Village Voice
Melbourne got into the festive spirit when Santa took time out of his busy schedule to help switch on the Christmas illuminations
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Merry Christmas Merry Christmas
A MELBOURNE lighting firm has had a “Wicked” success after its products were featured in one of the most talked about films of the moment!
Ashby Lighting – set up by Martin and Rachel Ashby – has supplied 60 of its popular ‘Witch’s Hat’ lights, plus a spectacular chandelier, to the film ‘Wicked’”
Just released, Wicked has been such a success on the stage that it has transferred to a film musical starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Jeff Goldblum
The lighting firm manufactures all its products from workshops in Melbourne including its “witch’s hat” light which is made in the Arts & Crafts style and has proved highly popular since being introduced into the company’s range
by Lucy Stephens
Rachel said it has been a couple of years since Ashby Lighting received an inquiry from a film company interested in its signature green-tinted ‘witch’s hat’ designs, along with a large chandelier
Two years later, the couple have been overjoyed to see their products helping bring a green glow to the Emerald City after going to see the finished film
Rachel said: “It was really exciting It’s a big budget film and it just makes you feel really proud We love films ourselves
“You just imagine that people on the hunt for all the props were looking for the perfect product – something that really does embody what the film is about These
based on an antique design of over 100 years ago They have a Gothic look ”
This has not been the first time that Ashby Lighting has supplied its products to the big screen having received orders from other large film production companies
She said: “The film industry in the UK is absolutely booming, it really is We have delivered to several of the studios here and they are vast
“That Wizard of Oz film, Wicked, you would naturally assume it has been filmed in LA – it’s actually filmed in this country
“For us this has been something really exciting When something like this happens, it’s nice to celebrate it
lights were
LIGHTS ... Rachel Ashby with her Witch’s Hats.
Community Care to launch new support group
MELBOURNE Community Care (MCC) is planning to start and sponsor a bereavement group in January with a weekly peer-topeer group aimed at those adults who are suffering with the loss of loved ones
Alan Corbett, one of MCC’s trustees promoting the group, said: “I lost my wife two years ago and first joined a group run by Treetops Hospice in Risley It evolved into a new group called ‘Healing Hearts' which now meets weekly in a pub in Ockbrook
“We organise regular quizzes, days out to places like garden centres and recently had a long weekend at Warners Thoresby Hall It has been a huge benefit to me, meeting and making new friends, all of whom understand the issues around bereavement
“I would like to think we could bring the same benefits to the people of Melbourne and surrounding area
“So, if you are recently bereaved, feeling lonely now winter is upon us, or if you lost someone some time ago but still have the same feelings of emptiness, why not join a group of like-minded people with similar issues for tea/coffee and a chat once a week?”
The group will meet every Tuesday at 10am in the lounge at Melbourne Assembly Rooms ”
Alan added: “It is hoped to start the new group early in the new year and we want to establish the level of demand locally ”
If you are interested in joining the group, call Alan on 07711389388 and leave a message or text, or email alancorbett80@gmail com with your name and contact details so you can be kept informed on developments
Treecycling to give hospice a boost
MCC also wishes to make clear that this is a peer support group, rather than specialist bereavement counselling which is available from other groups in the area It’s quiz time again
Open Wednesday 10am - 8pm ursday to Sunday 10am - 4pm For breakfast, lunch, homemade cakes, scones and a whole counter full of goodies - Booking is required for A ernoon Tea -
We would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas. Thank you enormously for your support and kindness over the year. Lou and the Team xx
PEOPLE with real Christmas trees – as opposed to the plastic variety – are being invited to ‘Treecycle’ them in the New Year and benefit a local charity too.
Treetops Hospice is now taking bookings for their Treecycling service, which the hospice says is a “ quick and easy way to recycle a real Christmas tree after the festive period”
The Treetops Christmas Treecycling scheme will run from January 7-9 For a recommended donation of £15 or more, Treetops volunteers will collect trees from front gates or driveways throughout Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and take them to designated recycling points
Treetops, based in Risley, provides nursing care and emotional support for adults with lifelimiting conditions, those who’ve been bereaved, and their families
Vic Rocca, from Treetops, explained that the hospice hopes to recycle 1,500 trees in January, saying: “It’s a hugely popular scheme
“ I think it’s because we come to people’s houses
– there’s no need to struggle to fit the tree into the car or to deal with messy pine needles everywhere ”
Last year, Treetops recycled more than 1,000 trees and raised over £18,000, helping more than 166 patients receive a night of hospice at home care Treecycling 2025 is sponsored by Rothera Bray LLP, which means more care can be provided from the money raised
“We’re encouraging people to register as soon as possible to ensure we can collect their tree in the New Year,” Vic added
Registration closes at midnight on Sunday, January 5, or earlier if capacity is reached To register your tree for collection, go to h t t p s : / / w w w t r e e t o p s h
involved/treecycling2024/
Treecycling operates in the following postcode areas: DE1, DE3, DE7, DE21, DE22, DE23, DE56, DE72, DE73, DE74, NG9, NG10 n Planting hundreds of trees in Weston –Page 5
WITH Christmas fast approaching it’s the time of year to dust down the quiz books and gather teams together for Melbourne’s annual team quiz competition
The annual quiz will start on Friday, January 10, and run through until early March, but entry forms will need to be sent in slightly earlier this year, by December 21.
Paul Fox, one of the organisers, said: “This year we have chosen two local charities to receive the proceeds from the quiz The first one is ‘Singing for the Brain’.
“This is run every month at the MSP by the Derbyshire Dementia Support Group and attracts dementia sufferers and their carers from the local area
“The other chosen group is the Memory Cafe Project, which meets every month at
Melbourne Assembly Rooms and is funded almost entirely by donations.”
Also there will be a slight increase in the entry fee, to £5 per person, but this will include free entry to the raffle draw held every week
Last year the quiz made a total of £1,800. It was given to Melbourne Community Care, who used the funds to maintain the free weekly shopping trip, the Coffee and Company social events, subsidised outings for people in the community minibus and many other of the services offered.
The quiz is open to teams not just from Melbourne, but from any of the surrounding villages within the Village Voice catchment area
Forms are available from Paul by email pfswingwell@gmail com
FIR DEAL … Vic Rocca from Treetops Hospice.
