Ironville & Park Newsletter Local news, events, articles and more. April2019 Welcome to Issue Number Ten We hope that you continue to find our village newsletter of interest and enjoy its articles and other contents. If you would like to get in touch please write to

the editor - Andy ([email protected]) or text Tracey (07555584913)

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: http://unicorns.comli.com/Index.htm

News From Ironville and CODNOR CASTLE EVENTS

Codnor Park Primary School

Open every second Sunday of each month 11am until 3pm

 01773 602936

As always we had a busy autumn ALL WELCOME. On offer are guided tours of the castle, term at Ironville and Codnor Park with refreshments, battle re enactment training with Primary School. Our younger children medieval Team Falchion, children's activities, dressing up had a visit from Hawks of Steele, as costumes and much more. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the history of this very special castle, once part of their light and dark topic, and visited by kings and the powerful De Grey family who once they also had an interactive flying lived there. display with the children flying Hawks, Merchandise is also for sale: the Falcons and Owls. The older children Codnor Castle booklet, replica gold learnt about the South American noble coins, tea towels, fridge Rainforest and created some art work magnets and key rings. in the style of Henri Rousseau, as well Private booking are available for as writing letters to the Prime Minster groups, schools and colleges. about the use of palm oil and the Please contact the Codnor Castle effects it has on orang-utans. The web page for more details. whole school spent a week commem- link: www.codnorcastle.co.uk orating the end of World War 1 and Also for more info about the Trust, the younger children created a fantas- you can log on to our face book page.

tic poppy mural on the playground.

If you would like to see further photographs of what the children have been doing please visit our school website.

If you would like to see further photo- graphs of what the children have been Annual Village Litter Pick doing please visit our school website: on March 3rd www.ironvillecodnorpark..sch.uk (See page 27) Parish Council Report by Kath Gruber, Parish Clerk

Since the last newsletter there have been 3 Parish Council meetings, all of which were well attended by residents who continue to highlight issues to improve the village. Lots has been happening: Improvements to Ironville and Codnor Park  The Council’s Smarten our Village initiative continues to aid improvements such as graffiti removal, cleaning of dirty signs, fixing of broken fences and removal of fly tipped items. The Council monitors eyesores that let the village down to ensure they are given time and persistence to get them sorted. If residents notice any issues let your local councillors know.  Volunteers have offered to paint the vintage lamp posts on Station Road  Another successful skip event was held on 12 January 2019 WW1 Commemoration Councillors put up 30 poppies on lamp posts in the village to commemorate the 100 years since the end of WW1. The Remembrance Service went extremely well with more than average numbers paying their respects Parish Council working in partnership with the Police Despite best efforts there continues to be noise nuisance, litter and anti-social behaviour in certain locations of the village and the Council welcomed the Police and Crime Commis- sioner, Hardyal Dhindsa, at the Parish Council meeting in November. He gave an engaging presentation on what he is doing to make Derbyshire a safe and inclusive County and answered lots of questions. Defibrillator The Council has still not had a decision on the grant application to fund a defibrillator, however more information has been requested and the Council stays confident that a no news is good news as a negative decision would have come sooner!! Improvements along the Canal The Parish Council is very grateful to the and Codnor Park Res Volunteers for their continued work in making it safe, clean and attractive. Christmas Lights It was a festive Christmas in Ironville with a 20 foot tree with lights funded by the Parish Council in place outside the Post Office. The Christmas decorations were made by the schoolchildren and the Parish Council would like to thank all those who worked so hard to make the switch on event such a success. Team Tree has already raised money and is working with the Council to make this year even better. Find out what is happening by checking the Parish Council website which has details of meetings, policies and initiatives. The website can be found - www.ironvilleparishcouncil.co.uk If you have any comments, suggestions or questions for the Parish Council plea contact the Parish Clerk, Kath Gruber, on [email protected] or 07595515154 And finally, the next elections for parish councillors takes place on 2 May 2019. Please make sure you are registered to vote. The quickest and easiest way to register to vote is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Cllr R Tailby, Cllr K Brown, Cllr P Clark, Cllr J Brown, Cllr. K Whitehouse, Cllr R Daniel Cllr P Cope, Cllr J Bates, Cllr P Smith Safer Neighbourhood News

Since our last update, we have welcomed two new officers - PC Lauren Shurki and PCSO Kevin Butler both join the Somercotes and Riddings Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team, covering the Somercotes, Swanwick, Ironville, Riddings and Leabrooks areas.

Lauren has been a police officer in Derbyshire since 2003, and her previous role was as an assessor, working with student officers across the county to help them achieve their diploma. Before joining the force, Lauren studied for a degree and worked for the Ambulance Transport Service. She said: “Becoming a police officer was something I was always interested in doing, and I am looking forward to being a greater part of the reassuring presence our Safer Neighbourhood policing teams offer. “Engagement is a big part of the role and I’d encourage people to speak to us about any PC Lauren Shurki concerns and share with us any information they may have about crime and anti-social behaviour so that we can work in partnership with other agencies to target local issues.” Outside of work Lauren describes herself as a big family person who enjoys walking in and around the Derbyshire countryside. Kevin is not new to the role of Police Community Support Officer, as he has been a PCSO in Derbyshire now for around 11 years, moving to the team from the Derby East Local Policing Unit. He worked as a sheet metal worker in the food and drink processing industries, and also ran his own metalworking business before joining the force. He said: “I have been spending my first few weeks on the team getting to know the area and I’m still finding out about issues which are affecting the quality of life for the local community. PCSO Kevin Butler “I believe as a Safer Neighbourhood team we should be highly visible in our community whenever operation policing allows, and during my service so far I have learned that our community really appreciate seeing officers on the street and that is something I am keen to continue here in Somercotes, Riddings and the surrounding areas.” Kevin enjoys sports, being a Derby County supporter and also a regular runner, especially on the 10k distances.

We have recently had some queries about the Gating PSPO (Public Spaces Protection Order) sign at the bottom of Station Road, in Codnor Park. It was brought in by Borough Council and the full details of this can be found on their website, here, https://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/community/community-safety/anti-social-behaviour. In summary, the public right of way is now unusable. The restricted area is edged in red on the map and an alternative route is highlighted by the bold black broken line. It was intro- duced due to concerns about persistent anti-social behaviour and, in particular, about fly-tipping. A drugs warrant was carried out at a property on Market Street, Ironville, back in November. Officers seized a number of Cannabis plants during the search. A 19 year old man was arrested at the time on suspicion of production on Cannabis and was subsequently charged and remanded into custody. He is due to appear at Nottingham Crown Court in May. Finally, we will be visiting our local primary schools to talk to youngsters about the dangers of knives and knife crime over the next few months. If you would like to get in touch there are a number of ways you can contact us:  Facebook – send us a private message to /DerbyshireConstabulary  Twitter – direct message our contact centre on @DerPolContact  Website – complete the online contact form www.derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us.  Phone – call us on 101.

