16 It’s coming home, it’s coming home…
The International G&S Festival returns to its ‘spiritual home’ this summer, Buxton Opera House, as Nicola Lisle reports
26,28,34,48,52 Countywide News
All that’s been happening across the county in words and pictures
30 Restoring our landmark hill…
The sheer number of visitors to Mam Tor is taking its toll, so restoration work has started, as Steve Brown reports
36 The local women fighting a real injustice
National chair of the group Women Against State Pension Inequality, Angela Madden, who lives in north Derbyshire, reports on their campaign so far – and a forthcoming play written about their efforts
40 Controversial sale of an historic house
Chesterfield’s Tapton House now seems certain to be converted into apartments, despite fierce opposition
42 A small borough with huge ambition: rehousing people from slums
Godfrey Holmes examines Chesterfield Borough Council’s revolutionary approach to slum clearance and rehousing
44 Fashion
We all need feel-good fashion in February, says our style guru Amy Norbury
50 Lovely murmurations…
A stunning picture of starlings murmurating is among the first selection of readers’ images in our 2023 photographic competition
54 Derbyshire delights: fascinating attractions
Lisa Varty visits a few museums and quirky attractions in our beautiful county
60 Spotlight on the Arts
There’s an exhibition by a blind artist at Rowsley, as Barrie Farnsworth reports.
64 Stunning images from our 2022 winner…
Steve Dolling, winner of our ‘Derbyshire In Focus’ photographic competition, provides us with some great pictures
66 Out & About
This month’s walk takes in some lovely ‘edges’ and some historical monuments too!
69 Crossword
70 Antiques: Traditional furniture and pop culture – a fascinating mix!
Our expert valuer Vivienne Milburn looks at cricket tables, wing armchairs and even pop posters
72 Willersley Castle’s now full of children!
It’s been a family home, a hotel, a maternity hospital (twice) and is now a residential outdoor centre for schoolchildren, as Barrie Farnsworth reports
74 When a church spire became a real safety issue…
The spire of Derwent parish church was going to be a memorial to the abandoned village as Ladybower’s waters rose – but it had to go, as Steve Brown reports
76 Focus on Food & Drink
We offer some great recipes to ensure a really romantic meal on St Valentine’s Day
78 What’s On
Our comprehensive guide to forthcoming events across the county and beyond in February and early March
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AFTER nearly a decade in Harrogate, the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival is heading back to the place many feel to be its rightful home – the beautiful spa town of Buxton. This is where the festival was founded in 1994 and where, every summer for twenty years, enthusiasts from all over the world gathered for three weeks of pure G&S indulgence.
The festival was the brainchild of life-long G&S fan and Halifax businessman Ian Smith, whose energy, vision and flair were key to the festival’s success, both in Buxton
and Harrogate. Sadly, Ian died in November 2019, but the festival has continued seamlessly in the capable and experienced hands of his wife, Janet, and son, Neil. Financial constraints forced the festival’s relocation to Harrogate in 2014, but its link with Buxton was maintained with regular summer appearances at the Opera House. Now, though, the full festival is being brought back to Buxton, lock, stock and barrel – and Janet and Neil couldn’t be more delighted.
“We’re all excited, and we’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response to the announcement,” says Janet. “I think Ian would be absolutely thrilled that we’re going back to Buxton. That’s where the magic was, and still is – particularly last year, when we were in Buxton
for a week but we did fringe events there as well, so it was already edging its way back to being a full festival.”
To many, has always Buxton remained the festival’s spiritual home, even after the move to Harrogate. “The word ‘spiritual’ is used by a lot of people, and I suppose that’s how they view it,” Neil says. “We were there for twenty years. That’s where it all started and grew.
“I guess for a lot of people the Opera
House itself is unsurpassed. Obviously places like the Coliseum and the Royal Opera House in London are better venues, but for performing G&S, you can’t really get better than Buxton Opera House. And the audience and the actors, amateur and professional, all see that. They absolutely love it.”
Although many were sorry to see the festival uprooted in 2014, the move to Harrogate was a successful one. The stunning Royal Hall – coincidentally an Edwardian theatre designed by Frank Matcham, who designed Buxton Opera House as well – had recently been refurbished when the festival moved to its new home, and the creation of the G&S-themed Utopia Pavilion next door helped maintain the community spirit that has always been so intrinsic to the festival in Buxton.
“Harrogate came after us many years ago, when Ian was still alive, and they really wanted the festival,” recalls Janet. “At that time, relations with the festival in Buxton were going downhill, and the CEO in Harrogate was immensely supportive.
“But then about three years ago, a new CEO took over, and I think it’s fair to say she was more interested in conferences and exhibitions, which is where the money is. Harrogate Convention Centre lost a lot of money over recent years, and she wanted to get it back.”
The hammer blow came when the HIC management decided to double the festival’s fee for 2023.
“Obviously that was a no!” says Janet. “At the same time, we were being courted by Buxton,” adds Neil. “So we’re going back to where we want to be.”
This year’s festival runs from July 29 to August 12, and features the festival’s own professional company, The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, in The Mikado, The Yeomen of the Guard, The Pirates of Penzance and The Best of G&S, as well as other professional and amateur productions and the usual programme of fringe events.
Professional productions
Above: The G&S Festival was sold out at Buxton in 1996.
Left: John Savournin, who started in a youth production at the G&S Festival, appearing as The Herald in The Grand Duke at Buxton Opera House in 2012.
Below: Charlotte Page and Oliver White in The Yeomen of the Guard in Buxton Opera House, August 2006.
are the jewel in the festival crown, but there has always been a strong emphasis on the importance of amateur productions as well.
“One of the highlights for us is that for the first time for quite a number of years, we’ve got more of the competing societies,” says Janet.
“Amateur societies have had a terrible time since Covid-19. We’ve lost some of the really fantastic ones that have historically been at the festival every year, but we’ve got more competing this year than we’ve had since about 2018.
“We’ve also got an overwhelming number of
overseas visitors coming – the Americans, in particular, are flooding back to Buxton.”
One of the regular amateur societies is the Savoynet Performing Group, which arose from an online G&S discussion forum and has members from across the world.
“A lot of them are from America, and they’ve heard of Buxton but not been before, but they all want to come, which is fantastic. So we’re thrilled about that.”
“We’ve also got Brussels Light Opera Company bringing their Iolanthe, and we’ve got Bus Pass Opera, for over-60s performers, and that’s amazingly popular,” adds Neil.
“At the other end of the scale, we’ve got the youth production, which again started in Buxton. Some of our professional performers today – such as John Savournin and Matthew Siveter – started in the youth productions, and they’ve now been doing G&S for a large portion of their careers.”
This year also sees the return of UNIFest, a separate competition for university societies that began in Buxton in 2012.
“University societies were also hit badly by Covid-19,” says Janet. “A lot of them lost momentum when people left and then it stopped. But we’ve got about half a dozen universities coming this year to perform in the Pavilion Arts Centre, which will be fantastic for them. They’re really excited about performing there.”
Also returning is the popular post-show Festival Club, as well as talks, lunchtime recitals, trips to Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall, a service in St John’s Church and a G&S memorabilia fair.
“We’re very much looking forward to getting back there and seeing all our loyal supporters in our spiritual home, and that nice atmosphere in the audience – the singing from the gallery, and all these little things that make our festival unique,” says Neil. “We’re very excited to be back.”
“I think everybody is,” says Janet. “It’s been a real boost. We’ve had a miserable three years, but I feel totally rejuvenated. We’ve got our mojo back.”
Janet is keen to emphasise that the festival hasn’t left Harrogate on bad terms.
