Fairtrade awards
Dronfield is celebrating its new status as a Fairtrade town.
A Tea Party was organised to mark the occasion and also to encourage more Dronfield folk to consider swapping their usual brand of tea or coffee for a Fairtrade alternative.
Visitors enjoyed a cuppa and there was a selection of different types and brands of Fairtrade tea and coffee for them to choose from. There were also, of course, tasty cakes and biscuits made using Fairtrade ingredients wherever possible.
Town Mayor, Coun Frank Higgins, officially announced the good news and toured the town to present framed certificates to representatives of businesses, supermarkets, organisations and catering establishments who have supported the campaign and made commitments to using Fairtrade goods.
Visit www.fairtrade.org.uk or contact Jodie on 0845 4567595 for more information.
See the pictures(Pictures with thanks to Simon Temple)
Dave's book launch
LOCAL singer Dave Berry has gone on the record with his life story in a new book produced by Heron Publications.
'Dave Berry - All There Is To Know' charts his career from growing up in Woodhouse and Beighton through to becoming a hugely successful recording star in the 1960s, touring with the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Ronettes, and making it big on the continent. The 148-page publication goes on to follow Dave's career through to the current day.
The launch party for the book was held at The Meeting Place, Ponsford's, London Road, Sheffield. Dave, who lives in Dronfield, is to stage a book signing at Waterstone's, Orchard Square, Sheffield, from 1pm on Wednesday, March 3rd. Later that day he will be on stage for a performance at Sheffield City Hall.
'Dave Berry - All There Is To Know' can be ordered directly from Heron Publications on 0114 2357777, priced £14.99 (+£1 P&P).
Click here to buy the book online!
Citizen of the Year
THE Rotary Club of Dronfield have chosen Peter Hayward as their Citizen of the Year for 2009.
Peter is the chairman of the Friends of Dronfield Station group and started off the campaign for a better rail service in the town after sending a letter to Dronfield Eye back in 2006.
He was an instrumental part of the campaign, even travelling to the House of Commons to lobby MPs, and the hard work paid off in December 2008 when a better rail service was introduced in the town.
It has also been an exciting time for 2008?s Citizen of the Year, Norma Phillips, who enjoyed a trip to London to round off her year, and got to meet the Prime Minister.
Norma, of Longcroft Road, Dronfield Woodhouse, was invited to London by local MP Natascha Engel where she took a tour of Number 10 Downing Street before meeting Gordon Brown.
Run for your life
IT'S time to pull on your trainers and start training as the annual Dronfield 10k and Fun Run is to be held on Sunday, 21st March this year.
Sponsor for the 10k is Woodlands Fitness Centre and the Fun Run will be sponsored by Millthorpe Metals Recycling.
The race, now in its 18th year, is organised by local Scouts and is one of their biggest fund raisers. Competitors come from far and wide to tackle the route around the Gosforth Valley and many use the race to raise funds for other good causes.
Further details of the event can be found on www.dronfield10k.co.uk and an application form can also be downloaded from there.
Special anniversary
PAST pupils, parents and staff of Beauchief Pre-School are urged to get in touch to help celebrate its 40th birthday celebrations this summer.
If you have a connection to the pre-school the staff would love to hear from you via email at beauchiefpreschool@hotmail.com or you can write to them at Beauchief Pre-School, Beauchief Baptist Church, Hutcliffe Wood Road, Sheffield, S8 0EY.
Magic Max
TALENTED musician Max Restaino has finished recording his brand new album, "Smile With Your Eyes", and you can get it completely free, just by signing up to his mailing list!
Max, 13, sings and plays the Italian accordion, saxophone, drums and piano. And as if that wasn't enough, he's also written all but one of the songs on his new album.
He is also currently doing a free tour of schools in the area which will see him through to May 2010.
To get your free copy of Max's album, just go to www.max-music.co.uk and fill in your email address details.
Blow the whistle, ref!
A GUINNESS World Record attempt for the longest game of 5-a-side football in the world is being held in Sheffield this Spring.
Organised by a team of football enthusiasts from the Sheffield 8 area, the event will take place on Saturday, 22nd May on Devonshire Green, and will raise funds for Sport Relief.
Training for the 30-hour match is being conducted by the University of Derby and the final two places on the team will be open to the public in tryouts which will be held in February.
It promises to be an enjoyable day, even for those who don't like football, as there will be bands and DJs performing, plus entertainers and comedians.
See www.sheffieldfiveaside.co.uk for more information.
Funds for Polio
MOST people think that polio has gone away forever but there are actually still four countries in the world where the disease is endemic; Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria.
"What's the problem?" you may think as those four countries are miles away, but it is a problem because if polio is not eradicated completely it could begin to spread back.
This has already happened in the once polio-free country of Guinea which recorded 37 cases since April last year.
Rotary International launched its PolioPlus programme in 1985 and 25 years later, is still continuing to lead the private sector in the global effort to rid the world of this crippling disease.
In addition to providing financial and volunteer support, Rotary works to urge support from other public and private sector partners, including the campaign to End Polio Now, inspired by the challenge grants received from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded US $255 million to Rotary International in the global effort to eradicate polio and the challenge now is for Rotary Clubs the world over to match that amount. It has raised over half this amount already but there is still a way to go.
To help the campaign, Abbeydale Rotary Club is doing its bit on Saturday, 27th February, when the Dore Male Voice choir are giving a performance at Ranmoor Parish Church in aid of polio eradication. So go along and help Rotary in the final push to End Polio Now.
Ninety today
DRONFIELD First Responders have received a boost to their funds thanks to local resident Frank Morley.