You can also follow the work of the Safer Neighbourhood policing teams in and around the area on Facebook, www.facebook.com/AlfretonSNormantonPinxtonSomercotesRiddingsSNT or on Twitter, follow @SomercotesSNT. * Also see the article from our Police & Crime Commissioner on page 26.

News from the Forge

Sadly Dave Fisher passed away on October 20th 2018, following a short illness. He had the foresight & vision to recognise the potential of the Forge Site as a valuable resource for wildlife, especially butterflies, when it came up for sale. He was instrumental togeth- er with the friends of Belper Parks in ensuring that the site was purchased for the group in December 2017. As a result there is a beautiful space for everyone to enjoy in perpetuity in association with the wildlife.

The Forge is indeed “a gift of a breathing space” - So beautiful & special, even in the depths of winter:

In the meantime the Friends of Belper Parks have been working above the lake area to clear coppiced and self set trees and bramble and are holding regular work parties. If you would like to join in please ring Sally(074347814165) or Deb(07737699584) to find out when these will be taking place. EYFS and Parental Involvement at Ironville and Codnor Park Primary School *

At Ironville and Codnor Park Primary School we believe that parental involvement is vital to children’s education, development and wellbeing. We fully encourage all par- ents /carers to engage with either some or all of the activities that we have on offer. The children in the EYFS look forward to their family and friends coming to visit them in school and it creates a bond between their home environment and their school environment providing them with a sense of wrap around security. Please see the list below of some of the fabulous events and programmes that we provide and if you are a parent /carer of a child in the EYFS please come along! If you are a prospective parent / carer please phone 01773 602 936 for more details of joining our fantastic school with continuous collaboration between your child

and their school life.

Music and Movement sessions for family and friends to join singing songs, playing instruments and lots of laughter!

A range of workshops including promoting independence and phonics.

Open sessions for Maths and Literacy for you to come and join in with your child.

Art afternoons (normally in the spring or summer term) for family and friends to come and enjoy time outside painting, drawing and making with their child.

Dedicated sessions for dads and grandparents with a focus on boy power!

Here are a few quotes from the parents / carers:

“Fantastic time at Music and Movement, love to see how happy my child is and its great fun for us adults too!”

“Really enjoyed being with my daughter in her school, got to see how well she is doing and how she interacts with her teacher and other children.”

“Really enjoyed the session gave us some good ideas for home.”

“Me and my mum have really enjoyed ourselves, we loved the dancing, think it’s fantastic we get opportunities to come and visit our children.” * EYFS - The early years foundation stage

In the Autumn term children out of Robins class at our local primary school invited parents and carers into school to build an animal hotel as part of their science topic. All of the children, parents and staff had a wonderful afternoon learning and working together.

" Had a lovely time with my son. He loves being outside. All the " Really loved spending time with my daughter. Loved every minute of it!" children had a great time."

Barlow’s Bridge (after Dudley Fowkes)

The location of the old “Lock House” “was on the north side of the humped back bridge, which used to span the old Canal at the Cromford and Pinxton junction. The junction is situated at the east end of the reservoir, below Cinder Bank. This particular stone building, which has long since disappeared, was built for a Mr and Mrs Barlow. From all accounts the land was acquired from Lancelot Rolleston of WatnaIl.

Mr and Mrs Barlow chose to educate the local people. Their lessons’ were composed of reading writing, arithmetic and general studies The lessons took place Monday to Friday, between 6 and 7 in the evenings, and 10.30 to 11.30 Saturday morning. The charge for this service was the princely sum of an old penny an hour.

On the death of the Barlows, the Cromford Canal Company purchased it and the name remained the same.

The “Lock House” was never demolished. It fell into disrepair, it went bit by bit. The Cromford Canal Company removed some stone and timbers for other repairs, Butterley Estates re-moved some of its stone for their re- pair work . . . and of course the local inhabitancy took the Ironville, Christ Church opportunity to find uses for the Burial Record: remaining stonework e.g. for John Barlow of Lock House, steps and garden edging. Codnor Park, Born: 1848; Buried Feb 27 1908, Aged 60 Christ Church, Ironville Sat. 22nd September 2018

A special thank you to the organisers and the many local groups & societies for making the day such a big success, and to all those who visited the displays, which were often packed. Bridging the Regeneration Gap By Marie Brown

To date, through the support of the volunteers working along the canal and around the Codnor Park Reservoir over 3,700 hours have been donated, worth a whopping £54,000 which has gone on to make a distinct and measurable impact on the environment and the wildlife. So firstly, we would like to extend our grateful thanks to eve- ryone that put their wellies on and came to help. Forgive me if this piece is a little whimsical but it’s a poetic thing when a community comes together and shows that they care about something. There’s a scruffy looking bridge as you near the village of . Her official title is The Portland Basin Bridge No.38 but locally, she is known affectionately as ‘Old Humpy’ We all know the importance of looking after our elderly and at over 200 years old we thought that it was about time that this ‘old bird’ got a bit of a facelift before the ravages of time were unable to be reversed. Little did we know exactly what that would entail and where that would lead us. There is an art to restoration as opposed to repair. A repair could describe a local ‘bloke’ offering to nip down to the bridge with a couple of buckets of concrete and a trowel for instance. Where as restoration is a true art form which requires a delicate touch, years of training and a fundamental respect and under- standing of the craftsmanship of traditional materials & techniques. In our modern throw away society, it is nice to know that the work we do now will be leaving a legacy for the next 200 years and for genera- tions of families in the future. It is no surprise that the latter option is considerably more expensive than the ‘bloke and buckets’ option but, it was with the knowledge that it would take time and considerable effort, that we decided to bring her back to her former glory and engage the services of a stonemason. Just before Christmas we sent out a call to action to our supporters, far and wide and asked for help in securing the funding needed to repair the ‘Humpy Bridge’ and you all certainly came through for us and voted in your thousands. I can’t help wondering if the original stonemasons who built the bridge would have imagined that over 200 years later a campaign to look after it would cause so much interest and excitement, but it is testament to their skill that it has stood for this long.

In the Past

Present Day For a “future” picture , watch this space . . . .

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone

across the waters to create many ripples” Mother Teresa It was late on January 24th that we received the call from Aviva Community Fund telling us that we had been chosen as one of the Judges Selection Winners and that although we wouldn’t be getting the whole amount we applied for, which was £19,950, we would be receiving £14,600. A great result and one that would not have been possible without the support of this wonderful community of volunteers, helpers and of course our 900 support- ers on Facebook. We are of course, still £4,000 short of what we need but we are confident that lady luck will shine on us once again and the funding will be secured soon. Thanks everyone. Over the coming months, our stonemason Robert will be working away in the workshop carving out the stones ready for placement after the last frost of the year. Then, our volunteers from the group will be with Robert as he begins the painstakingly slow process of putting our ‘old girl’ back together. The ground around the bridge will be cleared and native wild- flowers will be planted so that the whole area will be completely trans- formed ….. we can’t wait to show her off to you all.