“I don’t want it to sound as though we haven’t enjoyed Harrogate, because we have,” she says. “We’ve had some lovely times in Harrogate, and the festival has done very well there. So I don’t want it to
sound as though it’s all sour grapes, because it isn’t. We’ve got some fabulous friends in Harrogate. It’s really the management of HIC who decided we weren’t a good fit.
“Many of our visitors in Harrogate are very disappointed, but I’m sure some of them will come to Buxton. I hope they do.”
Editor’s Note: Booking for the G&S Festival opens on February 1. Visit https:// gsfestivals.org for full details.
WHEN someone dies, someone else – a personal representative (either an executor where there is a will or an administrator where there is no will) – must sort out the deceased’s estate. This means applying for probate, pulling together all money, personal possessions, property and other assets, paying any bills, completing all inheritance tax and other tax documentation, realising the estate where necessary and distributing it to the beneficiaries.
It can be a daunting job, especially during an already difficult and often stressful time. Legal, administrative and tax duties can be substantial, and it is probably best to get help from a professional probate lawyer, as the personal representative can be personally liable if mistakes are made.
As a personal representative, your first step is to ensure that you have permission from the courts. Most personal representatives will need to apply for a grant of probate (if there is a will) or letters of administration (if there is no will). You will need to estimate the value of the estate and decide whether inheritance tax (IHT) is due before applying for probate. If IHT is due, you will need to wait 20 weeks before applying for probate. The government indicates
that granting probate is taking around 16 weeks at present – providing no additional information or further documentation – such as affidavits – is needed. There is a fee of £273 for estates of over £5,000 and no fee for estates of less than that.
Head of Graysons’ private client team, Laura Cowan, says:
“Calculating and reporting taxes owed can be especially complex, particularly on higher-value estates. However, changes to take place in April 2023, following the autumn budget, will mean that more estates will become liable for tax. Whilst there will be no changes to inheritance tax, where it must be paid on all estates over the deceased’s nil rate band (NRB) of £325,000 and the residence nil rate band (RNRB) of £175,000 (where applicable), a reduction in the capital gains tax (CGT) threshold is likely to have a significant impact.”
CGT is payable on any profit made by the estate, that is the difference between the value of the assets at death and their value at disposal – less any costs related to the sale of the assets. At present, an estate has a CGT allowance of £12,300 per year. That means that if the estate makes a profit of less than this from the disposal of assets, no CGT is due. The allowance for the first
year runs to the 5th April – irrespective of the date of death. There is then the same allowance for the two years following death – but allowances cannot be rolled over. However, following the budget, the allowance is set to reduce in April 2023 to £6,000 and then again in April 2024 and for subsequent years, to £3,000. This means that many more estates will become liable for CGT from April this year. If assets are passed onto beneficiaries before they are sold, the liability for CGT moves to that person. For charities, which are exempt from CGT, this is likely to mean more work, as they must reclaim any CGT already paid by an estate.
It is important to note that the current rate of CGT on chargeable capital gains on residential property is either 18% for lower taxpayers or 28% for higher taxpayers. The rate for tax on chargeable capital gains on any other asset is 20%.
Where a significant amount of CGT is payable or assets of a significant value are sold, a trust and estate tax return must be completed. You must also report to HMRC the estate income from the date of death until everything has been passed to the beneficiaries (other than in certain exempt circumstances).
Graysons’ complete administration service means that we can help you from the very minute you take on the responsibility of being a personal representative to the point of distributing the assets. Our advisors are particularly expert at dealing with IHT and CGT issues, taking the stress of calculating and reporting tax away from you. Contact our friendly experts now to make an appointment. LC
HAVING opened a dental and aesthetics practice on 41 Bank Road in Matlock on December 4, 2017, husband-and-wife team, Dr Malcolm and Katie Campbell, broadened their horizons about a year ago by taking over Christopher Holden & Associates, a dental practice based on Tennyson Avenue near the centre of Chesterfield.
For Malcolm and Katie, returning to Chesterfield to develop a second practice was something of a homecoming, as this was the town where they met whilst working 9 years or so ago. Chesterfield has a special place in their hearts, and they viewed this expansion as a natural progression from their ever-evolving and successful Matlock-based Springmount Dental & Aesthetics Practice.
Having taken Springmount Dental & Aesthetics in Matlock to a whole new level in terms of the high levels of service and range of treatments offered, they are in the process of replicating the same formula in Chesterfield. “Our whole ethos is centred around the clients,” said Malcolm. “Both practices are committed to a patientorientated approach. Clients are made to feel warmly welcomed and at ease in a relaxing, soothing, calming, and warm environment. They are offered extensive amounts of time and made to feel uniquely special.”
Springmount Dental & Aesthetics offers the whole range of treatments from general restorative dentistry to complex, high-end dentistry, focusing on dental implants, endodontics, cosmetic dentistry, facial aesthetics, and luxury general dental care.
Dr Malcolm Campbell has a special interest in dental implants and has recently been awarded a Diploma in Implant Dentistry from the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. He has undertaken extensive training in providing complex techniques to enable the practice to offer
the full choice of implant options – from a single tooth to a full mouth. So, clients who wish to find an alternative to dentures, or are in the process of losing a tooth, can rest assured that Dr Campbell and his team will help them every step of the way.
Further to a course at the University of Sheffield Dental Hospital, Dr Campbell can now also undertake intricate bone grafting in the most complicated of cases. He holds membership of the Royal College of Surgeons as well as the ITI (International Team for Implantology) and the ADI (Association of Dental Implantology). He is also a member of the BACD (British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry) to continually keep abreast with advancements in this field.
As well as being a qualified and experienced Hygiene Therapist, Katie Campbell, in common with Malcolm, is also fully trained in providing anti-wrinkle injections, dermal filler procedures, micro-needling and chemical facial peels. Using top brands like Medik8® and Jane Iredale, they provide ethical and minimally invasive solutions to facial aesthetics.
Driven by a positive and vibrant team of clinicians headed by Dr Malcolm Campbell, the Chesterfield based Springmount Dental
& Aesthetics has met and even exceeded all expectations in terms of the range of treatments offered, organic growth, levels of personal service, reputation and acceptance in the local community, and quality of staff recruitment. Attaining excellence in quality of care and treatments has served the practice well in terms of attracting the best qualified and most respected dentists around. Associate Dentist, Jamie Rutherford, who graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2014, is well experienced and highly regarded in general dentistry, providing routine treatment such as fillings, extractions, crowns, and bridges.
Jamie enjoys the social aspect of dentistry just as much as the technical and always loves to meet new patients. He strives to deliver excellent care and skill, whilst making sure every visit is as enjoyable as possible. He takes pride in having a calm and relaxed manner, putting even the most anxious patients at ease.
Dr Oliver Tsang attained a Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the University of Sheffield in 2008 and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Medical Education Merit at Sheffield Hallam University. As well as being an experienced and knowledgeable clinician in general dentistry, Dr Tsang can offer Invisalign® - an alternative to wire braces that uses transparent, incremental aligners to adjust teeth. Invisalign® is effectively ‘invisible braces,’ which not only achieve straighter teeth, but also a beautiful smile as well!
Dental hygienist and therapist, Rebecca Redford, successfully completed a Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy with distinction, at the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, Sheffield. She is an experienced practitioner known by patients for her gentle and thorough approach. Her skills are like those of Katie, meaning she is highly trained in restorative treatments as well as periodontal (gum care).
With the solid foundation of a committed team, the Chesterfield practice now has access to an even more extensive range of complex and innovative treatments. As well as general restorative dentistry, the practice provides treatments such as dental implants, sedation (perfect for long treatments or those that feel anxious), cosmetic dentistry (like bonding and veneers), teeth whitening, root canal procedures, crowns, Invisalign® ‘invisible braces’ and hygienist services.
