We are going to be holding a short planning meeting
for the Flower Festival arrangers
on Thursday June 12th – 6pm (ish)
in The Church.
We need more volunteers please!
Thank you to Rachel R. for sending this blog in.
We are going to be holding a short planning meeting
for the Flower Festival arrangers
on Thursday June 12th – 6pm (ish)
in The Church.
We need more volunteers please!
Thank you to Rachel R. for sending this blog in.
Posted in Church | Leave a Comment »
It takes a lot to get Kevin S. up and about at 7 o’clock on a Sunday morning, but today’s beautiful weather had him rolling around in the dew well before breakfast time. As ever, click to enlarge…
Posted in 2008, Photography, Posts of Note | 1 Comment »
Parwich Primary School is participating in Bag 2 School, where good quality second hand clothing is exchanged for money. Bring your unwanted adults’ and children’s clothing, bedding, curtains, soft toys, shoes, belts and handbags to School and the School will get £200 per tonne. If this works well it will become a regular feature with the School getting better terms for repeat collections (£300 per tonne).
Children take your blue bags to School on Monday or by 9am on Tuesday.
Everyone else please leave your unwanted adults’ and children’s clothing, bedding, curtains, soft toys, shoes, belts and handbags in the School porch on Monday afternoon (9th June) before
3-30pm or promptly on Tuesday morning (10th June) before 9am.
Posted in School | Leave a Comment »
Parwich Primary School
Dear Parents,
Collection is Tuesday 10th June – Please bring your bag to school on MONDAY 9th or at the latest TUESDAY 10th JUNE by 9am.
PTA Tombola
Can you please send any items suitable for an adult or child tombola into school ready for the PTA stall during Wakes. Please leave items in the school entrance – thank you.
Sainsbury Vouchers
Please send any vouchers in by latest on Friday 13 as we need to send the order in by Monday 16 to get bonus items for an early return.
School Council Book swap
The School Council is holding a book swap at 3.30pm on Friday 13 June. Bring your old books and swap them for others at 50p per person! Everyone is welcome so pass this message on to other family and friends.
Coats
Given the changeable weather can you please ensure children bring a coat to school.
Lunch / Fruit Money
Can you please ensure any money sent into school is clearly labelled with the child’s name and amount in a sealed envelope. We would also appreciate the correct amount being sent in. If your child in invited onto the Golden table they can have a school dinner, if they normally have sandwiches, at a cost of £1.70. (Cheques for dinner money are payable to Derbyshire County Council)
Newsletter Reminder
Would you prefer to receive our School Newsletter by Email? Please complete the slip attached and we will email the Newsletter to you. If you miss the newsletter on a Friday you can always access it on the Parwich Blog the address is http://www.parwich.org
School Timings/Absences
Just a reminder school starts at 8.45am – please try to ensure your child arrives on time as it can be unsettling for them if they arrive after the lesson has begun and the children are on task. Also, if your child is absent from school for any reason please do telephone school as soon as possible, the absence should be followed up with a letter on your child’s return to school.
Please do remember my door is always open should you need to discuss any of the issues raised in this newsletter
Best wishes
Caroline Rodgers
Headteacher
Email Address for Newsletter
I / We would like to revive the school newsletter by email.
Name (Capitals) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
The email address I would like you to use is …………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Signed: ……………………………………………………………………………………. Date: …………………………………………….
Posted in School, Young people | 3 Comments »
Money raised to date for Project Parwich is: £382.50!
Jo-anne’s make up demonstration 300.00
Don & Audrey’s Quiz night 42.50
Mike’s Osmonds ticket sale 40.00 Thank you everyone.
Next funding event for Project Parwich is on the Open Gardens Day – 22nd June 08 in ‘The Studio’ at Mrs Littlewoods.
Just a reminder – please let me know how much monies your event raises for Project Parwich so we can keep a record for funding purposes.
Thank you to Ruby for sending this Post in.
Posted in Arts, Events, Gardens, Project Parwich | 3 Comments »
It is great how so many people are commenting on posts. Hopefully the more debate the better informed we will all be, and PARWICH.ORG will be an increasingly accurate reflection of the whole community. However, don’t forget you can also create your own new posts by emailing them to parwich@hotmail.co.uk.
