Ironville & Park Newsletter Local news, events, articles and more. June 2016 Welcome to Issue Number Four We hope that you continue to find our village newsletter of interest and enjoy its articles and other contents. If you would like to contribute to our Newsletter

please write to Andy ([email protected]) or text Tracey (07957663876).

This Newsletter comes to you via “Unicorns,” a local voluntary group celebrating and promoting the rich heritage and culture of our village through social events and effective communication. For further information why not visit our web site: www.unicorns.comli.com/Index.htm

News From Ironville and There is so much going Codnor Park Primary School

on in our village.

 01773 602936

We aim to provide our children with a broad and balanced curriculum which Why not show your support enables them to have fun as they learn. A good example of this was our recent Participate, Volunteer, Join, Become Mad Science Day when we invited a a member - Have fun, enjoy . . . Science specialist to work with our chil- dren for the day. He provided demonstra- tions and hands-on experiments for the children to try and a great time was had by everyone! Another aim is to offer our children experiences which take them outside the village and show them a different environment. Our older children recent- ly visited the Arboretum School in Der- by as part of an ongoing exchange link that our two schools have. The children really enjoyed visiting a much bigger school in an urban and multicultural setting. They learned a lot and made some new friends. Participation in sport is a national priori- ty as you will all be aware. We offer our children a wide range of sports and (Small Charge) games to try and encourage them to take part in competitions. Our Dodge- ball team recently won a tournament at the first time of asking, and we had a really good time at the recent cross- country competition in Park – as always our children made us proud with their efforts and their excellent (Small Charge) behaviour and sportsmanship. Don’t forget to have a look at our website – it has lots of information about the things we are doing togeth- er with some great photos.

Parish Council Report - Spring 2016 by Sheena Trower Parish Planters and Hanging Baskets The parish will be enhanced as usual with a display of hanging baskets throughout the summer from early June until late September 2016. The planters are always prepared and set with spring and summer displays to brighten up the village. Due to the costs of both planting and regular watering by a contractor, costs restrict the number of hanging baskets. Ironville Allotment Gardens on Meadow Street Following incidents of van- Photo by dalism which have occurred on numerous occasions at the site, the Parish Sheena Trower Council reviewed the site and decided action had to be taken. The overall improvement of the area for the residents was at the forefront of the Council’s considerations. The Parish Council is therefore delighted to report a new weldmesh green fence and entrance gate has been installed on the entrance boundary to the site. This has already opened up the area for residents to enjoy the green space, whilst protecting the site for the tenants working on there. Plans are in place to replace the top existing timber boundary with matching fencing when funds allow. The Council is confident that residents in the area will be pleased with the overall improvements to the site. In addition, after the Parish Council learned of the demolition of the garages on Meadow Street by Futures Homescape, liaison with the organisation through County Councillor Paul Smith has confirmed a new fence will also be installed along the former garage boundary. Surestart The Parish Council was pleased to hear the centre will be continuing to provide an excellent service to the community families – County Council has had to consider budget cuts due to reduction in funds available for the county. Very difficult decisions to resolve with communities affected. The Parish Council expressed its ap- preciation to the hard work of County Councillor Paul Smith for his efforts in helping to protect this facility. Litter and flytipping This is always a problem for most communities in the country. Volunteers working hard to keep the parish tidy and provide additional planting and improvements are very much appreciated by the Parish Council. Residents are urged to report any incidence of flytipping or dog fouling to the Borough Coun-

cil on 01773 570222 or access the online report page on the Borough Council website.

Parish Council Meeting held 16thMay, including The Annual Assembly At the last meeting of Ironville Parish Council, Councillor Jack Brown M.B.E. was elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year, with Councillor Mrs. Kath Whitehouse as his assistant. Cllr Brown was also recently elected as one of your Borough Councillors at the Amber Valley Borough Council at the elections last month; Councillor Paul Smith

is also your Borough & Derbyshire County Council representative.

The allotment site on Meadow Street now has improved fencing to both enhance and protect the site, with Future Homescapes having installed additional timber fencing along a boundary following removal of the garaging. The Council also agreed to submit an Awards for All Lottery application for this site - an update will be provided in due

course.

Looking forward to September, the next skip will be placed at the King William Square on Saturday 24th September 2016 from 10 a.m. until 11.45 a.m. A member of staff will be present. Residents are requested to bring their unwanted items to the skip during the times shown

and not leave them prior to the arrival of the skip please.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday 4th July 2016 (a change of date from 11th July) commencing at 7 p.m. at the Community Room, Victoria Crescent. Members of the public are always very welcome to attend and address with parish issues during the public participation period.

th See the Parish Council minutes on line via the Unicorns web site: “I took this on May 18 walking around the reservoir. The swan looks like I caught www.unicorns.comli.com/Index.htm him off-guard!” Sheena Trower The Local Sky at Night As well as the many beautiful natural objects to view up in the night sky, there are also manmade objects that can be seen with the naked eye, if you know where and when to look. These objects are satellites. We have about 10,000 manmade objects orbiting our planet, about half of them are actually working and some of those can be seen with the naked eye.

We see natural objects like planets and particularly the Moon only because the Sun shines on them. It is this sunlight that is reflected off the surface of the Moon, planet or satellite that allows us to see them. Some satellites have reflective surfaces, others such as the giant International Space Station has huge solar panels which are used to generate power for the station and are as large as a football pitch. When those solar panels are angled to reflect the sun towards Earth, we get to see the ISS. The angle also determines the brightness, so some passes are brighter than others too.