Nothing, however, stands still at Springmount Dental & Aesthetics. With a dynamic and enthusiastic team, the ethos is all about pushing the boundaries of expertise to offer the patient the absolute best treatments and procedures available. The Matlockbased practice leads the way in offering high-end and pioneering treatments.
Dr Fredrick (Freddie) Bingham, a general and cosmetic dentist, has developed a love for cosmetic dentistry. He also has a special interest in endodontics (root treatments); for which he has undertaken further training, gained a post graduate certificate and is now studying for a postgraduate diploma with the University of Chester. The past two years have also seen the practice attain the accolade of an Invisalign® premier provider. Experienced hygiene therapists, Lucy, Gemma & Kirsty are all popular and knowledgeable practitioners, who equally have a gentle and pleasant manner, and are highly regarded and well respected by the portfolio of patients at the Matlock practice.
To spread the cost and make private and cosmetic dentistry more affordable and accessible, Springmount Dental offers bespoke and tailor-made membership plans, which also provide members with enticing and regular offers. Monthly membership starts from as little as £12.90 per month with 0% finance available for treatment.
Nominated for no fewer than seven categories at the prestigious Private Dentistry Awards, Springmount Dental & Aesthetics celebrated their achievement as the awards recognise outstanding dentistry carried out by teams and individuals. “We are really proud of our success in becoming finalists in the Private dentistry awards,” said Malcolm. “This reflects a magnificent team effort, and we can’t thank our staff enough for their ongoing motivation and desire for excellence.”
Highlighting the absolute best in modern dentistry, Springmount’s last Open Day proved to be an overwhelming success. The open days give people the opportunity to visit the practice and learn more about the treatments on offer.
Cosmetic Open Day: Saturday 4th March – Join us for a coffee and to learn more about cosmetic dentistry and how we can help to improve your smile.
Dental Implant Day: Saturday
18th March – Join us at Matlock for an opportunity to chat with our clinicians and learn more about how dental implants can help you, and improve not only your appearance, but your quality of life. To register your interest for either of the above events, please call 01629 56558
New patients always welcome All new patients joining Chesterfield Springmount get a complimentary hygiene visit Membership plans from as little as £12.90 per month
Springmount Dental & Aesthetics
(formerly Christopher Holden & Associates) 32 Tennyson Avenue, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 4SP, t: 01246 230 230
e: patients@dental-clinic.co.uk www.dental-clinic.co.uk
Springmount Dental & Aesthetics, 41 Bank Road, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3GL t: 01629 56558
www.springmountdental.co.uk
lady, completed the Chesterfield Half Marathon for the hospice.
They linked up with mum-of-two Joanne, from Duckmanton, and formed the Purple Shooting Stars running group, named after the hospice’s purple logo.
By the end of 2016 the women had raised £7,500 and set themselves a yearly mileage challenge. In 2017 they ran the equivalent of Lands End to John O’Groats and raised £1,938, and a year later clocked up 1,254 miles, the distance from London to Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, bringing in £2,831.97. In 2019 Nicola, mum-of-three Alison and Jo swam, ran and cycled the length of several Olympic Triathlons.
In 2020 during the pandemic lockdowns, they ran separately and racked up a total of 1,667 miles, the distance from Chesterfield to Berlin. In 2021, to mark the fact that the Great North Run had been cancelled in its 40th year, they ran 1,572 miles – the distance of 40 GNRs.
THREE supporters of Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice have well and truly run with the fundraising bug…
The Chesterfield women are now in their TENTH year of charity runs and say they hope to carry on for another decade.
Since 2013, Nicola Yeomans, twin sister Alison West and pal Jo Clarkson, known as the Purple Shooting Stars, have raised over £20,500. They have clocked up over 14,000 miles – and got through 60 pairs of running shoes in the process.
It’s all to support the North Anston-based hospice.
“I can’t believe that 10 years have gone by and how much we’ve raised,” said Nikki, 44, of Heath. “Each year we set a goal of £1,000 but double it every time, thanks to the amazing people who sponsor us.
“Setting ourselves yearly challenges is now a fact of life and we hope we can do another ten years. It will always be for Bluebell Wood, though,” added Chesterfield Borough Council benefits officer Nikki, who set the ball rolling when she decided to tackle the Great North Run (GNR).
The council had chosen the hospice as its 2013 Charity of The Year and she signed up for the GNR with a workmate.
Nikki enjoyed it so much, she and sister Alison, a school dinner
Last year, to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, they ran the equivalent of 70 halfmarathons – and even found the energy for a sponsored canal boat pull along the Worksop Canal. As they have done most years, they also staged fundraising fashion shows, raffles, coffee mornings and stalls, and the total raised was £2,223.46.
What’s on the cards for 2023? In addition to a number of 5K and 10K runs, the Worskop half marathon and a fashion show in May, they will be taking part in the official Virtual London Marathon on April 23.
“We will run and walk 26 miles from Nikki’s home in Heath to the hospice in North Anston,” said Alison, of Holmewood, who is now training as a teaching assistant. “We hope to make it a big event to celebrate our 10th Bluebell Wood anniversary. We are now plotting the route and will be asking people to join us for as much as they can manage.”
Jo, 41, a special needs teacher, said: “Achieving the goals we set ourselves has been great for our mental wellbeing. And we are slimmer, stronger and fitter, too!”
Find out more about the women’s Virtual London Marathon event at www. justgiving.com/page/al-nic-jo-stars2023
AMONG the items added to Buxton Museum and Art Gallery’s collection last year was the teapot we have pictured, which belonged originally to Ann Yates. Created about 1880, it was probably made at Pearson’s Pottery at Whittington Moor.
The museum has also taken into its care finds from Carsington Pasture Cave, which has been excavated over the past 20 years and provides archaeological
evidence of the pre-Roman human and animal populations in the area.
More than 30,000 people visited the museum last year, donating more than £5,300 – double the amount it has ever received in a year before.
DERBYSHIRE Dales Rotary is a club with a difference. No weekly meetings, no formalities and no set times or venues – its members meet at times and places to suit them.
Although only formed late last year, the club has already raised over £1,000 to be donated to local charities, including Jigsaw Foodbank.
Its first outing was with a Santa Sleigh and ‘Rudolph’ at Wirksworth Co-op in the days leading up to Christmas… although on Christmas Eve, Mrs Claus had to deputise for her husband!
Thank you to all the local people who gave so generously to help.
If you are interested in finding out more about the new club, contact Roz Adamson on roflyn.adamson@sky.com
THE Derby 10K at Pride Park is happening on Sunday, March 26 and Age UK Derby and Derbyshire is looking for runners to join its team.
If you sign up via the charity, your place will be free if you can raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship. To help your fundraise, the charity will provide you with a sponsorship form and a link for our Just Giving page.
Beth Mills, Fundraising and Event Coordinator for Age UK Derby and Derbyshire, said: “This is a great event to be a part of. If you would like to get involved, then we would love to hear from you!”
To secure a place in the Age UK team, go to fundraisingteam@ageukdd. org.uk or ring 01773 766922.
A SCHOOLGIRL from Tansley has become the youngest person in Derbyshire to be awarded a black belt from the PKA Kickboxing Association.
Xanthe Povey, 12, a pupil at Highfields School, Matlock, has been kickboxing with the Alfreton PKA club since she was seven.
To achieve the black belt, Xanthe travelled to Birmingham and took part in a gruelling five-hour examination.
She said: “It was a really tiring day but I knew I had trained hard and was ready to take on the challenge. I am so happy to be the youngest person in Derbyshire to achieve a black belt. I enjoy training at both the Alfreton and Wirksworth clubs and would recommend kickboxing to everyone. Not only have I learnt a great skill that keeps me fit but I have also made some fantastic friends.”
