VAUGHAN WILLIAMS AND BRAHMS IN ASHBOURNE
The Derbyshire Singers continue their 51st season with a concert featuring the music of Vaughan Williams and Brahms. The concert will take place at St John's Church, Ashbourne DE6 1EX on 22 March 2025 at 7:30 pm.
Accompanied by members of The Musical and Amicable Society, with Natasha Page (soprano), Michael Hickman (bass), and Peter Shepherd (piano) and under the direction of Jonny Allsopp, the Derbyshire Singers will perform Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs and Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem).
This performance holds a special significance for the Derbyshire Singers, as the choir were just a week away from performing the Brahms in March 2020 when the lockdown order was issued, leading to the concert’s cancellation.
Vaughan Williams’ composition sets to music five poems by the 17th-century poet George Herbert. Written between 1906 and 1911, the piece is scored for bass-baritone, choir, and orchestra. Vaughan Williams also scored the piece for smaller forces, and this is the version which will be performed on 22 March 2025. The scoring of the Vaughan Williams will admirably complement the scoring of the Brahms.
Brahms made two arrangements of Ein Deutsches Requiem: an arrangement for piano duet, and the original with full romantic orchestral accompaniment. Recently, composer, Iain Farrington (who is most well-known both for a new organ piece commissioned for the Coronation of Charles III, or for his piano appearance in a Mr Bean skit during the opening of the 2012 Olympics) has made a chamber arrangement of the work, for just eight players: piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, and clarinet. This version offers a beautiful and intimate experience for performers and concertgoers.
These two works are a perfect combination for this special evening.
Tickets are £16, which includes a programme, and students in full-time education go free. You can find the tickets at https://www.derbyshiresingers.org/future-concerts#.
Join us for what promises to be a memorable evening.
CROMFORD WI
A double act...or...'two for the price of one' , was February's entertainment at Cromford W.I. at The Greyhound
Mayor and Mayoress of Amber Valley
17 members and two speakers crowded into the Greyhound 'board meeting' room to hear the inspiring story of Janette Lobley who has risen through the ranks of three W.I.'s in Derbyshire; holding various roles, including becoming an Ambassador for Climate Change and the Environment. The National W.I. was a founding member of the Climate Change Coalition – now having over 300 ambassadors across the country....
Janette was not motivated by a yearning for power and status, or political or religious campaigning, but passionate in delivering the crucial message at grassroots level to ladies and families nationally to 'save our environment'.
After a bereavement, Janette was searching for a passion or purpose, leading to her involvement in establishing awareness for a greener and less wasteful society. She has initiated such projects as Baslow W.I.'s collection of all plastics which demonstrated the complete overuse by manufacturers: Clothes swaps, use of wax wraps and recycling events. Numerous newsletters were circulated to all members and groups covering a wide area of environmental issues including climate change, COP 27, carbon effect pollution, the Queen's green canopy, Thinking Green, the decline of honeybees, endangered species, hedgehog decline, the Earth Shot prize etc, and more recently covering polluted rivers and sewerage in our streams, rivers and oceans surrounding our Island.
There are a number of local initiatives attempting to buck the trend to destroy such as: Martin's Waste at Alfreton who sort and process all waste possible in a green way. Sheffield Council approved the use of heating systems to run off waste and Derbyshire Dales have just commenced a collection of small electrical items free of charge along with the normal food caddy's and plastic's collection.
We all know the basics of recycling. but need to up our game and think deeper into the consequences of not trying hard enough.
We also heard from husband, Paul Lobley – Mayor of Amber Valley and previously of Ripley who gave us some interesting anecdotes of his time in office.
Paul explained some of the varied duties as a mayor, including mundane tasks such as planning applications and signing off road closures! Alongside these duties are the absolute benefits of meeting all kinds of people and groups from all backgrounds and walks of life and championing their causes that benefit our wonderful community in Derbyshire.
Join us on the 1st Wednesday of the month, 7.15pm at the Greyhound in Cromford – we would love to welcome ladies of all ages! We have a wide variety of talks; walks and events to suit all tastes!
DERBYSHIRE PUSH FOR MORE SAY & LESS DISRUPTION IN RESPONSE TO NATIONAL INQUIRY ON UTILITY ROADWORKS
Derbyshire County Council has responded to a national Transport Committee Inquiry about managing the impact of utility companies roadworks as part of the council’s continuing drive to reduce both the disruption and lasting impact of utility works on the roads
Every time a utility company, the companies who provide water, gas, electricity, phone, broadband and other digital services, want to dig up the road to get to their equipment they have to seek permission from the local highways agency. The council currently has limited powers to refuse permission. In Derbyshire around four in every five sets of roadworks are by one of the utility companies.
Some utility company jobs are to fix broken pipes or cables and are deemed an emergency because the service they provide has stopped. Some jobs are to replace old equipment or install new equipment for new developments and are done in a more planned way.
The Transport Committee at the Houses of Parliament asked for views on how these roadworks could be better managed.
Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, Councillor Charlotte Cupit, explained: “We’re pleased with this national inquiry as another opportunity in our ongoing campaign to reduce the impact of roadworks across Derbyshire.
“We do understand that all our utility companies need to do works on our roads and pavements to get to their equipment, as we do all need water, electricity, gas and digital services.
“But we all get frustrated when we’re stuck in temporary lights that aren’t being best timed, where we don’t know what the work is for (particularly if no one is on site!) or when we see the patchwork of trenches left behind.
“Amongst the issues that we have raised with the Transport Committee is our request for a longer guarantee on the work they do, and we’d like more powers to be able to insist that some jobs undertaken mean that they then resurface the full width of the road, not just a small trench. These small trenches can often fail just after the warranty period, and a few years later weaken the road surface.
“We’d like more powers for our inspectors so they can do more spot checks on works as we’re currently quite limited to strict criteria.
“We’d also like greater powers to say no to work that is not an emergency, but where utilities want to work at peak times or at weekends. And we’d like the power to make utility companies work out of hours, at nights or quiet weekends and do better communications locally when they’re working in an area.
“Another issue we have highlighted are the fines we can give to utility companies if their jobs take longer than they said they would. The level of the fines are not really much of a deterrent to large companies, so we are calling for the fines to be increased, as well as other potential deterrents such as the power to stop them working.
“And finally we are encouraging the coordination of the utility companies when they need to access the same piece of road in a short piece of time. This is mainly when new developments are being built and each utility company needs access. We can often have several road closures, which we know causes massive frustration, as one by one the utility companies appear to do what they need to do. This could possibly be coordinated through the planning process.”
“ We do work well with the utility companies, and always do our best to coordinate work so that we take account of other jobs taking place at the same time close by, but we believe that with some fairly small changes we could make a big positive impact for residents and roads.”
A formal response has been submitted to the Transport Inquiry and the council will continue to raise local issues.
MATLOCK CRUK TABLE TOP SALE
The Matlock branch of Cancer Research UK are holding a table top sale at the Imperial Rooms in Matlock on Saturday 26th April from 10am to 1pm. Tables can be hired at £10 per table, the hirer keeping all profits from sales. April is the time for a spring clean; this is the opportunity to make money from unwanted items
All inquiries to Sue Roper 07763 773592
MATLOCK TRAVEL SOCIETY
NEW SEASON’S EXCURSIONS 2025
We’re happy to announce that the arrangements for our excursions for the coming season in 2025 have now been finalised. There’s a varied programme with something of interest for everyone.
Our first outing on 16 April is to Macclesfield, once the centre of textile design and the largest producer of hand finished silk. We visit the Silk Museum and Paradise Mill, a beautifully preserved working silk mill with 27 restored jacquard looms. Step back in time with guided tours to appreciate the luxury of the items produced for an international market, including Liberty of London.
Our May visit (13th) finds us at Papplewick Pumping Station, built in 1884 to pump millions of qgallons of fresh water to the increasing population of industrial Nottingham. The Gothic revival architecture, the massive beam engines and the attention to detail make this an unforgettable experience. This is the only pumping station in the Midlands in full working order and our guided tour will enable us to appreciate this.
We follow up with a visit to Newstead Abbey with a buffet lunch and guided tour of the house.
On 17 June we have the pleasure of a whole day at Trentham Gardens, a Grade II* registered garden, formerly the seat of the Dukes of Sutherland and boasting landscaping by Capability Brown. Just the perfect place for a picnic!
On 16 July we travel to Burton Constable Hall, a Grade I listed building set in a 330-acre park and full of 18th and 19th century interiors, including an 18th century cabinet of curiosities. Again, our guided tour and free flow access will enable us to fully appreciate this beautiful hall. The Orangery, gardens and parkland merit exploration too.
August finds us on a guided tour at the Cheddleton Flint Mill. Originally built to grind corn, it was converted to grind flint. The Grade II listed site next to the Caldon Canal contains flint kilns, water mills, drying kilns, a miller’s cottage and a steam engine from the Minton Pottery.
From there we board the train for a journey on the Churnet Valley Railway on the complete route to Ipstones. On our return journey we will be served with ‘Cream Tea in a box’!
Our September visit on the 25th, is to Boughton House, Kettering, the home of the Duke of Buccleugh and Queensberry. A grand house, said to resemble the Palace of Versailles, ‘The English Versailles’. Filled with fine art, porcelain, furniture, tapestry and carpets, these are some of the best preserved baroque rooms in the British Isles. Our ‘Kings Tour’ will no doubt be impressive.
Finally our last adventure of the season will be on December 4th when we enjoy a cruise on the River Trent with Princess River Cruises. Christmas lunch will follow as we cruise along.
We will be pleased to welcome new members. If you would like to receive a brochure with more details, please contact Marion on 01246 466925. We hope to see you and welcome you along.