‘Alone we can do very little, together we can so much’ Helen Keller

If our Humpy could talk, I think she would be humbled by the love and care people have shown and she would say a huge thank you to everyone that took just 15 minutes out of their busy lives to take a pause, vote and ultimately bring her back to life. On behalf of the volunteers on the Cromford Canal & Codnor Park Reservoir Committee may we thank you all again.

The group continue to “make a distinct and measurable impact on the environment and the wildlife”.

Get in Touch: E-mail: [email protected] Facebook: Cromford Canal & Codnor Park Res Instagram: CromfordCanal&CodnorParkRes Ironville Remembers A very special occasion last year, on the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1 attracted a large attendance. The pictures speak for them selves. The Union Jack was flying from the Church Tower. All the names on the Memorial were read out at a very moving service led by Peter Singleton, that followed inside the church.

Photo: Roger Breen Photo: Marie Brown COME AND JOIN US

The Jacksdale and District Branch of the Royal British Legion (including Ironville) was formed in 1926, and each year the Branch has assisted with the Poppy Appeal to help the Royal British Legion raise money for their charitable work.

The Branch has also organised and taken part in the local Remembrance Services and Parades. From 1926 to 2015 the Branch paid the total cost of these events. As funds became very low the future of the Remembrance Services seemed very unsure.

At a meeting with Selston Parish Council representatives of our Branch explained that we could no longer afford to pay the costs of the Remembrance Services and also there was some doubt about the future of the Branch.

The Councillors were very concerned and were anxious that both the Remembrance Services and the Branch should continue and they kindly offered to finance the Remembrance Day each year, at Selston and Jacksdale.

It was pleasing to get donations from organisations and individual fundraisers in Jacksdale which helped to boost funds to ensure the future of the Branch and Remembrance Day Services. Thanks to the financial help the Remembrance Services will continue.

The Branch is now financially sound and can carry on. Unfortunately we have fewer members, due to old age and infirmity less can attend meetings or take part in Remembrance Day. As Branch members have the expertise to organise and take part in Remembrance Day Services it is essential that this information is passed on for the future.

New members would be very welcome, it is not a requirement to have served in the armed forces, in fact some of our most active members have never been in uniform, although there are certain advantages for those who have.

If you would like to know more about the Jacksdale and District Branch of the Royal British Legion, meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 8p.m. at the Crossings Club, Codnor Park. Legion membership ensures that Remembrance is kept alive and that the sacrifices our brave Service men and women have made are never forgotten.

Please call in if you are interested or contact one of the branch officers, (bottom right):

Robert Guest 01773 813578 (Chairman) Adrian Bingley 01623 516146

(Secretary) Fred Leighton 01773 602912 (Treasurer) Wed. Mornings 10am - 12pm in the Church Hall All you crafters come and join us  Pam 01773 689414 for further details for a morning of crafting of your own choice . . . or why not Crafty Crafters learn a new one. We enjoy helping each other. We do anything from felting, quilting, crochet, knitting and any other craft that we can think up! Then there’s tea and biscuits and conversation too.

A fun and friendly group for people of all ages and skills

+ Dominoes too

“Tootsies” Footcare - Affordable Footcare

Age UK Derby and Derbyshire and NHS Derbyshire County are working together to offer an affordable, long-term footcare solution for people aged 50+.

th th In Ironville Church Hall, Casson St. on Wednesday 24 April. and Wednesday 5 Jun.

To book an appointment please call 01773 766922 (17th July More dates are to follow) Julian's Column Here we are Spring again and time to give the home a good spring clean.

Bear with me while I go off at a tangent. I had to buy a new phone and try as I might I couldn’t get the thing to work. I turned it off and back on, I searched through the settings and found nothing that would help. So finally, I phoned the provider and got through to a lovely lady. I asked, “was it the signal, was it my account, was the phone faulty, was it the network”. Finally, when I paused for breath she asked me to remove the sim card, wipe it with a cloth and replace it. Low and behold it worked just fine. Confused and embarrassed I apologised, and she said, “Don’t worry we get a lot of ….er, people like you calling.”

I often meet people who think everything around them is wrong, or broken – family, friends, jobs, equipment and then “go off on one”... It seems nothing matches some people’s expectations and the trouble is they look at the world with their own standards which are often unreal. What many folk need to do is look at themselves first and change their own expectations of others.

Yes, it’s time for a spring clean, but let’s start with ourselves before we set to and tidy up our homes. Just as a phone needs to be switched on and cleaned before it is any use, so we too need to be cleaned from our short-sighted visions and expectations before we can be of any use to others. Happy cleaning! God bless. Rev. Julian Penfold

Clowns Children's Centre

We have been very busy at nursery, we’ve baked cakes to raise money for Children-in-Need and made our very own poppy for Ironville’s Remembrance Service in Novem- ber. At Christmas we made dec- orations for the Christmas Tree in the village and decorated our own tree for the Christmas Tree Festival in the local Church. We also had a special visitor to nursery who brought all of the children a present (Ho Ho Ho). We certainly have lots of fun at nursery and love learning through play. If you would like to find out more about the activities we do and are inter- ested in a place for your child please contact the nursery on 01773 540050. We would be happy to show you around so you can see how much fun the children have learning through play. We offer places for children who are eligible for 2 year funding and for all 3 and 4 year olds. News from the Train by Michelle Goodall, youth worker at the Train Carriage Youth Club

It’s nice to be back in the Train, it seems like a whole new building all clean and fresh and bright. With this in mind I asked the teenagers why they came to the Train and this is their answer It’s a safe place for us to go and be our selves It’s warm, and we get free drinks and toast You talk to us about stuff that matters You listen to us and help us with our problems We like the staff We like playing football It’s fun We like the music and dancing

So for the past few winter months, we’ve escaped the cold and been warm and cosy in our lovely carriage, lots of warm drinks and buttery toast, lots of music and dancing and lots of fun. We contin- ue to tackle issues that bother young people, bullying, relationships, and school are topics that affect young people a lot and we do a lot of work around these at the Train. Andy our sports worker from Derby County Community Trust is still on the courts on a Thursday night, he has a great relationship with the teenagers and facilitates some brilliant football with them.

Ironville Church Hall - Thursday’s 7 - 8.30pm Every 3rd Sunday 6.30 - 8pm  01773 609626

WALK ON WALKING GROUP All of our walks are free of charge and are led by qualified walk leaders. New walkers are always wel- come. There is no need to book - just turn up in sensible shoes. Our local walks begin at Jacksdale car park at 10am on Tuesday mornings. We have two levels of walks, one for people who want to walk for the exercise, but cannot cope with stiles etc. This walk lasts 1 hour. The longer walk takes around 2 hours. It’s surprising how many different walks are available from Jacksdale. 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 a good way of meeting new friends as you walk and talk. The community centre is open for coffee, tea and snacks on a donation basis for charity when we return. We are always made very welcome 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). Bus trips are organised three times a year. We do not organise walks on these days out, they are just pleasure trips for you to choose to do whatever you prefer. Once the slope has been climbed the wonderful flora

and fauna can be enjoyed. Sadly because of the state of the slope not everyone in our group can do this.

