Thank you to Chris E. for forwarding the following grant opportunity. Is it something that local groups could consider (e.g. The Memorial Hall for its work in developing the new Hall plans out of lextensive local consultation; the Village Action Group, perhaps to strengthen aspects of the Village Plan; or even the Parish Council to explore use of PARWICH.ORG to increase local involvement)?
Grants for new ideas to get people involved in democracy
Fresh ideas for encouraging people to become involved in democracy will be rewarded with grants under a £150,000 government scheme aimed at charities, community groups and non-government organisations. The Innovation Fund, launched by the Ministry of Justice, will support projects developing new ways to help people participate in public discussions and influence government policy. Grants of up to £15,000 will be available for up to 10 of the best proposals for using online tools, face-to-face events or a combination of approaches. Previous winners have included Speakers’ Corner Trust, which established a speakers’ corner and held a day of debate in Nottingham, and the English Secondary Students’ Association, which developed a training programme and supporting materials to help young people aged 11-19 learn how to campaign on issues important to them.
Applications close on 26 September 2008. Decisions will be announced in October 2008. For more details see http://www.buildingdemocracy.co.uk/
The planning application for the proposed new Memorial Hall should be considered by the Planning Committee on Friday 15th August. Details of the Planning Officers’ report and the agenda for this meeting should be available about a week in advance at the Peak District National Park Authority website, though there appears to be some confusion in that Members of the Authority have been told that it is to be decided on delegated authority by the Officers, and the Authority’s Democratic Services says it is to go to Committee.
Following submission of the planning application, discussion with local people and with the Planning Service has resulted in some modifications to the external appearance of the proposed new Memorial Hall. For full details go to our page Proposed Plans for the new Memorial Hall, however here are the new drawings that were submitted to the Authority on 30/7/08 (click on the images to enlarge them):
Thanks to Jo-anne, who sent this in as a comment. I thought it deserved a post of its own, so here it is:
“Just a well done to Carolyn , she has just WALKED up to my house !! How great is that …I am so proud of her and l’m sure we all feel the same. She had to rush back for her evening painting session with Ruby and Jean.
Uppermoor Farm – Application for an Existing Lawful Development Certificate for use of the cottage as a seperate dwelling
ID No: NP/DDD/0708/0665 22-Jul-08.
Status: registered, awaiting decision. View documents
Uppermoor Farm – Continued use of arigultural building for residential purposes and construction of a front glazed porch extension. ID No: NP/DDD/0708/0672, 22-Jul-08 Status: registered, awaiting decision. View documents
The updates on the previously listed active planning applications are as follows:
If you need a digital aerial installing, upgrading or repairing, then I can wholeheartedly recommend MW Digital Aerials in Ashbourne.
Martin Wallis provided an excellent service for us last week, succeeding in providing digital TV access where we had been told there was none. Ours was a complex set-up to resolve, but Martin coped with the numerous hurdles with tenacity and good humour, all at a most reasonable price.
Martin can be reached on (01335) 344271 or 0791 206 6271. Estimates are free.
There are strictly no prizes for guessing the identity of our mystery British Academy Television Awards winner, who shared the award with the rest of his team.
If you do need a clue, then the award was given to the winner of the Continuing Drama category.
I misplaced my silver digital camera on Wakes Saturday. It was left around the fairground about 9pm. The camera was in a little black LowePro Camera Case.
If anyone happens to have found it, please can they let me know as I had taken some cracking shots of Wakes on it!
You can either let me or any other Wigley in the village know.
Many thanks to Mike G for these pictures from yesterday at the English National Sheepdog Trials taking place at Blore Pastures in Ilam. The event continues today (Sunday 3rd August) until 5pm.
For those of you who’ve not met her yet, we have a new person in the village – Esther Tyson. Esther moved to Parwich, from Wales, at the end of April and is staying at The Catlow.
She brings even more artistic talent into the village and could appear on your door-step at any moment if you have a garden that looks as if it might contain frogs or toads!
