Melbourne Village Voice September 2016

n IT WAS back to a bygone era for the second Melbourne Classic Car and Motorcycle Show. H Wall and Son’s garage complete with Shell petrol pumps recreated how the service station might have looked in years gone by. Full report and more pictures –centre pages.

Pipes sensors to help solve town flooding

ENGINEERS from Severn Trent Water are to put special sensors into Melbourne’s pipes network in an attempt to understand why the town keeps flooding.

The water provider says inserting sensors is a “relatively standard procedure where we have particular issues in an area”.

The sensors will be put in place at key points in the system so that engineers can monitor water flow to see how sewers react to different rainfall patterns.

Severn Trent is expecting to monitor the devices for two to three months, or longer if not enough rain falls to collect the data.

It is hoped this will help find ways of reducing flooding.

APPEAL ON 60 HOMES PLAN TURNED DOWN

by FRANK HUGHES

THE appeal against the decision not to allow the building of 60 homes in King’s Newton has been turned down.

The outcome of the planning appeal on the Linden Homes Jawbone Lane housing development was delivered by Planning Inspector Geoff Underwood.

The appeal, under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, was for a development of 60 dwellings across two sides of Jawbone Lane. The application had been refused in October 2015 and the appeal had been brought by Linden Homes Midlands against the decision by South Derbyshire District Council.

A large number of local protestors had greeted the inspector when he had made his site visit in May to make the case to maintain the separation of King’s Newton and to preserve the landscape and heritage of the village.

The main issues raised were whether “the proposed development would provide a suitable site for housing, having regard to national and local policies relating to development within the countryside, and the effect the proposed development would have on the character and appearance of the area, in particular the setting of King’s Newton Conservation Area, and its effect on the area’s landscape”.

Whilst the inspector concluded that some harm to the character of the area would result from de-

velopment the “adverse effects on the character and appearance of the landscape would be limited”.

The compelling argument, however, appears to be the principle of preventing development encroaching into the countryside. This principle had been clearly laid out in SDDC’s Local Plan in a policy restricting new housing development to within the village confines of both Melbourne and King’s Newton.

Villagers reacted positively to the decision. “Fantastic news,” said one, whilst another said “good news, well done to all for all the hard work involved in getting this decision”.

A spokesman for Linden Homes Midlands said: "Whilst we were disappointed with the inspec-

tor's decision, we are pleased that the reason was not as a result of any impact on the landscape and heritage assets of the immediate and local area which was the original reason for refusal of the application.”

"We have decided, in light of the local authority's five-year housing land supply, to withdraw the second application and will in due course consider how best for us to proceed."

n PLANS to build up to 15 homes on Melbourne’s Blackwell Lane have been thrown out at a meeting of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee (full report Page 2).

n VILLAGERS are being invited to have their say this month on proposals for 42 more homes on the edge of Aston-on-Trent (full report Page 6).

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JANE Brooks has just completed an exhilarating sky dive to help fight childhood liver disease.

Jane, from Wilson, did the fund-raiser for Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) a cause very close to her heart and she has managed to surpass the target she set herself, raising over £1,600 so far.

“My 12-year-old son, Luke, was diagnosed with auto-immune hepatitis last year,” said Jane.

“Although he has to take many tablets each day he shows no outward signs of his illness and is a very active child who loves playing football for Castle Donington Under 12s and watching Derby County, his favourite team, play.

“However, liver disease in children is rare and there is no cure. Luke requires regular medical check-ups and just knowing that the team from CLDF are there to talk to when we need them is so reassuring to us.”

Jane (pictured with her instructor) did the dive from Langar Airfield, Nottinghamshire, and described it as “the most amazing thing I have done in my life”.

On the way up she described being both

very nervous and excited – “but once you have jumped out, and the parachute opens it all goes very quiet.”

She enjoyed it so much, that having landed, she decided to go up for a second turn! “But I am aching this morning,” she said, “because it is more strenuous than you

imagine!”

CLDF Chief Executive, Alison Taylor, added: “We are the only charity which is dedicated to fighting all forms of childhood liver disease. We rely entirely on voluntary donations, however, so we are delighted to hear that Jane chose to do this for us.”

Council says No to Lane homes scheme

PROPOSALS to build up to 15 homes on Melbourne’s Blackwell Lane have been thrown out.

A meeting of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee heard how the Blackwell Lane housing plans had been rumbling on since 2014.

Developers originally wanted to build 54 homes, but were asked to scale back because of fears such a large development would impact badly on Melbourne’s conservation area.

But, in an interesting shift away from many recent planning applications in this area, developers did not win this time.

That was partly because the council is now able to show it has plans for enough housebuilding over the next five years to satisfy demand.

Developers had asked to build on Blackwell Lane because the land there was originally included in the council’s assessment of places in the area that could potentially be used for housing.

But the meeting heard how part one of the Local Plan having now been adopted – the doc-

ument that sets out what houses can be built in this area and where – council planners were now not under such pressure to agree applications on land not included in that Plan.

Councillors agreed with planning officers who said that the homes should not be allowed on Blackwell Lane, and unanimously rejected them.

A big reason for that is heritage: it is felt that homes on fields next to Blackwell Lane would spoil the view of Melbourne as you approach it from Wilson.

Council planning documents said: “In consideration of the approaches into Melbourne, that of Blackwell Lane, from

the east, survives as the most pleasant and unspoilt of them all.

“From the north Packhorse Road is defined by 20th century ribbon development, as is Queensway and, to a slightly lesser degree, Ashby Road/High Street.

“The undeveloped slopes of the former Manor/Castle serve to acknowledge and provide interpretation of Melbourne’s past.

“For approximately two and a half centuries, the two cottages on Blackwell Lane (Nos 1 and 2), have existed as the only dwellings topographically below the town, previously having the manor and the castle on the

ridge above.

“This, together with the prominent stone garden wall to Melbourne Hall has been the long-lasting image of the approach to Melbourne from this direction, easing you in to the built form of the urban area as you leave the countryside.”

Council planning officer Chris Nash acknowledged in the meeting that it was “unfortunate” for the developer that the Local Plan had been adopted since the proposals were first submitted.

A total of 147 letters objecting to the plans were received by the council from local residents.

– Lucy Stephens

Two still on school waiting list

TWO children were still on the waiting list to get into Melbourne Junior School before the start of term, the county council’s education department has confirmed.

But all three out-of-catchment children who applied for Melbourne Infant School have now secured places.

Earlier this year the Village Voice reported that 10 children were denied places from Melbourne schools due to lack of space.

Several of those families who wanted their children to go to school in Melbourne did not live in the catchment area, and some appealed the decision.

Bake Off treat for hospice

THE Great Treetops Bake Off was a brand new fund-raising event for Treetops Hospice and Melbourne. Knowing just how much everyone loves baking – and eating –cakes, the Treetops team decided to jump on the bandwagon and recreate the famous TV show in the village.

Hannah Taylor, community and events fund-raiser, said: “The Great Treetops Bake-off was a lovely event with many local people taking part. We are so grateful to Lord Ralph Kerr for allowing us to hold the event within the grounds of Melbourne Hall. The venue is amazing and we had such a warm welcome from the people of Melbourne – thank you.

“We were delighted to hold this event in Melbourne to highlight how we can help local families living with life-limiting illnesses or who are affected by death and dying. It was a great success and I would

like to thank the judges for all their support and our amazing volunteers for all their help on the day.”

Sporting their TV Bake Off celebrity

Visa joy for couple facing deportation

THE Melbourne couple at the heart of a deportation nightmare have voiced their joy after being granted visas to stay in the UK for the next two and a half years.

Clive and Yvonne Karusseit’s battle to stay in this country is not yet won, but the news that they now have visas for the time being is a huge relief.

The pair celebrated in the best way possible – by Clive finally going back to work, which he has been unable to do since March.

Yvonne said: “It’s brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Our attorney phoned, and when I heard her voice my heart was racing because I didn’t know what she was going to say. Clive came roaring down and we sat on the stairs and cried. It’s such a relief; you’ve got no idea.”

Immigration officials have granted the Karusseits “exceptional circumstances” visas based on the fact that Yvonne is a full-time carer for her mother, Eileen, who has permanent residency in the UK.

The Karusseits’ problems started earlier this year when their application to stay in this country full-time was declined.

That was because the couple, who moved here from South Africa, had inquired whether they needed to sit an English test since English is their first language – and were told they would be contacted should this be a requirement.

No-one got in touch and months later, their visas having already expired, they were told they faced deportation because they had not sat the test.

That meant financial and practical difficulties because Clive was then unable to work at his job as a bid engineer in Whitwick.

Now the couple want to thank everyone who has helped them through the past six months by giving food, money and moral support.

Yvonne said: “Two residents of Melbourne have said they would pay for the mortgage and one from Nottingham – we are so blessed. People have been so generous, people from Australia who have donated via PayPal, and from all over the country. We have got friends all over the place.”

Nearly 7,000 people have signed a petition calling for the couple to be granted permanent residency after their plight was publicised locally and nationally.

