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The Parish Magazine Repton, Foremark, Milton, Ingleby, Newton Solney
February 2014

The 'Great' War Repton, Foremark and Newton Solney Parish Churches Services at St Wystan's, Repton Services at St Saviour's, Foremark Services at St Mary's, Newton Solney Readers and Intercessors at St Wystan's Altar Flowers at St Wystan's Brasses at St Wystan's Altar Flowers at St Saviour's United Reformed Church Services at the United Reformed Church Coffee Morning, Saturday 8th February at 10.30 am Shell (for children aged 7+) Women's World Day of Prayer, Friday 7th March Baptisms, Marriages, Funerals and Burial of Ashes Baptisms Finn Haughton Marriages Kelly Margaret Hiatt and Justin Jones Funerals and Burial of Ashes Herbert Joseph (Bertie) Warner Obituaries Herbert Joseph Warner The Memorial Book Repton Benefice Photo Competition ChildAid to Russia & the Republics St Wystan's News Services and Groups in February St Wystan's Annual Parochial Church Meeting & Supper, Tuesday 4th March Christmas Crib Service, Midnight Eucharist and Christmas Morning Carols on the Green Service of nine Lessons and Carols St Saviour's News Thank you!   St Saviour's Roof Local Diary Event Details Soup, Cheese and Chat! Wednesday 5th February Bill Smith and the Strictly Swing Quintet, Saturday 15th February Baked Potatoes & Pancakes, Tuesday 18th February Messy Church, Sunday 23rd February Children's Nearly New Sale, Saturday 8th March Live & Local: Kel Eliot Band, Saturday 8th March Thankyou The Ear Foundation Concert Environment Matters Fair Bananas Neighbourhood Watch Repton Village and History Repton Rags RBL Children's Christmas Party Repton W.I. Repton Village History Group Bag2School Textile Collection Repton Scouts Repton Road Club Temporary Road Closure Repton Village Society What next for Repton Village Hall? One foot on the grave Repton Parish Council Jottings Milton & Foremark Village Matters Milton Village Hall Newton Solney Village Matters Newton Solney Christmas Market Postscript ~ Newton Solney Christmas Tree Festival Newton Solney C of E Infant School Newton Solney W.I. Newton Solney Tuesday Club Newton Solney Parish Council News Further Afield Row with Trent RC! Gardening Notes

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The 'Great' War

This year sees the hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World War, the Great War, the War to end all Wars. How we as a church and community will mark the event has yet to be finally decided, but remember it we shall. We will not glorify it. We will not celebrate it. But we will remember it. We will remember those who paid with their lives, paid with their health and paid with their tears. Having learned from the conflict and the pain, we will encourage our children to understand war for what it truly is.

The media have already latched on to the opportunities this year brings. We can be certain that a host of programmes are in the pipeline. And of course there will be debates about the 'waste of lives', 'lions lead by donkeys', who or what won the war, and what Europe might have been like had Germany either won or been fully defeated. Almost nothing is crystal clear, except perhaps the sheer horror of what so many suffered.

What is apparent is that the war did not begin because an Archduke was murdered, or because of alliances between states, or because of colonial jealousies; it came about because of evil in the hearts of people like you and me. It came about because people and governments and authorities had over a long period succumbed to the wiles of a dark power that can turn pride in one's nation into a hateful nationalism; selfless giving into selfish grabbing; humble service into the desire for power; hope into despair; peace into aggression. It came about because the way of God - the way of love, the way of peace, the way of Christ - was not followed. Jesus said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Light.” The truth that God loves each and every one of us; the light of a love that shines on all that is good; and the way that we should live to know that love and goodness. Sadly humanity is weak and all too easily gives in to a way that leads into nothing but darkness.

That is the real 'Great' War the fundamental battle between good and evil that has been part of creation since its beginning. It is a war that all people are engaged in, a war that will go on to the end of time. Many claim that the First World War was as good as over when the United States of America declared war on Germany and its allies. Their industrial might and manpower would provide all that was required. There is much truth in that. Christians claim that the power of evil was defeated when Jesus was crucified on the Cross and rose to new life. His death and resurrection, we claim, provide all that is required to overcome evil. There is truth in that. The difficulty is that so much evil is done by so many people that evil has more power in the world than it should have.

Throughout the First World War there remained the hope that one day it would end. And it did. As Christians we hope for a world where evil has no place. It will come. Such a paradise may appear to be a long way off, but if you were stuck in the trenches with shells landing all around you, so did the end of the war. Just as peace eventually came, so will heaven come to earth. May it come sooner rather than later, is what I say!

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Services at Foremark, Newton Solney
and Repton Churches

St Wystan's, Repton

St Saviour's, Foremark

St Mary's, Newton Solney

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Readers, Intercessors and Offertory at St Wystan's

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Altar Flowers (contact Frances Wimbush, 703180)

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Brasses (contact Sue Parker, 702550)

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Altar Flowers & Cleaning at St Saviour's (contact Ann Redfern, 01332 862350)

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The United Reformed Church

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Coffee Morning, Saturday 8th February at 10.30 am

Home-made cakes and preserves, Phoenix and Webb Ivory greeting cards, and the chance to chat over coffee. Come and join us!