It is a real struggle for our walking group to get up this slope near to where the old “Black Bridge” used to be, on the corner of the Forge site. Can some one make it more pass- able, to enable better access for all?.

Carriages Youth Ironville Post Office Club, Deepdale We are very lucky to have in Ironville our own Post "known locally as the Train " Office and General Store at the heart of our The Youth Club community. The store not only provides a top class offers a range of postal service, but also newspapers, magazines and activities that young most general household needs. people have planned Mon - Sat : Open 7am - 8 pm and organised with Sunday: Open 8 am - 2.30pm  01773 605472 youth workers. Tues., Thurs. & Fri. evenings 6.00pm until 8pm Contact: Well done to Neil Onyon on all involved. 01629 533625

& Bazaar 2018 Christ Church Ironville December 1st - What an amazing event, never to be forgotten. Brilliant displays all round. Congratulations to the organ-

isers and everyone associated with this event both individuals and community groups alike.

This event raised £1,745-75 for

Church Funds

A very large gathering enjoyed this special event

Ironville-December 1st 2018 A huge thank you to every one involved in making this very special event a big success. The occasion was really well organised and well attended, being enjoyed by all. “Team Tree” were pleased to announce £600 was raised towards new lights for future years. After the event hot food, drinks and more were served at the Crossings Club.

The big switch on by Santa together with hearty Christmas singing around the tree. “This is certain to become Our very own a village fixture in the Christmas Elf! calendar every year!”

A Christingle service was held at Christ Church the following day, providing an opportunity for the community to share the Christian story and to experience the joy and wonder of this well-loved Christmas tradition.

A packed congregation enjoyed the annual Civic Carol Service on 23rd Dec., everyone joining in heartily in the sing- ing of carols. There were readings by representatives from local organisations and two delightful solos by Ellie White (Thank you to Sarah Cook, David Wootton & Trevor Middleton for consenting to use their photographs in this issue). Church Avenue

Adapted from Article that appeared in the “Village News” October 1998 (no author given).

In 1900 the Cinder Bank gained its distinctive look which the entire Village enjoys today.

The Rev. Francis F Hooper is to thank for this particular improvement and of course the Villagers themselves. Large holes were dug and filled with good soil to set the line of Lime trees, from the Canal Bridge to the Church. The Vicar himself remarked, “How could people endure to live in such a desolate area” This prompted him to approach for permission to plant the line of trees. The Butterley Company agreed to the project, as it would help to beautify the Village. All planting medi- ums were provided by The Butterley Company to help with the project. Many of the Villagers sup- ported the Vicar by paying for some of the trees, and subscribing towards the labour of planting. A tree would have cost 2 shillings and 9 pence (14 new pence). To cover the labour and planting, a further 5 shillings (25 new pence). (But one has to remember how much the pound has devalued since those days). Anyone could subscribe 1 shilling (5 new pence) or upwards towards the ex- pense. The Vicar also suggested all those living along Market Street, Queen Street and Casson Street should give to the scheme. “They” he said “Would benefit the most from the beauty of the Avenue” One very important aspect the vicar bought forward was the protection of the trees. He asked parents to warn children not to damage them as the young sapling may die. He carried on by saying “People of the Village look after your trees, and protect them, “Not only great pains and expense was involved but, trees are a gift from God, they serve an important purpose in the world. When it was finished it was named “Church Avenue” (Strange, almost 100 years ago one of our Vicars was in touch with the need for trees. As we watch deforestation all over the world, causing all sorts of global weather problems).

Advance Notice

Christmas Tree Festival & Bazaar

Saturday 30th November + other days

Circa 1970 Look out for further details nearer the time

Gentle Movement at the OAP Community Centre

Mondays at 10am - A programme of chair based exercises with Miriam that help to improve the physical and mental well-being of those who take part.  07970350075

The

warm up

A great fun time for all

All do the hokey cokey.

. . . a Coffee Morning and Bingo follow afterwards.

Miriam the class leader is an Independent Living Officer, work- ing locally in Amber Valley, sup-

porting you to live safely & Inde- pendently in your home.  0300 323 0076 to find out more www.chesterfield.gov.uk/careline

THE ANVIL CLUB

The Anvil Club is open every evening between 8.00pm and Midnight (Tuesdays & Fridays 7.30pm to 12am - Saturday & Sunday 12pm - 12am) The Anvil Club is the

perfect place for your

functions. Where you can celebrate those special times or hold important meetings.

A cosy place, to enjoy a pint of good bitter ale with a welcoming atmosphere. A great place for a game of Pool too. With Your host Maria serving ales clear and bright. There is a children’s games room too with Pool and Football, tables. Tuesdays & Wednesdays Free Pool Contact Maria McCormack on 01773-689559 or 07816-439881 The Anvil Club, Casson Street, Ironville, Nottingham, NG16 5NN

Ironville Strollers

The group meets every Thursday morning. On the first Thursday of the month members travel by car in order to enjoy a stroll a little further away from Ironville. and on the third Thursday of the month the stroll is even further afield, travelling by Community Transport vehicle to the designated locality; which means that on the second and fourth Thursday members assemble in Ironville Parish Church for the “local” strolls traversing the footpaths (highways and byways) in and around the village. Strolls are arranged for us to 2 / 21/2 miles distance with due consideration always given to each person’s ability. For more information appertaining to the group, and its programme, please contact Elliott Hughes, email: [email protected] or telephone 01773 540245 Here the Strollers are pictured on the recently restored Railway End swingbridge across the Cromford Canal at High Peak Junction, (Stroll on February 21st 2019). Photo. by Moray Stewart ( Also see page 27) Ironville & Codnor Park Community Association In the last (October ’18) issue of the Ironville & Codnor Park News Letter it was reported that Derbyshire County Council had served notice on the Community Association that they were relinquishing their lease of the Railway Carriage (the Train) as of the beginning of that very month. IRONVILLE RAILWAY CARRIAGE Well, a lot has happened since then concerning this issue.

Firstly, and after much intervention on behalf of the Association by County Councillor Paul Smith, the Carriage did open up again, at the end of October, for youth club activities, with the County Council agreeing to renew their Licence of the premises on a full-time basis until the end of April ’19, and continuing thereafter on a “rolling” monthly basis - for how long, well that’s something else! As of now the youth club (under the direction of its team of dedicated youth workers) is flourishing, meet- ing on the regular three evenings per week with a good attendance at each of the sessions.

There has also been the County Council’s ill informed, not properly conducted, public “consultation” as to the future of, amongst other things, the provision of continued youth services in the county. It was the residents of the Amber Valley district who provided the strongest representation to the con- sultation, the people of Ironville being the most forthcoming – a petition, as well as groups and indi- viduals making their views on the subject known. However, from the information ascertained it would appear the report of the consultation clearly indicates that youth service provision in the county as we know it could well unfortunately, cease by the end on the summer. But hopefully not in

Ironville!!

