No prizes for guessing the identity of this one, as snapped by John F-S yesterday afternoon…
(Please click to enlarge)
No prizes for guessing the identity of this one, as snapped by John F-S yesterday afternoon…
(Please click to enlarge)
Posted in Ornithology, Photography | 1 Comment »
Last week’s weather – getting closer to Spring…?
|
|
Rainfall in mm |
Pressure in Mb am |
Pressure in Mb pm |
Temperature in ºC |
|
|
Max |
Min |
||||
|
Sun 22nd |
0 |
1025 |
1027 |
9.7 |
5.7 |
|
Mon 23rd |
1 |
1024 |
1023 |
9.6 |
5.0 |
|
Tue 24th |
0 |
1026 |
1025 |
10.0 |
6.3 |
|
Wed 25th |
0 |
1024 |
1025 |
10.2 |
5.8 |
|
Thurs 26th |
0 |
1022 |
1021 |
8.5 |
2.7 |
|
Fri 27th |
1 |
1019 |
1018 |
9.2 |
5.3 |
|
Sat 28th |
0 |
1016 |
1014 |
9.5 |
4.4 |
|
Total |
2 |
|
Average |
9.5 |
5.0 |
Posted in Weather | Leave a Comment »
“Is this a buzzard?” asks John F-S, who sent us this photo yesterday morning (click to enlarge it). Ornithologists of Parwich, over to you…
Posted in Ornithology, Photography | 2 Comments »
“In the course of some rather aimless surfing the web” (his words!), Christopher came across a poster advertising a football match between Parwich Ladies and Preston Ladies, as part of the Shrewsbury Hospitals’ Carnival in 1938.
Presumably, this referred to a ladies’ football team from Parwich hospital. Does anyone know anything more about it?
Posted in History, Sport | Leave a Comment »

Thanks to John F-S for sending us this report:
Fifty or so of Chris Harrison’s former parishioners boarded a Warrington’s coach on Sunday afternoon to attend ‘The licensing by the Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham and Installation by the Archdeacon of Nottingham of the Reverend Christopher Harrison as Priest-in-Charge’.
The installation was an impressive service sustained by beautiful music and singing in one of Chris’s three new parish churches. Afterwards we were generously entertained to tea and cakes. We left feeling that Chris has a huge, exciting and demanding task ahead of him – we look forward to seeing him from time to time when he returns ‘home’ for a bit of refreshing country air.
Posted in 2009, Church, News, People, Photography, Posts of Note | Leave a Comment »
“Non, rien de rien…” Don’t miss this beautifully made, double Oscar-winning treat!

Posted in Events, Films | Leave a Comment »
Did you, or anyone you know purchase a dinner/tea service from Oxfam in Ashbourne? If so, then you will have noticed that one cup is incorrect.
If you can reply to lynnpoppy@live.co.uk or re-visit the shop, then your correct, matching cup can be handed to you.
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
You can buy it in the Sycamore, you can browse it online, and you can skim our pick of this week’s stories from today’s Ashbourne News Telegraph right here:
Pages 1 to 3: Down’ard’s Revenge: A lenthy report on Ashbourne’s “most exciting Shrovetide game for years”.
Page 7: Cutting bike road deaths: monitoring equipment is being installed various stretches of road, including the A515 from Ashbourne to Alsop-en-le-Dale.
Page 14: Debbie W’s volunteering column returns, with a report on Parwich school’s new gardening project. The column is headed by a cheery colour photo of Debbie with Parwich’s head teacher Caroline Rodgers and school student Lexie L. (Oh, and thanks for plugging PARWICH.ORG, Debbie!)
Page 14: Cinema group step up a gear: A positive report on the film programme at Ashbourne’s Empire Ballroom makes particular mention of the impressive turn-out for Mamma Mia – a film which turned out to be Parwich’s own box-office blockbuster!
Page 18: The Acknowledgements section contains a message of thanks from Gladys, following the funeral of William (John) Myers at St. Peter’s Church on February 10th.
