARAVANS AT OWLER BAR

The issue of caravans in fields at Owler Bar is still of major concern; we have now been in contact with the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer at Peak Park and hope to have some update for residents in January 2023.

HOLMESFIELD PLAYGROUND: PUBLIC SPACE PROTECTION ORDER

Signs have been put on each entrance to the Play Ground reminding dog owners that North East Derbyshire District Council have put Public Space Protection Orders on all play areas within the District, this prohibits the entry of dogs to the Play Ground. Please adhere to this for the well-being of children using this facility.

COMMUNITY SPEED WATCH

Would you like to volunteer within your community to reduce speed and educate drivers?

Community Speed Watch is a scheme to enable trained volunteers to address speed concerns in their communities. Why we undertake speed enforcement and education

• Reduce death and injury on the roads

• Improve the quality of life for local communities

• Reduce the speed of vehicles to the speed limit

• Increase public awareness of inappropriate speed

• Provide public reassurance in tackling Road Safety

• Work with partner agencies where possible to consider long term solutions

If you would like more information about Community Speed Watch, we have groups running in the following areas, Dronfield, Barlow, Holmesfield and Unstone and surrounding areas

Email Dronfield.neighbourhood@Derbyshire.Police.UK or contact Phil Reaney of Holmesfield Parish Council on 0114 289 1167.

WANTED Fun individual to join the Local Market Team

Its official... We are a team member down. Mandy has migrated to the metropolis of Hull. Its hard to replace her... but we have to!

We are looking for someone who can add value to our small, but impactful team.

Do you want to be heard, are you entrepreneurial, do you hate committees but want to work with a team that just likes to get things done?

Do you want to contribute to your community? Do you think you can help us with organising and take a role in our little team? Just a few hours every few weeks on the run up to market day?

Email us on: holmesfieldlocalmarket@gmail.com

HOLMESFIELD LOCAL MARKET UPDATE

Another successful market with over 35 stalls in the Angel Inn, Holmesfield Church Hall and Holmesfield Village Hall! There was a steady flow of people throughout the morning with Christmas jingles sounding out the start of the festive season. Yes, the 3rd of December 2022 was a very proud moment for all of the local market team members and organisers after last year’s last minute cancellation!

Big thanks to Adrian and Clare at the Angel for continuing to support the market and giving us space in the pub to run the market between 10.00am and 2.00pm. On a positive note, Adrian and Clare have kept up the Angel tradition and continue to produce gluten free pies for sale on market days.

In the village hall there was lots to buy. Dancing Anchor Spirits, Your Book Corner, and Stitched with Love were just some of the many stalls selling their Christmas wares. The church hall was also buzzing with lots of regular stalls and an opportunity for a cuppa and a cake from the J Café. We always like to see new stalls or hear from you if you think that we are a missing certain product range. Let us know; email us your thoughts to holmesfieldlocalmarket@gmail.com

A big thank-you to all of you who also bought tickets for the raffle on the day. We thought it would be a good idea to put a few bigger prizes into the raffle this Christmas as we face the biggest cost of living crisis for many decades. Two lucky winners walked off with a £50 Amazon voucher and a £50 Aldi voucher. There were a range of other prizes too. Congratulations to all our winners.

HOLMESFIELD LOCAL MARKET UPDATE (CONTINUED)

Big thanks to our volunteers on the day who did all the raffle ticket selling. Raffle funds raised will be used to support local initiatives and groups in our village, and it gives us great pleasure to tell you all that the Local Market team have signed off a £300 donation for the Church Hall which we hope will be a small contribution to the cost of the new sprinklers and general upkeep of the facilities. We wouldn’t have this great facility for our market without the support of St.Swithin’s church and in particular, Jenny and Michael Banks.

It was brilliant to see Paul Dorward and his team outside the Angel selling Christmas trees in aid of the Bluebell Wood charity. We continue to have many local suppliers who attend the market regularly, so please continue to support us. We will be doing a round of donations to local charities in February as we look to close our end of year accounts.

Please remember we are a volunteer run charity. The money raised, except for some small operational expenses, is returned to support activities in the community. If you or your society would like to request a donation please email us by the end of January with your request – outlining what you would like to use the funding for. We will look at all requests favourably and make quick award decisions in early February. Thank you to all our volunteers and many many regular supporters. Wishing you all health and happiness for 2023. Best wishes from the Local Market Team

Need some support this Winter ?

