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Memories of Parwich

Posted in Environment, History, Uncategorized on Thursday October 7, 2021| Leave a Comment »

We have received this lovely email from Anne F recalling happy Parwich days:

I discovered your website whilst thinking about my parents who met during WW2 at Parwich hospital !! My mother was a nurse and my father was convalescing and many wonderful and lasting friendships were made during that time. Parwich has always had a very special place in our hearts and I grew up visiting the village and Parwich Hill many times and hearing many stories which we continue to recall to this day. Mum died last year age 98yrs and we have been thinking about how we could perhaps donate something towards the village. We brought Mum for her last visit only several years ago and drove her up the back lane that winds behind the hill and parked by the stile that accesses the footpath across the fields and to the top of the hill. Many memories !

We don’t have a huge contribution and wondered whether we could donate something towards your planting in Pump Hill ? Mum and Dad loved Parwich and spent their lives walking and enjoying the countryside. It would be lovely to contribute something in their memory.Perhaps there may be room for some more woodland flowers ?

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History Society AGM

Posted in History on Thursday February 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »

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Parwich Primary School: Remembrance 2020 – Letter to the Community

Posted in Arts, Crafts, History, School, Uncategorized on Sunday October 18, 2020| Leave a Comment »

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Parwich Primary School: Remembrance 2020 – Letter to the Community

Posted in Arts, Crafts, History, School, Uncategorized on Wednesday October 7, 2020| Leave a Comment »

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Historic cricket match information wanted

Posted in History, People on Friday August 28, 2020| Leave a Comment »

We have received the following request:

Does anybody know how to find out if there are any records that would show past cricket matches played in Parwich? It’s for a friend of mine, Wayne Ward, his Great-Grandad’s name was Arthur Smith, he had some cricket playing brothers (Les and Lawrence) and his Dad (Charlie Smith) and one or possibly both of his uncles (George Smith and William/Bill Smith) were cricketers too. He is trying to find out if any written records might exist. He has a 1910s or 20s photo which shows his Great Grandad’s Dad and Grandad (team manager), but other than knowing that Arthur Smith and his brothers were cricketing well into the 1940s and probably beyond, he doesn’t know much else! Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you lucy B

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Parwich Hall in 1924

Posted in History, Uncategorized on Thursday July 2, 2020| 1 Comment »

We have recently been sent digital copies of photographs of Parwich Hall in 1924. At that time the Hall was owned by Major Gainsford, a colliery owner from Sheffield who bought the estate in the 1915 sale and then sold it in 1931 to the Crompton- Inglefields. A woman appears on a number of the photos and we have been told that the text says she is “Miss Ina”. Major Gainsford’s wife’ name was Edith Geraldine so it is possible that Miss Ina might have been Geraldine which was misread. Or maybe a name she was known based on Geraldine. If anyone has any information on the Gainsfords and the mysterious Miss Ina, we should love to hear it.

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A thousand years of celebration

Posted in Carnival & Recreation, Church, History, Oddfellows, Wakes on Saturday June 27, 2020| 2 Comments »

Villages’ Wakes grew out of communities celebrating their church’s patron saint. For us that is St Peter whose feast day is the 29th of June, still used to to calculate the start of Parwich Wakes; our Wakes beginning on the nearest Saturday to the 29th of June.

The current St Peter’s Church was built in 1872/73, replacing the smaller Norman building also dedicated to St. Peter. We can see some features of the old Church today in the current building, including the tympanum over the west door, the archway of the west door, the archway between the tower and the nave and the carved faces high up in the side chapel. It is thought that the old church was built in the late eleventh or early twelfth century and would almost have certainly been dedicated to St. Peter as it is unusual for the dedication to be changed. It is possible that there was a previous Saxon church here, but the evidence is inconclusive.

