Posted in 2011, Parish Council, Posts of Note on Tuesday May 31, 2011| Leave a Comment »
At noon today, nominations for our parish council were published by Derbyshire Dales District Council. Unless anyone withdraws their candidature by noon tomorrow, this is our new council; 6 of the 7 seats were filled.
Posted in 2011, Photography, Posts of Note, Well dressing on Monday May 30, 2011| Leave a Comment »
The design is drawn onto paper, pricked out and then outlined with a metal pointer on the clay, so it is easy for us to see where to outline in coffee beans and black knobs.
The coffee beans are always positioned with the rounded edge facing outwards. This year we had to outline more in coffee beans because the black knobs or alder cones were unusually large. Once this has been finished we started filling out the background and this year we are using thousands, of camomile flower heads, and they are tiny.
The effect is certainly dramatic. (more…)
Posted in 2011, Afghanistan, People, Posts of Note on Saturday May 28, 2011| 1 Comment »
Major Benjamin Ingham has sent us this latest post having recently returned to Afghanistan following 2 weeks rest and recuperation. Ben says it was great to return to Parwich and was delighted to receive positive comments on his posts to us.
Summer is finally upon us and over the space of a few weeks the heat has risen considerably. Summer also marks the arrival of ‘fighting season’ when the insurgent fighters return to Afghanistan from their winter bed-down locations, usually within the security of the mountains and valleys hills of the Pakistan border region. Eager to demonstrate their intent to continue the insurgency campaign the rise in attacks increases considerably and, therefore, no coalition camp is exempt from increased security measures. The only time you are not within arms distance of your issue rifle is when you are in the gym or running within the relative security of the camp perimeter. Unfortunately, a rifle does little to deter the insurgents from mounting IDF (indirect fire) attacks against us. Additionally, in a separate attack the tragic death of 7 US members of camp came as a great loss.
Although it took a while to track him down, I finally managed to meet up with another Parwich villager, Nettle (Jonathon or Larry) Foden, for a brew and a chat. Tucked away in a small compound in the bowels of one of the largest, dustiest military camps in Afghanistan, over 2500 thousand miles from Parwich, we swapped tales of village life and our respective military experiences to date. We had originally made contact through Parwich.org but had we walked past one another in uniform I am sure we would never had recognized one another. Although he has spent a majority of life within the military, on numerous operational deployments, Nettle is still passionate about Parwich and village life in general. Despite us both being ‘outsiders’ we agreed that him having spent 40 years and me 30 years living in Parwich that we could almost categorise ourselves as Parwich ‘locals’. We marked the occasion with a photo for Parwich.org and a promise to meet again when the opportunity arose.
Over the last few weeks I have been making a concerted effort to try and put on some weight. The change of location, monotony of the same meals, irregular working hours and heat and general stress had all taken their toll on my eating habits and I have been steadily losing weight for the last 3 months. For the first time in many years I have been able to see my ribs and the arrival of a homemade fruitcake was gladly received which, between the members of the office, was quickly devoured – thanks Mum!
Posted in 2011, Arts, Memorial hall, People, Posts of Note on Friday May 27, 2011| 1 Comment »
Derbyshire Open Arts is an event that takes place in various venues across Derbyshire this weekend.
There will be over 100 Artists and Craftspeople displaying their work in separate venues. The public are invited to come along and enjoy the art and talk to the artists themselves, in many instances it is possible to purchase pieces as well. Details of participants and their venues can be found on line or brochures are available on the day from exhibiting artists.
This year there are two artists from Parwich exhibiting at the Arts Festival.
Dana Venetiarose will be exhibiting her work for the first time in the Memorial Hall, and Ruby Hickmott‘s work will be on show at 4 Church Walk.
Click here to view Ruby’s website.
Click here to visit Dana’s website (with additional works here and here).
Posted in 2011, Environment, Farming, Planning, Posts of Note, Sustainability on Tuesday May 17, 2011| 1 Comment »
For those who were unable to attend today’s meeting in the Memorial Hall, here are copies of the display boards, in PDF format. These provide detailed information regarding the proposal.
Use left-click to open the files in your browser, or right-click to save copies to your own computer.