Some excellent photos are coming in; please keep them coming (as JPG or GIF attachments wherever possible, please; Word documents and printed hard copies are harder to reproduce). The details of events and groups are great; please send more. But you can also send in opinion pieces and items for discussion. Residents of Alsop, Pikehall and Ballidon: we want to hear more from you. Young people: we want to hear more from you.
As long as it is relevant to the residents of Alsop, Ballidon, Parwich and Pikehall, we want you to send it in. Controversy is brilliant; as long as it does not fall foul of the laws of libel or obscenity, or invade other people’s privacy, we want you to send it in.
Just a few words of warning… Continue Reading »
Posted in About this site | 1 Comment »
Don’t forget this Saturday is the Community Bulk Rubbish Collection from 9am – until approximately 10.45am. The next collection is 2nd August.
Stopping points – approximate times
Sycamore Road – 9-9.20am
Village Green – 9.25-9.45am
By the old shop – 9.50-10.10am
Croft Avenue – 10.15 – 10.45am
Posted in Services | Leave a Comment »
Apologies that it’s been a while since the last post but there is really good news…
Carolyn has continued to make excellent progress, so much so that she will be coming home in around a week’s time!
Carolyn has asked me to put the following message on the website, which she wrote using her new-found skills with her left hand:
Feel free to leave comments on this post for Carolyn, she gets to read them all!
A further update to follow by the end of next week.
Posted in News, People | 11 Comments »
The tour will be guided by Rob Francis, Brian Foden and Peter Trewhitt. Participants of the Brassington Tour, when told of the Parwich event, recommened that the availability of beer at the end of the evening also be stressed.
Posted in Events, History | Leave a Comment »
The TV cameras were in Parwich yesterday at the Sycamore Inn, doing a feature on our new Shop. ITV’s Central News made a live lunchtime broadcast from the Shop featuring interviews with Janet (she said she was still feeling nervous today), Mary R and Freda K. A recorded feature also appeared on the early evening News with Janet and Freda again, and a further interview with Louise B. The evening slot also included a number of local children shopping after school.
If you want to see clips Janet has a video recording or you can view on-line by doing the following:
1. Click on this link. This will open the Central News page in a new window.
2. Select “full screen” mode, by clicking the button on the bottom right hand side of the little TV viewer window, or by right-clicking on the viewer window itself.
3. Move the blue slider (at the foot of the viewing window) along to 6:30, so as to skip the first six and a half minutes of the programme.
4. After the clip from Parwich ends, keep watching for the next couple of minutes, while East Midlands Minister Phil Hope is interviewed about current national government strategy relating to the future of village shops.
Further reading: Here’s a write-up of the whole scheme, as taken from the official website for “Pub Is The Hub” (the organisation which helped Janet set up the shop, in what turns out to be the fastest turnaround time to date).
You can find out more about “Pub Is The Hub” here. The scheme was launched in 2001, and has the personal backing of HRH The Prince of Wales.
Posted in Local Links, News, People, Pub, Shop | 9 Comments »
Andrew Robinson writes:
A happy time was had by all this morning, thanks to Gill and Peter’s kind hospitality.
£160 was raised towards the Flower Festival at St. Peter’s Church, which takes place from Friday July 4th to Sunday July 6th.
Posted in Church, Events, News | 1 Comment »
Peak Experience have set up a new interactive website: My Peak Experience. This is thought to be the first website of its kind for a National Park. It is designed for participants to share their words, pictures and sound recordings of the Peak District with others around the world.
The nearest image to our area, at the time of writing this, is a photo of Tissington Hall. So if you want to share your images and thoughts with the rest of the world, do come first to PARWICH.ORG, but then secondly you might want to look at My Peak Experience, which also has a version for mobile phones www.mypeakexperience.org.uk/?device=mobile.
Posted in Local Links, News, Out & About | 2 Comments »
As always here is the round-up of what the Ashbourne News Telegraph says this week:
The finals of the Ashbourne Town Darts League were held at the Empire Ballroom last Friday. The Sycamore Inn Team won the Division Three Cup, congratulations!
Parwich Legion’s Team were also finalists, just missing the Division One Cup. Commiserations, and best wishes for next year.
