Couple who have done so much for community enjoy their diamond day
A COUPLE who have thrown themselves into community life in Ashbourne and Hognaston have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
John and Tonia Dick tied the knot on January 26, 1962, after meeting at a children’s home in Derby.
John was 20 at the time and was training as a railway apprentice at Derby Locomotive works, lodging at St Christopher’s Railway children’s home, where he had lived as a child.
Tonia came from Holland as an au pair to learn English for her work in the cotton industry in Holland, and was introduced to the children’s home by the local vicar, the Rev Gordon Usher.
Mr Usher, who had been with the wartime liberation army and met and married his Dutch wife, later became the vicar of Thorpe, Tissington and Fenny Bentley.
His sister was married to the minister of the church attended by Tonia in Holland.
After the children’s home was closed down and demolished, the site was used to build student accommodation for Derby University students.
The development of Pride Park on former railway sidings gave John an opportunity to ask Derby City Council to name a road St Christopher’s Way, in recognition of how the Railway Benevolent Fund and those Railway employees had contributed to the welfare of children in care.
John, who was educated at Derby Central School, worked as a railway fitter, then moved into production engineering at Jaguar Cars, nuclear boilers, kitchen cookware, and then Management Services with Derbyshire County Council.
Tonia worked for Scarsdale Veterinary Practice, until moving from Derby to Hognaston when John was appointed management services officer, in 1975, and the arrival of son Gordon and, two years later, daughter Julia.
John was a qualified part-time youth worker for 15 years, working for the County Youth service at Hatton, Repton, and The Pear Tree coffee bar in Derby, where he was introduced to Prince Charles when he visited the inner city and ethnic minority groups.
Moving to Hognaston gave John the opportunity to open a youth club in the village hall, and he was invited to join the village hall committee, at the time of the Carsington Reservoir development, raising funds and collecting stone and roof tiles to build a new village hall.
Further developments in the village gave opportunity for concerts, pantomime, receptions, summer fairs, harvest suppers and coffee mornings, with Tonia making refreshments and John involved with entertainment.
The Millennium Stone was created, and money was raised by the talented people of the village.
The Hognaston Flower Festival was a further community venture, and Tonia became involved with flower arranging in the church and providing refreshments and well known for her Victoria sponge. John sold plants to raise funds for the church restoration and maintenance. He was appointed chairman of Hulland PTA after Hognaston village school closed, and re-opened as a Field Study centre. Tonia was appointed clerk and caretaker, later moving to QEGS to work in administration.
John was appointed chairman of Hulland and Ashbourne District Scouts for 15 years. He suffered ill health and took early retirement from Derbyshire County Council in 1994 but he used his new-found free time to join Matlock Operatic Society and later Chesterfield Gilbert and Sullivan society. In 1995 the first Gilbert and Sullivan Operatic International festival opened in Buxton Opera House which introduced John to former D’oyle Carte principals, and he was invited to join them in Philadelphia and San Francisco.
He also joined the award-winning Derby Gilbert and Sullivan company, and participated in the onenight charity performance of Pirates of Penzance organised by the High Sheriff of Derbyshire which raised £30,000 shared with Age UK and the Derbyshire Community Fund.
John continues to sing with The Bluecoat Singers, with concerts raising money for charity. John is chairman of Ashbourne and District 50+ Forum, an elected public governor for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, representing Derbyshire Dales and High Peak constituency, a member of the Policy Review Panel AGE UK, a patient representative of the East Midlands Clinical Senate, a member of the Patient Participation Group Brailsford. He recently organised the Hognaston village Christmas card, which raised £830, given by the generous residents to Arthritis Action, and a further £150 donated to the Pulvertaft Hand Centre raising awareness of help available for patients with arthritic hands.
Tonia and John will celebrate their anniversary with John’s remaining sister Edna and husband Raymond, who live in Kniveton, and later with son Gordon and his wife Rosalind, and daughter Julia and grandsons Memos and Matheos.
He recently organised the Hognaston village Christmas card, which raised £830 for Arthritis Action.