As usual, the ANT is available on line or from the Sycamore. Normally we report on the ANT on the day it comes out but there’s always one of the blog team who forgets and reports a day late. I can’t remember which one though.
The headline news this week is that Patrick McLoughlin not only retained his seat but received exactly the same number of votes this time as he did last time. Mr Mcloughlin said that he had no idea of what the odds were of something like that happening but that he might buy a lottery ticket next week and “see what happens”. There is also some election coverage inside the paper although “no mention of people being turned away from polling stations.” There were certainly no local reports of crowds of voters running amok at The Sycamore or Bradbourne Village Hall this week where the ladies manning the polling station told me it had been a “quiet day, quite boring really”.
Apparently some of the new Robin Hood film starring Russell Crowe has local scenery it in, from Thorpe and Dovedale. Russell Crowe even stopped for a pint in the Green Man although I’m not sure if that bit is in the film. We also need to look out for local stuntman Dominic Preece who doubles as Prince John in the film.
In other news, fans of the Cheeky Girls will be excited to hear that they will be appearing at the Bearded Theory Festival in Hulland Ward this weekend. The festival made national news last year when it was hit by a tornado. Although not Parwich news, turn to page 12 for a picture of Joyce Dyche from Boylestone ladies group in a funny Easter bonnet with a rubber duck on. And a photography festival is being organised in Ilam from 4-6 June. Paul Hill, orignally from Bradbourne and one of the organisers, said that participants need to be “beyond the beginner’s stage” – a few of the blog photographers might be interested in that.
The centre spread today contains photos of ladies in bras (and/or anoraks) at Carsington last Sunday raising money for breast cancer charities. Can you the eagle-eyed amongst you spot anyone local in this photograph? Local band the A52s played at the event and have been invited back again next year.
PARWICH.ORG 
An aging rocker writes: Actually, Cheeky Girls aside, the line-up for this weekend’s Bearded Theory festival at Hulland Ward sounds rather good. They’ve booked such luminaries as New Model Army, Dreadzone, Dr & the Medics, The Wonder Stuff, Neville Staple from The Specials, Dodgy, The Men They Couldn’t Hang… and not forgetting the “Red Hot Frilly Kickers” Can Can troupe, of course!
What’s wrong with The Cheeky Girls….?