It's quite a party trick to state to your friends that you can see a British Astronaut orbiting the Earth, so have a go before Major Tim Peak returns to Earth in the summer.

Log on to ‘Heavens-above.com’ the site will ask you where you live, simply add the nearest city, Nottingham is quite ade- quate. It will then provide you with a sky map showing you when and where to look. The station travels at 17,000 mph so orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, but not at the same angle, so some nights you might see it twice, others not at all for a few days. It is also visible in the early mornings too, but usually VERY early. If you’re not too happy with reading a sky map simply look East to West at the appointed time. If you are standing on the Riddings side of the Reservoir then the space station will travel at various angles from your right, over the Jessop Monu- ment towards Underwood, before it disappears into Earth’s shadow. The time given for its appearance will be exact – the ISS is never late!

Depending on the angle of the ‘pass’ it may be as low as the top of the Monument or high enough to crane your neck. There's also a very good 'app' for an iPad, so you can take it outside and watch as the ISS approaches your position. This app is called ‘GoissWatch’ and is free to download. It shows the position of the station in real time. If you have any problems viewing, give Sherwood Observatory a call on 01623552276 or drop us an e-mail. See our website

for further details at www.sherwood-observatory.org.uk Chris Hook ( Chairman and Group Visit Organiser Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society)

Safer Neighbourhood News Crossings Club We are currently targeting off-road nuisance Monument Lane. motorbikes in the Ironville, Codnor Park and 01773 602346 area. Regular patrols are taking Bingo (Wednesday pm); Snooker & Pool; place in areas where residents have report- Snacks; Licensed Bar; Games Machines; ed concerns and action is being taken if Live Acts & Groups ; Breakfasts (Saturday necessary. Police can stop riders and, if they are found to 9am); Function Rooms for Hire; Live Sports be riding mini-motos or motorbikes illegally or in a man- on Big Screen; Thurs - Food - 6pm - 9pm ner which causes alarm or distress to others on more than one occasion, officers can seize the vehicles. To ride on the road motorcyclists must be 16 or over and wear a Christ Church CODNOR PARK helmet. Bikes have to be registered, taxed, insured, have Revd. Frank Mercurio RESERVOIR  01773 833280 Fishing in well stocked an up-to-date MOT, and the rider should have a valid Rev Julian Penfold water. Alan Birks licence. Off-road bikes can only be ridden on private land  07932 564888 07941 824374 with the express permission of the landowner. They Warden: David Fearn WATERS EDGE BURGER cannot be used on common land, footpaths or bridle-  01773 605447 BAR ways. To contact PCSO Meikel Miller and your local Services: Drinks, hot and cold Safer Neighbourhood policing team call 101, email: Sunday at 11.00am: food available. Open Parish Communion Wed - Sun 7.30 am - 1 [email protected] Holy Communion (BCP) pm  Angie Harvey - or follow us on Twitter: @SomercotesSNT. at 9.15am, (2nd Wed) 07899 095758 Our War Memorial by John Bates If you remember in the last newsletter I wrote about our war memorial being in need of some TLC and restoration. I also said that I have been in touch with the War Memorial Trust (WMT) and applied for a grant. I have now heard back from the WMT who say they are going to provide 75% of the cost of restoration. I have spoken to Cllr Paul Smith (D.C.C. Community Leadership Scheme) and to our Parish Council who between them are going to make up the remaining 25% of the cost. I would like to say thank you to the WMT, Cllr Paul Smith, our Parish Council and the Rev Frank Mercurio who have been very helpful in getting the project to this stage. I plan to have the war memorial restored over the next few months and when it is complete I hope to arrange a service of re dedication with Rev Mercurio. Also with the help of JACHS (Jacksdale Area Culture & Herit- age), especially Carol, Richard & Martyn, we hope to produce a publication telling the stories behind men listed on our Memorial. If anyone can provide more information on these men it would be very helpful. “The parishioners of Codnor Park and Ironville can claim to possess one of the most substantial and beautiful monuments in the county. Its construction was the result of patient effort and not a little sacrifice on the part of many of the subscribers.” (Quote from the Ripley and Heanor News, 1923). The memorial is in the form of a Runic Cross, made of Cornish granite, standing 13feet high, and measures across the base 5 feet by 4 feet, the whole being of rusticated finish. Carved in relief on the front is a Crusad- er’s sword. The inscriptions are engraved on finely axed panels. The one on the shaft of the cross reads, “1914-They died that we might live-1918”; on the second base is “Greater love hath no man than this.” The names of the following are engraved on the die block:- Ashton L., Beresford J. E., Bogg G. T., Broome E., Carrington G., Cecil H. B., Darrington A., Earnshaw W. L., Edwards E.W., Elliott F., Green H., Gregory J., Gregory W., Hawley F., Heathcote S. W., Hill G. W., Hill S. R., Howard H., Hubball C., Lane P., Lear W. C. J., Leighton H. R., Longdon C., Moore J. L., Pitt J., Raybould J., Riley E., Riley J. W., Smith W. H., Statham I. B., Stokes A. W., Stuart T., Taylor J., Traunter E., Wright H. After the Second World War the following names of the fallen were placed on the memorial: Bentley J.W., Booth L., Cox F.R. , Flint L. H., Jones D. S., Maxwell F.R., Miles S., Rawson D.A., Watts W. The foundation, which measures 8 feet by 7 feet 6 inches, was laid by the ; also the paving from the gateway to the monument. The engraving and erection of the memorial was originally carried out by an ex-Service man, Mr. Edward Cope, of Riddings. Over the years the company has passed through the family and is now owned by Alex Cope, the great grandson of the original constructor. We have now arranged for Alex to be involved in its present day restoration.

