Melbourne Village Voice August 2020

No. 333 August 2020

INSIDE

STORIES

Find out why this teenager is very happy to be behind the wheel of a car – Page 3

And why a touch of the Med is proving very tasty for this chef – Page 8

NORMAL BUS SERVICE WILL BE RESUMED

by FRANK HUGHES

NORMAL service will be resumed as soon as possible on Melbourne’s Arriva bus route.

Local residents have been concerned that the recent timetable changes which dramatically reduced the evening services might become a permanent fixture. The changes meant that the last bus in either direction to Derby or Swadlincote left before 7pm.

In 2016 there was a county-wide threat to underused but heavily subsidised rural services which would have meant no Sunday or evening public transport provision. Some locals feared that the recent timetable changes might have sig-

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THE Chequers Inn at Ticknall is one business impacted by the reduced bus service as several Melbourne residents use the service to get home after enjoying an evening stroll and a drink. The pub, which is open for business again and has put in place safe distancing measures, has been providing lifts home to some customers who did not realise the buses were not running, so they are looking forward to normal service resuming.

nalled a revival of that plan.

However, both Arriva and Derbyshire County Council have responded to say this is not the case.

A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson said: “We have implemented no change and have continued to support all the supported network throughout Covid-19.

“However, all services countrywide have been

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impacted by the measures introduced as a result of the pandemic, which is likely to be the reason for any changes to this service. As the majority of this service is not contracted by the county council, any changes to the timetable would be a decision made by the operator Arriva.

“Generally, bus services are operating at around 20-25% of normal demand and the current timetable for this service (Service 2) reflects

this reduced demand. Where demand has returned in greater numbers, services have been ramped up to reflect the increase.

“As with the rest of the supported network, the council has maintained its financial support throughout for Service 2, and that has not changed.”

An Arriva spokesperson said “…in light of the Government's advice and recommendations, as well as planned school closures due to the Covid19 crisis, we had to reduce the frequency of some services. I can confirm that the Monday to Saturday evening and Sunday service between Melbourne and Swadlincote will be re-instated on Monday, 10 August”.

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Public loos finally open for business

MELBOURNE finally has a brand new set of public toilets.

The loos have been provided for the town by Alexander Bruce Estates, which did the work, and patron John Wall, who officially cut the ribbon to open them on July 21. BBC Radio Derby presenter Andy Twigge helped with the ceremonial opening of the new facilities.

Speaking to a small crowd who had gathered to witness the event, Mr Twigge said: “May these toilets be very useful for you in these times of crisis when you are taken short.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, granny and granddad, and everybody else who’s desperate, we will crack on because I know you’ve got to go.”

Melbourne Parish Council chair Sheila Hicklin paid tribute to the hard work of the council’s clerk, Jacqui Storer, in getting the town its new facilities, as well as the late Cllr Andrew Jackson, who put a lot of work in at the planning stages, but sadly passed away before being able to see them opened.

She said the parish council was very pleased with what had been produced.

The town’s previous loos, which were situated on the same spot, were closed in September 2018 after the parish council decided they were no longer fit for use.

Work to replace them started the following year. l Andy Twigge from BBC Radio Derby, Melbourne Parish Council The new toilets include male, female and disabled fachair Sheila Hicklin and Melbourne’s John Wall cutting the ribbon to cilities, plus external landscaping and baby changing, officially open the new toilets. which was not available in the previous lavatory block.

Together with Davidson’s housebuilders, “For us, it was a small price to pay as a They will be open for use from 7am to they are currently applying for detailed thank you for what we have had over the 7pm. planning permission to build 46 homes on James Ottewell, of Alexander Bruce Es- years – that’s why we did it.”

Homes built by Alexander Bruce Estates Station Road, Melbourne, outline consent tates, said: “From our point of view, it’s rein Melbourne include those built on Ashby having already been granted several years ally great to put something into the ago.

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WHY WE HAD TO WAIT

MELBOURNE has been waiting for nearly two years for the new public toilets that have now been opened – but there were good reasons for the delay, says James Ottewell, of Alexander Bruce Estates.

Creating the new loos was “a good example of private sector and public sector partnership,” Mr Ottewell told the Village Voice.

He said: “The original building/WC facility was constantly breaking down, was subject to vandalism and the building was more or less condemned.”

There were plans to close and sell Melbourne’s public toilets, but the parish council argued that they were in fact a valuable village asset, and, if properly restored and maintained, would be appreciated and well used.

However, said Mr Ottewell, there was little or no money to fund the works that needed doing.

John Wall and the directors of Alexander Bruce Estates Ltd (ABE Ltd) therefore agreed with the district and parish councils to pay for a redesign of the building and for the costs of construction.

He said: “On commencement we identified how poor the structure was. There was or appeared to be no foundations, the floor slab and external walls suffered cracking and there was damage to

Fixing a hole

A SINK hole in Melbourne’s Penn Lane was caused by a water leak.

The hole measuring around a foot in diameter appeared in the road near the doctor’s surgery on July 28.

Severn Trent Water have fixed the problem.

A spokesperson told the Village Voice on July 30: “We’re really sorry for any inconvenience caused by the hole in the road, that was created due to a water leak on Penn Lane. Our teams have fixed the pipe and reinstated the road making it safe again, and will be working to make sure everything is back to normal as quickly as possible.”

the drains. The pedestrian access was unsightly, broken up in places, and the building was never likely to contribute in a positive way to the Conservation Area.

“It was also difficult to meet thermal standards and impossible to achieve uninterrupted disabled access. Although it was an expensive option, John Wall and ABE Ltd agreed it was better to do the job properly rather than one we would not be proud of.

“This change in the plan caused delays to the program and a substantial increase in the cost, which was underwritten by John Wall and ABE in equal measure. We couldn’t have done it without John’s financial contribution and willingness to doing the job to our standards.”

Mr Ottewell said it had been this change in strategy which caused the delays in the construction of the toilets, after it led to Alexander Bruce having to construct retaining walls and new floor slab.

Significant delays were also caused by the time taken to remove redundant fuel tanks from the neighbouring site. Excavations ended up 4.5 metres deep and bedded in with reinforced concrete, which, said Mr Ottewell, was a “huge task on such a small piece of land”.

Village Voice August 2020 3

MARGARET SIMPSON 18th May 1944 to 15th May 2020 Norman, Guy, Eilish, Mark and Rasham wish to thank everyone who sent cards, letters and flowers. Also for the numerous telephone messages. Those kind words and fond memories of Margaret were of great help in our grief at the passing of our beloved Margaret.

Also heartfelt thanks to all those who turned out to witness her final journey. That tribute to her was greatly appreciated. Thanks also to George Simnett and Family who despite the problems presented by Covid gave her a beautiful and respectful funeral.