Instructor Antony Weston said:
“Kickboxing is a fantastic sport for all ages and our club at Alfreton caters for both adults and children. We have several families who enjoy coming to class together as we can tailor the exercises to various ages and fitness levels.”
He added: “We are all really proud of Xanthe’s achievement and I am looking forward to many of her classmates achieving their black belts in the future. We are a really friendly club and anyone interested is welcome to attend one of our taster sessions.”
PKA offers kickboxing classes in several towns around Derbyshire including Matlock, Wirksworth and Alfreton.
DERBYSHIRE County Council, before Christmas, invited people to send in their stories of no more than 55 words, inspired by the county, and in any style. More than 100 entries were received.
A panel of the council’s librarians judged the entries, and declared ‘Leap of Faith’ by Andy Forsyth, of Matlock Bath, as the winner. He received a £20 book token. Two entries were also highly commended. All eligible entries will be published in an ebook which will be available to loan on the council’s Borrowbox platform.
Winner: Leap of Faith by Andy Forsyth of Matlock Bath
Trembling on High Tor cliff she spied Matlock Bath folk scurrying ant-like far below. Recalling memories of her short life she realised none of them cared about her fate. It was time. Pointless to delay. She plummeted from the sheer edge. On broad wings the young buzzard soared over the Derwent into the Matlock sky.
Highly commended: Longshaw by Ann Lloyd of Dronfield
A bus ride to Fox House for young Edward, escape from the dust and grime of the steel works. He brought Nellie to breathe clean air, climb the rocks, sit on the Duke of Rutland’s seat. Here he etched her name, now here they remain, their dust alive under the sky and the sun.
Highly commended: Night Shift by Lynn Ludditt of Chesterfield
Markham Colliery. 10th May 1938. 5.30am. Aching limbs trudge towards the banksman readying the cage, promising daylight, air… freedom!
Suddenly… a tremendous draught, a terrific bang.
Smoke fills the pit, a wall of fire sweeping through seams, exploding gas. Tubs ram electric boxes, sparks igniting thick black coal dust.
Seventy-nine brave miners killed.
OOMING above the picturesque village of Castleton, Mam Tor is a familiar landmark both to local people and visitors. Forming part of the ridge separating Edale from the upper part of the Hope Valley, it’s steep and forbidding south-east face accentuates the hill’s abrupt appearance and it has always been an objective for intrepid walkers to reach its top.
The expansive views from the summit must have been an attraction to our Bronze and Iron Age ancestors, who constructed a hill fort and bowl barrows there. However, its continuing popularity, along with other environmental factors, is causing issues of erosion.
To prevent the erosion from damaging archaeological features, the National Trust, who own the summit and much of the surrounds, has agreed a programme of restoration with Historic England, who protect the historic environment of our country, including such sites of significance as are found on Mam Tor.
Prior to the onset of the pandemic, the ascent of the hill from Mam Nick and from the Blue John Mine road was popular enough, but since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the rise of the “staycation” and widespread public access to material about the countryside posted on social media; Mam Tor has become a popular location for hundreds
of thousands of people every year and the consequent footfall is taking its toll there.
Our late Bronze Age/early Iron Age ancestors who constructed the hill fort were not the first people to be drawn to the summit of Mam Tor. Within its confines are two burial mounds, one just below the summit to the south west and one on the summit itself. The former is still visible, but has been suffering from degradation due to footfall erosion; while the latter is now buried beneath the paving of stones which have been installed over the top of the hill as another anti-erosion measure. These pre-date the hill fort and show that the site was of significance earlier in the Bronze Age.
Archaeologists have now moved away
The number of visitors to Mam Tor is taking its toll on the hill, so the National Trust has started restoration work, as Steve Brown reports.The main path up to the summit of Mam Tor from Mam Nick was paved with stone in the 1990s but is now in need of repair – as is the side of the path where hundreds of thousands of visitors have walked.
from the idea that hill forts such as that on Mam Tor were primarily defensive sites to one in which the sites were symbols of the wealth and power of the local inhabitants, and where local farming families would meet and live on a seasonal basis.
Whatever the reasons for its origin, the fact remains that the hill fort on Mam Tor is one of the finest examples of a univallate hill fort in the UK and is why it and the barrows within have been designated as a Scheduled Monument. Although Mam Tor’s earthwork defences are somewhat disturbed by land slippage, substantial areas are intact and still include the north and south entrances as well as evidence of an internal occupation area. Evidence suggests that the site was occupied from around 1200BC.
Within the surrounds of the single large rampart of the hill fort, over a hundred small level platforms were built, which facilitated the construction of timber huts in which people lived. Some of these were excavated in the late 1960s and a variety of small finds were unearthed. These included whetstones, fragments of shale bracelets, and large quantities of pot sherds. The latter indicated a single phase of occupation during the early first millennium BC. Earlier finds included flint tools and a Neolithic polished stone axe, indicative of possible settlement in the third millennium
BC, prior to the construction of the hill fort. In addition, a fragment of a bronze axe was found in one of the huts. This item has been dated typologically to c.600BC and indicates the possible use of the hill fort in the final phase of the Bronze Age, five hundred years after the other excavated huts were inhabited.
Walking in the Peak District really took off in the 1920s and 30s, with large groups visiting the area using buses and trains, but it was the advent of the motor car which led to the leisure boom, which continues to this day.
The advent of other outdoor activities such as hang gliding (Mam Tor is a popular spot for this), mountain biking and large-scale athletic events has added to the pressure on popular spots in our National Parks; the Peak District is the UK’s most visited National Park, with many millions of potential visitors living within an hour’s drive of its boundaries. The aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in another boom in visitor numbers, especially those who were new to the UK countryside, and
Mam Tor became a popular spot to visit. A steady stream of visitors can often be seen on its slopes from sunrise to sunset.
New and existing paths across its slopes have developed or become more eroded and in respect of the path from the old road near the Blue John Mine, there is damage to the hill fort ramparts. The footfall damage being done to the bowl barrow near the summit but there are also eroded “stepped” lines nearby affecting the main southern entrance to the hill fort.
The principal path up to the summit of the hill from Mam Nick was paved with stone in the 1990s but is now in need of repair. This, and the fact that heavy footfall is resulting in visitors walking beyond the edges of the path to pass each other, has led to areas of exposed ground developing on both sides which needs remedial action to prevent the damage from getting worse.
As the Mam Tor hill fort is a Scheduled Monument, certain categories of work require consent from the Secretary of State
“The principal path up to the summit of the hill from Mam Nick was paved with stone in the 1990s but is now in need of repair.”
for Culture, Media and Sport before they can take place. Consent is obtained through application to Historic England and their inspectors are responsible for deciding whether this should be granted and what conditions, if any, should be imposed. Work to remove and replace old fence posts, repair paths and reseed are all activities which the National Trust had to apply for consent for when planning the restoration work.
A management plan was produced by National Trust Rangers and archaeologists to schedule the urgent remedial work
required. It covers like-for-like replacement of existing facilities, alongside path repairs to the main route and reseeding. It also included replacement and extension of the existing kick rail along the path leading from Mam Nick, replacement of the fence across the southern entrance and replacement signage in existing locations or outside the scheduled area.
Work required to restore surfaces and prevent further damage involved creating new areas of ground disturbance, required additional consultation with Historic England. If cutting back is carried out during the restoration, an archaeologist will be required to identify and record any archaeological remains uncovered.
As a first stage in the restoration programme, fences have been installed in some areas to protect the ground over the winter months. This will also help to ensure the ground is in the best condition for the reseeding and repair stage of the programme, which will take place in the spring.
The National Trust feel that the existing signage and interpretative facilities at the site needs to be updated as part of the restoration project and recently carried out a study of what might be needed using university students from Sheffield.
