Reflections Magazine December 2024

December 2024

REFLECTIONS MAGAZINE DECEMER 2024

Editor: Barrie Farnsworth, E: barrief@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Advertising: Mike Snow, M: 07966 445452 E: mikes@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Advertising: Helen Wragg, M: 07973 672582 E: helen@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Managing Director/Photographer: Robert Bannister, E: robert@bannisterpublications.com

Art Editor: Ben Fletcher-Bates, E: design@reflections-magazine.com

Social Media: Rebecca Bloomfield, E: hello@bannisterpublications.com

Accounts: Helen Holgate, E: admin@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Distribution: E: distribution@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Published by: Bannister Publications Ltd.

Tel. 01246 550 488 (3 lines). Bannister Publications Limited, Office 2A Market Hall, Market Pl, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. S40 1AR. Reflections is published

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8,28,92,97 Countywide News

Our guide to what’s been happening across Derbyshire in words and pictures

16 Chesterfield sisters who made a mark across the Atlantic

Helen Shepherd reports on how two sisters made their mark in totally different ways in the USA

22 Property of the Month

32 Your votes will decide the winner!

We feature the finalists in our 2024 ‘Derbyshire’s Lovely Landscapes’ competition – and you have to choose your own 1-2-3

34 Spotlight on the Arts

Barrie Farnsworth reports on a three-year programme of cultural activity called Derbyshire Makes, and next year’s Buxton Festival jazz line-up

44 The fascinating history of Wingfield Manor

Close to a small Derbyshire village, the manor has a rich history unbeknown to most who live outside the village’s perimeter

50 Top Pet

The latest entries into our competition

52 Fashion: It’s your time to shine!

Turn heads all season long by adding a touch of sparkle to your festive wardrobe, says Amy Norbury

56 Christmas Gift Guide Shops, cafes, hotels and attractions in and around Chesterfield offer thoughtful presents for the festive season – and beyond

68 Focus on Food & Drink

Barrie Farnsworth offers a couple of different side dishes to make the Christmas dinner complete

Cover: A European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) by Arnau (www.stock.adobe.com)

74 Chef’s Signature Dish

Head chef at The Bulls Head Inn, Foolow, Blake Arnold, offers a cracking recipe

78 Pitcher Wits

79 Crossword

80 Memories of a national serviceman

Reader Brian Dick, now 90, reminisces about his national service days abroad

84 Antiques: Memories of an old-fashioned Christmas

Our expert valuer Vivienne Milburn looks at silverware and fine bone china.

86 Enjoy the festive season without disrupting your child’s sleep

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Tips to help you maintain your child’s sleep routine, from sleep consultant Emma Hill

88 Out & About

Steve Brown has a fascinating walk that goes through Elton

94 What’s On

Our comprehensive guide to forthcoming events across the county and beyond in December

Countywide News

A night for superheroes…

ASHGATE Hospice’s Superhero Night Walk, which took place on October 19, saw more than 1,300 children and adults walk through Chesterfield’s Queen’s Park in superhero costumes in an effort to raise more than £50,000 for the hospice.

New wildlife reserves…

THANKS to National Lottery players, more than £200,000 was awarded to Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to fund the purchase of Slinter Woods and Dunsley Meadows, near Cromford, with part of the funding earmarked to deliver management and restoration of the sites.

The two new nature reserves are adjacent to the Trust’s existing reserves at Rose End Meadows and Gang Mine, adding an additional 15.5 hectares of space to this cluster of wildlife havens.

Chesterfield Pubwatch the national winner

CHESTERFIELD Pubwatch, a local scheme that aims to reduce alcohol-related crime, has been named ‘National Pubwatch of the Year’ at a prestigious awards event at the House of Lords. The scheme, which has been operating for more than 20 years, picked up the top accolade in late October.

Chesterfield Pubwatch is run by local business owners, with support from Chesterfield Borough Council’s licensing team, Derbyshire Constabulary and other local partners.

Chesterfield Pubwatch has delivered an upgraded digital radio communications network across the town; allowing licensed premises to communicate effectively with each other and the police.

Chesterfield Pubwatch also supported

the launch of the Best Bar None scheme in the town – with 22 local businesses already being awarded the accreditation, which helps to reduce alcohol-related crime and create a safer night out.

Roger Butler, Chair of Chesterfield Pubwatch, said: “The award recognises what we have achieved so far, but we will continue to work with local businesses and groups to look at what else we can do to make sure everyone can enjoy a safe night out in Chesterfield.”

Help to get faster broadband

FURTHER help is available from Derbyshire County Council and the Government for some of the most rural parts of the county in accessing high-speed broadband.

Residents and businesses can apply for up to £7,500 to cover the installation costs – providing they are not already in either a government-funded plan for a broadband upgrade or any commercial plan.

The UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme relaunched in parts of Derbyshire on November 12. Eligible homes and businesses can apply for up to £4,500 to cover the costs of a gigabitcapable connection, which enables broadband providers to reach further into rural areas where the build costs are higher. Derbyshire County Council will be ‘topping up’ the voucher scheme up to a maximum of £3,000 each.

The extra funding will increase the

amount of financial support that eligible households and businesses with broadband speeds of less than 100Mbps in rural parts of Derbyshire are entitled to and will help pay for the cost of installing faster and more reliable connections to their premises.

To apply, residents and businesses can visit the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme website to find a list of suppliers in their local area.  Once they have contacted a supplier, the supplier will apply for the relevant level of funding required to help pay for an upgraded service.

Award comes home to Hardwick Hall

A MAJOR international heritage prize awarded to the team behind the conservation of Hardwick Hall’s Gideon Tapestries, which has arrived home.

The Europa Nostra award plaque was unveiled at a celebration event at Hardwick in November. The award was presented to the National Trust in recognition of the 24-year project to restore the set of thirteen tapestries, which were bought by Bess of Hardwick and have hung in the Hall’s Long Gallery since the 16th century.

Calling the project “so good and so absolutely outstanding”, Sara Crofts, a member of the 12-strong judging panel, told guests:  “It’s such a rich and wellconstructed project in every sense of the word. My congratulations to each and every person who has had a hand in making this project a phenomenal success.”

Above: Pictures courtesy of Nick Rhodes Photography.

Above: The Europa Nostra award plaque for the Hardwick Hall Gideon Tapestries’ project. Picture by Patrick Coleman.

Sisters Atlantic make a mark across the

Helen Shepherd reports on how two Chesterfield sisters made their mark in the USA.

THERE are plenty of examples of remarkable Derbyshire women making their mark on local history, from the redoubtable Bess of Hardwick to the first female mayor of Chesterfield, Violet Markham. What is perhaps less well known are the stories

of women who were born in the county but went on to achieve recognition thousands of miles away from home.

Two of these women were Elisabeth Freeman and her sister, Jane. Born in Chesterfield, they moved to the USA as children where they would go on to forge very different, but equally successful, careers.

The sisters’ early life in Chesterfield appears to have been fragmented and even a little chaotic. Elisabeth, the youngest of the family’s three children, was born in September 1876 to George Freeman and Mary Hall. George and Mary, both Derbyshire natives, had married only two years before in 1874, so it’s possible that George wasn’t the father of Mary’s two older children – Jane, who was born in 1871, and John, born in 1873. Similar mystery surrounds their time in Chesterfield. Although family lore says that they lived in the shadow of the crooked spire, there is little evidence to suggest that the Freemans spent much time under the same roof and they are often missing from the records altogether. If life in Chesterfield was indeed as messy as it appears, it

Top right: Jane Freeman. Left: Elisabeth Freemen. Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

The Freemans sailed to the USA aboard the SS Abyssinia in 1882. Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

would perhaps explain why, in 1882, Mary and her three children – without George –boarded the Cunard ship SS Abyssinia at Liverpool and set sail for a new life in the USA.

On arrival, Mary took a job at the St Johnland orphanage on Long Island, where the family lived for some time before moving to either New York City or Newark, New Jersey. While John did odd jobs to earn money, later becoming an apprentice printer and eventually a newspaper typesetter, options for his sisters were far more limited. Elisabeth, in particular, appears to have struggled to find a purpose in life; until a return trip to the UK in 1905 and a chance encounter on a London street.

Like many women of her generation, it was the suffrage movement that pulled Elisabeth into the world of social campaigning. Walking through the city one day, she saw a police officer beating a young female protester and ran to help. Both women were arrested and Elisabeth was transformed

almost instantly into a militant suffragette. She later said: “I found out in jail what cause we were fighting for”.

For the next six years, she and her mother Mary remained in England and Elisabeth threw herself into what was, for her, an almost spiritual struggle for the vote. Aligning herself with the radical Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), headed by the formidable Pankhursts, she sold suffrage newspapers, helped to organise demonstrations and spoke at public meetings. She was arrested nine times, serving at least two sentences in Holloway, and was awarded the WSPU’s medal of honour; a pin badge depicting a prison gate.

When Elisabeth and Mary returned to the USA in 1911, Elisabeth took all she had learned from her time with the WSPU and threw herself into what was then a lacklustre American suffrage movement. Working with several organisations in and around New York, she gave public lectures, distributed newspapers

“If life in Chesterfield was indeed as messy as it appears, it would perhaps explain why, in 1882, Mary and her three children – without George – boarded the Cunard ship SS Abyssinia at Liverpool and set sail for a new life in the USA.”

and pamphlets, and organised events and marches. She had a particular flair for public relations and publicity stunts, and her campaigning often made headlines in the local press.

In 1912, Elisabeth and a fellow suffragette, Rosalie Jones, took a horse and wagon – the latter painted bright yellow –across Ohio, making speeches at every stop and holding meetings whenever possible.

An even tougher trek from New York to Washington DC was undertaken in 1913. Dubbed the ‘suffrage hike’, Elisabeth’s

Above: Elisabeth pictured leading her horse and cart on the ‘suffrage hike’ from New York to Washington in 1913. Courtesy of the George Grantham Bain collection.

party of campaigners joined thousands of others arriving in the capital ahead of President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration. Elisabeth was the official speaker for the trip and also drove the literature wagon, offering palm reading and fortune telling to curious onlookers as a way of attracting a crowd.

The following year she undertook a horse-drawn carriage trip from New York to Boston and was later paid to hike through upstate New York, giving speeches and stirring up support for the suffrage cause.

Her skills as a speaker meant that Elisabeth was soon being sought out by organisations across the USA to campaign on their behalf. In 1916, she joined a group of prominent women travelling aboard the Women’s Campaign Special; a train that criss-crossed the USA, drumming up support for Republican presidential candidate and suffrage supporter Charles Evans Hughes.

During the campaign, the ‘Hughesettes’ travelled more than 11,000 miles across 28 states, giving over 1,800 speeches. Such was their impact that rival Democrats resorted to a smear campaign, accusing the women on the train – wrongly – of being drawn from the ‘idle rich’. This was no doubt particularly galling to Elisabeth, who came from a humble background and who, amongst her other campaigning, often spoke in favour of trade unions and the women’s labour movement.

Following the USA’s entry into World War I in 1917, Elisabeth became part of the Emergency Peace Federation, a coalition of pacifist organisations that opposed the country’s involvement in the war and the associated threat to civil liberties. The pacifist message was not a popular one and many organisations and newspapers saw anti-war campaigning as unpatriotic and even treasonous. As a result, Elisabeth brought herself to the attention of the US senate, which included her on its list of dangerous pacifists and radicals. However, it was a year earlier, in 1916, that Elisabeth had become immersed in her most remarkable and undeniably dangerous campaign. On her way to Texas to undertake a speaking tour on behalf of the state’s Women’s Suffrage Association, she met a man called Roy Nash. Nash was working with the civil rights organisation, the NAACP, and asked Elisabeth to use her

time in Texas to investigate the recent brutal lynching of a young black man, Jesse Washington, in Waco. In a letter to her in May of that year, Nash wrote “Will you not get the facts for us? Your suffrage work will probably give you an excuse for being in Waco.”

Seventeen-year-old Washington had been found guilty of murdering the wife of his white employer. Following the verdict, he had been dragged from the courthouse by a mob, hauled through the streets and subjected to horrific violence before being strung up and burned, in front of at least 10,000 onlookers.

Elisabeth was appalled by the case and took on the commission with gusto. She spent around a week in the city, interviewing witnesses and bravely confronting officials and others who may have been complicit in the attack. Despite using her suffrage work as a cover, Elisabeth clearly drew enough attention to put herself in potential danger. One family member recorded that she was told to “get out of town before you are hanging on that tree”.

The story Elisabeth uncovered showed that, far from the attack on Washington being a spontaneous display of anger by extremists, it had been planned in advance, with the collusion of huge numbers of people. A photographer had even been tipped off and was on hand to capture the whole horrific event. Her report gave Roy Nash just what he needed to highlight the appalling practice of lynching

and boost recruitment to the NAACP, and it gave Elisabeth herself a new cause.

The cruelty of the case outraged her and she became a vocal supporter of the civil rights movement, undertaking two national speaking tours on behalf of the NAACP and its anti-lynching campaign. Although black audiences were often initially suspicious of Elisabeth – there can’t have been many other white, Englishborn women involved in the campaign – she won them over with her conviction to the cause. She would go on to regularly address black audiences on the subject of suffrage and labour rights, as well as racial injustice.

While Elisabeth was busy stirring up the crowds across the USA, her sister Jane had found an altogether different calling.