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SHELL Group

. . . for children and young people aged 7 and over meets on Mondays during term-time at 6.30 pm. New members welcome!

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Date for your diary

Women's World Day of Prayer, Friday 7th March. More details next month.

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Baptisms

Finn Haughton, son of Timothy and Helen of Prospect House, Acresford, Swadlincote, was baptised on Sunday 15th December at St Saviour's Church, Foremark.

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Marriages

Kelly Margaret Hiatt and Justin Jones were married at St Mary's Church, Newton Solney, on Saturday 21st December.

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Funerals and Burial of Ashes

Herbert Joseph (Bertie) Warner of Brook End, Repton, died at home on Saturday 21st December aged 82. A funeral service at St Wystan's Church on 22nd January was followed by cremation at Bretby.

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Obituaries

Herbert Joseph Warner
29th September1931 - 21st December 2013

Bertie was born, spent his life, and died in Brook End Farm beside Repton Brook, where three generations of his family had lived before him.

By 1881, his great grandfather, a builder, had moved there from Derby with his wife Eliza, a Repton girl, and their three children. Twenty years later, Joseph had died; Bertie's grandfather ran the business and the Court Room and Shakespeare Cottages were built by him. The last houses that he built, in 1913, were the three terraced houses on the south of The Square beside what was then the corner shop. Following his grand-father's death, his grandmother continued the business, but it petered out in the 1920s.

By then the family had turned to dairy farming, and Bertie would eventually follow his father into the business. There had been two big sales of land in the 1920s; in 1922 the Foremarke estate was sold, and land from the Calke estate was also sold to raise death duties when Sir Vauncey died in 1924. Calke offered tenants the opportunity to buy, and the Warners took it.

So now the farm owned and rented land around the village, some down Tanners lane and some near Cockhay Barn. They grew fodder - mangles, kale, cow cabbage and potatoes. During the war they also ploughed fields for the ministry. Cows were milked in cowsheds in the field or, in winter, were kept in the outbuildings behind the farmhouse. There were 20 or so cows there in winter, and there was plenty of grass for 30 in the summer meadows down Tanner's Lane. Warners had a retail milk round with 200 to 300 customers and supplied the schools too. There were two rounds, at 7 am and noon; the first took out the milk from the previous night's milking, and the second took out the morning's milk. Initially milk was sold by measure from the churn, but later Bertie bought a bottling plant at a sale. They bottled in quart, pint and half pint bottles. With 1,000 bottles to be washed and sterilised daily, the process was labour intensive and 'you couldn't cut corners'.

In 1984, the EC took steps to curtail surplus milk production, which its policies had initially encouraged. Milk quotas were introduced. However, the outcome was the opposite of what was expected: large producers grew larger, and smaller producers were often unable to achieve the scale needed to survive. When he was 56, Bertie took the opportunity to sell his milk quota and go into semi-retirement; the immediate cause was a frozen shoulder resulting from a kick from a cow, followed by arthritis. From then on, he confined himself to looking after his land, and could often be seen driving round the village in his little van.

Bertie was a quiet, gentle and private man, increasingly solitary after arthritis curtailed his evening visits to the Boot. But he retained amazingly detailed memories of old Repton and loved to chat about them. He spoke at length of the early morning buses with up to 200 people waiting to go to Burton or Derby and buses every 5 minutes, of Peaches' horse taxi service and Repton fire brigade, also based at Peaches and using ex-brewery horses, of the estates, farms and pubs, the businesses and characters, the clubs and many incidents such as the Hurricane that crashed in the back garden of Christelton (by the bank) and the fire which destroyed the old village hall opposite St Wystan's School. With Bertie's passing we have lost a strong link with Repton's history and a mine of information.

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The Memorial Book

Repton has a fine memorial book permanently on display in St Catherine's Chapel in the north aisle of St Wystan's Church.   It was donated in memory of Henry Chilton as a place to commemorate former residents of Repton.   All are eligible and welcome, as well as those buried or interred in St Wystan's churchyard or Monsom Lane cemetery.   There is no charge but a donation towards church funds is greatly appreciated.   All we need is the full name and the dates of birth and death.

Please use the website contact page to contact the vicar.

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Repton Benefice

Photo Competition

In 2013 our Joint Churches' Christmas card was decorated with a picture drawn by Jade Pettitt from year 4 at Repton Primary School; thank you to the school for organising that, and thank you to Jade for a lovely picture.

For this year, Repton Churches Together have decided to hold a photographic competition, with the winning entry to be printed on the Christmas 2014 card. More details will follow later in the year, but meanwhile, if you are thinking of submitting an entry, and if it snows in the coming weeks, you might like to get out there and take something seasonal!

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ChildAid to Russia & the Republics

Very many thanks to all who supported us throughout 2013 by buying preserves, Christmas puddings and cards, as well as by donating jars, fruit and vegetables. The total raised was £1,500.

