Our Patronal Festival yesterday (Sunday 25 September), celebrating the church’s 900th anniversary, was a wonderful and well-attended service, which brought back many clergy members who have ministered to us so well over the past five decades. It was great to see them again. The service, which was preceded by a ring of 12 bells and during which the choir supported the worship with singing of the highest quality, was presided over by The Right Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, and attended by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire, The High Sheriff of Derbyshire, representatives of local organisations and congregation members and friends from across Melbourne Benefice. While prayers of thanks recalled all those who had gone before us in the building over nine centuries, Bishop Libby also urged the present congregation to look forward to how we will live our lives and offer ourselves as a church community now and in the future. The event was followed by a very relaxed and enjoyable reception in the Dower House garden, courtesy of William and Griselda Kerr.