Dronfield Eye February 2020 issue 183

dronfield
Issue 183
February 2021
Tel: 01246 416027
CORONAVIRUS
LOCKDOWN
Special online edition
EYE
More of your
World War II
memories
Pop star Dave
back in the
groove
It’s a
bug’s
life
The award-winning local
magazine serving residents of
Dronfield, Coal Aston, Dronfield
Woodhouse, Dronfield Hilltop,
Hundall, Gosforth Valley, Barlow,
Apperknowle, Holmesdale, Unstone,
Hallowes, Cowley, Millthorpe, Troway,
Unthank, Cutthorpe, Holmesfield,
The Handleys and beyond
Neil records 300 species of
moth in his Dronfield garden
How you can attract more
mini-beasts to your garden

164 Crookes, Sheffield, S10 1UH
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buckets underneath it and one day it packed in completely, leaving Clare
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Clare had noticed the regular, excellent 1st Call Gas reviews in Dronfield
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EYE drops
February’s Dronfield Eye
T
HE national call for people to stay at home means this
edition of Dronfield Eye is available to read in digital
format only.
In order to safeguard local people during the latest stage of the
coronavirus pandemic, we made the decision not to deliver our
publication to everyone’s letter-box this month.
However, as we wish to offer continuity for our community and
support for local commerce, we feel it is important to produce our
magazine online.
All advertising messages from local businesses appear in this
edition free of charge and now, more than ever before, we urge you
to support your neighbourhood shops and services however you can.
And whether you are reading February’s Dronfield Eye on your
phone, tablet or computer, please help us by sharing this link with
your family and friends.
We have included all manner of feature articles, news items and
pictures to entertain and inform.
We have the remarkable story of a Dronfield man, Neil Hardwick
who has recorded and photographed more than 300 species of moth
- all in the back garden of his Snape Hill home.
If you want to attract such bugs to your garden, Prof Ian
Rotherham offers suggestions on how best to entice them - and
hedgehogs too!
Our series of articles recalling the days of World War II continues
with the story of the late George Bennett from Coal Aston and also
recollections of growing up in the 1940s from Michael Bown.
We also talk to local singer Dave Berry about how his past 12
months have gone.
Enjoy this Dronfield Eye. If you wish to get in touch with us, the
contact information appears below.
Take care - see you again next month!
Please help Dronfield
Eye and other local
businesses by sharing
this link to February’s
magazine with your
family and friends
dronfield
EYE
This award-winning magazine is produced
by Heron Publications Ltd.
Dronfield Eye is the ONLY publication delivered free of charge
to all homes and businesses in Dronfield, Coal Aston,
Holmesfield, Dronfield Woodhouse, Dronfield Hilltop,
Gosforth Valley, Apperknowle, Hundall, Holmesdale,
Unstone, Hallowes, Barlow, Cowley, Mickley,
Millthorpe, Troway, Unthank, Cutthorpe and beyond.
Contact us as follows:
Editor: Mike Firth; Editorial: Deborah Wain;
Advertising Manager: Emily Hill.
Advertising Sales: Louise Cater, Mandy Goulding.
Design: Helen Firth;
Accounts: Janice Gee, Rachel Gee;
Administration: Vicki Hallam, Ann Elsdon.
Distribution: Peter Richardson.
Enterprise House, 179 Chesterfield Rd, Dronfield, S18 2XE..
Telephone : 01246 416027.
Email: mike@heronpublications.co.uk
Website: heronpublications.co.uk
facebook.com/Dronfield-Eye
Material is copyright and
should not be reproduced
without permission.
Cover: One of the
hundreds of
different night
time visitors to
Neil Hardwick’s
Snape Hill
garden. See pages
26-27.
P6: Mayor’s Eye.
P8: New trains for Dronfield.
P10: Westminster Eye.
P12: Bikers lead the way.
P12: Move to reopen market.
P16-18: Wartime memories.
P24: Notes from a wildlife garden.
P26-27: Back garden moth safari.
P35: Backing Business.
P42-43: Dronfield Town Council News.
P62-63: Dave back in the groove.
4

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mayor’s EYE
mayor’s
EYE
Dronfield Town Mayor,
Coun Richard Welton,
presents his monthly
update for Dronfield Eye
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D
RONFIELD looked fabulous over
Christmas and the New Year and
my favourite Christmas Tree
displayed in the town was the one on
Carr Lane where the Well Dressing
takes place. Thank you to the Rotary
Club for such pretty decorations and it
was a joy to see as I passed by.
I hope that Dronfield Residents
enjoyed the Christmas Trees and the
competitions which the Town Council
ran.
I delivered winning and commended
certificates for the Best Dressed Shop
Window and Best Christmas
Decorated House over the holidays
through the town.
The winning entries for the children’s colouring competition
appear on page 40 and are posted on the Town Council website.
We have met to discuss the events for 2021. Realistically, we are
planning for a return with the Gala on 27th June when I am
optimistic outside crowd events will have returned.
We are once again in the middle of a lockdown - the third - and
this edition of Dronfield Eye, I believe, will be on-line only.
It is a good opportunity to reflect and I would ask residents and
community groups to give your feedback and ideas to
loran.stonehouse@dronfield.gov.uk on ideas which you have. This
includes including planning for next Christmas and what we keep
and what we revert to. For groups wanting to join in with any of
the activities, we want to have an open mind.
If the lockdown has had any positive outcomes, it may be the
fuller use of what is local.
We received festive greetings from our twin town in Germany,
Sindelfingen, with a poem of encouragement by the Catholic Saint
Mother Teresa Bojaxhiu. In turn, we sent the town’s greetings and
a selection of our children’s colourings to them. I am looking
forward to a return to the visits between our two communities.
February, in the deep and late English winter, has always been
difficult to look forward to but I am reminded of my standout
music highlight of last year. It was also a poem, ‘Morgen’ by
Richard Strauss, performed by the opera singer Golda Schultz at
the Last Night of the Proms. For me, it both expressed the
challenges we have all been through and the anticipation of a new
dawn as tomorrow the sun will shine again.
I’m looking forward to the coming Spring.
Winners of the Town Council’s
decorated Christmas house
competition were Sharon (pictured)
and Mike from Netherdene Road.
First runners-up were Shirley and
Derek Glover, Stonelow Road, and
other runners-up were Olivia
Beecroft and family at Ashford
Road and Vickie, Mick and Lucas
Johnson from Westfield Road
6

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dronfield EYE
New trains for Dronfield
Enjoying air-conditioning, wifi, onboard
public address and improved
seating, local train passengers have
never had it so good. Peter Hayward,
chair of the Friends of Dronfield
Station, shares the good news
O
UR principal train operator, Northern,
is introducing a fleet of brand new
trains on the Leeds-Nottingham route
which also serves Dronfield.
The new trains, built by CAF of Spain, have
been delivered to this country from early 2020,
but introduction into regular service has been
protracted as a result of the disruption caused
by the Covid pandemic and its impact on driver
and maintenance staff training.
But with effect from the new 2021 timetable
introduced from 13th December, most
Dronfield trains are now operated by the new
Class 195 diesel units.
Since the reopening of our station in 2008,
most of our Northern services have been in the
hands of Northern's inherited Class 158 units,
until now the top-of-range trains available.
Although nearly 30 years old, these trains will
continue to give sterling service on longer-distance limited-stop
services throughout the north. But locally, the new Class 195s
will represent a major step forward in the modernisation of
regional trains in our part of the country.
Included as standard is air-conditioning, wifi, on-train public
address and improved seating with a mix of tables and seat-back
trays.
Concurrently, Northern's Class 158s have also been 'refreshed'
and modernised with improved lighting, heating and toilet facilities.
Most of the Class 158s have now also been upgraded so, whatever
type of train you next travel in, it is likely either to be brand new or
substantially modernised.
N S18 charity circle has continued to raise money
for good causes despite the challenges posed by
Covid-19.
Local man Roy Cutts began fund-raising following his daughter
being seriously ill in 1989.
A charity circle was initially formed at The Talbot Arms, in
Dronfield Woodhouse, and later revived at The Miners Arms, just
up the road, in 2012.
Traditionally there is a weekly Sunday night quiz night, supper
and raffle and a big auction yearly.
Despite The Miners Arms being closed for 23 weeks of last year
due to the pandemic, supporters still raised over £4,000.
Derbyshire Stroke Centre, at Holmewood, is the latest charity to
benefit.
Roy said: “It is our intention to carry on our work once the Miners
Arms reopens and, as such, are extending our help to Derbyshire
Stroke Centre into 2021, by the amount of weeks we have been
unable to operate.
“We are aiming to continue raising money via our weekly Sunday
8
One of the Spanish-built trains serving local passengers
Our other operator, East Midlands Railway, will also be taking
delivery of new trains from next year for use on express services
from Sheffield and Chesterfield to London.
Regional EMR services between Norwich and Liverpool, several of
which call at Dronfield at peak times, will remain largely the
preserve of the existing Class 158 units. But with the Government
having now, in effect, “nationalised” the railways in reaction to the
Covid pandemic, who knows what the longer-term future may
hold?
The Friends of Dronfield Station would be pleased to receive
feedback on your views and experiences of the new trains. Contact
the group on www.dronfieldstation.org.uk or via Facebook or
Twitter
Charity’s £176,322 raised
A
night quiz, which is free, and charity raffle along with the price of
a pint draw.
“Heineken, the owners of the pub, are aware of our fundraising
efforts and without the help of Mark Bingham, the landlord during
this time, we would not have achieved the success we have and
we fully appreciate all the help he gave us.”
Roy added that plans would be dependent on the permission of a
new landlord.
Some £84,000 has been raised via the Miners Arms Charity
Circle since 2012, bringing the overall total to £176,322.
Charities that have benefited have been Dronfield Cardio Club,
CRY, McMillan Cancer Centre Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Edale
Mountain Rescue Team, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice,
Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, Support Dogs and Wish upon a Star,
among others.
Roy added: “Our thanks also go to Border View Farm and The
Cow Shed Cafe for their sponsorship with a monthly voucher
for the raffle, and to Roger Bird, of Fired Pizzas, of Dronfield,
for coming on board as a new sponsor shortly before
lockdown.”

34 CHESTERFIELD ROAD,
DRONFIELD, S18 2XB
01246 419993
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SHEFFIELD, S12 2GL
0114 3992777
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The Dronfield branch is owned and run by husband
and wife team James and Lucy Staves, with James
overseeing the sales department and Lucy the lettings
director.
Said James: “Staves estate agents have always
focussed on providing first class service built on
integrity and trust and a personable, friendly approach
to business.
“Over time our reputation has grown as more and
more people have become aware of how different our
approach is to many other traditional estate agents.
“Our clients often tell us that it is our friendly and
approachable attitude that they appreciate and the ease
with which they find working with us to sell or let their
home.
“Whether that’s going out of our way to accompany
viewings late into the evening when the vendor is
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Pictured above are Directors James and Lucy Staves
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westminster
EYE
Lee Rowley, MP for NE
Derbyshire, says the key
to unlocking everything
will, of course, be the
vaccine and huge
progress has been made
in just a few short weeks
W
ITH 2021 now here, I would like to take the
opportunity to wish a Happy New Year to everyone
across the Dronfield Eye community and to thank you all,
again, for your forbearance, support, hard work and
resilience after one of the most difficult times of our lives.
Despite the continuing challenges, I hope you managed to have
some rest over the Christmas period and I know we all hope
that this year will be better than the one we have just been
through.
And, even in these dark times, it is that hope that I want to focus
on in this first column of the New Year. Whilst this last mile in the
race against coronavirus is clearly going to be extremely hard,
every day we are edging closer to getting back to normality and I
know how much we all want to get there soon.
The key to unlocking everything will, of course, be the vaccine and
huge progress has been made in just a few short weeks.
When I last wrote, only one vaccine, Pfizer, had been approved
for use in the UK and no programme to vaccinate had yet
started.
Just a few, short weeks later, we have three vaccines now
approved in the UK and jabs going in arms daily. Tens of thousands
of people in north Derbyshire have already received their
vaccination and many more are being booked in as we speak.
By the time you read this, at least seven sites will be vaccinating
North East Derbyshire residents with thousands of doses being
made available every week.
I also want to pay tribute, in particular, to our local GPs who
have done so much to get us going with the vaccine. The
Chesterfield & Dronfield GP cluster has been the trailblazer for
everyone, being the first GPs in the whole of Derbyshire to begin
vaccinations in December when Stubley Medical Practice opened
and starting jabbing.
Thank you for everything that you are doing. Every appointment
and every jab gets us closer to normality.
As ever, I am here to help. If you think I may be able to assist
with anything, please don’t hesitate to get in touch either on
439222 or via email at lee.rowley.mp@parliament.uk.
I am also holding fortnightly Q&A sessions on Facebook
currently. Join me at 6pm on alternate Sundays at www.facebook.
com/lee4ned.
Stay safe!
10