The old St Peter’s in a nineteenth century water colour

So we have been celebrating as a community at the end of June for at least nine hundred years, though perhaps much longer. These celebrations from the start would have included a lot more than just a church service. Processions and theatricals would have been included, possibly by the fourteenth or fifteen century involving a play celebrating Robin Hood and Maid Marion. The prettiest or best dressed youngsters might even have be elected to be that year’s Marion and Robin, a precursor to out Carnival parade and fancy dress competition. It is likely that there were local sports, foot races and perhaps archery competitions, certainly when archery practice was compulsory from the fourteenth right up to the sixteen century. ‘Beers’ were a big part of the celebrations, where local guilds and groups brewed beer to sell during the revels. This tradition was revived not so long ago with the Oddfellows Ale, brewed by Leatherbritches. The ‘beers’ raised money either to fund candles and devotion in the church for each guild’s favourite saint or to help guild members when times were hard. (more…)

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History Society AGM

Posted in History on Sunday March 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »

CANCELLED

CANCELLED

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Talk Postponed

Posted in History on Thursday March 12, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The history talk on the Dunstable Annuls at Bradbourne on 26 March has been postponed

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Bradbourne History Talk

Posted in Events, History on Monday March 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »

POSTPONED

Bradbourne Church Hall

Thursday 26 March. 7.30 pm

“The Dunstable Annuls”

a talk by

Rev Steve Williams and Jean Yates

Entrance £4 to include refreshments

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Denis’ Talk and Walk

Posted in History on Monday March 2, 2020| 1 Comment »

Thank you to Martin C for these photos of yesterday’s event

denis

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Good Turn Out for POP

Posted in History on Saturday October 12, 2019| 2 Comments »

Thank you Sally P for these photos of the recent Parwich Origins Project talk.

The start of what will hopefully be a fascinating project for our community

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Parwich Origins Project – TONIGHT

Posted in History on Wednesday October 9, 2019| Leave a Comment »

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History Talk at Bradbourne

Posted in History on Wednesday October 9, 2019| Leave a Comment »

October 10th 7.30pm at Bradbourne Church Hall.

A Talk entitled

The Met Office and The D Day Landings

by Jean Yates Of Dunstable.
Entrance £4 to include Refreshments.

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Why is Parwich Here?

Posted in History on Friday October 4, 2019| Leave a Comment »

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Why is Parwich Here?

Posted in History, Uncategorized on Sunday September 29, 2019| Leave a Comment »

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History Talk at Bradbourne

Posted in History on Wednesday September 25, 2019| Leave a Comment »

October 10th 7.30pm at Bradbourne Church Hall.

A Talk entitled

The Met Office and The D Day Landings

by Jean Yates Of Dunstable.
Entrance £4 to include Refreshments.

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Nethergreen Dig

Posted in History on Saturday May 4, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Thank you to Richard K-M for sending this polecam photo of the work the excavation group at last Sunday’s Archaeology Day.

polecam pic

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Archaeology Day Preparations

Posted in History on Saturday April 27, 2019| 3 Comments »

Although the Day has been postponed to tomorrow Sunday 28 April, preparations were underway on Friday. Two areas have been marked out for the geophys team, one in Chris and Ruth’s orchard and one in the field at Nethergreen Farm. The geophys scanner cannot work in wet conditions so fingers crossed for a dry day tomorrow.

Friday also saw the removal of turf and loose stones from what will become the large excavation trench. With only an inch or so of top soil removed interesting stones were starting to be revealed which indicate an earlier construction. The trench is now ready for a full excavation.

archaeology 2019

Everyone is welcome to come along and have a go at the geophys survey and excavating the trench. There will be a few archaeological activities for children. Please bring along any interesting finds you may have from the village and also your knowledge about local water sources. We are hoping to start a major project on the importance of water to the village, this Archaeology Day is our first step towards this project.

Fiona H. History Society

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Archeology Day – Parwich Finds

Posted in Events, History on Friday April 26, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Bring along any interesting finds that have appeared in your gardens or elsewhere and find out what they are. We have our very own finds expert Ian Pitts on hand to identify what you bring along.

The bits of pottery or metal work we find in our gardens can tell us a surprising amount. In my garden bits of late nineteenth or early twentieth century pottery at the bottom of the well tell us when it was likely to have gone out of use and been filled in, and two bits of pottery, one above and one below, suggest a yard surface, two feet or so below the current garden, was in use around the 1500s. (An advantage of having Ian doing your walling is the additional finds identification.)

Some random pottery finds in a Parwich flower bed
The piece on the right is Medieval perhaps indicating a Medieval house was nearby

Also we have a display of some of the late Brian Foden’s finds in and around Parwich from his many years of field walking. This includes some very fine Neolithic flints and arrowheads.