We know this winter will be difficult for many of us –The Trustees of the Penny Acres in Need want to help . Now anyone can apply if they need support by contacting Mrs Geraldine Austen on 0114 2890686 if they live in the village. The trusts were formed due to donations specifically meant to benefit village people and are not means tested. So if you are a family or a single person, please don’t hesitate to apply and we will do our best to help.

HOLMESFIELD GARDENING ASSOCIATION

As reported in November’s issue, our trophies have been found at the engravers and were presented to the winners of the various categories at this year’s show. The winners were Stewart Seymour, Bev Blanksby, Hazel Smith and Pam Lea. Congratulations to everyone.

Our Talk in December was by Hilary Hudson, entitled ’ The Adventurous Gardener‘. Gardening in similar conditions to those in Holmesfield, Hilary has managed to cultivate some unusual and heat loving plants, and was able to give advice on how to achieve this; research into growing conditions and assessment of our garden, where are the hot spots in your garden and what kind of temperature range can be tolerated? Consider winter protection. Look for unusual plants in specialist growers’ seed catalogues and propagate (i.e. take cuttings to ensure plants survive winter). Hilary gave us the possibility of growing a more interesting range of plants in the future and her talk was much appreciated.

After the festivities, we have the chance to sharpen up our horticultural knowledge with a quiz from Peter Carterton on Wednesday 4th January at 7.30pm in Holmesfield Village Hall.

On Wednesday 1st February, the Annual General Meeting will be held at 7.30 pm in Holmesfield Village Hall and this is also the also the date of the Hyacinthcompetition, although it is too late to plant them for the competition. They can of course still be planted in the garden or in a pot and we still have a few left for sale at a very good price.

Our Event and Social Organiser Hilary Olsen can be contacted on 01142890927 for any enquiries.

If any member would like to take on the role of correspondent please contact Frances Webb on 01142890003.

Wishing all our members and friends a very happy New Year, especially in the garden! Frances Webb

HOLMESFIELD FLOWER ARRANGING CLUB

Holmesfield Flower Arranging Club are not meeting in January and are planning to start up again in February.

The committee met in December to plan the programme for next year.

For further details of the club, please contact Diane Sheldon – Email: Diane.sheldon1@btinternet.com

HOLMESFIELD PENNY ACRES SCHOOL

Happy New Year from everybody at Penny Acres Primary School.

HOLMESFIELD PENNY ACRES SCHOOL LOTTERY

A very excited class of children were involved in creating the draw electronically with a computer number generator for the month of December. We are pleased to announce the winners as follows:December 2022

1st prize No. 145 Mrs K White £51.30 2nd prize No. 117 Mrs S Copley £11.40

Penny Acres School were also awarded £51.30. Thank you to all the parents, family members, neighbours and local residents for your continued support especially during the past couple of years.

You can join the lottery at any time only £1 per number per month so please feel free if you would like to join contact either Penny Acres School Office or Samantha Copley by emailing samcopley@me.com or phone: 0780 3128729

May I take this opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing support and hope that you all have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

GLOW! : HOLMESFIELD YOUTH CLUB

What a fantastic end to the year!

This term we have had Extreme Wheels Roadshow supporting us bringing karting, extreme pogo-ing, laser quest, slack lines and vintage gaming.

Money for a new table football has been kindly donated by E. Bird of Millthorpe and Holmesfield Local Market have pledged funds towards some fun activities in the spring term. Our heartfelt thanks to our local community for your ongoing support!

We finished the term with some silly games and made edible snowmen, jingly Rudolphs, as well as all our usual shenanigans.

Glow! youth club is open to all local young people in school years 7-13 on Monday nights 7.00pm to 8.30pm in the church hall and is free to join in the fun. We start back after Christmas on Monday 9th January. Further info from Sarah Webb on 07929 582233

AGRICULTURAL ROAD VEHICLE WARNING BEACONS

Derbyshire Police are reminding users of agricultural vehicles of the following legal requirements under the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989.

The regulations require that vehicles having a maximum speed not exceeding 25mph or any trailer drawn by it to be fitted with an amber warning beacon if it is to be driven on an unrestricted dual carriageway with a speed limit in excess of 50mph. A warning beacon is defined in regulations as a lamp that is capable of emitting a flashing or rotating beam of light throughout 360° in the horizontal plane. Unidirectional (facing in a single direction) lamps do not comply with the regulations and therefore should not be used.

The rotating amber beacon must be mounted on the vehicle or trailer at least 1.2m from the ground (ideally at the highest point of the vehicle) so that the light is visible from any point at a reasonable distance and must either rotate or flash between 60 and 240 times. Further information can be found on the www.legislation.gov.uk website.

