It was always going to be difficult to say goodbye to everyone at the service at St. Peter’s church yesterday, and there seemed to be far too little time to speak with individuals. There were lots of memories of the last twelve years, a period during which Parwich has changed considerably, not least because well over 30 residents have died during this time. I would like to repeat my thanks to the many people who contributed generously to our farewell gifts – a speaker system, some Le Creuset cookware, photos of several of the churches, and this splendid painting of Thorpe church by John Wilford:
We were also presented with a wonderful album of photos from the church over recent years, taken largely by John Fuller Sessions, who also took these yesterday:
There are so many people to thank for all that we have done together in the churches over the years, that it is impossible to name them all. But I want especially to thank Isobel for all her support and her understanding of the long hours I have often had to work, and all those who have showed us hospitality and made us welcome over the past twelve years. Do come to visit in Nottingham!
Archive for the ‘Posts of Note’ Category
Thank you …
Posted in 2009, Church, People, Posts of Note on Monday February 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »
“Man of Many Parts, a Juggler Supreme”
Posted in 2009, Church, People, Posts of Note on Friday February 6, 2009| 2 Comments »
Christopher Harrison’s final Service is almost upon us and he and his family will be gone by mid February…. He has led a very busy life over the past 12 or so years, for life in rural parishes is no sinecure these days. Five parishes with five PCC meetings and all their differing issues were soon increased by the post of Rural Dean. This has meant overseeing the needs and problems of a wider area from Brailsford to Hulland to Clifton etc, and not forgetting the Ashbourne churches which were without a Vicar for some time. Indeed he was eventually asked, “to have a responsibility” for these churches and their particular problems before the arrival of the Rev. Geraldine Pond. (more…)
Snow School Today!
Posted in 2009, News, Posts of Note, School, Young people on Thursday February 5, 2009| 1 Comment »
Radio Ashbourne and the QEGS Website broadcast the news:
Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School will be closed for the whole day…….
The news spread like wildfire throughout the village. Each pupil immediately started thinking how they could do some extra homework and get ahead with their revision. Each pupil immediately thought Yippee! Time to go to to The Sledging Hill!!
A day of enormous fun followed. An igloo was successfully constructed complete with a compressed arch roof. Who needs Physics lessons when you can learn whilst having so much fun!
(more…)
John Myers
Posted in 2009, People, Posts of Note on Tuesday February 3, 2009| Leave a Comment »
It is with sadness that we announce that John Myers, who lived for many years at Bradbourne Mill, has died. John spent many weeks in St Oswald’s hospital last year, before returning to his home at Tissington for Christmas. John was one of the traditional Derbyshire farming fraternity who always had time for you if you were passing the Mill, with his perceptive comments and friendly conversation.
The funeral service will be at St. Peter’s church on Tuesday 10th February at 2.30 pm. Please remember John’s wife Gladys, also her sisters Freda, Sheila and the rest of the family.
Snow? Did Someone Say Snow?
Posted in 2009, Photography, Posts of Note, Weather on Monday February 2, 2009| 1 Comment »
In case you haven’t noticed…Parwich has been transformed into a winter wonderland!
School was off this afternoon to the delight of the younger Parwichians. Most headed for the sledging hill which apparently worked perfectly. Good job you can still rely on gravity in these troubled times. Here are a few photographs to illustrate our magical landscape.
A Bedecked Gardener's CottageFire & Ice
In memory of Don Lowndes
Posted in 2009, People, Posts of Note on Thursday January 22, 2009| 2 Comments »
Here are the notes his family prepared for the Vicar to read at Don Lowndes funeral yesterday (Wednesday) and some photographs sent by his daughter Linda. Once met, Don was not someone you forgot:
Don was born in Parwich in 1926. His Mother and Father were Harley and Kitty Lowndes. He had a sister Peggy and a brother Cyril.
He went to school in Parwich, and then joined Barnes’s in Ashbourne to an apprenticeship to become a ‘Black Smith’. He joined the Royal Navy in approximately 1942, and served in Portsmouth, then due to an accident, he was forced to come back to Parwich, where he became the village Black Smith, making thousands!!! of gates, which are probably still hanging today.
