4 Village Voice July 2010
Country Living with Robert Parker
Summer fun at Calke! Calke Abbey Fine Food Fair Sunday 18 July 11am - 3.30pm
Come and enjoy local food and produce grown, raised, baked or caught within a 30 mile radius of Calke. Our very own Calke chefs will demonstrate some culinary delights using the fresh local produce available on the day! Come and taste, see and buy from a wide variety of local producers.
A Calke Bear Hunt
Thursday 22 & Friday 23 July 11am – 3.30pm
Follow the trail to the hiding place of the Calke Bear. Discover some of the wildlife that lives in the grounds at Calke. Bring along your own bear and an adult.
Music for Calke, 1704. A Country House Concert, given by Musica Donum Dei Saturday 24 July, 7.30pm in the Riding School
Come and experience a musical evening of newly-published pieces from 1704 by the most fashionable and illustrious composers, sung, and played on instruments of the time. To include music by Corelli, Albinoni, Purcell, Blow, Paisible and Pepusch. Booking required. Adult £15 Child £8
Minibeast Safari
Wednesday 28 & Thursday 29 July 11am – 3.30pm
Try your hand at pond dipping, sweep netting and searching for creatures that lurk under stones and logs in Calke Park. Meet at Squirt the Stallion’s Stable
The Secret Garden
Sunday 1 August 6.30pm-9pm Gates open 5.30pm. £6 Family £40. Box Office 0844 249 1895 Heartbreak Productions will perform Frances Hodgson Burnett’s poignant tale of a proud headstrong girl discovering some lessons of life through stumbling on her uncle’s secret garden. This family classic, suitable for 6yrs upwards, will be performed in the grounds of Calke Abbey.
Games People Played
Tuesday 3 August 11am – 4pm
Join in some games from the past and present at our family fun day
Craft Skills Day
Wednesday 4 August 11am – 4pm
Meet some of our skilled craftsmen as they demonstrate bricklaying, stone carving and joinery. Hands-on activities, including bricklaying for children and adults can try their hand at stone masonry and joinery.
WELCOME to Sahara UK. The weather forecasters have said today that the first half of 2010 has been the driest since 1929 – that’s 81years. The feature that did most damage in April and May was the low temperatures, not the drought. That reduced growth in everything be it field or hedgerow and has left farmers, particularly livestock farmers scratching their heads in dismay as to what to do. Silage and hay crops are down by 20/30 percent and we face the prospect of having to start to use these stocks very soon as grass in the fields is disappearing in front of our eyes. I delayed our second crop of silage for a few days and I estimate that on some of the drier areas it lost over 30 per cent of its yield in that time. That grass looked like standing hay. All livestock tends to do well in conditions like this, so long as they have plenty of shade and water but they cannot produce growth and milk without good food. Cows tend to be lethargic like humans when it’s hot and the best part of the day for them is between dusk and breakfast. The uplands of Derbyshire and Staffordshire are not usually bothered by drought, but friends I have up there tell me they are worst affected. They
have had nothing but drizzle since March and, combined with very low temperatures, this has seen very poor growth of their only crop of grass. The saviour for us at home will be maize, which is literally romping away at the moment and, as long as it has no weed competition, it should continue. Cereal harvest will inevitably be brought forward by these conditions, and I do not think we will be in for record yields judging by the looks of some of the fields. On some of the thinner and sandier areas crops of wheat particularly are looking very scorched and it’s unlikely that the grain will have filled out very well. Amounts of straw will be very low. No matter what we are told we are now in a drought and judging by the water level in the reservoir, restrictions on water use are now bound to happen in some areas. In the first week of July, Staunton Harold Reservoir has dropped more than six inches, which is an awful lot of water, and I assume taking water from the Dove at Burton to fill it has stopped. Being a pessimist and a planner I am wondering when the weather will change and how it will affect our work. We could have a wet harvest!
Normal Admissions Apply For more information on what’s on at Calke please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/calke or telephone 01332 863822
Divorce Financial Specialist Joins Eddowes Waldron Long established Derby solicitors Eddowes Waldron are pleased to welcome Divorce Solicitor Russell Tolley to their practice. Russell joins the firm after spending several years in Russell also prepares Pre-Nuptial Agreements which are now matrimonial niche practices in Nottingham and brings with having a much greater influence on the outcome of Divorce him a wealth of experience. He qualified as a solicitor in 1986 settlements. “People are becoming more keen to make and has specialised in Divorce law ever provision themselves for the division of since. He is a specialist matrimonial their assets should their marriage not finance solicitor accredited as such by succeed. At the same time the Divorce Resolution (formerly the Solicitors Courts are finally giving such Family Law Association) and appears in agreements the weight they deserve.” both the 2009 Legal 500 and Legal He is also a specialist in the division of Experts’ guide, the clients’ guide to the assets when non-married couples best Law Firms and Practitioners. separate, another complex area of the Russell will join the firm’s strong law which continues to develop and matrimonial team and will concentrate which is becoming more and more on handling divorces where high common. “This has been crying out for income and/or high asset values law reform by Parliament for years. feature in the financial settlement. He People still, unfortunately, believe in says, “ It has become increasingly the myth of the common-law wife, common these days for families to something which simply does not have substantial assets, particularly exist. Couples can enter into cohabitamoney tied up in the matrimonial tion agreements which will offer a home, pensions or family businesses. In such cases it pays to degree of protection on subsequent separation, but without receive sound legal advice early on in the separation or even such an agreement the law remains sadly lacking.” before a separation, as well as specialist representation throughout any subsequent proceedings” Eddowes Waldron can be contacted by telephone on 01332 348484 and further details can be found on their website www.ewlaw.co.uk Eddowes Waldron Solicitors, 12 St Peter's Churchyard, Derby DE1 1TZ
THE wedding of Natalie Reynolds, daughter of Shane and Tracey Reynolds of Melbourne to William Lucas, Son of Roger and Sue Lucas of Old Hall Farm, Swarkestone, took place at St James Church, Swarkestone. Marrying a farmer, it seemed right to leave the church on William’s tractor as they headed for the wedding reception. The couple will be taking a delayed honeymoon in Mexico later in the year.
Peak performance from Edward YOUNG Edward Hames, just 15, triumphed in his quest to meet the challenge of the Three Peaks, and has raised a large amount - so far over £7,000. As featured in June's Village Voice, Edward wanted to make his individual contribution to the memory of his father, Richard, by completing a really tough challenge, and inviting contributions to two research charities. Boosted by the donations from hundreds of
friends and relatives, Edward achieved the great challenge to make some significant contribution to the Sarcoma Trust, and Leukaemia Research. Some experienced walkers thought it was too great a test of endurance, courage and stamina for a boy only just 15 years old, but Edward has triumphantly proved them wrong, completing the challenge within only a few minutes of the 24-hour deadline.