Our War Memorial today

Shirley introduces Mackenzie to the art of gardening. As a result of Shirley’s efforts and with support of other local volunteers this area of Parkside Drive has been transformed from an eyesore into something that we all now enjoy and appreciate.

Crafty Crafters- Wednesday Mornings in the Church Hall - 10am - 12pm This beautiful handmade quilt is being raffled in aid of Multiple Sclerosis £1 per strip - telephone Pam on 01773 689414 for further details Our Local stretch of Canal - The Through Our Village

By John Boucher, Friends of the Cromford Canal Civil Engineer

From responses to my article in the last Newsletter, it is clear that there is a desire for more information on the ori- gins of the canal through Ironville. Prior to the canal, Codnor Park and what was to become Ironville were quiet and very pleasant rural areas, with little activity beyond farming and hunting for the nobility in the parkland around Cod- nor Castle. Although there were some early attempts at coal mining, as the remains of bell pits close to the canal just below the black bridge testify, lack of a good transport system hampered industrial development. Early large scale mining developed on the edge of Nottingham and in the Eastwood area, leading to the opening of the Ere- wash Canal from the to in 1779. By then there was some serious coal mining under consid- eration in the Area, with the coal owners trying to get the to extend to them. However the Ere- wash was doing very nicely thank you with trade from Eastwood and Heanor, and refused to consider any further exten- sion. The local budding coal owners there- fore decided to pro- mote their own canal, and not only go to Pinxton, but also to connect with the rapidly developing industrial area around Cromford, to supply its mills with coal and raw materials, and also carry away the valuable lead being produced in the district. The Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth House was also an early customer. The Cromford Canal Company incorporated and received parlia- mentary permission to build the canal in 1789, and opening as far as Codnor Park and Pinxton in 1792. The long Butterley tunnel held up progress beyond, but the canal was open through to Cromford by 1794 The Engineers responsible for planning the canal, William Jessop and Benjamin Outram, together with the Clerk to the Company Francis Beresford also kept a good weather eye on the surrounding area, and realised that besides coal it was also rich in iron ore. This was confirmed when they started to drive Butterley Tunnel and came across the coal and iron seams underground. They quickly realised the iron smelting potential and established Benjamin Outram and Company in 1790, soon to be renamed the Butterley Company, and leased or purchased much land in Codnor Park and the surrounding area. Although Beresford was a rich Derby solicitor who could supply some of the finance, he also had three eligible daughters, one of whom was engaged to John Wright, from a wealthy Nottingham banking and merchanting family. Beresford lost no time in getting John Wright involved in the new company, and he purchased Butterley Hall and the land around for their new iron works. The Wright dynasty became the main propri- etors of the Butterley Company, and older Ironville residents will remember that there were still Wrights in charge until the company was sold and split up in 1968. William Jessop moved into Butterley hall after the untimely death of Outram, and played an active part in directing the Butterley Company as well as directing his extensive Engineering Consultancy from there. Two of his sons moved out to India to sell Butterley products, and set up the firm of Jessop and Company in Calcutta, which is still active today. A third son remained for many years as the much loved and respected manager of the Butterley Com- pany, and the well known Jessop Memorial tower in Codnor Park was erected in his memory. Although the Canal Company and the Butterley Company were closely linked in their origins, they operated as sepa- rate entities and frequently fell out with each other. The high level bridge on Cinder Bank across the canal in Iron- ville, for example, was built by the Butterley Company in 1837 against strong opposition from the Canal Company, and they needed to use rare legal procedures to get it approved. This bridge carried a tramway which enabled “cinders” (iron slag waste) to be carried and spread to fill the existing valley and form what is now the Market Place area of Ironville. Another major problem for the canal resulted from Butterley’s coal mines undermining and causing subsidence within the Butterley Tunnel, which eventually became so great it lead to the tunnel’s closure. Butterley had failed to leave the agreed pillars of coal beneath the tunnel, but the canal company was unsuccessful in trying to pursue compensation. Not only that, John Wright and his son Francis were promoters and large shareholders in the Midland Counties Rail- way, which reached Codnor Park in the 1840s and sounded the death knell for commercial carrying on the canal. Despite these frictions, the canal was much used by the Butterley Company and other local industries, and they could not have developed in the early years without it. The development of the Forge Site was initially based on lime kilns using lime from the Butterley quar- ries at Crich, carried down a tramway through the world’s first railway tunnel to the canal at Bull- bridge, and then by boat through Butterley tunnel. The Forge site was actually linked to the Cromford canal by a private branch canal, the remains of which can still be seen branching off from the main canal just below Codnor Park Reservoir. This canal was eventually truncated at the Cinder Bank bridge, where a dry dock was built on its line. The dry dock can still be traced alongside canal lock no. 2, which became known as ‘Boat Dock Lock’. Parkside Drive was built on the line of this canal, but the length beyond Adelaide Walk stretching under the mainline railway into the Forge Site soon disappeared. Besides coal, iron and general goods there was a lot of other local traffic such as limestone and sandstone coming through the tunnel, and the chemical works at Pye Bridge received a lot of traffic bringing tar products from local gasworks. Commercial traffic did not disappear immediately with the coming of the railways, and indeed many clas- ses of traffic, particularly coal and heavy minerals, held their own for a long time against the railways, although tolls and hence the money available for good maintenance did reduce consider- ably. The coming of the motor lorry, and in particular the ready supply of cheap ex-army lorries after the First World War, was the main factor in its eventual demise. The last traffic through Ironville was in fact tar resi- dues to Pye Bridge which lasted until 1942, and meant that the locks were still in working order after the last war. Older residents still remember the locks complete with their gates, and it is a great pity that they did not last a few years longer until the national mood changed and canals became to be appreciated for their environmental and leisure values. Nowadays, no one would think of closing a canal which is still navigable, and many closed canals have been restored in recent years. What is the future for Monument Lane Bridleway?

