After 50 years in the jewellery trade, John Blackburn is retiring. He talks about his craft, his career and the night that could have cost him his life.

WITH a gun held to his head, jeweller John Blackburn somehow managed to hold his nerve.

"You're not going to shoot me," he told the two masked men attempting to force their way into his Alice Street workshop.

After viciously hitting John over the head with an metal bar, the thieves escaped with an estimated £250,000 worth of gold, silver, jewellery and precious stones.

"I nearly lost my eyesight because they hit me right on the forehead, so I got lucky in that respect," he said.

"I was bleeding and dazed but I remember trying to take everything in like their heights and what they were wearing.

"The most upsetting aspect of the robbery is that none of the items has ever been found, including customers' engagement rings, wedding rings and other personal items.

"Customers who had lost their items didn't blame me for what happened and kept on coming in and continued to trust me with their items."

Following the November 2010 robbery, a man was convicted of handling stolen good and given a community order. Police are still hunting for the two robbers.

Surprisingly, the horrific experience did not prompt John to think about retirement. He said: "If anything, it made me more determined to show that I was more than capable of carrying on.

"It's like when you fall off a bike, you have to get back straight away. I was in again within a few days."

While the robbery was easily the single most traumatic event in John's 50-year career, as he approaches retirement at the end of this month, there are more shining moments to reflect on.

One piece of work that stands out is the renovation of a stunning piece of medieval silverware.

John said: "It was an Elizabethan communion cup from 1573 that belonged to the Church of St Gregory, in Somerset.

"In the past it had been shoddily repaired with lead solder and glue, a real cowboy job and I've seen plenty of that come through the door over the years.

"It would have been worth at least £100,000 at the time and was a pleasure to work with."

He has also produced a silver commemorative pendant for Dame Ellen MacArthur.

A picture of the celebrated yachtswoman holding the piece of jewellery hangs proudly in the entrance to John's premises.

"It's difficult to single items out for being special because I have made thousands and they are all unique," said John.

Word of John's skills reached far and wide and resulted in a number of unique commissions, including a silver gavel for an auction house in Mayfair for whom wood would not do.

"I remember two customers telling me a story about how they were browsing in a jewellery shop on the Isle of Mull and when the jeweller asked them if they needed any advice, they said they had their own jeweller in Derby.

"The shopkeeper said: 'John Blackburn, I suppose.'"

"I've no idea how my name came to be recognised so far afield."

For the first part of his career, John spent the bulk of his time teaching students how to work with precious metals and make jewellery at the Derby College of Art, in Green Lane.

This period came to an end in the mid-1980s.

Having become disillusioned with the college, John decided to become a full-time goldsmith, silversmith and jeweller, putting his craftsmanship to the test in the commercial crucible.

He said: "After 20-odd years, I had built up a lot of contacts and started contacting the independent jewellers in Derby.

"I began undertaking more commission work and started repairing silverware, gold items and jewellery for both trade and public.

"The premises in Alice Street were perfect because I needed somewhere big enough to hold classes.

"My students at the college encouraged me to continue teaching and it was a real pleasure taking total beginners with no skills to seeing them producing pieces of silverware and jewellery."

Even though he is on the verge of retirement, he will not be completely hanging up his tools.

"I'm not going to stop and will be doing the occasional piece for the sheer pleasure of it and for family and friends," he said. "Using craft skills involves a creative process and something that's within you."

Like so many business owners, John has had little time for recreation over the years, having been working 80-hour weeks. "Your social life takes a knock and I've not really had any spare time but I expect the church will be a bigger part of my life and I'd like to do a bit of voluntary work.

"At the moment, I've got 15 more commissions to complete and a boxful of repairs to finish by the end of the month."

LEEDS United boss Dave Hockaday has been given a stay of execution by the club's owner Massimo Cellino.
Cellino admitted he had decided to sack the former Forest Green Rovers manager after only five games in charge of the Championship outfit, following Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Watford.
However, the Italian had a change of heart and Hockaday remains in a job for the time being.
"Yes, I decided to sack him," Cellino told the Yorkshire Post. "I said 'he's finished' but I learned a long time ago to wait on a decision for 24 hours.
"If I fire the coach, I should fire myself because I haven't signed enough good players. How can that be his fault?"