Note, this event has been delayed a day, because of the imminent arrival of Storm Hannah. Come for all or part of the day, 10am to 4pm Sunday 28th April, Nethergreen Farm.

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Archaeology Day now Sunday

Posted in History on Friday April 26, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Due to the imminent arrival of Storm Hannah the decision has been made to postpone the Archaeology Day to Sunday 10.00 am – 4.00 pm

Fiona H

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Archeology Day – Wells & Springs

Posted in Environment, Events, Farming, History, Services, Utilities on Wednesday April 24, 2019| 4 Comments »

Before mains water, local water sources and water management were essential for successful farming and ultimately survival. For example Parwich had an ‘ancient’ water meadow system designed to get grass growing as early as possible in the Spring to feed livestock as early as possible before the Winter feed stores were used up and the beasts had to be slaughtered.

The History Society hopes to undertake an archeology project investigating aspects of water management in our area. At this stage we are gathering what information we can about water usage in our area and also trying to find out what people are most interested in.

Domestic well found at Church Farm

A lot of houses had their own water supply and there was a system of wells and springs serving the community as a whole.

Communal water sources in Parwich, marked with green dots

The communal sources we know about are

the Village Pump (now the bus shelter)
Staines trough
Pump Hill trough (supplied by pump that also took water up to the ‘dew pond’ at the top of the Hall gardens)
Kiln Lane troughs
spring below Knob Hall
step down well at Church Farm (now in Court House garden)
springs on hillside opposite the Crown Inn, now in the garden of Pool Croft

There may have been other sources used communally such as the covered well behind West View or the step down well by Brook Cottage but we need confirmation of this.

Given mains water arrived here with in living memory, there is potential to gather what information and stories people have, in addition to studying the evidence of remaining features and of old maps.

Nether Green Farm itself has at least two wells, one of which a very unusual design for Derbyshire (so far the only parallels identified are in Cornwall), but also there are seasonal springs that fed the water meadow system and interesting but not yet understood underground water channels and sluices.

Come along on Sunday to perhaps find out where your house used to get its water from, help us map the water sources in Parwich and the surrounding area, share any information you might have, have a look around Nethergreen Farm or even participate in archeological investigations there.

Updated 26/4/19 Come for all or part of the day, 10am to 4pm Sunday 28th April, Nethergreen Farm.

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Archaeology Day; More Details

Posted in History on Tuesday April 23, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Archaeology day poster 2

With the kind permission of Chris and Ruth L, there will be some geophysical surveying of the lumps and bumps in their orchard as well as at Nethergreen Farm. A geophys survey enables archaeological images to be mapped without disturbing the ground. Come and see how it works and have a go!

Fancy your hand at excavation? A couple of trenches will be opened under the guidance of an archaeologist. Small trowels and sieves will be provided for you to see what we can learn about the previous use and occupation of the area. One of the trenches will be where we believe there is a small chamber, found a couple of years ago using a small camera (and nearly losing Ian P)!

well 003 (2)

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Archaeology Day

Posted in History on Wednesday April 17, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Archaeology day poster 2

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Archaeology Day

Posted in History on Friday April 12, 2019| 2 Comments »

Archaeology day poster 2

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Archaeology Day

Posted in History on Monday March 4, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Archaeology day poster

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Cultural Heritage Lectures

Posted in Environment, History on Tuesday February 26, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Just outside our immediate area, this series of lectures by the South West Peak Landscape Partnership covers features which are found locally:

Cultural Heritage Spring Lecture Series brought to you by the South West Peak Landscape Partnership
What better way to spend an evening than learning about fire, foxholes, bullets and barrows? Or how about hearing tales of Anglo Saxons in the Staffordshire Moorlands?

You can learn about these topics – and many others – during a spring lecture series on cultural heritage, from renowned speakers, at Buxton’s Devonshire Dome. Tickets cost £5 and all proceeds go towards South West Peak Landscape Partnership’s Small Heritage Adoption and Barns & Buildings projects.

The Small Heritage Adoption Project is working to protect little-known pieces of history that are sometimes overlooked and ranges from boundary markers to lime kilns to Bronze Age burial mounds.