Page 47: Parwich Legion’s darts team scored a 5-4 win against the Royal Oak, Wetton, and the Legion’s A team beat the Shire Horse by the same amount. Parwich Legion are currently placed fifth in Division One, and Parwich Legion A are sixth in Division Four.
If we’ve missed anything, please tell us!
Posted in News | Leave a Comment »
Don´t forget the Lent Lunch that is being held at Church Farm, Creamery Lane (Andrew & Rachel) tomorrow from 12.30pm. Enjoy some cheese, pate and bread – all in aid of the Church improvement fund.
An opportunity to catch up with the local news, with friends and help the Church repairs.
Posted in Church | Leave a Comment »
Update from your local Officer, March 2009.
We have a few bits to report this month. A couple of crimes, a road traffic collision, a bit of nuisance, and a very enjoyable evening.
Overnight on the 29th January 2009, the Bentley Brook Inn was broken into and items stolen. Some of the stolen property was found abandoned at Cubley. Staffordshire have also suffered a number of burglaries, and car crimes that are similar to ours. We have had some extra patrols out, at the same time as Staffs Police, to try and combat this and gain intelligence and trace possible offenders. Continue Reading »
Posted in Police | 2 Comments »
Apologies for the title of the post and my personal use of the blog but…
I’ve recently experienced a strange craving for broad beans (I’m not pregnant by the way). As it’s not bean season, I was wondering if anyone knew of a source of good quality, small, tasty and tender frozen broad beans, ideally with skins off (as I’m rather lazy at the moment).
I did grow some myself last year, they were OK but not great and the crop wasn’t sufficient to enable me to freeze my own. Does anyone have any tips for me for this year? Is there a certain variety that’s better than others (keeping in mind that flavour and tenderness are of great importance to me and I pick them young)? Should they be in rows, on a pyramid or in a square. Can they be grown well in pots? Is there any way to avoid all the insect things without chemicals (other than washing them off with a water spray)? How import is regular feeding?
All answers ideas gratefully received.
Posted in Opinion | 1 Comment »
Lovers of blues music should be interested in a concert which is taking place at Hulland Ward’s village hall on Friday (February 27th).
The Daniel Smith Blues Band are a highly regarded outfit, who have picked up accolades from BBC Radio 2, The Guardian and the national blues press.
Posted in Events, Music, Out & About | Leave a Comment »
(What’s this all about, then? Click here to find out more…)
For our fourth and final regional heat, you are invited to select your favourites from 14 country pubs in the North West area.
Please tick as many pubs as you like, before pressing the VOTE button.
The three pubs with the highest number of votes will proceed to our grand final.
Voting in the second heat (South East zone) is now complete. Our three finalists from this heat are:
Voting for the third heat (South West zone) remains open until this Friday, February 27th.
Posted in Out & About, Pub | 1 Comment »
Dear blog readers,
As many of you know, we have been blogging for nearly a year now. We went “live” to the world at large in March 2008. We tend to get about 10,000 to 15,000 hits a month with a high of 20,671 hits in December last year (when Tom Chambers was dancing his socks off). We know who some of our readers are as we have comments posted on the site by people both in and outside our catchment area of Parwich, Alsop, Ballidon and Pikehall. But we would like to know more about our readers, who and where they are and what they do and don’t like on the blog. Continue Reading »
Posted in About this site | 7 Comments »
Come and join in the informal lent lunch this Thursday, 26th February at Andrew & Rachel’s house: Church Farm in Creamery Lane.
Pate, Cheese & Bread is on the menu.
If you know that you are definitely coming, please let Rachel know to help with catering (206).
Or if it’s a last minute decision, then just come along anyway.
This is all part of the fund raising project for vital Church repairs.
Posted in Church, Events | Leave a Comment »
A forth coming date to note in your diary…
Parwich Oddfellows are hosting a quiz night at the Sycamore on Wednesday 11th March.