2014 will be my valedictory year for preserving, as I hang up my apron after 30 fulfilling years; the big 80 looms and the crates are getting heavier, so we're hoping to make it a bumper last effort and will welcome your help!

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St Wystan's News

Services and Groups in February

Intercessory Prayer for Healing meets at 3 Richmond Court at 7.30 pm on Monday 10th February.

CHANGE of date: Prayer for Christian Healing, originally scheduled for Thursday 30th January, is now on Wednesday 12th February at 7.30 pm. Everyone is welcome whether for prayer and the laying on of hands or just to be part of a special service.

A short service of Prayer for Healing in St Catherine's Chapel in the north aisle follows Parish Communion on the 23rd. Everyone is welcome.

The Bible Study Group studying The Acts of the Apostles meets at 7.30 pm on Thursday 27th at 28 The Pastures.

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St Wystan's Annual Parochial Church Meeting & Supper
Tuesday 4th March at 7 pm in Repton Village Hall

The meeting normally lasts a little over an hour and is followed by supper. Supper tickets at £5 are available from Wendy Longden, 703259, and Richard Finch, 701245. You don't need to buy a supper ticket if you just want to attend the meeting.

The Vestry Meeting for the election of churchwardens precedes the APCM. Wendy Longden has come to the end of her term of office so a new churchwarden is needed. Nomination forms are available from Karen Perks or the vicar.

To propose or second a candidate or to vote or stand for the PCC, you need to be on the church Electoral Roll. Nomination papers for the election of members of the PCC are available from Karen Perks. There are three places for election for the full term of three years. We will also be electing five people to the Deanery Synod for a period of three years.

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Christmas Crib Service, Midnight Eucharist and Christmas Morning

Each of our celebrations of Christmas was special in its own way. Yet again the church was full of young children who brought along their parents and grandparents for the Crib Service on Christmas Eve. The nativity story was re-told and the crib scene created; the delight on the faces of the children who brought forward the figures was a wonder to see. We are very aware of the problems with 'seeing' and 'hearing' at this service and are exploring ways of overcoming both these challenges.

The Midnight Eucharist was not as well attended as in previous years, but, if anything, the slight reduction in numbers made the service that little bit more spiritually 'special'. It is always a precious moment in that service, as we pass from Eve to Day and take the opportunity to light the white, central candle on the Advent Wreath, to be able to say 'Christ is born this day'! That is the true message of Christmas.

On Christmas Morning the Family Carol Service always sees a large congregation. It was wonderful that once again my right hand was shaken and crunched by many, many people as we wished one another a Merry Christmas afterwards. It is always great to see so many families, many of whom have returned to Repton to be with their parents, come together to celebrate this most holy of mornings and to hear those 'tidings of great joy' that is our Saviour's birth.

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Carols on the Green

We waited on the weather. Would we be able to sing outside, or would rain force us into the village hall? As it turned out, it was dry if windy, which played havoc with the sheet music, but the Young People's Orchestra coped with the wind very well and led a large group of singers in many well-known carols. It was good that a great mix of folk, young and old, church and community, turned out on the shortest day of the year to gather and celebrate in this way.

Many thanks to Rebecca Auterson who pulled everything together, to all the young people who played, to the singers, and to the team that supplied the mulled wine, drinks and mince pies afterwards in the village hall. It did not escape my notice that, as I walked home, it started to rain. At times, God really does work in mysterious ways.

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Service of nine Lessons and Carols

Once again, in a wonderful atmosphere of candlelit anticipation and celebration, we enjoyed a wonderful service with beautiful carols sung by the Wystan Singers, and some hearty carols sung by the whole congregation. Our thanks go to the readers, who for the second year were gathered from many local community groups as well as the church. The Primary School, Guides, Scouts, RAGS, Village Hall Committee, British Legion, Repton Pre-School and Messy Church were all represented.

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St Saviour's News

Thank you!   St Saviour's Roof

A big thank you to everyone who signed up to easyfundraising in aid of Foremark Church Roof. The total raised to date over £130. Many thanks.

To recap

Following the fifth theft of lead from Foremark Church roof in just over 10 years, we need to raise in excess of £60,000 to have a stainless steel roof fitted. Easyfundraising is an online gateway to nearly 3,000 well known retailers such as Amazon, M&S, Argos and Tesco, ebay and Vodaphone which lets you shop around for the best deals and raise money for your chosen charity at the same time; St Saviour's receives between 1% and 15% of the purchase price. It does not cost you anything and the money is paid directly to our appeal bank account. To support 'St Saviour's Church - Foremark', visit easyfundraising.org.uk and follow the simple instructions.

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Soup, Cheese and Chat! Wednesday 5th February from 12.30 to 1.30 pm in St Wystan's Church £4.   Homemade soup, bread and cheese followed by coffee.   And a chat! Everyone welcome. Do come!