The Barns & Buildings project is focusing on field barns throughout the South West Peak and is working to record and in some cases restore these iconic features of the landscape.

Both projects rely on a group of dedicated volunteers who have the opportunity to train with and learn from local experts in cultural heritage and help protect the South West Peak’s unique history.

The lecture series will include:
12th March – There’s More to Walls by Master Craftsman Trevor Wragg;
19th March – Fire, Foxholes, Bullets and Barrows by SWP cultural heritage officer Dr Catherine Parker Heath;
26th March – Anglo Saxons in The Staffordshire Moorlands and the South West Peak by Harry Ball;
2nd April – Highways and Waymarkers by Jan Scrine of The Milestone Society;
9th April – Historic Mining in the South West Peak by Dr John Barnatt.

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Archaeology Day

Posted in Events, History on Thursday February 14, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Archaeology day poster

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A Secret Find in a Secret Location

Posted in History on Wednesday November 14, 2018| Leave a Comment »

One space only left for a day’s volunteering on Tuesday 27 November

The History Society has been told of an interesting find which has taken place in the parish of Parwich. At the moment the nature of the find and it’s location have not been disclosed. The Peak District National Park Authority is organising a 5 day excavation of a trench in the vicinity of the find at the end of the month and have offered 10 day spaces to the History Society / village (2 for each of the 5 days). 6 of these have already been filled at our AGM leaving 4 day spaces for other volunteers.

If you are interested in volunteering for a day’s excavation you will need to be reasonably fit and healthy, able to do a full day and walk to the site carrying tools as well as have suitable footwear and clothing. If you are interested contact me on 191 by the end of Thursday 15 November. If we are oversubscribed, priority will be given to History Society members.

Fiona H

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Parwich Remembers

Posted in British Legion, Church, Events, History on Monday November 12, 2018| 1 Comment »

Thank you to John L and Martin C for these photographs of yesterday’s events

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A Secret Find in a Secret Location

Posted in History on Friday November 9, 2018| Leave a Comment »

The History Society has been told of an interesting find which has taken place in the parish of Parwich. At the moment the nature of the find and it’s location have not been disclosed. The Peak District National Park Authority is organising a 5 day excavation of a trench in the vicinity of the find at the end of the month and have offered 10 day spaces to the History Society / village (2 for each of the 5 days). 6 of these have already been filled at our AGM leaving 4 day spaces for other volunteers.

If you are interested in volunteering for a day’s excavation you will need to be reasonably fit and healthy, able to do a full day and walk to the site carrying tools as well as have suitable footwear and clothing. If you are interested contact me on 191 by the end of Thursday 15 November. If we are oversubscribed, priority will be given to History Society members.

Fiona H

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Parwich Welcomes Evacuee

Posted in History, People on Tuesday August 21, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Jo (Joshua) Potter and his wife are staying in Parwich this week. He is a former evacuee who came here from Manchester when he was 7 in 1939. He and his younger brother were billetted with the Websters at Blanche Meadow Farm for some six years.

Catering 4 Parwich and Parwich Local History Society hosted a tea party this afternoon for people who attended Parwich School during WW2 to meet them and share memories. Despite several people being away the fifteen able to come had a very enjoyable time.

Peter T

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WW2 Child evacuee staying in Parwich (again)

Posted in History on Wednesday August 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »

WW2 Child evacuee staying in Parwich (again)

Were you a child living in the Parwich area during WW2 and can you remember a child evacuee (?from M/C) called Joshua (Joe) Potter who was staying with Mr Kramer & Mrs Annie Webster and their sons Ronnie & Stanley at Blanche Meadow Farm from 1939-1944? Mr Potter would have been approx. 7-12 yrs old during his years in Parwich. Mr Potter sang in the choir at St. Peter’s Church.

Mr Joshua Potter and his wife Linda, are coming to stay in Croft Cottage for the week of 18-25 August. Mr Potter would be interested to meet up with anyone who may remember him.

I have already received some information from a few local residents, but please let me know if you know of anyone who may like to meet Mr and Mrs Potter.