The Karusseits are now going to talk to their lawyer before making a further application to stay permanently in the UK, and they thanked South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler for all her help in ensuring they secured visas.

– Lucy Stephens

As the only privately owned, family run Funeral Directors in Melbourne we are able to offer an

masks are (l-r): Jennifer Mather, Mark Whithorn (Sainsbury’s Charity Champion), organiser Hannah Taylor, John Minter and Brenda Dexter.

Country Living

with Robert Parker

WHAT happened to those good old-fashioned Septembers of long warm days, call them Indian Summers if you like?

We badly need one now as what seemed like a quick early harvest has turned the other way slightly.

Admittedly, we are where we’ve been before with a lot of our customers’ grain harvested and the majority of what’s left being our own.

It’s still early and September is the main harvest month, so we live in hope.

n I like to think there are no flies on me but there are on my cows and they are a very serious problem. Animals and humans have always attracted flies but, as each season goes by here at home, they seem to get worse and we are struggling to come up with a solution.

We apply systemic chemicals to the cows, which is supposed to kill flies that land on the animals for a month – but they don’t seem to work for anything like that long.

Flies bite and suck blood and really give distress to them; in the middle of the day they herd the cows into a tight group in the middle of the field.

The cows think there is safety in numbers but there certainly isn’t. In wet weather the insects stop in the buildings and descend on the animals when they come in to be milked.

It’s one of the times I feel really sorry for them but I have to say that, as I sit at my kitchen table, I’m actually being menaced by them while I write.

No-one seems to have a foolproof answer to our problem! Any ideas?

Our swallows are the net beneficiaries of our misfortune and to stand in the yard on a warm summer’s night you are lucky not to be hit by a fly-hunting house martin or swallow. A welcome sight for me, but little reduction in the problem.

It’s a push-over for charities

MELBOURNE once again played host to some strange sights as the streets witnessed the town’s third annual “pram push” – but as you might expect, it was all for a good cause.

The delightfully silly fund-raiser comes courtesy of Melbourne Rugby Club and the aim is for teams of two to push each other around the town by means of a pram-type vehicle, stopping off at 11 pubs on the way for a quick half.

The winner is the team who can do all that in the quickest time.

Now in its third year, the 2016 pram push was the biggest yet with 17 teams getting into the spirit and giving it a go.

The winners were a pair of astronauts (pictured), who managed to complete the circuit in a very impressive 17 minutes.

The whole occasion raised £780, which goes to the rugby club, Melbourne Community Care, Alfie’s Allstars and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Sharon Allen, who organised the event along with Dean Sylvester and Colin Topliss, said: “The support was fantastic. The number of teams that entered was fantastic and the money raised was a really good amount for the charities involved –it was a fantastic day.”

The pram push organisers would like to say a big thank you to the Melbourne branch of the Royal British Legion where the event took place.

IN AID of Help For Heroes, a presentation by David Smith entitled ‘On the day Melbourne was bombed’ will take place on Monday, September 26, at 7pm in the Senior Citizens’ Centre, Church Street, Melbourne. Entry fee is £3 (£2 for senior citizens).

Six of the best make it to the meeting

THERE was a reduced attendance at the September Melbourne Parish Council Meeting with only six councillors present. Apologies were received from those not attending.

The sensitive topic of memorial testing at the Packhorse Road cemetery was brought for the attention of the full council but, after some discussion, the way forward was not resolved and it was decided to circulate the statutory requirements to all councillors and review at the October meeting.

The decision to proceed with the design of a new council website has been made and an order for the work to proceed has been placed. A date for when the new website will become operational is still to be determined.

The plans to plant roses in the cemetery garden of remembrance have moved on with orders having been placed.

Reporting on the Summer Play Scheme in Melbourne, Cllr Andrew Jackson said it had been the best ever with over a hundred children at one event.

Firms in line for awards

A TRIO of local businesses have shown they have got what it takes by winning through to the finals of a major national business awards scheme.

The Rural Business Awards is now in its second year and was set up by two Midlands-based businesswomen to recognise excellence in countryside-based firms – which they believe are often overlooked by other business-based prize scheme in urban areas.

This year three local firms have been named finalists, beating off stiff competition from other companies from across the UK.

The Kings Newton-based DG Light Haulage is in the running for being named Britain’s best rural employer of the year as well as best rural innovator, while Castle Donington health

TOM MILLS reports from the September meeting of Melbourne Parish Council

County Cllr Linda Chilton raised the subject of meningitis vaccinations for young adults, reporting that DCC have issued a press release. Anyone aged 17,18 or 19 who hasn’t been vaccinated is strongly advised to get the jab, as well as students aged up to 25 going to university or college for the first time. For more information they should contact their GP or visit www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages /men-acwy-vaccine.aspx

A successful meeting took place to discuss the flooding issues in Melbourne with Severn Trent Water. Melbourne has been identified as a priority and an application for special funding is being processed.

With regard to the flooding experienced on the Sweet Leys development, STW believe that it is a joint responsibility with SDDC and DCC. STW has identified some interesting problems and a joint meeting is to be convened as soon as possible. Cllr John Harrison reported that the funding, to be provisioned by the European Union, was approved before Brexit and will still be available. The next local flood meeting with STW will be on Wednesday, October 26, at the Assembly Rooms.

The parish clerk advised that the road closure approval has been granted for Wakes Week and that approval has also been granted for Remembrance Sunday and the Christmas Shopping event.

Public Footpath No7 from Derby Road to The Woodlands continues as a discussion topic locally and between the developers and Derbyshire County Council, but as yet no decisions have been made about the route it will follow or dates by which it will be opened.

and safety firm Harrier UK is a finalist for best rural professional services business.

Meanwhile, Aston-on-Trentbased Sharon Stevens-Cash is a

director of digital marketing firm Gravity Digital, which has offices in Derby and Bakewell and has been recognised in the finals of the creative and media

category.

All three firms will find out if they are winners at the prizegiving ceremony at the Belfry Hotel on October 13.

New home for Army Cadet Force

THE Derbyshire Army Cadet Force is on the move, having relocated the Melbourne Detachment to Ticknall and looking to reinvigorate numbers with a recruitment drive.

Detachment Commander Paul Thomas said he was looking forward to moving into the new home and invited the public to an open evening being held as a special event, part of the first national Army Cadets Open Week celebrations on Thursday, September 15, at 7.30pm in Ticknall Village Hall.

He said: “During the evening there will be displays of our activities. You will be able to talk to cadets and adult volunteers about what we do, and take part in some activities.”

The Army Cadet Force is one of the coun-

try’s largest voluntary youth organisations with a history going back to 1859, when Britain was under threat of a French invasion. Paul is hoping to double the local group in size, which is presently around 12strong. He is also hoping that they will be able to retain their links with Melbourne Royal British Legion, and parade on Remembrance Day.

Cadets, who are aged from 12 to 18, follow a syllabus called the Army Proficiency Certificate, which gets more challenging each year. As they learn more about each topic and get better at it, they go up through the star levels until reaching four star or even Master Cadet. Subjects include (amongst others) first aid, fieldcraft, navigation, drill and turnout, military knowl-

edge and shooting and skill at arms.

They are also looking to welcome more adult volunteers, who can choose to be a civilian assistant or train to be a probationary instructor before moving up the ranks, having acquired more skills and experience.

Paul said: “Our volunteers come from all backgrounds and not having served in the military or been a cadet is no barrier to joining.”

He said he joined the ACF in May 2014 “having been impressed by what I’d read online about the activities of cadets and the training given by instructors”.

To find out more about the Ticknall detachment or the open day, contact Paul Thomas on 07748 332058.

HOPEFULS (l-r) Andy Smith, Managing Director Harrier UK; Helen McCabe, Director Harrier UK; Sharon Stevens-Cash, Director Gravity Digital; Andy Smith Director, Gravity Digital; David Guilford, Managing Director DG Light Haulage, Kings Newton; and Mat Bonner, Operations Manager DG Light Haulage, Kings Newton.

AA awards rosette No.2 for Harpur’s

JUST a few months after Harpur’s of Melbourne received their first AA rosette, the inspectors have been back and have now awarded them their second rosette.

They are absolutely delighted as they now join an 'elite few' in the East Midlands who hold this award.

Over recent years Harpur’s has been transformed into a first class gastro pub and to achieve two rosettes epitomises the effort and dedication from all the team, but especially from head chef Lee Emerson and manager Tom Williams.

"To hit the exacting standards set by The AA everyone has had to work hard and to focus on getting our standards as we want them to be,” said Mr Emerson.

"When they came on their initial visit, in May we got awarded one rosette but we were told that we were so close to a second rosette, they would come back sooner than the usual year between visits to check us again.

“At that point they were very confident we would get two. True to their word The AA came back and loved what we did and do.”

According to The AA, there are only about 10% of pubs/restaurants in the whole of the country that can hit the AA Standards.

Winter darts league

THE Royal Suite at the Melbourne British Legion Club will be the new venue for the Melbourne Winter Darts League to be held each Monday night. New players interested in joining will be welcome. For more information contact melbournedarts180@gmail.com

Fire station houses project

WORK is under way by South Derbyshire District Council to transform 11 derelict properties recently acquired by the authority into modern and attractive homes which will help to meet local housing needs.