MORE parents opting for private education in Melbourne is threatening the “fabric of the parish” in terms of numbers at the local infant school, a public meeting heard
A governor from Melbourne Infant School has appealed to parish councillors for their support and awareness as falling pupil numbers have dented finances
Chris Lancaster, co-chair of the infant school’s governors, spoke to members of Melbourne Parish Council at its latest meeting on December 3
He told councillors about the infant school’s decline in pupil numbers from 185 in 2021 to 140 today, which had caused a decrease in funding allocation provided by the county council
Class numbers have reduced from seven to five
The UK has seen a fall in the birthrate over the last few years
Many in the town are opting for private education, said Mr Lancaster, who added he was appealing to councillors firstly to make them aware of the situation; to invite them to pay the school a visit; to raise awareness of the need for more affordable-style housing in Melbourne rather than large homes costing upwards of £600,000; and to advise that the school boasted generous buildings and grounds which were
Warning of dwindling school pupil numbers
currently an “under-used resource”
He said that as a parent of two children, his family had enjoyed an excellent education at Melbourne’s two primary schools which are both rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted
“As a Melbourne resident for nearly 20 years, and a parent of two children both of my children have had fantastic starts to their education,” he said
“I consider our schools to be part of the fabric of our parish I want to bring to councillors’ attention that there’s something I consider to be a risk to the fabric of Melbourne At Melbourne Infant School, our school finances are precarious and have been for the last three or four years ”
Speaking after the meeting, he paid tribute to the school’s “dedicated and creative” staff who were “absolutely fo-
by Lucy Stephens
cused on the education of children in the school”
The Department for Education’s minimum funding level per pupil is currently £4,610 for primary and £5,995 for secondary aged pupils This is the amount provided to educate a child per academic year
David Mather, chair of governors at Melbourne Junior School, said in a statement to Village Voice: “As with schools nationally, both Melbourne Junior and Infant schools are seeing a drop in numbers owing to the low birth rate Added to the lack of availability locally of affordable housing, this creates a challenge for many schools
“Melbourne Junior School is an inclusive mainstream school which provides effectively for the needs of pupils
The junior school has a strong team of highly qualified, hardworking, caring staff along with committed and skilled governors It is in a healthy financial position to ensure that it remains a vibrant and ambitious school for Melbourne and the local community
“Having said that, the school will face challenges over coming years, which it is already in the process of planning for with support of colleagues at the education authority Both schools maintain a regular dialogue with each other over shared areas of interest
“The values of the school support a calm and positive learning environment which was reflected in the recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024:
‘Pupils are happy and safe at this vibrant and ambitious school Pupils are motivated to learn and achieve well
Their high-quality work is displayed proudly along corridors and in writing portfolios to celebrate their successes Pupils understand the school rules of ‘safe, ready and respectful’ Their behaviour and attitudes towards each other are positive Social times are active and fun, with sports leaders organising games for their peers Pupils thrive on the wide range of enrichment opportunities available They are proud of the trophies and awards they win for participating successfully
The school has two open events on Thursday, January 9, at 2pm and 5pm, when prospective parents are warmly invited to look around Alternatively, if you are interested in finding out more about the school, you can call on 01332 862344 and ask to speak with Mrs Whirledge, the headteacher
MORE than £2,000 has
b e e n g i v e n t o l o c
l worthy causes by Melbourne Fete and Carn i v a l C o m m i t t e
summer event
Around 2,500 flocked to the Melbourne Carnival in July which began with its traditional
y Smith Strongman, the We l s h A x e m e n , a n d The Incredible Skank Brothers.
c h o s
make some larger donations from the funds raised to several local groups.
The new Man Club in M
lows men to talk freely a
and was set up following the death of a local chef who took his own life, received £585 from t h e c
for £1,000
0 cheque.
and
Dr Rosemary Anne Nash (neé Poston) 4th January 1949 – 14th November 2024
Died peacefully at home with her family on 14th November, aged 75 years. Beloved mother of James and Mark, sister of Robin and Lucilla, and loving grandmother to Luke and George. Retired general practitioner. Rosemary will be deeply missed by family, friends and patients.
The funeral service will be held at St Wystans Church, Repton DE65 6FH on Monday 16th December at 1.30pm followed by a committal (family only) at Bretby Crematorium.
No flowers please, but donations if desired at the funeral service, or on-line, to Vasculitis UK in Rosemary’s memory: www.vasculitis.org.uk/support-vasculitis-uk
All enquiries to: Central Co-op Funeral, Sinfin. Telephone: 01332 271088
We are also happy to arrange personalised Golden Charter Funeral Plans 17 POTTER
As the only privately owned, family run Funeral Directors in Melbourne, we are able to offer an extremely personal yet professional service at a reasonable cost, both in Leicestershire and Derbyshire.
Melbourne (01332) 865511 AT ANY TIME
TOP: Alex Ireland, Anna Curtis and Danny Ramsden, from Melbourne Scouts and Guides, are presented with a cheque
by carnival committee member Tim Margett.
ABOVE: Melbourne Junior
Infant School head teachers Jane Whirledge and Charlotte Gibbs with carnival chair Gemma Bettelley
Elaine takes centre stage – at the double Church rooms’ use
MELBOURNE businesswoman
Elaine Penhaul has won two more major prizes for her innovative home staging firm
Elaine, the entrepreneur behind Lemon and Lime Interiors, was crowned the Midlands “Creative Entrepreneur of the Year” in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards – dubbed the entrepreneur world’s ‘Grammys’
She also received this parliamentary year ’s MP HERoes Businesswoman award for South Derbyshire, given by Samantha Niblett MP, as part of a cross-party initiative from Savvitas in partnership with NatWest
Elaine (pictured with her award certificate) said: “I’m incredibly proud to have received these award wins, which reflect on the hard work of my incredible team None of the business’s success would happen without them as we continue to be at the forefront of change for the industry in marketing properties
“For home staging to grow further it is vital that we encourage more women to start and scale up their own business, and so these recognitions are a testament to what can be possible when the support systems are in place and you have the confidence to strive to achieve your ambitions ”
The nationwide team of stagers from the Derbyshire-based business was also highly commended in The Negotiator
by Lucy Stephens
Awards, the UK’s leading awards programme for estate and letting agents in the residential property industry
For the second year running, it was nominated in the Supplier of the Year: Products and Services (Marketing) category
Filling a niche in the property industry, the home stagers at Lemon and Lime transform premium properties in preparation for sale, helping homeowners, developers and estate agents to present homes in their best possible condition to sell quickly – and often for a higher price
In May this year, Elaine added a second volume to her portfolio of Amazon best-selling books on property marketing, titled ‘How to Sell Your House: The definitive guide to marketing your biggest capital asset’
The new book follows on from ‘Sell High, Sell Fast: How to sell your home for the best possible price’ published in 2020
Elaine added: “Home staging is a win-win solution, and our mission remains to continue to innovate our approaches and increase home staging’s prominence in the UK and beyond
“To be nominated for such prestigious awards really highlights this success ”
CONGREGATION members at Melbourne Methodist Church are asking for local people’s views as to how best to bring two upstairs rooms back into regular use
The ‘Athenaeum’ on Potter Street is part of the Methodist church and was opened in the Victorian era to a crowd of thousands by the Prime Minister of the day
The two spacious rooms with kitchen facilities have been put to many uses over the years including, most recently, a youth club and then the Little Wesleys café and soft play for young children
Now the church would love to see the rooms come back into regular use and are asking for volunteers to come forward with suggestions as to how they would use and run the space
The church has produced two online surveys to gauge people’s views and are planning an Athenaeum Open Day on Saturday, January 18, to which all are welcome
See their advert on Page 7 as to how to take part.
King’s Award for Whistlewood volunteers
WHISTLEWOOD Common will be crowned with one of the UK’s most prestigious honours – the coveted King’s Award for Voluntary Service
The award recognises the work of Whistlewood’s dedicated volunteers in mitigating and adapting to the impacts of the climate and ecological crisis
Whistlewood Common, near Melbourne, was purchased as a bare field in 2013 through community fund-raising
Since then, volunteer members have planted orchards and more than 3,500 trees in total They have created outdoor classrooms, field shelters, a community garden and a multi-purpose roundhouse used for a wide variety of events and workshops by numerous local groups Participants in
The Prince’s Trust and The Duke of Edinburgh Award programmes gain from and assist with many activities In addition, a thriving forest school is based in this young woodland
Volunteers are guided by the ethics of “Earth Care”, “People Care” and “Fair Shares”, using the principles of permaculture, a design system that brings natural processes into human endeavours
Results include new practical skills, improved mental health, food production and enhanced biodiversity on the site
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises outstanding work by local volunteer groups
It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Majesty
The late Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of King Charles Whistlewood Common’s current chair, Graham Truscott, said: “It is most encouraging that the King, known to be familiar with permaculture design, has honoured Whistlewood Common “The award recognises the work done by our members to create a very special place that responds to the climate crisis at the local level with educational and practical benefits for humans and enhanced habitats for wildlife ”
Graham added that more volunteers are al-
MORE than 100 people connected with the Ukrainian Youth Centre in Weston-on-Trent helped put down roots for the future when they got their spades in the ground and planted trees donated by The Woodland Trust.
Leaders of the centre, called Tarasvika, applied to the trust’s tree planting scheme and were delighted to receive 420 saplings to plant on the 35acre site
Members of the Ukrainian Youth Association from across the UK visited Weston on November 30 to help with the planting. They included several Ukrainian families who got their hands dirty to help put the tree saplings into the soil
Anna Fedezko, chair of the Ukrainian Youth Association of Great Britain’s National Executive
Merry Christmas
and a big thank you to everyone who has supported Creative Melbourne Gallery this year.
