Cutthorpe Matters is the quarterly newsletter of Cutthorpe Village Charity. This is the October 2026 issue. Download the printable PDF version.

Looking for the regular clubs and groups (Art Club, Pilates, Yoga, Book Group and more)? See our Clubs & Groups page, which is kept up to date between issues.

Key dates

• Thu 29 Oct, 7pm: Environment talk at the Institute (£2 including tea or coffee)
• Fri 30 Oct, 10am–1pm: Christmas Coffee Morning, 38 Cutthorpe Road
• Sat 31 Oct: Community Cinema opens its autumn/winter season
• Sat 31 Oct: Halloween party and disco (adults) at the Three Merry Lads
• Fri 6 Nov: Lucy Lou singing live at the Three Merry Lads
• Sun 8 Nov (Remembrance Sunday): free tea and coffee for ex-service personnel and families at the Three Merry Lads
• Wed 18 Nov: Local Plan consultation closes
• Sat 21 Nov, 7pm: Live & Local: Graffiti Classics, Village Hall
• Thu 26 Nov, 7–9pm: Charity Rag Wreath Making, Village Hall
• Sun 29 Nov, 1–4pm: Village Hall Christmas Fair
• Sat 5 Dec: Christmas Fair at the Three Merry Lads
• Sun 13 Dec, 3pm: The Polar Express screening, Village Hall

In this issue

What’s on

• Environment: talk and October garden tips
• Christmas Coffee Morning
• Community Cinema
• Live & Local: Graffiti Classics
• Charity Rag Wreath Making
• Village Hall Christmas Fair
• The Polar Express
• Three Merry Lads

Village news

• Cutthorpe Calendar
• NE Derbyshire Council Local Plan consultation
• Speedwatch: volunteers wanted
• Contacting the Village Hall
• Share your news

Environment

Hope everyone has had a good summer. It’s nice to see how the gardens have recovered after such a prolonged time without rain. We have a green and pleasant land back.

Talk: Thursday 29th October

We are looking forward to an enlightening talk followed by Q&A. There will also be plants for sale. All are welcome, so please spread the word and bring a friend.

Garden tips for October

1. Lift tubers and corms to protect from frost, let them dry and store in a frost-free place.
2. Cut back and divide herbaceous perennials.
3. Protect tender plants.
4. Plant spring bulbs.
5. Mulch borders.

Anne Harrison, 07484 814487

Christmas Coffee Morning

Vicky is repeating her very popular Christmas coffee morning. There will be Christmas cards on display to order, together with wrap, tags and bags to buy.

Vicky’s always delicious cakes, including gluten-free and vegetarian, plus decaf tea and coffee will be available.

A new addition this year will be Kim Roebuck’s delightful handmade Christmas decorations. Everyone is welcome.

Community Cinema

Our community cinema opens its doors for the autumn/winter season, with the first showing on Saturday 31 October. We look forward to seeing our regular film critics and newcomers alike on the evening.

For more about the cinema, including ad hoc places, see the Clubs & Groups page.

Live & Local: Graffiti Classics

16 strings. 8 dancing feet. 4 unforgettable voices. 1 explosive musical comedy experience!

Get ready for Graffiti Classics, the world’s most outrageous comedy string quartet, where classical music meets comedy, dance and pure entertainment.

Forget everything you thought you knew about a string quartet. These four virtuosos don’t sit politely on stage: they sing, dance, joke and play their way through a whirlwind show packed with jaw-dropping musicianship and infectious energy.

From Beethoven to Elvis, opera to bluegrass, gypsy folk to stand-up comedy, Graffiti Classics smash musical boundaries with a riotous mix of styles, dazzling performances and plenty of cheeky audience interaction.

A firm favourite with Live & Local audiences, they create an instant connection with everyone they meet. This uplifting, high-energy show promises to leave you laughing, amazed and with a song in your heart.

Come for the music. Stay for the mayhem. Leave with a smile.

Charity Rag Wreath Making

Should be a lovely crafty evening for the darker nights, with a recycled keepsake to take home. Limited spaces available.

