Village Voice No 241 December 2012
Melbourne & District
newton fallowell
raising the standard of estate agency
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Melbourne: 01332 865696
Landmark year for us and the town DAVID BELLIS, one of the founders of Village Voice, is retiring as a director of the company after 20 years. Here, in our Christmas message, David reflects on the progress and some of the major improvements in Melbourne over the years. He will continue to contribute to the paper from time to time.
WE FIRST published a 12-page all black and white edition of the Village Voice in November 1992, so we are now entering our 21st year. Quite a milestone ... While next year is a landmark for this newspaper, this year has been a special one for Melbourne. There is a strong expectation that the new Assembly Rooms Board will create a vibrant social centre, giving a new lease of life well into the 21st century. With a firmly democratic basis of an elected board of management, the town can really look forward to great things for this imaginative initiative.
The use of the iconic 19th century school, renewed and redesigned fit for the demands of the times, shows both proper respect for our cherished heritage, and a keen willingness to grasp the challenges of the new century. Special, too, has been the progress made this year with the creation of modern sporting facilities, transforming the Cockshut Lane site into a multi-sport centre, fulfilling a dream for the town and ensuring a healthy outlet for the energies of our younger people for many years to come. As Christmas approaches, Melbourne and district residents will celebrate as they have always done:
church fellowship, parties, good food, and the coming together of families and friends. At the core of Christmas is the family, when the worries of the economy and the day to day stresses can be put aside for a few days. The Village Voice has tried to reflect the many facets of our vibrant community, and we have survived for 20 years because we have had the support of our readers. We have had the generous support of the local business community, for whom we provide a market place for their goods and services. We value this support, and thank
you for it. We are indebted to a host of correspondents, who bring us news and views – from farming to football – without whom we could not continue. We need the input of local community news to fill the monthly columns, and we need, too, the huge help we get from our host of paper deliverers, who ensure the paper is properly distributed. Thank you all for your active support. We wish all our readers, all our distributors and all our advertisers a happy and peaceful Christmas holiday.
VILLAGE’S FLOOD HELL Evacuated residents are still not back in their homes by TOM MILLS RESIDENTS from two homes evacuated during the November floods are facing the prospect of not being able to return to them before Christmas. A week of heavy rainfall brought the worst floods locally since 2000 and a total of 34 homes were considered at risk in Barrow on Trent and Willington. Residents of these two villages were urged to look at finding alternative accommodation, and a rest centre was opened at Findern Village Hall in anticipation of a
● Phil Bosworth surveys the damage to his cattle sheds at Barrow on Trent.
worsening situation. In the end two homes in Barrow had to be evacuated, and at the time of going to press the residents concerned had not been able to go back to them. South Derbyshire District Council, together with its partner agencies, had been made aware that the River Trent was rising to critical levels and set out to warn residents in at-risk locations. In Barrow, flood warnings came by phone and gave the local community enough time to put its Emergency Response Plan into operation. The plan has been in place since 2000 when the worst floods in modern times were experienced in the village. With plenty of sandbags to hand and a good stock of sand, teams formed to fill and distribute them to vulnerable households. The main road through the village was closed to prevent bow waves being created by vehicles and exacerbating the flooding hazards in roadside homes. The flood levels peaked three to four inches below those experienced in 2000. Elsewhere in the area the A38 was closed for a 17mile stretch on the Lichfield to Derby section and problems at Repton and Willington exacerbated traffic problems. The Trent at Swarkestone ran over the banks, threatening a number of properties. Ingleby Lane was flooded, resulting in a number of cars being abandoned. The Continued on Page 3
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● The cast of Melbourne’s Kangaroos Jump Ahead nursery’s Nativity Play gather for a dress rehearsal. Photo by Debra Burgess-Lim
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