You may recall the pledge made by the Community Association not to give up on the young folk of the village. Well, that commitment certainly stands. As a consequence of spending quite a consid- erable sum of money on the Carriage the premises are now in good shape, and with the improve- ments in place is certainly appreciated by the young folk. However, should the County Council choose to finally pull the plug on their commitment to the Carriage, behind the scenes matters have been going apace with possible preparations taking place if that action eventually occurred.

The Association has been able to acquire funding which, on the current basis, could enable them to look towards providing a continuation of youth facilities at the premises – keeping the Carriage maintained and open, and properly staffed, certainly for the foreseeable future. All the relevant information is being gleaned, figures are being worked out, indeed, no stone is being left unturned to ensure that youth club, as such contin- ues in Ironville – at the Carriage. And this is where the men- tion of further support is made. Currently the Association con- sists of a core of hardworking people, all who have the interest of the young people of Ironville very much at heart. However, more similar volunteers would certainly be most welcome.  Anyone who feels this could be just the thing for them, please contact the Association’s chairperson, Mrs Pam Cope – email: [email protected] - for more information.

In the meantime, even more exciting things afoot. Look out for more details!! Community Diner - Our Super Kitchen

A place for people to eat a meal: affordably, socially and for environmental benefit. This event takes place in the Church Hall, Casson Street, lronville on Wednesdays between 4pm and 6pm. Adults £4.00 / Children £3.00 / Families £12.00.

Project leaders Tina & Rachel welcome you all to come and dine with us. You can contact Rachel on 07727 141216 to find out more.

Delivery for local pensioners only is available for a small charge of 50p - Ring Tina on 07510 646224

We would like to thank the village and users for their regular support . We would also like to thank Pete and Kristen for their loyal support in helping us to thrive. Also to Jack, Pauline, David, Carol and Jen for stepping in to help whenever needed.

CODNOR PARK Christ Church RESERVOIR Fishing in well

stocked water

 Alan Birks:

07941 824374 Rev Mark Taylor  Eddie Harvey:  01773 833280 07715497310 Rev Julian Penfold

 07932 564888 WATERS EDGE Warden: BURGER BAR David Fearn Drinks, hot and  01773 605447

cold food available. Services: Open Wed - Sun Sunday at 11.00am: Morning Service 7.30am -1 pm

Holy Communion: Angie Harvey: (BCP) at 9.30am, 07899 095758 (2nd Wednesday)

Crossings Club Monument Lane

 01773 602346

Bingo (Various Saturdays); Snooker & Pool; Snacks; Licensed Bar; Games Ma- chines; Live Acts & Groups ; Breakfasts (Saturday 9am); Free Function Room for those special occasions; Live Sports on Big Screen; Thurs - Food - 6pm - 9pm; Band Night (Fri. pm); Sunday - meat and beer draw and a Poker School .

The Crossings Club is a well-established private members Club where new mem- bers are always welcome. The Club is family friendly and dogs are welcomed providing they are kept on a lead. Club membership is £10 in the first year and then £5 a year. Members receive a discount on drinks and accumulate loyalty points on any purchases. Loyalty points can be cashed in against purchases at the bar. Modelled on a church hall, the main room is spacious and opens out in to a games room where snooker and pool are available. There is also a smaller lounge area where customers can quietly relax and maybe enjoy an excellent toasted sandwich washed down with a drink from the large number of draught lagers and beers that are available. There is always at least one real ale available and CAMRA members get a reduction of 10p a pint. On sunny days there is a beer garden with plenty of seating and shade under the parasols. There’s lots of weekly activities that include domi- noes, skittles, food night on Thursdays, music and bands on Fridays and the renowned Saturday morning breakfast from 9am to 12:30pm. Pop in and say hello, we’ll be glad to see you. Cosmic Codnor Park . . . or Infinity over Ironville by Chris Hook

July 21st 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of mankind setting foot on another solar system body, as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took those historic first steps on the Moon. Those boot prints will remain on the Moon for about a million years, but how far have we come in space exploration in the past fifty years?

Well the dawn of this New Year showed us just that.

On January 1st New Horizon’s flew past the most distant outer solar system body nicknamed Ultima Thule. (pronounced Ultima Toolay)

You may remember back in 2015 New Horizon’s fly past of Pluto, it’s power supply was still good for another few years so its mission was extended and a distant asteroid was chosen by using the Hubble Space telescope. New Horizon’s is the fastest man made probe to date, travelling at 32,000 mph, but it still took thirteen years to reach this new target. This obviously caused a few problems as Ultima Thule is only about the size of London. The fly by took only seconds and was compared to taking images of a house from two miles away, whilst travelling at 320 Mph. The final images were just one pixel off centre, which shows what a fantastic navigational achievement this was. Data is being sent back to earth, which takes over six hours even travelling at the speed of light. Because of the slow download the data will take over twenty months to complete transmis- sion. So keep a look out for the latest updates on the N.A.S.A. website. Ultima Thule hasn’t changed form in over four billion years and with a temperature of just a few degrees above absolute zero ( absolute zero is so low it cannot be achieved on Earth). Scientists have a chance to observe something that is pristine, and was formed at the same time as the Solar System itself.

Unfortunately Ultima Thule is so small, dark and very very distant from earth, we cannot see it even with our most powerful earth based telescopes, but there’s plenty more to look at even as the long dark observing nights become shorter.

As the earth travels around the Sun, at this time of year we get to see the area of the universe that from our line of sight shows up a number of galaxies. Galaxies are areas of millions (and sometimes billions) of stars, many of those stars are like our own Sun, but some are much larger, smaller, cooler or hotter. So there is enormous scope (no pun intended) for these suns to have their very own planets orbiting just like our own Sun does. To find these galaxies you will need a telescope, preferably one that has at least a four inch mirror, but it’s not im- possible to find them with smaller scopes and large binoculars.

If you can find yourself a reasonable dark area to view, dark being a place where there is little light pollution. The Forge Nature reserve or Codnor castle area are good places to view from. Once you are set up and have your eyes dark adapted, look East. From the Forge that’s towards Westwood/ Jacksdale. From Codnor castle that’s towards Underwood.

At about 6.30pm look East and you will see a large back to front question mark. This constellation is Leo the Lion.

The area of the stars making up the back to front question mark will be about as large as an adults open hand at arms length. At the bottom of the question mark you will see the brightest star in the question mark. This star is Regulus and represents the base of the neck of the constellation Leo the Lion, and is a young Blue/white star 85 Light years away. Look to the left of this star and imagine a straight line until you reach another slightly less bright star. This star is Denobola, (42 Light years away) and represents the end of the tail of the Lion. Now head back towards Regulus and mid way between the two, search this area with your binoculars or telescope. You are looking for something that looks like a smudge, a light piece of cotton wool, a very small cloud. This is the image of a far distant galaxy. There are three in this area. M105, M95 and M96. These galaxies are on average approximately 33 million Light Years away.