The eldest of the Freeman siblings, she had discovered a love of art as a young girl. After working as an artist’s model and illustrator and training in New York and Paris, she launched a successful career as a painter, in particular as a portraitist. She won several awards throughout her life, exhibited across the USA and mounted solo exhibitions. Among her sitters were Nobel Prize winner Albert Schweitzer and Mother Cabrini, the first US citizen to be canonised by the Catholic Church.

Jane lived for most of her life in New York, where she taught several artists who became well-known in their own right. She also appeared on the radio and gave lectures on her craft. Whereas Elisabeth’s work kept her mainly in the USA, Jane’s

Above: Elisabeth (right) with fellow suffragettes on the march from New York to Boston. Courtesy of Bain News Services.

travels took her as far afield as Spain, Morocco and Trinidad.

Like her sister, Jane was an active supporter of women’s suffrage. In 1915 she exhibited a painting of a mother and child, titled ‘Future Voter’, at an exhibition in New York City alongside works by more than 90 female artists, all intended to support and promote women’s suffrage. The image later featured on the cover of the magazine, The Delineator. While Jane’s success continued until ill health began to slow her down in the early 1960s, Elisabeth appears to have fallen out of the limelight during the 1920s as her campaigning waned. Her hatred of social injustice did not fade, however, and she remained active in radical and welfare causes in and around New York City. On a final visit to England, she was reportedly detained by British Intelligence for attempting to smuggle in ‘seditious, Bolshevik literature’.

Elisabeth died in California, where she had moved for her health, on February 27, 1942, aged 65. Jane survived her by more than 20 years, dying at the grand old age of 92 on September 23, 1963. Neither sister married, both choosing to forge their own path as independent, self-sufficient women. Two amazing lives which ended in the USA but began in Derbyshire.

GIVE THE GIFT OF A PROFESSIONALLY WRITTEN WILL THIS CHRISTMAS

DECIDING what to give at Christmas is never easy, is it? Why not consider something far more important than the usual jumper, slippers or perfume, and give your family peace of mind by planning for their future and having a professional write your will. Do-it-yourself (DIY) wills may be on the increase, but so are reports suggesting that they are failing more than ever. Over 10,000 people dispute inheritance every year and probate disputes have more than doubled in 2023 since 2016.

Having a professionally written will is vital to ensure it is not disputed when you die. Here, Laura Cowan, head of Graysons private client team discusses some of the most frequent mistakes that lead to DIY wills being challenged or failing.

Only a person aged 18 or over can make a will and it must be in writing and witnessed – it cannot simply be recorded or left verbally (apart from privileged wills for those on active military service). Often, even written DIY wills are invalid because amendments or crossings out appear on the document that has been signed, or because instructions within them are conflicting. Challenges can happen when someone believes that the testator didn’t have the mental

capacity to make a will when it was written. Specialist private client lawyers, like Graysons, offer specific guidance relating to mental capacity and can also ensure that the testator is not under any undue pressure.

Incorrectly signed and witnessed wills are invalid and are a frequent reason why DIY wills fail. A will must be signed by the testator in front of two witnesses (at the same time) who must sign it in front of each other and the testator. Witnesses or their spouses cannot also be beneficiaries. Issues relating to beneficiaries often lead to disputes in DIY wills. If alternative beneficiaries to those named (such as children or spouse) are not specified, part of the family can be left without any intended inheritance. If there is only one beneficiary, who has already died, and there is no default provision, the whole estate will be subject to the rules of intestacy and may go to the Crown. Claims by those who think they should have been named in a will, or have been disinherited in one, are also frequent with DIY wills. Professionally written wills that follow the correct legal process are more likely to defeat such claims. DIY wills sometimes don’t name guardians for young children, which can result in lengthy and expensive court

proceedings to obtain legal responsibility for the child, and the child could end up living with someone other than who the testator would have chosen.

An executor must be named for a will. If not, someone who would be entitled under the intestacy rules would need to apply for a ‘grant of letters of administration with the will’, to manage the estate and deal with the wishes within the will. It’s worth remembering that executors are responsible for ensuring that an estate is distributed in accordance with the wishes within the will. This can be a complex task, dealing with issues such as applying for grant of probate, bank accounts and other financial issues, including tax. They must be chosen carefully.

Contact the Private Client Team: 01246 229393

Unit 14F, The Glass Yard, Sheffield Road, Chesterfield. S41 8JY

Email: wills@graysons.co.uk

Graysonslaw @Graysonslaw

Laura says: “These are just a few examples of issues that can go wrong with homemade wills. Unfortunately, there are many more and it is saddening to see those who thought that they were beneficiaries suffering if a testator’s wishes are misunderstood or the will is deemed invalid. Using a professional to write your will can minimise the risk of that happening and help you to ensure that your family is properly provided for.”

Here at Graysons, we have many years’ experience in writing wills and understand the sometimes complex needs of families. We are happy to discuss your individual wishes at a no obligation appointment. Contact us now to make an appointment. LC

Above: Laura Cowan, head of private client department.

FANCY THAT…

The Wam Bam Band in action.

THE Olde House, Newbold, was converted from an old 17th century farmhouse and opened as a two-bar establishment fifty years ago. A further bar opened in 1975, with a restaurant opening two years later. It is now a hotel, with 12 en-suite rooms and two function rooms, as well as a pub and restaurant.

Don’t miss out on winter fuel payment…

DERBYSHIRE pensioners on a low income could miss out on this year’s winter fuel payment if they don’t act fast and find out if they qualify for Pension Credit.

Thousands of pensioners in the county aren’t claiming the benefit boost that unlocks other support, including up to £300 for heating. The last date for claiming Pension Credit in time to qualify for the winter fuel allowance is Saturday, December 21. Welfare benefits officers at Derbyshire County Council are urging anyone who thinks they could qualify for Pension Credit, or knows someone who could, to check if they’re eligible before it’s too late. The cut-off date to claim the winter fuel allowance was September 21– but as Pension Credit can be backdated for three months, there’s still the chance to apply and get it backdated.

Derbyshire County Councillor Carol Hart said: “We believe up to 10,000 pensioners in the county aren’t claiming the Pension Credit they’re entitled to, which could boost their income by up to £75 a week on average.

“It can also unlock other benefits, including council tax support and a free TV licence for over-75s, as well as the winter fuel allowance. I’d urge everyone to check now if they qualify.”

There are several ways Derbyshire residents can find out if they, or someone they know, qualifies for Pension Credit: call the Government’s Pension Service on 0800 99 1234; apply online at apply-for-pension-credit.dwp. gove.uk/start or contact the council’s benefits advice line on 01629 531535.

Rotary provides soccer kits

THE Rotary Club of Matlock are pleased to sponsor new football kits for three boy’s teams at Highfields School, Matlock.

Rotary President Tom Moloney and Rotarian Sylvia Netley were present at the inaugural outing of the new Year 10 kit. A match was then played against Year 9 on the fantastic new all-weather pitch at Highfields.

Matlock Rotary are also sponsoring further complete sets of kit for three of the girls’ sports teams at the school. The head of PE at Highfields, Chris Shirtcliffe, accepted the donated kit on behalf of the school.

Meeting every 2nd and 4th Monday in the evening at The Fishpond, Matlock Bath; the club welcome people interested in being a member of Rotary or becoming a volunteer to help at our events. Further information on http://www. matlockrotary.org.uk/ or by emailing president.matlockrotary@gmail.com

Matlock Rotary Club have been very active this year in their fundraising events, which have paid for much-needed driving lessons for Ukrainian families living in and around the town; donated to the Nigerian Health Care Project for training nurses in helping new-born babies to breathe; and supported other local charities and organisations to purchase defibrillators and other equipment.

Club’s ‘ruby red’ party

MATLOCK WI certainly painted the town red to celebrate the club’s ruby anniversary in October.

President Linda Odell asked members to wear something red to the party, so they all did! Hall decorations were red, and a display of red cupcakes were prepared by one of the members enhanced the buffet table.

Members welcomed back the first president in 1984, Elaine Cox, plus two of the original members – Kath Sheldon and Maureen Corker – attended.

Members provided photos of themselves 40 years ago, and 1984 music was played throughout the evening.

Forty-seven of the fifty-four members were able to be there.

Should you like to ‘give the WI a go’, come to one of their meetings, held on the 1st Wednesday of the month at the Edgefold Club, Matlock, at 7.30pm.

New book about Bess of Hardwick

THERE’S a new book out about Bess of Hardwick – and it’s a cracker, writes Barrie Farnsworth.

It’s called Bess of Hardwick: Myths & Realities, by historian Terry Kilburn –who spent three years at Hardwick Hall as a National Trust volunteer – with a foreword by the Duke of Devonshire.

Terry sets out to eliminate “some of the inaccuracies that continue to distort the Bess of Hardwick narrative” – and he succeeds.

He says in the final chapter that two previous Bess authors, Dugdale and Collins, ‘present her as a calculating, confidence trickster’ who married only to con her husbands into handing over their inheritances; but he argues that three of her four husbands, including Sir William Cavendish, who purchased Chatsworth in 1549, and George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury – the richest peer of his time – ‘would have been so naive to have fallen for such blatant trickery’. He concludes that Bess was ‘simply a woman of her time’.

Published by Austin Macauley Publishers, the paperback costs £14.99 from austinmacauley.com

Your votes will help us decide our 2024 winner…

HERE are the finalists in our 2024 ‘Derbyshire’s Lovely Landscapes’ competition – and we want you to help us select a winner.

All you have to do is send in your 1-2-3 by email to barrief@bannisterpublications. co.uk by noon on Thursday, November 28, 2024. We really need you to select your 1-2-3; as those who vote for only one person will not be counted – simply use the letter on the pictures. Alternatively, you can send a postcard to Reflections, Bannister Publications, Office 2A, Market Hall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 1AR.

The winner – who will be announced in the January 2025 issue –will receive a meal for two at a top local restaurant, plus the chance to have a selection of their images published in Reflections.

Here are the finalists…

A A snowy Winnats Pass, taken on January 16 by Elaine Marsh, of Bakewell.

B David Thorburn, of Wirksworth, also took this picture on January 16 of Cromford Canal, just past the Wharf Shed.

C A reminder next of how wet it has been this year. Ken Parker, of Matlock, says of his picture, taken in March: “This wildlife hide at Carsington Water was obviously sited without considering where the water level could reach!”

D Stuart Slinn, of Wingerworth, took this view of Ashover in January on a cold but sunny morning.

E Ian Moorcroft, of Hollingwood, visited Ladybower Reservoir early one June day as the morning mist cleared.

F High on Stanage Edge, next, with this image taken by Peter Wigglesworth, of Matlock.

G Finally, looking towards Edensor – showing a brace, covey or nye, depending on the name you like for a group of pheasants – taken by Stuart Else, of Matlock.

H A picture in late April by Chris Waddington, of Great Longstone, looking towards Oaker Hill.

I Cloud inversions are very unusual in summer, but Russ Teale, of Newbold, managed to capture one on July 15 in the Derwent Valley, taken from Surprise View.

J The late afternoon sun catching Mam Tor, taken from the ruins of Peveril Castle, also on a late July day by Brian Smith, of Upper Newbold.

K Climbers queue at the base of Stanage Edge to tackle the rock face in this image taken by Lisa Hands, of Sheffield, also on a July day.

2025 festival jazz line-up…

BUXTON International Festival has announced its 2025 jazz line-up – and the popular Jazz Weekender tickets have gone on sale, granting access to all jazz events during the festival’s opening weekend, 10-13 July inclusive, for a discounted price of £175.

On Thursday, 10 July, both Belgian vocalist Ineza and her quartet, and violin

virtuoso Graham Clark and his quartet will star.

On Friday, 11 July, the Emily Masser Quartet, featuring Alex Clarke, will be on stage between 12noon-1.30pm; Trio JDM will perform between 2.30-4pm; Baiana, featuring Snowboy, will be on stage between 8-9.30pm; and Butcher’s Brew will play jazz, funk, blue note and Latin from 10.30pm to late.

Above: Emma Rawicz was perform at Buxton International Festival next year on July 12.

On Saturday, 12 July, Alan Barnes presents ‘A Celebration of Art Pepper’s Centenary’ between 1-3.30pm; the Dean Stockdale Quartet with strings presents ‘100 Years of Oscar Peterson’, plus special guests Alan Barnes, Mark Armstrong and Emily Masser, at the Pavilion Arts Centre, between 7-9.30pm; and the Emma Rawicz Quartet will perform at the Palace from 10pm to late.

Left: Georgina Jackson will perform with her Mighty Mini Big Band at the festival next year on July 13.

On Sunday, 13 July, Dodeka will perform 1-2.30pm; Xhosa Cole Quartet presents Freemonk at the Palace, 4-6pm; Georgina Jackson’s ‘Sass and Brass’ with her Mighty Mini Big Band will be on stage from 8-9.30pm.

Support for Derbyshire Makes

A PLACE PARTNERSHIP award of £780,000 from Arts Council England has been secured by Derbyshire County Council to support Derbyshire Makes, a major new programme of countywide cultural activity.

THIS three-year programme will celebrate making in all its forms and shine a spotlight on the county’s extraordinary creative and cultural industries.

Inspired by the county’s significant manufacturing heritage, its unique landscape and the artists, craftspeople, designers and manufacturers who call Derbyshire their home, Derbyshire Makes will explore innovation, creativity, design, craft, skills and manufacturing.

It will provide hands-on making opportunities for residents, creative projects for local schoolchildren

and volunteering opportunities, as well as paid opportunities for local artists and creative businesses.