Repton Village Society Bill Smith and the Strictly Swing Quintet back by popular demand for the sixth year running Saturday 15th February 7.30 - 10.15 pm in Repton Village Hall Bring your own food, drink and glasses, and prepare for another great evening! Tickets £8 from Alan Webster, 01283 701838

Baked Potatoes & Pancakes Carol and Chris would be delighted if you could join us for lunch on Tuesday 18th February, noon to 2 pm 1 Milton Road, Repton Raffle & Book Stall £5 including lunch and coffee

Messy Church Fun activities,craft and games,celebration and Sunday tea for children and adults, anyone, any age St Wystan's Church, Sunday 23rd February, 4 to 5.30 pm To find out more, contact Ruth Attwood on 702804 or . Everyone is welcome!

Children's Nearly New Sale Saturday 8th March, 10 am - 12 noon at Repton Village Hall Including Children's Clothes, Toys, Books, Nursery Equipment and Maternity Wear Entrance 50p, children free. Refreshments on sale. For further details please call: 07982 781936. Hosted by Repton Primary School PTA to raise funds for equipment at the school

Kel Eliot Band Repton Village Hall, Saturday 8th March at 7.30 pm 'upbeat, lyrically optimistic and musically infectious' Accompanied by guitar, keyboards and percussion from her accomplished band, and drawing on influences as diverse as Ella Fitzgerald, Bonnie Raitt and Django Reinhardt, Kel represents a modern approach to jazz and blues. As a sassy jazz singer with a big voice, her performances are packed with humour, irony and a touch of mischief. 'a scintillating show' Bar and Raffle. Tickets £10 from Repton Post Office, Pat Court, 702599, and Chris Carpenter, 702370. Supporting Repton Village Hall

Thankyou

The Ear Foundation Concert

Deafness often results in loneliness and isolation, and may lead to mental health problems. It can be particularly difficult for a deaf person to acquire work skills and find employment. So the work of the Ear Foundation, which helps deaf people to hear and communicate is particularly valuable.

We are grateful to everyone who supported our concert of light classics in the run-up to Christmas, and particularly to Sarah Lloyd. The Foundation is most appreciative of the £541 that was raised.
Jane and Neil are too modest to mention their own huge contribution; it was a lovely evening.

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Environment Matters

Fair Bananas

We love bananas, they're our favourite fruit; in the United Kingdom we eat over five billion every year. More than 1.2 billion of them are Fairtrade bananas, one in every four bananas we buy.

And yet, despite this, there is a serious problem at the heart of the banana business, the price we pay. In the last 10 years, the UK supermarket sector has almost halved the shelf price of loose bananas while the cost of producing them has doubled. Many of the farmers and workers who grow them are increasingly trapped in a cycle of poverty. Does that sound fair to you?

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. For banana farmers and workers it provides a vital safety net, paying a price that covers the costs of sustainable production as well as a small additional premium that farmers can use to invest in community projects or to improve their businesses. This empowers producers to take control of their lives and provide their families with the basics such as education and healthcare. And it's not just about bananas.

Take a Step for Fairtrade in 2014 begins with Fairtrade Fortnight from 24th February to the 9th March. Supporting Fairtrade can be a simple step, like swapping your tea to Fairtrade, or a bigger step, like asking everyone in your office to do it too. You'll be joining thousands of others all over the UK. Every step counts for millions of farmers, workers and their communities in developing countries who urgently need a better deal.

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Neighbourhood Watch

Safer Neighbourhood meetings give you the opportunity to set the agenda in your area. The next is at 6.15 pm on Monday 17th February at Ticknall Village Hall.

Unsolicited phone calls have been received from traders offering free boiler inspections. However, they are requesting £299 for a Green Deal Assessment, and after the fee has been paid, no further contact or assessments have been carried out. Be wary, and NEVER give out personal details to unsolicited callers, particularly details relating to bank accounts and credit cards.

Bicycles: There has been a spate of thefts this month. At home, keep cycles in a locked shed or building. For when you are out and about, buy a decent lock and use it.

Remember:

• Secure your door chain.
• Make absolutely sure a caller is genuine before you let him in.
• Staff from utility companies carry an identification card. Always ask to see it. If in any doubt, contact their company for verification.
• Don't give them any personal or bank details.
• If they have a vehicle, take down the registration number, make and model.

Always look out for your elderly and vulnerable neighbours.

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Repton Village & History

Repton Rags Boys & girls aged 7 to 14 Fridays 7th & 21st February, 6.30 to 8 pm at the Den      £1 a head Fun and games, indoors and out, and plenty of time to chat with your friends PLUS 7th Feb: 'Stranger Danger'. 21st Feb: Quiz Night Come along and have fun!       More info from Julie Groom, 0797 4998852

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RBL Children's Christmas Party

Twenty-four children attended the Repton & District Royal British Legion Children's Christmas Party. They were treated to a party tea, games and a visit and gift from Father Christmas. Our thanks to all who helped to make it such a successful afternoon.

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Repton W.I.

