Well dressing is an ancient custom in rural areas in England of adorning local wells with floral decorations usually as part of a religious service in thanksgiving for an abundant supply of pure water. The speakers will be Janet and Paul Barrass giving a detailed talk on the history and technique of Derbyshire Well Dressing.
Well dressings are made using wooden frames packed with clay, in a process known as puddling. These are then decorated with natural objects including moss, beans, seeds, cones, twigs, berries and, most importantly, flower petals which give the pictures their colour and detail.
Our next guided walk will be on Wednesday 26th April when we will be visiting the stunning Calke bluebells, leaving Ticknall Village Hall at 9:30 am. Leave Ticknall via Chapel Street – skirting Robin Wood – crossing the main road to St Brides Farm, Robinsons Hill in Melbourne, and walk alongside Staunton Harold Reservoir and Calke through the woods and the Bluebells before returning to Ticknall.
It will be about two and a half hours of walking, 5/6 miles, with a coffee and comfort stop at the Reservoir coffee shop. All are welcome. Just meet up at Ticknall Village Hall before we leave at 9:30 am.
Mark is a National Trust speaker and this interesting and informative talk will concentrate on the history and development of windmills in the region.
During the gravel extraction by Anchor Church, the archaeologists made some surprising finds with evidence of activity from Mesolithic times (over 6000 years ago). The dating evidence from the labs is now back and Carina Somerfield–Hill and Kristina Krawiec from the York Archaeological Trust have agreed to come and explain what was found and what it means.
The talk is organised by the Repton Village History Group, but all are very welcome to come along on 18th July at 7.30pm in St Wystans Church – £3.00 entry please payable on the door or by contacting Andy Austen on 07977 440992 .
Stewart Warburton will be taking us on a Snibston Colliery Tour seeing and hearing “A Coal Miner’s Story” Meeting at 2:00 pm for the tour and then followed by a Cream Tea.
The cost of the Tour will be £3 each plus the cost of the Cream Tea which will be advised nearer the time.
Jed will give us a talk on the Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration.
Guided Walk and Brunch or Just Brunch. Saturday, October 14th.
Meet opposite Calke Park Entrance at 9.45am for 10am start. All welcome including dogs. Brunch will be served from 11 am at St George’s Church.
Dr Mark Knight – Transforming the Trent Valley – Cultural Heritage along the Rivers Trent, Tame and Dove.
A talk by Philip Heath, Chair of the Melbourne Historical Research Group and former Heritage Officer at the South Derbyshire District Council about King’s Newton at the Bowls Club this Saturday 11th Nov 7.30 pm for the King’s Newton Social Group.
Melbourne Civic Society on Monday, Nov 27th at 7.00 pm at Wesley Hall, Potter St (£2:00 members/£3:00 non-members). Refreshments are provided in the entrance fee.
In this talk we discover how people of all classes in England celebrated Christmas before Singing Santas, outdoor lights and Sellotape. Back in the time when all the trees were real and candles were the main form of lighting, we look at the origins of well-known Seasonal Customs, Food, Cards and Gifts.
MHRG present this talk on the transformation of Melbourne “from farming village to manufacturing town” at the Melbourne Assembly Rooms at 7.30 pm on 1st December.
Entrance is £3 (£2 to Patrons/Friends). Refreshments are available. All welcome.
Kevin Reynolds – Love and War – how we created our garden birds. A look back at how and why our relationship with the birds in our garden has changed over the last 150 years. When did we start to feed the birds, put up bird boxes and decide that some species were “garden birds”?
Meet at the Village Hall at 11.00 am.
Hear some tales from Ticknall’s more recent past with a local guide. Followed by coffee and cake. No booking needed. Free.
No experience needed. Just drop in between 11 am – 3 pm for the craft activities, coffee and cake.
No experience needed. Just drop in between 11 am – 3 pm for the craft activities, coffee and cake.
Meet at the Methodist Chapel. Join us as we light up the evening with lanterns and process through to the church for refreshments and to see a display of the work showing what is special about our village. The procession starts at 5:30 pm.
Sir John Betjeman once said, ‘ Derbyshire has every kind of scenery except the sea.’ In this revealing presentation, Ashley will take you on a visual journey across our rich, diverse and beautiful county, showing the many photos he has taken of towns and villages over 15 years of writing for Derbyshire Life magazine, with a special focus on his documenting of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.