Activities will include walks, talks, exhibitions, events, markets, hands-on workshops, a major digital commission, an annual festival and so much more. Touring activity will take place on the Museum of Making’s Makory mobile bus.

Coun Barry Lewis, leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “Derbyshire has a proud history of making, from textiles produced at Arkwright’s cotton mills in Cromford – the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution – to sweet treats such as our famous Bakewell pudding; pottery thrown at Denby; and even design innovation at global engineering giants Rolls-Royce and Toyota.

“Making, creativity and culture helps to bring communities together,

animate high streets, boost the local economy including tourism, safeguard traditional skills and crafts and support local creative businesses.”

Derbyshire-based agencies Local and Arts Derbyshire will deliver this ambitious programme on the council’s behalf. Arts Derbyshire will coordinate a programme of free, hands-on making activities across six community hubs in Bolsover, Swadlincote, Glossop, Chesterfield, Heanor and Matlock/ Cromford/Wirksworth. Local, which is based in Glossop, will stage an annual four-week spring festival.

In addition to the £780,000 award from Arts Council England, funding was ring-fenced for Derbyshire Makes from Covid Recovery funding.

More details will be announced later, including how to get involved.

ESTABLISHED in April 2013, Edmund St Activity Centre has now been contracted to Derbyshire County Council since 2016.

In recognition of their excellent standards of care provision, they have recently been awarded a new 5-year framework contract to provide day care activities to adults with varying complex needs in Derbyshire. These needs include adults with a learning disability, older adults, adults with very high needs, such as severe epilepsy and challenging behaviour with 1v1 and 2v1 requirements.

The highly experienced and motivated staff at Edmund St Activity Centre are headed by a vastly experienced and deeply caring manager with a Degree in Social Care.

A highly motivated and caring manager with a degree in Social Care is supported by a dedicated and committed team of staffwith Natasha as Team Leader and Becky as Assistant Team Leader, as well as a further 3 members of staff. who are trained nurses and have followed careers in nursing previously.

All staff are fully trained to CQC and DCC mandatory requirements and many have

NVQ Level 3 in Social Care. They are recruited based on their skills, but more importantly on their friendly, caring, and empathetic personalities which create a very warm, welcoming, and happy environment and culture. All these qualities make the centre a unique and calming environment – a place to look forward to visiting - for staff, service users, and healthcare professionals alike.

INDIVIDUAL CHOICE FOR SERVICE USERS

The Activity Centre provides day respite care with an appropriate level of support, both practical and emotional. All the individual service users are fully involved in deciding what suits their own needs and enjoyment. This includes social and lifestyle scheduling, domestic skill improvements and entertainment. Whilst the staff have a creative input into the programme, the schedule is bespoke and tailormade to each of the service user’s needs.

IMAGINATIVE PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITY

Guided and designed by service user input, the daily schedule of activities is an interactive programme of projects, tasks, recreation, interests, and pastimes. It’s well thought out and steered by the service users. On Mondays, where appropriate and under close supervision, there may be a trip to the café at the Chesterfield Football Club or a visit to the local shops, library, or park. Tuesdays may give opportunity for beauty therapy, where people can have a foot spa, their nails done, or a body massage. Alternatively, there is chance to learn sign language – Makaton – courtesy of Lucy. All manner of activities take place on a Wednesday – with horse-racing on TV using fake money, a group quiz on the interactive TV screen, or a ‘Movie afternoon’ with hot chocolate. Thursdays has a reading group and Fridays singing lessons and karaoke, as well as a Friday Movers Club with dancing and exercises. But nothing is set in stone or rigid. The timetable is directed by the service users and is often themed around the time of the year. Making Halloween buns and creating

The Edmund Street Activity Centre staff team with a young man who has been a member for six years.

poppies have been popular activities lately. Learning daily living skills in the kitchen plays an important part in the programme of events. Baking, making pizzas, and preparing meals are actively encouraged. People with high needs may need one-toone or two-to-one supervision, support, and encouragement and this is also accommodated at Edmund St Activity Centre.

FACILITIES AVAILABLE

• Daily living skills kitchen

• Two large, dedicated rooms

• Arts, crafts and needlework

• Snoozeling/sensory room

• Indoor games including boccia bowling and snooker

• Beauty treatments

• Meals, snacks and beverages

• TV and computers

• Sensory garden

LIVING SKILLS KITCHEN

Service users have the opportunity to plan a menu, shop for the ingredients and cook the daily main meal for the centre. This gives them a wonderful sense of achievement. Facilities include a state-ofthe-art kitchen and adjustable worktops. The majority of meals served are prepared by service users under supervision.

STIMULATION AND PARTICIPATION

When working on an arts and crafts project, service users are encouraged to use selfexpression in a stimulating atmosphere. They work in a fully equipped and well stocked crafts room, which offers a wide range of activities for exploration and development. Service users are encouraged to enjoy dancing, singing and socialising in order to improve their quality of life and mobility. Participation is encouraged, where appropriate, in a range of indoor sports including table tennis, pool, softball, board games and boccia (indoor bowls specially designed for those with disabilities to compete within a team environment).

SNOOZELING (SENSORY) ROOM

The fully equipped sensory room provides the ideal environment and ambiance for total relaxation and stress release. There’s also a bathing room, which facilitates improvement of personal well-being and maintenance of personal care needs.

SERVICE USER INTEGRATION

One unique and incredibly positive feature of the Activity Centre is the excellent relationships developed between the service users. Service users are encouraged to participate in various social outings throughout the year, including town centre shopping and visits to local places of

interest. Outside bodies, such as ‘Rise’, come in to offer all manner of sports, including hockey and netball. These are also tailored to the capabilities of wheelchairbased service users. Visits from the Fire Service and St John’s Ambulance provide additional stimulation and interest

If you have a family member leaving Ashgate Croft School, Edmund St Activity Centre can offer a safe, friendly, fun, and happy learning environment.

BOOK YOUR FREE TASTER DAY!

Edmund Street Activity Centre

Edmund Street, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 8TD

T: Steve on 07950 634039

T: 01246 260 105

E: enquiries-edmundstac@outlook.com www.edmundstac.com

Biscuit decorating

Experiencing being a fireman

Giggles with support staff

Indoor sports with friends and Sports Facilitator, Rise

Cookery in the Skills Kitchen

Weekly beauty treatments.

Fun in the park with friends

Learning how to save a life with St. Johns Ambulance

Integrity: The key to lasting success

Chesterfield-based Holywell Carpets believe that honesty and trust are integral to meeting and exceeding customers’ expectations.

AS can usually be expected from a long-established family business, Holywell Carpets has stood the test of time through displaying the hallmarks of unparalleled customer service, uncompromising integrity, and unswerving reliability. Brothers Reg and Steve Hinde took over Holywell Carpets in 1989. Steve now manages the business in conjunction with long-standing and loyal employee, Martin Howroyd. Together, Steve and Martin have been working together at this highly reputable carpet company for 33 years. Previously, Steve had worked elsewhere in the carpet trade in a fitting capacity for ten years. Martin was at the company three years before Steve’s arrival. It’s fair to say that they know the business inside out. And they have done the hard yards! Both are

trained fitters and have many years fitting experience between them, Steve was ‘on the tools’ for 20 years and Martin 25 years.

Traditional values

Steve is proud of the old-fashioned values which have underpinned the success of Holywell Carpets. “If I wouldn’t have a particular carpet in my home, I won’t put it in yours,” said Steve. “Martin and I always tell customers the truth. Our business is based on a high moral code and honesty and truthfulness are at the very core of this.”

Carpet Foundation Membership

The Carpet Foundation is the UK carpet industry’s lead body. As a member of the

Carpet Foundation, Holywell Carpets is bound by a Code of Practice approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. The Code gives customers peace of mind that they are dealing with people they can trust. Carpet Foundation retailers are audited annually by the TSI to ensure compliance.

These are the benefits of buying from a Carpet Foundation retail member:

• Written quotations

• Deposit safeguards

• Written terms of business

• Impartial professional advice

• Free extended guarantees

• A free installation guarantee

• After sales procedures

Better Prices through Associated Carpet Group Membership (ACG)

With over 320 members, ACG is a national buying group dedicated to supporting independent flooring retailers. With a massively increased buying power, the ACG can secure the best trading terms with the best selection of flooring suppliers. This means that carpet retailers like Holywell

Carpets can pass on the savings to customers, making their prices much more competitive. ACG membership has a good number of benefits for Holywell Carpets, including enabling them to trade on equal or better terms than members of other groups or multiple outlets.

Derbyshire Trusted Trader Membership

Being a Derbyshire Trusted Trader tells customers that they are dealing with a fair and reliable business, which follows a code of practice. The scheme also establishes a vetting procedure and a framework for stringent quality standards.

Premium quality carpets and flooring from all the

leading

manufacturers

Whilst catering for a wide range of tastes, preferences, and budgets, Holywell Carpets uses most of the highest-quality suppliers of carpets and flooring.

When it comes to carpet displays in the showroom, Cavalier, Adam, Westex, Ulster, Abingdon, Penthouse, Cormar, Whitestone Weavers, Hugh Mackay, and Brockway are all well represented.

Steve is keen to point out that there are quality ranges for each of these suppliers. “I can show customers the difference in quality even within the Ulster range,” said Steve. “The key measurements they need to know to assess a carpet’s durability are its density, that is how closely knitted together its fibres are, and its pile height. In general, short, dense, heavy carpets

are more durable and hard-wearing than those with loose, shaggy fibres.

LVT flooring is ever more popular these days and Holywell Carpets has certainly got this covered. With premium brands like Camaro and Distinctive, backed up with vastly experienced and highly knowledgeable fitters, customers can rely on an immaculate finish to their superb new floor.

Holywell Carpets also stocks and fits quality ranges of vinyls, laminates, and carpet tiles.

11 widths of carpets – how to save money and avoid waste

Measuring floor space and estimating the amount of flooring or carpet needed is a skill. “Customers should never really buy a carpet until a room has been professionally measured,” said Steve. “We can save customers hundreds of pounds by using carpets which come in smaller width sizes. With eleven widths of carpets now available, choosing the most cost-effective width option can make a whole load of difference. Selecting the optimum width of carpet available in a given carpet range can minimise waste and save a small fortune!”

Giving genuine, objective, and honest advice is at the heart of everything they do at Holywell Carpets. “If we can save our customers some of their hardearned cash, we’ll do it,” said Steve. “With our price quotations, we also include the often-hidden extras. With us, underlay, grippers, doorplates, and fitting is always included in the cost.”

Customer reviews and feedback speak volumes

Here is a recent glowing review on Google: capabilityblack 2 months ago

Holywell Carpets provided a great service in measuring and ordering our new living room carpet. They let us know when it had arrived in store and kept it for us until we were ready for fitting as we were in the middle of decorating. Steve was friendly and offered us advice on how to care for our new carpet which is an 80/20 wool blend. Dale the fitter was great and worked around the speaker and TV cables that come up through the floor. A great service from start to finish.

If an honest, reliable, and courteous service is what you’re after, look no further than Holywell Carpets.

Holywell Carpets, 40 St Mary’s Gate, Chesterfield, S41 7TH T: 01246 272 835  M: 07733 889430

E: enquiry@holywellcarpets.co.uk www.holywellcarpets.co.uk

A painting of the Inner Gateway at Wingfield Manor by Romantic artist William Turner around 1796. Courtesy of Tate Britain.

THE FASCINATING HISTORY OF Wingfield Manor...

It’s an example of hidden history in a small Derbyshire village. Wingfield Manor has such a fascinating history unbeknown to most who live outside the village’s perimeter, writes Charlotte Tait.

NOW part of a working farm, Wingfield Manor was once the home of England’s Treasurer and the site of captivity for Queen Mary of Scotland. While the site is not currently open to the public and is under the care of English Heritage, its history is rich.

The manor was built by a prominent individual, Ralph Lord Cromwell. Cromwell was most likely born around 1393, as the only son of a Lincolnshire baron. His early life was spent

in the service of the Duke of Clarence and later his older brother, King Henry V. Cromwell fought alongside the king at the Battle of Agincourt and gained prominence in 1433 as he became Treasurer of England.

Cromwell acquired the manor site in 1439 and envisioned the possibility of creating a grand home in its strategic, elevated position. Cromwell was an avid builder and his design for the manor was very different to what his contemporaries were building at the time.

The final building was nothing short of opulent, with a great hall for banquets and a colossal tower that allowed any guests to have a 360-degree view of the surrounding scenery. The stone used to construct the manor was Ashover gritstone, with numerous intricate carvings engraved into both the inside and outside of the building – one depicting money bags, done to highlight the extent of Cromwell’s wealth.

Another revolutionary decision made by Cromwell was

to make his manor primarily domestic in design rather than defensive, extraordinary for the time. While the manor was adorned with luxury, it strangely lacked what we now would consider to be a basic necessity: toilets (known as garderobes in medieval times). However, Cromwell’s building of the manor, as well as his demanding role as Treasurer, all became too overwhelming as he resigned from his role in 1443 on the grounds of ill-health. He remained in his

Above: An English Heritage sign, saying that there is no access to Wngfield Manor.

Right: The outline of Wingfield Manor – partially demolished by Parliament after the English Civil War. Below: Part of the ruins of Wingfield Manor. Picture by Charlotte Tait.

beloved manor for a further twelve years until his death, and was buried at Tattershall Castle, in Lincolnshire, another of his building projects. His estate at South Wingfield was assumed to be inherited by his nieces. However, his will stated otherwise. Cromwell had written that the Manor was to be sold to raise money for

Tattershall Church, so it could be transformed into a collegiate to commemorate his life.