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coming into a room, with a slight tilt of the louvres.
Shutters are an ideal solution, especially at bay windows, where the
opportunity to see into a home at a distance is exaggerated by the large
expanse of glass. The solid material gives the impression of enhanced
security, and the tilting of louvres makes it difficult for would-be burglars
to tell whether you are home.
Says Maxine, co-owner of Bespoke Blinds & Poles: “Make it as hard as
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have something - consider covering your easily seen windows. It’s one of
the first things police will recommend when investigating a robbery.
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For anyone planning around a budget, co-owner Maxine and the team
encourage you contact the showroom with your window sizes. Continues
Maxine: “Along with many other local businesses, our showroom is closed
due to the lockdown guidelines; however, we are still able to discuss your
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Now into their 14th year of continuous trading, the team at Bespoke
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Showroom opening times are temporarily suspended due to government guidelines
11

dronfield EYE
Local bikers lead the way with
PPE distribution
A volunteer network of motorcyclists distributing
PPE to the Covid-19 frontline began here in
North East Derbyshire. Deborah Wain reports
S
IMON Jones set up Volunteer Riders UK in March 2020
and it has gone on to involve 3,800 members all around
the country.
Group members work with manufacturers and sewing groups and
estimate they have delivered more than six million pieces of PPE -
from masks to scrub sets - all of which are free to the users.
Simon, from Chesterfield - known as Jonesy - began the project
as a tribute to his brother, Robert Jones, who sadly died in
December 2019, due to a long and undiagnosed illness, aged 35.
Robert, who lived in Clay Cross, left a young son.
Simon said: “I wanted to ensure as many families as possible
never had to unnecessarily go through a loss like that.”
Within hours of Simon first discussing the idea with his mum, the
group was up and running and volunteers were signing up to get
protective gear to places where need staff needed it.
Motor-cycles have despatched vital equipment to
destinations throughout the UK - and overseas too
N action plan has been drawn up in an
attempt to reintroduce a weekly market to
Dronfield.
The Dronfield2gether group is calling on help from NE
Derbyshire District Council and Dronfield Town Council
as it strives to see the return of stalls in and around the
Civic Centre.
The plan includes appointing a market manager and
management team to co-ordinate the event and asking
the local community what kind of stalls would
encourage them to shop at Dronfield Market.
The group is discussing with the district council using
the lower Civic Centre car park for part of the market -
as before - and it is contacting the Town Council to ask if
it can offer help and advice regarding the market licence
and insurance matters
The date for holding the first market will, of course, be
under constant review in light of coronavirus
restrictions.
Said Shelley Hinson, Dronfield2gether co-ordinator:
12
champions
The group has delivered to front line professionals both in and
out of the NHS, hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries, schools,
colleges, ambulance teams, community midwives and Covid
recovery wards, along with giving PPE to vulnerable children,
families and individuals.
Runs take place every day, in all kinds of weather, co-ordinated
by Simon and a core group based at various places in the UK, and
using facebook.
Sometimes volunteers use cars or vans and Volunteer Riders UK
even utilised a plane to deliver to Africa. However, most of the
transporting is done on motorcycles, being relatively quick and
cheap, with the added advantage of riders having PPE in the form
of their own helmets and protective wear.
Simon explained the group is completely cashless.
“Every piece we carry is completely free to the end user. We do
no fundraising, nor do we have sponsorship. We are running
completely on the goodwill, time, transport and fuel of our riders,
co-ordinators and drivers. The people making the PPE do so again
free of charge to the end users, though they may get funding from
other sources.”
The group has been responsible for transporting PPE from
groups such as NHS Heroes, For the Love of Scrubs and
Shelagh's Sewing Circle in Dronfield.
Simon used to be a social worker but had to take early retirement
due to ill health himself. The project has been a lifeline to him
following his brother’s death.
The group hope to eventually do a tally of the millions of miles
covered.
Simon said the initiative had displayed “the best humanity has to
offer”, adding that Robert would have loved to have been part of
what has been created in his memory.
Anyone who wants to volunteer should visit www.facebook.com/
groups/229513121739915/?ref=share People looking for PPE or
who want to donate PPE, or materials, should email official
enquiries@volunteerridersuk.xyz
Market forces working to bring back stalls
A
“This new market must be seen as an amenity, and as a
vehicle to promote local prosperity for Dronfield. It will
also help the residents to feel less isolated and lonely. We
feel that this market is going to be an important life-line
for many residents. The date we have earmarked for the
first day of trading is 1st April, 2021, Covid permitting!
“We are in the process of getting permission to use the
back car park, but historically, as the market was there
before, we have been told that there shouldn’t be a
problem.”
Shelley added: “We would like Dronfield Eye to ask
whether there are any retired professional residents who
would like to be part of a market management team?
There must be some residents who have time on their
hands to be part of the team.”
Dronfield Market closed a year ago due to a combination
of a decline in trading, the ill health of the market
manager and also the arrival of coronavirus.
• What would attract you to shop at Dronfield Market?
Email Dronfield Eye at mike@heronpublications.co.uk

dronfield EYE
Order online
www.chinachefdronfield.co.uk
Telephone orders welcome
01246 418 514
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OPENING TIMES
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93 Chesterfield Road
Dronfield S18 2XE
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13

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dronfield EYE
Misty morning in the woods
Proving that you
don’t have to
travel great
distances to
capture special
photographs,
Dronfield’s Chris
Nowell took these
images on a
misty morning in
Frith Wood.
Let’s share your
favourite pictures
of the local area.
Email them to
mike@heron
publications.co.uk
15

dronfield EYE
George’s war
From Coal Aston to the London
Blitz... and then on to India
Brian Bennett, of Dronfield Woodhouse, was born in 1933
to parents George and Kitty, and grew up in a ‘two-up,
two-down’ at Kiln Hill, Coal Aston, together with
younger brother John. Here Brian shares proud memories
of his late father with Dronfield Eye’s Deborah Wain
16
A smiling George Bennett in the heart of London
and, below, one of London’s bomb craters
W
AR touched the lives of the Bennett family almost immediately as,
the day after its outbreak, George was called up.
George had been a miner since the age of 14, starting out pushing trams at
a drift mine at Hilltop. He was also a St John Ambulanceman and reservist
with the Royal Army Medical Corps. Two other St John Ambulance
colleagues were conscripted in the same circumstances – Fred Edwards and
Bill Bates.
George was posted to the Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital, Millbank, by
the Thames in Central London, and served there throughout the devastating
Blitz on the capital, visiting home for 48 hours every month and sending
regular sweet and chocolate parcels to his boys.
Brian said: “I remember it was a very sad and stressful time when dad went
back to London at the end of his leave. My brother used to hide – he just could
not say goodbye.
“My mother was very upset but, in some ways, she had dealt with that stress
before, as the wife of a miner, not knowing if her husband would come back
every time he went down the pit.”
During one longer leave period, Kitty, Brian and John went down to London to
spend time with George.
Brian said: “It must have been at a time when it seemed to be safe. I
remember we stayed in a guest house and dad took us round to see
damage that the bombers had
done.”
A poignant photograph shows
a uniformed George in London
on the spot where, two months
earlier, one of his Army pals
was struck by shrapnel and
died.
While in the capital, George
became friendly with a
milkman who delivered to the
barracks and, in 1944, his
young son, Derek Humphries,
spent several months with the
Bennett family in Dronfield as
an evacuee.
Brian and Derek, only a year
apart in age, became lifelong
friends – Derek sadly passed
away three years ago.
George, who had been
promoted to Staff Sergeant,
expected to see the war out
in London but, after a change
of colonel, he was made part of
a crew travelling around the
country in a field ambulance
and later was posted to India,
where he spent 18 months in
Bangalore. He didn’t return
home to Dronfield until 1946.
George patrolling the
streets of the capital

dronfield EYE
George, front
row, fourth from
right, shown in
India in 1945
with members of
the Sergeants’
Mess 114
General Hospital
Brian’s memories of wartime also include
looking across to Norton and seeing fires
raging during the Luftwaffe attacks on
Sheffield. The Bennetts hid under their
kitchen table when the air raid sirens went
off locally.
Brian recalls one occasion, after one of the
Sheffield Blitz attacks, when Kitty’s best
friend, Marion Stimson, was invited by a
farmer to see a bomb crater in his field, close
to the former Blackamoor pub, on the road to
Eckington, and asked the Bennetts if they
wanted to go along.
He said: “People were not supposed to go
near the craters. It was very exciting to see
it – something you could tell all your mates
about.”
After the war, George had a stint in nursing
but, due to the low wages, returned to
mining. In 1982, he was made Officer of the
Order of St John, travelling to London with
Kitty to be presented with the prestigious
award.
George with Cockney colleagues
(above and left) and in
uniform in India (below)
With wife Kitty and their
sons Brian and John
17

dronfield EYE
Sheltering from Hitler’s bombs
Coal Aston’s Michael
Bown (right) was a
small boy living with
his family in the centre
of Chesterfield during
the Second World
War. Here he shares
some of his memories
with Dronfield Eye’s
Deborah Wain
18
Above and below: Michael, third from left,
with siblings Andrew, Ann and Rodney
A young Michael
poses for the
photographer
during the war
years with
parents Harry
and Edna
M
ICHAEL Bown was born in 1937, to parents Edna and
Henry. He was the eldest of four children; his younger
siblings, Andrew, Rodney and Anne, were born during and just
after the war.
The family lived in a two-up, two-down house on Bridge Street in
Chesterfield, close to where it meets Hawthorne Street, off the
main A61 Derby Road.
When air-raid sirens sounded, the Bown family took shelter either
in an Anderson shelter in their back yard or sometimes in a
communal shelter at the top of Hawthorne Street.
Michael said: “We didn’t get air-raid sirens every night, or the raids
that Sheffield got, but I remember when we did. Some people’s
Anderson shelters had a lot of water in the bottom but ours wasn’t
too bad. The communal shelter was very basic with a few forms in
it. It’s hard to say how many people were inside but I’d think about
50 or 60.”
One night, bombs were dropped on Hawthorne Street and Michael
recalls hearing them fall, although as such a young child he didn’t
understand the seriousness of the situation.
He said: “The next morning, on the way to school, I walked past a
crater in the middle of the road. Another bomb fell on the back of
houses and demolished all of their outside toilets.
“There was also a bomb dropped on Lord Roberts Road. A girl who
went to my school lived on there. The front of her house was blown
off. Fortunately, nobody was hurt but it had to be rebuilt.”
Henry had served in the Army but came out due a shoulder
problem during the war and began working as a telephone engineer.
Michael said following a bombing on Storforth Lane, Henry was
called out to repair a telegraph pole shredded by shrapnel.
Michael also remembers as an infant being issued with a gasmask
in a box and at school at Jawbones Hill, children being laid
out on mats for a daily nap due to disturbed nights.
Later in the war, Michael vividly remembers a convoy of wagons
and other military vehicles carrying American troops passing along
the main road.
He said: “We stood shouting ‘have you got any gum, chum’ at them
as they went past and they threw flat pieces of Wrigley’s spearmint
gum to us children.
“What we didn’t know at the time was that they were on their way
to take part in D-Day.”
Thousands of American soldiers were killed during the famous
Normandy beach landings in 1944.
Michael also recounts how Italian prisoners of war held at a camp
at Clay Cross were put to work breaking ice on the main road. They
were dressed in dark uniforms with large orange-coloured
diamonds on the front and back.
After the war, the Bown family moved to a new four-bedroom
home in Newbold. Michael, a retired telecomms engineer and
latterly security manager, now lives at Coal Aston.

‘It seems to
clean itself!’
C
leaning is a chore no-one enjoys and keeping a bathroom looking at its
best can be a never-ending task.
However, a Dronfield woman is now thrilled with the new bathroom installation at
her detached home because she reckons it almost keeps itself clean!
Desperate to change the look of her old bathroom, decorated with cream tiles which
featured images of pottery and flowers, she visited the showroom of H2O Bathroom
Solutions.
She had originally planned to source everything herself but soon realised she
wouldn’t be able to organise everything.
“There would have been too much to store and I would have been waiting around for
so many different people to come along to install everything,” she admitted.
Speaking with the professionals from H2O Bathroom Solutions, she soon realised
the many benefits of letting them organise the whole project, from start to finish.
“It only took them two weeks,” she explained. “They really stripped the old
bathroom down to the bare bones.
“I had told them what I liked and they designed and installed it just how I wanted,
with plenty of light and alcoves.
“I’m delighted with it and it is so easy to keep clean, in fact it seems to clean itself!”
The new room features an easy-to-clean, walk-in, two-way Vado Tablet shower, a
Dansani wall-mounted unit featuring an LED
under-lit basin, a Duravit toilet, Glade Branco
tiles with a brick feature, and a heated towelwarmer
with a beige quartz finish which has an
element in it for summer use.
A feature which has been particularly well
received is a small alcove which has its own
light - and makes a perfect place to display a
flower from the garden.
Cladded ceiling means there will never be any
need for painting and an Eco trickle fan runs
completely silently continuously 24 hours a day,
365 days a year.
Open from Monday to Saturday with out of hours
and Sunday appointments available by request.
Car park at the rear of the showroom.
685 CHESTERFIELD ROAD • SHEFFIELD • S8 0SL • T 0114 201 5221 • F 0114 258 9797
www.h2obathroomsolutions.co.uk
Due to the present lockdown please call
the showroom for further information

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dronfield EYE
Creature features
T
HEY say walls have ears, but locally they have other
features too!
When Howard Borrell stepped out on a countryside walk from
Millthorpe, he was soon aware he had plenty of company.
Striding out from The Royal Oak pub, he noticed a series of
animal characters built into the new dry stone wall close to Far
Lane.
First he spotted an owl, then an otter, a mole, a rabbit, a sheep
and a dog!
“They are great,” Howard told Dronfield Eye. “Clearly someone
has a sense of humour.”
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21

Thinking of
selling your
property?
Contact us today for your free valuation
Call Blundells Woodseats: 0114 345 0623
or visit: blundells.com

dronfield EYE
dine...at the barn
Delivery and collection service
We can deliver all your
food whether you are
isolating, shielding or are
just reluctant to go to the
supermarket.
We have a selection of high
quality, fresh bakery, dairy
and meat products as well
as fruit and vegetables.
Order forms are on our
website. Orders can be
placed any time by
telephone 01246 273207
or 07971 928459.
This service is open to
everyone in the area.
High Street, Dronfield
01246 273207
www.dronfieldhallbarn.org
Duo Hair & Beauty Lounge is situated on
Sheffield Road and covers all aspects of hair
and beauty from perms to hair extensions and
lashes to IPL hair removal.
Now offering a full range of aesthetic
treatments. And new to the salon for 2021, the
Cryostar fat freezing treatment, can treat
anywhere on the body inc face and is the first
of its kind in this area!
Meet the team..
Kerry
Kerry
Sheryl Jon Tracy
Keeley
Proud salon owner Kerry is the main beauty therapist
with over 25 years experience.
Sheryl
Sheryl moved to us after lockdown from her salon in
Graves Sports Centre. She has over 24 years
experience in hair and beauty, specialising in colour
correction as well as wedding hair and makeup.
Jon
Jon has been in hairdressing since he was 18 years of
age and has owned a number of salons in and
around the Dronfield area since 1997. Having closed
his Kude salon last year he joined the Duo team at
the beginning on 2020. He caters for all aspects of
family hair styling.
Tracy
Tracy has over 25 years experience from town
salons. She loves creating amazing colours and
classic cuts.
Keeley
Keeley has been hairdressing for 17 years and has
experience from working with big hair companies to
working on stage and working with celebrities
backstage on X Factor. She had her own salons
called Billisimo in Bolsover and Chesterfield before
joining the amazing team at Duo.
11 - 13 Sheffield Road, Dronfield, S18 2DH
Book now on 01246 414364 or online @
www.duohairandbeautylounge.com
23