CHANGES TO RECYCLING BIN COLLECTIONS

In a bid to increase recycling rates and make things easier for residents whilst continuing to operating as environmentally friendly as possible over Christmas, North East Derbyshire District Council is launching a trial of asking residents to mix their paper recycling (which some residents currently present separately in caddies or hessian bags) straight into the burgundy bins with other recyclables.

The authority has been identifying ways it can make its service meet the needs of residents, maximise lorry capacity, and update its processes to simplify how residents recycle in their homes.

Commencing immediately, residents are asked not to separate paper into caddies/ hessian bags – instead they can put paper straight into their bin with other recyclables such as plastics, cardboard, tins and jars.

These changes mean that the bin lorries’ capacity can be fully utilised, reducing the frequency of visits for emptying at the recycling centre, meaning the service is more efficient, reduces carbon emissions and increases time on the streets emptying residents’ bins.

As paper use has declined, with the result that clean recycled paper prices are now similar to mixed recycled paper, it is now more cost effective to mix the paper with the other materials (which will still all be recycled) so the full capacity of the bin lorry is utilised.

The trial is expected to last for 2 to 3 months before a review will be undertaken and residents will be notified of any changes if necessary.

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Cllr Charlotte Cupit said, “We always want to make sure we are meeting the needs of our residents. Due to decreases in the amount of paper presented in the caddies over time, as well as the declining price for clean paper, we have reviewed our processes to make recycling simpler and quicker for households and are trialling mixing all materials together in burgundy bins instead of having to separate it. Thank you to everyone who has spent time separating their paper to date, and for all your recycling efforts – as well as to our Streetscene crews. Given the changes we’re now seeing, it makes sense to mix any paper in with the rest of the recycling to be separated and recycled at the centre rather than put in the two compartments of the bin lorry. As we see a huge increase in service demand over the festive period, and have increased collections to match, this seems the best time to trial the change. We’d also value any feedback residents have on these changes.”

Residents can still present surplus paper/cardboard alongside their bins but, especially given the current wet weather conditions we ask that glass is placed directly in the burgundy bin. You can find out what can and can’t be recycled in the burgundy bins on the council website. www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk/recycle

HOLMESFIELD VILLAGE SOCIETY

Hi everyone and Happy New Year!

The Holmesfield Village Society team hope that you and your families & friends have had a lovely Christmas. The cold weather and the beautiful frost made for some glorious scenes in and around Holmesfield in the weeks leading up to Christmas and I’m sure that there is more to come in January.

Santa braved the very icy and freezing conditions on the 18th of December (he is used to that kind of weather fortunately!) and arrived on time in his Grotto at the George & Dragon. Everyone, including the elves and the gingerbreadman had a great afternoon. Massive thanks to Jeni and the team at the George for making us all so warm and welcome. Thanks also to Debbie Blagden for making sure Santa knew which presents to give to the children, to Sarah Webb, Kathy Sparrow and Eva Taylor for being amazing and helpful elves, to Nell Taylor for being our super gingerbreadman, and most of all, to Santa for taking the time out of his busy schedule to visit our beautiful village and helping to make Christmas extra special as always.

The weather also played a part in the last-minute relocation of our village carols, as the ‘freezing rain’ made conditions underfoot treacherous. It was a shame not to be singing beneath the shining star of our village Christmas tree, but the Church Hall was far warmer and much more welcoming for some festive dancing. We were very grateful to Reverend Ian Webb for letting us use the hall at short notice – thank you ��. Thanks as always to the wonderful Barry Fisher for helping us sing along to some good old traditional carols as well as some more modern Christmas tunes! Christmas wouldn’t be the same without Woodthorpe Hall’s amazing mulled cider and we really appreciate everything that Rosie and the Woodthorpe Hall team do for our village – your love and support is so very much appreciated by us all.

HOLMESFIELD VILLAGE SOCIETY (CONTINUED)

2022 has been a busy and fun year for the Village Society and we have had such lovely and positive feedback following our events. All our activities obviously need financial input to make them happen, but our main objective is to bring the village together as well as raise funds for local causes. This year the funds we have raised have covered the costs of the Big Jubilee Party and Village Week, however we are so pleased to have been able to contribute £500 towards an additional defibrillator to be located in the village, near The George & Dragon.