We look forward to welcoming you back in 2025 to enjoy paintings, ceramics, glass, prints and cards by Melbourne Festival Artists.
ways welcome at Whistlewood, saying: “You would be most welcome to come along and find out more about the aims and activities of Whistlewood by joining us on a volunteering session which are held alternate Saturday afternoons
All are welcome including supervised children
“There are opportunities to learn about low impact woodworking, permaculture and tree maintenance as well as willow weaving structures
Maybe you have an interest in these areas or would like to feel part of an organisation that is making a difference at the local level ”
Committee, said: “It’s a great community thing to do – it’s great for children, it’s good for adults These trees, when they grow, are going to make a fantastic impact as well. It’s something the local community can enjoy too.”
Owen Phillips, from The Woodland Trust, said: “This is part of a scheme that we’re giving away trees to schools and community groups It’s a nice mix of trees planted in various locations around this magnificent site.
“It’s wonderful that we’re seeing kids and parents and different generations all involved in this scheme It’s nice to spread awareness It gets you outside, it’s good for health and wellbeing ”
Pictured are Nazar, Oksana, Luca, Vasyl, Tetiana, Mark, Yeva and Anton.
featuring artists:
Exhibition
Barbara Bagley, Kat Christou, Roger Davies, Stevie Davies, Alison Evans, Helen Hallows, Steph Jansen, Gabi Komar-Dixon, Elaine Lim-Newton, Lucy Ormsby, Anna Roebuck, Pam Smart, Kay Taylor, Connie Wan-Docksey, Mark Langley, Steve McLoughlin, Peter Watson and Christina Williams.
Film that gets message over
IT’S not often that you watch something that you genuinely haven’t seen before, writes Lucy Stephens.
So it was with the raw – yet in its way, melodic and beautiful – film Falcon featuring local acting talent, some experienced, some not, that premiered at Breedon Village Hall in November
The film tells of a war veteran in a wheelchair into whose window a peregrine falcon flies one day
As the injured falcon recovers, its rescuer – a woman named Marcie – (played with conviction by Rachel Fletcher) reflects miserably on her own contrasting situation, having been reduced to a lonely life of drinking and visits to the therapist after serving her country in the armed forces
Having left armed conflict Marcie is facing new battles back at home: surviving on a housing estate where, wheeling her way through an underpass to get to the shops, she is regularly met, taunted – and ultimately set upon – by a gang of local boys
But life is not that simple for the boys themselves and the film, shot in moody and entirely appropriate black and white, reveals the lives of these teenagers, one of whom has been drawn into the dark and dangerous world of being a drugs mule
This young man – Todd – sees drugs every day at home and soon gets himself caught up in
the terrible consequences when one drugs drop goes wrong
A police officer, DC Parkes – played very compellingly by Breedon resident Debbie Freeman – steps in with a voice of calm and reason in an increasingly desperate situation
The spare filming style from seasoned director Noel Wyatt, who has worked with some of the biggest names in music and film – Tom Cruise, Sir Paul McCartney and Lady Gaga to name but a few – helps convey the film’s overarching feel of bleakness shot through with hope
And the raw teen acting talent deserves all the plaudits it can get
Speaking to the packed out village hall after the close of the film, its director said: “This is a drama based around the kind of things that happen to real veterans They come home from war They’re in the middle of nowhere They struggle
“I wanted to show it’s not just a bunch of blokes who are going to war and come back There are a lot of people on the periphery who come back, don’t get any of the support and they are struggling to survive I wanted to put that out there ”
Having watched Falcon, that’s exactly what has been achieved
Pictured are the cast and crew behind the film
Church celebration’s ale and hearty lift
by Frank Hughes
THERE was just about enough
elbow room to raise a glass in the Spirit Vaults to celebrate the launch of the “900” ale, with Bishop Libby Lane behind the pumps to pull the first pint
Head brewer Simon Morgan said that the idea for the ale came from a conversation with Jim Hewlett, who is co-ordinating Melbourne Parish
Church’s celebrations to mark 900 years and he was happy to help bring it to fruition All the hops in the beer were gathered from local hedgerows, so it has a real local connection
Bishop Libby appeared remarkably comfortable behind the bar pulling the first pint, and she revealed that this was not a first – she said her early adulthood included jobs working behind bars in North Derbyshire
She said it was “an amazing honour” to be asked to launch the beer, and that it was extraordinary to have all the local connections, with the local hops, the local community and the 900-year church celebration
The continuity over the centuries was a glorious thing to be celebrating, she added, while sipping her pint!
The beer appeared to gain universal
approval from the gathered congregation too, with a fresh, smooth, light taste and at 4 2 ABV some seemed set for a session! Funds are being donated to the church’s 900 celebrations from the sale of the ale
It proved so popular that the complete stock of bottles was sold out at the recent Christmas Fayre A further brew is being considered n The programme to celebrate the church’s 900 years is starting to take shape, with a number of events now with confirmed dates in 2025
A service of thanksgiving for nine centuries will be held on January 12 and there will be a series of talks and walks by Philip Heath starting on April 3
A hog roast banquet is booked for June 14, and a medieval fayre is taking place on July 4 Various musical events are lined up with A Choir ’d Taste’s “Coffee Concert” scheduled for August 30, a chamber concert on September 25 and a jazz night on December 5
A Patronal Festival will be taking place on September 28 and other talks and exhibitions are being organised
It is hoped to have a leaflet with all the events listed early in the New Year, but it certainly is starting to look like a very full programme
If you are thinking of moving in 2025, then please contact a member of our team today...
SURVEY & OPEN DAY youth café
Some of you will remember the Athenaeum Youth Café on Potter Street in Melbourne. It opened in 2004, but is currently closed and the Methodist Church is considering its future. It has always been a ‘community’ building and we’d like your thoughts and ideas on what it might be in future. Is a youth café still required? Would you be in a position to help run it? Could it be put to another use? Over the next couple of months we are running a community survey, so that you can share your thoughts with usvia the QR Codes above. If you aren’t aware of the café we’re opening on the 18th January so you can have a look around. Please let us know your thoughts.
THIS fallen soldier took up a place of honour outside St James’ Church in Smisby to mark this year ’s Armistice commemoration. The knitted Word War One Royal Artillery soldier was a whole year in the making by Peggy Moore and his sentry box was made by local farmer Maurice Stanley Children at Smisby’s day nursery made a handmade wreath to complete the tribute
l Bishop Libby Lane pulls the first pint watched by Rev Alan Winfield.
Young People’s Survey
Parent’s Survey
Funding for high speed broadband
FURTHER help is available from Derbyshire County Council and the UK Government for some of the most rural parts of the county in accessing high speed broadband Residents and businesses can apply for up to £7,500 to cover the installation costs – providing they are not already in either a Government-funded plan for a broadband upgrade or any commercial plan
The UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme relaunched in parts of Derbyshire in November
Eligible homes and businesses can apply for up to £4,500 to cover the costs of a gigabit-capable connection
Derbyshire County Council will be ‘topping up’ the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme amounts by a maximum of £3,000 each The extra funding will increase the amount of financial support that eligible households and businesses with broadband speeds of less than 100Mbps in rural parts of Derbyshire are entitled to and will help pay for the cost of installing faster and more reliable connections to their premises
To apply for the scheme residents and businesses can visit the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme website
Talented family members hitting the right notes
FAMILY dynamics were the theme of Melbourne’s second Emerging Musical Talent competition with three sets of siblings stepping up to take part.