His passions at the time included Boxing – he was the DABA County Champion in 1950. In the late 90’s he was a major instigator of The Revived Ashbourne Boxing Club, which still operates today.
Townhead House
Posted in 2009, History, People, Posts of Note on Saturday January 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Following the photographs of Townhead House in a post last year, thank you to Eileen Brownson for sending us several photographs of an oil painting of the house:
Eileen indicates that this is one of several pictures that
were painted by my Gd Mother Fanny (Brooks) Brownson The little girl was my Auntie Laura Brownson They are oil paintings, we have them here, unfortunately some are badly damaged, my daughter JoAnn has had a few repaired but that is very expensive, the other pictures are of Scottish cattle, I didn’t include those. All are signed by my gd mother and dated, barely recognizable. Glad you can share them with everyone interested.
Given the difficulties in photographing paintings here is another shot of the same view. (more…)
Peak Park visit reported
Posted in 2009, Ballidon, Environment, Housing, Parish Council, Peak Park, Planning, Posts of Note, Pub on Friday January 16, 2009| 2 Comments »
On Tuesday 13th January the Peak District National Park on their visit to Parwich were represented by:
- Irene Ratcliffe, Deputy Chair (Irene.Ratcliffe@peakdistrict.gov.uk)
- Jim Dixon, Chief Executive (jim.dixon@peakdistrict.gov.uk)
- John Fern, Head of Communications (john.fern@peakdistrict.gov.uk)
- Adele Metcalfe, Village Officer (Adele.Metcalfe@peakdistrict.gov.uk)
- Dan Yates, Village Officer (daniel.yates@peakdistrict.gov.uk)
With for the second part of the afternoon there also being
- Christopher Carr, Parish Representative to PDNPA Board (Christopher.Carr@peakdistrict.gov.uk)
The afternoon included visits to the Pub and the School, followed by a series of meetings in the Memorial Hall. Thank you to everyone who participated in the visit and helped report back. Here are our write ups of most of those sessions, and we will add reports on the remaining when/if they become available: (more…)
White on white.
Posted in 2009, Photography, Posts of Note on Saturday January 10, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Today’s combination of frost and mist had a striking visual effect upon Parwich hill, as these images show.
Please click each image to enlarge it. (They look even better that way…)
Parwich Pre-School
Posted in 2009, Posts of Note, Pre-school on Tuesday January 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »
We have had some lovely photos sent into us from Penny, the Parwich Pre-School leader. This photo shows Penny with Felicity, her assistant and some of our pre-schoolers.
Winter silhouettes
Posted in 2009, Photography, Posts of Note on Monday January 5, 2009| 1 Comment »
Gorgeous lunchtime skies with trees silhouetted on the horizon whilst walking along Monsdale Lane. It was pretty treacherous underfoot, rather like a skating rink walking up the Pikehall Road, one lorry even had to be towed up the hill by a tractor.
A frosty walk on New Year’s Day.
Posted in 2009, Photography, Posts of Note on Friday January 2, 2009| 1 Comment »
Hands up, who would like to see yet more frost shots?!
These can all be enlarged by clicking…
Frost shots, Part 3.
Posted in 2009, Photography, Posts of Note on Friday January 2, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Thanks to John F-S for sending us this striking pair of images. Please click to enlarge.
The Parwich Almanac 2008 – Part 2 of 2.
Posted in 2009, Posts of Note, Uncategorized on Thursday January 1, 2009| 1 Comment »
The second half of our Parwich News Review of 2008 starts where we left off: slap bang in the middle of Wakes Week. We hope you’ll enjoy our month-by-month summary, which covers the period from July to December.
WARNING: it’s quite a lengthy summary! (more…)
More stunningly beautiful frosty shots.
Posted in 2009, Photography, Pikehall, Posts of Note on Thursday January 1, 2009| Leave a Comment »
We have had some more frosty pictures sent into us: three from Pikehall & one from Parwich.
Frost and Fog
Posted in 2009, Photography, Posts of Note, Weather on Thursday January 1, 2009| 2 Comments »
It will be interesting to see what The Weatherman has to report on yesterday and today. As far as we can tell, the temperature never rose above -4 degrees centigrade all day on New Year’s Eve. The upside of this was we had a beautiful frost for us to admire.