dronfield EYE
Des res for bugs
and hedgehogs
Prof Ian Rotherham tells how we can
offer year-round help to our bees,
bugs, butterflies and hedgehogs
E
VEN in winter, and especially with milder weather, we can
expect to get some ‘bug’ activity as a sunny day wakes up
butterflies or bees from their slumbers.
This means planning ahead to ensure there are at least a few
winter-flowering plants in bloom to re-charge the body’s supplies of
energy; otherwise a return to hibernation may spell death.
So providing year-round flowers is challenging but essential for the
wildlife gardener.
24
It won’t take long until a variety of bugs are
attracted to a structure such as this one
Prof Ian Rotherham:
‘Shops now sell these
structures at very low
cost or else you can
make your own’
However, you can also help bees, bugs and butterflies in many
other ways too; and even by providing ‘des res’ accommodation.
These places, such as purpose-built ‘bug boxes,’ can be good
wintertime sanctuary or places for summertime breeding and
roosting.
Try as many as you can and place them in different sets of
conditions from bright sunlit spots to shadier, sheltered places. This
will encourage a diversity of wildlife species to take up the offer.
I have noticed that quite a few shops now sell these structures at
very low cost and so it is worth shopping around; or else you can
make your own.
A bumblebee nesting site is easily made of a large terracotta plantpot
inverted and sunk into the ground with a light covering of brash
or other clippings. This is a good use for broken pots too and, of
course, the nesting bumblebees are incredibly docile.
Solitary bees will also take up residence in a purpose-built bug box
or even better in a log with small holes drilled into it as nesting
holes. Placed in a nice, sunny spot, the bees will soon occupy the
site and, like the bumblebees, are very placid.
Other wildlife to cater for at this time of year are the hedgehogs;
sadly a species of mammal that is now under serious threat. Again
though, the wildlife gardener can come to the rescue with a readymade
hedgehog house or even a home-made one. I have found that
a good use for cut wood from trees and shrubs is a so-called ‘brashpile’
which can be left undisturbed in a corner of the garden.
You start with bigger logs and branches at the base and cover the
whole loose structure with smaller branches and vegetation.
Hedgehogs soon discover the sanctuary and will take up residence,
but remember not to disturb
them. Setting fire to garden
rubbish piles is a big risk to
hedgehogs so it is best to
check first.
If you do want to check for
hedgehog activity then try a
wildlife camcorder or trail
cam and put out some dry
hedgehog food. When I first
did this I discovered a
hedgehog was in my brashpile
but also that we had
nightly visits from a badger
and a fox – which both took a
liking to the hedgehog food!
With many of these ideas,
just like with bird-boxes, you
may find the wildlife species
Bumblebees are a welcome
garden visitor
are very picky about what places and sites they will occupy. Also, it
is often a matter of patience being a virtue and waiting for the birdbox
or hedgehog house to simply bed in. I suspect that as time
passes, a box for example, becomes less obviously human-formed
and therefore more desirable.
• Prof Ian D. Rotherham of Sheffield Hallam University is a researcher,
writer and broadcaster on wildlife and environmental issues. He is
contactable on info@hallamec.plus.com. You can follow his website
and blog: www.ukeconet.org & thewildside.wordpress.com/

dronfield EYE
During February 2021
Make your will for FREE
In return for this service,
please consider a voluntary
donation of just £75* to help
fund the vital work of
Bluebell Wood
Children’s Hospice
* For simple single will. Suggested donation
varies for couples & complex wills.
All donations voluntary.
The choice & amount to give is up to you.
In aid of
Book your appointment
How your
donation
can help
£75 Funds two
counselling sessions
for parents.
£150 Contributes to
a break for a child or
young adult at Bluebell
Wood, for the chance to
have fun, & giving their
family a much needed
break.
01246 555111 brmlaw.co.uk/bluebell
BRM Solicitors is a trading name of BRM Law Limited. Authorised & regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority no. 597752
Bluebell Wood. Registered Charity No. 1076958. Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice Limited - Company No. 03809663.
Solicitors act exclusively for the testator. The solicitor is responsible for establishing, & recording, that the testator fully understands
Bluebell Wood. Choice is at the testator’s discretion.
CALL US TODAY ON 01246 901107 OR 01709 357258
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25

dronfield EYE
Poplar
hawk
moth
Red-green
carpet moth
Leopard
moth
Neil’s back
garden
moth safari
A hidden part of wildlife in Dronfield has been brought to
light by an amateur photographer. Deborah Wain reports
U
SING a light trap, Neil Hardwick has photographed and identified
the many moths that visit his Snape Hill Lane back garden. Over the
last five years he has recorded more than 300 different species.
Said Neil: “Unless you make an effort to catch moths and have a look, you’d
normally not see them as you see butteries, as moths hide away in the day
time.
“Most people only see a tiny fraction of species in their lifetime.
“Some of the moths rival butterflies for colour and markings and they play an
important role - a lot are good pollinators and they provide food, especially for
bats.”
Neil points to the large elephant hawk moth, with pink markings, as being one
such example of eye-catching moths.
Elephant
hawk moth
He adds that even the more common yellow
underling moths provide a flash of colour as they fly.
Sometimes, at the height of summer, Neil can find
up to a 150 yellow underlings attracted by the light
trap in his garden.
He describes his garden as quite ordinary with
moths attracted by standard features like privet
hedges, hawthorn, and apple trees.
These stunning images have been captured using a
variety of macro lenses.
Neil, who works in retail, spends his spare time,
photographing nature, from fungi to insects, birds
and mammals.
He added that Dronfield is well-placed for his hobby
with the Peak District, Moss Valley and other natural
areas so close.
A
LTHOUGH many people overlook them,
moths are numerous and widespread, with
more than 2,500 species in Britain living in a
wide range of habitats. They are a major part of
our biodiversity and play vital roles in the
ecosystem, affecting many other types of
wildlife.
Both adult moths and their caterpillars are food for
Large
emerald
Sallow
kitten
Barred
yellow
26

dronfield EYE
Gold
spot
Neil Hardwick: ‘Some moths rival
butterflies for colour and markings’
a wide variety of wildlife, including other insects,
spiders, frogs, toads, lizards, shrews, hedgehogs, bats
and birds.
Night-flying adult moths form a major part of the
diet of bats. Many birds eat both adult moths and their
caterpillars, but the caterpillars are especially
important for feeding the young.
Some of Britain's favourite garden birds rely on
caterpillars to rear their nestlings, with blue tit chicks
alone needing an estimated 35 billion a year.
Moths are declining in the UK. Studies have found
the overall number of moths has decreased by 28%
since 1968.
It is not clear what is causing the downward trend
in moth numbers. The reasons for the loss of moths
are likely to be many and complex, and may vary for
different species. More research is needed to
understand what is happening. However, the loss of
habitats resulting from more intensive agriculture,
commercial forestry, industry and urban development
are likely to be major reasons.
Other things which may be causing problems for
moths include changes in the way we manage
gardens, pesticides, herbicides and light pollution.
Source: Butterfly Conservation.
Blair’s
shoulder
knot
Buff tip
Burnished
brass
Green
silver lines
27

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Healthy way to beat
the lockdown blues
L of the town’s green assets.
OCAL people are being asked to lend their support to one
At almost 15 miles long, the Dronfield Round Walk’s value has
been highlighted during the current health crisis. It has provided a
place for thousands to exercise during our lockdowns.
However, it is hoped money can be raised to help with
maintenance costs. These amount to over £700 a year: a bridge
costs £1,030, a hardwood stile £380, and each step around £40.
Dronfield Rotary Walk was launched in July 2000 by the Rotary
Club of Dronfield to celebrate the new Millennium.
The idea was to create a circular route, allowing people to enjoy
countryside walking and views around Dronfield, but never going
more than three miles beyond the town’s centre.
The network of 26 footpaths leading to it from estates and
residential areas provides lots of shorter route options.
In 2016, after parts of the walk had become overgrown and
fallen in to disrepair, responsibility for maintenance was
transferred to Dronfield Hall Barn, as part of its Lottery Grant,
including health and well-being.
The Dronfield Barn Rotary Walk, as it is now called, has been
extensively refurbished by the Walks at the Barn team. Today there
are 97 stiles, three bridges, a walkway and 280 route markers. Ten
volunteer walk wardens are each responsible for looking after a
section of the route.
Residents can support the Dronfield Round Walk by buying a Walk
Guide or making a donation via dronfieldhallbarn.org/partners
/walks.
A replacement hardwood seat for a viewing spot on the walk is
also sought. Anyone who could donate one should contact David
Lumb at david@kinderclan.co.uk
Hamper scheme success
P
EOPLE in need received hampers containing everything for
a lovely Christmas meal – thanks to donations.
Some 20 recipients benefited from Dronfield’s Oaks Community
Church Christmas project.
Items, including some luxury treats, were donated by members
of the church, while Dronfield Sainsbury’s and Argos donated £350
worth.
Accident information plea
PRIVATE investigator is appealing for help in tracing the
A
driver of a car that failed to stop after causing an accident
in which an innocent driver was injured.
The collision happened at the top of Millthorpe Lane, Holmesfield,
at around 7pm on Saturday, 24th October, 2020.
The injured driver, a 23-year-old woman, was driving her Audi car
along Millthorpe Lane when it was struck on the nearside by
another vehicle which was travelling at speed from the opposite
direction. The offending driver failed to stop.
The woman suffered shock as well as whiplash and as a result
she was unable to work for a number of weeks. Her car was
seriously damaged.
Alan Hamilton of Greymen, who are investigating, said: “There is
no doubt that the driver of the offending vehicle will have been
fully aware of the collision and chose to ignore the possibility that
the other driver could have needed urgent medical attention. Drink
or drugs may have been a factor”.
He added: “We are already in possession of some information
that is currently being progressed, but I am appealing for anyone
with any further information to contact me in confidence on 07932
599436.”
dronfield EYE
Family run business established 1982
Installing Maintaining Repairing
Roofing repairs and general buildings maintenance
109/111 Chesterfield Road, Dronfield S18 2XE
01246 411088
dobsonroofing@aol.com
www.dobsonroofingservices.co.uk
29

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dronfield EYE
Praise for town’s Elf Service
One girl posts her letter to Santa and, right, Sara turns up in her Elf costume, much to the delight of another family
Christmas was made extra special for more than
100 local children thanks to the efforts of
Dronfield’s Sara Bell. Deborah Wain reports
ACTIV PHYSIOTHERAPY
A
DRONFIELD woman has been praised for her efforts to
bring Christmas joy to local children.
Sara Bell placed a Santa’s postbox in Sainsbury’s in the run-up to
the festive season and then arranged for Father Christmas to
provide personalised replies to the 100 letters received.
Then, dressed up as ‘Pom Pom Elf’, Sara hand-delivered the
return letters as a surprise, singing and dancing on the doorstep!
Sara said she was inspired to do something magical for
youngsters after a tough 2020.
She is a keyworker at a drugs and alcohol project and had Covid-
19 earlier in the year. She did the deliveries during a week off from
her job.
The project was also a tribute to Sara’s mother-in-law, Sheila
Bell, from Sheffield, who died of cancer in 2019. Sheila loved
Christmas.
Donations were welcomed for Ashgate Hospice, raising over
£440.
Sara, the grandmother of a three-year-old, said: “On the first day,
there were no letters in the box and I can’t tell you how sad I was,
but then they started coming in.
“It all just melted my heart and I’m planning to do the same
thing next year – maybe enlisting more Santa’s helpers!”
Social media was flooded with words of praise for Sara.
Caroline Tongue said: “She is amazing! Sara made my two boys’
Christmas. What a wonderful kind thing to do.”
Abi Merritt said: “She was simply wonderful when she called for
our girls yesterday. Give that lady an award!”
Alison Turner added: “Sara is amazing! What a very special
magical experience - thank you.”
And Esther Ingle said: “She’s made my daughter so happy in a
challenging time. I cannot thank her enough.”
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31

dronfield EYE
Firm’s learners are stepping up
D
RONFIELD-based
Belmayne Independent
Chartered Financial
Planners are celebrating the
achievements of a trio of
rising stars who are forging
careers in financial services.
The firm is helping three
members of staff develop
their skills through academic
study, whilst gaining
practical work experience.
Chris Pond joins
Belmayne’s team of qualified
financial planners, after
successfully completing his
diploma in Regulated
Financial Planning. He began Belmayne’s rising stars, from left: Melissa Taylor, Chris Pond and Melanie Coleman
working for the firm as a
offered a full time role at Belmayne, after completing a diploma in
trainee in June, 2018, and has been mentored by partner, David
Business Administration with Chesterfield College.
Bashforth, throughout his studies. He is now beginning to grow his
She is now beginning her professional development, embarking on
own client base, whilst continuing to assist David and expand his
the RO1 unit of the Regulated Financial Planning diploma, to
qualifications to achieve chartered status.
develop her awareness of legislation and the industry’s code of
Melanie Coleman began working as a personal assistant to
ethics.
partner, Martin Birch, almost two years ago and is now a
Belmayne partner, Martin Birch, said: “We actively encourage
paraplanner, analysing client information and risk, conducting cash
professional development among staff to further their own careers
flow planning and preparing reports.
and ensure they provide an informed, first class service. We are
She achieved the RO1 Financial Regulation and Ethics
very proud of all three of our learners for the dedication and
qualification earlier this year and is currently studying the RO4
commitment they are showing to their studies and we welcome
Pensions and Retirement Planning module, which she hopes to
Chris to our team of financial planners. He is a great asset to the
complete by the spring.
firm and is now ready to provide sound, considered advice to
Former administration apprentice, Melissa Taylor, has been
clients.”
PLAN
PROTECT
PROVIDE
TRUST EVIDENCE
TO PROVIDE
PENSION
Investing and speculating should be two separate
things. When your future is at stake, you need a
financial planner with evidence, not ego.
At Belmayne we use facts to demonstrate the expectations and potential
pitfalls of an investment strategy and advocate diversified holdings,
rather than concentrated portfolios based on instinct or tactics.
By working hard to manage costs and being consistent with our
investment approach, we provide you with a diverse portfolio that is
proven to reduce risk.
Contact us for a free initial consultation.
Belmayne House, 274 Chesterfield Road, Dronfield S18 1XJ
Tel: 01246 298181 www.belmayne-ifa.com
A trading name of Belmayne Independent Financial Services LLP, a Limited Liability
Partnership. Authorised & Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
32

dronfield EYE
ESTABLISHED OVER 30 YEARS
LARGE RANGE OF STOVES
FIRES AND FIREPLACES
OFFERING COMPETITIVE PRICES
ALSO AVAILABLE
- FITTING AND INSTALLATION TEAM
- BESPOKE MANTLES
THE GREEDY GREEK DELI
& GREEK DELI DIRECT
The Greedy Greek Deli team would like to say a
big “THANK YOU” to all our customers for
their continued support through this very
difficult time. We would also like to
“WELCOME” all new customers
who have discovered our delicious food
as a result of Lockdown.
We are open for delivery or collection
7 days a week. Please see our website for
full details. You can order on line via our app,
via just-eat or by calling the shop on 0114 2667719.
Our showroom is open by appointment
351-353 London Road, Sheffield, S2 4NG
Please call John on 0114 255 9688
www.fireplaces-in-sheffield.co.uk
Follow us on and
THE GREEDY GREEK DELI & GREEK DELI DIRECT
418-420 Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield, S11 8ZP
Working with Just-Eat for home delivery or download our App
www.greekdelidirect.co.uk www.thegreedygreekdeli.co.uk
33