The properties, acquired from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service were once provided to firefighters and are located behind Swadlincote Fire Station in Civic Way.

SHE is just shy of her 90th birthday and still a stunner ...

Vintage car ‘Jenny’ from Melbourne came away top of the class after nabbing first prize at the Chatsworth Country Fair from under the nose of none other than gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh.

Jenny is a 1927 1122 E4 Wolseley,

Jenny has a body that turns heads

which has been lovingly restored and hand painted and is owned by Melbourne’s Mick Mumford.

The Vintage Sports-Car Club invited Jenny to be exhibited at the fair alongside 70 other vintage cars, where she was judged best in class.

The winner last year was TV celebrity and author Alan Titch-

marsh, who owns a beautiful Bentley.

Alan presented the trophy and rosette to Jenny and Mick (above), who has owned the car for the last 10 years.

Jenny has also been exhibited at Le Mans in France and has been admired at many other vintage and classic car shows.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON ASTON HOMES PLAN

PEOPLE are being invited to have their say this month on proposals for 42 more homes on the edge of Aston-on-Trent.

The plans were put forward at the beginning of September by London-based Providence Land Ltd and would involve building the new housing development on Moor Lane.

More than half of the proposed homes would be three or

The New Faces of Alive ‘n’ Kli in

four bed houses, or larger, while nine would be allocated for social housing.

It is envisaged that the newbuilds would provide housing for just under 100 people on a 1.84 hectare site.

Developers say their proposal will “respect the existing character of Moor Lane” and be “well integrated with the existing form and character of

Aston-on-Trent”.

This latest housing application for the area comes after Richborough Estates earlier this summer submitted its own proposal to build 85 homes on Weston Lane, of which 26 would be affordable properties.

In March, Richborough held a public exhibition to tell residents about their plans. This attracted a huge turn-out of

Building on the long established hairstyling services, The A&K Team have added two innovative and experienced professional stylists.

Emily and Craig bring new Creative techniques to the range of services we offer. Louise and Emily offer contemporary and traditional ladies styling, whilst Pat and Craig add a new range of modern hair trends in barbering to our existing portfolio.

Now open Saturdays for ‘Walk-in and Wait’. Ask about our ‘recommend a friend’ on your next visit.

people, many of whom were angry about the proposals to add more homes to their village, saying the local infrastructure could not cope.

Anyone who wants to give their views on the proposed houses has until September 23 to do so. You can log on to South Derbyshire District Council’s planning portal and look for application number 9/2016/0870.

Opening Hours

6 days a week...

Monday 1.00pm - 8.00pm

appointments with Pat

Tuesday 9.00am - 5.30pm

Wednesday 9.00am - 5.30pm

Thursday 9.00am - 7.00pm

Friday 9.00am - 5.30pm

Saturday 8.30am - 4.00pm

Appointments...

Tuesday to Saturday with Lou and Emily

Walk-in and Wait...

Tuesday to Saturday with Craig Thursday & Friday with Pat

Left to right: Pat, Craig, Emily and Louise

Dog owners’ killer blue algae warning

DOG owners have been warned not to let their animals go into Staunton Harold Reservoir after a beloved pet died when exposed to toxic blue algae.

Bex and Simon Hodds, from Melbourne, told of the dangers after their golden retriever Leo died two days after being walked near the reservoir in August.

Bex said she used to let Leo play in the water but when notices were put up warning visitors of the presence of algae she stopped doing so.

Blue algae can be toxic to humans and fatal for animals.

On the day of the accident, Bex and Simon were walking Leo along the path which runs alongside the reservoir.

Bex said: “We were taking him for a walk and we kept him on the lead at the Melbourne end of the reservoir. At the top end, near Calke Abbey, we let him off the lead which is miles away from the water.

“The next thing we know, he runs off – which was completely out of character for him. He was on steroids at the time, which we think made him very thirsty. Off he went; obviously we were panicking.”

Mindful of the algae, Bex and Simon asked for advice from their vet, but Leo was pronounced fit and well. The following night he was sick once and again they phoned the vet but he seemed to recover; however, the day after that Leo collapsed totally and had to be put down.

Bex said neither reservoir owners Severn Trent Water nor the vet bore any responsibility

for the incident since notices were put up and Leo did not show any of the expected signs of poisoning until shortly before he died.

But she said she wanted to make local people aware of the dangers so their pets did not suffer in the same way, saying Leo must have either ingested the algae while in the water or licked it from his fur afterwards.

She said: “Our dog didn’t show any of the signs that the vet would have expected him to show to be as ill as he was.

“My biggest concern is that people don’t know about it. Severn Trent has got signs up and that’s great but until you know things have actually happened you don’t necessarily take the warnings on board.

“It’s incredibly sad what’s happened because he was an

Art festival draws big crowd

amazing dog.

Sunday lunch raffle raises £250

STAUNTON Harold WI’s annual Sunday lunch was hosted by Colin and Anne-Louise Sharp at their home in King’s Newton. Eighty-plus members and guests enjoyed good food and excellent entertainment provided by Tom and Jack Dent.

The unpredictable weather kept host Colin on his toes, making sure everybody remained dry.

A luxury raffle was held with the proceeds (£250), to be awarded to a local dementia charity.

THE Dame Catherine’s School Art Festival took place on Sunday and Monday of the August Bank Holiday weekend at Ticknall. Once again the event was a great success with artists and visitors alike. The festival displayed a variety of art by 177 different artists, mainly from local counties in the region, although some came from as far afield as the Isle of Wight and Newcastle. The 1,080 items of original artwork comprised mainly paintings, although there were items of sculpture in metal, wood and other materials.

In addition to the artwork displayed, a drawing workshop was delivered by Rachel Grigger on the Sunday afternoon and an art demonstration by Sandy Hillyer took place on Sunday evening. The event attracted more than 1,500 visitors, and sales of artwork amounted to £18,000 which, together with income from the tea rooms etc, yielded approximately £8,000 for the school.

Pictured (l-r) are: Amanda Harmer, Maggie Reddish and Debby Bates.

VICTIM ... Leo, the golden retriever who fell foul of the blue algae, warnings about which are posted near the reservoir (as below).

“I just want to make people aware of the fact that it’s a risk and it could happen.”

A Severn Trent spokesman said: “We were sorry to hear about the lady’s dog, especially as we’re very aware of the dangers of blue algae at this time of year. We have extensive signage at Staunton Harold, and all our reservoirs, warning dog walkers to keep their pets out of the water because of the threat of blue algae.

“The signs are there for a reason and it’s just a real shame that it takes an event like this to bring home our message to people.”

When the Village Voice went to the reservoir to take photographs, many pet owners there were unaware of the presence of blue algae and its dangers.

– Lucy Stephens

Bike trail project for Calke

PLANS are afoot to create a new family cycle trail and outdoor visitor centre at Calke Abbey, as the estate prepares for up to 100,000 extra visitors a year over the next decade.

The proposals to expand the visitor attraction by creating a new cycle route at the Ticknall site have been put forward by owners

The National Trust and are currently available to view on the South Derbyshire District Council planning website.

The outdoor visitor hub will be the subject of a separate planning application.

The National Trust wants to create nearly three kilometres of new trail which will connect the existing tramway route to create a continuous circular cycle path.

A proposed new outdoor visitor hub with car parking, café and toilets would be at the start and finishing point.

A “design and access statement” said that Calke Abbey was enjoying growing numbers of visitors, with the most recent figures showing more than 314,000 flooding through the gates in 2015/6.

The National Trust has looked at numbers and expects that figure to rise by between 50,000 and 100,000 a year over the next decade.

The statement said: “The increasing visitor numbers is concentrated at Calke’s historic core of house, gardens and stables, which is placing increased pressure on the facilities in this area and the National Trust’s ability to retain and protect Calke’s distinct Spirit of Place which lies at the core of the conservation of the Calke estate.”

The aim of the proposed cycle trail and new outdoor hub is to try to spread the attractions on offer and encourage people to go for bike rides.

AN Astronomical Extravaganza was staged at Whistlewood Common, the community-owned site on Melbourne Common.

The event was organised in conjunction with Derby and District Astronomical Society, who provided telescopes, solar scopes, a rocket and many other activities.

A night of watching the Perseid meteor shower was thwarted by cloud, but many of the 150 attendees stayed and cooked food, sat around the fire, chatted, and

then camped overnight

The site now has a covered shelter for all-weather activities, fully equipped kitchen and barbecue, as well as the yurt, all of which are available for hire.

August also saw the hosting of 40 members of Staunton Harold WI for a meal and music, as well as children's birthday parties, and this month the organisation will host its first green wedding. Chair Sarah Spencer said: "This wide diversity of activities is all part of maximising the

BELOW: Ilana and Jay Tattersall with rockets and a giant globe.

LEFT: With one of the telescopes are (l-r) Nick Cowling, Regula Biggins, Neil and Margaret Wright and Michael Dumelow.

benefits to local people of this unique site, whilst promoting environmental and financial sustainability.