So, Wingfield Manor was sold to John Talbot, the second Earl of Shrewsbury. The manor remained in the hands of the Shrewsbury family for two centuries. During this time, under the residency of George Talbot, the sixth Earl

“During this time, under the residency of George Talbot, the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury, Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scotland, was imprisoned at the Manor. ”

of Shrewsbury, Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scotland, was imprisoned at the Manor.

Most commonly referred to in history as the ‘Queen of Scots’ – as opposed to Mary, Queen of Scotland – she was originally married to King Francis II of France, who had the most frivolous and sometimes licentious courts in Europe. Thus, in 1560 when her husband King Francis II of France died, she was confident in herself and her birthright to retain her power as Queen of Scotland.

After a few years following her return to Scotland, she married her cousin, Henry Darnley, Earl of Lennox. Unfortunately, within six months after the birth of their son, James (later James V of Scotland and James I of England), Darnley was murdered. Suspicion fell on Mary’s alleged lover, the Earl of Bothwell, who married her just days after securing a divorce. Unsurprisingly, an army of

nobles revolted against their marriage, confronting Mary at Carberry Hill, where she surrendered while Bothwell fled. Among Bothwell’s captured belongings, a silver casket containing letters written before Darnley’s murder highlighted Mary’s complicity in Darnley’s death. The letters reveal Mary’s outpourings of love for Bothwell, while they reveal resentment and hatred towards her husband, desperate to be freed of him, as well as to have Bothwell released from his own marriage.

Following her surrender, Mary was imprisoned at Lochleven Castle and forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son James. After escaping and raising an army, only to be defeated at Langside, she fled to England, seeking sanctuary from her cousin, Elizabeth I. But the Queen of England had her imprisoned and in 1569, the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury – who by then was married

to Bess of Hardwick – was tasked with her imprisonment, and she was detained across several of his properties.

Mary was initially kept at Tutbury Castle but was soon transferred to Wingfield Manor to improve her health, as Tutbury’s dilapidated conditions had left her ill. Despite the move, Mary’s health continued to decline, with doctors blaming Wingfield’s unsanitary conditions — an accusation the Earl strongly disputed, attributing her illness to her own retinue’s hygiene. Nonetheless, Mary was frequently moved between Wingfield, Sheffield Castle, Sheffield Manor, and Tutbury Castle throughout her imprisonment in England, spending significant time at Wingfield Manor from around 1569 to 1584.

One interesting indication of the kind of lifestyle Mary had while at Wingfield was the unusually spacious size of the cellar, suggesting a significant

consumption of wine. As well as drinking it, Mary reportedly used wine for “bathing,” as noted in a letter written by the Earl of Shrewsbury to the Marquis of Winchester and Sir Walter Mildmay. Given her poor health during this period, her physicians likely prescribed wine baths or body rubs, a common remedy of the time.

During the English Civil War, the manor was taken by the Royalists and then retaken by Roundheads and was partially demolished in 1646 on instructions from Parliament. In 1678, it was bought by local astronomer Immanuel Halton, before it was abandoned in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. However, a section of the Manor remained occupied as a farmhouse and is still inhabited today. The ruins are now a Grade I-listed building and have been in the care of the Secretary of State since 1960.

Sidney Oldall Addy and James Croston aptly described Wingfield Manor in their

1885 guidebook as “bitterly historical.” Today, its ruins reflect how time spoils a once magnificent house. Though many of the walls still remain strong, the roofless (formerly grand) hall – once one of the largest in the country – the obliterated chapel, and there are the marks of cannon shots on the walls.

Editor’s note: The author would like to thank farmer Sam, who inhabits the

Above: The ruins of Wingfield Manor today, showing the roofless Great Hall.

farmhouse adjacent to the ruins of the manor; Jonathan, a local who lives in the village; and John Hardwick, a local historian, for the information they provided regarding the manor’s history. A sketch of the manor forms the logo of South Wingfield Primary School.

Embrace the Elegance and... LET THE LIGHT FLOOD IN!

New State-of-the-Art Glass Conservatory Roofs by HeatGuard

THE charm of a glass conservatory roof is not simply aesthetic – it’s also about the sense of openness it brings to your living space. The sprawling canvas of the sky above, viewable in all its glory, can be a priceless addition to your home.  Beyond the visual appeal, there are many other advantages of glass conservatory roofs, including year-round comfort, self-cleaning properties, reduction in energy bills and beautiful visual options to suit any property style.

Energy-efficient Solar Control Glass Conservatory Roofs

Recent significant technological advancements and improvements in the quality of glass conservatory roofs has resulted in a vast increase in energy efficiency. Modern thermally efficient glass significantly reduces heat loss during cooler months while deflecting the sun’s heat in the summer. Consequently, this provides an evenly tempered space throughout the year, lower energy bills due to reduced need for artificial heating and cooling, and a greener, more sustainable living solution.

Self-cleaning Properties

The self-cleaning products have been certified to EN 1096-5, the new European Standard for self-cleaning glass. Maintaining the pristine appearance of your roof has never been easier.

Longevity and Easy Maintenance

Despite their ethereal appearance, glass conservatory roofs are remarkably resilient. They are built to withstand harsh weather conditions, from heavy rain to snowstorms.

Maximising Light and Space

An integral benefit of a glass conservatory roof is the unparalleled influx of natural light it provides. Not only does this brighten up your space, but studies have also shown that exposure to natural light can improve mood and productivity. More so, the illusion of space that these roofs provide can drastically enhance the ambiance of your interior.

Glare Reduction

The Sunshade Blue is the best performing blue, solar controlled glass to date with fantastic solar and heat reflection properties of up to 82%. It also provides increased glare reduction.

Unrestricted Views and Stargazing Opportunities

One of the unique pleasures of a glass conservatory roof is the opportunity to stargaze without braving the elements. Similarly, during the day, you can enjoy panoramic views of your garden or the passing clouds.

PET EXTENDED DUE TO

‘TOP PET’ PHOTO CONTEST

YOU can still submit your perfect pet to us and vote by sending your entry – or who you’d like to win – to: hello@bannisterpublications.co.uk All submissions will also be on our website for voting in the new year. The winner will be featured on our May 2025 cover!

£1 from every selected entry (we reserve the right to exclude entries) will be donated to RSPCA Chesterfield.

DDUE to ‘paw-pular demand’, we’re extending our ‘Derbyshire’s Top Pet’ photo competition until spring 2025! We will confirm the dates of our entry/ voting deadlines in January 2025’s magazine.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE, YOU CAN… Don’t forget to like and share on our social media....

1. Email the name and number of who you want to win to: hello@bannisterpublications.co.uk

2. Head over to the competitions page and place your vote online at: www.reflections-magazine.com

3. Post to us the name and number of who you want to win to: ‘Top Pet’, Bannister Publications, Office 2A, Market Hall, Chesterfield, S40 1AR

FASHION

Continued from 52

your choice. Pair with quality basics – a white tee here, a chunky knit there, your favourite denim number – to style out a number of occasions, or wear together as intended for pure party perfection. If you’ve already got the perfect piece hanging in your wardrobe, then it’s easy to refresh your look with some well-chosen statement accessories. Add some cool heels, statement jewellery and partyperfect clutch to make even the simplest outfit a seasonal sartorial smash.

4. Jaeger dress £175, M&S.

5. Green sequin velvet mini dress, £85, Oliver Bonas. www.oliverbonas.com

6. Olara black leather, £165, Dune London. www.dunelondon.com

7. Metallic Sequin Top, £45; Metallic Sequin Skirt, £65; John Lewis.

Christmas Gift Guide 2024

WHAT better way to celebrate than with gifts from Chesterfield’s fantastic local businesses? This year, put a twist on tradition and make it even more special with unique finds that your loved ones will remember well beyond Christmas Day. Skip the crowded shopping centres – Chesterfield’s shops, cafes and attractions are ready with thoughtful presents for everyone on your list.

Days out and experiences

Chesterfield FC

For the ultimate Spireites fan, make their dreams come true with a stadium tour, hosted by Heritage Officer, Peter Whiteley! Experience the dressing rooms and more, then savour a two-course boardroom lunch with a special guest.

Price: £50 per person

Date: Wednesday, 29th January 2025 Purchase: eticketing.co.uk/chesterfieldfc

Chesterfield Escape Rooms

Dive into a holiday adventur: see if you can complete Santa’s checklist before take-off for family fun. Or for adrenaline lovers, get your van started before you get caught in the new action-packed game, Rob the Bank 2!

Price: From £55 (2 players) to £200 (10 players) Purchase: chesterfieldescaperooms.co.uk

Highlight Crafts Academy

Bring out their creative side with a class at Highlight Crafts Academy. With a gift voucher, you can choose from several options, from festive projects to intricate crafts.

Price: £55 (Craft Festival Voucher) or £95 (Craft Class Voucher)

Purchase: highlightcrafts.com

Matlock Farm Park

Book an unforgettable day with their unique Alpaca Trekking experience. The voucher also includes all-day park access for more fun with the animals.

Price: £40 per person

Purchase: Email admin@matlockfarmpark.co.uk

Derbyshire County Cricket Club

Gift cricket enthusiasts an experience to remember. Derbyshire CCC gift cards can be redeemed for memberships, ticket bundles, or single tickets to catch all the action— including next summer’s BRM Chesterfield Festival of Cricket at Queen’s Park.

Price: Flexible depending on budget Purchase: derbyshireccc.ticketco.events

DoubleTree by Hilton

Give the gift of relaxation. DoubleTree’s Christmas Sparkle Spa Package includes a choice of luxurious treatment: a facial, massage or glow scrub, followed by a Prosecco Festive Afternoon Tea at Marco Pierre White’s. Available as a gift card until December 24, this treat is redeemable until January 2025.

Price: £60

Purchase: doubletree-sheffield.onejourney.travel

Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa

Treat someone special to a day or weekend of pure relaxation with a spa package at Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa. With options designed for both seasoned spa-goers and first-time visitors, Ringwood Hall offers everything needed for rejuvenation and pampering in a luxurious setting. Gift an unforgettable experience and let them unwind in style.

Price: Packages from £49 to £230

Purchase: ringwoodhall.onejourney.travel

Barrow Hill Roundhouse

Perfect for history and train buffs alike! A membership to Barrow Hill Roundhouse grants free entry, exclusive events, and volunteer opportunities. It also includes the Barrow Hill Magazine and discounted social evenings at this historic attraction.

Price: £28 (adult membership)

Location: Campbell Drive, S43 2PR

Purchase: barrowhill.org

Board and Bean

Gift a year of fun at Chesterfield’s first board game café!

With Board & Bean’s memberships, you can enjoy food, drink, and event discounts, plus 10% off board games at Geeks Headquarters. Family and solo memberships make this a perfect holiday gift!

Price: £30 (solo); £45 (family)

Purchase: boardandbean.co.uk

Down on her luck and cursed with evil stepsisters, Cinderella’s destiny is in the hands of her best friend Buttons, the magic of a Fairy Godmother and a clock that strikes midnight.

Pantomime comedy, calamities and chaos from larger-than-life colourful characters help tell the story, with the end of act one cumulating in a spectacular scene where Cinderella magically transforms from her rags to Princess riches and steps into the carriage that will take her to Prince Charming’s ball.

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional, Dancing on Ice winner, personal trainer and TV personality James Jordan will star

“You shall go to the Ball!”

WINDING WHEEL THEATRE Fri 29 Nov - Tue 31 Dec

in the role of Dandini and CBeebies Katrina Bryan (Molly and Mack) in the role of the iconic Fairy Godmother.

Stepping into the high heels and larger than life characters of the legendary pantomime sisters are Oliver Gray and Dean Horner. Britain’s Got Talent’s Ashley Emerson will be Prince Charming, with West End star Imy Hayes as Cinderella and comedian Steve Best as Buttons.

Opening on 29 November with performances most days until 31 December, Cinderella is destined to be strictly sensational and a masterclass in owning the dance floor at the most famous pantomime ball of all time!

Win two tickets to see the CINDERELLA PANTOMIME at the Winding Wheel Theatre

To enter, simply answer the question below and email you answer to mikes@bannisterpublications.co.uk before Friday 5th December 2024

In which British BBC children’s TV programme did Katrina Bryan feature?

Tickets: chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

Delightful dining out

Casa Hotel

For a truly indulgent experience, Casa’s Bottomless Brunch includes tapas and 90 minutes of Prosecco, cocktails, or Estrella Damm. Then, unwind with an overnight stay in a deluxe room, before tucking into breakfast the next morning.

Price: From £170. Purchase: casahotels.co.uk

Dronfield Hall Barn

Enjoy a sweet or savoury afternoon tea in the cosy setting of Dronfield Hall Barn, with an optional upgrade to include prosecco.

Price: £17.95 per person; £22.50 with prosecco Purchase: dronfieldhallbarn.org

Peak Edge Hotel

Escape with an overnight package at Peak Edge Hotel. With cosy accommodation, a farm-totable dinner and breakfast, this mini-break offers the perfect reset for the New Year.

Price: Midweek from £190, Weekend from £230 Purchase: peakedgehotel.co.uk

The Tickled Trout

Delight the food lover in your life with a dining experience at The Tickled Trout in Barlow. This gastropub offers gift cards that make the perfect present for any occasion. Treat someone to a memorable meal in a cosy setting, where they can indulge in everything from seasonal specials to signature cocktails. A great choice for those who enjoy fine food with a local twist!