Village Hall Christmas Fair

Just to remind everyone, we will be hosting the annual Christmas Fair. It will be similar to the one we held in November last year.

Any cake donations would be welcomed on the day. If you have anything to donate for the bottle raffle, please let us know. All proceeds go towards the village hall charity.

The Polar Express

All aboard! Join us for a magical screening of The Polar Express. Children of all ages are welcome so long as they bring an adult, so step into your pyjamas and enjoy this heartwarming holiday adventure on the big screen.

Three Merry Lads

Sue and Adam are working hard at adding new plans for the pub.

Opening and offers

• Now open every day from 12.00.
• Drinks offer, 12.00–4.00pm, Monday to Thursday: beers and ciders from £3.00 to £4.50 a pint.
• Food includes organic homemade sausage rolls, plus sandwiches and soup every lunchtime.
• A Golden Oldies midweek roast is planned for November onwards.

Coming up at the pub

• Sat 31 October: Halloween party and disco (adults)
• Fri 6 November: Lucy Lou singing live
• Remembrance Sunday: free tea and coffee for ex-service personnel and families who want to drop in for a chat
• Sat 5 December: Christmas Fair at the pub

More festive ideas are being made.

Cutthorpe Calendar

We are in the process of finalising this year’s calendar and have had a good selection of pictures to choose from again, so thanks to all who have contributed.

The calendar should be available from the printers at the end of October. I am expecting we will be able to maintain the price at £7, which, hopefully you’ll agree, represents good value. Any surplus goes to help fund the Cutthorpe village charity.

If you would like a calendar, it helps if you can register your interest by emailing calendarcutthorpe@hotmail.com.

Tom Johnstone

Last chance to contribute to the NE Derbyshire Council Local Plan

The plan will include proposed land allocations and policies that will determine future planning applications.

Any individual, business or organisation can express their views before the plan is submitted. The consultation runs from 7 October to Wednesday 18 November.

An online consultation portal has the Draft Local Plan, Policies Map and Housing Trajectory: www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk/planning-and-local-plan. Links and more information can also be found on our website, www.cutthorpe.org.uk.

Speedwatch: volunteers wanted

There have been various articles over the year on speeding through the village, which continues to be a real issue, with cars coming through well over the 30 limit.

Speedwatch is only effective while sessions are being run, but it is amazing how many people are capable of sticking to the speed limit, and it does act as a reminder.

The intention is to run sessions at least every other month, but it would be better to run them more frequently. To increase the frequency, it would help to have a few more volunteers.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Tom Johnstone at johnstonetom@hotmail.co.uk.

Contacting the Village Hall

The village hall has its own website with details of the facilities, hire charges and conditions: cutthorpevillagehall.com.

• General queries or suggestions: Mike Robotham, mike.robotham@hotmail.co.uk or 07802 243265
• Bookings: Jane Johnstone, jane.johnstone@hotmail.co.uk

Share your news

If you have anything you think could be included in a future newsletter (usually produced every three months), let Hilary Sinclair know: 07973 429974 or hilaryasinclair@gmail.com.

Cutthorpe Village Charity. Registered Charity No. 1183341. Website: www.cutthorpe.org.uk. Facebook: Cutthorpe Village.

The Council is consulting on the Publication Draft Local Plan. The plan sets out the spatial planning and policy framework for North East Derbyshire District, for the period 2024 to 2044. It contains the Council’s vision and strategic objectives for the District, proposed land allocations and policies that will be used to determine planning applications.

This consultation is the final chance for any individual, business or organisation to express their views on the Plan before it is submitted for examination by a Planning Inspector. Representation should address whether the Local Plan has been prepared in accordance with the relevant legal and procedural requirements and is sound.

The draft Local Plan, alongside supporting documents and information, is published for a 6 week period of consultation between:Wednesday 7th October 2026 and 11:59pm Wednesday 18th NovemberThere are a number of ways you can get involved:

• Come along to one of our consultation drop-in events (see timetable below)

• View the consultation material and provide comments online: Publication Draft Local Plan (2024 – 2044)

• View printed consultation material at the Council’s Office at Mill Lane and libraries throughout the district during usual opening hours.