Saskia Tallis, 440 or saskia@croftcottage.co.uk

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Bradbourne History Talk Tonight

Posted in History, Uncategorized on Wednesday June 13, 2018| Leave a Comment »

A talk by Jean Yates on Bradbourne’s Lord of the Manor and Norman Knight Si Gaefridos de Cauceis

Bradbourne Church Hall

Wednesday 13th June 7.30 pm

Entrance £3 including refreshments

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Bradbourne History Talk

Posted in History on Wednesday May 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »

A talk by Jean Yates on Bradbourne’s Lord of the Manor and Norman Knight Si Gaefridos de Cauceis

Bradbourne Church Hall

Wednesday 13th June 7.30 pm

Entrance £3 including refreshments

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Dr Williams’ Memoir

Posted in History, People on Monday April 30, 2018| 1 Comment »

Copies of the Dr Williams Memoir mentioned on this site on 19 April can be obtained locally from Saskia Tallis at The Croft, Creamery Lane, tel. 440. Dr Williams was one of the GPs based at Hartington from the mid-1950s until the mid-1980s. He has recorded a variety of early memories from his time in the area, which the Hartington History Group has re-produced in pamphlet form for sale at £1, with the proceeds going to Hartington Community Group funds.

It can also be purchased at the Hartington History Day event in the Village Hall this coming Saturday, May 5 from 1100 to 1600, which is primarily focused on Alan Salt’s exhibition of of cheese-making [see www.hartingtonvillage.com/hartington-history-day-5th-may-2018 for further details].

Richard G, Hartington History Group

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Dr Williams’ Memories

Posted in History on Thursday April 19, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Many older residents in the area will remember Dr Williams, who was one of the GPs based at Hartington from the mid-1950s until the mid-1980s. He has recorded a variety of early memories from his time in the area, which the Hartington History Group has re-produced in pamphlet form for sale at £1, with the proceeds going to Hartington Community Group funds. Copies can be obtained directly from Sue Bruce at Hartington Post Office, or if anyone in Parwich would like a supply of, say, 10 copies to distribute locally please contact me, Richard Gregory, on rg3390717@gmail.com or 01298 84368.

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The Limestone Way

Posted in Eating Out, Food Corner, History, Planning, Services, Walks & Rides on Sunday April 1, 2018| 4 Comments »

Starbucks?

Many residents will be familiar with the Limestone Way that traverses through Parwich but few will realise that 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of its formal adoption as a long distance walking route. Much of the path has been used for 100s of years but it was only in 1970 that the route gained recognition as a long distance path. The trend to recognise such paths gave rise to the formation of the LDWA (Long Distance Walkers Association) in 1972. To mark the 50th anniversary of the path the LDWA have been looking for ways improve the walker experience and facilities along the route. As you are no doubt aware the recent activity by OpenReach around the area has resulted in upgrades to cabling into the village with fibre optics, FTTC and FTTP technologies and the new GFast making the old telephone exchange obsolete. BT and OpenReach estimate that the exchange will no longer be needed from late 2019. This has presented the LDWA in partnership with the National Park, Derby Dales and Staffordshire Moorlands councils the opportunity to provide a much needed new facility along the Limestone Way without the need for new building work in a conservation area. According to information on display in the National Park office in Bakewell the telephone exchange will be converted into an information centre providing an exhibition of the history of the limestone way, a small franchised coffee shop and ladies/gents toilet facilities. The latter particularly important for the large number of young families and older ramblers passing through the village since the closure of the public facilities on Creamery Lane.
There are also plans to involve villages along the route in celebratory events throughout 2020.

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One Remembered Today

Posted in History, People on Sunday November 12, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Many thanks to Karen Watson who brought this article from the ANT to our attention.

thomas hadfield thomas hadfield. 1JPG

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The Wonders of the Peak

Posted in Arts, Environment, History, Peak Park on Tuesday September 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Derbyshire County Council has sent the following information:

Buxton Museum and Art Gallery launches Wonders of the Peak
A brand new gallery and digital experience is set to open at our Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.

Wonders of the Peak − a journey through time and place − houses the museum’s collection of 1,200 Peak District artefacts collected over 125 years. The Wonder of the Peak website (opens in a new window) allows people to explore the collection digitally while visiting the Peak District, or from the comfort of their own home, or the library, using their smartphone, tablet or computer.
More than 75 volunteers were instrumental in the project. Their contribution included testing the digital content, collecting oral histories, laying out new displays and conserving and documenting artefacts. (more…)

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