“We are delighted to have been accepted as a pilot project for Making Local Woods Work, a national initiative designed to support woodland social enterprises, and with this support, and the amazing hard work of our members and volunteers, we aim to develop our infrastructure and increase the exciting range of activities on offer.”

Historical research group’s annual exhibition

MELBOURNE Historical Research Group presented its twoday annual exhibition in August at Melbourne Assembly Rooms.

– Lucy Stephens

Calke Abbey has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve because of its population of invertebrates, as well as its large numbers and variety of ancient trees.

The main subject of this year’s display was “Staying Alive – or not, as the case may be”, which covered a very wide variety of topics, some funny and some horrendous.

They included: personal tragedies, sanitation, the water supply, early dentistry and diseases, vaccination, Derby hospitals’ history, The Melbourne Workhouse, school health inspections, breathing exercises, maternity matters, amusing Victorian advertisements, and oral history on more recent local doctors and nurses.

Nick Dexter travelled from London to attend the exhibition, which featured one of his ancestors, and a steady stream of his local relatives came to meet him. Material from previous studies ‘Before the Reservoir’ and ‘Market Gardening’ was displayed for his research, along with famous Melbourne characters from history.

Elizabeth Freeman, retired SRN and midwife, commented that the content was “very comprehensive – almost too comprehensive because I needed a whole day. I thought it absolutely wonderful, fascinating and stimulating. People put in a tremendous amount of time researching.”

– Jean Grimley

Richmond Villages, who have a new retirement village opening early next year in Derbyshire, offer so much more than just retirement properties. Take the 1 and 2 bedroom Village Suites as an example. These Suites come with an independent living package, including all meals, laundry and daily maid service and have been

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It’s that time of the year again

THE banners and bunting are up, which can only mean one thing – it’s Festival time!

The 2016 Festival trail will be over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18. It is open from 10am-5pm both days.

One of the highlights is Wild Wood, celebrating the 25th anniversary of The National Forest.

Melbourne Assembly Rooms will feature 15 East Midlands artists creating art using wood or featuring trees, forests and woodland animals. Among those to look out for are Jane Bevan, exhibiting her woodland vessels; Lynn Hazel, who sculpts native British Wildlife; Victoria Brown with her stunning blossom paintings; and Michael Cook with his stark trees and native creatures. The Wild Wood theme continues around the trail with Peter Woods, of Greenwood Days, exhibiting his beautiful Windsor chairs –and look out for his willow rowing boat in the Melbourne Hall visitor centre. Elsewhere Susan Heale exhibits her stunning resin treescapes and Helen Hallows will be showing her mixed media pieces.

Families are always made welcome at Melbourne Festival and young visitors can track down Toad, Badger, Ratty and Mole wandering around the trail, a gypsy caravan with storyteller reading the Wind in the Willows, Ratty’s rowing boat and Toad’s garden at the Vicarage.

Toad is touring the trail in his motor car and will be picnicking with his friends at the vicarage.

Melbourne Festival comedy night takes place on September 16 featuring affable observational comic Andrew Bird with Ivan Brackenbury.

The following weekend (Saturday, September

24) it’s afternoon tea and poetry – always a tasty event, and this year £1 per ticket is donated to Treetops Hospice. Boleyn – The Death and Life of a Queen – takes to the stage on Saturday evening.

Award-winning eight-piece acapella vocal ensemble Ocho take the stage on Sunday, September 25, and if you like jazz don’t miss The Gascoyne O'Higgins Quartet on October 14.

n ‘FINDING the Character’ is the title given to a workshop sponsored by Melbourne Operatic Society to be presented on Saturday, October 15, from 2pm to 5pm.

The workshop is intended to look at different ways in which characters in drama and musical theatre can be best portrayed.

This is an ideal opportunity for amateur performers to understand how to get the most out of their personal characterisations.

Experienced producer and former professional singer Melvyn Edwards and his wife, Jean, are leading the workshop at St Mary’s Catholic Church Hall, Church Street, Melbourne.

l MORE than 100 people gathered at The Coach House, Main Street, King’s Newton, to enjoy the annual garden party. The weather was good and an excellent buffet was provided. A tombola had been organised to raise funds for Leukaemia Research and, together with the proceeds of the raffle, raised £370. Entertainment was provided by Graham Clarke.

Reservoir popular for Scouts and Guides

CHARNWOOD 2016 International Scout and Guide Camp took place in August with 2,700 young people attending – including 300 from overseas.

Off-site activities were arranged for more than 400 young people each day from Monday to Friday. Some chose to travel to north Derbyshire for hill walking and rock climbing but the majority by far chose a day of adventure on or off the water at Foremark Reservoir. This was the main base for off-site activities and it was the first time the venue had been used by such large numbers for anything other than sailing.

With collaboration and support from Severn Trent, Burton Sailing Club and the fly fishing club there were many opportunities for the young people to try out and engage in a whole range of activities.

Carol Black, County Commissioner who was responsible for the off-site activities, was very upbeat about the success of the camp and the facilities made available at Foremark. She said: “The whole event was really good and was well supported by everyone including a group of young scouts from Malaysia who were really intrigued with the fly fishing.”

Christian Rose

Violins Violas Cellos

Treetops’ 25 years of care

LOCAL charity Treetops Hospice Care celebrated 25 years of its day care service with guests, staff and volunteers.

At Treetops, a team of nurses, health care assistants and volunteers provide physical, emotional and social care to people who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.

The service is provided free of charge at the day care unit, based in Risley, and is open five days a week with guests coming from across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Unit

from the world famous firm of W E Hill and Sons, now not in existence but was the most famous violin shop in the world for over 100 years. There will be a violin and viola made in their workshop, and bows by Hill and ex Hill makers on display as well as books relating to the firm. Admission free.

n A FUND-RAISING event was held at the Melbourne Senior Citizens’ Centre for Macmillan Cancer Care and raised £1,300. Hosted by Melbourne WI, the organisers would like to say a huge thank you to everyone in the community who supported the event on the day and to all those who planned and participated in the event including the president of the Senior Citizens’ Centre, friends from the Melbourne churches, the parish church bellringers, Eddie Morgan Art, Melbourne Fire Station, the Wine Circle, Paul Fox for the music and many local businesses. Pictured (l-r) are: Sue Davey, Karen Grewcock, Margaret Sharp, Margaret Brackenbury, Jane Cox and Jennie Starkie.

CIRCULAR WALK

MELBOURNE Footpaths Group’s circular walk on Thursday, September 15, will start at 1pm from Staunton Harold Nurseries.

The nursery welcomes walkers and is a convenient venue for refreshments.

Walkers are asked to park against the outside wall and not in the car park closest to the Ferrer's Centre.

This is a varied six-mile walk with at least five stiles, through North West Leicestershire and includes a stretch of the Ivanhoe Way long-distance path.

MFG requests a donation of £2 from walkers to help towards the group's running costs.

When it first opened its doors in August 1991, a handful of guests attended a couple of times a week but, as Julie Mehigan, day care services manager, explained: “The service has grown tremendously and we now have up to 25 guests here each day. I am extremely proud of what we provide and the positive difference it makes to people’s lives.

“Our guests really enjoy the relaxed, friendly and fun atmosphere here whilst their carers get a few hours a week to themselves.“

Other services provided at Treetops include support and information, hospice at home and therapeutic services, including bereavement counselling, art therapy and complementary therapy.

Chellaston top of the class

(l-r)

HARD-WORKING Chellaston Academy students were celebrating after the school’s GCSE results were significantly better than last year – and the best in Derby.

Head teacher Kevin Gaiderman said: “It’s an excellent set of results, our attainment figure has risen by 22 per cent from last year, which puts us at the top of the city in terms of attainment once again; our progress is excellent.

“Even students who didn’t think they could possibly attend our sixth form are now finding places because they didn’t think they would do so well.”

Mr Gaiderman said the school’s A-level results were in line with last year with one student – Ling Jiang – winning a place at Christchurch College, Ox-

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The Village Voice caught up with some happy-faced Chellaston students after they had received their results on August 25.

Jacob Boddey, 16, from Melbourne, was delighted with his five A stars and four As and is going on to the Chellaston Sixth Form to study A-levels in maths, physics, computing and geography.

Jacob said he was “very relieved” to get his results.

He will be joined there by many other students including Natasha Smith, 16, from Melbourne, who scored four As, four Bs and a C and will be going on to study sociology, politics and geography.

Natasha said she was “really pleased” by her good grades.

ABOVE: Sweet sixteens

Hannah Smith, Natasha Smith, Jacob Boddey, Olivia Haleem, Hannah James and Lana Mihic with their GCSE certificates.

TOP RIGHT: Chellaston Academy A level students (l-r) May Coffey, Solveig Haselbach, Eve Coffey, Ross Hudson, Hannah McMahon, Eva Spencer and Amber Hancock.

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CAR SHOW PUTS ON A

IT WAS a case of not just bigger and better, but classy and classier, at the second Melbourne Classic Car and Motorcycle Show.

With a wide range of vehicles exhibiting and many in mint condition, the organisers were very happy with the event, despite a few showers to take the shine off the bodywork and requiring a few extra touches of the chamois cloths.