The competition is organised by A Choir ’d Taste to shine a light on young musical talent, with the winner selected to perform in the popular choir ’s Christmas concert
This year there was an impressive breadth of both musical talent and instruments with performances on the trombone, viola, piano, cornet and voice – presenting quite a challenge for judges Elizabeth Jack and Paul Marshall
And three sets of siblings came forward to perform, making the evening very much a family affair
Winner of the seniors competition was Lyra Smith, 17, who showed considerable maturity with her two fine performances on the viola, perhaps the least well known of orchestral stringed instruments Her brother, Ethan, meanwhile, who had given a lovely melodic vocal rendition of ‘Love Walked In’ by Ira Gershwin, was highly commended
The junior competition was won by Isaac Baxter on the trombone, impressing the judges, who praised his “lyrical” performances which included the always-recognisable James Bond theme by Monty Norman
Speaking after the competition, Lyra, of Castle Donington, said she had been playing the viola for around five years having started out on stringed instruments around 11 years ago
“It’s really nice to play in front of other people,”
in
by Lucy Stephens
she said
Junior cup winner Isaac, 11, has been playing the trombone for four years
It was a night that Melbourne’s town bands could be proud of with twin sisters Daisey and Florence Stephens both coming forward to show their promise on the cornet, while fellow siblings Isabelle and Oliver Steeples also impressed with their performances on the piano – with Oliver highly commended
Announcing the winners, Elizabeth remarked on her pleasure at the variety of musical talent on display during the evening
“It’s so lovely to hear stringed instruments, wind instruments, the viola and the piano, all in one evening,” she said “Thank you to everybody for performing ”
The winner of the competition is awarded a special trophy in memory of Andrew Jackson, one of the founder members of A Choir ’d Taste – along with the town band, and this newspaper
Margaret Gildea from A Choir ’d Taste said Andrew would have been “phenomenally proud” that the trophy was given in his memory, having been a keen musician himself
She added that hearing young people performing on brass instruments, their skills honed by Melbourne Town Band, was especially good news for the future of the band
“One of the choir ’s objectives is to encourage young musical talent and it’s quite heart-warming to hear young people playing,” said Margaret
a third saying it was their favourite The Coopers Arms became a pub in 1991 and was a clear winner of the poll.
around half of those won by The Coopers Arms The Weston pub is housed in a spectacular Grade II* 17th
l Participants in the second Emerging Musical Talent competition in Melbourne Methodist Church. Lyra Smith, winner of the seniors competition, is second from the left, with Isaac Baxter, winner of the junior competition, far left.
THE Spa at Breedon Priory is officially the best for miles around after it won a prestigious award for the second year running.
The Wilson-based establishment was crowned Best Spa in the East Midlands and East for the second year at The Good Spa Awards which were celebrated at Fortnum & Mason in London
The spa is owned by Graham and Elaine Blunt, who said they were “thrilled” to retain the title
continue offering a haven of peace and rejuvenation to all who visit
The ceremony at Fortnum & Mason brought together finalists from each region
sanctuary where they can truly unwind This recognition motivates us to continue setting the standard for excellence in the region ”
“It’s a testament to the dedication of our fantastic team and the unwavering support of our loyal guests,” they said
“As a family-run business, this achievement means the world to us, and we’re proud to
Spa director Jemma Harrison said: “Winning this award again highlights the unwavering commitment of our team to delivering unparalleled luxury and relaxation From the moment our guests step through the door, we aim to provide a
The spa offers a thermal suite, outdoor heated vitality pools, relaxation spaces, and spa treatments
It has been c o n s t r u c t e d using an air source heat pump and heat recovery unit, and benefits from its own water source in the form of a borehole more than 85 metres below ground Rainwater is also used to irrigate its gardens
The spa is home to beehives supplying honey for its kitchen, and future plans involve planting a kitchen garden The site uses no single use plastics
KINGS Newton Farm Shop Tori & Ben’s has been selected as one of the very best in the whole of the UK by a national newspaper Tori & Ben’s, on King’s Newton Lane, featured in The Times as one of the UK’s top 35 farm shops, as part of a piece entitled “Where foodies fill their larders”
Tori Stanley of Tori & Ben’s said: “We were so thrilled to be featured in the Times top 35 farm shops nationally A lot of hard work goes into what we do to complete a truthful farm-to-fork food experience and the recognition for the whole
Melbourne Junior School
DAY
HTING AGAIN
ing for him to make an appearance all added to the fun with the parish cil having laid on festive characters is year ’s event to keep children enterd while their parents enjoyed festive s, food, and a browse around local s which stayed open late for the occa-
a said it had been a pleasure to help er Christmas and Cllr Ward switch on ghts.
e with Christmas, aided by the talents the recording. Andrew’s song, ‘Merry zone Voice Studio Ensemble.
TOP ROW: The scene in Melbourne after the lights are switched on
FAR LEFT: The me&dee charity team Jess Riddell, Maria Hanson MBE, Mark Harrison and Charlotte Harrison-Wear.
FAR LEFT BOTTOM: Rhia and JK Khunkhuna from Tea at Three
ABOVE: Emily Floyd and a big polar bear
ABOVE RIGHT: Scrooge looking at home in Melbourne RIGHT: Katherine Parrish of Whistlewood.
If you enjoy singing then come along and join an old Melbourne tradition of Carol Singing around Melbourne.
Meet us at The Baptist Chapel, Chapel Street, Melbourne at 6.45pm on
TUESDAY 24th DECEMBER
We retire at about 10.15pm and then go to a house for supper!
Please telephone Alan Dunnicliff on 01332 862162 for more details or just meet us on the day.
Everyone will be most welcome to join this old Melbourne tradition!
We wish you a Merry Christmas...
MORE than 5,000 visitors flocked to see artisan makers from around the UK get into the festive spirit in the sumptuous surroundings of Staunton
Harold Hall
The magnificent hall provided the perfect setting for this year ’s Christmas Artisan Show, with visitors getting to enjoy a rare viewing of the hall’s interior rooms which were decked out to the festive nines
Helen Taylor had travelled from Norfolk to show her glass art at the show for the first time
“It’s a beautiful setting, a really wonderful atmosphere,” she said “They have really gone out of their way to make it Christmassy ”
Melbourne-based Claire Docherty was there with her Watermeadow
Jewellery business
She said: “It’s a beautifully curated Christmas event that showcases not only handmade but high quality artisans ”
This was the fourth artisan show to be organised at Staunton Harold by Leigh and Becky Wood of Metal Manipulation in the Ferrers Centre
Leigh said: “All the feedback we have had has just been amazing –artists and visitors It’s the best one we’ve done to date
“We had over 5,000 people coming over four days
“It was good to see some amazing artisans inside the hall which is not normally open to the public,” he said “And it was good to see it decorated as well ”
The pub hosted a special
for children’s
and the community got fully into the
Santa put in an appearance along with these Christmassy animals, and local people hosted festive stalls selling hand-made wreaths and other gifts
ABOVE: Ava and Tia Morris with horses Magic, Ronnie and Buster
LEFT: Georgia Morris with Buddy and Bear
THE Smisby Arms looked as festive as the North Pole itself with Christmassy dogs and horses adding to the atmosphere – and it was all in the spirit of giving
festive event to raise money
charities,
spirit
RIGHT: Rosa Clines, Toby Clines, Theodore Coulter, Olive Solomonides and Fletcher Large meet Father Christmas.
ABOVE: Claire Docherty of Watermeadow Lane LEFT: Helen Taylor ’s glass art l Visitors enjoying the attractions at the Melbourne Hall Christmas market.
LIGHTING UP OUR LIVES
THE Christmas season can be quite dangerous
I say this not because of the countless mince pies that, in the course of my duties, I am required to eat or, indeed, the many wonderful Christmas meals that I am kindly invited to attend (I don’t want this article to become too ‘Vicar of Dibley!)
No, this season can be dangerous because of the glorious Christmas lights that adorn so many of our households Appreciating that our friends in law enforcement may read this article, I have to admit to taking extra care and attention whilst driving at night because Christmas lights can easily become a distraction!