Whilst this is truly fascinating it means that if anyone living on a planet orbiting any of those stars was to send us a message today, we wouldn’t receive it for another 33 million years. Consequently if we were to respond, they wouldn’t get an answer to their message for a total of 66 million years. We have achieved much by sending probes into our outer own solar system, but by doing so, we have travelled but a few footsteps in relative distance to the vastness of the Universe still waiting to be explored! 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 you’re good at art or not, everyone is treated there 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.

. Why not join in the fun. 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 with a snack is 50p each.( 07555584913)

Refurbishment of the

Cinder Bank Canal Bridge

The very old paint was flaking off and there was rust. The safety and integ- rity of bridge was very important. As BEFORE WORK IN PROGRESS a result of this comprehensive work was untaken to carry out health and safety work at the same time as restoring the bridge for safe use. The total cost was around £40,000. The work was carried out between September and November 2018 THE PROTECTIVE “BUBBLE” WORK COMPLETED A Message from Hardyal Dhindsa our Police and Crime Commissioner

Last month I visited Codnor Park and Ironville and spoke to some of you and your local County Councillor, Paul Smith. I heard how isolated communities like yours some- times feel, and Paul told about how the cuts to some of your local services had impacted on your community. He took me to see the Railway Carriage and told me of his concerns now that the youth club based there had closed. Just like other communities across Derbyshire, people who live in Codnor Park and Ironville also told me they want to see more police officers. They want to see road safety improved. They want to see more offenders caught and brought to justice. I also visited the Parish Council (P2). Well, my budget for 2019-20 will enable the Chief Consta- L to R Pam Cope, Paul ble to recruit 120 additional officers and staff. They will Smith & Michael Blount increase visibility, work to reduce the number of casualties with Hardyal Dhindsa on our roads, improve investigative policing and provide in the Railway Carriage greater support to vulnerable people. Having a visible police presence in communities across Derbyshire is something I strongly believe in. It’s why, unlike some Police and Crime Commissioners, I’ve always made it a red line that despite the cuts to police numbers, we keep our Neighbourhood Policing Teams. But there has been no escaping the consequences of Government budget cuts, nor of the impact they have had on my budget and on police numbers. This year, to try and plug the chasm in police funding, the Gov- ernment made it clear that they expected council taxpayers to pay more towards policing. That’s why you will see an increase in the amount of council tax you pay – a 12.5% rise in the policing pre- cept. I am hugely disappointed that the Government has chosen to lay the full burden of increasing the police budget at the foot of the local council taxpayer instead of increasing the central government grant. But this money is desperately needed. The risk to public safety without it has not been exaggerated. With- out it numbers would be dropping to perilous levels. In 2010, before the cuts started, we spent £169m on policing in Derbyshire and employed approximately 2,100 police officers. This year we still spend £169m on policing, so when you take inflation and other costs into account, that amounts to a £40m cut to the police budget. Inevitably, when you lose that amount of money it means fewer police officers and at the start of last year the number was down to less than 1,700. That’s nearly 450 fewer officers policing our county. We’ve also seen big cuts in the number of civilian staff, including PCSOs, and it’s meant that we could no longer afford to keep open many of our police stations. Understandably, that has caused you concern. It has caused me concern. So, when the Government pro- posed increasing the amount raised locally I could not afford, on your behalf, to ignore that. Those criticising that decision clearly do not want to see more police officers in Derbyshire. They do not want more criminals to be arrested. They do not want to see vulnerable people cared for appropriately. They do not care about speeding and people being killed or injured on the county’s roads. If their words were put into action public safety would suffer. But, as welcome as these new officers are, and they’ll certainly make a difference, it still leaves the Force over 300 officers plus several hundred civilian staff below the 2010 levels. We still have to prioritise. But we have more resources to tackle the things that matter to you. Where the extra officers will be based is a matter for the Chief Constable, not me, but I have been clear with the Chief that I expect the investment to be felt by communities and I know some will be based in the towns and communities of Amber Valley. But please, work with us. The police will continue to need your help in fighting crime and I urge you to report any crime or suspicious incident you see. I will continue to work closely with Neighbourhood Watch, and I’m boosting the Communi- ty Speedwatch campaign. I have a grant scheme to help local groups that are doing something to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in their community. Finally, if you’ve been the victim of a crime and want some practical and emotional help, you can ring Derby- shire Victims Services on 0800 612 6505 or email: [email protected] You can find out more by visiting my website (derbyshire-pcc.gov.uk) or by signing up to receive Derbyshire Alert (derbyshirealert.co.uk). A very special event to raise funds for our local Youth Club A presentation took place at the Anvil club on 10th December 2018 to give £350 to Ironville Youth Club . (Left to right below - Michael Blount, Natasha Taylor, Pam Cope).

I would like to give thanks to everyone who has helped at the fundraisers that I have organised, and also to everyone who has donated / given prizes or came to support the events, as it could not have happened without all of you! Natasha Taylor

Our 5th Annual Village Litter-pick took place again this March. Our village now looks all the better, and those taking part felt they were doing something beneficial for our community. Demonstrating that we have such a good community spirit.” Below just a small selection of the at least thirty people taking part.

THE IRONVILLE STROLLERS by Michael Blount (pictured in the top photograph, left)

At the recently held twelfth annual meeting of the Ironville Strollers the chairperson, in thanking mem- bers for their continued support, also reported on yet another interesting and exciting programme of strolls, both locally as well as further afield. Valerie Wood was re-elected as the chairperson with Michael Blount as the secretary/treasurer; Elliott Hughes continuing as the senior strolls co-ordinator supported by Janet Blount and Moray Stewart. Concluding the meeting, members enjoyed a delicious lunch after which the chairperson thanked Julie Salt for her kind hospitality. Further details relating to the strollers can be found on page 20. Lauren Monks School of Dance

Email: [email protected] or telephone: 07812 994066 Children’s Classes in Ironville Church Hall Every Thursday

Under 8s: 5:00pm - 5:45pm

Over 8’s: 6:00pm - 6:45pm

£3.50 per class

First class free!

Heritage Open Days at Codnor Castle are not only informative, they are entertaining and fun too. See the front page for more details.