Thanks to all who made donations to the Breast Clinic and The Combined Day Unit at The Royal Derby Hospital. These were appreciated by the staff.

l Isabelle Weall is all smiles as she prepares to have another driving lesson in her specially adapted car.

Driving no problem for amputee Isabelle

Photo: TINA BAKER

– thanks to Des Gosling’s Melbourne company

A MELBOURNE disability motoring business has stepped in to help a quadruple amputee teen learn to drive.

Isabelle Weall is just like any 17-yearold. It is a high priority for her to pass her driving test so she can get that all-important independence.

But Isabelle is also a quadruple amputee, having had to have her lower arms and legs removed after contracting meningitis aged seven.

None of that has stopped her living her life to the full however: Isabelle is a national trampolining champion, winner of a Daily Mirror Pride of Sport Award, and has her own YouTube channel on which she talks about disability and gives make-up tutorials.

Now she has reached legal driving age, Des Gosling Mobility, of Melbourne, have provided her first car with all the adaptations it needs to get her on the road.

Thanks to their assistance, she has started driving lessons and aims to be test ready by the end of this year.

“For me, driving is so much more than it is for my friends,” said Isabelle. “I would never walk miles, public transport is a bit more tricky for me, so taking a car, for me, is a massive bit of independence.”

In order to get Isabelle on the road, Des

Gosling have fitted her car with a series of ingenious adaptations.

Fur-lined cups on the steering wheel have been 3-D printed and mean that she can accelerate and brake by pushing with her arms. Engineers at Des Gosling have also moved elements of the car’s interior, such as the window control panel and the seat mechanism, to places where Isabelle can control them herself, and installed a dual pedal control on the passenger side for the purposes of learning to drive.

Not all adaptations are necessarily hitech: one of the simplest is a strap fitted on to the boot which means Isabelle can reach up to close it herself.

Des Gosling said it had been extremely rewarding to help Isabelle on to the road.

“It’s a pleasure to work for somebody like Izzy,” he said. “You’re just helping her live her life, and do the ordinary things that can be taken for granted. For Isabelle we created something a bit special. Our 3D CAD design and manufacturing combined with skilled engineers in the workshop enabled this to be completed in around a month from starting.”

Isabelle, a pupil at Landau Forte College in Derby, is studying for A-levels in maths, business studies and psychology.

She is delighted with her car and its adaptations, and so far, driving lessons are

going well.

“My aim is hopefully by the end of this year to have passed my test,” said Isabelle.

“At the moment, I rely on my mum or a taxi to take me to school and back. This is going to give me so much more freedom.

“I really wanted my car to look as normal as possible. I have been shocked at how you can do so many things, and for it to change the way you accelerate the car, but for it to look not completely different. It’s just amazing how they are capable of doing that to a car.

“I think a lot pf people weren’t sure how well I’d take to driving, whether I’d be good at it.

“I’ve done a lot better than we all thought, and it’s looking quite viable for me to be test ready by the end of the year. To me, it all feels really natural, which is strange!”

Isabelle said it has always been very important to her never to let disability hold her back.

She said: “I think in life, the possibility is there, you have to look at it from a different perspective and a different direction. I think I’ve been really determined to get back on track and live life as a normal teenager, like my friends were. I’ve dealt with it and got on with it.”

– Lucy Stephens

Homes plan for Star Micronics building

PROPOSALS to knock down the former Star Micronics building on Chapel Street in Melbourne and build nine homes there are currently with council planners.

An application to build seven three-bed and two four-bed homes has been sent to South Derbyshire District Council, and comments can be sent in up until August 21.

Star Micronics was a former industrial site which has been unoccupied for five years after the firm moved to Derby.

The plan would be to flatten all buildings on the site to create the detached and terraced new homes. Car parking would be increased from the current provision for 10 spaces to 20, and there would be two blocks of single storey garages.

The applicants have argued in their proposal documents that the fact the site has had no tenants for five years means the existing buildings are not suitable for industrial or commercial use.

All the proposed homes would have back gardens, and five would front on to the street, separated by small front gardens.

A planning statement accompanying the proposals said: “… the proposal complies with the sustainable locational plan policies governing the siting of new dwellings.

“The site occupies a location within the built-up part of the settlement and is of a size capable of successfully accommodating the nine dwellings to provide spacious settings for the proposed dwellings.

“The current buildings are of no merit and detract from the site, street scene and conservation area and their removal would benefit the visual amenities of the site and surroundings.”

The application is listed on South Derbyshire District Council’s planning portal under reference: DMPA/2020/0533. Comments should be made online at planning.southderbyshire.gov.uk

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New future for ancient church

A TENTH century church is being completely transformed into a multi-functional community centre.

Services are hoped to resume at St Wilfrid’s Church in Barrow by Christmas, and things will look very different when they do.

The building is currently undergoing major renovation works after the Heritage Lottery Fund granted more than half a million pounds in funding to save it from possible closure.

The project is costing in excess of £800,000, and the balance of funding has been achieved by other funding bodies and much hard work by the Friends of St Wilfrid. The project is led by a committee of eight who, said church warden Anne Heathcote, “have worked tirelessly to get to this point”.

The coronavirus pandemic has meant that the works were not able to start exactly when planned in March, but builders have been in the ancient building since May. Anne said she hoped that the new-look St Wilfrid’s would be back open and welcoming visitors by Christmas. It is very important to the team that the church is available again for regular worship, especially for the Christmas services, both for Sale and Davys School and the rest of the parish.

Plans to save St Wilfrid’s started in 2014. Three years later, the Heritage Lottery Fund granted the funding necessary to completely refurbish the building for 21st century use.

Now that work has started, the Victorian pews have all

l The church with no pews (above) and (below) conservator Laura Parker from Skillingtons inspects the alabaster effigy.

Photos: Ian Hodgkinson (PictureItMedia)

been taken out to pave the way for underfloor heating. Wooden flooring and stackable chairs will mean the space can be booked out for classes or other uses, as well as still being open for worship.

There will be a music mixing desk with amplifiers so it can be used for recording sessions or rehearsals, plus a large screen that will enable films to be viewed inside.

Anne said all of the 150-year old pews had been sold to people living in the village.

“I’m so happy that people in the village have taken them,” she said. “They will be refurbished and put back into life.

They’ve been polished and waxed, and are looking good!”

One exciting discovery during refurbishment works has been an old effigy of a priest, which has now been inspected by a conservator.

This, it is now thought, is the oldest alabaster effigy of a

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priest currently in existence.

Dating back to around 1348, the identity of the effigy is believed to be John de Belton, and it is thought that it would have originally have been extremely colourful too.

“As important as he is, he has been conserved and we are refurbishing the niche that he goes in,” said Anne.

“Externally, the church will look the same, but inside will be completely different. It will be a completely open plan building with a wide open floor. The lighting will be much higher and brighter than it has been.