Chris Lockyer, National Trust Area Ranger for Kinder and Edale, and the man
charged with implementing the remedial plan, said: “The restoration work on the ramparts and barrows of Mam Tor will happen in stages into next year and is part of our ongoing conservation work in the area. Most of it will take place from next spring but preparation work has already started.
“Visitors might see our rangers and volunteers working to rebuild and reprofile the ground, as well as reseed areas where bare soil has been exposed. We will also be repairing the stepping that has happened on the ramparts of the south entrance of the site by laying hessian and topsoil. Our work will restore the land to the state it was in before the erosion took place.”
“When people are enjoying this special place and walking in the area, they can help with our conservation work by staying on the paths and avoiding areas inside the fencing we have installed. This will give the eroded ground a rest so it can start to recover, giving our work the best chance of success.”
Chris also has plans to improve the Trust’s offering at the Mam Nick car park by marking out bays, replacing picnic tables and creating short, marked trails in the area for children and those less fleet of foot. He and his team will be starting work soon. It is to be hoped that all the project will restore Mam Tor to its former glory and we should wish them all well in this endeavour.
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A NEW, six-storey office development has opened in Chesterfield as part of the Waterside regeneration scheme.
One Waterside Place was officially opened on January 26 by Chesterfield Borough Council. The new building features six floors of ‘Grade A’ office space with a ground-floor retail unit and has already drawn in new investment to the town.
BHP moved into the building last November and were closely followed by leading woman’s leisurewear company Varley.
The building incorporates two passenger lifts, raised access flooring, air conditioning, LED lighting, showers, on-site cycle parking facilities as well as attractive landscaping.
One Waterside Place sits within the £75 million first phase of the Basin Square neighbourhood of the £340million Chesterfield Waterside regeneration scheme. Once complete, the Basin Square neighbourhood will also comprise 320 Built-to-Rent apartments, a 400-space multi-storey car park, a 140-bed hotel, retail and leisure units.
DERBYSHIRE County Council has approved an additional £200,000 of
funding to help support Derbyshire households with food and energy costs.
This includes £100,000 to Marches Energy Advice (MEA) to help foodbank clients with the cost of energy and £100,000 for Foundation Derbyshire to carry on supporting local food banks.
The funding will enable MEA to carry on their work with food banks – ensuring people that people who use them are supported with heating costs when in crisis.
The additional funding could help an extra 650 households across Derbyshire struggling with energy costs.
The council is also providing £100,000 to Foundation Derbyshire to support the continuing work of 44 food banks across Derbyshire.
For more advice, visit www. derbyshire.org.uk/costofliving
PROJECTS which will support the growth of local businesses, strengthen communities, improve local parks, and boost skills opportunities for local people are amongst a package of initiatives set to get underway across Chesterfield borough.
A range of new and extended projects have been given the green light after Chesterfield Borough Council secured £2.6m worth of funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
The council was selected as a lead authority to benefit from the national funding pot, after its ambitious three-year investment plan was approved by Government.
A total of £2.69m of UKSPF funding will be spent across the borough over the next three years, with projects including:
Improvements to local parks, greens spaces and outdoor sports facilities; Help for local businesses to reduce their carbon footprint; Grants to help community and voluntary groups;
Funding to support entertainment across the borough, including speciality markets; Investment in anti-social behaviour initiatives;
Help local businesses start and grow, and boost opportunities for local people to learn new skills; and Investment in tourism and marketing campaigns.
A WINSTER man has been appointed MBE at a pub near his home as he is too ill to travel to London.
John Mills, who was recognised in the New Year Honours list, was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2016.
Mr Mills, a former Bakewell dentist, was honoured after setting up the charity Vasculitis UK in 2010, after himself falling victim to the disease.
He received the honour at Winster’s Old Bowling Green pub from the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, Elizabeth Fothergill.
Vasculitis is a rare inflammatory disease and the charity works to support patients and their families and improve the recognition, diagnosis and treatment among medical professionals.
John and his wife Susan were featured in Reflections two years ago, when they said they ran the charity “from their kitchen table”, putting in “at least five hours every day” for over a decade.
Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) is a group campaigning to get a fairer deal for women born in the 1950s who have borne the brunt of recent changes to the state pension age. Angela Madden, who lives locally, is the chair of the WASPI campaign and group co-ordinator of the North Derbyshire WASPI, which covers Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire. She reports on the campaign – and a play based on the campaign that will be performed in Chesterfield in March.
OUR gripe is simple: that the Government changed our State Pension age (SPa) without properly notifying us. We are women born in the 1950s, who expected to retire at 60. In 1995, the Government decided to equalise the SPa of men and women between 2010 and 2020. They could have given us plenty of notice – at least 15 years – but they chose not to.
We think that once the Government realised how
much they could save by messing with the SPa, they decided in 2011 to advance the equalisation so it was implemented by 2018; and then raise the SPa to 66 for both women and men. It was following its 2011 decision that the Government decided to write to all those affected – but, of course, it was too late for many of us to do anything about it.
I expected to retire at 60 in June, 2014. I got a letter from the Government in March,
2012 telling me my retirement date was now March 2020. So I got two years’ notice that I my retirement date would be SIX years later – and many women got even less notice than that!
For me, as for most others, it was too late for me to do anything about. I had already made the lifechanging decision to stop working full time and spend time with my then ailing mother. Had I known my SPa was much further away, I would have made a different
decision; perhaps work part-time and care part-time. We banded together and formed the national WASPI Campaign – there were 3.8 million women in the UK caught up in this injustice. We
formed local groups all over the country – there are around 18,000 WASPI women in North Derbyshire. We lobbied our local MPs, we rallied locally and also outside Parliament.
We formally complained to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for their lack of consideration about how their strategy would affect us. Eventually, after being dismissed without sufficient consideration by the DWP, our complaints went to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). He selected six ‘sample’ cases from us, and in July last year found that the DWP had indeed ‘maladministered’ the changes.
Despite knowing that many women were not aware of their new SPa, the DWP decided to only include a mention of the revised SPa in some advertisements focusing on Stakeholder Pensions. The PHSO ruled that they should be telling those directly affected about what their revised SPa actually was.
What difference will the PHSO’s ruling make to us: it is now proven beyond doubt that the DWP are guilty of
WITH the help of the Arts Council, we are performing a play, about WASPI’s journey.
The play, called Stung, has been written by Lynn Ludditt and will be directed by Carole Copeland, both WASPI women, with all the cast also WASPI women.
‘maladministration’. We know that there has been injustice because we have all suffered loss as a result of their ‘maladministration’. We expect that the PHSO will deliver their final judgement on this by the end of March this year and we expect some sort of restitution to be recommended. However, we are concerned that as the PHSO is paid for by the Government, his judgement may be more in favour of the DWP than the women affected. We have little power, but we have many MPs of all stripes on our side.
What also concerns us greatly is that our age group is running out of time, as some 220,000 of us have died since we started the campaign in 2015. Statistics show that women born in the 1950s (WASPI women) are dying at a rate of one every 13 minutes!
Our ask is ‘fair and fast compensation’. The opposition parties support us, as do some Conservative MPs – but, so far, the Government has steadfastly refused to engage with us.
Editor’s Note: Angela was recognised as a Platinum Champion by the Royal
Above: North Derbyshire WASPI had a stall at the Chesterfield Pride 2022 event, and raffled a lovely hat to raise funds for the campaign. From left, Janet Atkinson, Moira Holland (wearing the hat) and Angela Madden. The group also regularly attends the May Day celebrations and the Medieval Market in Chesterfield.
Voluntary Service for her outstanding contribution as a volunteer in 2022 and her award was presented by the then Duchess of Cornwall at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Angela and her husband Joe went to the Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace and the Big Lunch the next day hosted by Camilla and then Prince Charles. Typically, Angela said the award was for ‘the whole North Derbyshire team’.