Thank you so much to everyone who has generously given at all the Holmesfield Village Society events in 2022, and to all of you who have donated your time, effort and money, we couldn’t do what we do without you! We are really looking forward to an exciting 2023 and will be sharing some of our ideas with you in the next few weeks. January is a long and dark month, but it is the start of a New Year and with that comes some New Year’s resolutions, along hopefully, with some longer, lighter and warmer days, and the promise of Spring being just around the corner. At Holmesfield Village Society, our resolution is to plan some new and exciting events for our village throughout the year. We also have a Royal Coronation to look forward to in May! Our first activity for 2023 will be a photographic competition. We are looking for your photographs of winter scenes from around our beautiful village. The winning photo will be made into a Holmesfield village Christmas card which we will print and sell throughout the village for Christmas 2023. Watch out for the entry forms and more details on our Facebook page – and get snapping away with your camera or your phone! We really hope that both adults and children will submit photographs for this competition. We will be doing a ‘people’s vote’ on Facebook and more details will follow shortly on our Facebook page and also the Holmesfield Support Group on WhatsApp. We are accepting photos now and you can send them to our email address holmesfieldvillage@gmail.com We can’t wait to see them – so get sending!

In the meantime, stay safe and warm in this wintry weather.

Big Love – Helen, Alison, Elaine and Nick from The Holmesfield Village Society.

PS For all the latest info, keep an eye on our facebook page at: www.facebook.com/groups/holmesfield

Did you know you can apply to the Holmesfield Educational Trust by contacting the Secretary – Mrs Geraldine Austen on 0114 2890686 even if you have made a previous application? The Trust is not means tested and was specifically designed to meet the educational needs of everyone under 25 who lives in the village or whose parents do.

If you think you fit the description please apply.

3rd HOLMESFIELD SCOUT GROUP

Scouts and Explorers: Meet Tuesday nights at the usual times. Beavers and Cubs: Meet Wednesday nights at the usual times.

Holiday Dates: Scouts and Explores will recommence on 10th January. Beavers and Cubs will recommence on 11th January. Please note that all four sections have a waiting list. If you have children you would like to join the group, please get their names on our waiting lists as soon as possible – don’t wait until they are the right age, to avoid disappointment. Please contact Richard Wilkinson on 01246 412576, or email : thirdholmesfieldscoutgroup@hotmail.co.uk for further information.

REPORTING HGVS FLOUTING WEIGHT LIMIT

A reminder that vehicles flouting the weight restrictions through the Parish can now be reported as traffic incidents on the Derbyshire Constabulary website: www.derbyshire.police.uk/ro/report/rti/rti-b/report-a-road-traffic-incident/

NOVEMBER 2022 WEATHER

November was a slightly warmer month than normal but significantly wetter. We had a run of six drier than usual months from March to August and this gave rise to hosepipe restrictions in some parts of the UK. However, I recorded a rainfall in November of 146mm, which is about 60% more than normal. It now looks as though our annual rainfall will be about normal unless December is very dry.

My average annual rainfall for Holmesfield is about 835mm (33 inches). London only records about 23 inches annually, whereas Manchester sees about 34 inches and Plymouth 41 inches. Most of our weather comes from the west so the Pennines shelter us from some of the rainfall. The price we pay is that it is a little colder on this side of the Pennines. The mean temperature this November was 7.3°C which is almost one degree higher than normal. The warmest day was on the 11th of the month at 14.1°C and the coldest was -0.8°C on the 29th, which also saw the first ground frost of the winter. The newspapers often speculate at this time of the year as to what weather the winter will bring. The Met Office only look about a month ahead and at the moment they think that there is a slightly increased chance of snow during the last two weeks of December. We really don’t know what January and February will be like. Really cold winters are quite rare in England. The coldest winter in the UK is usually quoted as 1683/4, when the River Thames froze over. 1739/40 was the next memorably cold winter. In recent times 1946/7, 1962/3, 1982/3 and 2010/11 have all been very cold. 1963/4 was said to be the coldest for 200 years. I recently read a contemporary description of the winter of 1739/40:

“In the Derbyshire Peak snow fell on New Year’s Day and lay until March. Post-boys perched on coaches died of exposure in the cutting wind. In Birmingham, steam from the forges clouded in crystals around men’s heads; in Staffordshire, the potters’ clay formed rigid crags; in Derby, women woke to find their breath frozen on the sheets. The trunks of ash trees split from top to toe; fish became slivers of steel and small birds fell dead from the trees.”

Hopefully this winter will be a little kinder.

Brian Brown

HOLMESFIELD FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS GUIDE

The new edition of the Holmesfield Footpaths and Bridleways Guide is available, price £7.50. They are available temporarily from The Angel Inn, The Rutland Arms and also Dronfield Hall Barn.