Location: The Tickled Trout, Barlow, Derbyshire Purchase: Visit in person or contact the restaurant for details on gift card options. Website: tickledtroutbarlow.com

Sicily Restaurant

Give a taste of authentic Italian cuisine with a gift voucher to Sicily Restaurant. Perfect for food and wine lovers, these vouchers are redeemable for both food and drinks and are valid for a full year. Known for its warm atmosphere and traditional dishes, Sicily Restaurant makes an ideal gift for anyone who appreciates real Italian flavours.

Odyssey Greek Restaurant

Treat them to a night out with authentic Greek cuisine at Odyssey Greek Restaurant. With no set limit, vouchers make it easy to personalise a special meal for any foodie on your list.

Location: Sicily Restaurant, Chesterfield Purchase: Available in-restaurant.

Coffee#1

Warm up with Coffee#1’s new festive flavours, including Mince Pie, Black Forest, and Sticky Toffee. Classic cakes and savoury holiday options like Turkey Feast Focaccia are also available. Gift cards make a perfect stocking filler.

Price: Gift cards from £5 Purchase: In-store or coffee1.co.uk

Purchase: Odyssey Greek Restaurant, Knifesmithgate, Chesterfield Contact: odysseyrestaurant.co.uk

Pampering and self-care

The Body Shop

Give the gift of hydration with The Body Shop’s Hemp Range. Combat winter dryness from head to toe with these lush products, infused with nourishing hemp seed oil.

Price: From £6 to £19

Location: The Body Shop, Irongate, Chesterfield

Less Than Zero

Help your loved ones stay sharp all year long with a prepaid subscription at Less Than Zero Barbershop—a great gift for the man who has everything.

Price: £345 for 15 haircuts Location: Less Than Zero Barbershop or lessthanzerobarbers.com

Nuzest

For the health and fitness enthusiast, Nuzest offers the perfect gifts to support their wellness journey. The new Promixx Shaker provides nutrition on the go, making it easier than ever to stay energised and hydrated throughout the day. Nuzest’s gift cards are also available online, allowing your recipient to choose from a range of high-quality, plant-based supplements and products that fit their lifestyle.

Price: Promixx Shaker from £14.99; Gift cards from £10.00 Purchase: nuzest.co.uk

Fabulous food and drink gift hampers

Brampton Brewery

Bring a taste of Chesterfield to your celebrations with Brampton Brewery’s 12-pack of bottled ales.

This handpicked selection features locallybrewed favourites, perfect for sharing or gifting. Enjoy free delivery within local postcodes or pick up directly from the brewery shop.

Price: £29 per 12-pack.

Location: Brampton Brewery, Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield

Purchase: Order by phone at 01246 221680 for local delivery, or visit bramptonbrewery.co.uk

Cheese Factor

Add a delicious twist to your holiday spread with R.P. Davidson Cheese Factor’s speciality cheeses. Try their unique sticky toffee cheddar for a perfect balance of sweet and savoury. For larger gatherings, create a customized cheese wheel that caters to every palate - ideal for impressing guests at any celebration!

Location: R.P. Davidson Cheese Factor, Chesterfield Market Hall

Purchase: Visit in-store to explore the full selection

Contact: cheese-factor.co.uk/cheeses.html

Chatsworth

Delight your foodie friends with the best from the Chatsworth Estate. This gift box includes a handmade Christmas pudding, fruitcake, chutney, and more, all made locally with love.

Price: £55

Purchase: shop.chatsworth.org

Hogg Norton

Bring the bubbles with Hogg Norton’s Shooter Set. Pair Red Bull with these award-winning fruit liqueurs for a fun holiday drink.

Price: £20, free delivery Purchase: hoggnorton.com

Northern Tea Merchants

Celebrate the season with Northern Tea Merchants’ customisable tea and coffee hampers. Each gift is tailored for tea and coffee lovers, making this a warm and comforting holiday treat.

Price: From £15

Purchase: In-store at Chatsworth Road or call 01246 232 600

Street Spirit

Treat your loved ones to festive luxury with Street Spirit’s Christmas Pudding Gin Liqueur. This rich liqueur shimmers with gold and offers sweet, smooth notes of candied fruit, vanilla, caramel, and warm Christmas spices—a perfect addition to any holiday celebration!

Price: £16.95

Location: Street Spirit, 10 Steeplegate, Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, Chesterfield Purchase: Follow @streetspiritdrinks on Instagram & Facebook for more info

Fashion, Jewellery and Accessories

Adorn Jewellers

Make friends with this beautiful, amber robin pendant from Adorn Jewellers. Bring festive magic and remembrance to any ensemble.

Price: £45

John Stevenson Jewellers

Celebrate fine art with an exclusive collection of bronze sculptures. Each limited-edition piece is crafted using the ancient lost-wax method and finished with patination for layers of rich colour. ‘Roar of The Highlands’, featuring stunning stag designs, is a must-have for art collectors.

Location: Adorn Jewellers, The Shambles Purchase: adornjewellerschesterfield.co.uk

Price: £1,250 (large stag) / £195 (small stag)

Location: John Stevenson Jewellers, 2A Glumangate, Chesterfield

Purchase: Visit in-store or enquire for availability

Dotique

Wrap up in style this winter with the luxurious Stork Black Wool Scarf by One Hundred Stars. This elegant piece combines warmth with a sophisticated stork print design, making it a perfect gift for fashion lovers or a chic addition to any winter wardrobe.

Price: £47

Location: 296/8 Chatsworth Rd, Chesterfield S40 2BY

Purchase: dotique.co.uk

Stanedge Golf Club

For the golf enthusiast, Stanedge Golf Club’s shop offers a stylish range of branded clothing and accessories from top names like Glenmuir, 1981, Sunderland of Scotland, and Ping. From caps and gilets to polos and jumpers, you’ll find the perfect apparel for on or off the course. Gift vouchers are also available, redeemable at Tyzack’s Bar & Bistro, the club shop, or even for a round on the course—ideal for treating your favourite golfer!

Location: Stanedge Golf Club, Walton Hay Farm, Darley Road, Chesterfield, S45 0LW

Purchase: stanedgegolfclub.co.uk

Zebra

Choose this stylish, cosy Barbour hat and scarf set, so they can warm up while exploring our charming town.

Price: £55

Location: Zebra, 17 Holywell Street, Chesterfield Purchase: zebramenswear.co.uk

F.Hinds

For someone who loves a touch of sparkle, this blue topaz and diamond set adds an elegant finish to any holiday outfit.

Price: Earrings or necklace at £49.99 each

Purchase: F.Hinds, 3 Steeplegate, Vicar Lane Shopping Centre or fhinds.co.uk

Homeware and Unique Gifts

CarMats.co.uk

Make every drive a joy with custom-fit car mats from CarMats.co.uk. Made in the UK, these tailored, weather-resistant mats fit any vehicle and can be personalised with trim and embroidery options. Perfect for those who love their car!

Price: From £21.99

Purchase: carmats.co.uk (Use code XMASFIVER for £5 off orders over £40)

Paper Starlights

Brighten their home with these handcrafted paisley mini stars, perfect for year-round ambience.

Price: £16.99

Purchase: paperstarlights. com or at Chatsworth Christmas Market

Matt Cockayne Illustration

Celebrate your loved ones with custom artwork by Matt Cockayne. Choose your favourite from framed prints to Chesterfield-inspired Christmas cards.

Price: From £20

Location: Matt Cockayne Illustration, 2 The Green, Hasland Purchase: matt-cockayne.co.uk

Shop Indie

Put a Derbyshire twist on teatime with the “Ey Up Duck” mug by Me & Thee, available at Shop Indie. Other fun Derbyshire-themed items like coasters and tea towels are also available.

Price: £11

Location: Shop Indie, 17 Steeplegate, Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, Chesterfield Purchase: shopindie.co.uk

Tallbird Records

For music lovers, Tallbird Records offers a selection of new releases and reissues, including this year’s top titles like Oasis’s Definitely Maybe.

Price: From £9.99

Location: Tallbird Records, 10 Soresby Street, Chesterfield Purchase: tallbirdrecords.co.uk

Vanishing Point Records

Celebrate with a modern classic! Pick up limited-edition, Coldplay Christmas Lights from Vanishing Point Records. The collectable blue vinyl features a live version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas on the B-side. Find this and more treasures in-store.

Price: £15

Location: Vanishing Point Records, Theatre Yard, Low Pavement, Chesterfield

Social Media: Follow Vanishing Point Records on Facebook & Instagram

Gifts for Furry Friends

Dog Land

Keep your dog’s coat tanglefree with this conditioning spray. Pick it up from Dog Land to make a dog owner’s life stress-free.

Price: £14

Purchase: doglanddeals.com

Barkworthy Dog Emporium

Make Christmas dinner a family affair. This special doggy meal comes with a holiday cracker just for them.

Price: £7.95

Location: Barkworthy Dog Emporium, Theatre Yard

For the Little Ones (and big ones!)

Huckleberry Willow

Geeks Headquarters

Elevate game night with Pandemic from Geeks Headquarters. This cooperative game challenges players to save the world by curing deadly diseases—a fun holiday activity for family and friends.

Price: £40

Age: 8+ (2–4 players, 45 mins)

Location: Geeks Headquarters, 23 Soresby Street, Chesterfield

Purchase: Available in-store for in-store play or at-home enjoyment

Make them smile with these adorable Jellycat soft toys! Perfect for little ones and big ones!

Price: From £12

Location: Huckleberry Willow, St Mary’s Gate Purchase: huckleberrywillow.co.uk

StraightCurves

Add handmade charm to your holiday décor with StraightCurves’ Crocheted Festive Pudding Kit! This kit includes everything needed to make two adorable pudding baskets, perfect for holding holiday treats on your coffee table

Price: £16.00

Location: StraightCurves, 104 Saltergate, Chesterfield

Purchase: straightcurves.co.uk

The Little Ark

This Little Dutch stacking train encourages playtime whilst helping little ones build their fine motor skills.

Location: The Little Ark, Steeplegate, Chesterfield Price: £27.95

Discover more ways to shop, dine, and celebrate locally this Christmas at chesterfield.co.uk/christmas

Let’s make this holiday season one to remember!

Licensed Coffee House and Bistro No.67

IT was built around 1500 and remained hidden behind a plaster façade as the Peacock Inn pub for over a century, until archaeological work in the 1970s revealed its history. There is evidence suggesting that there were earlier medieval buildings on the site, which were perhaps replaced by this one.

When originally built, it was a larger building. Its purpose in the 16th century is uncertain, but by the 1680s, it was a private home to the Revells, a wealthy merchant family, who were also the proprietors of Carnfield Hall.

This timber framed building was fully restored in 1978-9 as part of the redevelopment of the Pavements shopping area and as many of the original features as possible were retained and can still be seen in the Coffee House and Bistro today.

In 1981 it became the Tourist

Information Centre, or Peacock Centre, opened by the Princess of Wales. In 2002 the Tourist Centre moved to Rykneld Square, and the building became a café, the Peacock Coffee Lounge, as it remained until recently.

In June 2024, the Peacock Coffee Lounge was taken over by two locals, Andy and John,

No.67 Licensed Coffee House and Bistro, located, as the name might suggest, at 67 Low Pavement, occupies one of the oldest buildings in Chesterfield.

who are also the driving force behind the No.4 Licensed Coffee House in Clowne.

Since taking over, Andy and John have set about renovating and refurbishing this beautiful building in keeping with its rich heritage and architectural splendour. A lot of the work they have undertaken themselves, which has enabled them to immerse themselves in the historical significance of their new property. “As soon as you walk into the place you just know that you’re somewhere really special” said Andy. “The original features exude an oldworld feel that is fascinating and full of character, and we’ve tried to upgrade the business without taking anything away from the building’s uniqueness. We’ve tried to create additional comfort

rather than make big changes.”

Visitors appreciate the historical importance of this ancient structure, noting its charming and welcoming nature. Central to the coffee house’s appeal are its authentic Tudor features and intricate wood interiors, which add to its rustic charm. The walls are nicely adorned with paintings of old Chesterfield from local artist, Geoff Robinson, as well as with tasteful artefacts.

Although parts of the building are very old, modern amenities have been subtly woven into the old-fashioned core –making it nostalgic, delightful, comfortable, cosy and inviting. The property seamlessly blends its historic essence with contemporary comforts. Books are available to read,

which adds to the relaxing and laid-back ambience.

The building is something of a Tardis. To the left, there’s the cosy intimate Bistro, which can accommodate up to 16 people; on the right-hand side, there’s the downstairs Coffee House with availability for 28 covers; upstairs is the magnificent Tudor room serving 40 or more; and then, especially enticing in the summer months, there’s the private Peacock courtyard. Looking at the building from the outside, you wouldn’t have thought for one moment that this splendid establishment could serve over 100 covers, but, as you walk round, you get a feel for just how expansive it really is.

Nowadays it’s all table service. Louise, the manager, and her team are friendly and attentive. Many of them have been working here for a number of years, some for over 20, so they have a wonderful feel for offering the absolute best in customer service.

Quality is at the very core of everything here: freshly prepared quality food, friendly staff, quality surroundings and, according to Andy and his team, the best coffee in town! Getting all these elements working in harmony makes for a special visitor experience, and No.67 is trying really hard to create just that.

All the ingredients are locally sourced with known provenance wherever possible. Only the highest quality produce will do, and all the suppliers are vetted carefully before being used. The awardwinning coffee and speciality teas, for example, come from The Heavenly Coffee Company in Dinnington, who base their success on their passion for

quality and excellence. The croissants and English muffins are supplied from a local craft bakery, the Welbeck Bakehouse.