There will be a film backdrop created for the play, by Creative Forum. Original music will be produced by Rob Laughlin. All these local professionals are being funded by the Arts Council and are helping us to tell our story in the form of a very entertaining piece of theatre.
Performances will be at the West Studio Theatre at Chesterfield College on Saturday, March 4, at 3pm and again at 7pm; and on Sunday March 5 at 2pm.
You can book tickets, costing £8 (concessions £6), at www.eventbrite. co.uk/e/stungtickets-439496534967
“It is now proven beyond doubt that the DWP are guilty of ‘maladministration’.”
CHESTERFIELD’S historic Tapton House now seems certain to be converted into apartments, despite fierce opposition from campaigners and some councillors.
Back in December, Chesterfield Borough Council’s Cabinet – in a meeting not open to the press or public – approved the sale of the property to Doncasterbased developers, Stone Castle Enterprise Ltd, on a 999-year ground lease.
The house came into the council’s hands back in 1925, when it was sold to them for the sum of £7,000 by leading local businessman Charles Paxton Markham, three times Mayor of the town. Mr Markham put these conditions on the sale: “To keep Tapton House in good repair and condition and to put the same to such useful purposes for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Borough of Chesterfield as the Corporation may from time to time decide”.
In a press release issued after the Cabinet’s decision late last year, the council stated: “These covenants were personal to Mr Markham and not transferable to his beneficiaries. As such these covenants are no longer enforceable, and this is a position that has been accepted by the descendants of Charles Paxton Markham.”
Any development will still be subject to planning and conservation approvals, but the Stone Castle Enterprise proposals involve the conversion of the main house into 15 apartments, with three town houses and two bungalows built in place of the annexe buildings. The company’s proposals
also included a commitment to retain the parkland for public use and create visitor access to part of the Georgian mansion.
Councillor Dean Collins, cabinet member for economic growth, said: “The offer put forward by the preferred bidder represents the most credible, sympathetic and financially viable option to restore and safeguard the building for generations to come, and the developers have made a commitment to work closely with the council, the Friends of Tapton House and the wider community, as their plans progress.”
A spokesperson for Stone Castle Enterprise Ltd said: “Our vision for Tapton House is to reflect its heritage, honour its past and to create new homes within the space that are steeped in history but built for modern lifestyles.
“We understand the significance of Tapton House to the local community and as such our proposals include maintaining the current levels of public access to the grounds around the building and exploring the viability of developing part of the building to showcase Tapton House’s rich heritage.”
The campaign group, Friends of Tapton House, described the Cabinet decision as a “sad day for the people of Chesterfield, a sad day for Chesterfield’s heritage, and a sad day for democracy in general”.
The Friends’ own proposals had called for the house to be converted into something that the local community could enjoy, along with a wedding venue, cafe and art studio among other amenities.
Tapton House, which is a Grade II*listed building, was constructed in the
Top: Tapton House.
Above: The blue plaque stating that George Stephenson lived at Tapton House for a decade.
late 18th century by the Wilkinson family of bankers, who also helped fund the construction of Chesterfield Canal. Later, George Stephenson, the so-called ‘Father of the Railways’, leased the house from that family from 1832 until his death there in 1848.
The house was then bought by Charles Paxton Markham, director of the Staveley Coal and Iron Company, in 1871 and became his family home until 1925, when it was sold to the Borough Council – and its 200 acres of parkland also passed to the council. The council turned the house into a school and in 1931, the first pupils passed through its doors as Tapton House Central Selective School. After World War Two, it became a co-educational grammar school called Tapton House Grammar School. The school continued to teach students until 1993 when it closed. After refurbishment, in 1994 it became part of Chesterfield College, as The Tapton House Campus. The college returned the building to the council in 2018.
“We understand the significance of Tapton House to the local community…”
ASMALL borough with huge ambition: that was Chesterfield in 1959. Determined to house – or rehouse – 60 per cent of its families in good municipal stock: in turn building, literally, on the 1920 legislation (The Addison Act), that opened the door to towns and cities owning where ordinary people could live.
Therefore, by the time the next Chesterfield Guide was published ready for 1959, the borough was able to boast an extra 3,360 post-World War Two dwellings to supplement an astonishing 2,566 inter-war properties already occupied. Nor was this trite, cheapo, or boring accommodation. Instead, this was all high quality: on the spacious St Augustine’s Estate at Birdholme, each home already had a scullery, bathroom, garden and
three or four sizeable bedrooms.
But most of the land becoming available for immediate occupation from the 1950s’ waiting-list and for the AGD: national headquarters of Post Office finance, was situated in Newbold – originally a bailiwick larger than Chesterfield itself. The Newbold Estate alone had room for 1,000 new dwellings; the adjoining Pevensey Estate, room for 450 planned dwellings; with yet another 450 – with new public houses and a library – assigned to the original Dunston Hall Estate.
Amazingly, few of what we’d now term greenfield houses were identical. In fact, the GPO’s Loundsley Green development boasted variety years before variety, particularly in homes sited on former collieries, was considered to be a needless luxury: “Problem families
getting ideas above their station. They’ll only keep coal in the bath.”
Gratifyingly, certain families in Dunston were even offered Arts-&-Crafts’ houses with lots of roofs – it being stipulated that everyone’s front gardens should have no boundary hedges or walls; while other families, a mile or two away, were offered low-rise one-bedroom flats; or accommodation in three-storey blocks purpose-built for singletons: these adjacent courtyards surrounded by – also onebedroom – elderly persons’ bungalows.
Crucially, Chesterfield was possibly one of the only boroughs in the land to resist the Gadarene rush to erect pre-cast concrete skyscrapers. The borough’s highest
Council’s revolutionary approach to slum clearance and rehousing as recounted in the “Gateway to the Peak Official Town Guide” of 1959.Above: The cover of the 1959 Chesterfield guide. Below: Flats on Bowness Road, Newbold, pictured in 1963. Courtesy of Picture the Past.
Above: These properties, on the corner of Spa Lane and Station Road, Chesterfield, were occupied until the mid-Fifties when they were demolished.
construction – excluding that dreadful Inland Revenue building on St Mary’s Gate – seems to be five storeys: one block where Sheffield Road meets Peveril Road at Asda.
Not forgetting how the borough constructed hundreds of “prefabs”, built in former aircraft factories at a cost of £1,000 each (many still occupied – and in short supply – 50 years after their sellby date!); plus 119 lock-up garages (now tumbledown and distinctly out-of-fashion); five shops and three community-rooms where elderly residents could congregate; additionally two caravan parks, for 30 & 23 caravans respectively, serviced in turn by two purpose-built toilet blocks.
Major contemporary task ahead: eating away at a 1958 waiting-list of 2,300 would-be householders or subtenants under the age of 65; another 500 of these applicants considerably older or more disabled; always remembering that many of those applying for municipal housing were in the category of “slum clearance”.
Modern Chesterfield, 20 years into the new millennium, hardly recalls slums – but unwholesome back-to-backs, tenement blocks and mean terraces definitely existed
opposite Queen’s Park; in Lower Brampton; and roundabout Staveley. Adventurously, back in 1955, the borough council had pledged to demolish all its remaining slums – 700 dwellings in total – by 1960.
During the Fifties and Sixties, the then Borough’s Surveyor’s Department – already in possession of the County Council’s “Town Map” for Chesterfield – was responsible for the planning, design and construction of corporation housing estates. And when each new development was completed, it was handed over to a separate Housing Department for the allocation of tenants; for rent collection; repairs and routine maintenance; and ongoing management of the stock. Readers of Reflections, nearly 64 years later, may now question themselves whether post-austerity; post freeze and squeeze; post-Thatcher; post “Right-toBuy”; post “Buy-to-Rent”; post “no-fault evictions”: any residual council housing crossed with social housing crossed with “affordable” housing is, in any way, superior to the situation facing such an ambitious and committed municipality as Chesterfield in late 1958?