Click here for the main set of boards.
Click here for a supplementary board.
Note as that the main set of boards is a large PDF file (7 megabytes), there might be a brief delay in opening it.
Copies of a questionnaire were also distributed at the meeting. You can access a copy of this questionnaire, in Word format, by clicking here.
You can either print out a copy and deliver it to Robert Gosling at Hill Top Farm, Parwich (DE6 1QE), or you can save and edit the document, then email it to robert_gosling@btconnect.com.
Although comments on Robert Gosling’s initial open letter were switched off prior to today’s meeting, there will be no further restrictions, other than the usual guidelines contained in our commenting policy.
PARWICH.ORG will be maintaining a neutral stance on this proposal. Any views expressed by indivdual members of the blog team should not necessarily be taken as representative of the team as a whole.
Posted in 2011, British Legion, Events, People, Posts of Note on Sunday May 15, 2011| 3 Comments »
A big “Happy Birthday To You” Jacqui from all your friends in and around Parwich!
Your 1940s themed birthday party at the Legion was a brilliant success! You and the other organisers put so much effort into the decorations, the music and of course the amazing costumes. A great time was had by all.
Posted in 2011, Out & About, Peak Park, Posts of Note, Walks & Rides on Saturday May 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Four former railway tunnels are ready to re-open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, following a major renovation project. Transport minister Norman Baker will officially open them on Wednesday May 25th. Update: Norman Baker will not be attending the opening after all.
The tunnels – Headstone, Cressbrook, Litton and Chee Tor – each measure between 400 and nearly 500 metres. They run from south of Bakewell to approximately three miles south of Buxton. Having been shut to the public when the Midland Railway closed in 1968, they have now been cleared out, repaired and resurfaced, with new lighting installed.
Nearly 1.5 miles of extra public access has been created. This extends the existing Monsal Trail, which runs from Bakewell to the edge of Buxton.
The project has been undertaken with the needs of cyclists in mind. Two new cycle hire businesses, at Blackwell Mill and Hassop Station, have been set up along the Monsal Trail to cater for those who wish to explore the new routes. Information panels and audio listening posts have also been provided.
Click here for more information, including maps and leaflets.
Posted in 2011, Ornithology, Posts of Note on Saturday May 14, 2011| 1 Comment »
Sue H writes:
Recently, I have had not one but three incidents where sparrowhawks have pinned birds to the ground virtually in front of me! I find it absolutely amazing to see this life and death struggle played out before me. The first time was late winter when I saw a sparrowhawk pinning a flapping blackbird to the verge just outside our house. As I was in the car, I could only stop and watch until forced to move on by another car coming. I was there for at least a minute with the sparrowhawk frozen mid-hunt. I quickly parked the car and ran back but both birds had gone…Did the sparrowhawk get its meal? Did the blackbird escape?
Then, over the Easter break, I was quietly painting windows on our terrace when there was a whoosh, a thud, a lot of feathers and many birds flying around protesting. Just yards from where I stood, possibly the same sparrowhawk had its claws into a pigeon no less! Again, there was a kind of freeze-frame when nobody moved. Tentatively, I took a step and off flew the sparrowhawk releasing the pigeon, perhaps unable to take off with its weight. Again, I wonder if the pigeon made it because along with the feathers there were spots of blood.
This week I was quietly weeding in the garden. This time, not my own but the home of our renowned bird photographer John F-S. If only he had been outside with his camera! Once again, just yards from me, a sparrowhawk emerged from a shrub, again pursued by protesting birds, carrying a female blackbird. The bird was dropped pretty promptly and I was just left in wonder at being a witness to all this hunting. I have never seen such activity before – has anyone else had such instances of sparrowhawks in their gardens?
The last amusing thing to happen was when another blackbird was dropped unceremoniously from the sky right between myself and Marion F-S! Stunned, it lay still and then shuffled off. I guess the sparrowhawk missed its meal yet again!
From now on, I think John F-S needs to shadow me with his camera whenever I’m in the garden! It would be fantastic to get some shots of this amazing bird in action.