Parwich’s Andrew Robinson provided ‘Word of the Week’ in the current issue, very evocatively describing their recent journey to the island of Colonsay, and reflecting more broadly on God as a source of confidence on our journey of life. (The Hebrides are always stunning at this time of year).
Pikehall Harness Racing attracts around 2,000 visitors to each meet, with their 2008 season kicking of with a meet on Sunday 15th June, starting at 2pm.
As always do let us know of any other local snippets I have missed.
Posted in British Legion, News, Pikehall, Pub, Sport | 1 Comment »
Don’t forget Parwich & District Local History Society have organised a guided walk around Brassington this evening (Wednesday 4th June). Meet outside the Miners Arms in Brassington at 7-30pm, refreshments will be available in the same Pub at the end of the walk. The weather is looking promising.
All are welcome and there is no charge.
Posted in Events, Out & About, Societies | Leave a Comment »
Congratulations to Lynette and Richard, who learnt this morning that their appeal relating to the garden room at Church Cottage, Parwich has been successful. The appeal process has been a long and arduous struggle for both of them, so their sense of relief must be immense, and well deserved.

Announcing her judgement with unusual speed, the Planning Inspector, Katie Peerless, commended the input of the residents of Parwich.
The building has been in place for some time and I was impressed by the strength of feeling that brought so many people out to speak positively of their liking for the building as it exists. Development, especially in a modern idiom, is often unpopular in conservation areas and it is more usual to hear objections to change, both before and after it has occurred, than praise for an innovative approach. Continue Reading »
Posted in News, Planning | 2 Comments »
Don’t forget the Coffee Morning at The Old Farmhouse – (Gill & Peter’s) in Creamery Lane from 10am – noon.
Come along and buy some home-baking ready for tea tonight.
All in aid of flowers for the Church Flower Festival on July 4th -6th.
Posted in Church, Events | Leave a Comment »
Keith Parsons writes:
I have just bought on CD the complete Mozart piano concertos performed by Barenboim and the English Chamber Orchestra. Also the complete Prokofiev piano concertos by Ashkenazy, Previn and the LSO, and more…..
I’d happily offer these on short-term loan to anyone in the village who would like to borrow them.
And in return, do you have classical CDs you could lend me? I’m interested in Baroque music, Stravinsky, or W.H.Y.
I don’t mind keeping lists for distribution to participants of what CDs folk in the village are willing to swap.
Contact keith@kparsons.plus.com
Posted in Classified adverts | Leave a Comment »
Jo-anne’s make-up demonstration, held on 19th May at The Horns in Ashbourne to raise funds for Project Parwich was a great success! Thanks to the Horns for absorbing most of the costs for the food and wine, the evening raised £300 for Project Parwich.
As an added bonus, those who attended had a fantastic evening and are better informed in the art of applying make-up! Thank you to Jo-anne, The Horns and Becki, of Red Square photography for all their efforts and for providing a great night.
Posted in Events, Memorial hall, Project Parwich | 1 Comment »
Thank you to Carl for sending in this blog and the photos.
Thanks to all those who supported the Wild West Night at The Legion, everyone made it a fantastic evening. Thanks to Chris for providing the excellent entertainment and also thanks to all those who donned their costumes – they were all great. Tony Marshall took the main prize for his excellent “sherrif’s attire”!!
The next event is being arranged for Saturday 19th July – details to follow.
For more photos click Continue Reading »
Posted in 2008, British Legion, People, Posts of Note | Leave a Comment »
Following last night’s Horticultural Society Committee meeting here are a few things to keep in mind:
Sunday 22nd June: Open Gardens & Children’s Show Mid-Summer Magic
also Ashbourne Brass Band will be playing on the Green
Abel Shipley Memorial Trophy for Hanging Baskets
Posted in Events, Gardens, Societies, Young people | Leave a Comment »
PARWICH.ORG received this photo today. The person who sent it will donate £5 to Project Parwich, provided that someone can guess the identity of the young man in the picture.
Please leave your guesses in the comments box!