Above: A small terrace south of Hipper Street was vacated in the Seventies and demolished to make way for a new commercial block.
Below: New prefabs at Manor Crescent, New Brampton, built just after the end of World War Two.
IT’S been a long, cold winter, hasn’t it? And now, with the glitz of the festive season a distant memory and another month of sub-zero temperatures looming ahead, you could be forgiven for wanting to throw on your biggest, slouchiest and cosiest jumpers and joggers and not leave the house unless absolutely necessary. But wait. Dopamine is our bodies’ clever little feel-good neurotransmitter – you know, the thing which triggers that little rush of pleasure we get when we do something we enjoy. And the best way to pick ourselves out of the winter doldrums is to seek out those little bursts of happiness as often as we can. First port of call this season? Fashion.
The idea behind dopamine dressing is to embrace the clothing which makes you happy; taking control of the way we dress in order to boost our mood. A pop of eye-wateringly bright colour or a swathe of sparkle can do serious wonders when it comes to brightening your day, much more conducive to making us feel good about ourselves than dowdy attire in dull colours.
That beautiful Christmas party dress which won’t see the light of day for the best part of a year? Wear it! Those amazing glittery boots you save only for special occasions? Throw them on with your favourite jeans to add some sparkle to everyday! Because
Continued on 46
Getting dressed in your best and wearing more of the clothes which make you feel good is one of the biggest fashion trends for 2023 – which we can definitely get on board with, says Amy Norbury.
who says you can’t wear sequins to the supermarket?
After all, fashion which makes us feel good will never go out of style. And wearing more of what we like, more often, is
much more environmentally friendly than buying loads of party wear which gets worn once and relegated to the back of the wardrobe. It’s a win-win.
An easy way to incorporate your party threads into your everyday wardrobe is by pairing it with your snuggliest knitwear. Team a chunky jumper with a sparkly skirt or bedazzling trousers, or throw on a casual oversized cardigan over a sequin dress for a fabulous remix on smart-casual – add your favourite pair of chunky boots for winterproof style.
Sparkle can add a muchneeded mood boost to even the most casual outfit; dig out your blingiest necklace and most dangly earrings to elevate a simple jeans-andT-shirt combo.
If sparkle isn’t really your thing, then a slinky slip dress might be. Layer up your strappy dresses in luxurious fabrics
with a cosy roll neck or plain T-shirt, or throw a chunky knitted jumper over the top to transform your silky number from evening glam to off-duty casual chic. Layering your dresses will not only help to make them more suitable across the seasons, but it will help you enjoy your gorgeous garments more frequently.
If you draw the line at party wear as everyday wear, then reach for a bold punch of colour to trigger that dopamine rush instead. Forget dreary neutrals and opt for something bright and beautiful to put a smile on your face and see out these winter days in style.
AN initiative run by DHU Healthcare aimed at providing additional primary care appointments in Derbyshire is expanding to more areas.
The DHU-run Winter Hubs, commissioned by NHS Derby and Derbyshire, started taking appointments in early December at Derby Urgent Treatment Centre and Ashgate Manor in Chesterfield. Since the New Year, sites at Ilkeston Hospital and New Mills Health Centre have been added with further hubs at Buxton, Langwith, Toton and Woodville Surgery to provide additional appointments.
The aim of the service is to provide more ‘on the day’, face-to-face GP or Practitioner appointments to reduce the pressure on primary care and reducing the number of people visiting Emergency Departments who really should be seen by a GP.
Kirsty Osborn, DHU Healthcare’s Deputy Director of Urgent Care (Derbyshire), said: “We’ve been incredibly busy which is always an indicator that a service is needed. In the run up to Christmas from opening on December 8, we provided 739 appointments in Chesterfield and Derby alone, and more than half of those were children. “The type of patient we are likely to see is someone who has called their GP practice with acute symptoms and has been assessed as not needing emergency treatment but does need to be seen by a clinician. The criteria is, for example, a condition that is not chronic, complex or requires ongoing care but does need a face-to-face review from a clinician.”
The hubs are run daily from 9am to 6pm and designed to take the pressure off primary care colleagues and reduce the need
for an unnecessary trip to the Emergency Department or an ambulance call-out. Remember that if you need help and advice quickly about a medical condition, visit 111 online to find out where you need to go to get the treatment and help you need.
THE Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show returns to the NEC, Birmingham, from February 21-26 with huge displays of leisure vehicles, tents, trailer tents and awnings. The show will also showcase the newest and coolest tech and gadgets from the UK and Europe’s leading manufacturers. With more than 400 exhibitors pitching up across almost 20 acres of the NEC, including a brand new Tent and Camping Hall, which will feature over 150 new tents and trailer tents, the Show is your one-stop-shop to get adventure-ready.
From the perfect coffee to wake you up in the morning to a power pack that allows you to go completely off-grid, it offers a perfect guide of adventure essentials.
New accessories on display include the LocknLevel air levelling system, which makes caravan levelling made easy – say goodbye to planks, ramps, wind-ups and jacks. Then there’s the Trigano, with its incredible range of robust, light awnings for caravans, campervans and motorhomes. Its Santa Clara awning is completely independent and can remain mounted on site even if the vehicle leaves its location.
Among the new gadgets on display at the show is the QUQUQ Mobile home in a box, which lets you transform your car into a camper in less than a minute! It’s got a kitchen, bed and storage – all in one box! The Camos camera safety systems provide a complete view around your vehicle and eliminate all blind-spots, making manoeuvring and changing lanes a breeze.
Tickets are limited and on sale now for £12 (parking included) over on the ccmshow.co.uk
A SIX-WEEK fundraising appeal before Christmas resulted in a whopping donation of £6,000 of food, toiletries and cash, to help hundreds of people in need across Chesterfield in 2023.
Bridge Help’s annual appeal raised £3,000, thanks to donations from the firm’s brokers, suppliers, friends and family. The short-term commercial finance provider matched all donations, bringing the final total to £6,000.
A £4,400 haul of food and toiletries –which filled three vans – was delivered to the food bank just before Christmas. A £1,600 cash donation was also given to the charity to enable it to help people throughout this year.
The food donated weighed in at more than 1.2 tonnes, enabling up to 1,300 meals to be made.
IT didn’t take long for readers to start taking pictures for our 2023 ‘Derbyshire’s Wonderful Flora & Fauna’. There were several taken on New Year’s Day, including
this lovely one of starlings murmurating on Middleton Moor, near Stoney Middleton. It was taken by Andy Hanna, of Great Longstone, who says: “Thousands fly into the reed beds every day
at sunset in the winter there.”
Also taken on New Year’s Day was this fox, clearly enjoying the winter sun, taken by Peter Wigglesworth, of Matlock.
And on January 2, Janice
Dyson, of Wingerworth, had a morning walk around the village pond, and says: “The lone swan made such a difference to the photo, I thought.” We agree, Janice!
Russ Teale, of Newbold, travelled to Bradford Dale on January 11 and took a picture of this kingfisher “having a rest from her fishing”.
Next, a lovely photo of fallow deer at Chatsworth, taken in mid-January by Brian Smith, of Upper Newbold.
On an early January day, Pauline Chapman of Bakewell got a surprise when this pheasant popped into her back garden!
Also in early January, Peter Wigglesworth, of Matlock, captured this fieldfare enjoying an apple.
This beautiful kestrel was spotted on a branch in Bradford Dale by Russ Teale, of Newbold.