Posted in 2011, Alsop, Environment, Offers, Out & About, Peak Park, Posts of Note, Walks & Rides on Friday May 13, 2011| 1 Comment »
PARWICH.ORG has been contacted by Steve Garidis of the Electric Bicycle Network, which is part of a major initiative to create a network of electric bikes and charging points across the Peak Park, copying similar schemes in Switzerland and Germany etc. Steve says:
Have you seen cyclists whizzing past, seemingly unconcerned about hills and headwinds? If so, they are probably on one of the new electric bicycles available for hire from hotels, self catering cottages, campsite and cycle hire centres around the Peak District.
Part of the Electric Bicycle Network launched in the Peaks this Spring. This new technology means that pretty much anyone can get into the great outdoors on two wheels. Why not give it a try? Bikes are available to hire at Carsington Water and our own Rivendale Camping and Caravan Park in Alsop-en-le-Dale.”
To promote this new initiative, two electric bikes have been made available for free trial at Carsington Water, exclusively to PARWICH.ORG readers, in return for a review on this site. This offer is strictly on a first come, first served basis.
If you’d like to try one of these bikes out, and if you’re happy to write a review of your experience for PARWICH.ORG, then please e-mail the blog team and we’ll put you in touch.
Posted in 2011, History, Local Links, Posts of Note on Thursday May 12, 2011| 1 Comment »
The Rev. John Charles Cox (1844-1919) was perhaps one of the most influential English local historians of the nineteenth century. Anyone studying early modern Derbyshire quickly comes across his work. He published dozens of books, including calendars of local records, a four-volume history of Derbyshire churches, and a detailed study of All Saints, Derby.
A brief biography of Reverend Cox – who was born in Parwich – has just been published on the “Mercurius Politicus” blog. If you have an interest in our local history, then it’s well worth a read.
Posted in 2011, Posts of Note, Services on Thursday May 12, 2011| 1 Comment »
Further to our appeal in Tuesday’s post a volunteer has come forward and is going to take over the cleaning of the toilets until we have a new Parish Council, hopefully in July.
The blog would like to pass on our thanks to this extremely public spirited person and also to thank Jane Harris for doing this job over the past few years.
Posted in 2011, Local Links, People, Photography, Posts of Note on Wednesday May 11, 2011| 2 Comments »
One of the things which makes Parwich special is the creativity of so many of its inhabitants. That creativity can take on many forms, including visual arts, crafts, design, the written word… and in the case of Alexandra Webster, a highly individual approach to photography, which makes much use of non-digital mediums such as pinhole photography, disposable cameras and photograms.
A varied selection of Alexandra’s work can now be viewed on Facebook (although you don’t have to be a registered member to access the pages). Click here for the front page, and click here for the individual galleries.
Posted in 2011, Local government, Parish Council, Posts of Note, Services on Tuesday May 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »
At the Parish Council AGM it was pointed out that the public toilets at Parsons Croft/Creamery Lane will be closed from mid May.
When no one applied for the original toilet cleaner’s job, the Parish Council were extremely grateful to Jane Harris for voluntarily doing the work.
As Jane is moving out of the village this month the Council has found a replacement cleaner. The problem is that this person who will be a paid employee cannot be employed until a new Parish Council is in place, hopefully this summer.
As a result the toilets have to close unless someone is willing to do it voluntarily during this interim period. If you are willing to help out please email parwich@hotmail.co.uk and your message will be passed on.
Derbyshire Dales District Council, today, has confirmed that they are unable to take on the responsibility of cleaning our toilets during this time.
NB – Derbyshire Dales have also been informed that two of the Dog Poo Bins are overflowing, and they have promised to look into it tomorrow.
Posted in 2011, Photography, Posts of Note on Monday May 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Posted in 2011, People, Posts of Note, Societies, Sport, Young people on Sunday May 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Ten tennis players from Kenya are in Derby for a couple of days training as part of their tour of the UK. They are being hosted by Rosemary & Stuart and Jill Thornton, and yesterday they braved the rain and were practising on the courts at Parsons Croft.
The players are preparing to compete against a selection of schools in the UK. The team is composed of a selection the current top East African regional players.
Thank you to JF-S for the photos.