Photographs by Trevor Middleton

Ironville House - a very special local building Exactly when Ironville House was built is unknown. The county trade directories make no mention of it during the early and middle 19th century. In 1857 John Beresford, a surgeon and one of the vil- lage’s principal residents, lived in Albert Street. This situation was improved when the Butterley Company annexed land for a purpose built doctor’s residence and surgery, on Cinder Bank, forming a clus- ter of village amenities with the church and school. Ironville House was the former doctor’s house and surgery for the village. The site of Ironville house was originally open space, and was associated with the third phase of the model village’s plan. Ironville House was built by Francis Wright the then owner of the Butterley Company, as a purpose built doctor’s house with attached surgery. The 1871 Census first records Ironville House in association with William Legge, a surgeon, to- gether with his wife, seven children and three servants. Legge’s children were born in Somerset but their youngest was born in Ironville suggesting the family moved to Ironville and probably Iron- ville House, between 1865 and 1869. This provides an approximate date for the house’s construc- tion, after the model village had been completed. It is first depicted on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1881. (The JACHS time line gives a date of 1840 - “A pair of Doctors Houses built on the Cinderbank at Ironville”.) Information from Derbyshire trade directories reveals that in 1887 Hubert S Reynolds L.R.C.P.EDIN., lived at Ironville House and by 1895 it was occupied by Edward Haycock. Hay- cock’s full title was, the medical officer for Codnor Park district of the Basford Union, Surgeon to Codnor Park Ironworks and Oakes Colliery. This alludes to the prestigious nature of Ironville House’s medical role within the local community. Ironville House today represents a grand mid Victorian (c.1860) detached residence with a range of surviving features. It was a multi-functional building which incorporated the doctor’s house and surgery, and associated service accommodation including the stable and store rooms. The house was built from slag, a waste product of the iron furnaces, and survives largely intact. Ironville House represented a unique purpose built facility for the provision of local medical care for the benefit of the local community. The house and associated buildings were laid out in a single phase with internal divisions according to function. The house was in two parts; the private doctor’s resi- dence at the southern end and the public consulting room and service accommodation within the three storey northern end. To the rear of the house was the ‘L’ shaped private garden with formal walkways and what appears to be a detached conservatory, forming the largest section of the site. The service buildings, stables and outhouses occupied the remaining part of the site. Today Ironville House is being converted into apartments that may soon be for sale. Ironville House is a grade II Listed Building. The main construction material is randomly laid slag lump from the nearby former Codnor Park ironworks. Additional Information by Pet Rainer

My father, Francis Guy Boreham, spoke of Ironville House and it was only recently in re- searching family history I found reference on the 1911 census to the Boreham family living there. Father told me stories of his father, the doctor Frank Squire Boreham, having pa- tients visiting his surgery in Ironville House and of riding his horse across countryside to carry out home visits. There were stables in the ground to accommodate horses and a trap if necessary. This mode of transport was probably in the early days of his practice. My father also spoke of a female servant who lived in with the family and a handyman who looked after general maintenance. I am indebted to the Editor who keeps me informed of the history and developments in Ironville and to David Fearn whose help made a visit to Ironville House possible. Dr H E Haycock died in 1904 and that was around when Dr F S Boreham took over, he also had the title of medical officer for Codnor Park district. In 1928 Dr Boreham moved to and he was replaced by Dr T Heffron. During the Heffron’s occupancy they al- lowed several charitable fundraising events to be run from the house. Some of this infor- mation I have discovered from British Newspaper Archives, if you would like any of these snippets just let me know. I am not really able to tell you much except Frank Squire Boreham, a doctor, moved into the property sometime after the 1901 census remaining there in practice until 1928. He had 2 children Francis Guy and Phyllis Boreham. Perhaps of interest, the marriage of Phyl- lis took place in Ironville Church to W P Nichol an Olympic athlete in 1924.

Lock 4

Historic colourised photograph with Ironville House, overlooking the village Ironville House is a rare survival of a rather grand house built of slag lump from the iron furnaces. In view of the social and histori- cal significance of this building, which survives largely unaltered, and the unusual nature of its fabric. It is essential that this local landmark is carefully looked after both inside and out for every- one to appreciate in both in the present time and in the future. Headline news - Crisp packet date beaten

A Report on the local Friends of the Cromford Canal Work Parties by John Guyler

The previous long date crisp packet found by John Dyson, has been beaten by several years, the new record, was marked 20th November 1997 and found in thick undergrowth at the boat dock, Lock 2, Iron- ville. We find crisp packets and drinks cans with early dates on, but there is often very little deterioration in the structure of the package, suggesting that they will be around for a very long time.

Recent FCC Work Party Reports

Pinxton Wharf – Wednesdays 21st Nov 2018; 11 volunteers; Removing the remains of the trees which were cut back at the previous work party, on the opposite bank to the towpath. Cleared, approx. 50 metres. 12th Dec 2018; 13 volunteers; Approximately, 50 metres of reeds cleared from the towpath side of the channel, approximately 25 metres of reeds cleared working from the opposite bank. 50 metres of saplings and undergrowth cleared and stacked into habitat piles along the back fence, 1 half bag of rubbish cleared, two car tyres recovered. 19th Dec 2018; 10 volunteers; Working with three arborist from DCC , the removal of a lot of overhanging branches, was achieved. A long Pinxton Weir section of reeds was cleared by John Sparam assisted by Adrian Booth, allowing free flow of water in the channel. The group working on the undergrowth and shrubs, again they achieved approx. 50m of clearance. All the brush was stacked to form a continuous habitat refuge along the perimeter fence. As it was nearing Christmas, we had a good excuse to try the refresh- ments in the newly opened Boat Inn, went down very well. 2nd Jan 2019, 7 volunteers; Again, working with DCC, this time with a JCB digger, which was clearing the weed and dredging some sections of the channel. There was a limit as to the areas of working by the machine, because of identified water vole habitats and also weight restrictions on the bank. The FCC team finished clearing the debris left from the previous work party. Ironville - Wednesdays 9th January 2019; (Pinxton Arm Bridge); 6 Volunteers; Removing brash and trees which had been cut at previous work parties. 16th Jan 2019; 13 volunteers; Initially working at lock 3, removing saplings from the water course edge and litter pick in the undergrowth, progressed towards lock 2, removing 6 bags of rubbish directly under- neath the pedestrian bridge. Then we moved on to the area known as the boat dock, adjacent to lock 2. Clearing saplings and removing rubbish. Hard day, very wet weather slippery conditions, a damaged drone was recovered from a bush at lock 3, (we did look to see if it had to be returned to Gatwick Air- port). Total of 10 bags of rubbish collected, one car wheel and numerous scaffolding clamps and clips from the recent bridge renovation. Had a sighting of a Kingfisher, just a blue flash. 23rd January 2019; 15 volunteers; one group of 4, working at Golden Valley at the end of the abandoned section cutting bushes back and litter picking, 11 bags of litter. Some further work is required along Coach Road; the problem with this area is the difficult access due to the road traffic and the steep banks down to the water, where the worst of the rubbish is. Another group working at lock 2 towards the spillway, clearing saplings and litter picking at the boat lock. Several people had a sighting of the Kingfisher. Total bags of rubbish for both groups on the day, 13. Litter picking along side Coach Road 30th January 2019; 5 volunteers; working with a licenced arborist, the trees, which over the years, had fallen across the boat dock at Lock 2, were cut up and the logs stacked in the dock. A very hard day. 6th February 2019; 10 volunteers; continuation of clearing the cut timber and litter pick from the boat dock at Lock 2. A total of 9 bags of litter picked. Pinxton Wharf (continued from previous page) 13 th Feb 2019, 13 volunteers; The final clearing up session for the winter. One group concentrated on clearing the last of the dense undergrowth on the far bank, whilst others used the long cromes to clear the remaining debris and litter which was in the watercourse. We have achieved about half a km of clearance and litter picking through the winter period. 4 bags of litter picked, a complete car exhaust system, 10 m of stripped electrical cable and 3 car tyres. Codnor Park Reservoir 15th Feb 2019: 6 volunteers. Working under the direction of the Canal & River Trust, a group cleared a small area of reeds near the overspill from Codnor Park Reservoir into the canal channel. The original plan was to clear a much larger area than was actually achieved, because of natural habitat restrictions.