There will be LED lights that we can fade in and out, underfloor heating so it will be comfortable. It will be a flexible space with stacking chairs so we can have anything in there: exercise classes, dance classes.

“We want to make it completely multi-functional so that people can use it all the time.

People can come in, have a look around at the heritage and use it for whatever they want to do.

The building belongs to everyone in the parish.

“I can’t wait, it’s going to be very exciting. I want it to be open for Christmas so people can view their building. They need to understand what they have been raising money for. It will be such an exciting building to go into. There will be a digital heritage walk.

“I’m delighted it’s happening and I’m excited now it’s getting almost to the point where we can go back in and use it.”

– Lucy Stephens

Airport passenger numbers down

EAST Midlands Airport has been seeing below a third of its normal passenger numbers this summer, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, latest figures show.

The airport said that at around the beginning of August, they were seeing around 4-5,000 passengers moving through the airport each day.

Normally at that time of year, they would expect to see between 17,000 and 21,000.

The airport was also seeing about an 80 per cent “no show” rate, when passengers are booked on a flight but do not turn up.

When the Government announced air corridors between countries, this rate dropped to about 20 per cent.

As more countries opened up and corridors were introduced, passenger airlines started putting on more flights to more places.

But then the Government announced it was withdrawing its air corridor agreement to Spain, which meant numbers once again dropped off.

More than half of all passengers who are flying through East Midlands are travelling either to Spain or to a Spanish island.

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Ceremony to mark well dressing

Village Voice August 2020 5

VILLAGERS gathered together for a special banner blessing to ensure their customary well dressing did not go unmarked.

Along with many other events in the local community, Aston’s traditional well dressing weekend could not take place this year due to coronavirus.

Held annually since 1997, well dressings involve different organisations in the village creating intricate tableaux made from natural materials such as petals and egg shells.

These are displayed over the well dressing weekend and there are stalls and refreshments for visitors to enjoy.

There is always a main well dressing on a different theme each year which takes local people a week of painstaking work to put together.

Rather than allow this year’s event to pass by completely uncelebrated, the well dressing committee printed a special banner paying tribute to all the tableaux that have been displayed over the years, along with a new one thanking all the key workers for keeping the country going through the pandemic.

The banner was the idea of local resident Elaine Holloway and a special blessing was conducted by Rev Tony Luke on Saturday, August 1.

The well dressings are traditionally blessed by a member of the local clergy on the opening Saturday.

Harvey Badwal, from the well dressing committee, said: “The idea was to keep the well dressing tradition alive, albeit in a different format, because of Covid, and give an opportunity to the village to appreciate what’s been happening for the last 24 years.”

Aston’s well dressing weekend always raises money for charity, and this year’s chosen causes are Aston PreSchool and Derbyshire Dragons, a martial arts group.

Harvey said any donations received would be split between those charities.

Aston-on-Trent’s was one of the few well dressing ceremonies to go ahead at all this year.

Many well dressings happen further north in Derbyshire, with events in places like Tissington particularly well known.

A few other villages, like Aston, tried to mark the occasion in some way, but most of the events were cancelled completely.

New shops making a home in Melbourne

DESPITE economic doom and gloom in the news, three previously empty shops in Melbourne have been filled with new occupiers over the last few weeks.

Whitehead’s Estate Agents, a small independent firm of estate agents from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, owned by Peter and Michaela Whitehead, have set up a new branch in a shop previously occupied by a vintage clothing store.

The former premises of Bird’s Bakery on Market Place also has a new inhabitant, in the form of takeaway business MB Pizza.

The former bakery shop has been unoccupied for more than two years, after being put up for auction in early 2018 when Bird’s moved over the road.

And Melbourne Delicatessen & Kitchen is also opening up in early August under new management, after being shut for some time.

Peter Whitehead, of Whitehead’s, said: “We started our business in 2017 and have grown to be one of Ashby’s market leading estate agents.

We had identified Melbourne as an area that would suit our brand image of fine properties; having spent many years operating in and around Melbourne we are now delighted to be part of the business and local community and hope to be here for many years to come.”

MB Pizza opened up on July 13, selling fast-

food and desserts.

Manager Shahwali Mohamadi said: “We’re living in Derby, which is close. We knew the area was nice and that’s why we’re here now.”

The new owner of Melbourne Delicatessen & Kitchen is John Oakley, who also lives in the village.

He comes to the business after a career working in interior design and catering, including as a regional manager for Habitat, and managing student catering services for universities.

John said after many years on the road he was keen to live and work locally.

“I want to work where I can walk to work and I can be part of the community,” he said. “I like Melbourne and the people here I think are friendly and loyal.

“I think people are moving away from the supermarket in the current climate and are more inclined to want something that’s local, that they know where it’s come from, and they haven’t got to worry about the whole supermarket experience.”

With the help of family, John has spent weeks fitting out the shop, doing his best to minimise any waste, including using recycled scaffolding for shelving. He intends to source everything in the shop locally wherever possible.

– Lucy Stephens

Coronavirus cases figures

ASTON ward has seen the lowest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Derbyshire so far, new figures reveal.

Figures updated regularly by Derbyshire County Council show that Aston – which includes Aston, Barrow, Weston, Swarkestone, Chellaston, part of Boulton Moor, Shardlow, Great Wilne, Ambaston and Elvaston – has seen 20 confirmed cases of the virus since records started being collected on February 25 this year.

That figure was accurate up to July 31.

In Melbourne, an area which includes Kings Newton, Staunton Harold, Ticknall, Calke and Smisby, there have been 22 confirmed cases.

In total, South Derbyshire has seen 413 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The highest numbers in Derbyshire have occurred in the North-East of the county.

Cases have been split into those identified in healthcare settings such as hospitals, and those which have been found in the wider community.

The data shows that while more cases have been discovered in healthcare settings overall, since the end of April, most cases have been found in the wider community.

ENGINEERS are working in Melbourne to bring full fibre network capacity to this area.

An OpenReach spokesman said: “Full fibre is not only faster, but it’s more reliable and future-proof for decades to come.

This is key as it gives people certainty that their home and/or business broadband connection will be able to handle anything they throw at it, as our data demands inevitably increase in the future.

“Making full fibre available is a significant engineering task, and involves a huge amount of planning, co-ordination and manual labour. Wherever possible, we aim to use existing infrastructure to minimise disruption locally.

“Engineers have already laid around 18km of fibre to bring the network into the local area, and will soon be working on the local element of the build, which will ultimately make full fibre available.

“Work will continue until early next year.”

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area are truly awful.

I believe there are two plants in the UK which crush rape to produce the vegetable oil and they will not have enough product to supply their needs. They will have to import rape from other parts of the world including Europe and Canada where the use of the seed dressing is still allowed.

No account of food miles and quality assurance seems to matter in this event.