Having being practising artistry since childhood, Esther has been working as a professional artist for the last five years, since graduating. Here are a few examples of her work…
Despite some heavy rain earlier in the day, the Pikehall Y-Not festival got off to a dry and bright start yesterday. Although technical problems delayed the opening of the main stage, the large acoustic tent proved to be an ideal venue to house the Friday afternoon/evening line-up. The bands alternated on stage with the scheduled acoustic artists, with an impressively quick turnaround time between each act.
Our small but enthusiastic Parwich posse witnessed a great set of performances from The Moutown Project, Anthea Neads, Esteban, comedian Ruth Cockburn, The Rusticles, Toufique Ali and our clear favourites: the splendid Whiskycats from Manchester.
As the evening sunshine poured into the tent and the crowd thrashed around wildly to an unknown, unsigned band who were clearly loving every minute, the underlying purpose of the festival – to promote undiscovered talent in a relaxed environment, surrounded by beautiful countryside – became gloriously apparent.
If BOTH rock festivals AND steam rallies are not your thing, then you might consider visiting the English National Sheepdog Trials taking place this weekend at Blore Pastures, Ilam. More details may be found by clicking here.
If open air rock festivals aren’t quite your “thing”, then here’s an alternative activity for this weekend.
Now in its 38th year, the Cromford Steam Rally takes place on Saturday and Sunday (August 2/3) at High Acres Farm, Dewey Lane, Brackenfield, near Matlock. (On the A615 Matlock to Alfreton road; click here for a map.)
The rally is of interest and amusement for the whole family, whilst at the same time retaining the essence of the bygone spirit of our event.
Our tractor section will give you a unique insight into life on the farms in days gone by.
Look in our rural crafts section and enjoy the demonstrations taking place.
We have traditional steamers, historical motor vehicles, stationary engines, a model marquee and miniature steam.
Amble around the stalls, have a look at our old time fair rides, look through our sections of motorcycles, commercial vehicles, military displays and our wonderful old time organs.
Full admission is £6. OAPs and 14-and-unders pay £3, and under-5s can enter free.
Since moving to the village I have enjoyed all of the villagers’ lovely gardens, and whilst I love living in Parwich, have become homesick for my own cottage garden which I nurtured and left behind before I moved here.
We have a er, ‘nature reserve’ rather than a garden at Hallgates and whilst I can appreciate its charm from a distance, I am unable to get anywhere near it to sort it out at the moment.
Basically, what I’d like to do is clear the whole area of overgrown weeds (including huge nettles, cow parsley and trees left to go a bit mad) and establish a space for vegetables, fruit bushes and a bit of a lawn. The challenge is that the ground is sloping and very densly overgrown.
I have neither green fingers nor lots of money to spend, although I am prepared to put in the time and graft involved. Right now, its growth has slowed – so I feel that maybe I should be dealing with the weeds using a systemic weedkiller, so we can see what we need to chop come the autumn.
Do any gardeners have any ideas on the best way to clear what is, really, a bit of a jungle?
Commiserations to the organisers of this weekend’s Y-Not Festival: following the cancellation of Sunday’s headliners Cage The Elephant due to illness, Saturday’s headliners Mystery Jets have now pulled out, also due to illness.
The good news is that Cage The Elephant’s Sunday night slot has just been filled by the terrific Hot Club De Paris.
Best wishes to everyone involved with Y-Not, for a successful and enjoyable festival weekend.
Congratulations to Janet and Steve for winning the regional (East & West Midlands) heat of the Best Community Pub 2008.The Sycamore Inn is now in the national final up against eight other regional finalists. The results will be announced at a black-tie reception at the London Hilton in Park Lane on Thursday 18th of September.
Well done Janet and Steve, you definitely deserve to win this category!
Also congratulations to Ruth and Phil at the Bluebell Inn, Tissington for winning their regional heat and getting to the final for the Best Food Pub category.
