Dore to Door internet edition

Local organisations - Autumn 2005

Dore Village Society - Under 8's Football - Dore male voice choir - King Ecgbert School - Guide well dressing - Methodist Women's Fellowship - T.O.A.D.S autumn play

Dore Village Society

Chairman's Report for the year 2004

This year marked the beginning of the 40th anniversary of the Society's foundation. Over the years it has evolved and grown to embrace a host of activities in support of the local community. This was another good year for the Society during which we fulfilled a number of projects, donated funds to local good causes and improved our healthy overall financial position. The following is just a brief summary of some of the many issues the society has been actively involved with during the year.

Planning: Major planning issues arose around proposals for development of the "Long Acre" site on Newfield Lane; the site of the Caretaker's bungalow on Totley Brook Road; around re-development of the land at Totley Bridge Garage; new buildings in the Green Belt at Moorside Farm Long Line; the building of the new King Ecgbert School and the demolition of the stone wall in front of cottages on Townhead Road which are within the Dore Conservation area. Considering and responding to the constant flow of planning applications for in-fill housing and extensions absorbs a lot of the Society's time. Consultation continued on the development of a Village Design Statement with the aim of influencing the Council's forthcoming new "Local Development Framework" document.

Publications: Dore to Door continued to grow with the support of advertisers and contributors with three issues reaching 28 pages and one a record 32! The magazine makes a considerable contribution to the Society's profile and income. The 2004 Christmas Card featuring the Devonshire Arms and Dore ducks in two sizes was a sell out. The Dore web site, www.dorevillage.co.uk attracted viewers and response from around the country and overseas.

Events: The Society arranged three public meetings during the year with talks on "Wild Flowers in the Peak District", "Old Maps of Derbyshire" and "Derbyshire Place Names" while our "Wyvern Walkers" Group offered a regular programme of guided walks in the area and ran a walking week during Festival Fortnight. The annual "Wassail Walk" attracted over 80 people while the DVS stand at the Scout Gala received plenty of enquires and Dore Show proved popular again. The Society funded and installed an increased number of Christmas trees and lights in the centre of the village as well as organising an evening opening of many of the village shops with seasonal entertainment.

Traffic&Transport: The condition of local roads continued to cause concern as do problems created by bad parking and speeding. Improved crossing facilities in front of the Causeway Head Road shops have been implemented, but it has become clear that Dore is not a priority area for traffic safety spending as far as the Council is concerned. There is still no news on Whitelow Lane being made a "Quiet Lane" or on safety improvements to the length of Hathersage Road that borders the village.

Environment: As well as the flower tubs, further plantings of daffodils, crocus and snowdrops took place within the village. Local environmental issues were discussed at each committee meeting, and the Society was active in support of Friends of Ecclesall Woods. We welcomed the recent improvements to the picnic area on Limb Lane and continued to pressure the Council for improvements to the recreation ground. We were increasingly concerned about the number of trees subsequently removed from new developments despite planning requirements for their retention. The Society is a member of a number of organisations with shared or overlapping interests and objectives.

Dore Collection: At the end of the year the Dore Oral History Group merged with the Society to become a sub committee able to draw on the Society's funds. Additions to the collection included the purchase of a John Speed map of Derbyshire from 1610, on display in the society's rooms at the Old School. Members of the Society's committee were available in the rooms from 10 - 12 noon on the first Saturday of every month, to discuss local issues with members or talk about the work of the Society and local history. The rooms were also made available by the society for Local Councillor Surgeries and committee meetings of the Dore Male Voice Choir.

People: For the first time the Society topped over 1,000 current members, a figure reached at the Dore Show in September. We are grateful for this widespread support within the community and from past residents. We would however welcome more suggestions for local initiatives and for anyone with time to contribute in order to enable us to achieve still more in the year ahead. This does not require joining the committee and you can put in just as much time as you wish.

I wish to place on record my particular appreciation for their help to: fellow members of the committee, and also to Roger Millican who left the committee shortly after the end of the year; helpers on the Dore Collection and at the Dore Show; deliverers of Dore to Door; advertisers; Green's shop for their help over the years and all our active supporters and members.

John Baker. Chairman, Dore Village Society

Under 8's Football

Local children from Dore and Bradway have teamed up to form a new under 8's football team. There will be 20 kids forming two teams with subs. The teams will be playing home matches in the Dore sports grounds as part of the Junior Sunday League starting 3 Sept.