We did our second cut of silage in the middle of last month and the yield was twice the first cut, off 10 fewer acres. This is usually the other way around but just sums up the very unusual weather we are experiencing.

First we are wading around in deep mud for three months, then it’s like a desert for another three.

Surely it wasn’t always like this.

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HARVEST proper started for us in the middle of July, which is about average, but I wish I could say the same about yields.

First crops are always winter barley or oilseed rape, but both are badly down in areas due to the unparalleled wet autumn and winter which stopped work on the land.

Some barley crops will not cover costs this year with yields as low as a tonne to the acre when a reasonable average to expect would be around three tonnes. Type of soil had something to do with this with the light sandy types struggling after the deluge of winter followed by a drought which went on too long.

A lot have given up growing rape due to its inconsistency after the ban on a type of seed dressing which prevents cabbage stem beetle. Many crops in our immediate

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THE IMPACT of Covid has forced many businesses into a re-think, but a new collaboration at the Melbourne Sporting Partnership (MSP) has resulted in a completely different type of local enterprise.

Melbourne resident Danny Edwards – or The Enterprising Chef as he is known – has recently matched up with the MSP to provide a more “creative and quirky” eating at home experience; he is looking at how this might lead to speciality night dining events at the club house, too.

In 17 years as a chef, including stints at the Dragon, Mickleover Court Hotel and the Priest House, he has had more than his share of setbacks. In 2017 a major blaze at the Palfrey, where he was head chef, closed the business for over a year during which time he set up The Shed at Hilton and built up a strong reputation. However, as well as being refused planning to become a permanent establishment, the restaurant was wrecked by Storm Dennis flooding in February, forcing closure.

Taking a temporary job at a supermarket to pay the bills, he set up the Enterprising Chef business as what he called “a side hustle” to operate on weekends – but then Covid struck!

Thinking imaginatively about how he could restart, and hearing that the MSP had a catering kitchen sitting unused, he approached the MSP to see if a mutually beneficial arrangement could be found.

Since opening he has been providing speciality eat-at-home food – such as Moroccan and Lebanese food, a Sunday Roast club and a Tapas night, for customers to order, for delivery or collection, and to re-heat at home with specific instructions.

“We are encouraging diners to plate-up the food in interesting ways too, and have prizes on offer for the best photo,” Danny said.

Now, Danny is intending to organise speciality dining nights, using the space at the MSP with the first one being organised for August. “With social distancing rules and with plenty of available space, we think we can host some great dining

nights, which will provide revenue for us, but also badly needed revenue for the MSP from drinks sales,” he added.

Alex Slater, manager at the MSP, said: “Here at the Melbourne Sports Park we are really excited to have a chef of Danny’s calibre and reputation using our kitchen as a base for his ever growing The Enterprising Chef' business.

“With both pop-up nights and themed based events booked into the calendar the sports park can only benefit from this exciting collaboration.”

The first themed night will be Saturday, September 5, and it will be Greek food.

– Frank Hughes

Women put on alert after two incidents

A MAN has been arrested after two incidents reported by women near Aston and Melbourne.

Derbyshire Constabulary stepped up patrols in the local area and asked walkers and joggers to be “extra vigilant” after the incidents at the end of July.

The first happened on July 28 between 4.30pm and 5pm on a canal towpath near Aston-on-Trent.

A 47-year-old local woman reported being approached by a man whom she described as “trying to grab her”. The woman was able to run away from him towards Aston.

The man was described as white, wearing dark sports clothing with a zipped top.

The second incident happened at around 7.10am on July 30 on the bridge that takes the footpath between Melbourne and Swarkestone over the River Trent.

A 28-year-old woman was jogging when she saw a naked man jump from a bush.

He did not directly approach her.

A 32-year-old man from Swadlincote has been

arrested in connection with both incidents. He has been bailed pending further inquiries.

Inspector Chris Thornhill, who is in charge of policing in South Derbyshire, said: “We are keen to speak to anyone who might have any information about who the men are or who has seen anything suspicious in the areas.

“My Safer Neighbourhood team are conducting additional patrols and they are being supported by the force drone unit.”

Anyone who has any information is asked to contact police using any of the non-emergency methods, quoting reference number 20*390591.

A private message can be sent via Facebook to /DerbyshireConstabulary; a direct message on Twitter on @DerPolContact; an online form completed on the website: www.derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us, or a phone call can be made to 101.

People can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org – Lucy Stephens

Village Voice August 2020 7

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Their performances were linked together with others from across the UK as

part of the Gramophones Theatre Company performance.

Children and grandparents became their own superheroes, with Effie’s special power being to freeze criminals.

Rosemary, meanwhile, became Granary green fingers.

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Taste of the Med at Harpur’s

HARD-WORKING Melbourne venue Harpur’s has launched a new venture in the form of a Mediterranean restaurant this summer.

It is the idea of senior managers at the restaurant – general manager Rick Graham; husband and wife team Chris and Claire Blincoe, who are, respectively, executive chef and operations manager; operations co-ordinator Emily Nash; Holly Hammond, who came up with the interior design look; and Graham Townend, who is responsible for marketing.

The team used the lockdown period to revamp the top floor of Harpur’s, which now has

a new pizza oven, as well as creating their new sourdough and flatbread pizza menu.

At the end of July, guests were invited to sample garlic prawns, fajita halloumi flatbread wraps and other highlights from the menu.

“We just want to bring something a bit different to the area,” said Claire. “We’re launching our new Mediterranean restaurant and pizza kitchen, it’s a new venture for us.”

The coronavirus pandemic has seen many local businesses adapt in a wide range of ways in order to keep going and ride out the economic impact of the virus.

For the hospitality sector, said Claire, it h also meant staff having to adapt quickly to new way of working: wearing masks while the job, and being much more active by taki all drinks orders to tables rather than servi people waiting at the bar.

“We’re so proud of our staff,” said Clai “With all the changes that have come alon they have done a fantastic job.”

During coronavirus, Harpur’s launched takeaway menu which they are still carryi on with, and are part of the Government’s “E Out to Help Out” offer this August.

large umbrellas and a marquee for cooler days, with large bay and olive trees sent in from Italy for guests to enjoy.

Hand gel and social distancing is in place to help customers feel safe, while water bowls and doggie treats are available for people coming in with their canines.

Susie said: “It’s going very well, we’ve only been open a short while and are still

being discovered.”

The Bay Tree is hoping to keep th courtyard open through the winter at ce tain times from Wednesday to Saturda and for Sunday lunch.

It is all part of the fresh ways that bus nesses in the area are finding to kee going.

“When you support a small busines you’re supporting a dream,” said Susie.

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While the Bay Tree goes al fresco

ONE local restaurant has found a new way to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic by opening up a courtyard for al fresco dining.