Whether they are gently understated or compare closely with the lights on offer on the East Midlands Airport runway, I love them all They literally brighten up my day, so thank you for the enviable creativity on such abundant display!
One of my favourite Christmas services is Midnight Mass It is an amazing time of waiting and watching, of excitement, peace and joy As a priest, I get to choose from a variety of Christmas Bible stories and, at Midnight Mass, nearly always opt for the famous passage from the beginning of John’s Gospel, often referred to as ‘the
This year ’s Christmas message is from Steve Short Parish priest of Foremarkcum-Ingleby, Milton, Newton Solney, Repton and Willington.
Prologue Its opening words beautifully and mysteriously mirror the very first words of the bible in the book of Genesis ‘In the beginning ’ Also featured in the Prologue is the line
that embodies the whole of the Christmas story in one go:
‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it ’ It is, in many ways, a reality check In the manger of Bethlehem, the God who made mountains and microbes, becomes one of us to share in every aspect of our lives – the light and the darker times
That Divine Light, which the darkness couldn’t defeat or overcome, is a symbol of hope We all need hope; the world needs hope One writer I’m currently reading puts it this way: ‘Hope consists of God’s jump leads sent from the future through time and space, wired right into our present pains, panics and predicaments’ Christmas lights, for me, represent that hope – many lights shining together in the darkness
So yes, I love all the Christmas lights and the inflatable Santas, snowmen reindeer But one year, and I can’t qui member where, there was an illumin nativity scene! You don’t see those often Your mission, should you choo accept it !
May God, in and through Jesus, you and all you love with abundant and love this Christmas and always
ABOVE: RECEPTION aged ‘Wrens’
THREE SPEAKERS TREAT
MELBOURNE Civic Society held its last members event of the year in the sumptuous setting of the Grand Hall at Staunton Harold, festively adorned with Christmas decorations. It was no ordinary meeting as there were three speakers John Blunt spoke on the history of Staunton Harold Hall from the time of the 4th and 5th Earls Ferrer; Jackie Blunt described the developments at the hall and craft centre since taking over the property in 2003; and Stephen Hartley, from the National Trust,
spoke about the history and architecture of the Chapel of the Holy Trinity built on site in 1653
To mark the end of the Civic Society’s very busy 50th year, presentations were made to members who have occupied positions on the committee or served as the chairperson at one time or another The list included John Blunt, a founder member of the Civic Society, Irene Brightmer, Claire and Paul Sturges, Paul Grimley, Ian Turner and Barbara Simpson All received a certificate
to note that they were being elevated to the position of life members of the society in recognition of their longterm commitment
The evening concluded with thanks from the current chair, Martin Keay, to Pam and Brian Budd for organising the evening’s events; they were also given life membership to mark the fact that they are stepping down from the committee.
Melbourne Civic Society would like to wish all its members a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
OBITUARIES
JOHN HARRISON
January 31, 1937 – September 19, 2024
JOHN was born at Hope Street, Melbourne, to parents George and Elsie Harrison Growing up, John was very interested in cars, especially how they worked mechanically – something he loved all through his life – and whilst at school he got a weekend job working at Wall’s garage on the petrol pumps
After leaving school John served his apprenticeship at Melbourne Engineering Company on Derby Road in the electrical maintenance department and completed this in 1958; three weeks later he started his national service with the Royal Signals at Catterick barracks for two years
On finishing his national service he started working for John Makin’s TV and repair shop; however, he soon got a job back working at Melbourne Engineering in the electrical maintenance department; he loved working there and made many great friends
Another of his loves was music and he learnt to play the drums With three friends they started a band called The John Allan Quartet They played many venues in the local area: Newbold Club, Melbourne Liberal Club and The Melbourne Hotel, performing at weddings, birthday parties and dances It would be at one of dances that he met Janet Matthews and they later married on a snowy day in February 1969 at Ticknall Church and were happily mar-
ried for 55 years
They set up home in Union Street, Melbourne, in the house his grandparents, William and Bertha Freason, had owned and soon their family grew as they welcomed children Paul, Ruth and Jayne John’s much-loved drum kit was sold soon after the children were born and the first touring caravan was bought, which was the start of some wonderful family holidays touring England and Wales One place they fell in love with was Sutton on Sea and they would visit several times a year Later when John retired it became their second home as they bought a static caravan there and would spend most of the summer season there enjoying bike rides on the promenade, beach walks and a slower pace of life
He also loved vintage steam engines and old army vehicles and would visit local steam rallies with their touring caravan
They were involved in one particular steam rally at Wymeswold, which raised money for the Heartlink charity, which supports families of children with heart conditions being treated at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester
He will be sadly missed by his wife Jan, his children and grandchildren John’s family and friends have so many wonderful memories of a wonderful man, who loved his family dearly, he loved life, playing music, and he loved nothing better than lying under a car with his hands covered in grease
ROBIN WILLIAM GREGSON-BROWN
February 20, 1936 – October 17, 2024
IT IS with great sadness that the family of Robin Gregson-Brown announced his passing after a very short illness, aged 88 years
Robin was born in Luton to William and Dorothy Gregson-Brown
He attended The Mall School in Twickenham and came to Derbyshire with his mother when he was 14 years old, after his parents divorced After school in Derby, he attended the Derby College of Art and won a scholarship to The Royal College of Art in London, graduating in 1960
He immediately entered commerce, working for ICI Robin was design manager for ICI Hyde where he led the design team in producing the designs from the outset of Vymura wallcoverings
Many of the designs were created by Robin and were a major contribution to the success of the Vymura product
Canada to name a few All these companies appreciated his great talent He also designed the loungers at Amsterdam Airport
During his career he received the CoID (Council of Industrial Design) Design Award of the Year, presented to him by Prince Philip on the QE2
After some years he set up his own design company called Interior Prints and travelled the world on numerous contracts
He was internationally respected in all the countries he worked in and made many friends He worked and designed in China, Japan, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Scandinavia, USA and
EAST Midlands Airport will be closed for various days in December, January and February for runway and other repairs to take place
The first of the airport’s close-downs happened on December 4
Further work is being carried out to the runway, taxiways and ‘aprons’ – where aircraft stand – on December 11, 18, January 8, 15, 22, 29 and February 5 and 12 The closures will last from 10am to 6pm
The airport says it is carry-
During his retirement he returned to his boyhood interest in lepidoptera and spent much of his time producing and exhibiting his paints of moths and butterflies He was recognised as one of the country’s leading artists in this field He painted a moth for Sir David Attenborough for his 90th birthday Robin was a very practical man who, with meticulous care, could turn his hand to anything His display of designer logs in the porch of Cart House proves this He joined Melbourne Rotary and also the Burton Club in 1998, becoming the chairman in 2009 He was well liked by the membership, always approachable, witty and a great conversationalist He designed the clubs’ ties and bow-ties He was a true gentleman Robin was married to his first wife Diana, who had his children, then married to Jenny for 34 years, living at Staunton Harold He will be sadly missed by his many friends and family
ing out the works to ensure the ongoing safety and effectiveness of its passenger and cargo operations The runway, taxiway and aircraft stands handle around 200 passenger and cargo flights a day
Essential maintenance routinely takes place on an annual basis at the airport and is normally conducted overnight to minimise disruption
But this time the airport is carrying out the works, plus other upgrades, over longer periods of time during daylight
hours as part of its £120million investment programme
The works include runway edge lights conversion, transitioning from elevated edge lights to inset; apron and taxiway upgrades which involve around £1million in upgrade works; hydrant system and drainage upgrades and routine runway, taxiway and apron maintenance, which will see the use of around 4,000 tonnes of asphalt as well as the replacement of around 250 ground lights
l John Blunt (centre) gives his talk on the history of Staunton Harold Hall.
DOWN ON THE FARM
With Ben Stanley
MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT
CONGRATULATIONS to the family who decided to put up their inflatable Santa in Kings Newton during the middle of November You are no doubt, optimistic and positive people, I admire your Christmas spirit!