Every member of staff is barista trained to the highest professional standards to ensure that every customer receives top quality drinks every time they visit. All the food is cooked fresh to order and many of the dishes, such as the lasagnes and quiches are home-made. The aim is to exceed all customer expectations – to always strive to go the extra mile.

No.67 is open from Monday to Saturday between 9am and 4pm. The breakfast menu, which contains vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, is all encompassing. You can get a full English, of course. But there’s so much more to choose from. Bagels, croissants, muffins, Eggs Royale. Eggs Florentine, halloumi, avocado, and roasted tomatoes, you name it, and you can get it here!

The lunch menu is equally enticing and far-reaching. Before going through the comprehensive lunchtime options, it has to be said that the bread here is to die for! Absolutely scrumptious! And you can select from a good number of bread choices. There

are soft sub rolls, half moon bread, rustic bread, malted bloomer, white bloomer, and gluten-free baguette. Wow! Beyond a fabulous range of sandwiches, there are paninis, jacket potatoes, soups, salads, lasagne, quiche, curry, and so much more. And it would be rude, wouldn’t it, not to wash down such an amazing food offering with a glass of wine, beer, or cider? Soft drinks, frappes, milkshakes, and an eclectic selection of coffees and teas are, of course, also available. A range of delicious cakes and desserts are also on the menu to satisfy those of you with a sweet tooth. Although the Bistro and Coffee House have separate kitchens, both the Bistro and Coffee House menus are

available throughout all areas. A Christmas twist to the menus will appear from the end of November. And there are so many exciting initiatives on the horizon. Watch out for the No.67 Fan Club, the new Loyalty Card scheme, which will be launching soon.

To be transported back in time and to enjoy the best food and drink imaginable, why not call into this delightful period coffee house? You certainly won’t regret it!

No.67 Licensed Coffee House and Bistro 67 Low Pavement Chesterfield S40 1PB T: 01246 589311

THE ‘SIDES’ ARE WHAT MAKE IT SPECIAL…

KING Henry VIII ate turkey for Christmas – the first English monarch to ever eat turkey at Christmas.

But the ‘sides’ are what make it a gorgeous Christmas lunch. If you are participating in a ‘bring

Braised red cabbage

THERE are a lot of rich, savoury flavours in a Christmas dinner, so you need a few things to cut through them with sweetness and tang. This dish offers up a sweet-and-sour flavour combo packed with seasonal spice, breathing life into everything else on your plate.

Apple and black cherry jam lend complex fruitiness, while the braising liquid balances red wine vinegar, port and chicken stock. As for the spices, the citrussy note of juniper really lifts the flavour. A two-hour simmer then allows the punchy aromatics to mellow and the cabbage to soften while retaining some texture. The whole thing finishes up a beautiful purple, with the cherry jam adding glossiness to the dish.

You can cook this in its entirety then keep it in the fridge for up to three days or the freezer for three months. Gently warm it through before serving.

Butter-roast parsnips with hazelnuts and sage

CRISP sage leaves complement the texture and flavour of parsnips, while a scattering of toasted hazelnuts provides crunch.

You can boil the parsnips up to two days in advance and leave in the fridge until ready to finish – just give them a few minutes longer on the hob in method step 3 so they warm through before going in the oven. Pre-boiling cooks the parsnips through and means less time in the oven, preventing wrinkled, burnt bits. It also means you can leave them unpeeled, which helps lock in the moisture and gives them a delightfully fudgy texture.

something’ dinner with family and friends, here are a couple of side dishes you can take as your offering.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely sliced

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

½ tsp juniper berries

¼ tsp cloves

2 bay leaves

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced

1 red cabbage (650-700g), finely sliced

250ml port

250ml chicken stock or vegetable stock

50g red wine vinegar

150g black cherry jam

INGREDIENTS

1kg parsnips, scrubbed clean (no need to peel)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

50g unsalted butter

10 sage leaves

50g blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped 1 tbsp runny honey

METHOD

SERVES 8-10

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the parsnips to the water and cook for 10-15 minutes or until a knife easily slips through the thicker end. Drain and set aside. Once cool enough to handle, top, tail and halve lengthways.

2. Add the oil and butter to a flameproof roasting dish or oven-safe frying pan over a medium heat. Once foaming, add the sage leaves and fry for 1-2 minutes until shiny and translucent. Lift them out of the butter using tongs or a fork and leave on kitchen paper to drain.

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan (one with a lid) over a medium heat. Add the onion, a pinch of salt and the whole spices. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or so until softened. Add the remaining ingredients.

2. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring now and again, then remove the lid and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Most of the liquid should have reduced, leaving you with a glossy tangle of cabbage.

3. Add the boiled parsnips, cut-side down, to the same dish/ pan and turn the heat up to high. Fry for a few minutes, turning so they’re fully coated in the butter mix. Transfer the dish/pan to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

4. Scatter over the chopped hazelnuts, give everything a good shake, then roast for a further 10 minutes.

5. Drizzle over the honey, give everything a final stir, then transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and garnish with the crispy sage leaves.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage Pesto SERVES 2

WE have a signature dish this month from Blake Arnold, head chef at The Bulls Head Inn, Foolow, and it’s a cracker!

It’s perfect for autumn – a butternut squash risotto with sage pesto.

It’s a family-owned pub that serves meals fit for a king!

INGREDIENTS

Butternut squash purée

2 butternut squash

1 garlic bulb

Fresh thyme

Olive oil

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Sage pesto

1 bunch sage

1 bunch basil

20g toasted pine nuts

20g grated parmesan

Roasted garlic (from previous recipe)

Olive oil

Risotto

200g Arborio or Carnaroli risotto rice

2 shallots, finely diced

100ml dry white wine

1L high-quality vegetable stock, kept warm

30g grated parmesan

1 tbsp butter

Olive oil

Butternut squash purée (from previous recipe)

Butternut squash purée

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Squash: Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and roughly dice. Place the diced squash into a deep roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Toss to coat evenly. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft.

3. Garlic: Slice the top of the garlic to expose the cloves and then toss in oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in tin foil and bake alongside the

Above: Blake Arnold, head chef at The Bulls Head Inn, Foolow.

squash until the garlic is caramelised and soft, for about 30 minutes.

4. Remove the garlic from the oven and allow it to cool. Once the squash is tender, remove the tin foil and return the tray to the oven for an additional 10–15 minutes to roast.

5. Squeeze the garlic from the bulb. Set some aside for the pesto and add the remainder to a blender with the roasted squash. Blend until smooth, using a little warm water to help achieve a silky texture. Taste and adjust seasoning to personal preference.

Sage pesto Method

1. Using either a pestle and mortar or a small blender, combine dry ingredients and mix, adding small amounts of oil until you reach your desired consistency.

Risotto Method

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat a mixture of 1 tbsp butter and a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely diced shallots and sweat until they become translucent.

2. Add the risotto rice to the pan and

cook until the rice is slightly toasted (about two or three minutes), then add the white wine and cook until it has fully absorbed into the rice.

3. Add the vegetable stock a little at a time, stirring frequently and allowing the liquid to absorb completely before adding more. Continue this process until the rice is cooked (about 20 minutes).

4. Remove from heat and stir in the butternut squash purée until well combined. Add the grated parmesan and an extra knob of butter, stirring until melted and smooth.

5. Drizzle with sage pesto. Finish with the toppings of your choosing; at the Bull’s Head, we use smoked goat’s cheese, mixed seeds toasted in butter, fried cavolo nero and micro herbs. Serve and enjoy!

Above: The Bulls Head Inn at Foolow has three en-suite double rooms and a twobed apartment as well as cracking food!

1 Gets to the surface in a soapy way? (7,2)

1 Blesses a mess, without any foundation whatsoever (8)

7 What the bread board ‘needs’ to be first? (7)

4 Making a contour dip unpredictably (10)

13 Impulsive, foolish bits of bacon? (7)

18 One to go into orbit when conned by the latest lie (9)

5 Webmaster, advertising the doctor’s club (3) 6 Understand something of the greenhouse effect (3)

Footie Campbell is a Roman sun-god? (3)

Pier got damaged when one went on it to feel good (3,4)

Walloped the leaders, hitherto (3)

Are these characters at odds for the day? (3)

5 Bruises too badly to be just being rowdy (10)

9 Put it another way, you could share, as per arranged (2-6)

17 A bit of bad behaviour in the singing? (3)

2 Complaint of the bully follower (4)

3 Beige cure (but it’s so crude!) (4)

8 In time to come, being incredibly alert (5)

14 Sort of page that’s a heart location, so they say (4)

15 Woe is me! (At the halfway house) (4)

ACROSS

1 Rub out car accident near Calver (6)

4 Deals clumsily with our valleys (5)

8 Could be lying in a village S of Derby (7)

9 Near Bakewell you get a bit of mash for dinner! (7)

11 Mis-label part of the block (4)

12 Warn and disturb African republic (7)

14 Bark about u-turn over headgear (5)

15 Dove village inn to go and get sorted (8)

16 Fluid-fed nonsense North of Derby (8)

18 ‘I am married on paper,’ the kitten said (5)

20 Force spools to be rewound at gateway to the peak (7)

22 Just above your shoulders? What a nerve! (4)

24 Shy pile that’s built somewhere in the Amber valley (7)

27 Let host exchange West of Belper (7)

29 Parish, but not as it could be (5)

30 The other quiet way round a cloudy hill? (6)

Name:

Prize Crossword

1 See 7d. (5)

2 Driver protection afforded by little loaf restriction (7)

3 Strange mare begat this A6 town (9)

5 Fool, stuck in an impasse (3)

6 Model, finished in delicate, small style (5)

7 And 1d. Lad to conform with car designed for waterway (8)

10 Our ‘Hydrogen’ Henry’s copyright mysteriously vanished (9)

13 “Delved down,” said Douglas junior (3)

14 Semi-precious stone, making for a miserable king? (4,4)

17 Forgo or leave the hazy stuff (3)

18 Plan for Pam to take up (3)

19 Barrow in sterile bits for Market House place (7)

21 Little guffaw on your mobile? (3)

23 Leak about to be a problem at the Abbey (5)

25 Ballet step at an impasse (3)

26 Forego the last half of the trip (3)

28 Inwardly, Martha has a little cry of triumph (3)

We will give a prize of £25 to a randomly-drawn correctly completed crossword. Cut out the completed puzzle and send by December 2nd, 2024, to: Bannister Publications Limited, Office 2A Market Hall, Market Hall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 1AR. The solutions for the November 2024 crossword can be found on page 98 of this issue.

Crossword by Prof Rebus

Overseas memories OF A NATIONAL SERVICEMAN…

In our March issue this year, we carried a feature about a Chesterfield couple, Adrian and Caroline Close, who climbed the highest mountain in Africa, Killimanjaro – and it sparked a reaction from 90-yearold reader Brian Dick, who remembers climbing it in 1954 on his 20th birthday with some national service colleagues. Here Brian reminisces about his national service days.

IT was true to say that national service didn’t get in the way education-wise as I’d left a London grammar school at the age of 14 – the austere headmaster gave my dad quite a roasting, apparently – and was in an office job in Islington when I was invited to a national service interview – bend over, cough, etc – and learnt that it was either two years in the army or three in the RAF. Luckily, I think, I chose the boys in blue as in the army I could have ended up in the Korean War, this being 1952.

Left: At Cardington, Brian Dick is getting some polishing practise in!

Below: Brian Dick is standing on the right, with three Eastleigh colleagues; with the guide and Eastleigh cook crouched in front.

So, Cardington in Bedfordshire first stop and then square bashing in West Kirby, near Liverpool, at the No.5 School of Recruit Training. We had to fill in a form asking did one want to serve at home or overseas. I said ‘at home’ so, of course, I ended up going overseas!

Next was trade training as a teleprinter operator at Compton Bassett in Wiltshire. Every Wednesday was a sports afternoon and I enjoyed the runs. Training came to an end and think I had a fair turn of speed on the keyboard; and I was posted to Moreton Hall in Lincolnshire where we were housed in nissan huts, and the first of many years of shift work (up until I retired in 1999, actually!). I even had to work on Coronation Day in 1953!

My overseas adventures started with a flight to Fayid in Egypt, via Malta. Assembly there was at El Hamra – sand as far as the eye could see – before being moved to Abyad, just a bit further south alongside the Great Bitter Lake, which is near the Suez Canal. We were living in tents before moving in to huts, complete with ‘mossie nets’ and bed bugs! The loos were a line of buckets – each sectioned off – and every day the yell went up that the ‘sh*t run’ was on its way; a tanker with, sitting on top a ‘local’, waiting for the sometimes brimming bucket to be handed up from down below to be emptied into the tank. Obviously, some of it ran down the sides and one got a real whiff!

On guard duty on my own during the night I can, even now, hear the sounds of donkeys braying in one of the villages beyond the wire.

We had to go over to the far corner every so often and switch the searchlight on to

“Looking up at the racks with 1,000lb and 500lb bombs hanging there.”

sweep the area, though with the cranking noise it made, any raider would have been known what was coming! I dread to think how I’d have reacted had I been challenged at all!

