The two day event, which this year is simply Bankswood Music Festival, is held in Bankswood Park and will be held on 31st August and 1st September. Organisers will be hoping there is no repeat of last year when it was cancelled due to poor weather forecasts.

As a new addition this year, there will be a “battle of the bands” held at The Oakwood on the 4th July. The winner of this will get a slot on the festival bill and the chance to have time in the SSR Recording Studios in Manchester.

Festival organisers say the aim of the band battle is to “promote young, up and coming bands in the area” and anyone who is interested in competing should email bands@bankswoodmusic.com with a link to their music.

The event has been running since 2010 and relies on donations and sponsorship to run. For more information on the previous line ups and history visit the website. To keep up to date with 2013′s festival, visit the Facebook events pages.

Sara Porter, who has been a professional full time photographer for five years, was one of two winners of the “Best Portfolio by a Provisional Member” at the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP)/ Towergate Camerasure Fine Art Competition 2013. Judges overseeing the award are directed to look closely at: composition, technical ability, creativity, interpretation and a “wow factor”.

Her work, which is normally given a digital finish, is currently being exhibited at the Leeds City Museum until the 30th June. Sara first took up photography as a hobby at the age on nine and before becoming a full time snapper was a teacher.

Speaking about her triumph she said: “The quality of work produced by my fellow BIPP photographers is so high that to have my work recognised in that way is an achievement I am very proud of”.

“After a fabulous year and having a five month exhibition at Leeds City Museum, this is just the icing on the cake”.

BIPP President, Roy Meiklejon, said of Sarah: ”Her portfolio was of a very high standard, and serves as a testament to the diversity of work produced by members of the BIPP”.

To see more of Sara’s work, visit her website.

Run by the Dying Matters organisation the week runs from the 13th to 19th of May and aims to get people talking about death and the issues surrounding it. They have themed the week “be ready for it” and events will be held all over the North West and East Midlands including: afternoon tea sessions, hospice open events, conferences on the future of care and exhibitions.

As well as the events, hospitals and nursing homes will be providing information on the topic all through the week. There will also be information desks set up in Salford Quays on Thursday and at Salford Royal Cafe on Friday.

In addition, the Dying Matters coalition are also urging people to follow five steps to help them “live – and die  – well”.

1. Make a Will – Writing a Will allows you to plan what happens to your money and possessions after you die, as well as who cares for any children you have. It’s the only way you can be sure that your wishes are carried out and avoids leaving difficult legal problems behind for your family.

2. Record your funeral wishes  – Have you ever thought about what you want for your funeral? Would you want to be buried or cremated? Where do you want your funeral to be held? Do you want readings and, if so, which ones and read by whom? Perhaps there’s even a particular route you would like your hearse to take. There’s plenty of scope to make a final statement – if you share your funeral wishes.

3. Plan your future care and support – As we go through life, many of us will eventually need caring for. Some of us might also lose capacity to make decisions ourselves. You can talk to your family and healthcare professionals (for example your GP) about the sort of care you would like.

4. Register as an organ donor – Other people can benefit from your organs after your death if you register as an organ donor – people of all ages can register to donate their organs.

5. Tell your loved ones your wishes – Before you finalise any of these things, consider talking them through with those close to you. This gives them the opportunity for input, and means you can begin sharing your thoughts and feelings about the future. If you have important documents about your wishes, keep them in a safe place and let loved ones know where they are.

The Dying Matters coalition was set up by the National Council for Palliative Care and aims to stop death being a taboo subject in daily life. It has over 28,000 members and will be you can view details of all the Midlands and North West events on their website.

At sometime between the 9th May and 13th May, an Audi which was parked on Tredwell Street had several of its panels scratched. This incident has been given the crime number “19346/13″ and is being handled by PC Taylor.

A Ford Transit van had one of its tyres damaged with a “sharp instrument” between 3pm on Sunday 12th May and 7.50am on Monday 13th May. It was parked on High Street West at the time. This incident has been given the crime number “19334/13″ and is being handled by PCSO Willows.

Between 6am and 7.40am on Monday 13th May, the rear window of a Suzuki parked in a driveway on Simmondley New Road, was smashed. This incident has been given the crime number “19305/13″ and is being handled by PC Valentin.

Then between 8.10pm and 8.40pm, also on the 13th May, a Chevrolet had its roof jumped on while it was parked in the Tesco car park. This incident has been given the crime number “19423/13″.