During December the farm shop is buzzing with orders and that focusses our minds as people look to secure the finest fayre they can for the big day
It is a big responsibility, and it means we don’t prepare for Christmas ourselves as much as we might Last year, much to Bertie and Iona’s displeasure, the Christmas tree only went up a few days before Christmas Day
Once we close the doors on the shop for the final time before Christmas Day, we have a last minute scramble to sort ourselves out You may well have seen me last year in a panicked state in the Ferrers Centre desperately trying to get myself out of trouble and find Tori a present
A big shout-out to the other frightened and vulnerable men I bumped into last year on Christmas Eve Let’s think ahead this year: at least we know now a scented candle doesn’t cut the mustard and we survived to get another go at it this year
We do not take for granted this busy season, despite the pressure that it brings It is an extraordinary privilege that people choose us to provide the most important meal of the year for their family We have good reason to be energised and hopeful about our future; we are proud to produce a quality
local product for you
But, without having diversified, I don’t know where we would be now We took on the tenancy at Park Farm 10 years ago this week and in all honesty the farm has only really turned a profit once and that was due to the instability caused by Mad Vlad getting Bad a couple of years ago
By July next year direct government support for farming in England will end, having been phased out over the last four years It may not have been a perfect system, but it did give farmers confidence to keep growing food and it has helped keep a lid on food prices
You would do your sums on growing wheat for example and, even though you knew the margin was going to be tight, you would roll the dice in the confidence that you would receive a payment that was going to reduce your risk Now that payment has gone it is increasingly hard to justify taking that risk and committing ever-increasing amounts of capital to growing a crop that, due to climate change, you are not sure will grow anyway
This has driven farmers’ confidence in food production down and for a small farm like ours means we are producing less food, our kit is getting older and we can no longer justify employing anyone on the farm anymore
Producing food is an important thing: there are 68 million people living in the UK now and, although readdressing the balance of nature and farming is important, farmers have been getting increasingly frustrated
DERBYSHIRE library service users are being encouraged to check their membership details are up to date before the introduction of a new system in the new year
The new Library Management System (LMS) will be introduced in February and will replace the current system at all Derbyshire County Council-run libraries which includes Melbourne
While any disruption to customers will be kept to a minimum during the switchover, library members are being asked to check their membership details are up to date now so that they can continue to log in to the services they use
The county council says its new system will modernise how its libraries work day-to-day and be more cost-effective and efficient
It will be used by staff for issuing, returning and renewing items and for checking the catalogue for customers to make reservations, as well as ordering and rotating books and other stock
During the switchover which will take around one week, some services will be unavailable, but more information will be given to users nearer the time
To check details are up to date, library members need to log into their account and check the correct information is there
because they think it’s a good idea to produce food in this country particularly as the world gets a lot more crazy, especially with one of the most Googled things this year having been ‘How do I build a nuclear bomb shelter in my garden?’
And then came the budget We have no skin in the game on the inheritance tax issue We are tenants who don’t own our farm (40% of all farms in the UK are tenanted); we have nothing to inherit and have nothing to pass on When our tenancy ends that will be that We try our hardest to earn a living from farming and pay the rent, hoping that the next year will be better than the last
For those farming friends I know that it does affect, many of whom have been farming on the same farm for generations without hosting ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ to support their income, this does feel like an incredibly vindictive tax that will generate only around £500m
That’s the same amount that we donate to foreign farmers around the world including to countries like India and China
Throw in the sudden removal of direct support and the uncertainty that this budget has created it leaves the farming community feeling pretty bleak about the future I was one of the ones that embraced the new system of replacing direct support and subsidising nature recovery instead, but the policy towards this has been difficult to understand, the cash pot has shrunk
and farmers are having real problems accessing new nature grants
Farming is in crisis and successive governments have let it down This has been exacerbated by muddled policy since Brexit, with both political parties unsure quite what to do with farming
Going after people like Jeremy Clarkson is not a bad thing because farms like ‘Diddly Squat’ are very different from working farms already struggling to survive
Where the balls land for farmers now we honestly don’t know Could it drive many out of business? I don’t know Could it make land cheaper and more accessible? I don’t know Will it mean younger farmers are engaged in succession planning earlier? I don’t know Will it stop Jeremy Clarkson buying the other half of the Cotswolds?
I don’t know that either What I do know is that farmers are unsure of the way forward
But at the same time there is an increasing rise in consumer interest in farming and a recent industry survey concluded that farmers were among the most trustworthy profession second only to doctors
We must repay that trust in our customers Everyone loves the idea of eating local food, and I believe our chances of future success must be to galvanise the backing of you the people and then, maybe the politicians might listen
Thank you for your continued support and have a wonderful Christmas
MELBOURNE charity me&dee is urging local businesses to make a huge difference to families going through the worst times by adopting them as their Charity of the Year
Founded by Maria Hanson
MBE, the charity helps hundreds of families a year when a life-limiting or terminal condition is diagnosed
With its small team, me&dee runs a vast range of projects to provide comfort where it is most needed
These include comfort packs containing essentials for people rushed to children’s wards, plus highly valued and sensitive support to adult cancer units, palliative care departments and the children’s mortuary
Special memory making days out are organised for families facing short futures, and the charity also provides comforting ‘Hope’ the elephant keepsakes with hidden voice recorders for parents and children to leave a last memory and sound of a voice, along with support for hospital bereavement teams and a Baby Hope comfort blanket for families who have been through the agony of losing a child
Through its continuing care programme, me&dee also supports those who are going through – or have experienced –gruelling medical treatment, with a range of days out and activities for the whole family
These include monthly swimming sessions at Moorways in Derby for children with disabilities
To support the charity, see www meanddee co uk
Daniel runs our Family Butchery, where you can buy Award Winning* hand-made sausages,
and pork,
and
We are now also taking orders of cockerels, turkeys and other meat for Christmas.
What’s On
WESTON DECORATORS LTD.
Interior and Exterior Painting and Decorating
Tel: Andy - 07721 494555 Luke - 07454 266415 email: weston18@btinternet.com
Continuing until Christmas:
Creative Melbourne Gallery Exhibition JOY!
Exhibition featuring artists: Barbara Bagley, Kat Christou, Roger Davies, Stevie Davies, Alison Evans, Helen Hallows, Steph Jansen, Gabi Komar-Dixon, Elaine Lim-Newton, Lucy Ormsby, Anna Roebuck, Pam Smart, Kay Taylor, Connie Wan-Docksey, Mark Langley, Steve McLoughlin, Peter Watson and Christina Williams. Everything for sale!
Wellington House, Church Street, Melbourne. Wed to Sat 10 - 4pm
Friday 13 and Saturday 14 December:
Melbourne Operatic Society
A Feast of Christmas Cheer
Friday 13 December: Melbourne Assembly Rooms, 7.30pm
Saturday 14 December: Castle Donington Community Hub, 7.30pm.
See ad on P11 for more details.
Saturday 14 December:
Melbourne Town Band
Christmas Concert
Melbourne Parish Church, 7pm. All bands under the MTB umbrella will be performing, including the training band, the concert band and drum corps, as well as the main band. For tickets, ring Sue on 0780 170 9501, or contact any band member. Tickets will also be available on the door.
Thursday 19 December:
Carols Around the Christmas Tree
Come and join Melbourne Town Band in this annual festive singalong by the Christmas Tree in Melbourne Market Place. Organised by Rotex. 6.30pm.
Saturday 21 December:
Coffee Morning
United Reformed Church Hall, High Street. 10am - noon.
Tuesday 24 December:
Christmas Eve Carol Singing
Meet at The Baptist Chapel, Chapel Street, Melbourne at 6.45pm
Please telephone Alan Dunnicliff on 01332 862162 for more details or just meet us on the day. See ad on P11 —————————————————————————————
Thursday 2 January:
Melbourne Photographic Society ‘100 Strangers’ by Phil Howcroft.