After around four months, I said goodbye to all that sand and was posted to Eastleigh, a few miles from Nairobi at the height of the Mau Mau troubles. Here we lived in two-storey, stone-built blocks. There was a swimming pool which received frequent off-duty visits and from arriving pearly white I soon gained a good tan. It reminds me that the water in the pool was the same colour quite often; but one was okay keeping one’s head above water! Guard duty here was not as bad as Abyad – we had to patrol the Lincolns, which superceded the Lancasters – looking up at the racks with 1,000lb and 500lb bombs hanging there. Had a trip in one once, and also in a twin-seat Harvard. We were sent to Kenya as a

new signals centre was being built at Eastleigh, a vast hall with four rows of benches long enough to take at least 20 positions each. Up country, a vast building housed a transmitting station at Ruiru and a much smaller receiving station at Kahawa. Whilst in Kenya, I was in hospital for a circumcision, though I certainly hadn’t been frequenting Maria’s,

the brothel not far up the road from the main gate! We also had a cookhouse strike in protest at the poor food on offer, but it folded after several days. There were a few ‘sweeps’ to gather in Mau Mau fighters. On the biggest sweep, a chap called Pepper was unloading his rifle – in the NAAFI! – and didn’t realise there was one up the spout and shot Blondie

Top: The Opel after hitting a bridge parapet outside Nairobi.

Above: The snow on Mt Killimanjaro when Brian Dick climbed it in 1954.

Bourton in the stomach, a wound from which he died. Never did find our what happened to LAC Pepper, but it couldn’t have been good! Had a few car journeys ‘up

FEATURE

country’ in the Rift Valley – one of the lads had a car – to Lake Elementitia, now called Nakuru Lake, but the hundreds of flamingos there are often shown on nature TV programmes.

As for cars, three of us bought an Opel from someone – think I financed it more than the other two as I had more in my Post Office book – but it all went pear-shaped when one day driving back from town, the steering jammed going downhill and round a bend to cross a river. Luckily we rammed the stone parapet rather than end up in the river; but as the driver only had a UK licence, so we had to hurriedly call a chap from camp – no idea how we did that as there were no mobiles in those days! – who said he’d been driving. The car was a write-off, though, and I lost a few quid!

Eventually, my national

service was over, so I flew back to Blighty in a Hermes, landing at Blackbushe in Hampshire in the early hours – the country smell was very welcome!

After that, I worked for Cable & Wireless at the time of overseas telegrams in the late Fifties; and in 1960 I joined the new national news agency, The Press Association, in Fleet Street until redundancy in 1987. I had a few jobs before retirement

in 1999, including at the BBC and News International, both copytaking duties, which was quite interesting.

I also drove blood bags to London hospitals – blue light at times – for the Brentwood Blood Bank. I also set out cones for roadworks, mainly on roads like the A127 or M11, as I knew someone who ran a traffic management company. While living in Essex, two

friends were ex-teachers from Chesterfield who moved back up north on retirement, and one day, on a visit to the town, my wife and I picked up a property paper and got the idea about moving north as walking in Essex was not that good – whereas, of course, we could have the Peak District on our doorstep. So we moved to Chesterfield in September 1999 and have loved it!

Right: Brian flew from Egypt to Kenya in an Avro York transport aircraft.

Memories of an old-fashioned Christmas

THE notion of an oldfashioned Christmas entices you to want to settle down with a mulled wine served in a crystal wine glass, before a traditional feast served from silverware on fine bone china.

Using your traditional china and silverware might be considered old-fashioned at any other time of the year, but at Christmas it is a joy to use and there are lots of gorgeous things in auctions pre-Christmas.

The extensive Royal Crown Derby table service shown here is expected to make £1,000 to £2,000 in the forthcoming auction. It is decorated with the “Royal Pinxton Roses” pattern, the pattern paying tribute to the Pinxton porcelain factory (1795-1813) and William Billingsley’s paintings of roses.

Pinxton Porcelain was a works created by John Coke and William Billingsley in Pinxton, founded on land at the head of the Cromford Canal. Billingsley was a porcelain painter who had been trained at the Derby works and is renowned for the quality of his porcelain painting, particularly his flowers.

John Coke married Susanna Wilmot in April 1806 and although the porcelain business

By Vivienne Milburn FRICS Independent

Antiques

Auctioneer & Valuer

continued under John Cutts, who had been decorating manager until 1813, Coke’s interest moved to his coal mining business in Pinxton and he moved his family home to Debdale Hall, Mansfield Woodhouse.

There is continued interest from collectors in early examples of Pinxton Porcelain, because the factory only existed for a short time and the pieces they produced are relatively rare and sought after.

Also in a forthcoming auction is this silver-plated tureen set in the neo-classical style by Viners of Sheffield, which will make a fine display on a Christmas table. It is expected to make £200 to £400 in the specialist auction.

Below: Set of three George III-style silver-plated tureens, marked Viners, Sheffield. It is expected to make £200-£400 in a forthcoming auction.

Editor’s note: Do you have antiques and collectables that might be valuable? If so, it is worth getting the advice of an Independent Antiques Valuer to assess them. For further information, please contact Vivienne on 07870 238788 or go to www.

Above: Royal Pinxton Roses pattern extensive table service, made at Royal Crown Derby. It is expected to make £1,000-£2,000 in the pre-Christmas auction.

viviennemilburn.co.uk or email vivienne@viviennemilburn. co.uk

without disrupting your child’s sleep

THE Christmas season is magical, but for parents it can also bring stress about how the festivities might disrupt their child’s sleep. Here are some tips to help you maintain your child’s sleep routine, so you can enjoy the holidays without sacrificing precious rest, writes Baby & Child Sleep Consultant Emma Hill.

1. Keep the bedtime routine consistent

Try to maintain your child’s usual bedtime routine, even amidst all the Christmas excitement. Familiar activities like a bath, bedtime story, or lullaby can help signal that it’s time for sleep.

Quick Win: If you’re travelling, pack a favourite blanket or stuffed animal to help your child feel at home, making it easier for them to settle in a new place.

2. Protect nap time

Christmas events can interfere with nap time, but prioritising it helps avoid overtiredness, making bedtime smoother too. Plan outings around naps, and don’t hesitate to say “no” to gatherings if needed.

Quick Win: If you’re out during nap time, find a quiet spot for a quick nap. Even a 20-minute rest can prevent over-tiredness.

3. Watch sugar intake

Festive treats are inevitable, but too much sugar can make bedtime tricky. Try to limit sugary snacks to earlier in the day and offer healthier alternatives in the evening.

Quick Win: Introduce a calming bedtime snack like warm milk or a banana, which can help your child settle.

4. Balance flexibility with routine

While sticking to a routine is important, occasional flexibility can make Christmas moments more enjoyable. It’s okay if bedtime is a little later on Christmas Eve with all the excitement of Santa arriving – just try not to make it a habit.

Quick Win: If bedtime has been late, have some calming wind-down time the next day to reset their sleep schedule.

5. Be mindful of bedtime during family gatherings

Family gatherings often run late, and it can be tempting to stretch bedtime so that your little one can spend more time with relatives. However, children are creatures of habit, and a later bedtime can sometimes lead to over-tiredness, making it even harder for them to sleep well. It’s okay to make occasional exceptions but try not to make a habit of it over the entire Christmas period.

Quick Win: If you know you’ll be out past bedtime, consider bringing along pyjamas and doing part of the bedtime

routine wherever you are. This way, your child can fall asleep in a quieter space, and you can transfer them into their bed or cot when you get home.

Don’t let sleep worries steal your Christmas joy

The festive period doesn’t have to mean sleepless nights for your child (or for you). By taking small steps to keep your routine intact, you can make the holidays enjoyable and restful for everyone. And remember, if you’re finding it tough to navigate your child’s sleep challenges during the festive season, I’m here to help. My tailored sleep packages are designed to support you through every stage, from infant sleep to toddler transitions, so you can enjoy this magical time of year with peace of mind. If you’d like more support on keeping your child’s sleep on track during the festive season and into the New Year, visit my website for more information about my sleep packages or contact me for a 15-minute introductory call (via the website). Here’s to a happy, restful, and joyful Christmas for you and your family!

Editor’s Note: Emma’s website is www.sleepybabyhappymama.com. She can be contacted via email at hello@ sleepybabyhappymama.com

Fast asleep!

Emma Hill.

A truly fascinating walk

THIS MONTH’S WALK – compiled by Steve Brown – takes in breezy limestone pastures, three contrasting dales, strange rocky outcrops and two lovely villages. The initial part follows the route of the Limestone Way, a 46-mile path from Castleton to Rocester in Staffordshire. There’s something of interest for everyone throughout this fascinating expedition!

THE ROUTE

S. From the centre of Youlgrave, by the splendid All Saints Church, take the lane descending south into Bradford Dale, bearing right part way down into Stoneyside with the allotments on your right. At the bottom of the hill, cross the stone bridge over the River Bradford and follow the narrow path straight ahead to a road. Turn right here for a few yards then take the clearly signposted Limestone Way footpath through a gate on the left. The well-marked path crosses a series of fields before dipping to cross a stream in a shallow valley. Continue up the slope ahead making for the left of three prominent trees. By the tree is a forlorn squeezer stile, the wall it was part of having long disappeared. Bear

left around the hill ahead on a cart track with excellent views behind back towards Youlgrave to reach a prominent three-way signpost in the valley bottom. Turn sharp left here, almost back on yourself, and head across the slope to a wicket gate giving access to a track in a wood. This contours the hillside within the woodland to eventually reach a lane. Turn right up this to soon arrive at a multiplicity of signs and finger posts by the junction of the lane to Harthill Moor Farm.

1. At this point the rocks of Robin Hoods Stride, sometimes known as Mock Beggars Hall, are clearly visible across the fields to the left so head for them along the obvious path. The outcrop can be visited when you reach it as it is access land and it is possible to scramble up to the saddle between the two pinnacles. The adjoining outcrop of Cratcliffe Tor and the little Hermitage shrine, hidden in trees just to the East, can also be visited via a stile or, lower down the hill, a gate by a seat in the surrounding wall. However our route descends from Robin Hoods Stride over a stile below the outcrop then down a green path which eventually joins the way of concrete strips giving access to the cottage below

Cratcliffe Tor; these reach a road junction in the valley ahead over a cattle grid. Turn right then immediately left here to ascend the narrow lane ahead. Pass Dudwood Cottage and shortly after a small barn on the left, where the road is steepening, forsake the Limestone Way for a signposted path over a stile on the right to the village of Elton. Make an ascending traverse of the pasture ahead with great prospects back over Cratcliffe Tor and Robin Hoods Stride to your right and keep above a line of trees ahead until a close grouping of three tall poles carrying power cables comes into view at the top of the slope. From here Elton village can be seen in front and, using the church tower as a landmark, aim for it across a small green valley to reach a short path between houses. Carry on into the churchyard ahead to enter the village street between the school and the church itself.

2. Turn right along the street passing the Duke of York pub on your left. Further along the street note the cottage on the left where Alf Gregory, the photographer on the successful 1953 Everest expedition, lived from 1975 until 1996. The road descends to a three-way junction of lanes at the west end of the village. There

is a footpath route from here to Gratton Dale but it is extremely muddy and difficult to follow. It is, therefore, better to follow the middle of the three quiet lanes, Gratton Lane, down to the telephone box at Dale End Farm where Gratton Dale itself starts. Take the signposted route on the left into the confines of the dale passing a lime kiln on the right. Follow the obvious path up the valley for about two kilometres. Gratton Dale is dotted with small crags on its sides and sporting light woodland and scrub on the lower slopes. The scrub grew up due to a lack of grazing but is now being thinned to restore the dale to a more open aspect. It contrasts completely with the next valley, Long Dale, which is entered at a very obvious right-angled junction near the head of Gratton Dale through a bridle gate by a wall junction. Long Dale is much more open, a green trench in the plateau and a haven for wild flowers in the late Spring. Follow the track up the valley for another 1.5 kilometres until it crosses the wall on the left through a gateway by an enclosure containing some upright inscribed stones. This is one of the “Sites of Meaning” with marker stones commemorating the millennium. Take the

A superb example of a dry valley in the White Peak – that’s Long Dale.

Gratton Dale is a lovely, quiet valley.

FACT FILE

MAP: OL24 Explorer

White Peak

START: Youlgrave village. On-street parking is available but please be considerate to residents. Alternative parking at the Moor Lane Picnic Site, about a mile from the village. The route can be easily adapted to start and finish from there. Grid Ref GR SK1936564492

DISTANCE: 9.5 miles

TIME: Allow at least 5 hours

TOTAL ASCENT : 200 metres or 650 feet

sloping green track ahead to the top of the valley side and bear right through a gate.

3. Follow the bridleway with the wall on your right; Youlgrave village and church can now be seen in front if it’s a clear day. After a short walled section with a gate at each end, the bridleway slowly descends a shallow valley and reaches another gate where it becomes a walled lane descending to a sharp bend on Weaddow Lane just above Home Farm. Turn left down the lane past the farm and where the road crosses the small valley ahead, take the stile on the right over the wall. The path doesn’t go down the obvious dale ahead but ascends the slope on the right through the trees to a gap in the wall on the left at the top

of the slope. Keeping the wooded valley on your left, keep along and down the pastures to where the slope steepens into the valley bottom. Just before the river (a dried-up bed at times) is reached cross the wall to the left by a waymark post and continue to a small lane which is crossed via a wicket gate then a stile.