It’s at 8pm for an 8.30pm start, with nibbles being provided at half time.
Entry is £1 per person and funds raised will go towards the St George’s Day Parade (see previous post), to be held on the 26th April.
Everyone is welcome!
Posted in Events, Oddfellows, Pub | Leave a Comment »
Thanks to the weatherman on the hill for last weeks weather readings, which are:
|
|
Rainfall in mm |
Pressure in Mb am |
Pressure in Mb pm |
Temperature in ºC |
|
|
Max |
Min |
||||
|
Sun 15th |
0 |
1025 |
1024 |
7.1 |
1.8 |
|
Mon 16th |
0 |
1025 |
1022 |
11.0 |
5.2 |
|
Tue 17th |
0 |
1022 |
1024 |
10.1 |
5.4 |
|
Wed 18th |
0 |
1025 |
1024 |
9.0 |
6.1 |
|
Thurs 19th |
0 |
1025 |
1025 |
8.4 |
2.7 |
|
Fri 20th |
0 |
1028 |
1029 |
9.7 |
1.4 |
|
Sat 21st |
0 |
1028 |
1026 |
8.7 |
4.2 |
|
Total |
0 |
|
Average |
9.1 |
3.8 |
Posted in Weather | Leave a Comment »
Dave Woolley, Val Stevenson and Nia Linnell would like to invite all would-be thespians to a meeting in the pub at 7pm on Friday 27th February.
It has been a long time since there was a village production and it is our intention to `write` and produce a suitable play starring those willing to make a fool of themselves!
Secondary age school children are also invited.
Rehearsals will only be held at the weekends and it is intended that there will be 2 or 3 performances mid-May.
Monies made from the sale of the tickets and half time refreshments will go towards the Memorial Hall Rebuild Fund.
If you can’t attend on Friday but are interested in having a part, or even working backstage, please can you let one of us know so we can bear you in mind for casting.
Posted in Arts, Events | Leave a Comment »
Just after filling my oil tank a while back, I had two very irritating conversations. One with Nia, who said that her man in Leek charges 5p per litre less then Halso and Peak Oil. And one with Jane B who said that, whenever they are quoted a price per litre by Halso or Peak Oil, they always haggle and get a reduction. I felt I had paid over the odds.
So, please tell me – where do you get your oil? Does anyone have a cheap(er) supplier? Do you always shop around and, if so, who tends to be cheaper? Do you always haggle and get the pence-per-litre price knocked down and, if so, by how much? Who has had the price reduced by the most? If you get a good price next time you buy, put it on the blog so we can all jump on the bandwagon and get hold of some cheaper oil. This information would be useful for everyone in the village who heats their house and water with oil.
Posted in Oil, Services | 19 Comments »
(What’s this all about, then? Click here to find out more…)
For our third heat, the spotlight falls upon twelve country pubs in the South West zone.
Please tick as many pubs as you like, before pressing the VOTE button.
The three pubs with the highest number of votes will proceed to our grand final.
Voting in the first heat (North East zone) is now complete. Our three finalists from this heat are:
Voting for the second heat (South East zone) remains open until next Tuesday, February 24th.
Posted in Out & About, Pub | 1 Comment »
If you are interested in joining the Over 60’s group, please ring Alan on 279.
If there are sufficient places available on the coach, then non-members are welcome to come along. The coach always leaves from The Green.
Posted in Societies | Leave a Comment »
There are lots of interesting trips, talks and shows being organised by Parwich & District Horticultural Society for 2009. Everyone is welcome. To book or make enquiries regarding trips please ring Liz Henbury on 302.
Posted in Gardens, Societies, Young people | Leave a Comment »
As ever, Wednesday is Ashbourne News Telegraph day. The newspaper is available for purchase from the shop in the Sycamore, and a free electronic edition is also available.
Here are some of this week’s stories of interest:
Pages 1 & 3: Marks and Spencer is coming to town. A council planning committee has overturned a decision made in December to stop the arrival of the retail giants.