Frost covering twisted hazel.
The Parwich Almanac 2008 – Part 1 of 2.
Posted in 2008, Posts of Note, Uncategorized on Tuesday December 30, 2008| 5 Comments »
It had its ups, it had it downs – but life in Parwich during 2008 was rarely uneventful. On the downside, we lost the Spar shop, the Methodist chapel and the direct bus service to Derby, and much of the village was battered by freak floods. On the upside, we gained a shop in the pub, a refurbished hard play area, a replica tympanum and a beautiful new stained glass window in the church, half a million quid’s worth of Lottery money for the Memorial Hall, nearly £8000 for the primary school, a national award for the Sycamore, prime time TV success for a Parwich lad… oh, and can we mention this very website, which launched in March?
To help us look back on the past twelve months of village life, here’s a month-by-month reminder of some of the main events. We’re splitting it into two parts, starting with the period from January to June. (more…)
Video and DVD of the Nativity Play.
Posted in 2008, Church, Posts of Note, Young people on Saturday December 27, 2008| 1 Comment »
This year’s critically acclaimed Nativity Play, which took place in St Peter’s Church on Christmas Eve, is now available as a DVD.
To obtain a copy – in return for a donation to St Peter’s Church Restoration Fund – please contact Martin by e-mail at martin@orchidserve.com, or by phone on 529.
Martin has also loaded a preview clip to YouTube:
Parwich in fine voice
Posted in 2008, People, Posts of Note on Tuesday December 23, 2008| 1 Comment »
What a super evening, there must have been almost 100 people singing on The Green, we even managed an original compilation, Once in Royal David’s City to the tune of Hark the Herald Angels Sing – the original was better than our version. Thanks to Chris for accompanying us and to Barbara, Mary & helpers for providing mulled wine & mince pies. More photos… (more…)
Great news for Parwich Primary School.
Posted in 2008, News, Posts of Note, School on Tuesday December 23, 2008| 1 Comment »
They say that good things come in threes. Following last week’s Big Lottery Fund grant of £500,000 towards the redevelopment of Parwich Memorial Hall, and Tom Chambers’ spectacular success in Strictly Come Dancing, some of us were left wondering what our third stroke of good fortune would be.
And now we know! We’re grateful to our friends at the Ashbourne News Telegraph for passing on the excellent news that Parwich Primary School has been awarded a grant of nearly £8000, as part of Derbyshire County Council’s “Growing Better Together” funding initiative. This award is amongst the highest given to any of the schools on the list.
The funding is designed to encourage Derbyshire youngsters to:
- Plan, plant, grow and eat healthy food
- Share experience and knowledge by working alongside older people, parents, voluntary groups and horticulture/conservation organisations in their communities.
To read the full text of Derbyshire County Council’s press release: (more…)
Memories of Parwich in the 1960s, from a former resident of “Stanworth”.
Posted in 2008, History, People, Posts of Note on Monday December 22, 2008| Leave a Comment »
We were delighted to receive a couple of friendly and informative e-mails from Bernard Tapp, who lived at “Stanworth” on the Alsop Road in the 1960s. Over to Bernard…
It was not until I saw the end of “Strictly” last night that I discovered that Tom came from Parwich. My link goes back to 1965 when I was appointed Head Teacher at Clifton Primary School at the age of 31. We had to move from Northampton.
Estate agents in Ashbourne offered us the choice of three farms to buy! Exploration led us to the Moore’s builders and I was offered a plot of land opposite the Legion for £450. Moore designed and built the house I called “Stanworth” (Stone House) and we lived there for four years until I took another post near Bristol. I am Bernard Tapp, my wife, who died in 1997 was Meg, and the three youngsters are Marion, Trevor and Jayne.
I can tell you a few tales of how we were gradually accepted in the village. As Alan and Violet Oldfield said, “When they tell you you are not digging the garden right you are in”. Someone coming out of the Legion did, and we were.
We were “Nobs” according to Alan, and when Col Sir John Crompton Inglefield was unable to open the village fete, Meg was called in at the last minute. She had to buy a hat! I remember he called his wife Bunty.
