The balloon goes up...

Goodness gracious, it seems to be June already. On the 9th of this month the country awoke to a surprise election result with losses for the Conservatives and news that PM Theresa May planned to ally with Northern Ireland’s DUP. The Village Voice turned out to the election count in Swadlincote in order to provide our readers with coverage of the local picture, in which things progressed rather more as expected with Tory MP Heather Wheeler comfortably elected for a third term. It was nice to see there was a good strong turnout which shows that people have not been turned off politics. See page 10 for our coverage and some number crunching from the night.

Our photographers have been busy throughout May taking some lovely images. See Tina Baker’s great shot of a young fete-goer roaring like her face-painted lion over her cake on page 11 while Pete Clough has taken his customary beautiful picture of the newly crowned Miss Melbourne and her attendants on page 3. How lovely they all look. We are indebted to Marc Dewhurst for his adorable snaps of Aston school children who were sending blue balloons into the sky to launch Dementia Awareness Week. What an important campaign that is.

But things aren’t all politics and pictures, and our masked raider front page story this month is truly shocking. How could someone behave in this way? We hope the perpetrator is found and brought to justice.

On the inside pages Frank Hughes has been out and about reporting on the Rotex writing competition evening, plus his sun-drenched review of Music by the Pool at the Dower House. There is some interesting planning news this month, with the reluctant refusal of planning permission to knock down some redundant ex-nursery glass houses on the outskirts of Melbourne and build homes there instead – in a proposal that unusually actually attracted some support locally – while Alexander Bruce has had its detailed plans agreed to build homes on the grassy verge on Ashby Road as you leave Melbourne. Some people like the idea, others don’t – but one thing is for sure, it will certainly radically change that view of Melbourne. And on page 17 we bring a very sad but important charity bike ride in memory of brilliant young scientist Dr Sophie Miller. Read it to find out how important it is for people aged between 16-30, especially men, to put themselves forward for the Anthony Nolan stem cell register. Do it, and you really might save a life. Click here for more information.

We’ve managed to provide coverage from many of our different villages this month with news of the forthcoming Findern Fete; TV comedian and Britain’s Got Talent star Johnny Awsum’s surprise visit to his old school in Barrow-on-Trent; Aston’s table tennis club celebrating its first birthday and news that Breedon’s church is getting some of the money it needs to carry out badly-needed repairs. More is still needed though.

Our sport pages should give you plenty to read with cricket coverage from Melbourne and Ticknall, plus the ever-growing fortunes of Melbourne’s newly revived tennis club.