An extra special touch this year was the dressing of H Wall and Son’s garage complete with Shell petrol pumps to recreate how the service station might have looked in years gone by.

John Wall was on hand, kitted out appropriately in blue boiler suit, while a Wolsley and Rolls-Royce, both from 1927, parked on the forecourt. Graeme Hard, aka “Forge” Formby, added the celebrity touch to the proceedings with his AJS vintage motorcycle, along with Formby recordings and accessories.

On display in the main arena at the Assembly Rooms were vintage tractors, LandRovers, VW campervans and as wide a range of classic cars as you could hope to see. In addition, the Derby Triumph Motorcycle Owners Club paid a visit to boost the two-wheeled classics on display.

With music provided by Double Cross and with

Independent Funeral Di

n THE Summer Activities programme delivered by South Derbyshire District Council in conjunction with local parish councils once again attracted a good number throughout the school holidays in most of the villages that engaged with it. With three or four visits to most of the villages, the various mobile facilities used by the council and manned by their staff delivered a range of play and sporting activities.

The inflatable arena was used to great effect for football and dodgeball whilst the play mobile offered some less energetic games to play.

The wheels mobile provided bikes, scooters and go-karts tog appropriate safety equipment

The prime objective was to people good opportunities to e others and have fun in a saf ment and in a structured man was certainly achieved judg happy faces at the end of each Pictured (left top and bottom who had fun at Melbourne Days; (top right) are some who wheels at Aston; and (right) so joyed the treats on offer at B under the guidance of the coun

l Malcolm Stainsby and Dave Twells discuss the finer points of a Rolls-Royce.

A CLASSIER DISPLAY

the Girl Guides on hand to take donations and organise the ‘People’s Choice’ competition, the day was both enjoyable and successful. Over £640 was raised from donations, which Guide Leader Michelle Lewis said they are planning to use “to take the troop on a really special day out”.

Organisers Ian Casson and Matthew Harnden were delighted. Matthew said: “It was a huge success and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was bigger and better than last year with a wider range of vehicles. A highlight was certainly having Walls garage involved.”

Reminiscing about the glory days when the garage was in operation, John Wall remembered his dad working on Morris Minors and Ford Consuls. They had been a Ford distributor, too, and the famous “M” registered Ford Escort in the window had been both sold and then bought back by the garage.

The winners of the two trophies on offer were a ‘split-screen’ 1956 Morris Minor, which won the People’s Choice, voted for by the public, while the organisers’ choice was a Green Riley Elf. Its owner, Martin Briggs, said it was a last minute decision to enter, but he was very glad he did. He described it as “the most friendly meeting we have attended”.

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n MELBOURNE Methodist Church held its annual holiday club when the theme was 'Champions’, linking into the Olympic Games. The club was a sell-out with around 60 children of primary age attending each day. Each session was based around a story from the life of Jesus and the children threw themselves into a busy programme of games, crafts, songs and activities. Organisers Becky Whinray and Lucy Lister wish to thank their amazing team of helpers (ranging in age from 11 to 79).

Planning has already begun for the annual Light Party, to be held on October 31 and also for next year's holiday club. (Pictured above) organisers Lucy Lister and Beckie Whinray with children from the summer club.

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l Graeme Hardy with his AJS vintage motorcycle.

Surge in Interest at Grace Dieu Manor School

GRACE DIEU has seen many exciting and innovative changes over the last 18 months. The Governors and Headmaster, in consultation with local parents, have instituted an ambitious Development Plan…

A new on-site Day Nursery is a key part of the plan offering an all through education at Grace Dieu for babies (12 weeks) to the age of 11. The new Nursery will enrich the existing care provision at Grace Dieu and is a direct response to the needs of current parents and wider local community. Children attending

the Nursery (and their parents) will have the opportunity enjoy the exceptional facilities and benefits of Grace Dieu Manor School.

The School itself begins a new phase in its history; pupils will enjoy a Creative Curriculum which includes Outdoor Learning, Spanish, Sport, Music and Drama, all within the unique environment set within 120 acres of rolling Leicestershire farmland.

To find out more go to www.gracedieu.com. Email registrar@gracdieu.com to arrange a visit. We would love to show you, and your family, around!

Nicole goes to great lengths for charity

A FUND-RAISER from Melbourne certainly made a big splash when she swam an epic five miles to support the Poppy Appeal.

Nicole O’Neill completed a massive 320 lengths of the pool at Green Bank Leisure Centre in Swadlincote in three hours and seven minutes.

The effort was in aid of the Poppy Appeal, a cause she believes is not advertised enough and one close to the heart of her husband, Brendan, secretary of the Royal British Legion in Melbourne and a member of the armed forces himself.

Through the Poppy Appeal the Royal British Legion raises money to support servicemen, women and their families.

Nicole said: “With Brendan being part of the armed forces now, I wanted to do my bit and do something that I’m good at.

“The Poppy Appeal helps war veterans and it’s not something that’s publicised and it’s not something that people know enough about.”

Nicole said she had swum competitively when she was younger and represented England at the sport.

Her swim in August had another goal too: she has undergone major surgery on her hip since the

age of 19 and “I wanted to prove that my pain wasn’t going to get in the way”.

You can support Nicole’s fundraising on https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Nicole-ONeill3

BBC to film choir concert appearance

MELBOURNE Male Voice Choir will be singing with the Chilwell Military Wives Choir in St Edward’s Church, Castle Donington, on Saturday, September 17, at 7pm.

It promises to be a special evening, as they have been told that a BBC camera crew will be filming at the concert, for a new programme to be broadcast in the spring of 2017 that one of the military wives is taking part in. Admission is £6 that can be paid at the door. The proceeds are for

Help for Heroes.

On Saturday, October 1, the choir will be singing in Repton Parish Church with the Sherwin Singers, a ladies regional Women’s Institute choir. This commences at 7pm.

Looking forward to its 40th anniversary next year, the choir has started a recruitment campaign in an effort to attract new members to help celebrate. More details can be obtained from secretary Seymour Bell 01283 703992.

Village Voice Postbag

GIRLGUIDING in Melbourne has two vacancies for volunteering in September. We need one trainee leader for 2nd Melbourne Rainbows, our group of 16, 5-7 year old girls, which meets Tuesdays (5-6pm), to join two experienced leaders plus helpers.

Rainbows like trying new things, being outdoors as much as possible and playing games.

We also need one trainee leader for 2nd Melbourne Guides, to join the team of four already in place. This group of

10-14 year old girls also meets on Tuesdays, between 7.45 and 9pm. We are looking for someone who likes the outdoors and would particularly enjoy camping and adventure with our group.

In both cases you would be joining teams already in place, so there would be lots of support and plenty of hands to share the organising. We also provide free of charge training – so no experience is necessary. Girlguiding welcomes volunteers of all backgrounds, ages, cultures, faiths

and abilities.

Volunteering with Girlguiding is an amazing opportunity. As well as giving something back to your local community you would also have the opportunity to meet new people, develop skills to support your career and boost your own abilities and confidence. You can find out more about us by visiting our website at www.girlguiding.org.uk or call Sarah Matthews on 07841 092367 or email at: matthews@hcp.co.uk – Sarah Matthews

l Nicole during the marathon swim and (below) celebrating her achievement.

It’s all quiet on the EMA runway front

LOCAL residents can look forward to some quieter weekends this autumn, after East Midlands Airport announced that it will be refurbishing the full runway during November and December.

The work means that the airport will be closed for seven consecutive weekends in a UK first for this kind of project.

Andy Cliffe, Managing Director at EMA, said: "After an in-depth consultation with our airlines and cargo operators, we came to the decision that completing the project in this way was the best way to avoid major disruption in the lead-up to Christmas.

“The timing for us is crucial and we had

to look to do this in the winter season, when we aren't as busy."

Beginning on November 5 and ending on December 19, the project will see around 360 workers every weekend laying 50,000 tonnes of specially formulated material across an area of 15 hectares. The runway will be closed from 8pm on the Saturday until 8pm on Monday for the duration.

With the runway out of operation 1,200 lights on and around the area will be replaced and upgraded to LED lighting, which is more environmentally friendly.

The airport's runway was last refurbished in 1999, and has a natural lifespan of around 12-17 years. Galliford Try is the principle contractor and has worked to-

gether with the management and operations team at the airport to ensure that the airport's operation has minimal disruption.

Colin Abbott, Aviation Director for Galliford Try, said: "We are delighted to be working with the East Midlands Airport team on the refurbishment of their runway. Logistics make this an exceptionally challenging project and due to the hard work of all involved scoping out every possible scenario, we have every confidence that the scheme will be delivered safely and on time."

Mr Cliffe said: "We are very much looking forward to seeing the work taking place in this exceptional way and then seeing the finished product in December."

–Frank Hughes

Garden party’s £1,500

SUMMER Sunday, Pool Cottage’s annual garden party, was held on a beautiful summer’s day and, as in previous years, was well attended.

As well as the usual stalls, musical entertainment was provided by local live band Wallflower. The afternoon raised in excess of £1,500, which all goes towards the residents’ amenity fund.