At the first meeting of the New Year, Louise Scheck, the practice manager at Willington Surgery, gave us an insight into the working day of a G.P. The practice has 8,000 patients, a number expected to increase to 10,000 by 2018, with 4.5 doctors and 20 ancillary staff. More secondary care has been moved to the primary care sector (largely from hospitals to G.P. surgeries) with yet more to follow, but funding is being cut. This makes it difficult for the G.P. to provide the caring service we remember from as recently as ten years ago. W.I. members were concerned about the effectiveness of the telephone triage system and the difficulty of getting to the new surgery by public transport.

A theatre visit and lunches at the Mulberry Restaurant have been arranged as well as a coffee morning to raise funds for the Safe and Sound project in Derby. Members are collecting their favourite recipes, and it is hoped to organise a Fashion Show in May.

At the next meeting on Tuesday 11th February, Dorothy Morson will take us to the Isles of Scilly. All are welcome. 7.15 pm in Repton village hall.

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Repton Village History Group

On Tuesday 18th February at 7.30 pm in the village hall, we will have three very local talks, one on Repton Brook and the Mills from the source in the Pistern Hills to the Trent, another on forgotten Repton place names, and the third a pictorial stroll down the High Street, based on work with the Friday Luncheon Club and Drop-in. All are welcome, members £2, visitors £3, including refreshments. For more information contact Andy Austen on 01283 702448.

We would strongly urge you to come to our meeting on 15th April, when Trent and Peak Archaeology will talk about their findings on the Repton School Science Priory site and explain the community archaeology project that we are starting.

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Bag2School Textile Collection

Repton Primary School PTA is holding a textile collection and will be grateful for clean clothes, bedding, curtains, pairs of shoes, belts, handbags or soft toys that can be recycled and sent to third world countries. Please put them in a bag and drop them off at Repton Primary School on Springfield Road from Monday 10th March and before 9 am on Thursday 13th March. The collection is organised by the PTA, which receives a payment by weight, supporting the school music department. If you need any further information please call the PTA on 07982 781936.

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Repton Scouts

Scouts started the New Year learning all about the festivals, traditions and food of the Hindu religion from Mita, who kindly volunteered to come and talk as well as preparing some lovely food. January for us also means Chilly Challenge, and this year we joined the District on Friday 31st camping, yes, camping! at Drum Hill. All survived with varying amounts of sleep but awake enough to participate in some archery and air rifle shooting on the Saturday before returning to their nice warm homes.

If you are an adult interested in helping to run Scouts, even if you cannot commit to being there every week, and want more information, please contact Mike Knowles on 07989 990119.

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Repton Road Club

If you're still battling with that New Year's resolution to keep fit this year, then why not join one of Repton Road Club's Sunday morning rides? Every Sunday at 9 am we stage rides of about two hours' duration from The Cross, and welcome riders of all abilities. The group meets throughout the winter unless the weather makes road surfaces especially treacherous. If you're looking to improve your fitness, if you're making a return to cycling, just starting out, or looking for company on a training ride, then why not join in. For more details, go to facebook.com/ReptonRoadClub or ring Neil on 703363.

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Temporary Road Closure

Springfield Road between Milton Road and Longlands will be closed for resurfacing during the primary school half-term, between 17th and 21st February. A diversion via Milton Road, the High Street and Pinfold Lane will be in force, although, as far as possible, access will be maintained. The road will re-open as soon as the work is finished, which may be before the 21st.

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Repton Village Society

Our speaker at the January meeting, Colin Mcshane, was one of the first westerners to visit Rybachy, a small village in the Kaliningrad region of Russia, where he studied bird migration. During his fascinating, illustrated talk, he outlined procedures for observing and recording birds, as well as describing how the inhabitants of Rybachy have adapted to the changes in their way of life following the fall of communism.

Thursday 6th February: The Chatsworth Library and Archive

James Towe, the Chatsworth librarian and archivist, will describe how the extra-ordinary library and archive collections there came into being, the treasures they contain, and the story they tell of the Cavendish family and the Devonshire estates.

Saturday 15th February: Another evening of music with Bill Smith and his Strictly Swing Quintet See above for details. All are welcome.

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What next for Repton Village Hall?

A plan to rebuild Repton village hall led to debate at the January meeting of the parish council.

The village hall is a focus of village activity, and helps to create a sense of community. It supports local societies and interest groups involving a wide section of the local population in health and fitness, sport and culture, community development, and social events and entertainment, as well as private parties. There are regular bookings for the Baby and Toddler Club, Pilates, the village and history societies, the Evergreens, W.I., sport, fitness, movement and dance groups. As the only hall locally that can affordably accommodate large gatherings it is indispensable and for well attended events such as the Village Show, Open Gardens teas, concerts and shows, suppers, large displays, dances, quizzes, talks and sales.

To recap

Built in 1973, the village hall is a frame construction, with wooden frames and wood and glazing infill panels. Although it has been well maintained, the building is well beyond its predicted 25 year design life, and now unrepairable. One column suffers from significant rot. If any of them - or the side panels - should fail, the building will lose its structural integrity and have to be closed.