We need to purchase new kits (home and away), weather proof jackets and many more items, and would appreciate sponsorship from local business or individuals. We will also be running raffles at all home matches to pay for fees etc, and any prize donations would be appreciated. We also need help from someone who can design our web sites.

If you can help with funding, raffle prizes or web design, then please call me, Vincent Nolan, on 0114 236 3080.

We are still looking for a few more players and desperately need another goalkeeper. If your child would be interested in participating, then please contact our Manager Eddy Kitchen on 01709 367460 for details on next training dates and times. Players must be aged 6 or over and born on or after 31st Aug 98.

Thank you for your support.

Vincent Nolan

Dore male voice choir

Once again the Choir were pleased to participate in the Dore Festival and enjoyed the concert with Dore Mercia and Totley Townswoman's Guild at the Church Hall. The Choir did very well to be selected to sing at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in July. Singing with major Choirs from Sweden, Hong Kong and the New Zealand National Male Voice Choir was a great experience at this most prestigious event. The Choir sang at Endsor in a most enjoyable Summer Concert and performed at the Whitby Pavilion Gardens in their summer season of concerts before going to Bruges for a week in September.

David Heslop

King Ecgbert School

The move into the new building is a tremendous opportunity for everyone concerned with the school. Indeed, it is the chance of a lifetime and we are all privileged to be part of it. Everyone has been extremely impressed with the new school, and it really has given staff and pupils a lift.

We have fantastic new facilities, all new furniture and lots of new equipment. The school is fully networked and there are interactive whiteboards in most classrooms. Facilities for drama, music and sport are much better than in the old buildings.

There will inevitably be 'teething problems', as with any new building, and of course there is still a lot of external work to do as the old Wessex buildings get demolished and car parks etc. are built in their place.

It is very important that everyone takes pride in our new school and takes great care of the new facilities so that not only do they remain in excellent condition for us now but for pupils in the future.

We have had a number of Open Evenings for parents of our pupils and we also opened our doors to the local community as part of 'Dore Festival'. The official opening of the school will take place sometime around January/February 2006. The exact date has still to be fixed.

Sean McClafferty, Deputy Head

Guide well dressing

This years well dressing, at the junction of Devonshire Terrace Road and Causeway Head Road, was created by Dore Guides to highlight the plight of people in Africa. Money raised will go towards the Mitengwe Project in Malawi, which aims to sink a bore hole so the village can have a direct fresh water supply instead of people having to walk miles every day to fetch water.

Agnes Mkoko, the regional Mothers Union co-ordinator for Malawi, has being staying in Sheffield and met members of the Guides. There are 150 orphans and 300 people living in the village and the only water available is miles away and has to be collected and carried daily in buckets.

Methodist Women's Fellowship

Dore Methodist Women's Fellowship meets on alternate Mondays at 2.30pm for a varied programme of talks by visiting speakers, followed by tea and biscuits. The meetings are open to everyone and offer a chance to meet and get to know people as well as being entertained or informed on a variety of topics. For further information, ring Doreen Cobain=s (Secretary) 235 1754 or Doris Simpson (President) 236 6668 - or just come along to a meeting!

T.O.A.D.S autumn play

For their autumn play, TOADS have chosen "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" by Constance Cox. This is a classic comedy, based on a short story by Oscar Wilde, and gives us an insight into the upper echelons of the 1890s London Society - warts and all! The main thrust of the story is that Lord Arthur has to perform a most unusual and hazardous task, before he can marry his beloved fiancee in two weeks time. He enlists the aid of his butler, but becomes uncertain whether this is such a good idea! With wonderful characters such as ageing relations, a cheiromantist, and an anarchist, not to mention an overbearing future mother-in-Law, the play fairly rattles along and keeps your interest right to the end. Just the sort of thing to cheer you up on a November evening!

The dates are Wednesday 23rd November to Saturday 26 November. 7.30 pm. at St.John's Church Hall, Abbeydale Road South. We have had to increase ticket prices due to rising costs of hiring the Church Hall, but they are still very reasonable at £3.50 and £3 for concessions, available from October from Kate Reynolds on 236 6891. Coffee, orange, red and white wine are on sale for the interval, and a good evenings entertainment is assured.