Posted in 2011, Photography, Posts of Note, Roads on Sunday May 8, 2011| 6 Comments »
Lewis N has sent us the following picture of Monsdale Lane…
Lewis says “I’m sure the Back Lane does not usually end there!”
Mike G sent in an email saying that Monsdale Lane was still closed at 10.45.
20.45 – Robert Gosling has just contacted the blog having seen the photo of the fallen tree. He will remove the tree tomorrow morning, as it was on his land, and the road will be open by lunchtime.
Posted in 2011, First Responders, Posts of Note on Saturday May 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Sue H writes:
I hope the heading has grabbed your attention, as one of our responders had the following predicament last week: when called to an emergency in Brassington in the wee small hours, despite having an address he was unable to locate the house!
Although in Parwich we are lucky enough to have a map, there are some dwellings with the same name. Added to this is the possibility of general befuddledness, especially when just summoned from one’s bed!
So if you ever need to call for an ambulance, Here’s what you should do:
1) Be clear about your address and give extra info to aid locating you ( such as “near the school”)
2) At night, turn on all the lights so that the house stands out
3) If possible, station somebody outside the house to look out for and hail the ambulance / first responders.
General news from the last month is that we have two more volunteers to train to become responders. This is proving to be a veritable rush – but don’t let it deter anyone still considering joining our ranks, since the more we are, the greater coverage we can give to the village and surrounding area.
During our March training session we met Nigel, from Ashbourne ambulance station. I can definitely recall this was his name, as it said so on his pocket and I seem to remember having it drawn to my attention. He has volunteered to attend our training sessions to help us remain focussed on key skills and enhance our knowledge. We need to practise skills on a regular basis and want to draw up some aide-memoires to keep information clear, simple and easy to remember. Nigel will be a real help to us and it is amazing that he will come to us after a busy shift, in his own free time.
Today I have been round the village distributing new pads for the defibulators in our kit. We have to check and renew these and other items which can go “past the sell-by-date”. These are items that we have to buy ourselves as a group and in my next blog post I’ll talk about what we spend our funds on.
Lastly, clarification on emergency incidents that we attend. I must stress that it is not down to ourselves to choose what we are called out for. Due to considerations such as our own safety and well-being, together with insurance issues, we are only dispatched to life threatening emergencies such as chest pain, heart attack and breathing difficulties. We are never sent to traffic accidents, children under 14 or trauma cases (such as blows to the head).
Hopefully this helps people better understand the role we perform as volunteers.
Posted in 2011, Competition, Photography, Posts of Note on Saturday May 7, 2011| 1 Comment »
Do you think they are for buttonholes or hats? Anyway – we’ve missed the wedding now.
Our estimed photographer and judge, JF-S, has consulted with certain independent sources and this caption by Patti B wins first prize.
JF-S is quoted as saying,
I thought many comments showed agility of mind and clever touches of humour.
Posted in 2011, Posts of Note, Pub, Young people on Friday May 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Posted in 2011, Alsop, Ballidon, Local government, Parish Council, Pikehall, Posts of Note on Friday May 6, 2011| 1 Comment »
Congratulations are due to Sir Richard FitzHerbert, who has been elected as the Conservative member for the Dovedale and Parwich ward of Derbyshire Dales District Council, with 594 votes against the Labour candidate’s 181 votes.
This ward encompasses the parishes of Eaton and Alsop, Fenny Bentley, Hartington Nether Quarter, Lea Hall, Mappleton, Newton Grange, Parwich, Tissington and Thorpe. Sir Richard replaces our previous councillor, Simon Spencer (also Conservative), who had won the seat uncontested in 2007.
As for the Carsington Water ward, which includes the parish of Ballidon and Bradbourne, this was held by Lewis Rose (Conservative), who won it uncontested.
Representation for Pikehall residents is more complicated, as Pikehall is split between five different parishes (Parwich, Hartington Nether Quarter, Ballidon/Bradbourne, Brassington and Elton). Residents will be represented as follows, depending on their parish:
– Parwich and Hartington Nether Quarter: Sir Richard FitzHerbert
– Ballidon/Bradbourne and Brassington: Lewis Rose
– Elton: Colin Swindell (Labour member for Winster & South Darley)
There were no Parish Council elections for Parwich, or for Ballidon/Bradbourne. In the Eaton/Alsop parish, the three candidates – John Bunting, Christopher Duffell and David Wainwright – were returned unopposed.