Internally the hall is quite serviceable and largely in good condition. However, the services are worn out. In addition, the present hall was built with no regard to conservation of energy and resources. It has very large single-glazed windows and very little thermal insulation. It wastes energy and is very expensive to heat. A new building would provide a totally different order of energy efficiency.

Hence the village hall committee has for some years been considering the best way forward, and articles have appeared from time to time in the Parish Magazine. There may be some who think that the committee is crying 'wolf', but village halls elsewhere have run into similar problems and had to close; they do not become dangerous, they become uninsurable. While the hall is not in immediate danger, it will not last long.

Plans

The original idea was to refurbish the hall, but the fabric has clearly deteriorated and plans have now been drawn up to replace the whole building. Until recently it had been intended to rebuild in two or three stages as finance allowed, first the entrance, kitchen and toilets, then the main hall, and finally the stage and adjacent rooms. However, a public consultation last July brought about a rethink: users made clear that the main hall itself needs lengthening, which can only be achieved by a total rebuild. In addition, whereas a phased rebuild would attract VAT, a total rebuild would avoid it, saving about £100,000.

Finance

The total cost of rebuilding is about £500,000, and there is currently just over £80,000 available. This includes £43,000 given by the parish council, which hitherto has been very supportive. The village hall committee has appealed and continues to appeal to grant making bodies, so far with limited success. Now a fundraising campaign is planned locally; you will hear much more of this in the coming months.

Approach to the Parish Council

In addition, at the last meeting of the Parish Council, the village hall committee asked for an indication that that, if necessary, it would consider a further substantial grant that could be more than £100,000. The advantage of this is that the Council, if allowed by the government to do so1, could borrow money relatively cheaply over a long term.

The Parish Council

After consideration, Parish Councillors rejected the request unanimously2. It was felt that the amount asked for, the terms on which money could be borrowed, and the effect on the precept, currently £14.42 for a band D property3, were too unclear; that there are other rooms available in the village4; and that the council had already contributed £43,000 towards the project and is supporting the transfer of another £33,000, so-called 'depot money' that is currently held on our behalf by SDDC, although that can only be done when building has been completed. However, the door was not finally closed, and it was suggested that the village hall committee could come back after involving the village and after it had made substantial progress in its own fundraising.

Notes

1.	This cannot be taken for granted.
2.	Because of a conflict of interest, three councillors who are also on the village hall committee were not able to take part.
3.	In South Derbyshire the Parish Council precept for a band D property ranges from £5.28 to £63.86. The average is £28.76. This is in addition to the basic council tax of £1461.59, so the average precept is just under 2% of the whole council tax bill.
4.	There are rooms at Broomhills and the Den, as well as the Community Room at the Dales, but only Repton School has rooms as large as the village hall. Although the school has very generously made Pears School available from time to time, it is understandably unable to do so frequently or in term time.

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One foot on the grave

To the right of the churchyard path leading to the vicarage is a flat topped ancient grave. The names are long worn away, but inscribed in the top are the outlines of some 18 shoes. A mixture of lefts and rights, there are no pairs and they range in length from a child's at 115 mm long to an adult's at 290 mm. Most are 225 - 250 mm. Some have a heel bar and a few have traces of initials. Some of the shoes are square-toed and some have no handing, being neither left nor right.

Square-toed shoes were fashionable from about 1830 to 1860. Unhanded shoes were common until about 1790, but some were still about in the 1850s. There is another Repton grave, below the clock, which also has a very clear shoe outline on the top and traces of others.

The existence of these shoe-marked graves is not a new discovery, but only recently has another grave been noticed with some 16 shoe outlines, this time inside the church, against the south wall close to the organ. There are no dates but a couple of shoes do have very clear initials. Just who were HB and TB?

Repton is not the only place where such graffiti are found. Similar markings have been discovered in a number of places including the four lodges at Bolsover Castle, which had well over 172 boot and shoe outlines on the lead of the roofs. Scoring round a shoe in lead is a lot easier than scribing a fairly deep line in stone, which may explain why the Bolsover outlines are more detailed, and some have clear initials, names or dates. It is thought that visitors to the castle made the shoe and other marks whilst walking around the walls and admiring the wonderful view across the old garden and the valley. Lead roofs were laid by plumbers, who habitually signed their work with some motif; there is at least one case of a foot outline being made in the 1600s. It is possible that visitors to Bolsover spotted workmen's shoe marks left in the early 1820s and decided to add their own. Most of the datable shoeprints are from around 1822.

Who made the outlines in our graves will remain a mystery, but it is likely to have been in the first half of the 1800s. It is difficult to see how such activity could have gone unnoticed from the vicarage and the thatched cottages opposite; these marks in the stone would have taken some time to make. However, until Willington Bridge was built in 1839, Church End was a very quiet backwater.

We are grateful to Trent and Peak Archaeological Trust for Richard Sheppard's paper on 'Footwear Outlines at Bolsover Castle', which provided much of the historical information.

