Matlock Bath Recovering from the Summer

After all the bad weather that we have had, the shops in Matlock Bath have had a pretty rough summer. However the weather has picked up a bit now and I found people in good cheer when I went around the shops today
I was replenishing stocks of the cards advertising the free cash machine in the side of the Pavilion. We are now seeing about 200 extra uses of the machine each week, when compared with last year.
The old Methodist Church is now hosting a great market on many weekends, good stalls and lots of customers! Well done Aiden and Jules.
Gregor

Bonsall & Brassington Carnivals

We did Bonsall and Brassington today. It was a lovely day but a bit windy, so the stand was a problem. We did not sign up many new members (4) as in Bonsall we have already signed up so many of the residents and the Brassington Carnival was more of a pop festival than a carnival. We don't do well at pop festivals!
Gregor
N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd
See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &
Support out vision: http://www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk/

Petition Against Parking Charges in Matlock Bath

Sheffield Motorcycle Centre, one of the many groups that are opposed to parking charges for using Matlock Bath’s streets, have started the online petition against the Derbyshire County Council parking charges plan.
The petition is on the approved Derbyshire County Council petition website. It requires 7,500 signatures to force a re-think, which could keep parking free on Matlock Bath’s North and South parades.
If you are opposed to charges for parking on Matlock Bath Streets, then sign the petition.
Gregor
N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd
See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &
Support out vision: http://www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk/

Work on the Grand Pavilion Windows

As you can see there has been a dramatic improvement in the condition of this window! We've not finished yet as there is the rest of this window to undercoat and another layer of undercoat to put on yet. That is before the gloss that will finish the job.
This work is carrying on over the summer so that by the time we get to the winter we will have a Pavilion ready to meet the elements. Each week is led by a qualified builder and people volunteer to help on Saturdays from 10am for a few hours.
If you wild like to help please contact me.
Gregor
N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd
See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &
Support out vision: www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk

The Grand Pavilion Stall at the "Sheldon Day"

For the second year running we appeared at the Sheldon Day. It was a lovely day and again we had good weather. The carnival had more people than last year if I can remember it well enough from last year.

I was there with the stall and I talked to an enormous number of people. There were more people who know about what we were trying to do but amazingly many who knew nothing about our plans for the Grand Pavilion. I got 8 forms completed, but since that included seven individual memberships that only accounted for nine new members. That was however two better than last year, when I think I signed up seven in total.

Good work was done in painting the windows on the ground floor, I will do a Blog posting about that tomorrow.

Gregor

N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd

See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &

Support out vision: www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk

 

 

District Councils Network

I have just spoken to the District Councils Network in their conference to discuss the Localism Act. I spoke about the Grand Pavilion project and how we were able to make some progress even before the act was passed.

The other speakers gave a view of the different aspects of the act and how local community groups can take advantage of it. Matthew West spoke from the Department of Communities and Local Government. Leslie Silverlock gave a presentation on community politics in Somerset. Liam Scott Smith, Head of External Affairs of the DCA spoke about the changes that will occur in the relationship between Central Government, Local Government and people at large.

So often the problem with local councils is one of a number of different departments being required to work together to make a particular project successful.

Gregor

N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd

See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &

Support out vision: www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk

 

Fishpond Choir

A lovely evening was had by all at St Mary's Church in Cromford! We had a audience of around 100 for the Fishpond Choir and they put on a fantastic show for us. There were classical pieces like Vincenzo Bellini's "Il Fervido Desiderio" through to popular songs such as "La Bamba".
The choir came back for no less than three encores and finished with a reprise of "La Bamba", with the whole audience clapping in tune with the music.
We will definitely book the Fishpond Choir for one of the early nights after The Grand Pavilion re-opens.
Gregor
N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd
See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &
Support out vision: www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk


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Ambergate Carnival

This weekend Friends Group volunteers managed to cover Ambergate, Birchover and Youlgreave Carnivals!
We had two volunteers at each, except Ambergate; which I covered alone. I had rain at the end of the event, which is always a problem as people don't get a chance to re-visit and join up. But Birchover had a clear afternoon and a great time was had by all. In Youlgreave the event had some rain but was a success for The Grand Pavilion stall. I had left the gazebo at Birchover, I could have done with it in Ambergate!
In all we signed up 13 members, but there was a lot of interest and we should double that in the next few days, with membership forms being posted back to us.
There was also a lot of interest and we hope to make contact with the people who left their details.
Gregor
N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd
See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &
Support out vision: www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk

Fishpond Choir to appear for The Grand Pavilion

The well known Fishpond Choir are to appear in St Mary’s Church in Cromford on Saturday the 14th of July. The choir started up in the Fishpond pub in 2001 as a community choir. The event is being organised as a fundraiser for the Friends of the Grand Pavilion, who managed to reopen the building partially for the first time last month.

The choir, which is about fifty strong, sings a wide selection of material which includes folk music from around the world, light classical pieces and items specially written or arranged by Dana and Anne.  However, its first love is African music - mostly from the south of the continent. Nobody knows if it was the country’s first pub choir but founder members like to think so.

The Fishpond Choir start their performance at 7.30pm in St Mary’s Church, Cromford.  At 6.30pm we will be opening the Wharf Café for drinks (both alcoholic and soft) before the event and the café will re-open after the event. Tickets are £5 for members and £8 for non-members. They can be bought at Arkwright’s Stores in Cromford; Top Kens in Wirksworth; Matlock Music Shop in Dale Road; The Mining Museum and Bob’s Newsagents in Matlock Bath.

Gregor

N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd

See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &

Support out vision: www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk

 

Bakewell Show

Bakewell Show was pretty much a disaster this year. I turned up at 11.45am to find that it had moved. I then went round to the show ground to be told that no stalls could be accommodated, because there was no space!
The problem was that the recreation ground, which they normally use, was waterlogged. At the last minute they had been offered the car park at the back of the Agricultural Centre.
I am not the sort of person to take NO for an answer so I hunted around for a space to put the stall. I settled on a sheltered spot just by the entrance to the Agricultural Centre. This looked like a good pitch, but being near The Fair meant that there was not a good quality of clientele! In the end I probably only talked properly to about a dozen people, the majority of whom came from abroad and none came from the Bakewell area!
The one high point was Lynda (photographed) arriving and keeping me company. The low point was the downpour that we had to suffer from 2,30 to 3pm!
Net result was no new members for five hours work. Last year we signed up about 8 members. I think we would have been better painting the Pavilion!
Gregor
N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd
See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &
Support out vision: www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk



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RE: The Grand Pavilion put on the "Theatre Buildings At Risk Register"

Good news – and these things often act as gatekeepers for other funding too.

 

Lynn Allison FCIM, Chartered Marketer

07831 649 647

www.lynnallison.co.uk

 

 

From: Macgregor, Gregor CCS [mailto:gregor.macgregor@FS.UTC.COM]
Sent: 5 July 2012 4:09 PM
To: Blogger (massongregor.cheverells@blogger.com)
Cc: dave.mowle@btinternet.com; nick@nickwhitehead.co.uk; 'andie brazewell'; Charles; Lynn Allison; 'laura smith'
Subject: The Grand Pavilion put on the "Theatre Buildings At Risk Register"

 

For four years the Grand Pavilion should have been on the At Risk Register, published annually by the Theatres Trust. Now it is on the list.

It will be a big advantage for us to have it on as it will recognise the danger that the building is in and will help to make funding bodies realise the danger of loosing it.

Whilst we will be striving to help to make the building viable in the future, now we have recognition that our work is valid.

Gregor

N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd

See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &

Support out vision: www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk

 

The Grand Pavilion put on the "Theatre Buildings At Risk Register"

For four years the Grand Pavilion should have been on the At Risk Register, published annually by the Theatres Trust. Now it is on the list.

It will be a big advantage for us to have it on as it will recognise the danger that the building is in and will help to make funding bodies realise the danger of loosing it.

Whilst we will be striving to help to make the building viable in the future, now we have recognition that our work is valid.

Gregor

N.Gregor Macgregor
Chairman, The Grand Pavilion Ltd

See our Progress: www.savethepavilion.co.uk &

Support out vision: www.thegrandpavilion.co.uk