A DERBY gym has been evacuated after a car was reported to have hit a brick building which contained a generator.

A member of the Virgin Active gym said members were evacuated shortly after 11.30am, when the crash was said to have taken place.

She said: "It appears that a silver car collided with a building that contains the generator and the power went out.

"We were evacuated and we do not know yet if the gym will re-open or not."

No-one from the gym was prepared to comment on the incident and a police spokesman said traffic officers were at the scene to assess the situation.

It is not yet known if anyone has been hurt. 

@DerbyTelegraph yes I know I was at the gym just getting changed not good when I wanted a sauna lol x

— lisa howard (@broad8133) August 25, 2014

FORMER Derby County and Burton Albion defender Darren Moore has returned to West Bromwich Albion.
Moore has been appointed as the Baggies' professional development phase coach and will take up the role from the start of next month.
The 40-year-old, who captained West Brom as a player, was previously under-18 coach at the Hawthorns but left to join the backroom staff at Blackburn Rovers in January 2013.
He has also had a spell working with the Professional Footballers Association (PFA).
"We're delighted Darren is rejoining us," said Albion Academy manager Mark Harrison.
"He did a fantastic job the last time he was with us.
"I would like to thank the PFA for their help and support in allowing Darren to come back and join us.
"He will have a real focus on the under-21s players who go out on loan.
"He'll manage their loan programmes, liaise with the clubs and visit the players when they play and train.
"Ultimately, for young players that is the final step – it's unusual now for players to jump straight from our Under-21s to our first team.
"Darren's wealth of experience as a player and coach in the game and his contacts will no doubt help these players."
Moore, who helped Derby win promotion to the Premier League in 2007, said: "I'm grateful to West Brom for inviting me back in – I feel like I've come back home.
"I'm a more experienced coach now and know what's needed to make that transition from youth level to the first team.
"I had other good job offers but I've got a lot of passion for the club and it is almost like unfinished business for me.
"I can't wait to get cracking."

THE shocking story of a vulnerable pensioner whose bank account was callously plundered by someone who was supposed to be caring for him is surely a sad indictment of our times.

In today's "must-have everything yesterday" society, Michael Swinfield-Swift, a young man of previously good character, got himself into debt after living beyond his means.

Rather than making good his debts by addressing his overspending and tightening his belt, he decided to take what he probably considered to be an easy option.

He took money out of the bank account of a 77-year-man whom he was supposed to be caring for.

His victim belongs to a generation of people who worked long and hard to pay for things they needed. They were brought up in a world where people saved up for the things they wanted (and we are not just talking luxury items) and did not buy something if they did not have the cash to pay for it.

How times have changed – and not for the better.

A CARE worker who stole more than £2,000 from a vulnerable pensioner he was looking after has been jailed for six months.

Michael Swinfield-Swift, who had got himself into debt by "living beyond his means", used the man's bank card to make nine withdrawals last year while helping look after the 77-year-old in accommodation in Swinburne Street, Derby.

Derby Crown Court heard that Lifeways, which provides supported living and had employed Swinfield-Swift at the time as a support worker, launched an investigation on September 16.

The company discovered withdrawals had been made from the man's NatWest account but had not been logged, as was the usual protocol. Swinfield-Swift was immediately suspended.

Alex Wolfson, prosecuting, said: "He had been working there for nearly two years. He said he was in debt and thought it was an easy way out. He admitted the man was vulnerable and was ashamed of what he had done."

Jailing the 23-year-old, who admitted nine counts of theft, Judge John Wait said: "This is a very sad case – you are a young man, you have not been in trouble before, you have worked in a variety of employment, honestly, and up until this time enjoyed positively good character through your charity work and as a youth worker."

But he said Swinfield-Swift had been living beyond his means and accumulated debts. Judge Wait said: "What you did with your money I don't know – I don't expect it was high living."

He said that an immediate jail term was the only sentence he could impose for "such callous stealing from someone so vulnerable".

Nicola Hunter, in mitigation, said: "He is embarrassed. He is upset by the fact he was somebody of good character and now somebody who cannot be trusted.