Will this bridleway be opened up for all, from the top of Station

Road to the Castle and other Greenway routes beyond? The idea is that Derbyshire County Council would like to create a right of way for everyone, whether on foot, on horseback, cycling and for any vehicles other than mechanically propelled vehicles, (i.e. no cars or motor cycles allowed).

This includes a public meeting. The meeting will take place at Ironville Church Hall, Casson Street, Ironville on Tuesday 13 September 2016 at 10.00am.

This enquiry gives local people a once in a lifetime opportunity to give evidence to the appointed inspector. Everyone will be welcome to attend. The purpose of the inquiry will be for an Inspector to decide whether or not these routes should become legal. For more up to date information nearer to the time look out for the “Notice of Public Local Inquiry” which will be advertised in a local newspaper approximately four weeks before the event and posted on the ends of the order path. This will give you up to date information on

the meeting.

There several key dates in this enquiry. VERY IMPORTANT: For full details relating to this Order please write to: Jean McEntee at The Planning Inspectorate, Rights of Way Section, Room 3/G Hawk Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN. or 0303 444 5437. or Email: jean. mcenteepins.gsi.gov.uk quoting ref. FPS/U1050/7/99. Just part of the route is illustrated below, (not enough space to show full route):

Please note: THIS MAP IS NOT TO SCALE Station Road

Part of the restricted byways to be added is D to C

Monument Grounds

Monument Lane

Going on from the top Top of Station Road of Station road.

Ironville joins the Thriving

Communities Project Ironville has been chosen to be part of the Thriving Communities project.

Local communities have a lot of informal networks, groups and organisations who do a really good job in supporting people in tough times. But, sometimes help from organisa- tions doesn’t get to the right people at the right time and in other cases things should have been done much earlier to stop problems arising.

Thriving Communities is about working alongside local people, groups and organisa- tions in Ironville to explore new ways to help support local people. We want to look at how public services could work differently or do things in new ways to make sure they better support local families and communities.

Councillor Paul Smith, who is championing the Thriving Communities project in Ironville said: “There is a lot of good work going on, such as the Unicorn community group, the events for young people and children at the railway carriage, the annual fun day and the sessions at OAP centre. We want to build on these and encourage people who aren’t involved at the moment to take part. By working together we can make sure that Ironville is a positive place to live and support is there when people need it”.

“We have been trying out the Thriving Communities way of working in other parts of Derbyshire and it is beginning to show real success, so we are confident that we can make a positive impact in Ironville.”

Over the next few months the project will focus on:  Meeting local people and local groups to understand more about day to day life in Ironville and getting a feel of what’s good and what could be better; and  Developing ‘Team Ironville’ – a group of people who work together to help support people. If you want to get involved in the project please email: [email protected] or call Ellen on 01629 538439 for a chat.

Members of Unicorns explain their display produced as a result of the brilliant EMERGE Family Walk around Ironville & Codnor Park on Shakespeare Day to Ellen Langton, Cllr Paul Smith and Cllr Pam Cope. They also discussed how Thriving Communities can support the work of Unicorns and other community groups in the village.

Arty Party is an arts and craft club where people of any age and ability can come and have fun with their artistic side whether it be making jewellery, junk modelling, painting or drawing. It doesn’t matter if your good at art or not, everyone is treated the as equal and we all bring ideas of what we can do. We all come up with ideas on what to make and do, the children learn how to plan their own days activities which helps them to gain confidence. Some of the people have left comments about the group and here they are: “I like painting and making stuff”, “its fun, it gets us out the house”, “everyone is together on a Saturday and not sat inside bored.”

You can see what we get up to by looking at our Facebook page ArtyParty, the Unicorns website or just pop in on a Saturday from 2pm till 4pm at Ironville Church Hall. It is £2 per person or £6 per family, under 3 year olds are free. All children under 16 years old will need to have a suitable adult as we cannot be responsible for younger children. All children will get a free drink of Juice and tea and coffee is 50p each.

We hope to see you all there.

Dance Classes are held every Wednesday at 4:30 till 5:30 after school by Katie Elizabeth’s School of Dance. The 4 year olds to 9 year olds are at the Crossings Club and the 10 year olds to 16 year olds are at Ironville Church Hall, it costs £3 per person. The teachers are wonder- ful and the students love the classes, at the moment they are learning Street Dancing. All photos and videos can be seen on our Facebook page or our website with a link to Katie Elizabeth’s School of Dance. If the children like it enough and practice, we will put on shows or they could even be entered into competitions.