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Repton Parish Council Jottings

The Dales: The Parish Council has written to Derbyshire County Council expressing its dismay and disappointment with the lack of progress to redevelop The Dales. We have now been advised that work is unlikely to begin before April 2015, an even greater delay.

Monsom Lane Burial Ground: The Parish Council is continuing its maintenance work at the burial ground and has already received positive feedback from visitors. Tree pruning has taken place, and some of the plots have been levelled. However, a few of the graves are still contravening the regulations by being cultivated, which prevents adequate ground maintenance. If we are unable to contact the families responsible for these plots, information will be displayed giving notice that the grave will be returned to grass. If you have any queries, please contact me at the Parish Council Office.

Flooding on Footpath 37: We have been advised that work is to start on the footpath from The Pastures to Chestnut Way, which should alleviate the flooding problems. The footpath will be closed for five days. The provisional date for the work is the week commencing 17th February. Notices of closure will be attached to the lamp posts at least a week beforehand.

Mobile Library Service: As previously mentioned, DCC is considering ending the mobile library service in this area. Consultation on its proposals is now open and will close on the 1st March. It is important that as many local residents as possible express their views; otherwise this valuable service may be lost, making it impossible for older and more vulnerable members of our community to access a library. The questionnaire can be completed on line at derbyshire.gov.uk. For paper copies, call 01629 533190.

Next meeting: Monday 10th February in The Community Room, Fisher Close, Repton, at 7.30pm. All are welcome.

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Milton & Foremark Village Matters

Milton Village Hall

Milton Village Hall AGM will be held in the village hall on 20th March at 7.30 pm. Everyone is welcome, and if you would like to join the committee please do come along. A committee meeting will follow on.

Bookings are now being taken for stalls at the Summer Fayre on Sunday 29th June. Please call Sue on 01283 704580.

To view or book the village hall, contact Polly on 703436.

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Newton Solney Village Matters

Newton Solney Christmas Market

Thank you to all who helped with or attended our first Christmas Market in December. The event was a huge success raising just over £1,000 for future improvements to the recreation field. We are hoping for a repeat this year; if you would be interested in helping to organise it, please contact Angus Falconer, angusfalconer@hotmail.com.

We wish to make clear that it was not Redshaws Butchers in Repton that let us down when the hog roast failed to materialise. Neil and Jo were in fact a huge support, and we hope to use Redshaws Butchers for the hog roast next time.

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Postscript ~ Newton Solney Christmas Tree Festival

Many thanks once again to everyone who sponsored or supported our village Christmas Tree Festival. When all the sums were done, proceeds allowed us to send a donation of £1,000 on behalf of the village community to Rainbows Children's Hospice at Loughborough.

Fewer than 10% of the Festival Quiz sheets were returned, perhaps having come to grief over the Christmas period. Terry Booth of Blacksmith's Lane was the clear winner, the only person to complete all three sections correctly. Well done!

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Newton Solney C of E Infant School

Community Collective Worship is at 9.15 am on the first Thursday of the month. Parents, carers and local residents are most welcome to join us on 6th February in the school hall. Future dates are 6th March and 3rd April.

Coffee & the Community, Friday 28th February, 9 - 10 am in the school hall Please come along to this coffee morning run by June Scott and members of St Mary's Church. School families and all local residents are very welcome to join us for coffee and chat.

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Newton Solney W.I.

Firstly a big thank you to all members who provided and served the food at the Christmas Tree Festival, also to Steve and Denise Parker who provided and served the wines. It was a very successful evening.

The speaker at our January meeting, Katie Shakespeare of the Shakespeare Hat Company, explained the techniques in making her beautiful hats using sinamay (a natural product made from the banana plant), felt, silk and straw. Her enthusiasm for her craft was evident. Members then attempted a sinamay decorative lily with varying degrees of success!

Trips to the Mulberry Rooms for lunch at Burton College are now underway; Jean Burns, 702463, has details. The whist drives continue; please contact Rosemary Bartlett on 703000 for information. Our full programme for this year is now on the village website at newton-solney.org.uk.

At our next meeting on Tuesday 11th February, James Major will talk on 'Fauld - the Story'. Members are encouraged to bring a guest, and new members are very welcome. Cheese and wine will be served to conclude the evening. (7.30 pm at the village hall.) To follow up on the talk, a walk to the site at Fauld is being organised in the spring.

The next whist drive is on Tuesday 28th January at 7 pm in the village hall.

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Newton Solney Tuesday Club

We began the New Year with an illustrated presentation of the club's activities during 2013 given by Dennis Ward. The photographs were greatly enjoyed as we recalled happy memories of the holiday and numerous visits.

Tuesday 4th February, Newton Solney village hall at 2.30 pm

Our meeting will include a talk by Anna Roebuck on 'Rags to Riches'.

Tuesday 18th February

A visit to Denby Pottery Factory for a tour of their Craftroom. The coach will leave The Unicorn a little earlier than usual at 9.20 am, picking up at Repton and Willington, and returning to Newton Solney between 3 and 3.30 pm. The cost is £10 for the coach and £4.25 for the tour. If you wish to join us, please contact Jane on 01283 564520.