We were friendly with Cath and Cliff Goldstraw, but they have both passed on. My dog once sat outside the Sycamore all night in drenching rain, ‘cos their bitch was on heat!!
If you want me to rack my brains further, I will. Like when my toddler son threw Violet and Alan’s gnomes in their pond, and then followed them in in the middle of winter, or when he and another lad, whose name I have forgotten, smeared wet tarmac in their hair after I had had a “Cheap” delivery from the quarry. We could buy cheaply some left over loads at the end of the day.
I won’t bore you any more but please e-mail m.robinet@blueyonder.co.uk if you want to chat. I still keep in touch with the Oldfields, and have been onto the History Society Website.
Regards,
Bernard Tapp
Strictly the Sycamore again
Posted in 2008, Posts of Note, Tom Chambers on Monday December 22, 2008| Leave a Comment »
This evening Tom’s high profile ‘thank you’ to Parwich village, to the Sycamore and its loyal band of fans, and to the people of Derbyshire in general was featured on the BBC East Midlands evening news, including footage (taken from us!) of Tom and Camilla’s visit to the Sycamore and another interview with Janet Gosling.
First Responders temporary village map goes up!
Posted in 2008, First Responders, News, Posts of Note, Services on Sunday December 21, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Jean C. writes….
Ben And Martin put up the village map today, on the south approach road to the village, at the entrance to Stephen Dale’s yard. Thank you to Stephen for letting us site it there.
If you would like a paper copy of the map to keep at home for easy reference, then please attach a comment here, or contact us at martin@orchidserve.com, or phone us on 529.
Happy Christmas from Parwich First Responders.
The A52s triumph at The Sycamore
Posted in 2008, A52s, Arts, Music, People, Posts of Note on Sunday December 21, 2008| Leave a Comment »
After Friday’s performance at The Sycamore, The A52s have made available on Youtube some highlights of their performance.
Your chance to sing along once again to I Saw My Baby Wearing Santa’s Beard or Death is not the End – alternatively if you were unfortunate enough to miss the gig, see what all the fuss was about:
1. Death Is Not The End
(also featuring the massed voices of The Sycamore Chorale)
To watch the other three A52s videos from Friday night: (more…)
Relive Tom & Camillia’s victory
Posted in 2008, Posts of Note, Tom Chambers on Sunday December 21, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Here are the highlights of Tom and Camilla’s Strictly Come Dancing final:
The Winner is …..
For more clips (more…)
Parwich’s Tom Chambers wins Strictly Come Dancing 2008.
Posted in 2008, Posts of Note, Tom Chambers on Saturday December 20, 2008| 5 Comments »
“I’d just like to thank family and friends, everyone at the pub in Parwich…”
OK, so PARWICH.ORG is a little drunk right now. But quite understandably so, as it’s not every day that a Parwich lad wins – yes, WINS! – BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Down at the Sycamore, we were in absolute uproar over tonight’s well deserved result – especially following Tom and Camilla’s truly stunning final freestyle show dance, which had to rank as one of the absolute highlights of the whole season.
Congratulations to both of them, and of course to Tom’s wife Clare – and also to Stuart and Rosemary, who must be two of the proudest parents in the country right now.
All this and a £500,000 Lottery award too? It’s been quite a week!
Revisit Tom & Camilla’s dances
Posted in 2008, Posts of Note, Tom Chambers on Wednesday December 17, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Tom and Camilla after some fourteen competition dances have made it to the finals. To see any or all of their dances again click on the relevant photos below:
Week 1 ChaCha
BLF Grant Announced
Posted in 2008, Memorial hall, Posts of Note on Wednesday December 17, 2008| 12 Comments »
Parwich praised at Village Conference
Posted in 2008, Events, Peak Park, Posts of Note on Tuesday December 16, 2008| 1 Comment »
Last Friday Adele Metcalfe and Dan Yates (the Peak District National Park Authority’s Community Planning Officers) organised an inspirational Peak District National Park Villages Conference. The day was intended to share ideas and experiences between villages. Parwich Village Action Group sent along a member of our Environment Sub-Group who was struck by how much Parwich has achieved and the opportunities that are open to us.
