STUNG

A North Derbyshire WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) production

Words: WASPI

STUNG is a play about WASPI women who thought they would retire with a State Pension at 60 like generations of women before them. How wrong they were! The Government moved the goal-posts not once, but twice and these women bore the brunt. But, you can’t keep a group of strong, determined women down for long.

The Government decided in 1995 to equalise the State Pension age for all. There’s nothing wrong with equality, but women who started working at 15 years old in the late 1960s early 1970s were always told that they would receive their State Pension at 60. In 2011, the Government needed to save even more money, so they changed the State Pension age again, this time to 66 for both men and women. Many women impacted by the 1995 changes, were impacted again by these additional changes. So they had their State Pension age changed twice! The Government callously “paused” the communications about the 1995 changes, so that women born after 1953 were never told that their State Pension age had increased to 65! The Government restarted communications in 2012 to tell people that their State Pension age had gone up to 66.

Many women didn’t receive these letters until they were 58 or 59 years old, expecting to retire at 60. Many had already made decisions earlier that were hard to reverse. Some retired early to look after elderly relatives or grandchildren, some made lifestyle changes so that they had a better work/life balance leading up to retirement, many declined opportunities for advancement as they thought they only had one or two years left to work. When they finally received a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) telling them about the changes, they were devastated.

Apparently, there had been some adverts in newspapers and on television about it. Who would expect to hear of the most significant change to State Pensions in 50 years from an advert? Especially when the official Government website clearly stated that the State Pension age for women was 60 right up until 2016! Women from all over the country got together and formed campaign groups under the WASPI banner. We weren’t going to take this lying down. The Government was going to hear exactly what we thought about it!

STUNG is about the journey of one of these groups – North Derbyshire WASPI – representing women from Bolsover, Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire. Women tell their actual stories with frankness, sharing moments of poignancy and absolute hilarity. It's our story, but it's also very like your story. Come and see it at West Studios Chesterfield on 4th March (matinee 3pm and evening 7pm) or 5th March (matinee only 2pm). Tickets available from bit.ly/STUNGWeststudios £8 for wage earners, £6 for concessions. These remarkable women are bringing their story to you. Written by Lynn Ludditt, directed by Carole Copeland, filming by Creative Forum and Original Music by Rob Laughlin. Funded by the Arts Council.

Pension Inequality. thought they would retire with a state pension on their 60th birthday like generations of women before themhow wrong they were!

The Government moved the goal posts - not once, but twice and these women have bore the brunt. But you can’t keep a group of strong, determined women down for long …Join members of North Derbyshire WASPI on a rollercoaster of a ride in their quest for pension justice.

'What's On' events in S40 Local and S41 Local are delivered free to 14,500 homes. If you have an event to list, please just drop us an email to Paul: paul@s40local.co.uk

February

Mon 20: CADLHS

AGM & Brimington Hall

A lost Jacobean treasure, a talk by Philip Cousins. Chesterfield and Local History Society. St Thomas Centre at 7:30pm. Members free Visitors £3 Refreshments.

Fri 24: James Marriott

The Leadmill, Sheffield. www.leadmill.co.uk

Fri 24: An Evening with Henry Blofeld

The Winding Wheel, Chesterfield. www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Sat 25: Community & Climate Day

A day of climate info sharing. 9:30am to 4pm @Cunty Hall matlock. Visit bit.ly/ climatematlock

Sat 25: A Blinder of a Murder Mystery Dinner

Winding Wheel. chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Sun 26: Love is in The Air 2.30pm at Holymoorside Village Hall. Songs & readings with Minerva chorus. £7 inc. tea & cake T: Ann 01246 567118 or e: info@holymoorsidearts.co.uk

March

Thu 2: Banners

The Leadmill, Sheffield. www.leadmill.co.uk

Thu 2: The Rocket Man Winding Wheel. chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Fri 3: Showaddywaddy

Winding Wheel. chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Sat 4: Stung

The story of WASPI's - Women Against State Pension Inequality. 3 and 5pm at Studio Theatre, Chesterfield College. Tickets £8/£6. Available from eventbrite, just search 'stung'.