Anyone who has information on any of these incidents or owns CCTV which may be of help, is asked to call Glossop Police on 101 and quote the relevant crime number. Alternatively, you can report crime anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

At 1.55am on Sunday 12th May, someone attempted to force open the rear fire door of the shop. This set off the burglar alarm and may have disturbed the offender. Nothing was taken.

Anyone with information, local CCTV, or who saw anything suspicious is asked to call PC 2996 Pheasey on 101 and to quote crime number: 19158/13.

The pair, who took over the running of first team affairs in December, have vacated their post after what the club described in a statement as a season ”which did not fulfil the expectations of the Club or its supporters”. The club also said they “wish to record their thanks to Garry and Paul for their hard work”.

The two men took over the team just before Christmas when manager Paul Colgan stepped down and Glossop North End finished the season in 13th place in the North West Counties Premier Division. The club are now seeking a new manager and are welcoming applications from anyone with a “proven capability of developing a successful team at Step 5 of the National League System or above”.

Interested parties are asked to contact Football Secretary Stewart Taylor by e-mail at s.taylor@glossopnorthendafc.co.uk or by post to: Mr Stewart Taylor, Football Secretary, Glossop North End AFC, Surrey Street, Glossop, SK13 7AJ.

The closing date for applications in Monday May 20th.

Held at the club’s Surrey Street home it is taking place from midday on Friday 17th May and from 6pm on Saturday 18th May. The festival, which successfully launched last year, will feature activities suitable for all ages and live music, with headline performances from Glossop rockers Featuring Stavros (Saturday) and Frog in the Wall (Sunday).

Glossop North End Director, Stewart Taylor explained that their objective “is to bring some lesser known beers into our area along with some more well-known favourites” and with that ethos in mind the festival will feature contributions from an array of Derbyshire breweries including: Spire (Chesterfield), Dancing Duck (Derby), Buxton (Buxton), Barlow (Dronfield) and of course Glossop’s very own Howard Town Brewery.

For those bringing all the family along, Saturday afternoon’s activity packed schedule includes a bouncy castle, tug of war (from 5pm), face painting and junior football. There will be live acoustic music throughout the day and local dance troupe Centre Stage will be performing at regular intervals.

Food will be available for purchase including sustenance provided by award winning local butcher Mettrick’s.

All the preparations are now done and so Stewart is confident of a good festival, be it rain or shine: “Last year was fantastic.  It was a lovely sunny couple of days which helped make for a very relaxed weekend, but we’re well prepared for a bit of rain too – which let’s be honest would somewhat fit our Derbyshire theme!  So should the sun not shine don’t let that put you off, this festival is going to be a cracker.”

To view pictures from the last Glossop North End beer festival, visit their Flickr page. For updates, follow the GNEBeerFest Twitter page.

The car, registration FL52 NXP, was stolen sometime between 11pm on Sunday 5th May and 2pm on Monday 6th May.

If you have any information or saw anything suspicious, please contact PC 3187 Valentin at Glossop Police Station on 101 and quote the crime number: 18315/13.

The Graphite Way firm is a finalist in the 2013 Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA) awards polymer machinery manufacturer and distributor, customer service and partnership categories.

TH Plastics supplies, installs and supports ancillary machinery in the plastics industry, and develops UK distribution partnerships with world class manufacturers such as Italian Moretto Plastics Automation.  The company is dedicated to the provision of an unrivalled level of service, developing bespoke solutions and offering customers 24/7 support.

Said TH Plastics’ managing director, Lee Thomas:  “We are delighted to be shortlisted for the awards.  The PPMA is a leading industry association, so the nominations are a real accolade.

“We’re tremendously proud of our work, and are hopeful that we will emerge victorious at the awards ceremony.

“Last year, we won the Plastics Industry Supplier Partnership Ancillary Machinery award, which we also achieved the previous year.  We’d love to maintain this winning streak into 2013.”

The winners of the PPMA awards will be announced at a gala dinner at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on 4^th June.

Organised by their PTA, the event will take place on Friday 17th May and included in the £5 entry fee will be refreshments, a fashion show and several fitness demonstrations.

Also available on the night are various treatments and massages, including foot, leg and back massages, reflexology, nail file and polish and gel nails. Full details and prices of treatments are available on the St. Luke’s website. The evening does not have a license to sell alcohol but the PTA poster does encourage visitors to “bring your favourite tipple to enjoy with friends during the evening.”

Anyone wishing to book a treatment is asked to call 01457 854293 or email tomandjane@sky.com. Tickets for the evening are available at Bay Tree Books, from the school office and from Fielding’s Jewellers on Glossop High Street.