The Bay Tree in Melbourne has always had a courtyard at the back of its premises in the Market Place, but has never previously had reason to use it.

But as co-owner Susie Howell said: “Since Covid-19, we are all finding new ways to adapt.”

The Bay Tree has opened up the courtyard with dining height tables and chairs,

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Business grant helps to open Fortey’s courtyard

l Harpur’s chef de partie Daniel Preston (left) with executive chef Chris Blincoe at the new pizza oven.

A NEW outside courtyard has been opened up at Melbourne sweet shop and café Fortey’s this summer.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March and the shop had to close, it made opening up an outside space seem even more important.

Laura and Richard Fortey used a coronavirus business grant from South Derbyshire to develop the outside space, which now has tables and chairs for people to eat and drink al fresco.

“This was always a plan to do the garden for this year,” said Laura.

“When Covid struck, we thought, ‘What do we do?’ With the business grant that we got from the council, we decided to use that to invest in the garden because we thought that, if things were to open again, the feelings were that it would be the outside spaces that would be the first.”

Fortey’s is hoping they will be able to offer their outside space all year round.

The café re-opened for takeaway coffees when allowed to do so by the Government earlier this year.

“As long as we could make ends meet, we just wanted to put a feelgood factor back into the village,” said Laura.

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Melbourne firm helps battle against coronavirus

PRECISION parts for high end ventilators helping the UK fight coronavirus are being manufactured in Melbourne.

SSP Technology, a company based on the industrial estate on Station Road, has been commissioned to manufacture thousands of parts to help make top-end ventilators for critically ill patients in intensive care.

The manufacturing job is just one of the many ways in which local companies have adapted to the pandemic.

SSP Technology is normally a sales company which imports various types of highend honing and grinding machines for use in the engineering industry.

Company owner and managing director Steve Price explained that SSP had stepped in to manufacture the parts to help another company make more of the type of ventilator that is being used for Covid-19 patients.

The machine used for making the parts is

l River Hardy operating the equipment.

The origins of the Village Voice

Part three of the series in which Mick Robey recalls the first year of the Village Voice publication. In this part famed BBC Radio Derby commentator Barrie Ecclestone takes on the job of putting together the pages from his home in Duffield.

THE adverts and news for printing were collected from various sources and, along with contributions from the general public, were dropped off at my house because I was the only one actually living in Melbourne.

Several people were invited to contribute, among whom were Robert Parker with his “Country Living� column – which is still going strong, Richard Heath on “Local History�, Andy Williams on “Fishing�, and Dick Carlier on “Rugby�.

I used to get a monthly visit from Marjorie Collis-Hastie with news about Ticknall.

I began by covering the Arts and football as well as all the church news and any other stories that came up as well as covering for Ron Ford in his long absences.

Typesetting for the first 12 editions was a long laborious job which took all night to perform. I received the layout sketches from Ron and on my drawing board drew exactly to scale all the separate pages and carefully marked the total area to be covered by headlines (because the type was larger), script, photographs and adverts.

Then, armed with all the news and stories, I set off on a Thursday afternoon to see Barrie Ecclestone in Duffield. Barrie would type everything individually into his computer, about six hours non-stop work, having tweaked it to give us either one or two columns’ width on the actual page.

Then every individual story, advert, photograph etc. had to be printed off and cut out with scissors, which was my job, and very carefully pasted in position on the page. Times numberless I had to edit or expand stories to make them fit the page and, of course, we also had to do all the artwork for the adverts.

Now this may all sound straight forward and,

capable of a level of precision to one or two microns – about a hundredth of a human hair’s breadth.

SSP is producing thousands of the parts for supply worldwide.

admittedly, after 12 months we had got it down to a fine art but this is not taking into account the “Timpo and Noob� factor (local happenings written in Melbourne dialect).

I had my own typewriter by this time as I was also the secretary of Melbourne Male Voice Choir, so all my contributions were typed. David Bellis’ contributions were all hand written and I am being very kind when I say his handwriting was atrocious.

Barrie hated to be disturbed when he was typing “full flow� on his keyboard and frequently threw a “Benny� if he had to stop to decipher David’s notes, so again I finished with the unenviable task of having to dictate those contributions. Then we came to Timpo and Noob’s contributions, handwritten in broad Melbourne dialect. Asking a Duffield man like Barrie to type and, more importantly, get all the punctuation correct and in the right place was like asking him to climb Everest – without a map or oxygen. But I had a secret weapon. Barrie, as I said before, was the Derby County commentator for Radio Derby, but I knew he was weaned on cricket, especially Duffield cricket, where he still played into his 60s.

Every time he blew his top, which was quite frequently as by now we were into the early hours of Friday morning, I would ask him a question about cricket.

A long journalistic answer would be forthcoming complemented with stories and anecdotes, after which we continued in a light-hearted vein.

Finally, by 7am, after a 15-hour stint I was on my way home to hand it over to Andrew Jackson for the printing process which I think at that time was done at Chesterfield. This process carried on for 12 months and eventually we got so proficient at it that I was able to leave about 5am and, on one occasion, nearer to 4.

At the end of 12 months we had to look elsewhere, which is when David Finn came on the scene at the Burton Mail with all the modern (at that time) equipment to hand which made it a much easier job.

Melbourne View Keeping up spirit of the Festival COFFEE SHOP

Village Voice August 2020 11

EN NOW OP

NORMALLY at this time of year Melbourne would be busy getting ready for the festival trail, but the “new normal” has meant the Art & Architecture Trail and other events have had to be cancelled.

There are plans being made now to ensure that the spirit of the festival is sustained until it can be revitalised in 2021.

The Melbourne Festival gallery and shop will be opening again on August 13 with a new exhibition, ‘Country Life’. This will focus on landscapes with work by Steve McLoughlin, Peter Watson, Lesley Nason, Terry Nason and Jane Bevan.

Steve is a coastal and landscape artist working mainly in oil and acrylic; Peter is a landscape photographer artist; Lesley and Terry are both ceramicists; and Jane works with natural and foraged materials to create artwork. There will also be a small selection of ‘in house’ cards and gifts from other festival artists.

Festival organiser Sharon Brown said: “The gallery gives us a presence in the village, enabling visitors to drop in and enjoy a varied range of work – as well as an opportunity to purchase and support the festival!”

The festival has also launched an exciting new project called ‘The Making Way’ aiming to celebrate the rich history and heritage of the area through creative projects and practices.

A sound artist has been commissioned to draw together in a creative way the sounds of the village in lockdown – making a unique and permanent soundscape of the difficult times we are going through.

Members of the public are invited to record and submit sounds, contributing to the final product.

Whether it is a snippet on a walk, sounds of the street, stories of personal and local histories, critters and conversation, they will all create a captivating portrait of the local area during this unusual time.