"When he got this job, he had believed it was a long-term job. As a result, he took out various contracts on a phone and laptop and led a lifestyle of somebody who had secure employment."

She said that, after six months, he had lost that job and could no longer meet his payments. "That was the start of his debt problems," said Miss Hunter.

"He took out money with Wonga and the Money Shop and they are known for having extortionately high interest rates unless one pays them back quickly."

A spokesman for Lifeways, in Leopold Street, Derby said: "We have robust procedures to ensure that our clients' accounts are regularly checked. When we noticed financial irregularities in this case, we alerted the police."

"Michael Swinfield-Smith was immediately suspended and was sacked following a disciplinary hearing. We are appalled by his behaviour and do not tolerate this in our company."

In March, support worker Deborah Vernon, 49, of Merlin Green, Sinfin, was given an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, after she admitted stealing £290 from three men in a Lifeways care home in Derby.

JAMIE Ward was voted Derby County match for the second game running in our online poll.
Ward was the Rams' star man, according to you, in Saturday's 5-1 victory over Fulham.
The forward, who opened the scoring at the iPro Stadium, collected 36% of the vote.
Recalled midfielder John Eustace was second with 19%, while right-back Cyrus Christie claimed 17%.
Johnny Russell, who set up the first two goals, was not far behind with 14%, with two-goal striker Chris Martin getting 7%.
Ward was also voted Derby man of the match after scoring twice in last Tuesday night's 3-2 defeat at Charlton.

HULL City manager Steve Bruce has been left frustrated in his attempts to sign striker Jordan Rhodes from Blackburn Rovers.
The Tigers are hoping to land the Championship hot-shot in a deal that could be worth £12m.
However, Blackburn have now issued a statement saying they have no intention of selling their prize asset.
Bruce told the Hull Daily Mail: "It's difficult. We got an indication from Blackburn 2-3 days ago or a week ago that they were prepared to sell. But now we hear he's not for sale at any price.
"We'll have a conversation with Blackburn in the next 24-48 hours then if it's not to be, we'll go for the next one.
"Is he for sale or is he not for sale?"

CHELSEA midfielder George Saville could be on his way to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Wolves want the 21-year-old on loan but face competition from Championship rivals Middlesbrough, according to reports.
Saville had a spell on loan at Brentford last season.
He made 40 appearances for the Bees, helping them win promotion from League One.

WIGAN Athletic have had a bid accepted for Brentford midfielder Adam Forshaw.
The Bees confirmed on Monday that the Latics had met their valuation for the 22-year-old.
"We have stipulated from the outset that any deal involving our players will be done on out terms," said Brentford manager Mark Warburton.
"A valuation was given and not met, hence the delay in proceedings.
"Now that our valuation has been met we have given permission to Adam to meet and talk with Wigan.
"Brentford did not need to sell Adam and we will not be dictated to by any individual or potential buying club in such situations.
"Why was Adam not considered for games thus far? Again, as we have clearly stated, we will only look to players who are absolutely committed to the Brentford cause and such events can only distract a young player and negatively impact his contribution.
"Now that this matter is near conclusion, I would like to wish Adam all the very best for his career and to thank him for his outstanding efforts over the last two years."
Wigan are managed by former Brentford boss Uwe Rosler.

OXFORD United have signed former Brighton & Hove Albion forward Will Hoskins on a one-year contract.
The 28-year-old was a free agent after leaving the Seagulls in the summer.
The former Rotherham United, Watford and Bristol Rovers man has not played since suffering knee ligament damage in February last year.
"He has bags of experience, has scored goals throughout his career and he works ever so hard for the team," said Oxford boss Michael Appleton.

The Met Office is predicting the current deluge of unsettled Derbyshire weather will continue at the weekend.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "It will be generally unsettled on Friday and into the weekend with outbreaks of rain, perhaps heavy, interspersed with brighter and drier interludes.

"There will be showers and it will be quite wet and windy, creating a bit of a mixed bag."

FORMER Derbyshire CCC chairman and president Trevor Bowring has died.

Derbyshire-born but a resident of Kelso in the Scottish Borders, Trevor was a long-time member and supporter of the club before being elected to the general committee in 1998.