It is impressive that two local pubs are through to the finals, especially as the East & West Midlands region, including Derbyshire, Cheshire and Nottinghamshire in the north, seems to stretch via the Welsh boarders most of the way to London, including Henley on Thames and Bedford.
Today’s acts are, in order of appearance: Find yourself a new ugly Bassist, Melisma!, Orion, avanGaäd, BOY COM., The Fideal Effect, Shades, Corkstone, The Fillmore Gears, Black Alley Screens and Hot Club De Paris.
Please note that the original headliners Cage The Elephant have cancelled due to injury.
Update: Cage The Elephant have now been replaced by Hot Club De Paris.
This Friday (1st August) is the deadline for any comments to the Peak Park Planners on the plans for the proposed new Memorial Hall. To find out more about see our earlier post or go to the Memorial Hall page with the plans.
Details of the Peak Park’s processing of the application can be seen at their site (app. no. NP/DDD/0608/0546). If you want to comment you can do so by:
letter: write to Planning Service, Peak District National Park Authority, Aldern House, Baslow Road, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AE
p.1 & 3 Our local bobby PC Ian Copper prevented a visitor to the Ashbourne Police Station from becoming a human torch (see also our Police page). Well done Ian.
p.2 Derbyshire County Council launches a campaign on fly tipping. They are keen to prosecute, and conviction can result in a £50,000 or 12 months in jail. To report fly tipping ring 08456 058058, and for details of firms that legally dispose of rubbish call 08708 506506.
p.7 Alison Love (daughter of Jill) is picture collecting a heritage award for the Museum of Childhood at Sudbury Hall. Well done Ali, you certainly seem to be keeping Sudbury Hall in the news.
p.21 Ashbourne Methodist Church Holiday Club will run from the 11th to the 15th of August. Places must be booked by Saturday (contact Di Lambert 344503 for details and a registration form).
As always do let us know about anything we have missed.
Today’s acts are, in order of appearance: Andy Page, Beck Lanehart, Adam Peter Smith, [name removed at artist’s request], Luke Banot, Maheda and Simon Andrews. There will also be one other act, which is yet to be announced.
On Saturday morning it is the bulk rubbish collection, the dustcart picks up at various points in the village. Even if you only have a small amount to get rid of, it is better to use this facility, so that we can always justify its importance to the village.
Which is the best mobile network for Parwich and the Peak District? I currently use Orange and have no signal anywhere in the village and it is poor generally in this area. Is it my phone or the network? Is O2 better? Views please. Thank you
Today’s acts are, in order of appearance: Mystery Jets, Pylon Less Wires, Zambula, Lo Fi Lung, Rebel Control, Tough Love, Max Raptor, New Groove Formation, The Fallout Theory, 51/50s, Frank Turner.
Update: Mystery Jets have had to cancel their appearance, as their lead singer has fallen ill and been taken to hospital.
On Friday 17 of us set off to the RHS Tatton Park Show, it was a great day out, very warm and thankfully dry. There was loads to see, the most amazing displays in the marquees, including vegetables, plants & flower arranging. Outside there were the show gardens, back to back gardens & formal beds – some take a little while to get your head around. There is also all the paraphernalia that goes with gardens, we came away with a greenhouse!! Thanks to Dot for organising this trip for the Horticultural Society.
Today’s acts are, in order of appearance: James ‘Bar’ Bowen, Justin Saltmeris, Nick Williams, Brynley G Jones, Ashley Hancock, Jackel, Martyn Stevens, Tony Reid and Vijay Kishore.
Chaired by Andrew Lewer with Senior Officers and Members from DDDC, DCC, the Police, the Fire Service and the Peak District National Park Authority present to discuss Civil Issues, Parking, the Ashbourne Partnership and ANY other topic that those attending wish to see discussed.
Our mystery photographer took these shots yesterday afternoon, while walking from Parwich to… where, exactly?
If you can name the mystery destination, then our mystery photographer will make a donation to Project Parwich.
But be warned: for every day that the mystery remains unsolved, the size of the donation will decrease by £1.