This presentation is about people Phil meets on the street. This is about the story behind each stranger, how they are photographed and the amazing stories of a diverse eclectic set of individuals. Digital presentation.
Thomas Cook Memorial Hall, High Street, Melbourne. Doors open at 7.00pm and the talk commences at 7.30pm Members £2, visitors £5
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Saturday 4 January: Coffee Morning
Methodist Church Wesley Hall, Potter Street. 10am - noon
Tuesday 7 January:
Melbourne Community Care Coffee & Company
Melbourne Assembly Rooms, 2 - 4pm Meet friends...bring friends...make friends.
Wednesday 8 -15 January: Creative Melbourne Gallery Reviving Melbourne
Artistic explorations of our industrial past. Jenny Stevenson and co-created work with Beth Edge, Camille McCawley, Lisa Battelle and members of the local community. Supported by a National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council England. Wellington House, Church Street, Melbourne. Wed to Sat 10 - 4pm
Saturday 11 January:
Coffee Morning
Baptist Church Schoolroom, Chapel Street. 10am - noon.
Wednesday 15 January - 15 February:
Creative Melbourne Gallery
The Affordable Art Show
The perfect antidote to blank walls after Christmas decorations come down!
Everything under £300 and 10% of sales donated to Treetops Hospice.
Featuring: Helen Brown, Helen Rhodes, Glass by Karen Worrall and work by our resident artists.
Wellington House, Church Street, Melbourne. Wed to Sat 10 - 4pm
Thursday 16 January:
Melbourne Photographic Society ‘Camera Club – My Takeaway’ by Paul Burrows.
This talk showcases what Paul has ‘taken away’ from being a camera club member enabling him to make far better images for himself and to share with others.
Included are short Audio-Visual films, Landscape, Wildlife and Awards Photography.
Digital presentation, prints in the tea, coffee & biscuits break.
Thomas Cook Memorial Hall, High Street, Melbourne. Doors open at 7.00pm and the talk commences at 7.30pm
Members £2, visitors £5 —————————————————————————————
Saturday 18 January:
Coffee Morning
United Reformed Church Hall, High Street. 10am - noon.
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Saturday 25 January:
Coffee Morning
Catholic Church, St Mary's Hall, Church Street. 10am - noon.
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Saturday 1 February:
Coffee Morning
Methodist Church Wesley Hall, Potter Street. 10am - noon
Thursday 6 February:
Melbourne Photographic Society ‘Same But Different’ by Lesley Grand-Scrutton & Andrew Lings.
Portrayed tonight is the work of two photographers with contrasting styles. Lesley and Andrew go to the same places but see things in different ways.
Prints will be used to display a wide range of different photographic genres.
Thomas Cook Memorial Hall, High Street, Melbourne. Doors open at 7.00pm and the talk commences at 7.30pm
Members £2, visitors £5
Saturday 8 February:
Coffee Morning
Baptist Church Schoolroom, Chapel Street. 10am - noon.
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Wednesday 19 February - 15 March:
Creative Melbourne Gallery
Introspection
Featuring sculpture and prints by Johnny Vegas alongside work by Beth Edge, Amanda Graham, Oliver Lovley, Jenny Stevenson and Karen Wicks.
Wellington House, Church Street, Melbourne. Wed to Sat 10 - 4pm
We always try to include events, but due to limitations of space, we cannot guarantee this without also booking an advertisement.
T he Common Touch...
LAST month we had our Whistlewood Common AGM. It was great to get together to celebrate another successful year at Whistlewood and the amazing recognition we’ve been given by receiving the King’s Award for Voluntary Service
At the AGM I saw the positive effects of people sharing their time, skills and encouragement. The physical on the ground results of that is a transformed and enhanced environment for wildlife and humans A new woodland, an orchard, a sustainable building of straw and wood. Could you spend time at Whistlewood volunteering in 2025?
The ‘bring and share’ lunch we had was amazing and it started conservations on recipes and cooking tips, which celebrated our volunteers’ skills Many of us took away some things to try at home
Tip one: bit of fresh Rosemary chopped into cheesy biscuits! Tip two: bit of flour before roasting your potatoes for extra crunch!
At this time of year particularly, we’re sold the idea that time-saving foods will make our lives better, but are we being conned? Very often fast food and highly processed foods have many thousands of pounds spent on advertising The power over our health and wellbeing seems to be in the hands of big food corporations, who actually don’t have our best interest at their core.
Where is the money that could be spent on encouraging us to buy or eat local or seasonal foods, meat or vegetables? Where is the encouragement or skill sharing of cooking skills and education on healthy eating?
Cooking is an essential skill; it doesn’t have to be complicated or hard to achieve fantastic meals. If you can choose to spend more time cooking with family or friends, it certainly won’t be a waste of time
It’s social, bringing people together It’s exciting and rewarding and you get to eat the results. I think that’s a worthwhile hobby.
Permaculture has a principle of ‘slow and steady solutions’; build your cooking skills over years it’s something you can get better at with practice, and there are always new things to try and skills to perfect. You could perfect cooking sweet treats to share – who doesn’t like a good cake? At least if you’ve made it yourself you know what's in it
Some foods are difficult to make yourself, so I'm not saying you must make everything yourself, it’s about having a balance and taking a step back to think about what I am being sold by the fancy packaging (oh yes, another reason to cook real food)
None of us are immune to pernicious advertising, but I know I feel bad when I've been manipulated in this way. What we buy and how we spend our time is worth reassessing what benefit we get from activities we chose to do
Let’s value the time that we have with loved ones this Christmas season Think about showing love by cooking and feeding them real home cooked local food. It doesn’t have to be perfect, life isn’t perfect, let's just enjoy ourselves
– KATHERINE PARRISH
VILLAGE VOICE Postbag
Young people: We need a plan
I WRITE in response to the article in the November ’s Village Voice calling for parents to know what their children are doing and who they are visiting when leaving the house
It is important to remember that using children for drug dealing is criminal exploitation It is not the fault of the parents or the child Exploitation could happen to any child
A call to parents is an unhelpful narrative, seeking to blame parents of those children which have been exploited and creating further division and isolation, which criminals use to their advantage Often the people involved in this criminal activity pretend to be your child's friend, meeting
them in places where children hang out or online
What we need is a co-ordinated community plan about what actions we as a community can take to safeguard and support our at-risk children Starting with educating our families and young people on what exploitation looks like and disrupting the ease at which these activities are taking place in our village
We need to start talking to our young people about where in their community does not feel safe
Melbourne resident (Name and address supplied)
End of the road for Aidan
CUSTOMERS of Melen’s Private Hire will be sad to hear that Aidan is retiring after more than 35 years of running the business
Melen’s taxis itself has been established for more than 50 years; Aidan took over from his father Pete in 1989 and throughout the decades it has become an institution of the local area safely transporting people locally as well as all over the UK
What is particularly special about this business is Aidan himself
He is kind, helpful and endlessly interested in people’s lives making him a brilliant driving companion Supported by his wife Jane (who covers all roles from accountant to office manager) the
business has evolved from the days of communicating via pagers, making calls home from telephone boxes and checking flight arrivals on Ceefax to the instant connectivity of mobile phones and the Internet
Despite retiring from his taxi business, Aidan will most certainly not be retiring as groundsman of Ticknall Cricket Club where he can be found most days rain or shine (in case his customers need their Aidan fix!)
