Taxal and  Fernilee Out of School Club has been nominated as one of the three charities in this area to be put forward for the Nat West Community Fund.  This means that the club will receive a share of £5,000; the charity with the most votes receives £3,000 and the other two charities receive £1,000 each. 

The club is appealing to local people  for their help. 

Voting is now open.  You can vote on line through the Nat West website – if you search Community Fund it should bring you to the right page.  You need to put in your postcode, or an SK23 postcode, select one of the local branches (New Mills, Marple, Chapel, Buxton, Hazel Grove) and it will show Taxal & Fernilee as one of the three charities.  To support a local school,  click Taxal & Fernilee and enter name etc.  Or, you can vote in the bank branches – New Mills, Disley, Marple etc. 

The money will go towards more outdoor play equipment to enhance the children’s time at the club.  The community benefits from the club, which offers an invaluable service to families in the area.

You only have until 26 November to vote!

There were large congregations at memorial  services in Whaley Bridge on Remembrance Sunday, 14 November.  The Rev Michael Peat, chaplain to the local branch of the Royal British Legion, conducted both services: the first in Holy Trinity church, the other round the Cenotaph n Whaley Bridge’s Memorial Park.  The church was packed for a service attended by local councillors, members of many local organisations, some with flags and wreaths that were received at the altar by Rev Peat.  The service at the Cenotaph, although short, was very moving.  Whaley Band member Daniel Sergeant, 15, played the Last Post at each service.  His colleague, Cara Wheelsdon.  13,  played the Last Post at war memorials in Furness Vale and Bridgemont.

Royal British Legion officials: at The Cross, near the Jodrell: Sue Cox, John Cooke, vice chairman, Jenny Woodward, women's chairman, Les Cox, treasurer and Rev Michael Peat.

Teenage tribute: Daniel Sergeant, 15, plays Last Post

Whaley Band played in Holy Trinity: From hymns to It's a Long Way to Tiperrary

Cllr John Swift, Chair of Whaley Bridge Town Council lays a wreath. We will remember them.

Residents should be extra vigilant, following a spate of distraction burglaries on adjacent divisions of the Derbyshire police area. None have occurred in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales as yet, but we are keen to raise awareness in order to prevent any incidents taking place. The offenders have purported to be from the waterboard, stated they’re from the electricity company and need to make checks on electrical equipment and even purported to be local police officers, Continue Reading →

As the price of gold reaches an all time high, Trading Standards is warning consumers interested in selling their jewellery, to shop around amidst mounting reports of scams across the country. Selling gold jewellery to make ends meet in this recession is becoming increasingly popular but sellers are urged to beware of conmen keen to cash in on the trend. There is a wide disparity in how much shops or dealers will pay for gold and unfortunately Continue Reading →

Police are urging people to be vigilant after suspected phone scams.

An 80-year-old woman from Darley Dale rang police on Tuesday 9th November to report that an Asian man had called her asking for her bank account details.

He claimed the woman had outstanding payments Continue Reading →

The 0345 123 33 33 number is the only way to make non-emergency calls to Derbyshire Constabulary. The previous 0845 telephone number and local station telephone numbers will cease to exist at the end of December 2010.

Any person that has community networks displaying the old number, please ensure that this is updated and every effort is made to inform people of the 0345 123 33 33 number.

Police in Derbyshire are warning the public to be on their guard against burglars as dark winter nights draw in.

Although house burglary has fallen by 55 per cent in the last seven years there is usually a seasonal increase at this time of year as opportunist thieves take advantage of the dark evenings.

To help keep burglary down, Continue Reading →

Anti-social behaviour and criminal damage fell across Derbyshire during a six-week partnership operation.

Operation Relentless ran between Monday, September 28 and Sunday, November 7, tying in with the traditional historical increases in anti-social behaviour around half term, Halloween and Bonfire Night.

During this time, there were 7,120 incidents of anti-social behaviour across the county, a reduction of six per cent Continue Reading →

Teenage members of Whaley Bridge Band take on the responsibility from one of their veteran colleagues to play the Last Post at Remembrance Sunday services  and ceremonies in the Whaley Bridge area on 14 November.

Teenagers rehearsing the Last Post: Cara, 13, and Daniel, 15

Daniel Sergeant , aged 15, will play the haunting piece on his cornet at the service inside Holy Trinity Church, Whaley Bridge and later at the Cenotaph in Memorial Park.

Cara Wheeldon, aged just 13, from Disley will play the Last Post, also on cornet, at  wreath-laying ceremonies at the War Memorials in Furness Vale (on the main road, near the Imperial Palace restaurant)  and Bridgemont (near the Dog and Partridge).. 

Whaley Bridge’s main remembrance service is in Holy Trinity Church, starting at 10.30am, and conducted by the Rev Michael Peat, chaplain of the Royal British legion’s local branch.  Whaley Bridge Band,  with many young members, will play as the banners and flags are welcomed in the church.  The names of the fallen will be read out. 

Afterwards members of the British Legion, as well as councillors, local Scouts, Guides, St John Ambulance and the police,  will move to Memorial Park for the wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph.  That will be between 12 and 12.15 midday. (The Cenotaph is to be restored as part of a £470,000 project to improve the park, which was opened shortly after World War I on land gifted by the Jodrell family.)

Thursday 11 November is the  92^nd anniversary of the armistice which ended World War I – the Great War – at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. There will be a short  service at the Memorial Cross,  Jodrell car park, near the station at 10.45am on the Thursday and another service, again at the same time, on Saturday 13  November.  Children from Year 6 at the two primary schools in Whaley Bridge, who have been studying World War II, have been invited to the 11 November service. The public is welcome to join either service.

The Memorial Cross, made from Derbyshire stone,  was donated to the town by the Middleton family, owners of the Jodrell  Arms  in 2008.

Memorial Cross at Jodrell car park is dedicated by Rev Graeme Lamb in 2008

• Daniel Sargeant has been playing the cornet since he was six.  He was in the Stockport Schools Orchestra for six years, then the Hawk Green Band at Marple, before joining Whaley Bridge Band.  In 2009, he was flugelhorn solo champion in the North Wesr Brass Band Association contest.He is fascinated by history, including World war II – where his great grandfather served in the RAF in Hong Kong.  Daniel has played the Last Post at his school, Hazel Grove High, seven or eight times.
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• Cara Wheeldon, a pupil at Poynton High, has been with Whaley Band for only a few months,  She was previously a member at New Mills.  Her mum’s father Roy Waterhouse, from New Mills, served in the Burma campaign in World War II, and was wounded.
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• Marcus Bridge, musical director of the band, said:  “We’re very proud of them both.”

Following several reports of thefts of handbags, wallets and mobile phones, across the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales, police are offering the following advice to help prevent people becoming a victim of such thefts:

. Don’t leave your handbag, purse or mobile phone unattended
. Don’t put your purse or wallet in your pocket
. Don’t hang your handbag on your shopping trolley
. Don’t keep large amounts of cash on you
. Don’t keep your PIN with your bank card
. Do keep your handbag closed with the opening towards your body
. Do be vigilant while shopping and be aware of people around you
. Do use deterrents like alarms to alert you if someone tries to take your purse

Whilst shopping, if you wish to report any suspicious behaviour, please call 0345 123 33 33 or speak to a member of staff at the shop to make them aware.