This day also served to highlight how much the Village Action Group and Parwich have benefited from the support of the Community Planning Officers, who are currently funded by European money due to end in March. At present further funding has not been identified, but the following report of the Conference illustrates how the Authority can not let this essential part of their work be lost – Peter Trewhitt (Village Action Group Chair):
Keynote speaker, Matthew Parris, Times correspondent and political journalist, fired off the opening salvo at a recent Peak District National Park Villages Conference by disagreeing with the quotation. In his own inimitable style he challenged us to consider the importance of local, regional and national government in facilitating the changes that communities at the grass root level need and require. It is neither a top down nor a bottom up process. It is by interweaving the will of people and communities to control their environment and lives with the appropriate mechanism that effects positive change. (more…)
Parwich Guizers
Posted in 2008, Arts, Out & About, Posts of Note on Wednesday December 10, 2008| Leave a Comment »
For many years the Parwich Guizers (also known as the Brothm Mummers) have been bringing festive cheer to Parwich and beyond. Last Saturday, the group (Denis, Roy, Ben, Arnold, Rob, Ken and Brian) ventured out on the road again, taking their traditional Christmas play to Buxton in the afternoon, and to various local pubs in the evening.
You are invited to join the tour, watch Bold Slasher swinging his sword, and see the Doctor and his gurdy gout on this video:
By double-clicking on the video window, you can also watch this clip in a larger widescreen mode.
It is possible they will also magically appear on Christmas eve in the village, maybe at The Sycamore and The British Legion. Click here for more information on the Guizers and their play.
Book Launch
Posted in 2008, Events, People, Posts of Note on Monday December 8, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Parwich resident, Jo-anne Jewett, launched her new book “The Beautiful Truth: make up made easy” today. There was a potential mishap last Saturday with the whole stock of the book nearly being left in the rain outside an empty house by the delivery men. Fortunately the Vicar, out walking the dog, was able to intercede, and offer temporary sanctuary at the Vicarage.
The not so temporary traffic lights – further thoughts.
Posted in 2008, Opinion, Posts of Note, Roads on Monday December 8, 2008| 2 Comments »
Sandra S has contacted us with the following thoughts on the current state of the B5056 between Fenny Bentley and the Parwich turn-off, with particular reference to the so-called “temporary” traffic lights:
1. Traffic lights.
Whilst searching for information on another subject, I noticed that the B5056 used to be the A524. How much sooner would the traffic light problem be dealt with if the road was classified as an A-road, and why was it downgraded in the first place?
The amount of heavy lorries putting so much pressure on the road should surely mean that a substantial surface should be put down to take the weight, or the lorries should be re-routed onto an existing A-road.
We do see roads with signs for no more than 7.5 tonnes.
Perhaps someone would like to approach the council with the above questions. I did ask Highways some time ago why this very busy road was not called an A-road? I did not get an answer, but more of a mumble.
P.S The traffic lights are battery powered apparently, and over a weekend they can run out of juice.
2. Road safety near the Bentley Brook.
Because so many people from Parwich travel on the B5056 past the Bentley Brook pub, would they please be mindful that where the road sinks on a regular basis just prior to the pub, there is actually a gaping gap under the road there. One day, the road will give – and on a selfish note, I just hope that I am not the one travelling by at the time. Has anyone noticed the wall listing?
Lorries pass on the opposite side to the pub laden with goods. On the way back, they are empty. I am certain that if they were laden coming back, then many more places on the B5056 would be at risk.
3. The chevron sign.
A van collided with the wall at the bottom of Ravenscliffe Farm next to the B5056. The wall was damaged. Some of it was knocked down. The gate and posts were obliterated. The chevron sign was also knocked off of its posts and sent into our field. That happened in October 2007.
I consider the chevron sign to be quite important on a fairly sharp bend. The wall and chevron sign were only put back up by the council last week. It has taken one year to put right.
It is a shame the cement in the wall will not last, due to it having been done in frosty weather.
The 50 mph signs are a good thing to help with road safety, but I am not too amused by the fact that signs have been erected on our land without even a please or thank you!
– Sandra S.