The Conservatives now hold 29 seats on the Council. Labour have 5 seats, the Lib Dems have 4, and there is one Independent member. Compared to the 2007 elections, the Conservatives have gained 3 seats, Labour have gained 1 seat, and the Lib Dems have lost 4 seats.
Full district council election results for Derbyshire Dales can be found here.
Town and Parish Council results can be viewed here.
You can also follow Sir Richard FitzHerbert on Twitter: http://twitter.com/@RichardFitzHerb
Posted in 2011, Environment, Farming, Planning, Posts of Note, Sustainability on Thursday May 5, 2011| 12 Comments »
We have received the following open letter to all village residents, from Robert Gosling at Hill Top Farm. There will be a meeting, to which you are all invited, to discuss the proposal plan which he outlines below, pop into the Memorial Hall anytime between 6pm and 9pm on Tuesday 17th May.
Dear Resident,
You may be aware of my family farm at Hill Top Farm, either because you know me or a member of my family, or because you have walked or driven past the farm.
My family have in fact farmed in the Peak District for over 100 years, and from Hill Top Farm in particular since 1963. We have one full time and one part time employee to help my family manage a dairy herd of some 400 cows with 400 beef/follower cattle, and we farm approximately 765 acres of land.
The family are extremely interested in the environment. The farm is in the Uplands Entry Level Stewardship Scheme. The farm has also participated in a number of Peak Park Farm and Countryside initiatives for over 20 years (including over 2km of dry stone wall restoration, tree planting, daleside management etc). Linked to the environmental management of the farm, the business is also in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone and the family have therefore invested in precision slurry application equipment to significantly reduce the use of artificial fertilizer and make better use of the farm’s own natural slurry. (more…)
Posted in 2011, Local government, Posts of Note on Wednesday May 4, 2011| 1 Comment »
Posted in 2011, Gardens, Photography, Posts of Note on Monday May 2, 2011| 2 Comments »
Dorothy L’s wooded area has once again been glorious. The daffodil display was spectacular and now we have the treat of the bluebells. For those lucky enough to wander through the meandering paths, there is a special peaceful feel to the place. The sunlight dappling though the leaves onto the flowers below is magical. Dorothy kindly allowed our roving reporter to take some pictures. Click on each image to enlarge it.
Click on ‘Continue reading’ for more pictures.
Posted in 2011, Competition, Ornithology, Photography, Posts of Note on Monday May 2, 2011| 13 Comments »
Put your caption in the comments box by Friday and you could win £5. Thank you to JF-S who is also the adjudicator.
Posted in 2011, Alsop, Church, Posts of Note on Sunday May 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Tea & Cakes are being served in the churchyard at Alsop between 11am – 4pm today (Monday). Come along and support this event, in aid of Alsop Church. Stunning views, delicious cakes, not to be missed. Last Monday it was warm and sunny and today looks set fine as well.
Posted in 2011, British Legion, Competition, Memorial hall, People, Photography, Posts of Note, Societies, Young people on Saturday April 30, 2011| 5 Comments »
Two little princesses cut the cake
The following photos from JF-S show the memorable day unfolding.
The sentries lining the route The confetti on the ground
Royally decorated
The early birds got the best seats, but soon the Hall was packed
The first live screening of events on the big screen at the Memorial Hall via the new satellite dish
Lots more photos – click to enlarge (more…)
Posted in 2011, Afghanistan, People, Posts of Note on Saturday April 30, 2011| 1 Comment »
Today’s ‘This is Derbyshire’ & the ‘Derby Telegraph’ feature an article on Major Ben Ingham. Senior reporter, Martin Naylor saw the orginal articles on PARWICH.ORG and followed up a report for the newspaper.
Taliban-fighting major who misses the clean air of home
A SOLDIER from Derbyshire has told of his “challenging, stressful but rewarding” role fighting the Taliban.Major Ben Ingham has been keeping his family and friends up to date with his exploits in war-torn Afghanistan by sending regular emails and photos to his village’s website.