The twenty shots below are arranged in the same sequence as the walk. Because of lighting conditions, some of them are taken looking backwards rather than forwards. Click on each image to enlarge it, and click on “Continue Reading” (at the foot of this post) to see all twenty images.
When the mystery has been solved, we will publish a photo of the mystery walkers at their final destination.
Please feel free to discuss the clues in the comments box!
Our daily six-part series continues with a look at the acts scheduled to play the main stage of the Pikehall Y-Not Festival on Friday August 1st, starting from 13:00.
Today’s acts are, in order of appearance: Smiling Ivy, The Moutown Project, Esteban, The Rusticles, Ceasefire, Whiskycats, Edison, The Virginmarys, King Furnace and Hijak Oscar.
In the first of six daily previews of this year’s line-up at the Pikehall Y-Not Festival, we look at the acts playing the Acoustic Stage on Friday August 1st.
Acts are listed in order of appearance, with the first act due on stage at around 13:00.
After a lunch at The Old Smithy Tearooms in Beeley, a delightful walk to do is on Stanton Moor. On a beautiful clear day, such as today the open vistas are vast, on one side you look down the valley towards Matlock and on the other side over towards Over Haddon & Youlgreave. The scenery on the moor is so different from the rest of our area, probably the closest heather moors to Parwich. The heather is just starting to come out & in 2-3 weeks it really will be a blaze of colour. The main footpaths are well trodden and excellent underfoot, suitable even for those who are a little uncertain on their feet, providing you can cope with one stile. It is about a 15 to 20 minute walk to see the Nine Ladies Stone Circle, small standing stones in the middle of the moor. Parking is on the road from Stanton in Peak to Birchover.
We’ve had lunch and tea quite a few times here and finally I’ve decided to share this little gem with you. The Old Smithy is a village shop and tearooms, to be honest it is really like a deli. It is situated in the lovely old village of Beeley, on the Chatsworth estate, about 100 metres from the pub. You have a choice of seating areas: outside at the front, in the rear garden or inside. Most helpfully you can reserve a table, I rang just before we left to ensure they had space. (01629 734666)The cafe is open from 10am – 4pm, closed on Wednesdays and the shop is open for an extra hour either side of the cafe. The food is delicious, they have a regular menu inclucing hot and cold sandwiches, soup, pate and then a specials board with more Continue Reading »
Page 6: There is some speculation as to the future of the Co-Op and Somerfield supermarkets in Ashbourne, now that the Co-Operative group is set to buy out the Somerfield chain nationally. After the merger, will both competing stores survive? A Co-Op spokesman explains that no comment can be made until late September at the earliest.
Page 16: A notice advertising Brassington Carnival, which takes place tomorrow (Sunday July 27th). Nigel Clough of Burton Albion FC will be judging the floats and fancy dress at noon, followed by entertainment on the school field. This will include the BMW brass band, a fun run, a Tug or War, various stalls, refreshments and a licensed bar. There is an open air service on Miners Hill at 6pm, again featuring the BMW band. The carnival marks the start of Brassington Wakes Week; for more information, see the Brassington village website.
On the website:An article which we missed from last week’s round-up, which contains the draft dates for next year’s caravan rallies in Alsop (Oxdales Farm) and Parwich (Foufinside Farm and The Croft). The article notes that the number of rallies has dropped significantly over the past 12 years, although numbers now appear to have stabilised.
As always, copies of the Ashbourne News Telegraph are available from the Sycamore shop, priced at 45p.
After a lunch at 
We’ve had lunch and tea quite a few times here and finally I’ve decided to share this little gem with you. The Old Smithy is a village shop and tearooms, to be honest it is really like a deli. It is situated in the lovely old village of Beeley, on the Chatsworth estate, about 100 metres from the pub. You have a choice of seating areas: outside at the front, in the rear garden or inside. Most helpfully you can reserve a table, I rang just before we left to ensure they had space. (01629 734666)
PARWICH.ORG 