Frank celebrated his 90th birthday with a party at Coal Aston Village Hall and instead of presents, asked for donations for Dronfield First Responders.
A long-standing resident of Dronfield, Frank previously had his own floor and wall tiling firm and many past colleagues, as well as family and friends, joined him at the party where they were entertained by the New Orleans Jazz Band.
Dronfield Community First Responders are trained to attend emergency calls and provide medical care until the ambulance crew arrive. Volunteers can usually arrive on the scene much quicker than an ambulance as they are only sent to calls within the local area.
Community Pride Awards
DOZENS of local people and organisations were recognised in the first Community Pride Awards, organised by Active8 in conjunction with Sheffield City Council's South Area Panel. Certificates were presented by the Lord Mayor, Coun Jane Bird, at a special reception at the Town Hall. Gold Award winners were charity workers Brian and Freda Harpham from Chancet Wood Drive, Meadowhead, and community volunteer Ernest Brewin of Mount View Road, Norton.
Silver Bloom Award
DRONFIELD has been awarded another Silver Award by judges of the 2009 East
Midlands in Bloom contest, scoring six marks more than the previous year.
A special award was made to the Friends of Dronfield Station for the way they have transformed the look of the town's railway station.
Around 150 people attended the annual Dronfield In Bloom awards ceremony at the Civic Hall. Prizes were awarded to:
- Special Mayor's Award for Excellence: Chantry Hotel
Business Gold: Ayotaya; Business Silver: Blue Stoops; Business Bronze: Coach & Horses; Highly Commended: Hearty Oak.
School Gold: Dronfield Infants; School Silver: Gosforth Pre-School; School Bronze: Northfield Juniors. Special Awards for First Attempt: William Levick & Lenthall Infants. School Vegetable Garden Awards: St Andrew's & Holmesdale Infants.
Front Garden Gold: Christine Somerset; Front Garden Silver: Patricia Alderson; Front Garden Bronze: A. Marsh; Highly Commended: Rita Shaw.
Hanging Baskets/Tubs Gold: Sharon Nolan; Hanging Baskets/Tubs Silver S. Hazelhurst; Hanging Baskets/Tubs Bronze: D. Dunham.
Appreciation Award: Presented to Smudge Smith & team at Dronfield Cemetery.
Our top 20 photographs from this year's ceremony can be found in THIS gallery.
We've won an award!
HERON Publications has won a prestigious environmental award.
We were awarded a "Highly Commended" certificate at the annual South Yorkshire "Care4Air" presentation event at Kenwood Hall on Thursday, June 11th.
The award, in the Business category, recognises Dronfield Eye magazine's three-year long campaign to get a better railway service for the town.
With thousands of passengers now using the new timetable each and every week, this has resulted in fewer car journeys in and out of Sheffield city centre and to Meadowhall.
The "Care4Air" Awards are run annually by the South Yorkshire Clean Air Campaign and they recognise individuals, schools, businesses and organisations that have made a significant contribution to improving air quality in South Yorkshire.
Heron Publications team members Mike and Helen Firth and Liza Justice are pictured receiving the award from Jon Mitchell, meteorologist with ITV Yorkshire.
(See our Care4Air Award enlarged HERE)
Rail recognition
CONGRATULATIONS... to the Friends of Dronfield Station whose remarkable achievements and hard work have been recognised by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships.
ACoRP have short-listed the Dronfield volunteers for their prestigious 2009 Community Rail Awards, in the Best Station Adoption category.
The winners will be announced at the Community Rail Awards gala dinner at Carlisle's Swallow Hilltop Hotel on the Friday, 25th September.
It is the 100-metre steel barrier which has been erected as a road traffic safety measure alongside the dual carriageway just north of the Bowshaw roundabout.
The structure, put in place by Derbyshire County Council at a cost of £15,000, is designed to deliberately restrict the visibility of drivers heading south from Meadowhead, slowing them down to give way to traffic approaching from the right.
A spokesman for Derbyshire County Council confirmed: "We placed a screen on the Sheffield approach to the roundabout to reduce accidents as part of a scheme to improve safety.
"The screen cost approximately £15,000 and has been erected in line with national guidance."
The structure has been built within the Green Belt around Dronfield but the County Council says it does not need to seek planning permission to install safety measures such as road signs.
We can't argue with any measure which is taken to make our roads safer, but in this location we reckon a grey barrier is completely out of keeping with the green belt surroundings. Even worse, we reckon the barrier is an inviting canvas for the area's graffiti artists.
And we are not alone in our views with dozens of readers writing and emailing to record their objection to the construction.
What do you think?
(Read what our readers have written about this subject HERE)
Barrier turns Green Belt grey
WHAT'S long, grey, has 104 legs and is a major talking point in "Active8" and "Dronfield Eye"?
Forthcoming Events
Saturday, 27th February: Concert by Dore Male Voice Choir at Ranmoor Parish Church in aid of Abbeydale Rotary Club's End Polio Now campaign.
Friday, 12th March: Dronfield Town Twinning Quiz Night, 7.30pm.
Saturday, 20th March: History of Farming in Norton event at Norton House Country Club, 1pm to 5pm.
Sunday, 21st March: Dronfield 10K and Fun Run.
Thursday, 25th March: Inner Wheel Club of Dronfield Fashion Show in aid of Bluebell Wood Hospice. The Forge, 7.30pm.
Friday, 26th March and Saturday, 27th March: Art Exhibition at Dore Old School, 2pm to 6pm.
Saturday, 27th March: Jumble sale at Beauchief Baptist Church in aid of Scouts. From 10am to 12noon, admission 20p.
