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It was great to join 4 other High Sheriffs namely those from Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland and break with over 1,000 years of tradition as we supported the local Air Ambulance service charity that saves lives of people in our counties.  In September we  visited the Nottingham base of The Air Ambulance Service charity – which launched in 2003 and now fly two local air ambulances services, serving a total of five counties. Each of us broke with a millennium of tradition by swapping our white jabot (an elaborate cravat worn around the neck) for one in the yellow of the charity’s brand and local air ambulance helicopters. The Service has no public funding but we are all aware of how essential their work is in  the community. We had a great day on base seeing the operation both of the aircraft and behind the scenes. Please do support your Air Ambulance Service wherever they hold a fundraising event.  

I am attending a great many Church services in my role as High Sheriff. First there are the many VE and VJ 80^th commemoration ceremonies, then the many Civic Services for the Mayors and Civic leaders in the county and third the installations of the new Priests-in-charge and new Vicars of various parishes about the county. So far I have attended three such installations at Hartington for Rev Nicola McNally  at St Oswald’s Ashbourne  for Rev Dwayne Engh and at Melbourne for Rev Canon Rosemary Donovan. All services are a marvellous celebration of what is great in our communities with great shows of fellowship, hope and faith. Please support these ministers in their new parishes.

The University of Derby goes from strength to strength. After my appearances as High Sheriff at both the Buxton Campus and Derby Arena Graduation ceremonies I was invited to the opening of the Cavendish Building on Agard Street in Derby. Passing drivers may have witnessed it taking shape over the last 18 months but now  finished it is a huge bonus to the varsity offer. We were fortunate that Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis had agreed to open the building alongside local benefactors Brian Ashby and William Burlington, Chancellor of the University. The structure is a seven-storey development in Derby city centre and has been purpose-built to drive collaboration between students, academics and industry, with a focus on solving real-world challenges. It is more than a building – it is a dynamic environment designed to shape the next generation of business leaders and innovators and was much admired by the 300 of us that attended its opening. A huge asset for the University, a bigger one for the County!

It was a real honour to be at the National Memorial Arboretum with 5 other High Sheriffs from the 2025/26 cohort on a guided tour of the site and learning of the amazing sacrifices that our service men and women have given over the years. A joint visit from the East and West Midlands High Sheriffs had been organised by The High Sheriff of Staffordshire Tim Gillow with myself assembling the East Midlands posse. It was humbling to take the tour of the Burmese section of the NMA- it is such a vast site - it would be impossible to visit every memorial in a day- and see items such as railway tracking that prisoners of war had to lay in the searing heat of the jungle. It was the most rewarding and poignant visit which we all enjoyed. Everyone should visit this amazing place at some stage in their life.

And finally, I am sad to report the death of Joan Tomkinson from Thorpe. Joan was a stalwart of  St Mary’s Church in Tissington living two miles north out of the village on the old drovers’ road called Gag Lane. She provided the flowers in Church, the teas and coffees after Sunday services  and at the WI as well as  baking long and hard for the annual Fete at the Hall. But moreover she was a wife, mother and grandmother to her charming family.  A fitting farewell was given at Alton Church and Joan is now buried at Bradley in the Moors the most delightful church across the county border.  Our condolences to Andrew and the entire family.