In his online dispatches to http://www.parwich.org, he tells how he is working at NATO headquarters in the capital Kabul.
The exact nature of the 37-year-old’s role is secret but his reports offer a fascinating insight into a soldier’s life in Afghanistan.
Click here to read the full report.
If you missed reading the orginal posts on the blog click on the links below.
A message to Parwich from Afganistan.
Another message from Afganistan – No2
Message from Afganistan – No3
Posted in 2011, Parish Council, Posts of Note on Thursday April 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Our Council has to have a maximum of seven Parish Councillors, with a quorum of three (which is the minimum number of Councillors that Parwich needs to carry out its function).
For Parwich to have no Council after May 9th, this means that less than three people submitted their candidacy for election; it may even mean that no-one chose to stand.
Derbyshire Dales District Council has said that a new election will be called, possibly by the end of July. So on 9th May, the existing Parish Councillors officially retire and thereafter are not legally allowed to carry out any further Parish Council business.
During this interim period, any issues relating to the Parish must be directed to either the District or the County Council.
The new Notice of Election will be posted on the village notice board. We shall also request that it is sent to PARWICH.ORG, in order to reach the widest possible audience.
If between three and seven people choose to stand, then there will be no election and these candidates will be automatically elected. However, if the election is contested, i.e. with more than seven candidates, we will have an election. If an election does take place, these additional costs would have to be paid for out of the parish precept.
Posted in 2011, British Legion, Memorial hall, Posts of Note, Societies on Thursday April 28, 2011| 2 Comments »
Posted in 2011, News, People, Posts of Note on Sunday April 24, 2011| 10 Comments »
We are thrilled to report that Janet had a little baby girl just before 11.00am on Sunday morning!
Both mother and baby are doing well. When Steve returns from the DRI we’ll try and bring you further details of this wonderful Easter birth.
Update: Her name is Rosie, and she weighed in at 7 pounds and 4 ounces.
Posted in 2011, Afghanistan, People, Posts of Note on Wednesday April 20, 2011| 3 Comments »
I apologise for that lack of personal content in the latest article but hope that the article gives an insight into some of the difference between the people and culture of Afghanistan in comparison to our own. The longer I spend here the more evident it becomes that the differences in our respective ideologies are chasms apart and that what we, in the west, perceive as abnormal or dysfunctional is viewed totally differently though the eyes of an Afghan local.
Major Benjamin Ingham of the Royal Artillery.
Posted in 2011, History, Peak Park, Posts of Note on Tuesday April 19, 2011| 2 Comments »
Skeletons of women and children found buried during a 2 year community dig revealing crucial new evidence on Iron Age hill forts, the first discovery of its kind in Britain.
This grisly discovery, which will be of interest to many history buffs in Parwich, has been made at Fin Cop and sheds new light on Iron Age hillforts and the history of our ancient ancestors. The remains of women, babies, a toddler and a single teenage male have all been uncovered. This is the first time a selective massacre of women and children has been found on an Iron Age hillfort in Britain.
Archaeologists believe the people at Fin Cop died after the hill fort had been attacked and captured. The women and children died of flesh wounds that have left no trace on the surviving bones, and were then flung unceremoniously into the ditch at the foot of the hillfort. There are no remains of any adult males in the ditch suggesting the men at the hillfort were sold on as slaves or pressed into military service. So far only 10 metres of ditch, out of 400 metres, has been excavated and it is likely that hundreds of skeletons are still buried there.
(more…)
Posted in 2011, British Legion, Church, Oddfellows, Posts of Note, Societies on Sunday April 17, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Posted in 2011, Church, People, Posts of Note on Friday April 15, 2011| 1 Comment »
It is with great sadness that we have learned that Professor Peter Young died peacefully on the morning of Thursday 14th April at the Derby Royal Hospital.
He was a remarkable man and will be greatly missed. All our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Further details about the funeral arrangements will follow in due course.