Dronfield’s new
fashion outlet
BACKING
BUSINESS
New business remembers daughter
A creative Dronfield mum’s dream business refinishing
preloved furniture has special meaning.
Kim Milne launched Blackbird Designs last year. Each
piece has a blackbird stencilled into it in memory of her
daughter, Charlotte, who sadly died in 2014, a week after
she was born and suffered severe brain damage.
Kim will be donating a percentage of profits from each
sale to children’s charities.
Kim lives in Dronfield, with partner Dan and other
children Isabelle, ten, and Gabriel, five.
She said: “I have always had an artistic flair. From
drawing portraits, to painting my own dressing table as a
child; my passion is creativity.
“In the past, I have found it difficult to prioritise the
time to just sit down and draw. The pressures of being a
working mum just seemed to get in the way, but it was
during lockdown in 2020 when I found myself, like many
others, spending more time at home. Having this
unexpected time at home and feeling the need to focus
Kelaya Boutique
has recently been
established at
Dronfield Civic
Centre.
The shop
specialises in ladies
clothing and
accessories,
including hats,
scarves, gloves,
jewellery and bags.
It is a new venture
from Catherine
Woollen, who has
previously been
successfully selling
fashions online.
Kelaya means ‘beautiful lady’ in Thai and
Catherine said the shop’s stock is aimed at
Christiana McKenna
outside Kelaya Boutique
appealing across the age range and catering for
all tastes and budgets.
The boutique’s loungewear has been proving
extremely popular as customers stay at home
more, however it has outfits for days and
evenings out.
Catherine said the shop enjoyed a “fantastic
response” in its first few weeks.
“It’s been really positive with everybody saying
the shop is just what is needed,” she commented.
Catherine is joined in the business by young
designer, Christiana McKenna, whose own label
‘Christiana’ is inspired by nature and has a focus
on sustainability.
Christiana will be working from the shop and
providing custom-made dressmaking, if required.
Customers are advised to keep an eye on Kelaya
Boutique’s facebook page for the latest news.
my energy on creativity to get through lockdown, meant I
found myself looking round my house for inspiration. So I
decided to have a go at giving my worn dining table and
chairs a facelift.
“The end result surprised even me, and the feeling of
satisfaction and pride in my work left me feeling
motivated to continue with this venture and make a
business out of it!
“We have always associated blackbirds with Charlotte.
A beautiful blackbird is stencilled on to each piece of
furniture as a way of marking the piece forever with a
memory of our darling girl.”
Kim has completed some commissioned pieces and is
selling through the website Etsy.
She added: “My values are centred around reusing and
repurposing vintage furniture, that are so often so full of
character and history, something you just can't find in
modern furniture.”
Visit www.facebook.com/blackbirddesignsuk/
This
monthly
feature is
sponsored by
Dronfield
Town Council
Town Council recognises
trimmed-up businesses
Many Dronfield area
businesses pulled out
all the stops in trimming
up their premises in the
run-up to Christmas.
Winner of the Dronfield
Town Council Christmas
Shop Window Display
was Cooplands in the
Civic Centre.
Runner-up was
Colante Jewellers on
the High Street and
third was Iish,
Chesterfield Road.
Town Mayor, Coun
Richard Welton,
presented certificates.
Kim Milne
Dronfield Town Council www.dronfield.gov.uk 01246 418573

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Your roof is an important and integral part of your home, having excess moss
on roof tiles can cause damage. The build-up of moisture and the moss’ roots
can cause the tiles to crack, warp and move leading to roof degradation.
ROOF REVIVE, is a local and well established company. We will deep-clean, inspect, repair and
treat your roof tiles, so that moss, mould and lichen are prevented from growing once more.
We use top-of-the-range cleaning equipment with little disruption to your day.
Blocked gutters can lead to leaky roofs and water damage to both the interior and exterior
of your property. Our fully insured and proven roof cleaning service comes with gutter
cleaning and debris removal, saving you from further damage and expenses in the future.
RESTORED ROOFS
Special formula kills and helps prevents the re-growth of moss, mould and lichen
Adds value to your house - we also offer a COMMERCIAL service
Improves the exterior presentation of your home, adds longevity to your roof
As part of the roof application we clean all your gutters, down pipes and
soffits which prevents the blocking of gutters and drains
Local well established company with full insurance
BEFORE AFTER RESTORES COLOUR
We also clean
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“Added sparkle”
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“Five-star service and
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Due to current government guidelines, please call
Craig for further information on 07725 900353
760 Chesterfield Road - Woodseats - Sheffield - S8 0SE
WE DESIGN. WE SUPPLY. WE FIT.

A PROPER FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS
Established in 2008, Ignite Gas is a father and son setup. But unlike the
usual father and son operation, Ignite Gas was created by the son Craig in
2008 after serving his apprenticeship at British Gas and working for them
for 12 years.
In 2010, with the business booming Craig employed his father, Richard,
who had been at British Gas for over 30 years.
In true family-run business style, Craig’s wife Sarah works in the office
booking in jobs and doing the admin.
Based locally in Dronfield and Meersbrook, the company really has gone
from strength to strength. Ignite Gas are Ideal max accredited installers
and now have a team of local engineers.
BOILER SERVICING - JUST £59
An annual boiler service can help prevent potential problems, unwanted
disruption, and ensure your boiler and central heating is working efficiency,
whilst helping keeping energy bills to a minimum. If your boiler is still under
warranty, having it regularly serviced will also keep that warranty valid.
Throughout the summer months we are fixing our boiler service price at just
£59. We have a team of engineers with a wealth of experience working on all
makes and age of boiler.
DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT...
“I have been using Ignite Gas for various plumbing jobs and
my yearly boiler service for the last 9 years, at the start of
this year I decided it was time to replace my ancient boiler
for a combi boiler.
Craig came to visit and went through all the details and
gave me a good quote. Craig & Ian turned up on the day we
agreed and got everything done, it looks fantastic, all the
rubbish was taken away and I now have an empty airing
cupboard that one day may be a shower cubicle.”
Mrs Bracken, Dronfield
We offer Ideal boilers with
12 years manufacturer
parts and labour warranty
- this gives warranty on a
boiler to 2032!!
Special Offer 1
Ideal logic max 30kw
Magnetic filter
10 years warranty
Honeywell wireless
thermostat
£1750
Adhering to all
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including the use
of PPE and social
distancing.
CALL FOR YOUR FREE QUOTATION
Office: 01246 461134
Mobile: 07984 172323
www.ignitegas.co.uk
68 Oakhill Road,
Dronfield, S18, 2EL
QUALITY SERVICE AT A FAIR PRICE 233677

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to
more people considering equity release
IMON Chalk of Laterlivingnow, the local
specialist in equity release, says that
switching to advising clients remotely during
lockdown has made the equity release
market even more accessible - without
compromising the company’s high levels of
personal service.
Simon said equity release borrowers were
responding well to the lockdown and there was
plenty of appetite among clients to embrace phonecalls
or video-calls such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams,
WhatsApp and Skype.
Far from being put off by the inability to currently
hold home visits, the equity release market is busier
than ever, with over-55 homeowners seeking to use
the money tied up in their properties to finance all
manner of projects and needs.
For example, many people are looking to help and
support their families as they struggle with the
crippling financial consequences of the pandemic,
Simon Chalk
with record low interest rates fixed for life (from
just 2.34% annually at the time of writing) often attracting them to
a lifetime mortgage.
With the coronavirus outbreak having hit jobs hard, Laterlivingnow
has also found more people taking advantage of the flexible
‘income’ that a ‘drawdown’ type of lifetime mortgage offers.
Many plans enable a homeowner over 55 to take a modest initial
dronfield EYE
Release cash from your home
S
EQUITY RELEASE
HOMEOWNER OVER 55?
Equity release allows you to have tax-free cash
from your home for:
Home improvements
Paying for holidays
Top-up income
Helping out the family
Repaying debts/loans
Paying for care
Clearing outstanding mortgages
Call Simon Chalk & team,
Chesterfield’s leading Equity Release
specialists, for a FREE consultation by
Phone, Zoom, or Safe Home Visit
CALL now! 01246 202 571
www.laterlivingnow.com |info@laterlivingnow.com
sum from typically £10,000 then to withdraw
smaller sums from as little as £2,000 a time
afterwards.
“This can provide a lifeline to someone who has
been made redundant, or has a business struggling
under lockdown,” Simon explained.
There has also been an increase in enquiries from
people seeking to move to a more rural setting, or
enjoying the trend for ‘staycation’ holidays. The
popular lifetime mortgage can be taken on a
property that you wish to buy, not only on one in
which you already own and live.
Other popular reasons for equity release include
home improvements, topping-up income, repaying
debts and loans, paying for care and clearing
outstanding mortgages.
Laterlivingnow offers a free initial consultation, by
phone, Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams,
and when Government allows it; a ‘Safe Home Visit’.
"Being small and local makes us easily
accessible," said Simon. "Another strength is our
independence from the big firms that advertise on
TV, meaning we can advise on the whole of the
market for equity release, not just one or two
lenders”.
Laterlivingnow are particularly excited, having
been named as finalists in the annual Equity Release Awards 2020.
The delayed ‘virtual’ ceremony takes place on Thursday, January
28th.
For information and advice on whether equity release could be
worth investigating for you, call Laterlivingnow on Chesterfield
01246 202 571 or visit www.laterlivingnow.com
Equity released from your home will be secured against it.
Laterliving now! Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Release My Equity Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
39

Legal services
at their best...
• Conveyancing
• Employment Law
• Family Law & Children
• Inheritance Disputes
• Inheritance Tracing
• Medical Negligence
• Personal Injury
• Wills, Probate, Tax & Trusts
• Business Start-ups
• Commercial Contracts
• Commercial Property
• Corporate & Finance
• Corporate Restructuring
• Dispute Resolution
• Employment Law
• Insolvency & Debt Recovery
Tel: (0114) 218 4000
6

Still here after
year of change
I
T’S hard to believe this time last year, we had no idea what
was to come.
On March 23rd, 2020, our office in Dronfield, along with the entire
firm, suddenly had to change the working patterns and practises of
all departments. I’m pleased to say, with your support, we survived
and have emerged leaner and greener as a result.
Throughout the first lockdown, we had limited access to post and
the document exchange system we use, so had to begin emailing
clients and professional partners. This was no mean feat, as we
were heavily reliant on paper files, but it has significantly reduced
our consumption.
A new rota system was also introduced, allowing staff to attend
the office on certain days and work from home on others, ensuring
we provided a full and efficient service, whilst observing social
distancing.
As we moved into the summer and lockdown was eased, we
began to settle into our new routines. It now means my colleagues
in the probate and family departments are based at the Dronfield
office two days a week, spending the rest of the time at home. As
restrictions were lifted further, we were able to reopen our
reception and once again welcome clients on a day-to-day basis.
Shortly after lockdown ended, the Government implemented the
Stamp Duty relief, which combined with the pent-up demand in the
property market, meant a large increase in volumes of work for my
conveyancing team. This led to some of the busiest months on
record, both in Dronfield and across the firm.
December ended with the usual push for pre-Christmas
completions and we wait to see how this year, beginning with
dronfield EYE
Sarah Gaunt,
head of the
Dronfield office
of local solicitors,
Taylor&Emmet,
reflects on a
dramatic past
12 months
a new lockdown, will progress.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of my colleagues, we
have been able to continue providing advice and assistance to the
local community throughout this most unprecedented of years and
we now know we can continue to do so - whatever 2021 has in
store!
For more information about the wide range of legal services
available from our Sheffield Road office, telephone 0114 218 4000,
visit www.tayloremmet.co.uk or follow us on Twitter,
@TaylorEmmet.
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41

Dronfield
NEWS
Town Council
New Year message to Dronfield
By Coun Angelique
Foster, Leader
of Dronfield
Town Council
I
WOULD like to wish all people living and working in
Dronfield a very happy new year. Last year was a
difficult one for many of us and we have not had a great
start to 2021. There is, however, much to be hopeful about.
Throughout the pandemic, Dronfield residents have shown their
resilience and determination to carry on and support each other.
We have numerous community groups showing a huge
commitment to the people of our town and those in need further
afield.
We have had the Town Council, NE Derbyshire District Council,
Derbyshire County Council and individual councillors all working
together for the common good. We have had local businesses
continuing to open and alter their operations to support the
community.
This work continues to the present, where Dronfield has been
the first area in the district to start with the vaccination
programme. This is currently at Stubley Lane Medical Centre.
Anticipating a future rise in vaccinations, Dronfield Town Council
has already made the Civic Hall available for mass vaccinations.
All of this gives me hope for 2021. If we remember to look out
for our friends and neighbours and help those in need, Dronfield
and its residents will come
through this.
Wishing you all a happier
New Year.
The Civic Hall will be
made available as a
vaccination centre
Last call for
greenbelt
comments
T
HE consultation for District
local plan ends on 31st
January, 2021. Residents have
until then to put forward their
comments on the main
modifications.
Coun Mark Foster explained:
“At time of writing, the
District Council has received
approximately 200 responses
to the consultation. I would
continue to urge all residents
to take the time to put their
views forward.
“This is really important and
could affect the lives of all
Dronfield residents. Not just
through loss of green spaces,
but places in your local
school, doctor's appointments
or the extra traffic on our
roads.”
The Town council website
has contact information,
instructions on how to put
comments forward and wide
range of suggested arguments:
www.dronfield.gov.uk
Picture perfect
T
HE Dronfield Town Council Christmas
colouring competition for children -
featured in December’s Dronfield Eye -
attracted a bumper entry of 174 pictures.
Coun Susan Burkitt said: "It's been a great
competition with a fantastic response and it
really was a joy looking through all the
entries. I would like to thank everyone who
entered the competition and congratulate all
the winners."
Judges had a very difficult task in selecting
winners, but these were the ones they chose:
Under-5: 1st, Harry Doyle, aged two; 2nd, Cory Bown,
aged two; 3rd,
Louie Smith,
aged three.
Age 5-10: 1st,
Rosie Moore,
aged six; 2nd,
Isabella Horne,
aged six; 3rd,
Stanley Pearson,
aged six. Age 11-
plus: 1st, Millie
Kilroy, aged 12;
2nd, Jasmine
Ward, aged 11;
3rd, Isla Hitchen,
aged 11.
Rosie Moore
Millie Kilroy
Harry Doyle
Dronfield Town Council, Civic Hall, Dronfield S18 1PD.
Tel: 01246 418573. townclerk@dronfield.gov.uk www.dronfield.gov.uk

Local businesses
encouraged to
apply for preferred
supplier list
C
ALLING all local businesses – Dronfield Town
Council would like to hear from you!
The local authority has opened tenders for local businesses
who would like to be included on its preferred suppliers’ list.
This will give local trade businesses a great opportunity of
working with the council.
Said Town Council Leader, Coun Angelique Foster: “The
scheme will give back to the local economy and support
local business wherever possible.
“This is not only a win for our local businesses – it’s
really important for Dronfield Town Council to have local
businesses which can respond quickly to urgent issues
such as a leaking roof, a blocked drain or an overhanging
tree, for example.”
Suppliers can register to be included on this list by
completing an online form. As soon as your details have been
verified, your business will be added to the council’s database
and you will be notified when suitable opportunities become
available.
Once a list is finalised, the council will be able to use any
included businesses for jobs, which makes things much more
efficient and cost-effective, saving Dronfield Town Council a
great deal of time and money.
To apply for this great opportunity, visit the council website
at www.dronfield.gov.uk/selling-to-the-council.html
Council lends a
hand to Santa
dronfield EYE
Your local flooring specialist
Serving Dronfield for over 7 years
Celebrating over 7 years of business in Dronfield,
Dronfield Carpets prides itself on quality service
from start to finish. Offering a wide range of quality
products, Dronfield Carpets specialises in the
supply and installation of Carpets, Karndean, Vinyl,
Parquet & Wood Flooring and Artificial Grass.
Offering seasonal sales and promotions, they
really do cover all bases… Make the most of their
free AT HOME service, bringing advice, measuring
and sampling directly to your door.
OUR SHOWROOM MAY BE CLOSED DUE TO
LOCKDOWN BUT WE ARE STILL ABLE TO OFFER AN
AT HOME SERVICE
INCLUDING SAMPLES, MEASURES,
INSTALLATIONS AND ADVICE
F
ATHER Christmas managed to complete his rounds in
Dronfield, thanks to help from The Rotary Club of
Dronfield whose annual fund-raiser was this year
sponsored by Dronfield Town Council.
Santa’s Sleigh visited dozens of streets, despite having to
comply with coronavirus regulations. The man himself is
pictured here with Coun William Jones.
Follow us for ideas and offers
on Facebook @Dronfieldcarpetsandfloors
and Instagram dronfieldcarpetsfloors
120 Sheffield Road - Dronfield - S18 2GE
Tel 01246 292391
www.dronfieldcarpetsandfloors.co.uk
43

dronfield EYE
07923 672165
www.livingwellphysio.co.uk
Physiotherapy, Acupuncture,
Active Ageing Classes and Pilates
At home - In clinic - Online
DO YOU DREAM
OF A NEW KITCHEN?
by simply replacing the doors and worktops
FAMILY RUN
BUSINESS
THE UK’S #1 KITCHEN MAKEOVER EXPERTS. EST. 1999
20%
20%
DISCOUNT
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BEFORE
● From simple door
replacements to complete
fitted kitchens
● Fully installed by local
professionals in just a few days
● Choose from a large
selection of doors, worktops
and appliances
● 90 showrooms nationwide
QUALITY KITCHEN MAKEOVERS
BY LOCAL PROFESSIONALS
AVERAGE SCORE 9.7/10
SEE WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE TO SAY
Flat roof
Tiles/slate roof
Fascia & soffit
Guttering
Lead work
Pointing
Contact Ashley on 07779 787103
Your Family Funeral Directors For over 80 years
62
year old Martyn has been in the funeral
industry
for 50 years so you could say… “he
knows
what he’s doing!” Some of his friends
may
in jest say “really”? However I can assure
you
that when it comes to caring for people,
Martyn Askew
Martyn is the man for the job.
Director of Funeral Services
When
you first meet Martyn you will From
your first meeting to the final
immediately
notice just how tall he is, a handshake,
Martyn will look after you
lofty
6ft 7 inches. A formidable character and
your family. He is trustworthy, kind,
indeed,
however you will feel completely caring
and honest - this is the feeling you
at
ease with Martyn as he guides you get
upon meeting him. Martyn is
through
the process of dealing with your passionate
about caring for people and
affairs
when it comes to arranging a the
only other profession he could
funeral
for your loved one.
possibly
have taken up is one of a
priest…….or
a basketball player!
Those 50 years’ experience have taught
Martyn
all he needs to know about every Now
the manager of G&M Lunt Ltd, he
aspect of procedures from caring for the oversees
every aspect of the funeral
deceased
to conducting a funeral and so home
and has a wonderful team by his
much
more which, ultimately will give side,
all of whom are caring,
you
the confidence you need to face one compassionate
people putting your needs
of
the most challenging times of your life. first.
*written *written by a by colleague a and a a friend
*written by a colleague and a friend
24 Hours a day, 7 days a week
1-13 Campin
com
www.dreamdoors.co.uk
197 Sheffield Road,
Chesterfield, S41 7JQ
Call us now for a free estimate:
01246 221 299
* Terms & conditions apply
ECO SOFAS
Don’t Buy New!
RE-UPHOLSTERY
is the answer!
SOFAS • CHAIRS • DINING CHAIRS
We visit
you
with
our
fabric
samples
Or why not have your suite made like
new with a complete re-upholstery?
For more information and to arrange your
free estimate daytime or evening call
KEITH SIMPSON
0114 275 6390
0114 2468477
161 Rutland Road, Sheffield S3 9PP
No job
too
small
SPRING REPAIRS • CUSHIONS • PLUS MUCH MORE
44

Simply Supa!
S
• contemporary
• traditional
• modern
www.supafituk.com
info@supafituk.com
OME businesses pride themselves on their professionalism; others
choose to take a friendly approach. When you find both of these
attributes in a company you know you are onto a winner.
That was just what Kirsty Breeze discovered when she called on the services
of Supafit Bedrooms & Kitchens to transform the master bedroom in her Old
Whittington home.
Making contact with the family-run business after receiving a glowing
recommendation from a neighbour, Kirsty first made contact when she visited
their showroom at the bottom of Wreakes Lane in Dronfield.
She explained: “I spoke to Jenna, told her what I wanted and she arranged
to come out to measure up, draw up plans and provide an estimate.
“Then I visited their other showroom at Archer Road in Sheffield to look at
colours and grains.”
Kirsty opted to have two double robes, a four-drawer chest and two bedside
chests in supaline style in pearl grey, with a beige grey Lorenzo oak carcass
and fascia to contrast.
“Right from the start they were professional, friendly and offered me some
great advice,” said Kirsty. “The price they gave me was very reasonable and
when the fitter arrived he was also brilliant. The whole job was done in only a
day, with no mess whatsoever.”
Kirsty says she likes to support local businesses wherever she can and
reckons this attitude has never been more important than in current times.
She is delighted to recommend Supafit to others. Indeed her parents are
likely to be calling the company for work on their home later this year.
OUR SHOWROOMS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO LOCKDOWN BUT WE
CAN STILL OFFER A COVID SAFE DESIGN SERVICE. CALL 01246 412100 TO BOOK.
ARCHER ROAD RETAIL PARK, MILLHOUSES, SHEFFIELD, S8 0LB 0114 2356892
BEECH WORKS, WREAKES LANE, DRONFIELD, S18 1PN 01246 412100
Designed, manufactured & fitted to your own personal requirements

dronfield EYE
Improve your mood
and health with
house plants
Call: 07434 759007 www.mgs-products.com
Email: mark@thesignshopdronfield.com
46
ROTARY CLUB OF
DRONFIELD ­ LATEST
COMMUNITY LOTTERY
WINNING NUMBERS
1st December
8th December
15th December
22nd December
29th December
5th January
Out of every £1 played, 50p goes directly to
organisations in or serving the S18 district. The
remaining 50p is returned to players as prize­money.
Ask yourself three questions
about your estate planning:
Have I protected
my assets via a Will
and is it current?
Wake Smith’s private client team can:
Visit you at home or via Zoom meeting or conference call
- at no extra cost
Write your new Will or update an existing one
Give tax planning advice
Sort Lasting Powers of Attorney
Offer secure storage of documents
Contact us, quoting ‘Eye’
0114 266 6660
Have I told family
members who has
decision-making
authority on my behalf
should the need arise?
legal@wake-smith.com
M063
M020
M109
M090
M004
M074
For information on
how to play, visit
www.dronfieldrotary.org.uk
Do I have up to date
Powers of Attorney
in place to cover both
Health & Welfare
and Finances?
We bet you are all well aware that Britain
recently celebrated National Houseplant Week.
If you by chance didn’t know, here are a few
facts supplied by the kitchen people, Wren
I
T’S a well-known fact that spending time with nature is
good for your wellbeing, so what better way to boost your
mood than to bring nature inside.
With search volumes for “house plants delivered” increasing by
400%, and “buy houseplants online” by 200% since lockdown,
Wren Kitchens have revealed the best houseplants to have in your
home to help boost your mood:
Aloe vera
The gel from aloe vera can help to soothe acne, burns and dry skin,
helping you both physically and mentally. To allow your aloe vera
plant to thrive, place it in bright but indirect sunlight, and let it dry
in between watering.
Lavender
Place your lavender plant in the bedroom, and the scent will help
to reduce your stress levels, enabling you to sleep better. To let it
grow, water it regularly and leave it in a place that gets a lot of
light.
Snake plant
Had issues in the past with keeping plants alive? Try a snake plant
– they need minimal care, but can really help to improve your
wellbeing as they add moisture to the air and release oxygen.
They’re particularly ideal for people who suffer from allergies –
and interestingly, they arethe most Googled plant in lockdown!
Peace lily
Peace lilies are great houseplants to have. Not only do they soak
up mould spores in the air; they also absorb their water before
releasing it back into their environment – so place your peace lily
in a dry room.
Monstera plant
You’ve likely seen the Monstera (also referred to as a Swiss
cheese plant) clogging up your Insta feed, but they can actually
boost your mood. They purify the air, making your home healthier –
plus, you can grow new plants from their cuttings.
English ivy
Like peace lilies, English ivy absorbs mould in the air, helping to
purify your home; and it also has properties that help you to stop
being restless, meaning you can enjoy a better night’s sleep.
For more plants to boost your mood, visit
www.wrenkitchens.com/blog/top-10-mood-boosting-houseplantswren-kitchens

DECORATIVE SURFACE DRESSING SYSTEMS
Resin bound and bonded surfaces for drives, paths, patios,
roads and parking areas in the public and
private sectors.
We are a family run business, with over 25 years experience, that always
provide a personal and bespoke service to breathe new life into tired paths,
driveways and hard areas.
Our RESIN BONDED driveways offer quick installation with an array of
finishes for large areas. For a premium finish for smaller areas our RESIN
BOUND driveways give excellent drainage and outstanding durability.
To ensure that all of our customers get the best
possible service and the highest quality product we
use the Ronacrete product range. Ronacrete have been at the leading edge
of product development and performance for over 45 years and our expert
installers are confident in the quality of the final result.
Tel: 01246 436587
Rob: 07817 385623
Paul: 07572 456230
Email: info@romanroadsystems.com
www.romanroadsystems.com

dronfield EYE
INDEPENDENT
FAMILY FUNERAL
DIRECTORS
Mark Rothman & Paul Wilson
- Funeral Directors
24 HOUR SERVICE
Spire Funeral Services, a family owned business with over
fifteen years experience, are here to support you when you
need us most.
We offer a first class bespoke service, tailored to the individual
needs of our clients and their families. We pride ourselves on
personalised and flexible packages to meet the needs of all
families, at a time when sensitivity is paramount.
LIMOUSINE HIRE
FUNERALS £1995*
CREMATION WITHOUT SERVICE £940*
FUNERAL PLANS AVAILABLE
Offices at 23 High Street, Dronfield, S18 1PX
95 Derby Road, Chesterfield, S40 2ER
01246 221555
www.spirefunerals.co.uk
*Inclusive of all fees
Windows and doors
Conservatories
Fascias and soffits
Fibre glass roofs
Warm Roofs
Tiled roofs
10 year warranty Insurance backed guarantee
Call 0114 4183718 Mob 07930 481280 Monday-Friday 8.30am-5.30pm
Email: ecowindowssheffield@gmail.com
48

Soft Options Interiors
- Interior Design & Bespoke Soft Furnishings -
WINTER
SALE
Up to
20% OFF
Fabrics, Wallpapers,
Curtain Tracks
and Poles *
Call us on 01246 290 239
Specialising in made-to-measure soft furnishings, owners of Soft
Options Interiors, Claire and Suzanne, have over 50 years’ experience
in the interior design industry.
They carry out all the design visits and consultations personally and
as they are trained seamstresses, they also create and produce their
designs. So whether you want curtains, blinds, reupholstery, cushions
or just an alteration, visit the boutique showroom to browse the
extensive range of designer fabrics and wallcoverings and be inspired.
In order to operate within Government safety guidelines, the
number of customers is limited to one (or family group of two) so
appointments are recommended.
You are more than welcome to drop in to the Chesterfield Road
Showroom but you may be asked to wait or come back later if
necessary. The Design Studio at Ponsford is strictly appointment only.
The home visit service is still available.
Or visit www.softoptionsinteriors.com
Opening Times 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday
Home design visits and measuring service available at other times by arrangement
Showroom
Walk in and appointment
32 Chesterfield Road,
Dronfield,
S18 2XB
Design Studio
Appointment only
Ponsford Distribution
Centre, Wreakes Lane,
Dronfield,
S18 1DJ
*Terms and conditions apply

dronfield EYE
Sam steps up to
England elite
Hallowes-based Sam Bairstow remains on course to achieve
his aim of becoming a golfing professional. Mike Firth reports
D
RONFIELD golfer Sam Bairstow is refusing to let the coronavirus pandemic affect
his chances of joining the game’s lucrative professional circuit.
The former William Levick and Henry Fanshawe pupil has been selected to join the Elite England
squad, aiming to continue as a leading amateur player in 2021 before attempting to win
qualification to become a pro next year.
Based at Hallowes Golf Club in Dronfield, 22-year-old Sam has already represented England on
several occasions, including in South Africa and Spain.
The left-hander’s ambition is to compete on the European professional tour
His new ‘elite’ ranking should ensure he can continue to play golf during the current sporting
restrictions due to the pandemic. He is also hopeful of being able to attend a training camp in Dubai.
Said Sam: “It’s obviously going to be hard to do, but I feel with the right work ethic it is
achievable for me.
“It will take time and I’ve just got to be patient with it.”
50

Fast and honest quotations for...
Quality Windows, Doors, Porches,
Conservatories, Orangeries, Stained
We cover:•
Rotherham • Barnsley •
• Hope Valley
...from the leading local family business, trading for over 45 years!
We quote in writing, by post, after a
We never use pressure to sell our
No false offers or sales gimmicks.
family business.
over 45 years.
10 year guarantee
trade association.
We .
70%
through recommendations.
We work as cleanly as possible
We offer the most secure
the market.
We use German engineered REHAU
for our frames.
own decorative glass
studio.
For a FREE, No Obligation Quotation call us on 0114 281 3333
And remember... we operate a COMPLETELY pressure free service.
Call us on: 0114 281 3333
Showrooms at:

dronfield EYE
Eric Beach
D
RONFIELD Rotarians have been
saddened by the death of one of
their most popular members.
Born on 24th August, 1938, Eric Beach
passed away on 3rd, December 2020.
Eric's family wish to thank all friends
and former colleagues who have sent
cards and messages of condolence.
Staff and Ashgate Hospice and Oakhill
Medical Practice cared for Eric and the
family wish to thank them for their care
and compassion.
Eric was a much loved member of many
local organisations and was a past
president of the Rotary Club of Dronfield.
He will be very much missed for his
expertise, sense of fun and love of life.
Sad death of Tony Marron
HE Lea Brook Valley Green Team and trustees
T of the Lea Brook Valley CIO were saddened to
hear of the death in November of Tony Marron - the
inspiration behind the Lea Brook Valley Project.
Tony moved to Dronfield with his wife, Gaynor, in April,
2002, when he became minister at the Baptist Church.
He was an amateur naturalist and had a keen interest in
both nature and the environment and embraced the
opportunities Dronfield gave him to continue his hobbies
of bird watching, photography and art.
Towards the end of 2004, Churches Together in
Dronfield and District began exploring ways to become
further involved with the community. It was then that
Tony suggested that they run an environmental project
in the town in 2005, an idea which was accepted.
Tony suggested that the project could be to tidy up
and look after the Lea Brook Valley, the green corridor
which runs through the town from the Gosforth Lane/
Gosforth Drive junction through to the Oaks Christian Fellowship on Lea Road.
Tony Marron
Tony approached Norman Crowson, also a keen naturalist, environmentalist and amateur
photographer and member of Dronfield Baptist Church to help him put his idea into action. A
meeting was arranged with the Town Council who gave the project their backing and support
and the project began to take shape.
Having started as a 'one off event' for 2005, the project has gone from strength to strength
over the last 15 years and the Lea Brook Valley Project is a valuable part of local life.
On his retirement in 2008, Tony moved to Chesterfield where he became involved in various
community groups but also kept his involvement with the LBV Project, returning to Dronfield
for work days, meetings and special events. Gaynor sadly passed away soon after the couple
left Dronfield but Tony found happiness with his second wife, Annick.
For the last few years, Tony lived with prostate cancer and the disease sadly overcame him.
Tony will be greatly missed by the many groups and individuals who had the pleasure of
knowing him. He was a humble man who lived out his Christian values and was a blessing to
all who knew him. The Lea Brook Valley Project owes its existence and its success to Tony
and Norman for their vision for and faith in the project.
52

dronfield EYE
ROOFING • JOINERY • PLASTERING • ELECTRICAL WORK • UNDER FLOOR HEATING
• PLUMBING AND HEATING • BRICK & STONEWORK
Whether you require refurbishment work, an extension to add an extra room or
a complete new build, make Ashwood Construction your first and only
choice. We are a quality building company registered with the NHBC and
offer an extensive range of services for you to choose from.
Large enough
to cope, small
enough to care
No job too large
or small
If you are looking for quality builders,
look no further than Ashwood Construction
for a dedicated level of service you can trust.
Our Dronfield based team are all
highly skilled and experienced,
working hard from design to
completion to finish your project.
YOUR LOCAL AWARD WINNING CHOICE
• EXTENSIONS • LOFT CONVERSIONS
• HOUSE REFURBISHMENTS • BARN CONVERSIONS
• FITTED KITCHENS • CONSERVATORIES • SUNROOMS • ORANGERIES
www.ashwoodderbyshire.co.uk
Tel: 01246 290131 / 07957 221920
Email: ashwoodhomesltd@aol.com
Find us on Facebook
EXTENSION SPECIALISTS
WORK CARRIED OUT FROM PLANS TO COMPLETION
The complete solution
- Design, plan, build, extend
• PURPOSE MADE JOINERY • FITTED BATHROOMS & KITCHENS • EXTENSION SPECIALISTS • & MORE
Ladies, are you in desperate need
of some ‘ME’ time?
Want to have fun, keep fit and feel great?
As women we wear so
many different hats;
‘Mum’, ‘Partner’,
‘Work Colleague’
but when did you
last wear your
‘ME’ hat?
Learn how our
ONLINE ADULT
DANCE CLASSES
will leave you feeling fabulous!
Whether you’re a complete beginner or have danced before,
we have the perfect class for you!
So this New Year why not discover a New You?
If you’re Happy, everyone around you is Happy!
2 GOMERSAL LANE,
DRONFIELD, S18 1RU
(Old Doctors Surgery)
enquiries@dronfielddance.co.uk
NO JUDGEMENT AND GUARANTEED FUN!
53

dronfield EYE
We know things
are uncertain.
We’re here to help with
all of your legal needs.
family
law
residential
property
wills &
probate
business
law
employment
law
dispute
resolution
wealth
management
notary
public
accident
claims
Speak to an expert from the comfort of your own home, book your convenient virtual
appointment today by calling 01246 511 298. www.bannerjones.co.uk
Alfred
&
Dunham
Son Ltd
FUNERAL DIRECTORS
56 Snape Hill Lane
Dronfield S18 2LG
Telephone day or night
on 01246 413205 or 01246 290205
Private, caring, local family business who have lived in
and supported the surrounding districts for four generations.
• Independent, family business, Est. 1919.
• All types of funerals are catered for,
including woodland burials, religious,
non-religious.
• 24 hour service with private chapel of rest.
• Pre-payment funeral plans.
• Mercedes fleet, or alternative if requested.
• Home visits available.
• Members of the National Association
of Funeral Directors.
A personal and dignified family business that cares
54

chris fields design ltd
kitchens ~ bedrooms ~
studies
cfd
working from home
bespoke lighting features
offices and studies
kitchens and bedrooms
bespoke living spaces complete project management
Contact Chris & Jen on 01246 292155
Chris Fields Design Ltd a family business
designing for family living.
If you are considering interior refurbishments our family-run business offers a
bespoke service whatever your style.... Contact Chris & Jen on 01246 292155
Unit 8, Callywhite Business Park, Callywhite Lane, Dronfield, S18 2XP
Email chris@chrisfieldsdesign.co.uk Website www.chrisfieldsdesign.co.uk
The above images are from installations by Chris Fields Designs Ltd

dronfield EYE
Village Hall looks ahead to a Covid-free future
Peter Gray, chair of Coal Aston Village Hall
Management Committee, outlines how the local
venue is looking forward to bouncing back in 2021
A
S many people will be aware, Coal Aston Village Hall closed
under lockdown back in March last year through to late
summer when we were delighted to be able to welcome some
activity groups back for their regular sessions.
Unfortunately, these were short-lived as the Village Hall was
closed to all activities once more as the November lockdown took
effect.
Now, at the beginning of the New Year, whilst it looks as though
this latest lockdown may be in effect for some months, we do
have the growing possibility that the vaccine rollout will prove
effective.
This fills us with hope that we will be able to open the doors as
we approach the summer, enabling a return to the many regular
community and private hire activities held throughout a normal
year.
Since we closed at the first lockdown, our Management
Committee Trustees have continued to meet each month using the
Zoom system. This has enabled us to keep a firm eye on all aspects
of maintaining our Village Hall in tip-top condition, ready for use by
the community whenever that may be possible.
The hall is fully equipped and has been risk-assessed as ‘Covid
Secure Premises’. Indeed, Derbyshire County Council Health &
Safety have approved the building and our Covid Safe systems for
the return of their Adult Care team who we hope will be able to
recommence their invaluable work before too long.
We have formally offered the Village Hall to Derbyshire NHS as
a potential vaccination hub for the area with the help and
support from Lee Rowley MP. We are keen to help the vaccination
rollout and hope for a positive response. The Village Hall
offers what is felt to be an ideal location in enabling mass
vaccinations.
In anticipation of better days, we are accepting bookings for
social events beyond Spring, subject to prevailing Government
Covid regulations.
If you have a birthday, wedding, anniversary
or in fact any event in mind, please contact our administration
team on 01246 912464 or email enquiries@coalastonvillagehall.
org.uk They will be pleased to discuss any potential booking with
you.
Coal Aston Village Hall is in great shape, ready and waiting to
open the doors as soon as we are able. Please don’t hesitate to get
in touch with any queries relating to the Village Hall.
55

dronfield EYE
Above: Snowy
scene on
Dronfield’s High
Street
Left: Church
Street
Right:
Apperknowle,
looking across the
cricket field
58
Far right:
Eckington Road at
Coal Aston

dronfield EYE
New Year
brings
snowy
scenes
to S18
59

Don’t you just wish you could travel
back to the good old days?
Well now you can... and you don’t need a time machine.
Local nostalgia publication My Kind of Town will whisk you away to the
days when buses and trams were cream and blue, petrol cost two bob
a gallon and money came in pounds, shillings and pence.
My Kind of Town includes features, pictures and reminders of old
shops, pubs, cinemas, footballers, performers and local characters.
Either buy the latest copies, a selection of back issues or take out a
year’s subscription. You can order from home and we will post to you.
My Kind of Town makes the perfect gift to
cheer up any proud Sheffielder!
Single copies cost £6.99 (including postage) and
a four­issue subscription is priced at £26
Simply call 01246 416027 or visit www.heronpublications.co.uk
Do you remember
when ‘an app’ was
an afternoon
doze, ‘flattening
the curve’ meant
you were on a
diet and ‘personal
protective
equipment’ was
only worn by
batsmen?
60

WE HAVE EXPANDED!
Larger premises and new tutors!
DRONFIELD’S Callywhite Lane is home to all manner of
businesses - now it has its own music school!
Originally set up at The Forge in December, 2018, Dronfield Music
Tutition began on a small scale with just one room for teaching.
The first year proved very successful at such a great location with
fantastic facilities. But due to music tuition demand, proprietor Joe
Phipps-Pearson soon had a rather large waiting list for potential
students.
“With only one room we could obviously only teach one lesson at a
time,” said Joe. “We spent quite a few months before COVID-19
looking at properties but nothing was quite right for what we had
imagined.
“During the first lockdown we had to stop face-to-face lessons and
made one of our spare rooms into a music room for student Zoom
lessons. It was challenging at times but as time went on it got easier.”
However, at the height of last year’s lockdown, Joe and his family
were enjoying a walk through Dronfield when they discovered perfect
premises for the business to expand into.
He explained: “During one of many family walks through the
Dronfield trails we came across an empty unit on Callywhite Lane,
next to the post office, and it was perfect for what we wanted with
larger teaching rooms, a reception, kitchen, toilet and a large car
park.”
Dronfield Music Tuition reopened in the autumn after a full
refurbishment and even welcomed in new tutors. The team now
comprises Greg (piano/keyboard), Shaun (guitar/drums), Sean
(drums/keyboard), Lily B (guitar/singing) and Joe himself
(guitar/singing). There is also Lilly-May on reception/admin and Joe’s
partner, Adele, doing all the company finance/marketing.
The music school is once again, restricted to online tuition due to
the current lockdown, but once it is allowed to reopen, the spacious
new studios have some availablity and there is an offer of a free trial
for any instrument. Tutors offer expert, friendly music tuition for ages
six-plus, from beginner to advanced.
Professional tuition catered to each individual and expertly delivered
Affordable competitive pricing
Gain instrumental qualifications up to grade 8 and beyond
Work on the styles of music you enjoy playing
Learn from qualified teachers with years of industry experience
Music GCSE support available
Online tuition
The easiest and quickest way to learn an instrument
New address: Unit 1, North House, Callywhite Lane, Dronfield, S18 2XR
Contact Joe on 07809 683042 Email: info@dronfieldmusic.co.uk
Website: www.dronfieldmusic.co.uk Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

dronfield EYE
Dave’s back in the groove
As some of the UK’s restrictions on live shows
were temporarily eased towards the end of
2020, one of the first performers back on stage
was legendary Dronfield singer Dave Berry.
He talks to Dronfield Eye’s Mike Firth
W
ITH a 60-year career in the rock ‘n’ roll industry, local
performer Dave Berry thought he had seen just about
everything. And then along came the year 2020.
Twelve months ago, Dave was embarking on what he imagined
was going to be another busy year of performances, both across
the UK and on the continent. Highlights were to have been a 45-
night Sixties Gold tour of concert halls stretching all the way from
Truro to Inverness, more shows for his devoted fans in Holland and
Belgium, plus a special concert with the Liverpool Philharmonic
Orchestra.
He couldn’t have predicted that, just around the corner, the
coronavirus pandemic was looming. Neither could he have
imagined a health scare which saw him undergo heart surgery.
Almost six decades after touring the UK with The Rolling Stones
and Dusty Springfield, Dave started out 2020 in his traditional
manner with an annual show virtually on his doorstep at Coal
Aston Village Hall.
Naked
Next stop was Bournemouth for a performance which was
certainly not traditional as all the audience members were
completely naked.
“It was in a hotel and we played for a group of naturists,” recalled
Dave. “We thought to ourselves ‘Is this real?’ It certainly gave new
meaning to one of my songs, ‘Little Things’!”
As Dave and his band, The Cruisers, left the stage that night, little
did they know they had played music together for the final time for
ten months. But it wasn’t coronavirus which initially curtailed their
shows.
Dave had initially felt unwell after a walking trip to Derbyshire’s
Carsington Water reservoir and several hospital tests diagnosed an
irregular heartbeat.
A couple of stays in Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Royal
Hospital preceded a heart bypass and valve replacement operation
62
Back to the 60s with Dave and guitarists Frank Miles and Roy Barber
Dave Berry: ‘I had my operation on 26th March and
I think the lockdown began the following weekend’
at the Northern General in Sheffield, just as the hospital was
gearing up to treat the first wave of Coronavirus patients.
“Staff were working all night and it was a bit like a science fiction
film because they were all walking around in capes and masks,
preparing for Covid-19,” said Dave.
“I had my operation on 26th March and I think the lockdown
began the following weekend.”
Initially dismayed at the thought
of having to pull out of his
pre-arranged performances and
letting down both promoters
and fans, Dave soon learned that
all concerts were cancelled in
any case.
“I have always been very
enthusiastic about performing,
even after all this time, but most
of the people I work for I have
dealt with for many years and they
were very understanding. Their
reaction from the word ‘go’ was
phone calls to my home to find
out how I was.”
Gradually taking longer and longer
strolls around his Dronfield garden,
walks around Hallowes Golf
Course, then taking his cycle out
onto local trails, Dave battled back
and, two-and-a-half months after
his operation, he was feeling as
though he could perform once
again.

dronfield EYE
Dave (left) pictured here with band members Pete Cliffe, Alan Taylor, John
Riley and Frank White. Alan and Frank both sadly passed away in 2020
“I think I could write about ten books on local cycling trails;
I know just about every inch of them all - the Chesterfield
Canal Towpath, Monsal Trail, Tissington Trail, Clumber Park
and many others.
“Of course, in the interim period, as a singer you wonder ‘will
my voice last out?’ or ‘will I remember all of the words?’
Fortunately, the brain and voice appear to work together and
when I was back on stage I didn’t have to think too much
what I was doing - it was in some ways like driving a car.”
Dave and his band were back in the groove in December with
performances for guests of Warners at their holiday
complexes at Hungerford and on the Isle of Wight. With
social distancing in place, audience sizes were down on
normal,
Profession
“For an hour-and-a-quarter I went through the full set. It
was a bit rusty to begin with, but I suppose that’s the way it
would be if you were away from any profession for so long.
“Not being able to perform for ten months has made me
realise what a fabulous profession the music industry is and I
can’t explain how much I have missed it - the lifestyle, the
camaraderie and the whole rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.
“It’s been quite a year but I’m aware I’m only one of
countless people who have seen their way of life change.”
Now Dave is well and truly back where he left off a year ago.
The Sixties Gold tour has been rescheduled for later in 2021.
Joined by The Tremeloes, Herman’s Hermits, Marmalade,
Mamas & Papas, PJ Proby, The Merseybeats, Gerry’s
Pacemakers and Love Affair’s Steve Ellis, the production is
scheduled to take in Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel venue on
October 16th.
I
T’S 60 years since Dave and his initial band members
were first out performing at church halls and
community centres throughout North Derbyshire and
South Yorkshire.
His first chart hit, ‘Memphis Tennessee’, arrived in 1963,
followed by ‘My Baby Left Me’, ‘Baby It’s You’, ‘The Crying
Game’, ‘One Heart Between Two’, ‘Little Things’ and ‘Mama’.
In addition to his popularity in the UK, Dave also became a
big star on the continent and his recording of ‘This Strange
Effect’ - written for him by Ray Davies of The Kinks - was an
all-time best-seller in Holland and Belgium.
K
EEP an eye on your TV screens for a documentary on
Dave and his career.
Produced by ex-Chesterfield College student Kai Undrell,
the film provides a closer look at Dave’s contribution to the
British music scene of the 1960s. It includes in-depth
interviews with friends and fellow musicians.
D
AVE was saddened in the past year to see two of his
former Cruisers colleagues pass away.
Alan Taylor was one of his original band members and
Frank White was recognised as one of the UK’s leading
guitarists.
Another close friend of Dave’s from the 1960s pop scene
who died in 2020 was Wayne Fontana.
63

Visit our online shop at
www.sincerityonline.co.uk

Andrew Hassall tells of how a
local dream of utopia was
perhaps always destined to fail
dronfield EYE
What went wrong in Paradise?
A
COMMUNE in Totley? Most unlikely. At
Mickley Lane - less than a mile from
Dronfield Woodhouse? I had to find out
more. Long-haired hippies chilling out? Not
quite. Perhaps a religious cult?
Actually, no, but the truth is no less bizarre.
The land colony was in fact founded by John
Ruskin, that intellectual Titan of the Victorian
Age. So what was he up to in the area?
In 1871, Ruskin as a visionary and social
reformer, established the Guild of St George.
For him, this was a means of transforming an
ugly and corrupt Britain into a place of beauty
and justice. His utopian vision involved
working the land and encouraging traditional
crafts.
So, in 1877, an area of 13 acres was bought
in Totley by the Guild of St George. The land
was first used as allotments for a group of Sheffield workmen.
Then it was run as a land colony with around 12 members. A
commune.
So what could go wrong in Paradise? Quite a lot actually. Bad
weather, poor soil, lack of machinery and expertise for starters.
The installation of William Harrison Riley as the head of the
scheme also proved hugely unpopular. It was back-breaking toil
day after day. The same faces day after day. The daily grind.
Arguments and disagreements became inevitable. And with
emphasis on moral improvement, life must have been dull. Enough
to turn a man to drink - that is, if alcohol had not been prohibited.
So, like many such schemes, the Totley Commune was not quite
the life of Riley. The reality scuppered the dream. In a short time
too.
Perhaps, it was always destined to fail. However, on those 13
Totley acres, on those green and pleasant slopes, in summer
meadows redolent of Paradise, or when a pale winter moon rises
above the distant moor, it is impossible not to think about those
brave pioneers and the crazy vision of Utopia they pursued.
Perhaps their legacy is more important. Ecology, self-sufficiency
and sustainability have never been hotter subjects. The fight for
space, silence and solitude has never been so intense. The debate
over land use, urban sprawl and mental health still rages. And,
perhaps, the Green Belt might prove to be our most valuable gift to
future generations and proof that John Ruskin was ahead of the
game after all.
Christmas trees brought
much-needed cheer
Dear Dronfield Eye,
ON behalf of myself, our neighbours here in Dronfield
Woodhouse, FoDS members and users of the station, I
would like to express my appreciation for the Christmas
Trees which the Town Council provided in key locations
around the town.
This has really helped to 'cheer us up' in a Christmas period like
no other we have ever experienced. The one on Carr Lane was
visible from our house, so we have really been able to appreciate it
at a personal level. Excellent project and very much valued.
Let's hope and trust that 2021 will be much much better!
Dr Peter Hayward, Chairman, Friends of Dronfield Station
St George’s
Farm is a
reminder of a
19th century
rural dream
Roz’s Groups Are Open!
Same amazing Food Optimising Plan, same
motivation, same friendship and support and still
providing the very best weight loss help you can trust
… all from the comfort of your home.
Slimming World At Home With Roz
Get in touch to find out how to join
Tel: 07837784415
Email: roznewton@hotmail.co.uk
Facebook Page: Roz Slimming World Chesterfield & Dronfield
Your Private
Facebook
Group
Access
to the
Scanner
Daily
Food
Tracker
Website,
App
& Shop
Support from me
your Consultant
Access to Online
Group Sessions
65

Why we trust our
advertising to
HERON PUBLICATIONS
1st Call Gas, established for 22
years, have a strong reputation as
fully-qualified and accredited gas,
plumbing and central heating
engineers.
Heron Publications has helped to
establish a healthy client base in and around S18 and the company is
now advertising in the Sheffield 8 area through Active8.
Director Leon Stones said the response to advertisements and
customer testimonials had improved, month on month, with the
return from each issue of Dronfield Eye now bringing in between
£15,000 to £30,000 worth of business.
He said Dronfield Eye readers felt reassured by recommendations
from happy 1st Call Gas customers, alongside the company’s long
record and premises, as highlighted in advertisements.
Two members of the engineering team live in Dronfield so the
magazine is a natural fit.
Leon praised the professionalism and friendly service from
members of the Heron Publications team.
He said: “Sales manager Emily is spot-on and great to deal with and
we get better pages than with other publications for a very
competitive price.”
Barber David Vandenbosch
turned to Dronfield Eye to let
clients old and new know that
he had moved to a new
location.
David announced his move to
Edward’s Barbershop, on
Chesterfield Road, after ten years
working at an establishment on Dronfield’s High Street.
The advertisement sales manager Emily Hill and director Helen
Firth created for David, after understanding his requirements, had a
good response - important after lockdown.
He said: “Overall, it was brilliant. I gave them an idea of what I
wanted in my ad and they put it together. It was placed on a good
page and got noticed.
“Because Dronfield Eye goes to every household you know the
magazine gets seen, and it also sticks around in waiting rooms and
coffee shops. It worked really well for me. I was well chuffed with
it! I’m going to be advertising again soon.”
David has 19 years’ experience in modern and traditional
barbering techniques.
Easy Living Landscaping
Family-run A61 Bathrooms Ltd, based
on Woodseats’ Chesterfield Road,
have been advertising with Heron
Publications since the business started,
firstly in Active8 and then also in
Dronfield Eye.
Proprietors Craig Leighton and son
Stephen say they have used other local
publications but now only advertise with
Heron Publications due to the
“unbelievable” level of phone calls and
enquiries they get following their
customer testimonial advertisements
being published.
Craig said the format was popular and
some of their customers even request to
feature in the magazines.
Craig commented: “The vast majority of
work we get is from Active8 and Dronfield
Eye magazines. Everyone who lives in
these areas puts a lot of onus on the
magazines.
“We’ve always found Heron Publications
staff absolutely perfect to deal with and I
would recommend others advertise in
their magazines – but regularly, not just as
a one-off.”
A61 designs, supplies and fits bathrooms
to suit all budgets and has over 25 years’
experience in the industry.
Wayne Cutts is an experienced business
owner who believes in local advertising.
Wayne has recently utilised Twist and
Dronfield Eye to target the customer
demographic for his business, Easy Living
Landscaping.
It has paid off in spades – so far
generating a total of £25,000 worth of new
work for his team.
He said: “I’m always busy but the adverts
have helped get the business into new
areas.
“You then start to pick up more work
through people seeing your signage and
vehicles and tying it up with the advert, and
also through word of mouth.”
Easy Living Landscaping offers customers
a complete new
garden or land design service through to a
regular maintenance programme, including
soft and hard landscaping, driveways,
decking and fencing and water features.
Wayne added that he has found the
magazine company’s own design service to
be good.
Heron Publications carefully deliver their magazines to 51,800 homes in north Derbyshire and south Sheffield.
To discover how they can help boost your business, call 01246 416027 or email info@heronpublications.co.uk

Why we trust our
advertising to
HERON PUBLICATIONS
Plumbing and central heating company
Ignite Gas have advertised for a while
in the popular business card section
found at the back of the magazines.
Earlier this year, like other firms
affected by current economic challenges,
they decided to step up their marketing
and place full-page advertisements in
Dronfield Eye and Active 8 magazines.
The family-run company, established in
2008, is based in Dronfield and
Meersbrook, and the campaign has
helped them to reach customers in their
core areas.
Owner Craig Johnson said: “It has
worked really well for us during difficult
circumstances. We ran an offer and we
got calls from people saying they’d found
us through the advert. It’s helped us to
get our name out there.”
Craig added he had found the staff at
Heron Publications great to deal with.
Ignite Gas’s team of experts offer the
full range of services related to
installation, maintenance and repair of
central heating, plumbing and boiler and
combi systems.
Fireplace Factory is a big advocate of
local magazine advertising and its
products and services have appeared
in the pages of Active8 and Dronfield
Eye for more than 15 years.
The independent company, off Abbeydale Road in Sheffield, began as a manufacturing
business way back in 1982 and opened its retail showroom in the mid-1990s. Right
now, it is enjoying one of its busiest ever spells with co-owner David Payne saying they
have completed three months of work inside the past six weeks.
“We’ve enjoyed an avalanche of business,” he said.
“The Heron Publications magazines have really helped us over the years; we have
always done great business from our advertising. Their distribution can be relied upon
and it is also good that the company has affiliations with such as the Town Council in
Dronfield.
“When lockdown arrived and some magazines had to be published online, Heron
Publications supported us by getting our advertising message out there free of charge.
We were not getting that from anyone else.”
Fireplace Factory is delighted to have been one of the first businesses to feature in our
new loyalty card schemes - another free service to businesses.
“Lots of people have flagged that up and shown us their cards when they have visited
us and it proves that they are reading the magazines,” added David. “It’s a great idea
which brings together the magazine, its readers and local businesses in a positive
manner.”
Active8 is delivered to homes
throughout Sheffield’s S8 postcode.
Dronfield Eye is carefully distributed
throughout Dronfield and its
surrounding S18 villages.
Twist reaches 15,500 letter-boxes
in Chesterfield.
Wings is distributed to Wingerworth,
Tupton and Ashover.
Dronfield’s Maxine and Neil Hayter, directors of
Bespoke Blinds & Poles, are long-standing clients of
Heron Publications and in fact were neighbours when
the magazine company had offices in Beauchief.
Their advertisements are a regular feature of Active8
and the business has now begun showcasing its highquality
products and expertise in the pages of Dronfield
Eye, also to good effect.
Maxine said the impact of advertising had been even more significant over recent months
as people recognised the value of community magazines and local businesses.
The fact that Heron Publications kept publishing online versions of its titles during
lockdown, at no cost to long-standing advertisers, was especially appreciated by the
Hayters.
Maxine said: “I think, this year, people have had a chance to re-evaluate what’s important
to them and it has shown a sense of community is still there.
“The fact Heron Publications kept going is really appreciated by us as advertisers. We’re
reaping the benefits more than ever. However, we also appreciate it as members of the
community. Little things like the ‘Picture of the Day’ on Facebook meant a lot.”
The Bespoke Blinds & Poles Showroom, on Hutcliffe Wood Road, has recently celebrated its
13th anniversary and has just undergone a major refurbishment.
Family-run Lords Roofing &
Sons Ltd is a regular advertiser
in our Wings publication.
Liam Anderson, who co-owns the
business with his wife, is a “local
lad” who really appreciates the
fact Wings is local magazine,
serving Wingerworth and the
surrounding area.
Of the service provided by
members of the Heron
Publications sales and design
team, Liam said: “Everyone I have
dealt with has been really nice
and professional and goes out of
their way to help me out.
“They always do what they
promise at a reasonable price and
it’s good for business.”
Lords has over 20 years’
experience covering all aspects of
roofing to a high standard.
Their services include re-roofs,
repairs, fascias, soffits, and
guttering, and roof cleaning and
they are specialists in flat roofs
and chimneys.
Heron Publications is an independent, family-run business which has been established for more than 18 years.
To discover how they can help boost your business, call 01246 416027 or email info@heronpublications.co.uk
67

Garage
Utility
RWP
Kitchen
Dining
Bathroom
CL -155
IL -375
Lounge
FFL 000
Study
Bedroom
Bedroom
Bedroom
RWP
SVP
RWP
CL -310
IL -630
DRONFIELD DOMESTIC
CLEANING
CALL 07972 934768
Friendly, professional service
One off cleans to regular visits
Zolec
ELectrical Solutions
(Inspection & Testing)
Karl Singleton
zolecelectrical@gmail.com
tel: 01246 410746
mob: 0789 9990838
Based in Dronfield
Domestic • Commercial • Heavy Industry
Testing For Insurance • Landlords • Property Purchase
Emergency Lighting • Fire Alarms • PAT Testing
EV Points • All Electrical Work Considered
30 Years Electrical Experience
We are a small local family
run business offering a
friendly high quality service
We individually manufacture,
supply & fit:
Kitchen Work Surfaces
Vanity Tops
Fire Surrounds & Hearths
General Stonemasonry
Visit: www.chesterfieldgranite.co.uk
Email: info@chesterfieldgranite.co.uk
Call: Tim 07712 126768
www.A1roofinguk.co.uk
Established, family-run business with over 20 years experience.
Complete range of roofing and roofline services including:
• Roof replacements
• Chimney repairs/rebuilds
• Flat roofs
• Roof cleaning
• EPDM
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• Rubber flat roofs
• Exterior painting
• Roof repairs
• Lead work
Swift House, High Street, Staveley, Chesterfield, S43 3UX
T 01246 888850 M 07428 809 656 A1roofing122@gmail.com
M 07967362225
W jmkconsultancy.co.uk
E james.kemp@jmkconsultancy.co.uk
A
A
CITY GARAGE DOORS
Over 15 years experience
Free phone
0800 2461191
Land line
01246 912102
Electric operators
fitted to existing
doors from £295
www.citygaragedoorservices.co.uk
E: sales@citygaragedoorservices.co.uk
All major manufacturers available:
INSTALLATION AND REPAIRS
EVENING/WEEKEND SURVEYS
EMERGENCY CALL OUTS
AUTOMATION
FREE
no obligation
on site survey
& quote
Established 1993
• Building and joinery
• Extensions
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• General home improvements
• All trades catered for
• Trusted trader
• Fully insured
• References available
• Dronfield based company
Tel: 01246 290131 Mob: 07957 221920
www.ashwoodderbyshire.co.uk