Little Memories of Melbourne has sparked a lot of lovely recollections of the village and all of the contributions are going to be transformed by writer Rebecca Goldsmith into a poetry film, which again will be available in the village during the festival period.

Plans are also in hand to run a children’s workshop over the festival weekend (19/20 September). Artist Anna Roebuck, who created the huge parrots that ordained the gallery windows last year, has been commissioned to create the workshop(s) around the theme of hedgehogs to encourage us to take care of our prickly pals! Obviously, safety and hygiene will be primary concerns to get right before it goes ahead.

Finally, the Emerging Artist competition will also be an exhibit over the Festival weekend. Now in its sixth year, the work from young artists aged 17 to 25 is judged for originality, interpretation of the brief, which this year is ‘Chaos’, and technical ability.

The competition has become an integral part of the festival and provides a rare opportunity for young artists to show their work in public. Although the main Art & Architecture Trail is cancelled the Festival remains committed to supporting young artists.

Some generous funding from both the Arts Council and South Derbyshire District Council, has enabled the festival to sustain itself and these various projects despite the loss of income from the trail weekend.

– Frank Hughes

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Churches resume worship

SUNDAY church worship has been going ahead once again, with the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions.

The congregation at All Saints’ Church in Aston had their first Sunday worship service in July. And services were resuming at St Bartholomew’s Church in Elvaston.

Other churches in the area have also been gradually opening up again, with some allowing private prayer for the moment while measures are being put in place to help protect from coronavirus when more people are inside.

At All Saints’, congregation members (above) were wearing masks inside the church, and household groups sat well apart from each other.

With communal singing thought to be a means of spreading the virus, there is not the ability to

sing hymns at the moment, so they are being said, instead. Rev Tony Luke said: “What we’re doing is we’re saying the hymns. It means you think about the words. People are sitting on alternate rows. Fortunately, the church is big enough for us to be able to do that.

“The first Sunday back was quite emotional.

Some of them have been quite isolated for quite a while. Coming back to church was quite something, it was quite moving.”

When the Village Voice attended church at All Saints’ on August 2, other elements such as the traditional ‘Peace be with you’ that takes place between congregation members mid-service was simply done with a smile and a friendly wave behind a mask, rather than a pre-Covid style tactile greeting.

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Village Voice August 2020 13

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OBITUARIES

14 Village Voice August 2020

DAVE ARMSTRONG 1951 - 2020 THE village of Ticknall and many others lined Ashby Road and High Street in July to say goodbye to Dave Armstrong as he made his final journey ... applause rang out for Dave in celebration of his life.

Dave was born in Clapham, London.

As a young lad, he was a very good footballer and had trials for a couple of professional clubs, including Chelsea.

Football wasn't his only interest, however. He enjoyed cricket, horse and dog racing, fishing, going to the pub and much more.

Dave apprenticed into an engineering company and eventually had his own metalwork business.

In 1982 he decided it was time for a change of career.

He answered an ad in the Sporting Life for a work rider/horsebox driver at Calke Abbey Stables, and another chapter of his life commenced there. He was able to learn to ride a horse and eventually achieved his dream by riding Shepherd’s Hymn at Ascot.

Dave lodged in Ticknall and there he met Ros, becoming a loving dad to Liz and Matt, and in time welcoming the next generation: Isobel, William and Amelie. He loved the role of grandad and spent lots of time trekking round the Limeyards and Calke park with the children.

Dave settled into Ticknall village life and became an active member of the community. He joined the cricket club, became a luvvie in the pantomime, learned to ring the parish church bells and organised ‘eggs over the Chequers’ on Easter Monday. More recently, he took great pleasure in resurrecting the annual Christmas quiz.

Talking about Dave, you could write a book. If you said that to him he would probably reply “that’s a good idea” and then go off and write one, making up his mind

to do something and then doing exactly that being one of his strong points.

In 1994 he trained for, and successfully completed, the London Marathon.

Last year, after learning of his illness, he decided to climb Ben Nevis. He also set about making his own coffin of woven willow. This he showed to his friends, receiving mixed reactions! It was beautifully adorned with flowers including his own sweet peas for his funeral.

Dave was always handy, doing odd jobs around the village and work for many folk and local organisations. You can see his work throughout Ticknall, in the painted water pumps and the railings. He could turn his hand to many things, including building a shed in his garden where he spent hours relaxing and latterly sitting with his many friends, chatting. He loved the time spent with these friends, Friday nights in the pub, early morning fishing, walking and trips to the races with both his Ticknall and London friends.

Over the years he became a keen gardener and developed a love for sweet peas; he also became “the onion and longest runner bean king” at the village fruit and veg show, getting best in show for his onions for the last two years.

Dave faced his illness with dignity and made it very easy for people to speak to him about it. Together he and Ros showed courage and unity throughout.

It is a tribute to him that Ros and the family have received many cards saying how much people will miss Dave, what a great bloke he was, how he was always enthusiastic about life, and that time spent with Dave was always worthwhile.

It seems he will be missed not only by Ros and his family but by many, many others.

Missing Family Name On 15th May 1961 Miss Parker of 43 Derby Road, Melbourne received a post card from Sarah Parker of Uttoxeter.

Can a neighbour, friend or local historian tell me her Christian name?

Please contact Paul Stokes on 01530 417747.

Got a story to tell?

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JOHN SMITH

MARGARET SIMPSON May 18, 1944 – May 15, 2020 MARGARET was born at the Women’s Hospital in Derby to parents Ernest and Ethel Barber, of Castle Street, Melbourne. She attended Melbourne schools and, although school wasn’t her favourite place, it was clear from early on she loved to socialise.

Her first job was working for Millers grocery shop on Grange Street in Derby aged 15, where she made many friends. One day, a charming young man walked in and noticed Margaret behind the counter. He introduced himself as Norman Simpson and asked Margaret if she would like to go out. Margaret said yes, and this turned out to be the start of a very long and loving relationship. On July 27, 1963, Norman and Margaret married at the Baptist Chapel in Melbourne. Guests went to Melbourne Tea Rooms afterwards for a celebratory ham salad. The couple honeymooned in Blackpool, a place they revisited many times over the years.

Margaret and Norman’s first home was a mobile home first sited in Shelton Lock. On September 25, 1964, Margaret gave birth to their first and only child, Clare. As Norman’s career progressed the family moved around the UK in their mobile home, before they bought a property in The Pingle, Melbourne in 1971, where they stayed.

Margaret worked at Melbourne school as a dinner lady and Dennis Warren’s as a shop assistant, as well as Star-Tea. In 1986, Clare married Mark in Melbourne, a local lad who was the son of John and Kath Cooper. It was a very proud day for Margaret and Norman. Clare and Mark had a son, Guy, in 1992, and a daughter, Eilish, in 1996.

