WELCOME

A very warm welcome to our community website. For more news and views please go to our Forum. To contribute on the Forum, please register by going to the 'Register' entry at the top of any page.

News


No New Postcode for Alstonefield!

Click HERE for details.

Folk Festival planned for Hulme End 14-16 September at Manifold Hotel.

More details to follow.

Alstonefield Rocks on 10th March at 7.30 in The Village Hall !

The 2012 Leaden Boot Challenge

Entries are now open for the 2012 Leaden Boot Challenge, which will be held on Sunday 27th May.       CLICK HERE for more information

VILLAGE HALL BOOK STALL HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RESTOCKED

Open whenever the village hall is accessible.

It’s Gone!

The abandoned vehicle, which has been “parked” on the side of a road in the centre of the village for almost one whole  year, has finally been removed.  A van from the DVLA arrived on Wednesday to everyone’s surprise and proceeded to clamp the vehicle – a statutory requirement – then today (Friday 20th) it returned to remove it for good.  Thanks go to the Parish Council who have been working tirelessly with the District Council, the Police and the DVLA for several months to secure its removal.

Kitchen Facilities now in Church

The oak cupboard unit which houses the sink, draining board and shelves is now completely finished and looks fantastic! (Click on the photos to enlarge). This work completes Phase 1 of the Water Project, which has come in within budget. Thank you again to everyone who has helped and is still helping.  Enough monies are committed to at least start Phase 2 of the Project which involves changes to the boiler house that will ultimately allow us to build a toilet.

New Year’s Market on Saturday 7th January

If there’s one thing that Alstonefield does well, it’s community. Thus it was that a market that could have just been retail therapy with a bit of fund raising thrown in turned into therapy for the spirit and pinned ear to ear smiles on the faces of everyone involved. It was a glorious melange of empty bottles, cards, walking furniture, filled boots, brics and bracs,  clothes and silly hats and oh the toys! The band played Monty Python as Geoff and Margaret sold icons of bygone times. The Parish Council showed Mr Kipling what a cake should be and the Tombola Stall gave the National Lottery a run for it’s money! Sausages, toasted delights, tea, books, coffee, books and more books! And then, in a flash, it was over. But this year, in Alstonefield, Christmas went out not with a whimper, but with a roar! A Happy New Year to us all, each and every one!


CLICK HERE to see more photos of the New Year’s Market

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Carol Suppers 2011

Two fantastic evenings of carol singing and entertainment hosted by Chris Hornblower & Brian Allen in aid of Cancer Research UK were held in the Village Hall over the weekend of 16th & 17th December. After a pie & pea supper and Santa’s annual visit, we were ready to sit back and enjoy the entertainment.  After Pen Gilman’s very funny recitation, the Clockwinders wassailed us to the sounds of Ken Sharples on electric guitar and Alan Barnard on piano, followed by the very special Alstonefield version of the ‘Village Green Preservation Society’.  If you had missed the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Final on Saturday night,  you would have been compensated by the Christmas ‘Swing’ number performed by the Dancing Girls, fantastically choreographed by Lizzie Nicholls.  But the star of the show has to be young Mille Allen with her very own rendition of “All I Want For Christmas Are My Two Front Teeth”. Well done Mille, for bringing a tear to our eyes!  A big thank you also to Dorothy Critchlow and her team for co-ordinating the events.  The amount raised will be published here shortly.  (Note – click on the photos above to enlarge) Watch the entertainment again with these  YouTube links  – Clockwinders video.     Dancing Girls

Absolutely Bowled Over!

Alstonefield Indoor Bowls Club really filled the village hall, on their final evening of the autumn season, with chatter, laughter, warmth and a smattering of friendly competition too. Mixing rookie players with our seasoned bowlers in a new three-handed knockout, gave everyone a chance to shine. When it came out of the wash, the all-lady trio of Margaret, Barbara and Claire, edged out Carol, Irene and sole male survivor, Richard. Brian and Lorraine kindly handled the results for us; Brian even finding a moment to slip (inconspicuously) behind the winners to salute their success!
We’re back in the new year, from Monday 9th January, Season’s Greetings to everyone.

Festival of Angels pictures now ready to view

Just click here. There are an amazing 170 photos to browse, taken by Brian and Cathy. Any picture on this album, or indeed any other, can be purchased for a small sum (in aid of St Peter’s Church). Speak to Brian or use the Contact facility on this website.

Festival of Angels closes to Great Reviews

“a lovely exhibition and how wonderfully everyone has worked together”
“a very moving experience – lots of creativity and hard work”
“superb sense of community shown in this display”

One of the large satin angel banners

Jani (left) and Cathy with the white angels

Many hundreds of visitors passed through the doors of St. Peter’s over the 4 days of ‘A Festival of Angels’, with large numbers returning for a second or even third visit, each time bringing a new set of friends with them. Photographers were on hand on the opening day from the Derby Evening Telegraph, the Leek Post and www.ashbournepeople.co.uk to record proceedings. The almost life-size white angels by the font were particularly admired, as were the 4 large satin banners, which will continue to hang in Church over the Christmas period.

Some of the 'Angels' in the Cafe

The Angel Cafe kept visitors refreshed until late in the afternoon, with such a polished service that some visitors were asking whether we were open every weekend! For a few more pictures and comments, see our web page at www.alstonefieldangels.co.uk. There will be many more photos available on the gallery as soon as possible, prints of which will be available to purchase. To find out about the profits made, see the post on the Forum. Many thanks to everyone involved.

Anne Ballard (left) with Eleanor Hudson

A magical atmospheric evening of music for voice & harp, brought the Festival to a magnificent conclusion on the evening of Sunday 4th December. Our Vicar, Anne Ballard (soprano) and harpist Eleanor Hudson, treated us to wonderful music and a selection of readings by Eleanor’s family.

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Gargoyles Go Up in the World to Drink (and Eat) to Most Successful Season Ever

The resplendent George Coach House was the fittingly prestigious venue for the 2011 Alstonefield Cricket Club annual awards dinner. Members and guests were treated to a sumptuous four course meal, exquisitely presented by Emily and her team. The post prandial entertainment was provided by Neil Shotton’s brutal video documentary on the reality of village cricket and the human frailties it exposes.

Against the backdrop of the most successful season in the club’s history, with seven wins, one draw and five defeats against the strongest opposition yet faced , the 2011 awards recognised outstanding contributions both on and off the field. (to see more of this story and who received ther awards, …………………CLICK HERE)

St. Peter’s Remembrance Folder is launched

Rifleman Herbert Trafford

Research has recently been undertaken by Susan Wilding into the background of those who died in the two World Wars. This information has been compiled into a special folder that was launched at our Service for Remembrance Sunday and which is now available for viewing at St. Peter’s.

Vicar's clock in the Vestry

This is only the start and it would be lovely to add to it over time from any other additional information we can find; local people’s memories, books, or from the internet (where we found this photograph of Rifleman Herbert Trafford, killed in action in 1916). An abridged version of the folder can be viewed on the new Family History page.

Stay fit this winter

Do you need to re-energise after a hard day? Pam Weston-Clarke’s keep fit classes for everyone take place in Alstonefield Village Hall from 7.30 to 8.30 pm on Tuesday evenings. Enjoy the music and go at your own speed. All are welcome and it’s a snip at £1.50 a week.
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Photo Printing Service

Any image that appears in the “gallery” can now be printed and supplied to local residents and others by arrangement. Proceeds to the Church Water Appeal. Contact Brian Ross direct with your orders, or e-mail the admin team using the “Contact Us” link.