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
Posted in People, Photography, Project Parwich, Young people | 21 Comments »
Discussion about the change of use of the former Spar Shop continues (see comments on our post). Also there is a petition at the Sycamore Inn for people to sign objecting to the Planning Application for change from retail to domestic residential use. Is there a future for village shops, or was the Spar Shop’s closure inevitable? This is an important issue, so whatever your views contact the planners or let us know.
Posted in Planning, Shop | Leave a Comment »
This post is an update to the planning application post listed at the end of April. Information has been sourced from the search facility on the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) website.
There are no new planning applications for Alsop-en-le-Dale and Ballidon. There is one new application for Parwich and one for Pikehall:
Parwich
Pikehall
A final decision has been reached for three of the applications in Parwich: Continue Reading »
Posted in Housing, Pikehall, Planning | Leave a Comment »
The JIGSAW PUZZLES page has been updated after a several week gap (my apologies). With the latest jigsaw, entitled ‘Bear Stake Croft’, we have an extra twist. There is a page of background information about the orchard and its strange old name. You can get to this page by clicking on the link across the top of page with the puzzle on, but you will have to complete the puzzle before the link will work.
Leave a comment below if you think this is a good idea, and you would like us to repeat it with future puzzles.
Posted in About this site, Photography | 4 Comments »
What a great night at The Sycamore. The questions set by Don and Audrey were varied and fun. Some tested the brain unless you were the Euro Team with Amanda, Graham, Mike & Ben, but others were straightforward so no-one felt left out. There was one famous person present, Overend Watts from Mott the Hoople. He is walking from Lands End to John O’Groats, and valiantly joined one of the teams. The winning side were The Euro Team well ahead on points. Five teams participated and £45 was raised. What was so great was the atmosphere, everyone was there to enjoy themselves but it would have been even nicer to see more people there.
Posted in Events, Project Parwich, Pub | 3 Comments »
If you have never walked around Stanton in Peak I can strongly recommend it. We spent this afternoon exploring their Open Gardens. All the gardens are fairly small and a few you can see from the road, but the interest is really when you go down the little alleys and the cottage gardens at the rear, with some amazing views over towards Bakewell and Haddon Hall. The village really is perched on the side of the hill, with many of the gardens well terraced. Youlgreave Brass Band was strategically located in the centre of the village near the pub, providing a pleasant interlude. We didn’t try the Flying Childers, a freehouse, but some of the locals told us that they served good ale and food. I think that on one of the nice summer evenings (I’m an optimist) we’ll have a walk over Stanton Moor and call in at the pub. If you have tried the pub do leave a comment, maybe I feel a food review coming up.
Now I haven’t mentioned a tearoom in this blog, that’s because we didn’t visit one. However I was delighted to arrive home to find a goody bag on the doorstep, inside was a Passionate Carrot Cake from Chatsworth Farm Shop. It is delicious, moist, fruity, nutty and of course the carrots make it a healthy eating option, part of my 5 a day. So the next time you are near Pilsley I recommend calling in to either the Farm Shop or one of Chatsworth’s tearooms. Thank you Mike & Kevin.
Other Opens Gardens that are being well advertised at the moment are Bonsall’s on 14th & 15th June – 10.30-5pm, Birchover’s on 14th & 15th June – 1-5.30pm & Fenny Bentley’s on Sunday 15th 1-5pm.
Don’t forget Parwich Open Gardens on Sunday 22nd June 2-6pm.
Posted in Gardens, Out & About | 3 Comments »
I am trying to improve my skills on Power Point, does anyone have a guide (book form) to Power Point 97 that I could borrow for a few days. Ring Jane on 665 or comment below.
Posted in Classified adverts | Leave a Comment »
Don’t forget tonight’s quiz at the Sycamore!
19:45 for a prompt 20:00 start. All proceeds to Project Parwich.
All prizes for the raffle are gratefully received
Posted in Events, Project Parwich, Pub | Leave a Comment »
The hawthorn blossom is certainly spectacular this year, as can be seen in these photos sent to us by Mike Goulden (taken from Pasture Lane towards Rainster Rocks on Friday 30/5/08).