Children’s comments

“I like it because it is really good,”

“I like dance class because I like to dance,”

“I like to dance with my friends,” “I like that we learn new moves,”

“I like spinning around and dancing.”

Parents Comments

“Good exercise for all the children, lots of fun and they get to make new friends,”

“My child loves to dance, also takes her friends with her. They look forward to it as they have fun making new friends and learn to work as a team,” “My child looks forward to dance every week and really enjoys it.”

Your local schools love the idea of the dance classes as it helps the children to gain self con- fidence and a sense of pride when they can put on performances that they themselves have created. At the moment we have had to suspend the classes but we hope we can bring them back for the Autumn term.

We hope you all come and learn new skills and make lots of new friends when we come back for the Autumn, we will keep you posted.

For further details contact Tracey on 07957663876 CHRIST CHURCH – REPAIRS AND RENEWALS – A 2016 UPDATE

By David Fearn

Many of you will be able to remember back to 2009 when Christ Church was covered in scaffolding for five or six months. For the first time in many decades, it had been possible to carry out some major works to the tower and roofs using best quality materials and practice, under the supervision of the Church Architect, and all made possible with the help of a major grant from English Heritage and the generosity of many people both near and far. At that time, the Tower was re-pointed and re-roofed, the south (front) Nave, and back Vestry roofs were re-covered, with the north (back) Nave roof re-formed to match the front. All the re-roofing involved the use of new Welsh slate together with a total renewal of all the lead. The final cost of these works was well over £100,000.

Since 2009, Christ Church has been working hard to raise funds to finance two major projects:  The complete renewal of the Sanctuary Roof at the East End (not included in the 2009 works).  Work to the interior involving repairs to plasterwork and floors, followed by redecoration through- out. Following the advice of the Church Architect, it was felt that the outside had to be made watertight before attention turned to the inside and the long-awaited decoration, and so in February this year, the firm of W. Howlett & Sons of Kirkby in Ashfield was asked to carry out the work on the Sanctuary Roof, at a cost of around £25,000, and with a planned start date of this May/June.

However, it is often the case that nothing goes according to plan! Christ Church is a very large building, very costly to run and even more so to maintain, with problems occurring all the time. In November 2015, the Church Architect carried out his five-yearly inspection, and he identified two problems requir- ing urgent attention;  There are some serious issues with the electrical supply into and around the building.  Sections of the wooden floor at the west end of the nave (the Social Area) have suffered from wet rot and will need to be repaired/renewed, and then fitted with new and appropriate carpet. Until some work is carried out, this area of the church will probably have to remain out of use.

Since 2008, many people have worked very hard to raise funds for the various repair projects and we must offer our sincere thanks for all they have done. In the next few weeks, a start will be made on one project with, hopefully, the others following on close behind. However, for the moment, the fundraising continues! (The link to Christ Church web page is: www.unicorns.comli.com/christchurch.htm)

Julian's Column At last, as I am sitting at my desk writing this, it seems that summer has at arrived. The sun is out, the cuckoos are calling and the swal- lows are swooping low above the ground feeding on flies. I guess many of us are putting our minds to summer holidays and visits away to friends and relatives. But I have lived in villages for many years and come across two very different attitudes. One village was a small community and most of the residents lived, worked and retired in the area. They knew pretty well everyone else and when summer came and folks went off on holidays there were still people around who looked after those who were confined to their homes, they did bits of shopping for them and looked out for strangers in the village. In the second village that I lived in it couldn’t be more different. Most of the residents worked in the nearby town, they didn’t join in with village events and they knew no one and no one knew them. In summer those who were confined to their homes got very lonely and felt isolated. In Ironville I have been amazed at just how much is going on in the village, small groups are springing up everywhere, and if you know where to look, there are lots of people willing to lend a hand in all sort of ways. What has that got to do with Christianity, well to me a lot. Jesus called us to love our neighbour so looking after folks round about means so much. God also made this planet and everything in it and I believe we are called to look after it for the benefit of our chil- dren. There is much more, but not the space to write it! So this summer when folks are going away, why not spend some time thinking about those who have difficulty in getting out and see what you can do to help them? Perhaps you can also think about what we can do to help care for our community and the coun- tryside around about us. God bless. Rev. Julian (See my web page: unicorns.comli.com/julianspage.htm)

Clowns Children's Centre “The nursery is a very bright and attractive space where all children are welcome.” (Ofsted)

Age Range: from 3 months to 5 years

Opening Days: Monday - Friday

We had great fun celebrating World Book Opening Hours: 0800 - 1730 Day, the theme was “Aliens in Underpants”. All of the children came dressed in their Closed: Bank Holidays & Christmas favourite book character costumes, and a Telephone: 01773 540050 fun day was had by all. Unicorns, Dragons and the Tale of the Ironville Crocodile . . .

By Trevor Middleton

We marked St. George's Day at Codnor Castle not by slaying dragons (apparently there are Health & Safety issues surrounding the use of swords, and we'd have needed a Fire Safety Certificate for the dragon: who knew?), but by playing host to a party of families from Ironville and Codnor Park, organised by Unicorns, a local voluntary group aimed at promoting the heritage of the local area.