Margaret was so proud of her family but unfortunately in early 1997 the heart of the family was broken as Clare fell terminally ill with cancer.

The family, along with many of Clare’s friends, rallied together to support one another during a very hard few months. Careers were halted and all focus from Mark, Margaret, Norman, Kath and John was put onto both the kids and Clare. The last few months of Clare’s life were very tough but the family has some happy memories of everyone being all together such as on Eilish’s first birthday, held at Jubilee Close: Mark, Clare, Guy and Eilish’s home. Sadly, in October 1997, Clare lost her battle with cancer and passed away.

This would prove to be heartbreak for all the family but especially Margaret, who never overcame the heartbreak of losing Clare. But it brought about an even closer bond between Margaret and her grandchildren, and she reduced her hours at her new job at Budgens to support Mark and his children. In November 2010 Mark remarried Rasham.

Over the years, Margaret made many friends at the South Pennine Cycling Club, of which Norman was a member, helping out at committee meetings and hosting a meeting at their home. This allowed Margaret to showcase one of her many talents – cooking. In fact, she continued to cook for others right up until her last days. She also did a lot for charity, including knitting hats, scarves and jumpers for children in Syria.

Margaret fell ill in 2019 and passed away on May 15, 2020, surrounded by her family who all thanked her for being such an amazing wife, mother-in-law, nana and stepping up to fill a massive hole left in their hearts after the passing of Clare.

GRAHAM ARTHUR BRADFORD June 25, 1935 – May 6, 2020 GRAHAM’S whole life existed in Melbourne. He was born on Moira Street, the second of eight children to Jack and Doris Bradford. He attended all the Melbourne schools, leaving at the age of 15.

He started working straight away for the market gardening industry, where he worked for about 13 years.

On August 2, 1958, he married Gill at St. Giles’ Church, Village Street, Derby. They lived in Castle Street, Melbourne, for a couple of years, then moved to Station Road, Melbourne, where they lived until their death.

They had two children, Lorraine (deceased) and Jason, and celebrated 61 years of marriage.

In the early 60s, Graham left market gardening to do lorry driving for Smith’s on the Common. A few years later he went to Swarkestone gravel pit, driving cement mixers for over 20 years.

He retired in 1992 aged 57, due to health issues. He

also became his wife’s carer.

His source of interest other than gardening was football. He followed Derby County. He was a regular season ticket holder. But later on, poor health prevented him attending. The radio and television would be on though, so he didn’t miss out!

He suffered most of his life with only one kidney functioning. This eventually failed, being the cause of his death. His funeral was held at Melbourne Cemetery on May 19.

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, it was a difficult arrangement only allowing a select few people to attend.

It was comforting to see people standing in the streets to wave him by. Instead of flowers, donations were given through Springthorpe Funeral Directors for the British Kidney Founda-

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Jason would like to thank everybody for their condolences, words of comfort, support and generosity that has been offered and given.

Due to the current COVID19 situation, all Coffee & Co and minibus trips have been cancelled until further notice.

Our Office is closed to the public, but we are checking on messages.

Please see our Facebook page Melbourne for regular Community Care updates.

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Bomb victim family pay their respects

l Remembering ... (l-r) Major Jaxson, Brendan O’Neill, Beverley Feasby, Helen Ward and Jed Ward.

DESCENDANTS of a soldier killed when Melbourne was bombed in the Second World War travelled here to attend a ceremony marking 80 years since it happened.

Helen Ward and her family came from Birmingham to witness the playing of the Last Post at 8am on July 11, 80 years after bombs fell on the town.

Helen’s grandfather, Albert Gardner, was one of nine Royal Engineers to perish when the bombs hit the building where they were billeted on Church Street. The area is now home to Melbourne Bowls Club.

Helen had seen news of the ceremony posted on social media so got up early to travel to Melbourne along with son Jed, sister Beverley and Beverley’s husband, Martin.

The occasion involved Brendan O’Neill in full ceremonial dress playing the Last Post at

8am, the time when the bombs fell, and band master Ed Swindell reading the Act of Homage and Kohima Epitaph. “It was a moving moment for us,� said Helen.

She said her family had tried over the years to piece together what happened to her grandfather, who was only 22 when he died. One puzzle is that shortly before the bombing, Albert appeared to have finished his time training in Melbourne and had returned to Birmingham.

He then went back for reasons the family have never been able to uncover. “He said he couldn’t leave his mates behind, but nobody knows what those words meant.

He didn’t go into detail,� said Helen.

Albert was married to Beryl and had a son, also Albert, who was nearly three at the time.

Helen said she had been trying to find out more about her

family, and had travelled to Melbourne previously to try to find the memorial to her grandfather.

This she was not able to do at the time, thinking his name would be on the memorial cross outside Melbourne Hall, whereas it is actually listed on a plaque in Church Street.

But her interest in Melbourne has remained. “We’ve always been told stories about how he died but we never knew much more,� said Helen. “It’s nice for us as a family that they still are recognised to this day. They could so easily have got lost or left behind in history. “The soldiers who died with him – it was nice to see that as well. I always wondered who he was with and what he was doing. I’m happy that it’s still remembered all these years later.�

Village Voice August 2020 15

LOTS OF JOBS TO DO

The Common Touch...

I’M NOT sure everyone knows but Whistlewood Common, community benefit co-op business, was set up and completely run by volunteers and I wanted to publicly thank every single one of you!

I’m always astounded by what has been achieved: the straw bale roundhouse building, the range of courses and events that are organised, the beautiful orchard and woodland trees that have been planted, the fundraising and the wildlife areas that have been created.

There is a core group of regular volunteers and a larger group of people who volunteer when they can. Some come as families, others on their own. All ages, abilities and backgrounds are welcome.

As with all community organisations there are always a lot of jobs and tasks to be done.

This enforced break in our usual routine means we can now focus on some site infrastructure projects and for these we will need more volunteers. Are you handy at DIY? If so we’d love to hear from you.

We are planning to create an accessible path to the roundhouse and composting toilets. We have a donated shed to erect, some bridges across the stream to be built, a decking style yurt base to construct, and next year we’ll be concentrating on planting up the community and forest gardens.

We’re hoping Government restrictions ease off in the coming months so we can get back up

to our normal volunteering numbers, plus some new faces.

Not all the volunteering tasks require such physical hands-on-site skills. We also need people to help with booking enquiries, writing grant applications, newsletter production, website design skills, marketing activities, mowing, wildlife conservation and tree care, all areas that volunteers can contribute to.

It looks like a lot of people will be losing their jobs due to the COVID pandemic and seeking work, including myself, and it dawned on me whilst applying for jobs and having interviews how many skills and experiences I’d gained from my six years of volunteering at Whistlewood, which is why I wanted to write about needing more helpers.