For a recap on the current traffic light situation as we understand it… (more…)
Tom and Camilla at The Sycamore: photo gallery
Posted in 2008, Photography, Posts of Note, Tom Chambers on Thursday December 4, 2008| 1 Comment »
Thank you to Emma M, who visited Parwich on Tuesday evening, for sending us these photos. Well done to Janet for accommodating everyone despite having builders and decorators repairing the flood damage. Also click here for a video clip of the evening.
Tom, Clare and Camilla at the Sycamore Inn
Posted in 2008, Posts of Note, Pub, Tom Chambers, tagged Strictly Come Dancing, Tom Chambers on Tuesday December 2, 2008| 1 Comment »
This evening Tom, Clare and Camilla spent over an hour in the Sycamore Inn, enjoying a brief break from the ultra-intensive schedule of Strictly Come Dancing. The BBC from London were there, as well as local reporters. A very lively crowd of regulars as well as visitors tried to get the camera crew to pre-record us all wishing the nation’s viewers a Happy Christmas …
Parwich residents on BBC1’s Politics Show.
Posted in 2008, News, Opinion, Parish Council, Peak Park, People, Posts of Note, Services on Monday December 1, 2008| Leave a Comment »
For those of you who may have missed yesterday’s Politics Show on BBC1, here’s a chance to catch up with the segment of the programme which featured Parwich residents (Lynette, Peter, Chris, Ray and Karen) expressing their desire to see greater democratic accountability within the Peak District National Park Authority. Well done to all of them for making their cases so eloquently.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
ADMIN: As the number of Parwich-related videos is beginning to stack up, we have added a separate VIDEOS section to the column on the right hand side of this page.
Memories of Summer
Posted in 2008, Photography, Posts of Note on Saturday November 29, 2008| Leave a Comment »
The following photographs were taken in July this year (when the sun did shine). We spent a week in Parwich on the occasion of my wife’s 70th Birthday & every one in the village made us very welcome.
We hope that all flood damage has now been cleared and that everything is getting back to normal
Kind Regards
John & Pam Lamb
BBC back yet again!
Posted in 2008, Posts of Note, Tom Chambers on Friday November 28, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Having been here for the Politics Show on Wednesday, BBC cameras will be in Parwich again tomorrow.
This time they are back to film Tom’s local supporters watching Strictly Come Dancing at the Sycamore Inn. The programme starts at 6-05pm on Saturday evening, with the wide screen TV and chip butties laid on in the pub. This week Tom and Camilla are dancing both a waltz and a samba, and they desperately want to achieve a 10. As it is so close dance-wise, the non-dancing publicity will also be vital.
Janet would welcome as many people as possible to block sight of the building work from the cameras. Indeed she deserves a big thanks for keeping the shop and pub going during the flood damage repairs.
Dorothy Foden – in memory
Posted in 2008, Church, People, Posts of Note on Tuesday November 25, 2008| 7 Comments »
Dorothy Foden, of Brook Cottage, was well loved by many people in Parwich and beyond. She was very much at the heart of St. Peter’s church, as well as being a strong supporter of Parwich Methodist chapel. A new altar frontal in her memory, donated by Brian, was last week put in place in the chapel at St Peter’s. It was made by Jenifer Baines of Littleover, Derby, using the fabric ‘Venetian Tapestry’. Jenifer is an old friend of Andrew and Rachel Robinson, as well as being someone I have got to know through the Derbyshire-India links. The frontal enhances the chapel enormously, and it is very fitting that it should be in a part of the church which is also used by Parwich Methodists for their twice-monthly service.
The frontal will be dedicated during the Carol Service on Sunday 14th December at 5.00 pm, along with the first of the kneelers which have been made in memory of Ambrose Wilton.
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day…
Posted in 2008, Photography, Posts of Note on Tuesday November 25, 2008| Leave a Comment »
These dramatic images were taken from the garden of Barn Cottage, at around 8:30 on Thursday November 13th. Our thanks to Matt for sending them in.
Round Parwich Hill In The Winter Sun
Posted in 2008, Photography, Posts of Note on Monday November 24, 2008| 1 Comment »
It might have been miserable on Sunday morning, but Saturday afternoon was glorious! A bit nippy, but lovely crisp clear air. Here are a few snaps taken doing the circuit round the back of Parwich Hill.
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