PLAN TO FIX LEASHAW LANDSLIP
Work on a plan to fix the major landslip at Leashaw, near Holloway is continuing, with new milestones set for the repair project.
The road suffered a major landslip in November 2022 and has been closed since. The site and a potential repair was initially under consideration by Severn Trent, as they have a major water pipe running near the area (which makes repairs more challenging), but they passed the issue back to the county council in late 2023.
The council have since been working on potential solutions. After a period of ground testing and investigation last summer, work is now complete on the preliminary detailed designs and costings of the work needed to rebuild and then reopen the road to vehicles.
The next steps, which are now starting are to work with a pre-contractor to support the final design and construction scheme, whilst also carrying out any negotiations needed for the land that might need to be used to carry out the fix, as well as continuing discussions with Severn Trent about their large water pipe.
The proposed scheme, which has been backed up by the tests and extensive ground work done last year, is for a mini-piled solution, which will then support a new retaining wall where the slip occurred and support the reconstructed road.
The anticipated cost of the project is £1million and it is proposed to start the works as soon as possible, but this will probably be in the summer of 2026.
ROTARY BAKEWELL
Rotary Bakewell Repair Café
at the Methodist Church Hall
We had another great turn out of Rotary Club members and volunteers at the bi-monthly event Saturday morning 25th January. Customers arrived right on time and the repairers were kept busy with over 20 items brought in. Sadly, we were unable to fix a few things, we were beaten by a trouser press, 2 kettles and a set of Christmas lights but we were able to get some great successes with 7 working electrical items heading home, coat zips repaired, cardigans magically wearable without holes and a dress able to be worn again. A lovely Tiffany style lampshade was sent home glued and looking good.
We were joined by Dave Locke from Bakewell Climate Action who was pleased to have some interesting conversations with the Café users and hand out fliers about green actions and events.
We raised some £130 from donations, and it was brilliant to see so many there on the day pitching in and contributing to such a great convivial community atmosphere.
The next café is same place, same time on Saturday 29th March.
If you fancy helping to do the mending then get in touch with our Co-ordinator, Margie Stuckey on 01629 813638 and we would be more than happy to welcome you.
Bakewell Rotary Meeting Round-up
At our evening meeting on 29th January our own member, Dr John Burn gave a detailed insight into the life and times of Lord Platt of Grindleford – Physician and Humanist (1900-1978) who had been an inspirational influence on his own medical career.
It covered his schooling at Grindleford College which his father founded, study at Sheffield, medical practice, war service and his 20-year period reinvigorating the medical school in Manchester – and latterly, President of the Royal College of Physicians for 5 years which he moved from Pall Mall to the current location in Regents Park. He became a crossbench life peer in 1967 and spoke enthusiastically and effectively on NHS, voluntary euthanasia, pornography and health issues. He was also a gifted musician and music lover. A nice GP gives you what you want, a good GP gives you what you need!
And some Diary dates forward...
• Our ever-popular Quiz Night returns to the Medway Centre on Friday, 21st March.
• Our 47th birthday on Wednesday, 14th May will be a BBQ also at the Medway Centr.
• We will have the annual Kids Out Sailability event at Carsington Sailing Club with pupils from Lady Manners’ School on Wednesday, 11th June.
• Hopefully once again we will organise the ‘Bands in the Park’ concert on Wednesday 2nd July, during Bakewell Carnival week.
THREE HIGH PEAK CHARITIES CELEBRATE AFTER RECEIVING £450K OF NATIONAL LOTTERY FUNDING TO SUPPORT BEFRIENDING SERVICES
Three local voluntary sector organisations are today celebrating after being awarded almost £450,000 in National Lottery funding to support their work in reducing loneliness and isolation across the High Peak. The Bureau Glossop, Connex Community Support Buxton and New Mills & District Volunteer Centre will use the money received to provide a joined-up befriending service across the High Peak for the next three years, building on their already popular existing services.
The three organisations have been providing befriending services individually for many years now, and thanks to this funding they will be able to collaborate and work as a partnership to ensure that befriending across the High Peak can grow and make real inroads in supporting those experiencing loneliness.
The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes, and is the largest community funder in the UK, couldn’t have come at a better time for each of the voluntary organisations. All three are faced with significant cuts from April 2025 following a decision from Derbyshire County Council to remove all ‘discretionary’ funding they provide to voluntary & community organisations who support the most vulnerable in their local communities.
Natalie Rhodes, Chief Officer at The Bureau says: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. Thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to continue to provide a valuable and vital service to those most in need in our community whilst sharing knowledge, experience, and resources to ensure more people experiencing loneliness are matched with local volunteers. This gives them the opportunity to have meaningful interactions, improve their social networks and have someone there who can help them have a voice.”
The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030.
As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to:
• support communities to come together,
• be environmentally sustainable,
• help children and young people thrive
• enable people to live healthier lives
National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Last year (2023/24) The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£686.3 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK, supporting over 13,700 projects to turn their great ideas into reality.
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk