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September 2010 Newsletter

Annual General Meeting
Old Dronfield Society Meetings
Tea and Coffee
The New Dronfield Heritage Trails Booklets
Exhibition: Old Dronfield and District Celebrations
Family History
Donations
Sadly Missed
Sheffield Assay Office Visit
Review of Past Activities

September is here again and with it comes the new season of meetings at the ODS. We hope you all had an enjoyable summer and that this winter will be a good one!

Annual General Meeting

At the AGM held on 22 April the officers and committee members (shown above) were elected for a further year. Barbara Jones has also agreed to be on the committee for another year. We still need new faces on the committee and this year we hope some of you will kindly volunteer. We would like fresh ideas and more members actively helping either on the committee or having a smaller role in keeping the ODS alive.

Without your help the society may not survive as the same committee members will at some time wish to leave the committee or at least take a break. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Old Dronfield Society Meetings

Our meetings for the next few months:

23 Sept Discovering the alleyways and passageways of Derbyshire - Godfrey Holmes

25 Nov The new Dronfield heritage trails - Ann Brown

9 Dec An Elizabethan wardrobe revealed -Maureen Taylor

All meetings take place at 7.30 p.m. in the Edward Lucas Hall of the Peel Centre which is accessible by stair lift via the fire escape stairs to the left of the main entrance. Please ask a committee member for access either before or at the meeting. If you require transport to attend the meetings, please contact a committee member.

Tea and Coffee

We would like to have a rota for tea/coffee at our meetings so that the same members and committee members do not have to do the job month after month without a break. You will be shown how the urn works and where everything else is in the kitchen and certainly not left on your own when you volunteer! Please help. Thank you.

The New Dronfield Heritage Trails Booklets

We only have a few weeks to Christmas so at our next meetings don't forget to buy copies of the booklets as presents for friends and family. At £5.00 the booklets are just the right price for a gift!

Exhibition: Old Dronfield and District Celebrations

On 3-4 July we had a very good turnout and had a positive feed back from visitors and members on both days. A big "thank you" to Ann Brown, committee members', and all who helped make the exhibition a success. There is a vast amount of preparation before an exhibition as Ann well knows.

Pat Mooney baked her scones and these were as good as ever!

We were told that in a cupboard in the Peel Centre there is another Church banner (Wesleyan) and we will be searching for it soon.

There won't be an exhibition next year, but one will be held in 2012.

Family History

We also need help on family history as our web-site frequently receives enquiries. Even though we are not a family history society we always try to answer any requests. If you can spare a little of your time please see Jean Kendal who will be able to give you details.

Donations

We received a cheque for £50.00 for the society from "Churches together in Dronfield & District" relating to the Feast of Flowers. The cheque was very much appreciated.

Sadly Missed

We are sad to announce the deaths earlier this year of John Potts, our auditor, and Alan Littler a member who died in far away Australia. John and Alan will be missed very much by their friends at the ODS.

Sheffield Assay Office Visit

We are proposing to visit the Sheffield Assay office on the 27 January 2011 (10am to 12.30pm). The visit will cost £10.00 a person. Transport will not be provided, but there is free parking and also public transport. For your information the address of the Sheffield Assay office is Guardians' Hall, Beulah Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield S6 2AN. The phone number is 0114 2312121. E-mail hospitality@assayoffice.co.uk.

Review of Past Activities

On the 22 April, after the AGM, we had an entertaining talk by Peter Wild about the Chesterfield canal which was enjoyed by all. The Chesterfield Canal Trust is dedicated to restore and promote the canal and to transform the environment after years of neglect. New life will be injected into a new Canal Quarter at Chesterfield with projects which will consist of flats, bars, cafes, new public open spaces and informal events areas. All this is being achieved from grants, organisations, and sheer hard work from dedicated volunteers.

Lyn Pardo Roques informed the society about the Spital area of Chesterfield on the 27 May. Spital is situated to the east of the town and, today, consists of only about 10-15 streets with the main road being Spital Lane. Spital or Spittal was the name given to an area which supported a hospital or refuge for the sick and needy who usually had contagious diseases such as leprosy. It is thought that lepers were looked after here. Spital cemetery opened in 1857 to serve local communities of Brimington and Tapton. It was interesting to find out about an area where little is known.