Hurray! Church News is being revived with a new Editor – Ann Ashcroft – who has bravely taken the helm. We wish her all the best in this endeavour. The little magazine forms an important link between the Church and the people in the parishes of Ashford and Sheldon and a vital link between the people of the two villages. Contributions please must be with Bron or Brian by the 16th of the month, so the 16th November for the December issue.
Autumn is well and truly upon us, the cold weather arrived in October, the days are getting so much shorter, the winter coats are on, piles of grit have appeared in the dale, the Christmas cards and presents are in the shops and the cattle are looking forward to being inside for the winter season if they have not been brought in already. If you are eligible and have not yet booked your flu jab at the surgery, now is the time to do so, it’s well worth the few minutes it takes.
Peter, Sarah and Harriet are settling in to their new house after their visit to Scotland and the Galloway cow, given as a wedding present, has duly produced a beautiful Belted Galloway calf.
The phone box outside the ‘Cock and Pullet’ looks very splendid having been painted in its traditional red by BT. The gold crowns at the top look particularly grand. The Hall too has had a facelift, the floor has been renovated and the hall has been painted, it all looks very nice, well done Trustees.
We all woke up on the 15th October to a dry Sheldon as there was no water in the taps. Severn Trent dug holes to fix the problem (a burst main), two water tankers appeared in the village, sales of bottled water at the Co-op rocketed and residents were discussing the merits of water from the ‘pot boil’ and the Wye at Sheepwash Bridge! Luckily normality was restored by evening.
At the Parish Meeting held on October 9th the proceeds of Sheldon Day, some £3,600 was allocated. After subtracting the expenses and the money required to fund next year’s extravaganza, £3000 was divided equally between the Village Hall, the playing field and the Church. These funds are crucial if we are to maintain these village amenities. The Meeting endorsed Andrews heartfelt thanks to all those who helped in any way to make this year’s Day such a resounding success. Sheldon Day next year, 2014, will be on Saturday 19th July, and the Fell race on Thursday 17th July.
The Harvest Festival was celebrated with a very pleasant service at the Church which Julia decorated with the produce provided by members of the village. This was donated to Newholme Hospital.
PCSO Hayley Grundy and PC Ian Hyde from the Bakewell Safer Neighbourhood Team cover our village and can be contacted on Bakewell SNT Tel: 101. PC Ian Hyde will be attending our next Parish Meeting on December 11th to talk about Operation Illuminate. PCSO Hayley Grundy is keen to sign up residents for Derbyshire Alert (former Ringmaster). This is a free service that the police provide to send e-mails, texts or telephone calls to keep you updated about anything that is happening in your area. The easiest way to sign up is via www.derbyshirealert.co.uk or you can obtain a form from Hayley to complete.
Dates for the Diary
HISTORY GROUP – WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 20TH AT 7:30 in HARTINGTON HALL
Brian will be continuing the story of Sheldon Village School, which became Hartington Memorial Hall (the Village Hall). There will be a quick recap of the first part of the story if you missed the first meeting. The illustrated story is told mainly in the words of those involved. The Teachers, pupils, Inspectors and Managers tell of the ups and downs of a typical village school in the Derbyshire Dales in the early years of the 20th century. Refreshments provided. All welcome.