He took over as chairman in 1999, just prior to the extraordinary general meeting that brought the resignation of the whole committee after a vote of no confidence.

That was to set the tone for six years too often marked by trauma and upheaval but also saw plenty of progress which helped make Derbyshire the club it now is.

It was during his stewardship that the Gateway Centre was constructed, the academy was established and land was sold for the Days Inn Hotel and Virgin Gym to be built on the south side of the 3aaa County Ground.

He also appointed Derbyshire's first director of cricket, David Houghton, and pushed for the return of county cricket to Queen's Park, Chesterfield, following an absence of seven years.

Trevor retired as chairman in 2005 and then served for two further years as president.

Despite a constant battle with ill health for many years, Trevor would still take any chance he could to watch Derbyshire.

He leaves a widow, Shirley. Funeral arrangements are to be confirmed shortly.

DERBY County have signed Stoke City's Ryan Shotton on loan with a view to a permanent deal.

The 25-year-old is a versatile defender-cum-midfielder.

He has a year to run on his contract at Stoke where he has made 69 appearances and scored twice.

Standing at 6ft 3in, Shotton plays as a right-back and has also figured in midfield, although Derby might also see him as a centre-back. He possess a long throw-in.

He goes straight into the squad for tomorrow's Capital One Cup tie against Charlton Athletic.

Derby are also looking to sign Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe on loan. 

DERBYSHIRE cricketer Wayne Madsen has completed the Ice Bucket Challenge - after being nominated by the Derby Telegraph.

Crime reporter Martin Naylor and senior reporter Joey Severn were doused in freezing water by staff at The Joiners Arms, Quarndon, who nominated the Telegraph yesterday.

They nominated Derbyshire captain Wayne and today he duly got a soaking.

Watch the video and find out who Wayne nominated here:

Thanks to @DerbyTelegraph for the nomination! Madsen takes part in the #ALSIceBucketChallengehttp://t.co/Pg9GK69QFFhttps://t.co/r0WKC3QEmd

— Derbyshire CCC (@DerbyshireCCC) August 25, 2014

ORGANISERS were pleased about the fantastic attendance at a food fair, despite the wet weather.

A surprising number of people ignored the bleak forecasts and turned up to make the Carsington Water Food Fair a success.

The fair featured 22 artisan stalls, all different and most from Derbyshire.

It is the fourth event of its kind at the visitor centre at the reservoir, organised by New Leaf Catering and Hartingtons of Bakewell, with the aim of promoting food in Derbyshire.

New Leaf Catering's general manager, Mike Tempest, was pleased to see plenty of people.

He said: "It is always frustrating when the weather is like this, but people have enjoyed themselves and we have raised awareness of the food we have here.

"We have been busier than I would expect in these weather circumstances."

Traders and guests could be seen enjoying themselves and trying lots of new food.

John Baldock, whose Darley Abbey-based Derventio Brewery had a stall, was also impressed by the number of people who turned up.

The 58-year-old, who had a selection of bottled beers and one cask ale on offer, said: "The people who have come along seem to be having a good time.

"There is a lot of food so there's a good selection to try."

A chocolate-themed similar event will be held in October, followed by a Christmas fair on Sunday, December 23, where people can buy seasonal goods ahead of the holiday.

Leeza Murina brought her traditional Russian food stall to the fair.

Cossack Cuisine, based in Sheffield, sells a variety of savoury pies with several fillings to choose from.

She said: "Our food is deliciously different.

"It is really nice that people show an interest and want to try the food but it's even better when they enjoy it.

"I find it really pleasing when I see people enjoying the food."

Ms Murina added: "It went really well and people had a great response.

"And it was all about getting a response today, so it has been good."

A TEARFUL mum-of-two has told how she will be homeless after becoming the first person in Derby to be evicted because of the so-called bedroom tax.

Renleigh Anderson, 28, has more than £800 of rent arrears because, she says, the Government's under-occupancy rules have left her without enough housing benefit to pay rent.

Now she will be evicted and is frightened about what it could mean for her and her children.

The single mum said: "It's devastating, especially when I felt so close to getting my life back on track.

"My daughter's going to school in September and I was hoping to go out and get a new job. I was really excited.