Although there has been a delay in getting the books printed due to the Covid outbreak, the response from purchasers has been gratifying and the committee has been delighted. We hope you will enjoy walking some of the routes.

PREPARING FOR WINTER

Derbyshire County Council would like to hear from residents and farmers willing to help keep their communities safe when bad weather hits to supplement work carried out by their gritting teams.

Town and parish councils, schools and voluntary community groups help to clear snow in their areas as part of its Snow Warden Scheme. Each group is given a free delivery of up to a tonne of bagged grit and given training and advice on how to clear snow and ice safely.

Snow wardens get involved in:

• clearing snow and ice from their community’s pavements

• reporting local weather conditions through our website

• co-ordinating volunteers to clear snow and distribute grit

• reporting empty grit bins

Farmers and others with ploughing or gritting equipment are also being asked to work as contractors to help keep their local roads on the move from now until next April. Anyone taken on as a contractor will get £250 for signing up plus get extra payments for call outs.

Farmers and contractors need to:

• provide their own equipment

• be available to work 7am to 7pm, Monday to Sunday (extra help may be requested if conditions are particularly severe)

• arrange appropriate insurance

• be able to respond to a call out within 90 minutes

The Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, said: “With the warm weather we have enjoyed this summer it seems strange to be thinking of snow, but we need to get ready for whatever the winter will bring. I’d urge any local council or community group to have a think about helping their local community by clearing pavements when it snows. And for any farmers who have the right equipment to help with clearing snow on our rural roads to get in touch. We do appreciate all the help we get when bad weather hits and would like to thank everyone in advance for what they do for their communities.”

Town and parish councils, schools and other community groups interested in volunteering can sign up by email snow@derbyshire.gov.uk or visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport-roads/roads-traffic/road-maintenance/snow-info/ tackling-snow/winter-service/snow-wardens.aspx

Find out more about the farmers and contractors scheme: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport-roads/roads-traffic/road-maintenance/snow-info/ tackling-snow/farmers-contractors/farmers-and-contractors.aspx

FRIENDS OF GILLFIELD WOOD

Practical Conservation Morning. Sunday 15th January. We meet either at the Baslow Road bus terminus, the Scout Hut on Aldam Road, Totley or at the end of Totley Hall Lane. The work mornings are advertised on posters around Totley, in the local press and nearer the date are emailed out. Due to Covid precautions there are no drinks or biscuits provided so we recommend you bring along your own refreshments.

We may also arrange the occasional mid-week Conservation Morning where we will not have the help of a Council Ranger but will concentrate on tasks we can do independently. Here we are likely to meet at the Baslow Road bus terminus at 10.00am. Bring spade/shovel and rake if you have them/one. And gloves and flask. We will probably finish around 11.30 but feel free to come and go to suit. www.friendsofgillfieldwood.com

For any clarification, please contact Paul Hancock via email: paulhancock1954@gmail.com Please check out and ‘like’ the Facebook page for “Friends of Gillfield Wood” There is also a Twitter feed: @GillfieldWood - please take a look !

MOBILE LIBRARY

Derbyshire County Council’s mobile library service operates on a 4-weekly cycle. The mobile library will be at 6 Park Rise, Holmesfield between 10.25am and 10.50am on Monday 23rd January and 20th February.

The staff look forward to welcoming you on board to browse the stock and access their services.

The mobile libraries have a lift if you use a wheelchair or have mobility problems. For further information call 01629 533444, or email: ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk

SUPERVISING CHILDREN’S ONLINE ACTIVITY

Parents/Guardian’s should be aware about allowing your child unsupervised access to the internet and unlimited access to your bank details when playing games online. Monitor what kind of sites your child is visiting, keep track of who they are speaking to online, make sure you have security settings up to date and that your bank details can’t be accessed without your permission. For more advice please visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk

HOLMESFIELD VILLAGE HALL CAR PARK

A large number of vehicles not connected with Village Hall bookings are now using the car park on a daily basis. This is now preventing users of the hall from accessing the car park.

The village hall car park is private property and unless you are using the building, parking is not permitted.

Parking on private land without permission may invalidate your motor vehicle insurance. Currently the Parish Council will be placing notices on offending vehicles, but if the situation continues then other methods including locking of the car park or clamping offending vehicles will be considered.