Posted in 2011, Flora, Photography, Posts of Note on Monday April 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Posted in 2011, Photography, Posts of Note on Saturday April 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Thanks to JF-S for these photos, which were taken at the Ford earlier today.
Posted in 2011, Events, Flora, News, Posts of Note on Friday April 1, 2011| 14 Comments »
UPDATE: We hope you enjoyed this April Fool’s post. Needless to say, not a word of it is true!
PARWICH.ORG is delighted to announce some very exciting news for the village. The Prince William and his new wife, Catherine, are planning to spend some time in Parwich as part of their honeymoon tour of the UK. Although the exact date is still being kept as a strict state secret, we can confirm that they will be staying at Tom’s Barn for two nights in the spring.
In order to provide the happy couple with maximum privacy during their stay, residents of Monsdale Lane will be asked to vacate their homes for the duration of the royal visit. However, special four-poster camp beds will be provided in the Memorial Hall for all those affected.
To mark the event, a “red white and blue” Royal Wedding tulip has been specially bred and bulbs have already been secretly planted along Monsdale Lane. Fingers crossed that they will be at their peak, to coincide with the royal visit.
Additionally, some of the village twitchers have been secretly training our small population of Jenkins Thrushes to incorporate parts of the National Anthem into their song.
Posted in 2011, Afghanistan, People, Posts of Note on Tuesday March 29, 2011| 4 Comments »
Parwich.org has received this message and the latest post from Major Benjamin Ingham of the Royal Artillery.
It was great to receive so many positive comments from my last post and I have been in touch with another Parwich member who has recently arrived in Afghanistan, we are hoping to meet up in the near future. The offer to send through parcels is exceptionally kind but we are well catered for and the main support that we, in the Armed Forces, value more is the continued support from family, friends and acquaintances.
The cold winter nights have been quickly replaced by the dry heat of the Afghan summer, there is no transition as one would expect in the UK, and in the course of a week the snow has melted leading to a dusty smog filled atmosphere that sits within the Kabul basin. Due to a lack of consistent electricity, the local population has scourged the landscape of all trees for firewood and thus the slightest breeze creates billowing clouds of dust. With Kabul being located 6000ft above mean sea level within a bowl at the base of the Hindu Kush Mountain range, effectively the start of the Himalayas, the air is trapped and develops into a polluted smog.
The last opportunity to make use of the clear winter mornings came a few weeks ago and 140 personnel stationed at the Kabul Airbase turned out to take part in the Kabul ½ Marathon. The course was set to follow the camp and airfield perimeter and, although considerably flatter than the Parwich Annual Hill Race, the distance more than made up for the lack of topography.
A three week persistent cough, brought on by the afore-mentioned appalling air quality, was still lingering but I managed to motivate myself to complete the route at the end of a 12 hour working night shift. All that kept me going was the thought of getting a good day’s rest and I finished in a modest time of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Post race and a small earth tremor followed by a faulty fire alarm brought a hasty end to any sleep I was hoping to get and therefore the only option was to head back to the office for another night shift. (more…)
Posted in 2011, Pets of Parwich, Posts of Note on Monday March 28, 2011| 4 Comments »
The Parwich puparazzi were kindly invited once more into Jill L’s home to find out how Maisy’s puppies are getting on.
We are delighted to report Brizzle, Isla, Digger, Sam, Oscar and Nelson are all doing swimmingly. They have been eating well and on nice days have been exploring the yard outside. They have had a big day out today to get their injections.
In two weeks time, the pups will all be heading for good homes as far afield as Scotland. Nelson will be going to the daughter of a friend of Jill’s in her walking group, so he will be able to go for long walks with mum and grandma.
Finally, Jill wishes to make an appeal to the village. For the next two weeks, if you have any spare newspaper, she would be very very grateful for it! Drop it round at Wheatsheaf Cottage.
Posted in 2011, Photography, Posts of Note, Weather on Saturday March 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Weather conditions this week provided a treat for those who were out and about around sunrise. The cold nights, coupled with sunny mornings, created a low mist that was quite beautiful. Here are a couple of photos taken last Tuesday morning…
The first picture was taken looking towards Ballidon from the outskirts of Parwich. The second two were taken from the hill on the way into Bradbourne.
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