Posted in Out & About, Photography | Leave a Comment »

The last allotments in Parwich went at the end of the Second World War. However, a few people have expressed an interest in again finding a place locally to grow some vegetables. It could be an unused part of someone’s garden or part of a field. If anyone has any land that they would be happy for others to use (rent could be in kind: vegetables or a bit of gardening) or if you also want to find somewhere yourself in or around Parwich please email parwich@hotmail.co.uk and we will pass the information on.
Posted in Classified adverts, Gardens | Leave a Comment »
Our 500th comment was left on PARWICH.ORG this morning – and for anyone interested in the issues relating to the history and future of the Spar shop, it’s a must read. Our thanks to Stuart, for taking the time and trouble to leave such a detailed and informed analysis.
Posted in About this site, Shop | Leave a Comment »
Stanton in the Peak Open Gardens – 1-5pm with 20+ gardens open, cream teas, plant & craft sales. This is a small estate village on a steep hillside with some stunning panoramic views. There are twisting roads & paths by which you can explore some hidden gardens. £3 per person, all funds go to the British Heart Foundation & the Village Fund. It is within 20minutes of Parwich, between Birchover & Bakewell.
Sunday evening – Quiz night at the Sycamore – 7.45 for a prompt 8pm start. This quiz has been organised by Don & Audrey for Project Parwich. It’ll be a real good fun evening, a mix of questions & a chance to catch up with friends & neighbours. Raffle Prizes will be gratefully received so look through your cupboards for any unwanted gifts or an odd bottle or two.
Posted in Out & About, Project Parwich | Leave a Comment »
Posted in History, Out & About | Leave a Comment »
Thank you to Chris Elton for pointing out a press release on the Communities and Local Government website. Hazel Blears, Communities Secretary, speaking to the National Association of Local Councils in Eastbourne on 21st May praised Parish Councils, saying:
We are seeing a new era of modern ‘parish power’. It’s high time we got away from stereotypes that parishes are sleepy, out of touch operations. Parishes are about local democracy in action and I’m proud to be strengthening their arm.
As the smallest unit of local democracy, their small size belies the big impact they can have. The truth is new parishes can revive democracy, and modernise communities by putting more power into local people’s hands. That’s why we are boosting the power of parishes, devolving more power from central and local governments to local people.
Our forthcoming Empowerment White Paper will herald a significant shift of power, giving people a real say over the local issues that matter to them – schools, hospitals, police and housing. We need to learn from the best, and many parish councils are past masters at giving local people a voice. Continue Reading »
Posted in News, Opinion, Parish Council | 1 Comment »
We have just expanded our “Photographs” page to include almost all the original images that have appeared on PARWICH.ORG to date.
Click here to take a look, and then click on each image to enlarge it.
New images will be added to the top of the page on a fairly regular basis, so it’s worth checking back from time to time. There’s a permanent link to the Photographs page in the ELSEWHERE ON PARWICH.ORG section, over on the right hand column. You can also get to it via USEFUL INFO and the Site Map.
We’re always delighted to receive your photos, so do please keep sending them in.
Oh, and don’t forget the online jigsaws! They’re great stress relievers!
Posted in About this site, Photography | 1 Comment »
So far I have only found three snippets in the Ashbourne News Telegraph directly relating to our immediate area:
Indirectly linked to Parwich, there is an article relating to the Ashbourne Volunteer Centre, which is holding a photographic competition to coincide with the National Volunteers’ Week which runs from Sunday (1st June) to Saturday (7th June). Continue Reading »
Posted in News, Planning, Police, Sport | Leave a Comment »
Today, Wednesday 28th May, saw the informal hearing of the planning appeal relating to the garden room at Church Cottage in Parwich: the Peak District National Park Authority seeking to enforce a solid roadside wall on the scheme and the appellants wishing to retain it as built.
The change from Aldern House to a more local venue (Fenny Bentley School) was successful, as some dozen local residents attended. Despite this, we still think that the Memorial Hall, in Parwich itself, would have been more suitable.
The Planning Inspector presiding was Katie Peerless, a chartered architect. It had been originally arranged for a specialist ‘enforcement’ inspector to hear the case, but at the appellants’ request he was replaced by an architect, as both the appellants and the Authority were arguing on design grounds. The meeting opened with the Inspector summarising her understanding of the written representations. Continue Reading »
Posted in News, Planning | 4 Comments »