Page 4: Council tax bills are set to rise for hard-up residents.
Page 5: Heavy rain is expected for this year’s Shrovetide game.
Page 5: Filling the gap with dentists: an Ashbourne dentist has pledged to take on extra NHS patients from next month.
Page 5: Don Jr, son of the late Don Lowndes Sr, has allowed 2 of his father’s Shrovetide footballs to be displayed in the Coach and Horses in Ashbourne. Don Lowndes Sr was born in Parwich and turned up the ball in 1974.
Page 6: QEGS is seeking planning permission for a 9.1 metre flagpole at the school.
Page 7: Clamping down on motorists: stricter parking enforcement starts in Ashbourne from tomorrow (Thursday Feb 19th).
Page 26: JW Foot & Sons from Parwich traded at the most recent Bakewell market.
Page 27: Mayfield’s weekly salsa and merengue classes (at the Royal Oak) offer “a chance to try out the Latin style of dance made famous by Parwich’s Tom Chambers”.
Page 27: There’s a screening of Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia” at Hulland Ward on Saturday, admission £4.
On the website only: Historic video footage of Shrovetide games dating back to the 1920s has been found on an internet archive. Five clips are available for view, including some remarkable ATV footage of the 1974 games which features the late Don Lowndes.
Have we missed anything? If so, then please let us know…
Posted in News |
At this stage of the Memorial Hall redevelopment project, the securing of additional funds has become a top priority. With this in mind, PARWICH.ORG and the Memorial Hall committee would like to invite any interested local businesses to lend their support to the project, by becoming official sponsors. Continue Reading »
Posted in Memorial hall | 1 Comment »
The Parwich WI has a variety of talks and visits organised for 2009. Why not think about joining this organisation? Contact Rachel R (202) or Jill L (353) for more details. They meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month in the Memorial Hall at 7.30pm. The talks and trips are always open to everyone and they have some wonderful catering to round off the meetings.
Posted in Events, Societies | Leave a Comment »
The Red Devils consist of Josie and Tim: a couple from Birmingham, who travel around the country with a mixture of Josie singing and a Karaoke machine for those who like to show their own talents. They have visited the Legion on several occasions, and Carl assures us that “it should be fun!!!”

Posted in British Legion, Events | 1 Comment »
IMPORTANT: These details have been updated elsewhere. Please click here for our most recent property round-up.
The list will be updated again next month. Until then, you will be able to find it on the INFO page, and in the ELSEWHERE ON PARWICH.ORG section on the right hand side of this page.
Posted in Housing | Leave a Comment »
(What’s this all about, then? Click here to find out more…)
For our second heat, we move down to the South East zone (roughly speaking, that is).
Please tick as many pubs as you like, before pressing the VOTE button.
The three pubs with the highest number of votes will proceed to our grand final.
Posted in Out & About, Pub | 1 Comment »
Don’t forget that this Sunday, 22nd February at 3.30pm sees the Licensing and Installation of Christopher as Priest in Charge of All Saints’, St Mary’s and St Peter’s in Nottingham City Centre.
A number of people are going by coach from the village, but we have been asked to put up details of St Mary’s location, for those that are travelling independently.
You can download details of the nearest car parks by clicking here.
The most convenient parking locations are at Fletcher Gate (#9 on the parking map; orange circle) and Stoney Street (#10; orange circle), both of which are only a short walk from the church (#13; grey square).
Posted in Church | Leave a Comment »
Our next “alternative” film tells the story of the legendary singer Edith Piaf.
From the slums of Paris to the limelight of New York, Edith Piaf’s life was a battle to sing and survive, live and love. Raised in poverty, Edith’s magical voice and her passionate romances and friendships with the greatest names of the period — Yves Montand, Jean Cocteau, Charles Aznavour, Marlene Dietrich, Marcel Cerdan and others — made her a star all around the world. But in her audacious attempt to tame her tragic destiny, the “Little Sparrow” — her nickname — flew so high she could not fail to burn her wings.