We are encouraging comments to be made online using our consultation portal wherever possible. However, if you cannot provide comments online, please contact the Council on 01246 231111 to request a response form to be emailed or posted to you. For more information, please see the Statement of Representations Procedure.

However you choose to get involved, please provide your comments by the closing date of 11:59pm 18 November 2026.

Tea and Toast continues to prove as popular as ever (the bacon butties are a particular favourite) welcoming old and new friends to the monthly breakfast gathering.

Not only can you enjoy a range of breakfast goodies, we are lucky Vicky is kindly providing her delicious Shortbread and gluten free cake to take away, that is being sold in aid of Ashgate Hospice. We meet in the Village Hall on the first Saturday of each month from 9.30am to 11.30am and look forward to seeing you.

If you need help getting there, please get in touch with Arlene 07877 863433.

I hope all you happy gardeners are coping with this unprecedented weather, the plants are mostly coping even if we are not.

The community garden, by the phone box, is doing well, I think the daisies are winning, generally it’s slowly more plants than weeds. However if you are splitting any perennials later in the year please consider planting a piece in the community garden.

Garden club is enjoying a steady membership and we are enjoying our garden visits, we also have a speaker planned for October which is open to all Cutthorpe residents, details will be in the next newsletter.

Garden tips:

1. Keep tubs and baskets watered , try to reuse water

2. Dead head flowering perennials

3. Enjoy harvesting soft fruits

4. Give lawns a summer feed

5. Check tomatoes for blight

6. Feed container plants.

Anne Harrison, 07484 814487

We’re happy to let you all know the Three Merry Lads has reopened!

Sue and Adam have lots of ideas to make the pub as welcoming as possible to everyone who calls in.

They will be open 7 days a week (3.00-11.00 Monday – Thursday, 12.00 – 11.00 pm Friday – Sunday) and included in their plans are a Happy Hour from 4.00 – 8.00 Monday to Friday, free pool on Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays – £13 a bottle, all cask ales £3.50 on Thursdays and Sticky bingo Sundays 6.00pm. They are also starting weekly quizzes, day to be decided, and food will be served as soon as the kitchen is ready. They would like to have games available for children and adults plus books for anyone who wants one, so if you have anything spare that might be popular why not drop it in to them? Golden Oldies lunches will probably start in September.

You’ll be welcome anytime – Sue and Adam look forward to seeing you.

From seasonal events to recent renovations, read the latest Village Hall updates.

Christmas Fair – We will be hosting a Christmas fair on Sunday 29th November between 1-4pm. There are two sizes of table available, the small tables are £6 and for a large table, it’s £12. Please contact Liz at liz.robotham@hotmail.com or Wendy at wendy.lawrie@btinternet.com for further details and to reserve a place.

A special thanks to all those who helped make the fair a really enjoyable afternoon last year. In particular, thanks to the raffle donators and the bakers, for which we are very grateful.

Hall Renovation – We are currently in the process of having the front windows restored, hopefully this will not cause too much disruption to our regular users.

Contact us – The village hall has its own dedicated website giving details of the facilities, hire charges and conditions.

If anyone has any general queries or suggestions regarding the Institute, please feel free to contact me at mike.robotham@hotmail.co.uk., or on 07802243265.

For bookings, please contact Jane Johnstone at jane.johnstone@hotmail.co.uk

The Cutthorpe Creamery is proving very popular over a year since it started out.

Offering a delicious range of local food and drinks, Cutthorpe Creamery is a wonderful addition to the village, welcoming all those local and visiting from afar.

Find out more about their opening times and menus via their website and Facebook page – be sure to give it a like and follow, too!

Severn Trent Water announced the start of work on Monday 15^th September 2025 to remove the old boardwalk on the top reservoir circular route and replace it with a new stone causeway. This means that the circular route around the top reservoir will be closed for the duration of the works and they ask all visitors to please follow the footpath diversion signs.

Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for updates on the progress.

We would just like to say thank you for everyone’s patience in this matter while we carried out the work to make the boardwalk safe for everyone, and we apologise again for the delay.