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Newton Solney Parish Council News

Village Defibrillator: A defibrillator is being purchased to be located at the village hall. A number of parishioners have already volunteered to act as responders but additional volunteers will be most welcome; please contact the Clerk to the Council, Ron Parker, on 07863 359 129 or through the village website. Training will be available.

Parish Precept: Following the January Council meeting, the Parish Precept is being maintained at £4,400 per annum.

Mobile Library: Derbyshire County Council is taking steps to reduce the service, and the Parish Council would like to know how many parishioners use it so that can make representations to the County Council. It will be appreciated if users contact Ron Parker as above.

Summer Play: Mobile sports play equipment for children will be booked for a number of occasions in the summer. Details will be notified in due course.

Recreation Field: The Parish Council is still keen to improve the children's play equipment. It is hoped to have positive proposals following a meeting in the village hall.

Planning Applications: It has been decided to publish planning applications together with subsequent determinations - approval / withdrawal / refusal - on the village website.

Next meeting: Friday 14th February at 7.45 pm in the village hall. All are welcome.

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Further Afield

Row with Trent RC!

Since the 2012 Olympic Games, Trent Rowing Club, based at the blue building by the Old Trent Bridge in Burton, has seen an upsurge in interest from newcomers of all ages and experience.

The club has strong junior and senior squads, and a keen group of social rowers. There is a first class fleet of boats, ranging from safe and stable training boats to top level competition craft, as well as off-water training equipment.

Newcomers to the club can try out the facilities to see if rowing is the sport for you. Beginners' sessions are held on Sunday mornings where you can enjoy a free initial session before being invited to join the club's 'Learn to Row' scheme.

The Club depends on the support of volunteers, whether they are coaching, providing support on land or fund raising, so you don't have to row to get involved!

If you are interested, feel free to drop by and see what is going on, or visit the website at trentrc.org.

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Gardening Notes

We are still waiting for winter to arrive in earnest but don't be fooled by the mild conditions; there is still plenty of time for really cold weather.

At this time of year some people are eager to start sowing seeds. Using a propagator it is easy to get the seeds to germinate, but it is much harder to grow on the young plants; all too often you end up with leggy seedlings that never do really well; much better to wait until March when light levels are better.

You may well have received a pile of catalogues with tempting pictures of flowers and vegetables at only a few pence a plant, but you need to think about how many plants you really want and how skilled you are at growing them on. Over the years I have moved from the smallest, cheapest plug plants to the largest available; the really small plug plants can be difficult to handle and, unless you have large scale bedding schemes, you end up with too many plants taking up too much room in the greenhouse, and you may not have enough space to plant them out in the garden.

Growing plants from seed is a very satisfying way to raise plants and the seed left over from previous years is obviously the cheapest. Most seeds remain viable for a number of years. Plants such as legumes (peas and beans), brassicas (cabbage family) and alliums (onion family) last well, but we always buy new sweetcorn seed and don't expect carrots, parsnips, fennel or peppers to germinate well the next season.

If you need to buy new seed, then consider 'own brand' seeds from the supermarket or hardware store; they are a lot cheaper and perform just as well. All seed packets contain a seed count; some 'fancy' breeds will have very few seeds and work out quite expensive.

Prune clematis regularly to encourage strong growth and flowering and keep the growth in check. If left unpruned, clematis can turn into a mass of tangled stems with bare base and flowers well above eye level. However, different varieties need different treatment.

- Group 1, montanas, alpinas and macropatellas, bloom on growth made the previous year. Prune them straight after flowering, if at all, just to keep them within their allotted space or to remove dead and unsightly foliage. If they are pruned before they flower, or late the previous season, you will be cutting off potential flower buds. Remember: if it flowers before June don't prune!

- Group 2. Large flowered hybrids like Nelly Moser bloom on short shoots from old wood, normally in the spring and possibly again in the autumn, although some bloom intermittently all through the summer. The flowers tend to be smaller later in the season and may be more intensely or differently coloured as well. Prune out the dead wood in early spring after the leaf buds open slightly. The number of later flowers can be increased if the seed heads from the first flowering are removed right after the blooms drop their sepals.

- Group 3 are the summer blooming varieties such as the viticellas, Jackmanii, and texensis. They flower mainly on wood produced in the current year and should be pruned severely every year in late winter, when they are completely dormant, down to about 12 inches. Leave at least two pairs of buds on each stem. Most grow very fast, and will reach their full height before blooming every summer. If you fail to prune them, they will develop long 'legs' devoid of foliage and blooms.

If you have a large forsythia or other vigorous spring flowering shrub, try bringing some branches into a cool room or porch to encourage them to flower earlier and enjoy them inside.

February is a good time to admire early flowering bulbs such as snowdrops, anemone blanda, cyclamen coum, and celandines; they grow well under deciduous trees and around shrubs, and, if they are happy, they will gradually increase and give you pleasure for years. They do, however, need to be left undisturbed, so it is a good idea to add a discrete label if you think you might dig them up by mistake during the summer!