PARWICH MEMORIAL HALL
FRIDAY 27th February, 7.45PM.
Entrance free.
Posted in Events, Films | 1 Comment »
With the memory of turkey, mince pies and central heating still in their systems, all sections of the 1st Derbyshire Dales Cyberscouts met at Gradbach Scout Camp on January 3rd, to celebrate the start of another year of traditional scouting activities.
Following the opening ceremony around the flag pole, the group enjoyed its first Moving On Ceremonies, which see members developing and moving from one section to another.
There was also the opportunity to recognise the achievements of individual members by awarding skill badges – notably in the areas of creativity and experimentation – whilst the Camp Wardens stoked up the log fires in the stone farmhouse, where some of the day’s activities were to take place… Continue Reading »
Posted in 2009, A52s, Cyberscouts, Posts of Note, Young people | Leave a Comment »
Just a reminder that Nia, Lynne, Alison and Tricia will be at the Memorial Hall tomorrow morning (Tuesday) straight after school drop off (8.30/8.45) for a meeting to talk about our children at school. We hope as many people as possible will come along and that those who are unable to will let us have their thoughts on any issues relating to school.
Posted in School | Leave a Comment »
Thanks to Matt H for sending us this depiction of a very snowy Gardener’s Cottage.
(It looks even better when enlarged – go on, give it a click!)
Posted in Photography | Leave a Comment »
Here are three new dates for your diary:
All events take place at Parwich Royal British Legion.
Please click each “flyer” to enlarge it.
Posted in British Legion, Events | Leave a Comment »
Last week’s weather from the weatherman on the hill:
|
|
Rainfall in mm |
Pressure in Mb am |
Pressure in Mb pm |
Temperature in ºC |
|
|
Max |
Min |
||||
|
Sun 8th |
0 |
1004 |
1004 |
2.1 |
-5.5 |
|
Mon 9th |
3 |
1002 |
997 |
1.7 |
-2.7 |
|
Tue 10th |
5 |
990 |
1013 |
6.1 |
0.2 |
|
Wed 11th |
0 |
1015 |
1019 |
5.6 |
-2.1 |
|
Thurs 12th |
1 |
1024 |
1022 |
2.5 |
-4.2 |
|
Fri 13th |
0 |
1021 |
1024 |
7.9 |
0.1 |
|
Sat 14th |
0 |
1025 |
1027 |
3.7 |
-1.2 |
|
Total |
9 |
|
Average |
4.2 |
-2.2 |
Posted in Weather | Leave a Comment »
The parwich.org Roving Photographer wanted to take some pictures of the last of the snow which emphasised the ridges and furrows on our hillsides. As he drove out past Bradbourne early on Saturday morning, the sunrise started to become interesting, so he continued on to Carsington. The sun rose a little further and the sky took on the most beautiful colours. The glow from the water and the snow was captivating.
Later, some snowy “ridge and furrow” pictures were taken to record this unusual variation on our landscape. A few are shown here.
Posted in 2009, Photography, Posts of Note | 1 Comment »
For those of you who missed it, there was a really good article on Jo-anne and her book (The Beautiful Truth) in last Saturday’s Derbyshire Evening Telegraph. Jill Gallone, who wrote the article, said:
It’s been put together beautifully and simply. As well as showing you, step-by-step, how to apply make-up correctly, it tells you the basics you need to buy and explains the colours to suit your hair, eye and skin tones.
I followed the advice, was astonished to learn about some of the daft mistakes I’d been making for 20-odd years, then looked into the mirror to discover a new me.To read the full article, click here.
Posted in People | Leave a Comment »
A fantastic opportunity to chat about any school issues that you would like to raise over coffee & cakes in the Memorial Hall with Alison B, Trisha W, Nia L & Lynne G.
Once you have dropped your children off on Tuesday morning, pop into the Memorial Hall.
Posted in School | Leave a Comment »