I’ve found employers are really keen to hear about the project and the various aspects of it I’m involved in. If you find yourself in the same position as me in the coming weeks and are interested in sustainability, climate change and the environment please contact us through our website or like us on Facebook to find out what opportunities are coming up.

Making a positive difference to your community could make all the difference to landing that job, perhaps leading to a whole new career.

Hopefully there will be a lot more green jobs in the near future. Good luck out there fellow job seekers. – Katherine Parrish

Prizes for small shops

CALLING all local small shops – it’s time to celebrate your achievements.

The Best Small Shop competition is free to enter and is open for nominations until Friday, September 11.

A shortlist will be announced in October and winners in November.

Judges want to see evidence of small shops’ entrepreneurial spirit, ways they have been innovative in their business and

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what they have done to have a lasting positive impact on their community.

Shops that are shortlisted will be in with the chance to win one of five awards, including a newly launched section for a shop’s response to the COVID-19 situation.

South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler is calling on small shops to enter and said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for shops in South Derbyshire

who are surely worthy of recognition for the work they do in their community, their entrepreneurial spirit. “I know many businesses have had to make changes particularly with the coronavirus and now is the time to show the work they have done. “I hope small shops in South Derbyshire take part and wish them the best of luck.�

To enter the competition, visit www.bestsmallshops.co.uk

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Cricketers finally able to get their ball rolling

16 Village Voice August 2020

SPORT

MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club finally got its 2020 season underway in July as lockdown restrictions were eased.

The first team began well with a convincing 41-run win away to Barton, Town posting 181-9 off their allotted 40 overs. Muhammed Tayyab was top scorer with 42 and skipper Alex Slater weighed in with a brisk 33. Then Muhammad Nadeen with 4-47, and two wickets apiece from Sohail Hussain and Tom Shearsby took the first team to victory.

A week later, Melbourne entertained Tutbury’s first team who amassed an impressive 235-6 off their overs. Despite a superb 64 not out from Andy Potts, plus 46 by opener Tom Shearsby and 30

by Slater, Town just fell short and settled for the draw on 192-5.

The last match of the month for the first team was away to Walton on Trent. The home side were in trouble on 29-4 but recovered to post 174-9 with Matt Briers taking 3-36 plus two wickets each for Slater and Hussain.

In reply Melbourne were well set on 129-4 but the dismissal of Tom Shearsby for 41 after Muhammad Nadeem had hit 49 saw a collapse and, despite 36 from Slater, the first team tied on 174 to leave them sitting in third place in their mini three south division.

The club’s second team also started well and began the 2020 sea-

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BAR

BREEDON DERN Part of FIN BY SMISBY MILTON

son with a narrow three-wicket win at home to Hartshorne seconds. The visitors scored 140-7 with two wickets apiece for Ranjit Rathore and Gurwinder Singh.

Singh capped a fine game with a brisk 57 but a middle order collapse saw town lose four quick wickets and it was down to Dan Player (22 not out) to see the side home by three wickets.

A week later, Melbourne had to bat first on what can only be described as an interesting wicket as they were bowled out for just 68 away to Alrewas thirds, Matt Grimmett top scoring with 24.

Despite 3-15 by Rathore and 3-28 from Julian Humpidge the home side sneaked home by just two wickets. Fraser Radcliffe’s men ended the month with a rain-affected match against Ticknall thirds as Town scored 124-9 off their reduced 24 overs. Sam Jenkinson top scored with 47 not out. In reply Ticknall fell way short on 94-4 to leave the seconds second in the table.

Melbourne’s third team finished July top of the 9CS league as they had a superb start to the season which began with a convincing nine-wicket home win against Alvaston & Boulton fourths.

The visitors were bowled out for just 84 as Dan Marshall took 435 and Will Jackson weighed in with 2-23. In reply, Paul Scrimshaw (45 not out) and new signing Cheetan Patel (25 not out) raced the thirds to victory with nearly 20 overs left.

The following week Melbourne batted first away to Duffield fourths and scored 195-7. Scrimshaw led the way with 53 supported

by Bruno Rost, who scored 45. Then Scrimshaw stole the show with the ball as he took a career best 7-15. The hosts were bowled out for 136, giving Town an easy 59-run victory.

Tony Papas’s men were denied by the rain in the last Saturday in July as they travelled to Sawley 4ths, who bowled Melbourne out for 122. Rost top scored with 41 supported by Tim Jackson, who hit 25. The home side was struggling on 19-4 when rain ended the contest.

The club’s junior section has gone from strength to strength during the shortened 2020 season.

The club now runs teams at u9s kwiks, u11s incrediball, u11s hardball and u13s, with over 50 juniors being coached at the club on a Tuesday and Wednesday night.

The club is also the only one Your Will in the Privacy and Comfort of your Own Home. in the local area to be running the 2020 all-stars course for 5-8 year olds every Saturday and + VAT (£59.94) Wednesday in August. Anyone Phone Today for FREE INFO PACK interested in joining the allstars course or indeed the junior section should contact Alex 24 hours / 7 days a week Slater on 07966933583.

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SOCIAL bowling is back up and running at Kings Newton, if not competitive play.

Kings Newton Bowling Club has seen members out on to the green over recent weeks to enjoy a socially distanced game.

The club is hoping to hold an internal league this season, in which around 30 members may take part.

The club’s clubhouse and bar are open but, due to current regulations, not many customers can sit inside.

Therefore, the club has invested in four new sets of outdoor tables and seating, to accommodate rules stipulating that only six people are allowed to sit together at the moment.

Pictured in action are Cynthia Bailey with grandaughter Lily Fielding.

Grant booster for local sports

SPORT in Melbourne received a boost in July when the sporting partnership was awarded a grant by the Premier League, Football Association (FA) and the Government’s Football Foundation.

Melbourne Sporting Partnership said the £500 grant from the Foundation’s Club Preparation Fund would help to prepare the buildings to safely reopen in line with Government guidelines around hygiene and social distancing, and the FA’s plans for a ‘phased return’ announced on July 18.

The Club Preparation Fund follows the £7m of investment awarded to 2,900 organisations through last month’s Pitch Preparation Fund, also delivered by the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation.

The money is going towards helping 9,000 football pitches to be made match-fit, benefiting over 33,000 football teams.

Speaking about their funding success, Marcus Radcliffe, chairman of the business and operating committee at MSP, said: “The Football Foundation Grant has funded the installation of two pedal operated hand sanitising units at the MSP, one in reception and one inside the artificial grass pitch, helping to make The MSP a safe place to play sport and socialise.

“With tennis and cricket up and running and a firm date for football league matches to start we are conscious of maintaining a safe environment. We are hopeful that soon the Rugby Football Union (RFU) will be able to broaden their guidelines to enable further rugby training, and then matches, to take place.”

The Football Foundation is a charity funded by the Premier League, The FA and the Government, through Sport England.