A PLAGUE ON YOU

Eyam is a village in the Peak District that is very famous for its delightful local stone buildings, its church and the history of the London plague getting to the village via some cloth from a London supplier in the 1660s. The dreaded plague devastated the village and the village now lives off the history of that and the tourism that goes with it. Today on a sunny day, it was heaving.

Eyam Hall, a National Trust property, offers much more than the plague's history and the church is so popular that it has had its lead stolen twice. It cost the church about £50,000, along with grants, to replace the roof! I understand that if there is a third attempt at theft, the perpetrators may be in for a surprise. YOU have been warned.

More funding has gone into the local footy pitch which is in view of the crowded cemetery. The Lottery, I was told by the nice Geordie, acting as a guide and protector in the church today, provided the finance and the pitch has been levelled, drained, seeded and is like Wembley.

Teams are queuing up to play there. Eyam belongs to the Hope Valley League, formed in 1907 and local lads and construction workers from the various neighbouring quarries and dams made up teams.

After the 2^nd World War the league was hanging on to enough teams to make a seasonal fixture card worthwhile, but by 1972 it had four divisions and now it has three.

Eyam FC is lounging quietly in what might be called Div 3 but is actually titled B. Well known villages such as Tideswell and towns like Bakewell provide teams, eager to get their studs onto the newish pitch.

Eyam FC has a home derby league match versus Stoney Middleton on the 26^th August and a Saturday fixture away at Fairfield. Take in the plague, a game and then a pint in the Miners Arms. To be recommended for Sunday lunch too. By the way get some water onto that pitch!