It's always a pleasure to see a long stream of visitors (what my sainted deputy head- mistress used to refer to as a 'crocodile') arrive on foot with their children, ready to enjoy the Castle, and it wasn't long before our crocodile arrived, just before midday.

Most of the rest of the afternoon was taken up with a picnic and a guided tour given by our chairman, Rokia Brown, and the tired but happy and well-fed band left around half past one.

We love showing visitors round the Castle, and we're always happy to open up by special arrangement to walking groups, local history and archaeology groups, and so on. For more details, search Facebook for 'Codnor Castle Heritage Trust', or see the 'Contact Us' page of our website: http://www.codnorcastle.co.uk/contact-us.html

We look forward to meeting you!

Our War Memorial today Did You Know? At the historically renowned Codnor Park Iron Works (now demolished), cannonballs were made for Waterloo, armour plate was made for the very first iron-hulled warships such as The Warrior & The Black Prince (circa 1861). During World War II the works also produced sterns for 57 “Loch” class frigates, and 51 large bridges, each with a 150-foot span, which were used for crossing the Rhine and Italian rivers, in addition the company manufactured tracks for Churchill and Cromwell tanks as well as many other important products for the war effort. The ironworks at Codnor Park formed part of the famous Butterley Company. During the 19th century the Company be- came a thriving success. In 1862 there were seven furnaces at Butterley and Codnor Park which produced one-fifth of the total output of iron in Derbyshire. Later in the 19th century the production of ironstone declined locally, but the Company still remained a major force in the iron industry. It was heavily involved in the expansion of the railway industry, by the manufacture of track and wagons at its foundry and engineering works, and the Butterley Company was famously used for the huge arched roof of St Pancras Station in London, one of the wonders of Victorian engineering. Throughout its history the Company was heavily involved with the production of bridges, heavy structural steelwork, mining equipment and machinery, presses, castings and overhead cranes.

Carriages Youth AVBC Local Election Result A couple of one liners sent in! May 5th 2016 Club, Deepdale What sound does a nut make The Youth Club offers a when it sneezes? range of activities that young people have Cashew! planned and organised with youth workers. A Why wouldn't they let the major update to facilities butterfly into the dance? is planned soon. (Tues., Thurs. & Fri. eve- Because it was a mothball! nings 6.00pm until 8pm Contact Neil Onyon on

01629 533625 Lawn Bridge Project Update in the next issue of this Newsletter.

Anvil Club Ironville Strollers Casson Street The main aim of the group is to encourage local walking as an inex- pensive, convenient form of exercise, whilst providing excellent so- Update in cial opportunities and the chance to discover the natural beauty in the next this locality and sometimes further beyond. Walks are short (2 - 3.5 miles long), led by trained walk leaders, walkers being able to walk issue of this at their own pace. So if this is for you why not give this Walking Newsletter Group a try! Elliott Hughes: 01773 540245 or Michael Blount: 01773 540833 The Vikings Came to Ironville & Codnor Park Primary School on 22nd March 2016

Comments from the School's recent Ofsted Inspection "...the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is improving across the school." "Teachers and teaching staff, including those who are new to the school, know what the key priorities are, and their role in ensuring that pupils' outcomes improve. This has resulted in a culture of high expectations becoming more embedded across the school." "Pupils I spoke with told me they felt happy and safe in school, and are confi- dent that this is true for all pupils, even those who are new to the school.....They trust their teachers and other staff to listen to and deal with their worries and concerns." " The workshops you run for parents have been well attended and have en- sured that parents are involved and engaged in their child's learning." WALK ON WALKING GROUP by Phyllis Ball All of our walks are free of charge and are led by quali- fied walk leaders. New walkers are always welcome. There is no need to book - just turn up! Our walks begin at Jacksdale car park at 10 a.m. on Tuesday mornings. We have two levels of walks, one is for people who want to walk for the exercise, but can- not cope with stiles etc. This Walking on past Smith's Lock which was walk lasts 1 hour. The longer no 4 in the Ironville flight of seven locks walk takes around 2 hours. where the Cromford Canal drops down into the Erewash valley. There are a surprising number of different walks from Jacksdale alone. We have back markers to allow all to walk at their own pace (no fear of being left behind). We are a very sociable group, it is good to walk talk and meet new friends. The community centre is open for coffee tea and snacks on a donation basis for charity when we return. We are always made very wel- come and the choice of food is amazing. We also walk on Mondays and Wednesdays from various venues. A programme is available with all venues and meeting points (including post codes for sat navs).

London Transport steam locomotive Metropolitan 1 departs Ironville with Hammersmith as an appropriate destination on Bank Holiday Monday 28th March 2016. No. 1 was built in 1898 and was the last locomotive constructed at Neasden Works. It survived to work the last steam train on the Chesham Branch in July 1960 and the last steam-hauled passenger train anywhere on London Transport in 1961. This train is currently running most weekends (plus half-term) at , Butterley during June. Photograph by Geoff Griffiths

(Geoff grew up on Forge Row)

The Community Working Together to Improve Our Village Environment . . .

Litter-pick by canoe! (Thanks Midland Canoe Club) Overhanging brambles on canal path

Rubbish Clear-up, rear of Ironville on Pinxton Canal Path & behind Elizabeth Park

Photos: Pete Clark & Sarah Cook Lock Keepers Garden takes shape. Clear-up team blitz Fly-Tipping near Res.