VOLKSWAGEN, AUDI, SEAT & SKODA SPECIALISTS
FREE
COLLECTION
& DELIVERY
SERVICE
LOVE YOUR LOFT
HIGH QUALITY - FIXED PRICES - FULLY INSURED
Loft ladders and hatches
supplied and fitted from £170
Other packages and
upgrades available
BARGAIN BUSTER
9 sqm flooring, ladder, hinged
hatch and light only £495
Mobile: 07517 437302 Freephone: 0800 0855 322
www.loveyourloft.co.uk
SERVICE, REPAIR & FULL DIAGNOSTICS
BY EX-MAIN DEALER TECHNICIANS
OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE
MOT TESTS
CAMBELTS FITTED
16 HUNTER PARK CALLYWHITE LANE
DRONFIELD S18 2XR 01246 292 756
FREE
ADVICE
&
QUOTES
LUMLEC
Electrical
All aspects of electrical and
security system works undertaken
Sam Lumley sam@lumlec.co.uk
01246 518206 71 Coniston Road
07530 903259
Dronfield
The Cleaning
Centre
Greendale Laundrette
and Dry Cleaners
Self service or service wash
Friendly, highly trained staff
Specialist Cleaners of
Quilts, Leather, Ugg Boots,
Down Jackets, Sleeping Bags,
Hairdresser’s Towels, Football Kits
Free car parking
ECO-FRIENDLY
DRY CLEANING
01246 418172
Greendale Shopping Centre, Green Lane, Dronfield
Dronfield and area
Professional Carpet Cleaning
Part of The Cleaning Centre
Superior cleaning of carpets and upholstery
Deep cleaning with no soaking - Over 30 years experience
Fully insured and highly trained - A good honest family firm
Call 01246 418250 and ask for Shaun Ashmore
Lee Dickson
Plastering and
Painting Services
Free Quotations
Mob: 07917 445092
email: lennono1980@hotmail.co.uk
Bradway
Plumbing
Services
From a garden tap to a full
kitchen or bathroom fitting
M - 07899 793657
T - 0114 2360117
No call out fee
No job too small
Free estimates
NIGEL’S HEDGE & CONIFER SERVICES
• HEDGES TRIMMED
• CONIFERS TRIMMED
• CONIFERS TOPPED • WEEDING
• SUPPLY & FIT FENCING
• REGULAR GRASS & GARDEN
MAINTENANCE
• OVER 7 YEARS EXPERIENCE -
• NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL
I highly recommend - very reasonable and very obliging!
John & Di Whitehead, Dronfield Woodhouse
Call Nigel or Gav on 07718 983155 for your free quote

OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE
ALL BATHROOM & KITCHEN WORK
CENTRAL HEATING WORK
SMALL JOBS UNDERTAKEN
FOR A PROFESSIONAL JOB
WHERE QUALITY COUNTS
FREE ESTIMATES
FULLY INSURED
CLEAN & RELIABLE
CUSTOMER RECOMMENDATIONS AVAILABLE
01246 411987 or 07816 867959
ECKINGTON ROAD, COAL ASTON, DRONFIELD, DERBYSHIRE S18 3AW
Dronfield Landscapes
Private & Commercial Contracts
Trees, Hedges, Fencing, Turfing, Lawns
Mowed, Garden Maintenance,
Seasoned Log Sales
Fully Insured, All work to BS3998
Waste carrier licence
Chris: 07976072785
Richard: 07789497104
richard.jbc@hotmail.co.uk
Hazelbarrow Farm, Norton, Sheffield S8 8BA
Services:
Full/part rewires
Extensions
Extra sockets/lights
Fault finding
Testing
TOP DOGUE ELECTRICS
Domestic & Commercial
Electrical Services
01246 628151
07799975910
www.topdogue.com
SafeNet Alarms Ltd
Family Business - 20 years of Experience
Norton based Tree Surgeons
providing all tree and garden
services.
Fully insured, qualified and
experienced.
07462 318937
01246 290860
leestreesandgardenservices@gmail.com
Facebook.com/LeesTreesandGardenServices
ELECTRIC VEHICLE
CHARGE POINT
APPROVED INSTALLERS
Charge point installations for
homes, workplaces & public spaces
Design, supply and maintenance
SAVE UP TO £500 on charge
point installations with the OLEV
Homecharge Scheme*.
Call us on 01246 291 404
or 07795 215853
*Subject to certain criteria.
Email enquiries@rapidev.co.uk Website www.rapidev.co.uk
Dronfield's longest established body repair centre
Collection and delivery service available
Insurance excess reduction scheme
Minor to major repairs, inc scuffs and scrapes
Pro Plumb
Boiler Service from £55
Easy Book online or call
● New boilers comes with 10-12 years Guarantee
● Free Quotes ● Boiler Repairs ● Toilet / Taps
● Heang ● Bathroom installaon including ling
● Boiler cover plans pay monthly ● Flushing
01246 206010
Manufacturer
approved
Unit 1 + 2, Callywhite Lane, Dronfield, Sheffield S18 2XP
Tel: 01246 292261 www.europacrashcentre.co.uk
See our reviews or book www.proplumb.info
205728

Stewart Elliott
Bodyworks
Specialists in:
• metallic & solid colour
merging • Repairs • Scratches
*FREE
ESTIMATES*
Unit 3, Bath Works, Mill Lane
Dronfield S18 2XL
T e l : 0 1 2 4 6 4 1 2 8 1 8
DG TV & AERIAL SERVICES
TV, DAB AND FM AERIAL INSTALLATIONS
DIGITAL INSTALLATIONS AND REPAIRS
SATELLITE REPAIRS
FREESAT INSTALLATIONS
EXTRA TV POINTS
Qualified Engineer
10% OAP DISCOUNT - FREE CALL OUT
All Work Guaranteed, No VAT
CHANNELS MISSING? PICTURE BREAKING UP?
TEL: DARREN ON 01246 590756
MOB: 07785 568368
www.dgtvandaerials.co.uk
CALL NOW FOR
A FREE QUOTE
ROB
07735 092433
DAN
07842 155075
greengianttreecare15@gmail.com
FREE MEASURING & QUOTATIONS - RELIABLE SERVICE
IMPARTIAL ADVICE - EXPERIENCED SHOWROOM STAFF
EXPERT FITTING - 1000S OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
FLOORING DRONFIELD SINCE 2006
46 Sandygate Road, Sheffield, S10 5RY
0114 2669888
phdecorating@btinternet.com
paulhobsondecorating.com
Paul Hobson Decorating
established 1995
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
Accounts & Tax Returns for sole traders,
partnerships & limited companies
Self Assessment Tax Returns
New business start ups
General tax planning & advice
35 SALISBURY ROAD, DRONFIELD
DERBYSHIRE S18 1UG TEL/FAX: 01246 290261
E-mail: info@johndanson.co.uk
AM Painting & Decorating
of Dronfield
Are you looking to change or update
your home or business decoration?
Friendly, reliable, quality service
Internal & external work
Multi-room discounts
Free quotations available
Contact Alex on
07827 966365/01246 917631

SPECIAL OFFER
Tongue &
Groove Shed
£299! (delivered
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PROCHECK
ELECTRICAL
Services we provide include:
Full & partial rewires
Periodic Inspections / Landlords Reports
Refurbishments
Fire Alarm testing / Repairs
Member no.
22370
119 Holmley Lane,
Dronfield S18 2HQ
info@procheckelectrical.com
For any electrical work
needed, call for a free quote:
07843 053584
07795 215853
01246 291404
Town & County
Decorators
Quality interior and exterior
commercial and domestic
painter and decorator
Over 20 years experience
Phone Steve on 07532 131150
Dronfield’s No.1
Valley Airport Services
est.14 years
Now offering a 9 seater mini bus
Dronfield’s largest airport service
Friendly - Reliable - Prompt
01246 291147
07958 370979
Start your holiday off with a smile!
JOHN TOMLIN
PLUMBING & HEATING
25 years experience, City and Guilds qualified
Taps, toilets, radiators, sinks, tanks,
showers, leaks, bathrooms & tiling
NO JOB TOO SMALL
Call John on: 07583156305
PEAK FENCING & SURFACING
www.peakfencingandsurfacing.co.uk
BESPOKE FENCING - SECURITY GATES
REAL GRASS TURF - ARTIFICIAL GRASS - STONE PAVING
LUSH
& GREEN
ALL YEAR
ROUND
ARTIFICIAL GRASS
MAINTENANCE FREE
NO WEEDING
NO WATERING
NO CUTTING
FREE QUOTES
25YRS EXPERIENCE
0114 4186798 01246 470192
07507 271773 07787 192136
email peakfencingandsurfacing@gmx.co.uk
FOLLOWING
ALL
GOVERNMENT
GUIDELINES
PRINTER SERVICE & REPAIRS
HOME VISITS AVAILABLE
• Fast and efficient
• 24 hour helpline & call out
• No obligation free quote
• New or refurbished equipment available
• Over 30 years experience
Tel: 01246 291 729
Mob: 07939 962946
Email: glenn@startkey.co.uk
www.officeequipmentrepairs.co.uk
smarter electrics
Video Doorbells
Thermostats
Smart Lights & Audio
Cameras & CCTV
Smoke Alarms
Domesc Electrics
Local Business working in Dronfield and Surrounding Area to Deliver Smarter and Secure
Homes. Please call or email for a FREE Quote.
tel : 07917 624977
www.smarterelectrics.co.uk
dan@smarterelectrics.co.uk

Electrician
Fully Insured
Rewires
Mains Boards
Outdoor Power
New Builds
Extensions
Fault Finding
CCTV
Free Estimates
Working safely during COVID-19
watson
electrical
M 07717 030367 T 01246 859722
www.watsonelectrics.co.uk
DRONFIELD FELT ROOFING
Built up felt roofing, garages, porches,
extensions etc.
All work guaranteed. FREE estimates.
Gutters cleaned, repaired, replaced.
Storm damage, insurance work, ridge tiles
replaced, slates and tiles replaced. NO VAT
Tel: 0114 2472476
Mobile: 07932612472
Dale Montague
Electrical LTD
DOMESTIC • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL
PAT TESTING • INSPECTION & TESTING • MAINTENANCE
Certified for Electrical Vehicle Charging Points
Part of the Government Grant Scheme
T 01246 453094
M 07891 217981
E Dalemontagueelectrical@outlook.com
www.DME-LTD.co.uk
D.S.M-PROPERTY SERVICES
Qualified bricklayer with over 20 years
experience - No job too small
Brickwork
Paving
Pointing
Patios
Guttering
Plastering
Roof Repairs Kitchen & Bathroom Tiling
Wrought Iron Railings & Gates
Contact Dave on
07896070810 or 01246 419445
Jo Goddard Reflexology
Clinical Reflexologist
Do you suffer from DIGESTIVE
PROBLEMS; HORMONAL ISSUES;
ACHING JOINTS AND MUSCLES plus
MANY OTHER HEALTH CONCERN?
Reflexology could be your answer!
A safe, gentle treatment that helps
to balance the body and mind.
Mobile - 07930420776
Email - jojomirri@gmail.com
I AM ALSO AN
APPROVED RLD
PRACTITIONER

Alfa Gas Services Ltd
Heating and Plumbing Engineer
Highly experienced ex British Gas engineer, specialising
in boiler fault finding, diagnostics and system design.
Boiler servicing and repairs
Central heating
Power flushing
Plumbing
Dave Arnill - 07751399675
info@alfagasservices.co.uk
www.alfagasservices.co.uk
Gas safety checks
Landlord certificates
Cooker and fire servicing
Gas leak detection
Professional, friendly and affordable
Repairs, fixing doors, curtain rails
All UPVC windows, doors, dry verge, fascias, soffitts
Fencing, driveways, walls, drainage, hedges/trees
Roof repairs, ridge tiles, felt roofs
Complete bathroom, plumbing, tiling, floors
Free estimates - All work guaranteed
Daytime
07966 577104
GEM
CLEANING SERVICES
- Windows
- Conservatory Roofs
- PVC Guttering
- Cladding
- Fascias and Soffits
Cleaned
No job
too small
Tel
07717
053993
jim.cosgrove28@gmail.com
• 10 Years Experience
• Full Packing Service
• Dismantle and Rebuild Service
• Local/Long Distance
• Storage Facilities
• Full/Part Removals
• House Clearances
Internal Vehicle Measurements
19ft 5” long, 7ft 9” high, 7ft 4” wide
Tel: Craig
on 0114 274 5229
or 07802 752429
fireblade1762@gmail.com
www.davisremovals.co.uk
X
Y
Z
MJM
PLANNING
CONSULTANCY
: Planning permission plans.
: Planning appeals handled.
: Building regulation drawings.
: Architectural services.
Tel 01246 466407 or 07340588419
info@mjmplanningconsultancy.co.uk
www.mjmplanningconsultancy.co.uk
Internal Joinery Specialist
Kitchens - Storage Solutions - Balustrading
Doors - Flooring - Skirting - Stud Work
All aspects of Joinery - No job too small!
NATHAN TAYLOR 07795 966240

100 per cent recommendation
When it comes to home improvement projects, professional workmanship and the quality
of products is always important.
But quite often, what makes all the difference, is good old-fashioned customer service.
Local business Layers always strive to put in that extra bit of effort and it’s something
which is always appreciated.
Dronfield resident, Nora Stewart, wanted to replace the 16-year-old carpet that ran
throughout her downstairs living room and dining area, hall and downstairs toilet,
together with the stairs and landing.
After sadly being widowed, Nora has found appointing companies for work quite
daunting, however she warmed to Layers’ Richard from the first point of contact.
In fact she feels the whole Layers team “looked after her, every step of the way” and
took a lot of anxiety out of the choices she had to make.
She said the fitters, Carl and Andy, were “a pleasure to have in my home” and far
exceeded what she’d hoped for.
They moved heavy furniture in order for the floor covering to be laid and carefully took
measurements so pieces could be placed exactly where they had stood before.
Nora chose a good quality wool twist carpet with grey berber fleck to compliment the
grey colour scheme in her home.
Summing up the project, she said: “I feel we need to support local businesses more than
ever. I am delighted at the finished result and I can 100 per cent recommend Layers.”
Layers don't let anything get in the way of your new flooring and are happy to help with
uplifting and disposing of old floor covering and moving and replacing furniture. They can
also help with trimming and rehanging doors, attending to squeaky floorboards and also
refitting or replacing your skirting boards. Even removing and replacing your WC, sink or
bath is no issue if it means getting that perfect finish.
Landing
Stairs
Dining Room
FREE MEASURING - FREE QUOTATIONS - RELIABLE SERVICE - EXPERT FITTING
IMPARTIAL ADVICE EXPERIENCED STAFF - 1000S OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
Layers, 46 Sandygate Road, Sheffield, S10 5RY 0114 2669888
COVID LOCKDOWN NOTICE – Whilst in your home home abide by all the recommended procedures and guidance.
Our estimator and fitters will arrive with mask and gloves and socially distance as much as your household allows.

29 Chesterfield Road, S18 2XA
dronfield@whitegates.co.uk
01246 291 330 *Terms and conditions apply