Aidan’s family and friends are very proud of the legacy of Melen’s taxis and along with his customers wish him a long and happy retirement It truly is the end of an era Melen family
PENSION CREDIT DEADLINE
THOUSANDS of Derbyshire
pensioners are not claiming a benefit boost that unlocks further support, including up to £300 for heating, the county council has said Derbyshire pensioners on a low income could miss out on this year ’s winter fuel payment if they don’t act fast and find out if they qualify for Pension Credit
The last date for claiming Pension Credit in time to qualify for the winter fuel allowance is Saturday, December 21
Welfare benefits officers at Derbyshire County Council are urging anyone who thinks they could qualify for Pension Credit, or knows someone who could, to check if they re eligible before it’s too late
Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for health and
communities Councillor Carol Hart said: “We believe up to 10,000 pensioners in Derbyshire aren’t claiming the Pension Credit they’re entitled to which could boost their income by up to £75 a week on average
“It can also unlock other benefits, including council tax support and a free TV licence for over 75s, as well as the winter fuel allowance
“I’d urge everyone to check now if they qualify ” Councillor Hart said lots of myths were circulating that were putting people off applying
“But these are just myths,” she explained, and said it was still worth checking even if pensioners:
n Have significant savings (in the tens of thousands of pounds)
n Are a couple with up to £460 a week coming in, but both qualify for disability benefits and are carers for each other n Own their own home
There are several ways residents can find out if they, or someone they know, qualifies for Pension Credit:
Apply online on the gov uk website – at apply-for-pensioncredit dwp gov uk/start
Call the Government’s Pension Service on 0800 99 1234
Use the county council’s Better Off benefit calculator which provides an overview of benefit entitlement derbyshire betteroff org uk/#/home
Visit the council’s Pension Credit webpage for more information - derbyshire gov uk/pensioncredit
Contact the council’s benefits advice line on 01629 531535
PARTY TIME celebrating the retirement of Aidan
Rugby club’s highs and lows
FORTUNES for Melbourne Rugby Club’s first team have been more mixed in November with a barnstorming start to the season, suffering a couple of setbacks with two defeats early in the month, and some postponed games too
Dronfield proved a formidable and well-drilled opponent when welcomed by the Green and golds to Cockshut Lane
It was an entertaining game which, although well fought by Melbourne, saw the consistent and savvy Dronfield emerge the victors 39-13
The following week, the firsts once again suffered a defeat – away this time – against Walsall, with a final scoreline of 15-7
But the end of November brought better news for the firsts with a cracking 78-26 victory over Mellish, with some beautiful play, Benstead and Taylor in particular impressing onlookers with their dominance on the pitch
At the start of December, the first team were
sitting nice and high in the Midlands 2 North League in fourth place, just ahead of Walsall
The seconds, meanwhile, had a good run in November, beginning by gaining five points in an encounter with Spalding that garnered them a solid 25-5 victory
Their winning streak ended with a 24-7 defeat to Long Eaton’s second side, but the following week the seconds joined the firsts in a steaming victory against Mellish seconds It was an encounter which saw them touch down a tremendous 45-0 and a bonus point
The seconds entered December sixth placed in the league, just a point behind Castle Donington
The Academy side had a very successful month with three strong victories to start off with, winning against Derby RFC, Derby Development Group B, and Sleaford
But, unlike the first and second sides, they ended November not with a win but a defeat, 3015 to Burton
A galloping good show for charity
MORE than 250 runners went the distance when they took part in this year ’s Golden Gates Gallop at Elvaston, raising £3,500 for Blood Cancer UK
This year ’s event saw 254 runners take part in the five-mile two-lap race and two-mile family run.
The five-miler starts at the famous Napolean ‘golden’ gates before heading around Elvaston Castle’s perimeter path, ascending and descending the iconic ‘gallops’ and finishing at Elvaston Cricket Club
The event started in 1986
and over the years has raised thousands of pounds for Blood Cancer UK
All participants received medals while there was a trophy for the first male, female and junior to finish
Held on a fine day, runners were able to enjoy a bacon sandwich, a beer, tea and coffee afterwards.
The £3,500 raised has been forwarded to Blood Cancer UK
Next year ’s event will take place on Sunday, September 28 Further details will be available at www goldengatesgallop org
ABOVE and RIGHT: Participants in the Golden Gates Gallop.
l Action from the Melbourne-Mellish first team clash Photo: Jansen Brown Studios
THOUSANDS of pounds have been granted to help a large solar panel project at Melbourne Sporting Partnership (MSP) get off the ground.
At its latest meeting on December 3, Melbourne Parish Council agreed a grant of £6,300 towards the installation of 67 solar panels on the roof and battery of the MSP
The project has not yet been given the full goahead by the board at the MSP, which hopes to secure the final grant money needed in the New Year.
The Partnership is planning the solar panel project to cut back on its high energy bills
Chairman Steve Hollingsworth said the MSP was very grateful to the parish council for its continued support.
Cup ups and downs for Dynamo teams
MELBOURNE Dynamo’s senior football sides were hit by the weather in November with just six games beating conditions.
The first team began the month with a Derbyshire Cup-tie against Sleetmoor Utd
A James Smith brace plus the customary Jack Griffiths finish saw Dynamo’s sneak a 3-2 home win and a place in the quarter-finals
This was followed by a thumping away victory against lowly Ashland Rovers An in-form Jack Goodband led the way with four goals along with a Jack Griffiths hattrick plus strikes by Tyler Withers and Dylan Muir completing a 9-1 hammering
by Alex Slater
A tough away match against Wirksworth Ivanhoe awaited Adam Dolman’s men to finish off the month
On a very heavy and tough pitch the first team battled hard to come away with a well-earned point with that man Jack Griffiths getting the all-important goal in a 1-1 draw
Dynamo Reserves began November with a resounding 3-0 away win against Holbrook St Michael’s Reserves in the Junior Derbyshire Cup South Goals from Riley Moore, Olly O’Reilly and a rare Reuben
Gosling strike saw the Ressies through to the semi-finals
A hard fought home victory followed as Melbourne welcomed bottom of the table Mayfield to Cockshut Lane and again it was a rare goal scorer who earned the three points – an Olly Walsh header giving them a 1-0 win
Dynamo Reserves ended the month in heartbreak as they lost their Junior Derbyshire Cup semi-final on penalties after an entertaining 2-2 draw with Ashbourne FC Reserves
Skipper Pav Sahota and forward Joe Shadbolt were on the scoresheet only for them to lose 5-3 in the shoot-out
TICKNALL Cricket Club held its annual presentation night at Ticknall Village Hall
The event was well attended with more than 50 people present including players from all three senior teams
The guests were welcomed by beautifully laid out tables ready for a three-course meal prepared on the premises with waiter service The meal itself was superb and would have graced any topclass restaurant
This was followed by the chair of the club, Paul Bunyan, addressing the room, briefly going through the season and congratulating the first team on gaining promotion back to the premier league He explained the disappointment of the second team’s performances for a number of uncontrollable reasons, including the unavailability of players but was happy that they had avoided relegation
Tom Wood, the first team captain, congratulated the team on gaining promotion back to the premier league at first time of asking despite disappointment that it wasn’t as champions He stated that the team was a good combination of experienced and younger and up coming players who had gained vital experience in division one – a mix gave him confidence the team would fare well in the premier league next season
After dinner speaker Annette Owen then took to the stage Annette is a former international umpire and gave an entertaining speech of her trial and tribulations of combining being a wife, mother and umpire in the cricket fraternity She waived any fee but asked for donations to The Royal Derby Hospital cancer department
The very pleasant evening was concluded with the presentation of awards to players and members achieved during the 2024 season
1st team batting and bowling: Tom Wood; 2nd team batter: Caleb Read; 2nd team bowler: Peter Lumb; 3rd team batter: Ryan Hetherington; 3rd team bowler: Zac Lucas
Players’ player awards: 1st team, Will Orpin; 2nd team, Harry Paterson; 3rd team, Shaun Hetherington
Club member of the year is Paul Sharratt while young player of the year is Charlie Mayfield, and finally the player of the year award went to Ryan Hetherington
On behalf of Ticknall Cricket Club and myself we wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year Only four months left before the new season is with us and hope for the sun to shine and entertaining cricket at The Grange
l Action from the Dynamo v Sleetmoor Utd cup game. Photo: Jansen Brown Studios