DRONFIELD COMMUNITY FIRST RESPONDERS

Have you ever thought about giving something back to your local community? Do you have 4 hours a week to spare? Why not become a Community First Responder? Dronfield First Responders are all volunteers responding to 999 calls for the ambulance service in S18 and surrounding areas. If you’re interested, get in touch via our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ DronfieldCFR or email dronfieldcfr@gmail.com

HOLMESFIELD ARCHIVES

The Holmesfield Bygones feature of the Parish Newsletter has been enjoyed by many readers since it became a regular feature several years ago. Whilst we still have several items of interest to share, it is sadly not an inexhaustible collection and we wish to remind readers that we are always seeking to expand the collection and appeal to anyone with paperwork, ephemera and old photographs regarding Holmesfield to get in touch so that they can be digitised for posterity and enjoyed by a wider audience.

Please contact the editor, Nick Wheat - details inside the front cover

USE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY

There have been a number of complaints over the misuse of footpaths in the Parish by cyclists and horse riders. The designation of each right of way is integral to who can use:

• Footpaths: for walking, running, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs

• Bridleways: for walking, horse riding, bicycles, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs

• Restricted byways: for any transport without a motor and mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs

• Byways open to all traffic: for any kind of transport, including cars (but they’re mainly used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders).

ST. SWITHIN’S CHURCH

All are welcome to come to our Sunday services at 10.30am. The type of services varies each week - those with children might find the fourth Sunday family service suits them best, but everyone is welcome at all services. Visit our website – www.holmesfieldchurch.org.uk – to find out about events and activities, and for the latest news join our Facebook public group. Online services and programmes for the parish are available at www.youtube.com/dwhparish

We would be delighted if you would like to hold your wedding or christening service at St. Swithin’s. Please contact the Parish Office on the number below in the first instance. You do not have to be christened or live in the parish to be married at St. Swithin’s Church. For enquiries about funerals, burial of ashes, or anything else related to the churchyard please contact the vicar. St. Swithin’s Church Hall is the venue for many different community groups. It is an excellent, modern, well equipped hall with kitchen and meeting room, available to hire for your one off event or regular activity - please contact Jenny on the number below. St. Swithin’s Toddler Group is held on Thursday mornings, 10.00am to 11.30am. J-Cafe is held on the 2nd and 4th Fridays, 10.00am to 1.30pm. Our J-Cafe is proving very popular and we have just received a 5 star food hygiene rating! We look forward to welcoming people to the Holmesfield Local Market where J-Cafe will be serving refreshments. Please check out the St. Swithin’s Church, Holmesfield page on Facebook.

COWLEY MISSION AND THE VINE FELLOWSHIP

Our service commences at 10.30am each Sunday at Cowley Mission. Everyone is welcome to come and visit/join us. Dates for January are as follows:

1st No Service.

8th Steve Richards (Communion) 15th Terry Erwin. 22nd Philip Proctor (Communion). 29th Tom Smiles.

HOLMESFIELD BUS TIMETABLE

CHESTERFIELD – BARLOW – HOLMESFIELD – DRONFIELD

Live travel updates: The Stagecoach bus app shows live departures for your nearest bus stop and you can track the progress of your bus on a map. Service updates are available by following @StagecoachYrks on Twitter and any planned service changes are normally posted online at stagecoachbus.com.

HOLMESFIELD BUS TIMETABLE

DRONFIELD – HOLMESFIELD – BARLOW – CHESTERFIELD

Live

travel updates: The Stagecoach bus app shows live departures for your nearest bus stop and you can track the progress of your bus on a map. Service updates are available by following @StagecoachYrks on Twitter and any planned service changes are normally posted online at stagecoachbus.com.

HOLMESFIELD BYGONES

Another timeless Holmesfield image from the lens of W. “Harry” Hewitt of Dronfield. A pristine Sunday School building is seen within a year or two of its opening with a clearly visible ceremonial date stone showing that the foundations were laid by the wife of Ebenezer Hall –a celebrated local benefactor –on 31st August 1906. The building was to be Holmesfield’s main meeting and social gathering place for many years. Ebenezer Hall was born in Middleton by Wirksworth on 18th November 1820 and earned his fortune at a Sheffield silversmiths. In 1880 he bought the Abbeydale Park Estate (amongst numerous other land and properties locally) and lived in Abbeydale Hall. He died on 28th June 1911 at the age of 91. His widow Sarah continued to live at Abbeydale Hall until her own death in 1919.

Further Reading: www.totleyhistorygroup.org.uk/people-of-interest/ebenezer-hall

Holmesfield Village Hall Available to Hire for Meetings and Functions

Main Hall

Small Hall