 Clerk: [email protected] 01773 764202 Monday - Dog training - 7pm - 8.30pm All meetings take place at The Community Room, Victoria Mainly for people who compete in obedience and Crescent, Ironville, starting at 7.00 pm working trials.  Sheila Tannert - 0773 9535115 Every meeting includes a period for Public Participation at which local residents are invited to attend - a time alloca- Tues & Thurs - Taekwondo - 7 to 8.30 pm tion of 15 minutes at the beginning of the meeting. The For all the family - adults and children. next two meeting dates are:  Dave Gregory 01773 609626 th Cllr Jack Brown Monday July 4 Chairman Wed Morning - Crafty Crafters & Dominoes- th Monday September 12 10am - 12pm  Pam 01773 689414 Wed P.M. - Katie Elizabeth's School of Dance

(Please Note: This Class has been temporarily

suspended until the Autumn) Here local residents have the opportunity to meet Street Dance Lessons -£3 per person their local Borough & County Councillors at their  07712 284106 for an update in the autumn. surgeries to raise any issues of concern. Here you can Friday - English and Maths for Adults meet with: Cllr. Paul Smith (01773 540345) and 9:30 till 11:30 For those who want to gain Parish Councillor Pam Cope: confidence in the skills needed for maths and Saturday 9th July

English in daily life. Saturday 10th September  01773 832201 - This class is FREE at present. At the OAP Community Centre, Victoria Crescent, Ironville Friday - Line Dancing - 8.15 pm – 10.30 pm from 11:15am until 12:15pm. Very much a social evening with a little teaching. Lynne or David Barnard on 01159 636565 Ironville Post Office  01773 605472 Saturday - Art Club - ArtyParty - 2pm - 4 pm Mon - Sat: Open 7am - 8 pm; Sunday: Open 8 am—12.30 £2 per person or £6 per family  Tracey 07957663876 The Friends of the Cromford Canal Talks Top Gear at the Great Central Railway Victoria Crescent- Bookings  Pam Cope 01773 606454 by Bill Devitt on Mon 20th June starting at7.30pm Reservoirs and the Cromford Canal Mon: Gentle Movement - 10am - 11am by David Brownon Mon 19th Sept starting at 7.30pm (Chair based exercise  Miriam 07937 3495408) The admission charge for both talks is £2 with a Bar, Mon: Coffee Morning & Bingo- 11am - 12pm Raffle & Sales Stand. All Welcome at both talks. Tues: Money Bingo 7.30pm - 9pm DCC Public Inquiry on Tues 13th September 10.00 am Restricted Byways along New Lane and Part of Monu- Wed: T.Mates Community Café 1pm - 3pm ment Lane, (see page 8 for more details). Friday - Prize Bingo 7.30p.m. - 9.00pm Hall Bookings  Eileen McMeekin 01773 775496 (Do come along and join in with these community events)

Ideas and local information, news or events please e-mail: Andy: [email protected] or text Tracey on 07957663876 Deadline for next issue (October): 20th September 2016 This Newsletter has been supported by the D.C.C. Community Leadership Scheme via Cllr Paul Smith If you would like to support or sponsor the Newsletter in anyway please get in touch via the contact details above. The views expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Unicorn Editorial Team. We also make it clear that we reserve the right to refuse or edit items that are sent in. Pete’s Page - Our Village Environment Ironville & Codnor Park

April was a big, big month for Litter Picking and clearing Fly-Tipped Rubbish. An estimated 200 sacks of litter / rubbish have been picked by volunteers (and removed by the authori- ties) from our village. That is a really large amount and is making a real difference to our environment. As May progresses the plants green up and little-by-little the village looks better