Sat 4: Dayglow

The Foundry, Sheffield. www.foundrysu.com

Sat 4: David O'Doherty

The Leadmill, Sheffield. www.leadmill.co.uk

Sun 5: Holymoorside Film - Return of The Railway Children

Holymoorside Village Hall. Tea at 2.15pm. Film starts 2.30pm. T: 01246 567118

Mon 6: Chesterfield RSPB LectureWorking with Springwatch 2 by Jack Baddams. Meeting and talk at St Thomas Centre, Chatsworth Road. For details call John Harriman on 07496 510076.

Mon 6 Mar to Fri 28 Apr: Lockdown Mar Exhibition

Assembly Rooms’ Main Hall, Town Centre.

Tue 7 to Sat 11: The Buddy Holly Story Sensational multi-award winning West End show. The Winding Wheel, Chesterfield. www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Wed 8: Lent Course

8, 15, 22 & 29 March. A 4 week Lent Course 'Reflections on the Cross and Resurrection of Christ' by Mary Goh & Rev Kim Goh. 10:30 to 11:30am @Storrs Road Methodist Church. Refreshments from 10am. Just turn up. All welcome.

Wed 8: Chesterfield RSPB Walk - Somersall Park. Meet at 10am. For details call John Harriman on 07496 510076.

Thu 9: Graham Gouldman

10cc, the Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck and his time in Wax with Andrew Gold. Buxton Pavilion Arts Centre. See advert.

Thu 9: Mike Wozniak The Leadmill, Sheffield. www.leadmill.co.uk

Fri 10: ‘I AM MARK’

A daring new staging of the Gospel of Mark. 7pm @Central Methodist Church, Saltergate, S40 1UH. Tickets £3 from Cornerstone Bookshop at Central, or online via www.eventbrite.com

Sat 11: Pay What You Can

A come and sing event 10am to 4pm at Rose Hill United Feformed Church. See chesterfieldchoir.com

Mon 13 NEDIAS Heritage Talk - The life and times of Warney Mill, Darley Dale By Tony Bonson. 7:30pm @St Thomas Centre, Chatsworth Rd. All welcome - nonmembers £3. Info from cliff@nedias.co.uk.

Thu 16: Chesterfield Jazz Hannah Horton, Sax Chesterfield Jazz Club 7:30pm @The Olde House, Loundsley Green Road S40 4RN. Tickets £12.50. www.chesterfieldjazz.co.uk

Fri 17: Henning Wehn - It'll All Come Out in the Wash

The Winding Wheel, Chesterfield. www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Sat 18: Chesterfield RSPB Field Trip to RSPB Fairburn Ings. Meet and start time 10am. For details call John Harriman on 07496 510076.

Sun 19: Celebrate Mothering Sunday Sun 19: Celebrate Mothering Sunday The Gospel Mission, Old Rd. Brampton (nr. Serpent Motors) will be celebrating Mothering Sunday from 10:45am. Families of all ages, warmly welcomed and all ladies will be going home with a surprise gift.

Sun 19: Tim Key

The Leadmill, Sheffield. www.leadmill.co.uk

Sun 19: Gordon Buchanan - 30 Years in the Wild

The Winding Wheel, Chesterfield. www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Mon 20: CADLHS

100 years of Chesterfield Music

Talk by David McPhie. Chesterfield and Local History Society. All meetings at St Thomas Centre at 7:30pm. Members free Visitors £3 Refreshments.

Mon 20: FILM - Brian & Roger Eno - Live at the Acropolis (Cert TBC)

The Winding Wheel, Chesterfield. www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Fri 24: Chris McCausland: Speaky Blinder The Winding Wheel, Chesterfield. www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Fri 24 to Sat 25: Take 2: Something Old, Something New

A musical journey of old classics, fun favourites and modern West End hits. Tickets £6 (table of 8 £40). The Assembly Rooms, Hill Top, Bolsover S44 6NG. See bolsoverdramagroup.org

Sat 25: Spring Concert

Holymoorside Choral Society. Exciting, jazzy programme. MD Andrew Marples. 7.30pm @St. John’s, Newbold, S41 8PE. Tickets £10: 07821 725200, on the door or info@holymoorsidechoral.co.uk

Sat 25: Chesterfield Philharmonic Choir - From Baroque to Classical. See article. 7:30pm @ St Mary's Church (Twisted Spire). Tickets £16, £14 & £5.

Wed 29: Holymoorside Film - “Belfast” by Kenneth Branagh

Holymoorside Village Hall. Tea at 2.15pm. Film starts 2.30pm. T: 01246 567118