Important Statistics Since last August, the groups have collected 45 bags of litter from the Ironville area and 13 bags from Pinxton Wharf. Actual FCC volunteer hours, since the start of November, Ironville 381, Pinxton 370.75. We do operate in all areas along the 14 miles of the Cromford Canal, it just seems the Autumn and winter work has concentrated on Ironville and Pinxton Wharf.

If you feel you like the idea of the occasional cakes, to go with the tea & coffee provided every week and also enjoy the company of great group of folks, please contact: John Barker (work party leader) 01773 760358 or [email protected]

The club has remained well supported on the Tuesday nights, you will find us there each week between 7.30- 10.00pm. The last artist Colt Murphy (pictured right) went down very well singing mainly line dance tracks to old and modern music. Friday nights are on a two week rota.

A Charity Line Dance held last October held at the Post Mill Centre organised by Pete and Jean Corby raised £4,750 for the breast Cancer Appeal, with almost £1,000 being raised alone by one lady from the North Wingfield club having her head shaved! It was attended by over 140 dancers from a range of clubs. A Representative from the organisation came to the club to receive the cheque. Contact Daz 07967760065 or Steve 07419323705 to find out more

Pete’s Page by Pete Clark ANNUAL VILLAGE LITTER-PICK. Having taken inspiration from a village elsewhere, I started this community initiative four years ago. The amount of litter and rubbish tipping round Ironville & Codnor Park seemed appalling to me and I felt somebody need- ed to ‘grab the bull by the horns’ and get something going…… Public support was forthcoming, not in vast numbers, but enough to make a proper difference. As well as two general village litter-picks in the first year, I asked a canoe club to come from the Derwent and do the canal. The following year about twelve volunteers did a massive ‘Grotty-area’ clear up in the little ‘valley’ between the Res and Top Row/Cinder Bank. (Picture 6) We got two lorry loads of stuff. ☺ Last year the Friends of Cromford Canal kindly did a stretch along Coach Road, the side that is visible from the Res. They got a huge pile of stuff. (Picture 7) ☺ A BIG thanks to all who have supported my various litter-pick and rubbish-dump initiatives. ☺ (See pages 1 & 27)

PARKSIDE DRIVE (historic Slagstone wall) the car crash dam- age has finally been repaired – and a great job too! Volunteers, Shirley Bullock, Carol Hartley and I promptly re-did the flower bed afterwards ☺(Picture 2)

RED PHONE BOX (Coach Road) as any follower of the Face- book Group “Friends of Ironville & Codnor Park” will know, of the volunteers who are restoring the iconic red phone box. We got within an ace of finishing, but Xmas stopped us! We have 1 final window pane to fit, properly seal everything from rain, mend the light, & the GOLD crown painting to do. ☺ We will make it an information kiosk for visitors to our lovely village. ☺ (Picture 1)

CODNOR PARK FORGE (Nature Reserve) The lady owners are often out there improving the habitat for wildlife and community enjoyment. (Picture 3) They are making a great job of clearing scrub at the lake end to keep it as a meadow. The Forge has so far recorded a remarkable total of 24 butterfly species which is wonderful for Derbyshire.☺

THE CHRISTMAS TREE reported elsewhere (see page 17), this was a major community success in December. The Facebook Group “Friends of Ironville & Codnor Park” was pivotal by in- forming its 500 members who then created an 8 lady committee “Team Tree” to liaise with the Parish Council. This ‘joined-up’ thinking makes all the difference.

(PeteClark)

. .

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Restocking the reservoir

on 8th November 2017

Ironville & Codnor Park Village Village &Codnor Park Ironville

Mon - SHINE LIKE A STAR - Mother & Toddler Clerk: [email protected]  07595515154 9.15am - 12.30  Sarah 07951518387 (See page 33) All meetings take place at The Community Room, Tues - Crooked Line Club - 7.30-10.00pm Victoria Crescent, Ironville, starting at 7.00 pm . Dancing with Daz just for fun - free door prizes (See website: ironvilleparishcouncil.co.uk) Daz 07967760065 or Steve 07419323705 Every meeting includes a period for Public Participa- Wed am - Crafty Crafters & Dominoes tion at which local residents are invited to attend - a 10am - 12pm  Pam 01773 689414 (see page 12 ) time allocation of 15 minutes at the beginning of the Wed pm - Community Meals - 4pm to 6pm meeting. The next two meeting dates are: Social Eating Events - Adults £4.00 / Children £3.00 th Rachel & Tina  07727141216 (see page 22) Monday Mar 18 2019 Cllr Jack Brown Chairman th Thurs - Lauren Monk’s School of Dance Monday May 20 2019 Children’s Ballroom & Latin Classes 5 - 5.45pm up to 8 yrs ALSO 6 - 6.45 8+yrs

Lauren Monks - 07812994066 (see page 28)

Thurs - Taekwondo - 7 to 8.30 pm

For all the family - adults and children. Here local residents have the opportunity to meet Cllr Dave Gregory 01773 609626 (See page 14) Paul Smith - County, Borough, & Parish Councillor Fri am English and Maths for Adults together with Cllr Pam Cope (Parish Councillor) at their surgeries to raise any issues or concern.

9:30 till 11:30 For those who want to gain confidence in the skills needed for Maths and English in daily life. Forthcoming dates:

01773 832201 - This class is FREE at present. th Friday - Line Dancing - 7.30 pm - 11 pm Sat May 11 Crooked Line (See page 32) every 2nd week with Sat July 13 th Daz.  07967760065 & Steve  07419323705 Sat pm - Art Club - Arty Party - 2pm - 4 pm  Cllr Smith : Home: 01773 540345 or 07713 265670 £2 per person or £6 per family (See page 25) for further details. The Surgeries are at the OAP Com-

 Tracey 07555584913 munity Centre, Victoria Crescent, Ironville between

11:15am and 12:15pm The Friends of the Cromford Canal Talks:

Peak Rail - An illustrated talk by Nigel Carabine on Monday March18th starting at 7.30pm A look at the restored length of the former Midland Main Line. FCC Annual General Meeting - Mon 15th April Victoria Crescent- Bookings  Pam Cope 01773 606454 starting at 7.30pm - followed by an update on Mon: Gentle Movement - 10am - 11am progress in 2018 by George Rogers (Chair based exercise  Miriam 07937 3495408) The admission charge for 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 Bookings Maria McCormack Friday - Prize Bingo 7.30p.m. - 9.00pm 01773-689559 or 07816-439881 (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 07555584913

This Newsletter has been supported by the D.C.C. Community Leadership Scheme

via Councillor Paul Smith th The next issue is due Oct 2019 - Deadline 7 Sept 2019 The views expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Unicorns Editorial Team. We also make it clear that we reserve the right to refuse or edit items that are sent in.