Canoe Litter-Pick Day. Sometimes one might think that Birdswood is the only boat working on the Cromford Canal. Well you could be wrong. On Saturday 2nd April, a large Canadian type canoe was operating on the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust stretch of canal between Ironville & Jacksdale. Two volunteers from the Midland Canoe Club came and helped Pete Clark and Liz Holgate remove many, many, items of floating rubbish. The Canoe Club were brilliant, great people, with ‘manky’ pop bottles, crisp packets and lager cans gone. The cost to the village? Time, petrol, use of boat, crew fees? Nothing. Big, big thanks to the Midland Canoe Club at Darley Abbey. (See photos in FCC ‘Portal’ magazine or on FCC Facebook. Village Litter-Pick Day No.2 Another very successful event was held on Sunday 10th April. A good turn-out of 20 local people picked the Pinxton Canal Path that runs along the back of Ironville, past Elizabeth Park. There was a great deal of domestic Fly Tipping that had accumulated over the years and a mountain of rubbish got cleared away. This was organised by the Friends of Ironville & Codnor Park and supported by AVBC who sup- plied the tools and took away all the rubbish. The Crossings Club gave us use of their facilities to hand-out tools and have tea and cakes afterwards. The cakes were made and decorated by a young lady who lives in Market Place and were lovely! Culvert Woods Clear-up. The little wooded valley just before the Res (next to the old stone bridge) has been a horrible rubbish-strewn eyesore for many years. A big effort by Village Volunteers, with assistance from Fu- tures Homescape (FL) has now transformed this interesting area. On two consecutive Tuesdays a team of about 12 volunteers raked down and removed out of the valley an estimated 100 sacks of Fly-Tipped domes- tic, car repairers’ and builders’ rubbish. FL removed all the rubbish and renewed the broken old wooden fence too. Contrary to persistent rumours, not a single rodent or a single rodent dropping was seen by anyone. The only other creatures were all the birds singing praises of thanks! A total of about 100 volunteer-hours were put in. The woods are a haven for bird-life and we have plans to develop this theme. By the way; this little valley contains an attractive 225 years old stone built culvert for if the Res ever had to be drained. See feature in Ripley & Heanor News 12 May http://www.ripleyandheanornews.co.uk/news/local/beauty-spot-is-restored- with-mass-clean-up-1-7908766 Settee and Mattress removal. One Saturday morning, 4 strong volunteers removed some heavy rubbish from the Cromford Canal and from under the mainline Railway Bridge between Ironville & Jacksdale. Why ‘people’ bother to carry such heavy items so far before dumping them remains a mystery. Jack Brown came down with his Fork Lift Truck and removed it to his yard for AVBC to kindly dispose of. (It wasn’t actually their responsibil- ity, so thanks to them anyway.) Dog Fouling along Footpaths. There has been a noticeable improvement to dog mess being left along the main canal footpath through the village. This is good to see and the policy of spraying biodegradable paint onto offending dog poo is paying off at last. More residents are also prepared to challenge those who offend Free Food! The first produce of the little veg plot near the canal is now ready. Fresh crispy radishes freely available via Andy or myself. Just ask, now is the best time for these radishes so don’t delay! Please do ask, as the radishes will soon go to seed. Garden Bulb Appeal. If anyone has any unwanted bulbs, Daffodils, tulips, grape Hyacinth etc. please let me know. There are a lot of parts and odd corners of the village that can be brightened up. Can collect. A new public Facebook Group has been set up for all residents and supporters of our village. Called Friends of Ironville & Codnor Park its principal aim is to bring the Community together and enjoy its heritage, lovely location and wildlife. Please have a look and join. Want free help with Facebook? 07971 772 184

Friends of Cromford Canal are planning local footpath improvements in July, using external volunteers, and machinery, they have acquired road-stone and top-dressing from a Derbyshire quarry. It is to be a 3 day project along the Footpath (towpath) running adjacent to the Canal through the village.

Friends of Cromford Canal (FCC) have recently set themselves a re-defined target of long-term restora- tion priorities. The first long-term priority is to open up the Canal, East of Butterley Tunnel through Iron- ville and to connect to Langley Mill (including the Pinxton arm). This will involve Heritage Lottery Fund- ing (or similar). See FCC website for more details.

54 More Houses are planned. Anyone walking down Parkside Drive, past the beautiful stone built But- terley Lodge (as it is now called) will see the big board advertising 3.5 acres of land for Sale/Auction with Outline planning permission for 54 more houses in the village. This field, which overlooks the canal along Forge Lane (not Forge Row), originally had tennis courts on it and many years ago, a gas works for Ironville. Local Wildlife. There is much to see around the Res. Several Coot nests, 3 are easy to see, plus 3 Grebe nests, Swan’s nest (7 cygnets again this year). Some coots are feeding chicks now, there are 2 places where the grebe nest is almost next to the coot’s nest, easy to see if you look carefully as you walk round. There are Native bluebells in ‘Foxhole Woods’ behind Kennels Farm near our village, carpets of them. There will be gone very soon, they came out at the start of May. In the canal we have the rare Water Vole (an indicator of high water quality). The Swallows came in April. A new Facebook group called Cromford Canal & Codnor Park Res has been set up local wild life lovers. It is as public group open to all, and there are many lovely photos being put on it of the birds, and other wildlife to be found around the Cromford Canal and Res between Golden Valley and Jacksdale. Some of this Group agreed to meet at ‘Water’s Edge’ caterers by the Res on Sunday 15 May. So starting with a nice cuppa (thanks Angie & Jackie) at 9am, the group of 10 people, experts and novices alike, set off gently around the Res, then along the canal past Jacksdale to where the old railway embankment is at Erewash Meadows. They crossed over the canal and back via Codnor Park Forge (now a Nature Reserve) It was brilliant walk and we saw lots of bird species, some people had never seen some of the birds before, right on their door-step too! We were also shown good place to stand and look for Kingfishers by the experts. Birds seen = Tree Creepers, Blackcaps and Nuthatches all very close up. Also Willow Warblers, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Buntings, Chiffchaff as well as usual woodland birds (Robin, Blue tit, Great tit, group of Long Tailed Tits, Dunnocks, Wren, Blackbird etc. More besides, Grey Wagtails (bright yellow underneath), Great Crested Grebes on nests, Swan on nest, Moorhen on nests, Coots with cootlings, Mallards. Buzzard, Sparrow-hawk, Swifts, Swallows, Skylarks, Lapwings with chicks. This simple and informal event was dubbed ‘A Walk on the Wild Side’ (WOWS).

The Friends of the Cromford Canal is a charitable organisation whose aim is to see the restoration of the historic Cromford Canal for the benefit of the general public. We advocate and promote its restoration to navigation, connected to the national inland waterway system, and the conservation, use, maintenance, and development of the canal, buildings, towing path, structures, craft and environment now or previous- ly associated with the canal to its fullest use for appropriate commercial and recreational purposes and to preserve this valuable historical heritage.