"Now I'm having to start again."

She has seen her housing benefits cut by £12.55 a week because, under Government rules, she is under-occupying a three-bedroom house in Kingsley Street, Sinfin.

The rules, introduced to free up more properties and slash the country's benefits bill, say that anyone under-occupying by one bedroom should lose 14% of their housing benefit.

Miss Anderson's son is seven and her daughter four, which means she falls foul of the rule that children aged under 10 should share a bedroom.

Derby Homes, which manages the house, has 13,300 properties, of which 1,289 are currently affected by the so-called bedroom tax.

But it says Miss Anderson is its first tenant facing eviction solely because of the charge.

Since Derby County Court gave Derby Homes the right to evict her within 28 days, she has looked fruitlessly for private-sector homes she could afford to rent.

There is a good chance she will not be allowed back on the housing waiting list because she says she cannot repay any of her debt and, even if she was allowed, housing providers might not accept her. She agrees that her only choice is likely to be declaring to the council that she is homeless.

The council will then, a Derby Homes spokeswoman said, need to decide if Miss Anderson has made herself "intentionally homeless" by "deliberately doing or failing to do something" that resulted in her losing the tenancy.

If that happens, the council has a legal duty to provide advice and temporary accommodation for "a reasonable period for the applicant to secure alternative housing".

This could be in a bed and breakfast, hostel, or "a property on temporary basis".

Derby Homes would not, the spokeswoman said, have a legal duty to find the family a permanent home.

When asked what this could mean for Miss Anderson's children, the spokeswoman said: "For intentionally homeless households with children, the housing authority is required, usually with parental or guardian agreement, to notify social services of the situation.

"Social services will need to make an assessment of whether the children are 'children in need' and may offer assistance accordingly."

When asked if this could mean her children being taken away from her, the Derby Homes spokeswoman said: "This would be a decision made by social care staff at the time."

Miss Anderson said she could not believe her desperate situation was "all over £12.55 a week".

She said: "It'll be about £350 a week to put us up in a bed and breakfast. It just makes no sense. My daughter is about to start school, her life in education, and I just worry that this isn't a good start.

"I don't even know if she'll be near where she was going to go to school."

Miss Anderson had previously made an unsuccessful application for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP), which can be awarded by the council to help people whose housing benefit does not cover their rent.

She said the council had turned down her application because it believed she had the money to plug the rental gap, though she said it did not take into account £20 a week repayments on a Department for Work and Pensions loan she took out.

Derby Homes had previously said Miss Anderson did not tell the council about these loan repayments.

A Derby Homes spokeswoman said: "We have tried to advise Miss Anderson to try and prevent this (eviction) and we are disappointed she has not made any payments or followed up on her unsuccessful discretionary housing benefit claim. Derby Homes treats eviction as a last resort and tries to avoid this course of action by making agreements to pay."

Miss Anderson said she was still waiting for an official date for eviction to be sent to her.

When the repossession case was heard at the county court, Renleigh Anderson aid Derby Homes should have reclassified her home and many others as a two-bedroomed properties so they wouldn't be affected by the under-occupancy charge.

This is something that has happened in other local authority areas.

Knowsley Housing Trust, for example, had realised that demand for its two-and three-bedroom flats and maisonettes was virtually non-existent so it offered them to single people and couples without children.

They then reclassified them so the people there wouldn't be forced out by the charge.

When Derby City Council made a decision not to go ahead with reclassification, the cabinet member in charge of housing at the time, Councillor Baggy Shanker, wrote to Derby Homes tenants to explain why.

He said: "Derby does not have an oversupply of two bedroom flats, and demand within the city remains high. "We believe that the effect of reclassification cannot be justified at present and would have a serious impact on our income from rents.

"To reclassify three bedroom homes alone would result in a reduction of £2.5 million rental income."

Miss Anderson told District Judge David Douce: "My son, is of an age (nearly eight), where, shortly, I would be eligible to have a three-bedroom home anyway."

Miss Anderson said she had not been in arrears before the under-occupancy charge was introduced.

The judge said Miss Anderson had not advanced any legal argument for not issuing the repossession order. He said: "If she is not able to pay then a full order has to be made or else the arrears will go on forever."