The event marked the opening of the path recently laid along the pool’s edge, and Pool Cottage would like to extend their thanks to Breedon Aggregates for supplying the raw materials used in its construction.

Staff members pictured at the event are (l-r): Tracy Carpenter, Chloe Crawford, Yvonne Butler, Barbara Robey and Helen Nixon.

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THANKS

The family of the late John Smedley of Ticknall would like to thank all the very many family and friends who filled Ticknall Church and gave so generously to the chosen charities of Cancer Research UK and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

We would also like to thank Royal Derby Hospital’s ICU for their care and enormous support.

Grateful thanks also to the Revd John Dawson of Breedon on the Hill for his kindness throughout and Mr J.P. Springthorpe & Co. for their caring and professional service.

JOHN TOVELL 1944 - 2016

Jenny, Richard, Andrea and families would like to thank relatives, friends, neighbours and the people of Melbourne, for the many cards, owers and messages of sympathy which we received on our sad loss of John.

Thanks go to the sta of the Royal Derby Hospital, to G E Simnett & Family Funeral Directors and to Rachel Harrison for a lovely service. Finally, many thanks to Louise, Robyn and team at Melbourne Hall Tea Rooms.

ALAN SWIFT

Iris and family would like to thank family, friends and neighbours for their cards and messages of sympathy, for their attendance at the funeral and for the generous donations made to our charities. Thanks also to nursing staff on ward 405 at the Royal Derby Hospital for the kindness and outstanding care, and also to the Co-op Funeral Service and the Rev Michael Rogers.

JOHN SMEDLEY 1941-2016

JOHN Smedley died suddenly and peacefully at the Royal Derby Hospital on August 7, with his wife Jenny and daughter Claire by his side.

John was very content to live and work in the Ticknall and Melbourne area where he was born, married to Jennifer and lived until his sudden death at the age of 74.

John was a plumber by trade but had a diverse and most comprehensive range of skills.

He could install a most complicated heating system as well as being able to repair ancient water rams used to fill cattle troughs, and being able to produce artisan lead work.

He was a highly professional craftsman, excelling in quality workmanship.

John was a family man, married to Jenny for 47 years. It would have been 48 if John had lived for two days more. He has two daughters, Charlotte and Claire, and seven grandchildren. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, who was dearly loved and is greatly missed.

John was a lovely human being, always ready to help anyone in their time of need.

Regardless of what life threw in his direction, John just got on with things without complaining right up until the end.

He was a man of ‘Old Ticknall’ and a true gentleman, and will be missed by everyone fortunate enough to have known him.

John’s funeral took place at Ticknall Church on Wednesday, August 17.

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CHARLES FREDERICK HEAFIELD 1926-2016

CHARLES ‘Fred’ Heafield, who passed away in August shortly before his 90th birthday, would want to be remembered as a gentleman who was a very gentle man.

Brought up in a loving family in Ticknall, he was one of 14 children. After twins Charles and Frederick died in infancy just before Fred was born in 1926, their names were given to him, the next baby.

Aged 14, he left Melbourne School and started work as an apprentice engineer with Melbourne Engineering Company. His first and most important task was the daily cigarette run to Brookes’ Shop. Along with the tea break, fags were the backbone of the UK’s engineering industry at the time. He became widely acknowledged to be the most experienced and knowledgeable engineer in the business and travelled extensively across the UK to solve problems.

He spent nearly all of his working life with the same company, but eventually became self-employed and enjoyed working for himself until retirement. His services were still in demand then and he carried on doing odd jobs, repaid with a case of decent red wine, or a malt whisky.

In 1946 he did his National Service with the Royal Army Medical Corps stationed at Woolwich in South East London. He was proud of his time in the RAMC and proudly wore the regimental tie on Remembrance Sundays.

In younger days he was a ballroom dance medallist and met his wife, Peggy, at a dance in Woodville. When courting Peggy he would regularly walk from Ticknall to Woodville and back. They married and made their home in Melbourne where they lived all of their lives, having two children, Andrew and Rosalind.

Fred was a skilful footballer who played for Ticknall Villa and, whilst stationed in Woolwich, he also played for Crystal Palace Reserves. He enjoyed playing cricket for Melbourne Town 2nd XI, where he kept wicket and opened the batting.

In his family, Fred was considered to be the teller of the world’s worst jokes alongside being the world’s worst joke teller; he was delighted to have five grandchildren and therefore a new audience. He served on many committees including the Scouts and Guides, Senior Citizens, Probus Club and the bowls club. When out he always wore a hat of some description and would touch his cap when greeting someone. Sadly, in later years he didn’t get out very often, especially after the death of Peggy in 2015.

In the motto of the Rotary Club of which he was a member and former president, Fred put ‘Service before Self’ all of his life. If friends and respect are the currency in which lives are measured, then Fred was indeed rich beyond imagination.

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Heather happy to hold whip hand

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Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler is getting used to being the ‘new girl’ at the moment, learning about her role as a Government Assistant Whip.

“It was a great honour and privilege to be asked,” she said.

“I was at the opening of a care home in Castle Gresley when the call came from No. 10’s office. It was Chief Whip Gavin Williamson calling and he said ‘I am offering you a job in the whips’ office, and you won’t say no, will you?’ And I didn’t!”

Since then she has been getting to grips with the demands of the job.

“First and foremost it is about getting the Government’s business done, and I have a ‘flock’ of 21 MPs to ‘shepherd’ through the right voting lobbies when needed.”

Amongst her ‘flock’ are Bill Cash and Sarah Wollaston.

The term ‘whip’ originates from the 18th century and was a reference to a hunting expression “whipping in” which involved keeping the hounds in line. Nowadays a job in the whips’ office, both in Government and in opposition, is seen as both enforcement and pastoral.

“The first task is to make sure we have contacts for everyone. Sometimes,” she explained, “votes take place with short notice and particularly if it is a ‘three-line whip’ everyone needs to be ready to go through the lobbies.”

The parliamentary business paper is underlined by the whips’ office, and any item which has been underlined three times, means an MP has to vote and toe the party line.

Being in the whips’ office means that Mrs Wheeler has had to resign from many of the other roles she had, as you are not allowed to either speak in parliament, nor ask written questions.

“Under the ministerial code, I also have to declare all meetings and interests, and avoid any conflicts of interest.” But in exchange, MPs in the whips’ office do have a direct line to ministers and can raise matters with them.

Mrs Wheeler intends to keep a close eye on constituency matters and two “big ticket” items remain – funding for the Swarkestone Bridge bypass, and the building of at least one more secondary school in South Derbyshire.

The big issue on the horizon for the Government, however, is Brexit, and she remains firm in

her opinion that leaving the UK will free up trade deals with other countries, and free us from European bureaucracy.

“The sky has not fallen in since Brexit, and we now have two years to sort out the right deal. The Prime Minister has put David Davies in charge of a new department to sort it out.”

Asked what qualities got her selected for the post, Mrs Wheeler said she had found that people do like to talk to her, and that is a vital quality for the job. Also she has been (mostly) loyal to the Government in her six years as MP, voting against only in free votes and finally she is a problem solver, being able to find imaginative solutions to problems.

The MP has been in the news more recently because of a tweet entitled ‘Empire Goes for Gold’ which many found “deeply offensive”.

It redrew the recent Olympics medals tally according to countries which were historically part of the British Empire. The story was widely reported in the national news and Mrs Wheeler subsequently explained that she had intended it only to be tongue in cheek.

– Frank Hughes

n THE ukulele is

currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity, and visitors to the Melbourne Hall visitor ventre were treated to a demonstration of its versatility. Members of the Derby Ukulele Club, who normally only play and sing for their own enjoyment, performed two half-hour sessions which were much enjoyed by those members of the public fortunate to be there. The group was formed about six years ago and meets every two weeks at The Tap public house in Derby. More details can be found on the website: derbyukuleleclub.weebly.com

Scout group looking for more volunteer help

SCOUT leaders raised hundreds of pounds to keep local children having scouting adventures, by holding their first ever family fun day.

Members of the Castle Donington Scout Group said the event was great fun despite the hammering rain which elected to fall on the town on August 27.

The various entertainments at the Spittal Park event included a beer tent, barbeque and bouncy castle, which raised nearly £600 for the group.

Secretary Rachel Rhodes said: “This is the first year we have organised a family event for all in Castle Donington. To raise close to £600 for the group is fantastic.

“We rely heavily on fund-raising efforts and donations. It helps us keep cost low, so we can continue offering everyday adventures to all our young people.”

Now the group is looking for more volunteers so it can carry on providing its five sessions a week for youngsters.

Flexible opportunities are on offer, either to support young people or behind the scenes. A “four week challenge” will give volunteers the chance to develop their skills and try out scouting.

Anyone keen to get involved or find out more is asked to email info@castledoningtonscouts.org.uk.

Area Forum meeting date

THE next Area 3 Safer Neighbourhood Team meeting/Melbourne Area Forum takes place on Monday, October 10, at Barrow on Trent Village Hall starting at 6.15pm.