4. The path continues down the valley until the obvious entrance to the confines of

Bradford Dale is reached. Cross the river or dry bed by the stone clapper bridge, go up and left along the track then left again down the metal steps to the valley floor. The path crosses the river again then passes a strong spring from which the River Bradford emerges in the drier months. On reaching a larger track it just remains to turn right on this and, with the river and the fishing dams to your left, walk

Above: Looking back to Youlgrave as you follow the Limsetone Way out of the village.

down the delightful Bradford Dale to a footbridge below Youlgrave where the opposite bank is reached. Take the lane ahead, passing the village hall, to the main street of the village and turn right to the church, just a few short steps away.

Cratcliffe Tor.

FOR the past 46 years, the friendly travel professionals at Martins World Travel have been delivering exceptional holiday value to their clients. They provide expert guidance and support from the initial enquiry through every stage of the journey. Being well travelled, the professional members of staff can offer a wide range of travel options to suit diverse needs and interests.

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An impressive landmark!

IN October, the Chesterfield Canal gained an impressive landmark in Staveley when the new Trans Pennine Trail bridge was lowered into place.

This magnificent structure is 38 metres long and weighs about 40 tons. It replaces a brick bridge on what was originally the Great Central Railway. The old bridge was knocked down about thirty years ago and since then users of the Trail have had to go on a zig-zag up and down route. They will now be able to go straight over the new bridge.

The project has been managed by the Chesterfield Canal Trust. It is the first phase of a £6 million canal restoration scheme. Most of the money will come from the Staveley Town Deal, a £25.2 million investment through the Government’s Towns Fund, covering ten projects in all.

O’Brien Contractors readied the site and CTS Bridges delivered the two halves of the bridge, which were welded together and painted before the final lift took place.

Next year, a length of canal will be reinstated under the bridge along with a new lock and another bridge at the bottom of Bellhouse Lane. Bellhouse Basin will be restored. The towpath will be upgraded to a multi-user trail, stretching over two kilometres all the way to Renishaw.

‘Warm and welcoming spaces’…

COMMUNITY groups across Derbyshire are being invited to apply for funding to set up ‘warm and welcoming spaces’ to help local residents this winter.

Derbyshire County Council is working with Derbyshire Voluntary Action to provide financial support. Grants of between £1,000 and £3,000 are available to support local charities, community groups or community venues to set up new warm hubs or contribute towards the costs of existing spaces.

The Warm and Welcoming Spaces aim to provide support for local people – offering a place to meet new people, to enjoy a hot drink and take part in activities.

The Warm and Welcoming Spaces programme launched in November and will run until January 31, 2025. The deadline for grant applications is January 312025. To apply for a grant, visit dva.org.uk/ warm-and-welcoming-spaces-grant

Schools’ artworks at station…

THE latest exhibition of schools’ artwork was unveiled at Dronfield Station in November by Louise Jones, MP for Derbyshire North East, and Dronfield Town Mayor, Coun Pam Jones. The event was organised by the Friends of Dronfield Station and is the latest in a series of events to promote the work of budding artists from schools in and around Dronfield. This time it was the turn of Penny Acres Primary in Holmesfield,  Unstone Junior School and Unstone St Mary’s Nursery and Infant School.

Louise Jones said it was great to see the local schools producing such fantastic pictures and congratulated them on their hard work.

The current exhibition, which can be seen in the shelters on Platforms One and Two, will remain until the spring, when the next display of schools’ artworks will be unveiled.

Housing projects tackling anti-social behaviour

NICOLLE Ndiweni-Roberts, the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, in November officially opened the second River Network HMO housing project in Dale Road, Matlock, a transformative initiative aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and fostering community engagement.

The project has received substantial funding to support ASB training programs and community meals, contributing to a significant decrease in local ASB incidents, as confirmed by the local Police.

Ndiweni-Roberts emphasised her commitment to community safety: “Prevention and diversionary work is a passion of mine, with education, we need opportunities like yours to create lasting change.”

Terry Eckersley, CEO of the charity River Network, said: “This initiative showcases the exceptional collaboration between our staff, teams and the residents. Together, we are cultivating a culture of support and development that uplifts everyone involved.”

Spectacular development

ROCK Mill is a spectacular new development, nestled just outside of Stoney Middleton, which has three apartments and event/conference space.

Adjacent to Rock Mill is the Cupola café, restaurant and visitors’ centre, and world-famous climbing walls (including Britain’s hardest crag) and caves are on their doorstep, There is also a Rock Mill Retreat, which is now open for booking, which has saunas, a gym and photon lights.

Above: A crane lifts the new bridge into position at Staveley.

Above: Rock Mill at Stoney Middleton.

SHEFFIELD ARENA

SHEFFIELD CITY HALL

Bootleg Beatles

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

24 The Muppet Christmas Carol

yourself in a feast for the senses as the wonder of a new festive story, created in partnership with Joseph Coelho OBE, inspires the sights, smells, and sounds of this year’s Christmas at Chatsworth experience. Young Henry Cavendish, budding experimental scientist and grandson of the 2nd Duke of Devonshire, is searching for the legendary Chatsworth lion, while the lion is on the hunt for a delicious Christmas feast! For full event information, visit www. chatsworth.org/events/christmas/

1-30 Light of Abraham. This winter, experience the Heights of Abraham in a brand new light as we present our stunning light trail between November 22 and December 30. Tickets are on sale now! Make your way down the festoon-lit riverside walkway before arriving at the base station to board your gondola and take a moonlit cable car flight across the river and above an avenue of colour. The Vista Bar, Treetops Cafe and Snap Tin catering unit will be open. Open 4.30pm until 9pm (last entry 8.30pm), excluding Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

1-24 Santa Special Trains at Midland Railway. The excitement begins as the train pulls out of Butterley Station and Santa makes his way down the carriages to visit each child at their seat. He is followed by his elves and helper with goodies for all passengers. Enjoy a memorable trip out for the whole family. Car parking is free. www. midlandrailway-butterley.co.uk

1-24 Santa Specials at Peak Rail. Santa and his helpers invite you to get Christmas off to a magical start by riding Santa’s festive steam train. Join them on their special train from Rowsley South Station. A variety of professional entertainers will perform for you; and Santa and his helpers will make their way through the train and meet everyone at their seat. Santa will have with him a wonderful age-suitable gift for all the children. Children will receive a drink and snack each, whilst adults can sit back and enjoy a glass of wine and a mince pie (dietary requirements can be catered for and bottle of water/ juice available upon pre-booked request.) www.peakrail.co.uk

3 Chesterfield and District Family History Society. At 7.30pm, online only. Family historian Janet Few will be speaking about “Dollymops and Dressmakers”.

ENTERTAINMENT

MERCATUM MARKET AT HADDON HALL

Haddon Hall, the 900-year-old fortified manor house near Bakewell, is set to host its Mercatum Christmas Artisan Markets over five long weekends this year.

Over 245 talented artisans and makers – ceramicists, artists, chocolatiers, jewellers, candle makers, artisan stationers, rope makers, weavers, perfumers and many more – will make Christmas shopping enjoyable.

For the first time, Haddon’s Stable Studio will offer daily craft demonstrations, including basket weaving, wreath making, card printing and Christmas table decoration making. These sessions are free, and visitors are invited to drop in throughout the day. There will also be a Food and Drink Hall.

In addition to the morning and afternoon

6-8

7-8

For more details and to register, contact secretary@cadfhs.com

Victorian Matlock - Christmas Market. Experience the official start of the festive season in Matlock! Over 200 stalls – an incredible array of unique gifts, crafts, and goodies for everyone on your Christmas list. It’s also a food lover’s paradise and there’s fun for all, with entertainment for the whole family, from performances to fun fair rides

Wirksworth Christmas Weekend. Christmas Farmers Market on the Saturday; tree lights turn-on and carols evening on Saturday too; with a Christmas Market inc Santa’s grotto on the Sunday. The annual Wirksworth panto will take place December 4-8 in the Town Hall.

7, 13, 14 Winter Ball at Chatsworth. The evening begins with fizz and canapés in the Painted Hall, followed by a tour to see the North Wing of the house decorated

tickets at £11 per person (including parking), there is also the option to purchase a Green ticket, with those travelling by public transport able to stay at the market all day, and pay £9 each. New for this year, Historic House members can visit the market free of charge, paying only for parking (£3.80).

The Mercatum market started on November 13-17; but is also open on November 27- December 1; December 4-8; and December 11-15.

Morning tickets allow admission from 9.15am1pm (car park opens 8.30am); and afternoon tickets are from 1.15-5pm. Admission for children, aged 5-15, is £3.50; with those 0-4-year-olds admitted free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.haddonhall.co.uk or bought on the day.

for Christmas, a four-course dinner with wine and live entertainment from Russell Shaun (7 and 13 December) or Paul Pashley (14 December). Carriages at midnight. The dress code is black tie and evening dress. For full event information, including menu options, go to www.chatsworth.org

12, 19

Late Night Shopping Events at Peak Village. Join us for late-night shopping from 4-7.30pm. Get into the festive spirit with live music, seasonal food and drink, and market stalls from The Derbyshire Makers and local food producers. Enjoy our Festive Offer Trail, featuring special discounts

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024/25

and deals available only during these evenings. Follow the trail for a festive evening for all the family

12 Carols at Bolsover Castle. Traditional carols in the stunning surroundings of Bolsover Castle. This event takes place after the site closes for the day, so entry in the evening is just for the carols. Book online to save 15%. www.english-heritage.org.uk

13-16 Bakewell Methodist Church “Journey To Bethlehem”. Come and see the story of Christmas told through nativity scenes at Bakewell Methodist Church, Matlock Street. Everyone is warmly invited to come along and enjoy this long weekend event. Open 10am to 4pm (Sunday 2-4pm). Refreshments will be available. Free admission.

14 Buxton Markets CIC Christmas Market 2024. 9am - 3pm. There will be food, drink, music, gifts, Christmas decorations, as well as all the regular traders and local charities. Find out more on www.buxtonmarkets.co.uk

21-22 Matlock Christmas Market. 9am6pm. Join us for a weekend full of Christmas activities and a 150+ stall market. Fun for all the family. Free entry at Hall Leys Park

21-22 Christmas at Cromford Mills. 10am-4pm. Christmas at Cromford Mills. Step into a winter wonderland at Cromford Mills!

22 Candlelit Carol Service. Christmas readings and carols in the candlelit medieval church at 6pm, St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Old Brampton

24 Nativity Service. Interactive Christmas Story especially for children and families. Dress up as a nativity character and join in! At 4pm at St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Old Brampton.

24 Candlelit Midnight Mass at 11.30pm. Communion service with traditional carols in the candlelit St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Old Brampton.

25 Christmas Day Service at 10am. Communion service for all the family at St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Old Brampton.

SUBMIT YOUR LISTING OR EVENT

Please email your information including dates to whatson@reflections-magazine.com before December 2nd, 2024, to appear in the January 2025 issue.

26 Matlock Raft Race. Every year on Boxing Day, many (slightly crazy) individuals paddle down the River Derwent on their home-made rafts, starting at Matlock, heading through Matlock Bath and hopefully reaching the finish line at Cromford Meadows. Rafts are designed with fun themes, inventive outfits and some even bring their own music! All in aid of the amazing Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI). Starts at 10am from Cawdor Quarry. There is then an awards ceremony at the Fishpond at Matlock Bath.

JAZZ AT BIGGIN HALL

Biggin Hall hotel and restaurant will have a jazz pianist each Friday and Saturday night, playing from 7-9pm, all year round.

NEW FESTIVAL VICE-PRESIDENTS

BBC newsreader and presenter, Clive Myrie, and Tony Hall, The Lord Hall of Birkenhead CBE (former Director General of the BBC 2013-2020 and CEO of the Royal Opera House 2001-2013) are to join Buxton International Festival as Honorary Vice-Presidents.

Felicity Goodey, the Festival’s chair, said: “We are delighted to announce that both Clive Myrie and Tony Hall will be joining us as Honorary Vice-Presidents.

“Clive is one of life’s great enthusiasts and he loves the opera. He will be a tremendous role model for the festival, especially for our young artists and supporters. And there is

HARDWICK’S WINTERTIDE

WINTERTIDE at Hardwick Hall is open from now until January 5, 2025, between 11am-3pm. With shadow puppet shows, hand-made paper villages and wishing ribbons, Wintertide is jampacked with Elizabethan festive fun. Discover decorations created by Hardwick’s volunteers and follow in the footsteps mischievous Lord of Misrule. Please note that last entry to the Hall is at 2.15pm on standard opening days, and 7.45pm on evening opening days.

Late night opening takes place on November 29 and 30, and December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21, 1pm-8pm (last entry 7.45pm). Hardwick Wintertide ‘after hours’ is truly a spectacular experience. Delight in a mulled wine in the gardens and the chance to tour the Hall by lantern light.

Normal admission charges apply, with free admission for National Trust members. For details, see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardwick

no-one with more experience in opera and entertainment than Tony Hall, who will be a terrific ambassador and supporter of our work.” Hon Vice Presidents are chosen for their significant support for the Festival and potential to help with future development. Honorary appointees are invited to events and kept informed of developments and act as ambassadors for BIF.

Other Honorary Vice Presidents include Lady Antonia Fraser, Donald Maxwell, Dame Janet Smith and Lord Roy Hattersley.

This year’s festival runs from July 1027 and offers the chance to experience world-class opera, music and talks.

Above Clive Myrie, the BBC newsreader and presenter. Left: Tony Hall, The Lord Hall of Birkenhead, CBE is a former Director General of the BBC.

Prize Crossword

Congratulations to B Bennell of Cutthorpe, who won the November 2024 crossword. They won £25

Why not have a go at the December 2024 crossword on page 79