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Jane Harris moved to Ashbourne last week, after 36 years in the village. With her ex-husband Peter she had her three children Penny, Phillipa and Katie.  She has always been a vital and active member of the community.  In the early years when her children were small she always worked enthusiastically in any activities that involved her children, ran stalls for school events, helped out at Guides and Brownies and was always ready to volunteer whenever help might be needed.

Jane has battled against continuing ill-health with stoicism and cheerfulness.  As a single parent her children and then grandchildren have been the hub of her life, but she still found the energy to run the bar at the British Legion, to be a school govenor and to take her role as Parish Councillor and then Chairman of the Parish Council very seriously.  When there was no-one to clean the village toilets, she kept them open for two years by cleaning them voluntarily – typical of Jane’s community spiritedness.  One of her great achievements has been her energetic involvement in the building of the new Memorial Hall and despite her many commitments she would still find time to deliver leaflets and newsletters to keep everyone informed. 

Jane Harris will be greatly missed, although surely she will be a regular visitor to the village.  Best Wishes to Jane for her new life in her new home.

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Emeritus Professor Peter Alexander Young
An appreciation by Michael Radcliffe

I first met Peter Young when I moved to Parwich just over twelve years ago. We were both Cambridge Natural Science graduates, we had both worked in the nuclear power industry, we both loved sacred music, so we had much in common and we became firm friends. We dined together in each other’s houses, we went to concerts together and we went to church together. We talked a great deal about science and music and many other things. With my father dying when I was a youngster and Peter having no family, the relationship became more like father and son, though in reality it was like teacher and student. He took a keen interest in me and my studies with the Open University. He enriched my life in many ways.

Peter was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, on Dec 23, 1924, an only child of Scottish parents. They realised that they had a very bright boy so they moved home to make sure he went to the right primary school to get him into Boston Grammar School. At the age of 4 his parents recognised his musical talent and took him to the choirmaster at their local church to see whether he might join the choir. Looking at this young 4 year old in disbelief, the choirmaster thrust a bible into his hand, and opening it at random with his finger pointing to verse 9 from Psalm 108, asked Peter if he could read. Peter read “Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philis’ti-a will I triumph.” Whether Peter understood what he was reading did not matter, he proved to the choirmaster he could read and duly joined in the choir; and so began a passion for music and singing which he kept up throughout his life. While studying at Cambridge he sang in the Chapel Choir at St Catherine’s and was President of the Music Society. While he was living in Harrogate he was a long-standing member of the Harrogate Chamber Singers. Until quite recently he was still having singing lessons and singing in the choir to keep his voice in practice at choral evensong each Sunday at St Mary’s Church in Wirksworth. (more…)

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