Summer fun for Ukrainian teenagers

THEY paddled in canoes, had a go at archery, played football – a group of Ukrainian teens who have lost their fathers in their country’s war with Russia were given a summer to remember thanks to a youth camp in Weston-on-Trent.

Summer camps at ‘Tarasvika’, the Ukrainian Youth Centre on the outskirts of Weston, are now in their 51st year –with Brits of Ukrainian descent spending their summers there annually to enjoy a few weeks of sporting fun.

But this year is now the second that the organisation has spread its wings to pay for young people to come from Ukraine itself to give them a respite from a tough situation back at home.

Sports camp week organiser Joe Kupranec said 18 children had been flown over from Ukraine in an all-expenses paid trip this summer.

While in Britain they enjoyed a wide range of activities including wall-climbing, archery, river canoeing, karate, zorba foot-

ball, cycling, volleyball, tree climbing and zip lining in the woods, plus a sight-seeing trip to London including a visit to the Houses of Parliament.

Joe said: “They were doing things they would never ever do in Ukraine and you could see on their faces how happy they were. The older teenagers from Ukraine really mixed well with their British born peers.”

Tarasivka catered for nearly 200 children in total over three weeks in the summer.

VILLAGE PRODUCE SHOW A SMASH HIT

THE Ticknall Garden and Produce Show proved to be a very successful event with over 200 entries.

Strictly open to residents of the village and the Calke estate, the event is for villagers to engage in friendly rivalry with a community spirit.With six categories and 35 classes, the entries represented 53 households in addition to 20 entries for the children’s section.

Sponsorship came from Ivanhoe Feeds, Sharp’s Market Garden-

ers, Swarkestone Garden Centre and the National Trust. The following trophies were presented: The Michael Stanton Cup to Jenny Stuart for her redcurrants; the parish council Salver to Jenny Hollingsworth for her Bakewell Tart; and the Harpur Crewe Rose Bowl to Gail Miller for her garden flower arrangement. The event was well supported by residents with their entries and by those visiting the show.

‘Vishing’ victim tells of her prison threat call

A VICTIM of the latest “vishing” cold-call scam has told of her frightening experience so as to raise local awareness.

Homa Mellersh, who lives in Barrow-upon-Trent with her husband, said she was left “very, very angry” and worried after being lured into giving up her National Insurance details by an aggressive caller claiming to be from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Mrs Mellersh said the caller threatened her with prison and legal costs of £97,000 if she did not do exactly what he said.

The incident happened in August when the phone rang at Homa’s home.

When she answered, it was to listen to a message purporting to be from the HMRC saying she was being sued for tax reasons and to press a number to “hear your case”.

Doing so, Mrs Mellersh was then put through to a man she described as “very, very, very rude and aggressive” who said 20 years of her tax affairs were being investigated and that she should give him her National Insurance number straight away.

Mrs Mellersh’s husband suffered a stroke in 2012 and she cares for him at home.

After eventually managing to extricate herself from the unpleasant conversation, Mrs Mellersh said she felt a “mixture of fear, anger and disbelief” and was now publicising the incident because “I just couldn’t bear the thought of somebody older or more gullible than me falling victim to this”.

The Village Voice called Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, whose spokesperson offered the following advice: “This type of scam falls under the ‘vishing’ category, where fraudsters will cold-call people and pretend to be from a reputable organisation or government body to trick the victim into giving over personal details or bank account information so that they can then go on and commit fraud.

“If you receive an unexpected call like this, then never give over personal details or information, regardless of who they claim to be.

“If you think the call may be genuine, then the best thing to do is to hang up the call, wait for a few minutes* and then call the company or organisation back, using a genuine number to make sure that you’re speaking to the right people.

“If you think that it could be a scam, then hang up immediately and report it to Action Fraud.”

* There have been previous frauds, where the fraudsters keep the phone line open, so the victim thinks they’re making a call to a genuine number, but they’re actually still connected to the fraudsters. Having gained the victim’s trust, they then obtain key personal details, or bank details and go on to commit fraud. This type of fraud is commonly known as courier fraud. For further information visit http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraud-az-courier-scam

- Lucy Stephens

Calke double award winners

THE National Trust Fine Farm Produce Awards announced at the BBC Countryfile Live event included Bill Cove, Countryside Manager at Calke Abbey, and Daniel Hallifield, from Standleys Barn Farm on the Calke Abbey Estate.

Against the stunning backdrop of Blenheim Palace, BBC Countryfile’s Ellie Harrison and Helen Ghosh, Director General of the National Trust, presented the awards.

The annual National Trust Fine Farm Produce Awards celebrate the very best produce from the National Trust’s 1,500 tenant farmers and estates.

n MELBOURNE

Lengthsman Jim Bancroft has retired. Having been employed by the parish council since 2011, he has decided it is now time to put his feet up and take a well-earned rest.

Jim, pictured in his garden, has kept the streets of Melbourne clean and tidy for the last 5 years and always with a smile on his face.

Anthony Hicklin has been appointed as the new lengthsman and will take on the role full-time.

‘Demolition of Derby’

KINGS, highwaymen, revolution, Derby demolished – just a taster of the topics you can find out about at a local history meeting.

Castle Donington Local History Society has advertised its programme of visiting speakers for the next six months, to which all are welcome.

The next talk will be by Derek Palmer,

who will be speaking on “The Demolition of Derby” on Monday, September 19. Following him will be Robert Mee, talking on “Morlestan – South East Derbyshire before the Norman Conquest” on Monday, October 17. Meetings take place in the Ramsden Room at the Methodist Church in Castle Donington from 7-8.30pm.

Products have to excel in the obligatory taste test, and entrants also have to pass a checklist of environmental standards to guarantee the quality and origin of ingredients alongside high standards of production.

This year, 27 producers in total were recognised for 49 outstanding food, drink and countryside products. They included Bill Cove, for Calke Abbey Venison and Portland Hogget, and tenant farmer Daniel Hallifield for unsmoked back bacon (awarded for the first time).

Golden Gates runs time

SUPPORTERS of the annual Golden Gates Gallop five-mile run and the associated twomile fun run are looking forward to this year’s event at Elvaston Country Park on Sunday, October 9 starting at 11am.

The run which is routed through Elvaston Country Park is well marshalled and on a flat course.

It is ideal for the more serious runner with each participant being timed. Trophies are awarded to the winning male and female.

The fun run always provides an excellent full morning activity for all the family.

Toilet and parking facilities will be available and Elvaston Cricket Club will be providing refreshments. All proceeds from the run will go to Leukaemia and Lymphoma research, now known as Bloodwise.

For further details and to book on-line visit www.goldengatesgallop.org.

/SOCIAL ARE Y C MMUNIT

Wood racks up 1,000 runs in season

AT THE time of writing there are only two weeks until the end of the season and Ticknall Cricket Club 1st XI are fifth in the Premier League after their August games.

A win against Spondon, knocking off 248 for three wickets, was followed by beating Swarkestone by 10 wickets with Zain Abbas taking six wickets in the Swarkestone innings.

Paul Borrington then scored 100 not out and, with Tom Wood, shared an unbroken stand of 184.

The following week saw another good win, beating Chesterfield by nine wickets with Tom Wood 118 not out and Luke Harvey three not out, passing the 224 runs made by Chesterfield.

Tom Wood has passed 1,000 runs this season

and Paul Borrington is close to 800. Zain Abbas has 53 wickets.

The 2nd XI are mid-table with a number of key players missing because of injuries, which includes three broken fingers in one match.

Despite having lost a number of matches they should be able to pick up enough points to avoid relegation.

The 3rd XI are sixth in division 7S and have only have one more match to play, as do the 4th XI.

The junior teams have now completed all their matches, with a successful season for all. The presentation evening is to take place in early October.

Quartet’s county call-up

FOUR members of Melbourne Bowls Club were recently invited to represent Derbyshire against a touring side of ex-Midlands players and officials known as the Imps.

The match took place at Long Eaton and involved 48 players playing 21 ends of competitive bowling. With the weather being kind it helped the Derbyshire side come out on top by eight points overall.

After the game the players and travelling supporters were treated to a three-course meal. The touring Imps side were moving on to play a match against the royal household at Windsor the following week.

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Hartshorne Veterinary Surgery, 62 Repton Road, Hartshorne, Swadlincote DE11 7AF Telephone: 01283 480910

One of the Melbourne players selected to play, Denis Smith, said: “At the age of 67 I thought my days of playing for the county were behind me!"

The club has had another successful season

with recent matches against Overseal and Newton Solney. Club membership also continues to grow. Looking forward to phase two of the Melbourne Sporting Partnership development at Cockshut Lane, which includes provision of facilities for bowls, members identified a preference for an all-weather artificial surface. This would greatly extend the playing season, attract bowlers from further afield and, potentially, Melbourne could host prestigious county and representative games.

The bowls club would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the clubs, teams and everyone involved with the MSP development and looks forwards to joining them in the future.

Pictured (l-r) are: Keith James, Chris Hough, Harry Bowles (Bowls Derbyshire), Denis Smith and Rob Roe.

To try and reduce the amount of clinical time lost due to missed appointments and late cancellations, the practice is now o ering a text messaging service. Any patients who wish to receive these will need to complete a text messaging consent form, available at reception. Please note, we cannot o er this service unless a consent form has been completed.

Saturday 1st October

Saturday 5th November

Saturday 3rd December

l TICKNALL 1st X1: (back row l-r) John Dumelow (chairman), Tom Wood, Seb Grace, Rupert Scott Jones, Alex Wyatt, Wassem Fazal, Richard Woodburn and Kev Holdgate (scorer); (front row) Zain Abbas, Luke Harvey, Scott Chilman, Paul Borrington and Ben Wickham.

Football club given coaching skills booster

A Knights tale for cricket brothers

WHO knows where a chance conversation can lead? In the case of two young local cricketers, it has resulted in an opportunity to play cricket in Australia this winter.

Whilst there are proposals in this country to have ‘night cricket’, brothers James and Mathew Heafield are preparing for ‘Knight cricket’ as they are packing their cricket bags and flying off to play for the New South Wales team, Merimbula Knights, in the Far South Coast Cricket Association.

The opportunity came about through their former primary school teacher, an Australian, who had kept in touch via social media after his return home a few years ago.

They will be staying for the season Down Under until the end of March 2017. Merimbula is a small town with a population of around 3,000 on the south east coast of Australia, which relies heavily on tourism.

IN preparation for the new season, Melbourne United FC has been putting in time to develop their coaching skills and methods.

The club was selected for the FA's mentor programme and 20 of its representatives welcomed Scott Mackenzie, FA club mentor, and Jess Simnett, FA Skills Coach for the Derby city area, to the Cockshut Lane facility.

The initiative will provide the club's volunteer coaches with regular support in planning and delivering fun and informative sessions to children of all ages.

Melbourne United's head of coach development, Donal Miller, who co-ordinates the collaboration, said: "There is a real desire amongst our coaches to improve their ability to develop young

players.

“Scott and Jess will be able to provide dynamic support to us which will benefit our staff and players hugely.”

Club chairman Mark Jackaman added: "Melbourne United will have 16 teams competing in the Derby leagues this season at all age groups from under 7s to under 18s, including a girls’ team.

“We're very fortunate to have this opportunity to work with the Derbyshire Football Association. The club continues to make great progress and, with our new facilities now open, these are exciting times for us.”

The club always welcomes volunteers for on and off the pitch activities. If you're interested, contact Mark on 07967 694198.

The town is an eight-hour drive from Sydney or, in the words of the Merimbula secretary, Luke Ryan, 'a short drive away’ – the equivalent of driving from Melbourne to Brussels in Belgium.

Luke also told the lads: “Our club has been

looking to secure the services of an overseas player over the last two seasons; however these plans have never quite come to fruition. So you can imagine that your scheduled arrival on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales is one that has already caused a great deal of anticipation.”

James and Matt, who both live in Melbourne and play for Elvaston Cricket Club, are preparing for a traditional Aussie welcome for any visiting English cricketers “to see who can knock the head off the Pom” and they are in no doubt that the cricket played out there belongs to the school of hard knocks. But they are both hopeful they can give a good account of themselves and that the experience will stand them in good stead when they return to club cricket in the UK. While out there they will also be coaching junior cricket at the club and have also been offered coaching work for the professional team Sydney Thunder in local schools. They are also hopeful of securing work locally once they arrive Down Under.

–Frank Hughes

Anniversary time for bowls club

ASTON and Weston Bowls Club celebrated its 10th anniversary over the weekend of August 13 and 14.

On the Saturday, members –together with past members, parish councillors from Aston and Weston and representatives from village organisations

– celebrated the occasion.

They were joined by the chairman of South Derbyshire District Council, Pat Murray, his wife and district councillor Neil Atkins,

On the Sunday, to mark the occasion, members of King’s Newton Bowls Club joined in

the celebrations. KNBC was the first club to play a friendly match with Aston after the latter’s foundation in 2006. During the event a prize draw was held and the first prize of a luxury summer hamper was won by Mrs Lyn Tomlinson, of Weston on Trent.

l MELBOURNE United coaches gather for the FA’s mentor programme.

l Matthew and James Heafield.

RFC’s Derby day trial

MELBOURNE RFC’s 1st XV

squad travelled to local rivals Derby for a pre-season trial against their first and second teams.

Melbourne opened the scoring with a try from Sam Hancock, but Derby hit back. Olly Page restored the lead with a well worked try. Derby hit back again.

With Melbourne coach Matt Derbyshire rotating his players, the squad lacked fluidity but took the lead again with a try from Dan Walker.

Derby responded twice to take the lead and ran out 2017 winners. All in all it was a good performance from Melbourne against a strong Derby line-up.

Melbourne’s pack is pictured scrumming down against Derby.

Bowlers’ floodlit league opens

WITH the King’s Newton Bowls Club men's midweek leagues finishing in early August the floodlit league has begun.

This is a mixed team of 12 players with four singles and four doubles games played per fixture.

The team in division five has made a good start, winning two and losing one match so far.

In the County Cup, the men's first team travelled to Chesterfield to play a team from Buxton. They put in a good performance against a strong team with four winners (out of 10) but lost the match by 22 points.

The club’s internal competitions are ongoing, building up to finals day to be held on September 24 when the current club champion, Peter Balfour, will be hoping to hold on to his title.

Socially, the club has successfully held a number of Saturday evening fun nights which have seen people, including many children, who had not been to the bowls club before, enjoying themselves.

The club has also continued to open on Sunday afternoon from 12.30pm onwards for anyone wishing to turn up and have a go at bowling. The bar is also open and is proving very popular.

Nail-biting end for the Melbourne cricketers

MELBOURNE Town Cricket Club’s form picked up in August, but both the first team and the seconds sit perilously close to the relegation places in their respective leagues.

The first team began the month at home to Winshill and gave their best batting display of the season by scoring 231-7. With Andy Potts top scoring with a superb 92 he was ably supported by Ian Roberts (39), Russ Allaway (28) and Alex Slater (23).

In reply Winshill struggled with Matt Briers (3-52) taking early wickets but, despite two wickets apiece from Faren Price (2-27) and Slater (2-22), the away side held on for the draw on 136-7. Melbourne took the lion’s share of the points.

The first XI ended the month with a hard-fought losing draw away to Swarkestone 2nd Xl where the home side batted first and scored a creditable 211-8.

Briers again took three wickets, albeit expensively, and was again supported by Towell (2-20) and Slater (2-57). In reply, Melbourne’s batting let them down. A remarkable last wicket partnership of 54 runs taking up 16 overs saw Town hang on for the draw with Russ Allaway batting superbly with 82 not out supported by 25 not out from Marc Towell.

Melbourne second team’s form also picked up in August but began with a defeat away to top of the table Castle Donington 1st Xl.

Town were bowled out for just 56. In reply Donington struggled as James Hogwood took (3-17) and Julian Humpidge (3-20), but

they held on to win by three wickets.

A week later the seconds entertained Uttoxeter 2nds and the away side scored a healthy 213-5. Melbourne opener Simon Fletcher top scored with 32 supported by Arun Iyer (22) as Dan Marshall's men held on for a well-earned draw on 147-8.

Melbourne ended the month with a superb home victory against third placed Draycott 1st Xl. The away side crumbled from 107-1 to 136 all out with leading wicket taker Hogwood taking 4-24.

Izzy Anjiliath weighed in with 4-51 and skipper Marshall top scored with 31 as Melbourne raced to a five-wicket win with over 18 overs to spare.

Melbourne third team had just two games in the month and began with an eight-wicket defeat at home to Ashbourne 2nd Xl. This was despite scoring 172-6 off their allotted overs with skipper Bruno Rost hitting a season's best 84 along with Alex Blackhall’s 30.

The thirds ended their month away to Castle Donington 2nd Xl and held on for a losing draw. The home side batted first and scored 254-6, despite 2-24 from Alex Roome and 2-29 by Sam Barker.

With a career best 71 from Tony Papas with fellow opener Colin Smithson scoring 40, Town held on for their draw on 143-3.

Dynamo teams get off to fliers

MELBOURNE Dynamo Football Club began its 2016/17 season in some style with the club winning all three league games.

The club has returned to play home games at the new Melbourne Sporting Partnership ground at Cockshut Lane for the first time since 2000.

The first team is again sponsored by Harpur's of Melbourne and began with a hard fought 2-1 away win at Moira United. New signing Dominic Hurst scored with a stunning free-kick and left back Callum Horton's amazing last minute winner from almost the halfway line secured the three points.

A midweek trip to play Burton Athletic saw Dynamo come away with a 4-1 win. Veteran front two Dave Brough and Michael Tristram proved to be the difference with Brough hitting a hat-trick to leave Melbourne with a 100% record in division one.

Dynamo Reserves are now back in business again after missing last season. Sponsored by Crane and Walton Solicitors, they began their 2016/17 season with a 2-1 away win against Wirksworth Ivanhoe Reserves.

Dan Stanley and Michael Tristram grabbed the all-important goals to give Greg Salisbury's men three points from their only game in August.

Photo: mpaynephotography