In this year’s competition, you can take stunning images of plant life or wildlife –it’s entirely up to you. The picture(s) you send must be taken in 2023 and must be in Derbyshire – and you can enter
as many times as you like. We want entries from amateur snappers and not commercial photographers; and drone images will not be accepted. Please email your entries to barrief@bannisterpublications.
co.uk, giving your full name and address, a contact telephone number and a description (including the date the picture was taken) of the image, which should be attached as a high-res jpeg.
The winner will receive a meal for two at a top local restaurant, plus the chance to have a selection of their images published in Reflections The deadline for entries is Monday, October 16, 2022.
CHESTERFIELD’S Holmebrook Valley Park is celebrating 10 years of hosting a walking group this month.
The Holmebrook Valley Park ‘walk with us’ walking group originally launched in 2013, but it was temporarily put on hold in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions, then launched again as soon as outdoor meeting restrictions allowed.
The park is open to pedestrians all year round and has won the prestigious Green
Flag award for the last 12 years.
The northern end of the park is elevated and offers spectacular views over Chesterfield to Hardwick Hall and Bolsover Castle.
The park has children’s play areas, a free outdoor gym, football pitches, cycling, an orienteering route, an art sculpture trail, picnic tables and a café.
The Holmebrook Valley Park walking group meet every Thursday at 10.30am for a 45–60 minute walk.
If you would like to join in, meet by the cafe in the park pavilion (top car park) at Holmebrook Valley Park, Watermeadow Lane, Chesterfield, S41 8XP.
DRONFIELD-BASED independent financial planners, Belmayne, will be focusing their fundraising efforts this year on two small local organisations that assist people living with disabilities.
They have chosen to split the money raised in 2023 by the Belmayne Foundation between Chesterfield’s
Fairplay and the Just Good Friends Club.
Since its launch in 2019, the Belmayne Foundation has donated more than £36,000 to registered charities that support health and wellbeing and provide relief to those in need. This year, all funds will be split equally between the two groups.
Fairplay has been improving the lives of children and young people with disabilities since 1992. From its purpose-built centre in Chesterfield and outreach locations in surrounding areas, it arranges clubs and themed groups, as well home-based care for those with complex needs.
The Just Good Friends Club supports adults with learning disabilities, arranging social events and new activities in a safe and friendly environment. Currently, this includes weekly evening clubs in Bolsover, Ripley, Chesterfield, Pinxton, Clowne and Worksop, two daytime social hubs and a monthly nightclub event.
In addition to fundraising, Belmayne has committed to providing a day’s paid leave to any employee who wishes to volunteer at a charity. This can be at one of the groups supported by the foundation since its inception or an organisation of their choice.
For more information about the work of the Belmayne Foundation, visit www.belmayne-ifa.com or follow the firm on Twitter, @belmayneifa.
Derbyshire has a plethora of delights for all the family, from stately homes to museums. Here, LisaVarty visits a few of the lesser-known museums and quirky attractions in our beautiful county.
Mr Vacuum, Shop, and Vacuum Museum:
THIS fascinating attraction is in Heanor. The shop was originally based in Eastwood, just over the border in Nottinghamshire, and opened in 2010. Owner James Brown is a real vacuum enthusiast and later opened the museum within the shop. The museum contains vacuums that date from the 1920s up to 2001.
James’s most prized model is a Kirby, and the museum has nearly every model of Kirby vacuums ever made. James believes Kirby models are the Rolls-Royce of vacuums, as they can last over 25 years, whereas a modern vacuum doesn’t last long and doesn’t even look as good as a Kirby model.
The museum was visited by Warwick Davis and featured on his TV show, Weekend Escapes with Warwick Davis, in 2015, as Warwick himself is a vacuum enthusiast. James was awarded a certificate from Guinness World records in 2021 for owning the largest collection of vacuums in the world.
The shop and museum at 23 Market Street, Heanor, DE75 7NR are open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays 10.30am-4.30pm; Fridays 10.30am-4pm and Saturdays between 10.30am-12.30pm. It is closed on Bank Holidays. Entry is free but donations are greatly appreciated.
IT’S the only museum in the world dedicated to the history and heritage of the Sikh community. It is mostly funded by community donations and is operated by a team of dedicated volunteers who also carry out building works.
It was opened in November 2008, and is home to the largest Sikh artillery collection, which belonged to the Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled Punjab from 1800 to 1849. There is also a British armed forces exhibition named “We were there,” dedicated to the 2,500,000 Indians who served in the British Army by the end of World War Two, of which 22 per cent were Sikhs. There is also a new Sarkar-e-Khalsa Art Gallery.
The museum offers an interesting day out for the whole family and can be found at Princes Street, Pear Tree, Derby, DE23 8NT. It is open seven days a week, from 10am-3pm daily, and entrance is free.
THIS museum in The Grand Pavilion, Matlock Bath, DE4 3NR is a tribute to the
lead mining industry in days gone by. Galena (lead ore) mining was a main source of income for many Derbyshire families from Roman times right up until the 20th century.
The museum has over 6,000 artefacts and also contains some interactive exhibits. It offers guided tours of Temple Mine, where lead and fluorspar were mined up until the 1920s, with exhibits including tools and equipment, some of which are over 200 years old, plus a rare locomotive from 1936. There is also a gift shop and café within the museum. Up until February
24, the museum is only open at weekends between 11am and 4pm. From February 25 until October 31, the museum is open all week, 11am-4pm daily. Admission prices range from £6 to £32.
IT’S the only known model railway open to the public in a public park – Markeaton Park, Derby – in any British city. It exhibits OO scale trains and others from Z-gauge up to Gauge 3. The main attraction is a large OO-scale model railway that is based on Chinley station in Derbyshire in the 1950/60s.
Famous Trains also run other “famous trains” such as The Flying Scotsman and also The Bournemouth Belle – one of the longest train with its 12 Pullman coaches – which is Hornby’s latest model with working table lamps.
Below: The model of Chinley Station in the days of steam forms the centrepiece of Famous Trains at Markeaton Park, Derby. © Famous Trains
Above:
During November, Famous Trains takes on a wartime theme, using the Chinley model railway to raise funds for the Royal British Legion.
Famous Trains also has a gift shop that sells model railway kits, scenic materials, and other model railway accessories, including a second-hand section and small toys.
Opening hours are every Saturday, Sunday and Monday, from 11am-4pm daily. Entrance fee for adults is just £3, £1.50 for children, and a family ticket for up to two adults with children is £6. You can find Famous Trains alongside the main (south) car park in Markeaton Park.
A dog-friendly museum housed in a Tudor building at Cunningham Place, DE45 1DD. It was built as a tax collector’s cottage during the reign of Henry VIII, and has had many owners over the years, including Sir Richard Arkwright, who was known to house his mill workers in local cottages.
It is volunteer led and offers a various collection of items, including some from the Tudor period that were found encased within the walls. It also exhibits ceramics,
textiles, cameras, costumes, toys and Macedonian ceremonial swords.
Over the last 60 years, local residents have donated artefacts to the museum, There are QR codes for most of the items to give visitors an interactive experience.
Entrance for non-assistance dogs is restricted if there is a school tour in progress. The museum is open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11am-4pm daily, with last entry at 3.30pm. Admission prices are £6.50 for adults, £4 for children aged between 5 and 16 years old and free for children under five.
OPENED in 1990 near Wirksworth, close to the High Peak Trail, The National Stone Centre is volunteer led and offers an insight into the industrial and geological history of
stone. Derbyshire is well known as one of the largest areas for quarrying in the UK.
The centre is situated in 40 acres of land that formerly housed six limestone quarries. It offers a walking trail that takes you on a 300-million-year journey, taking in fossils, and there are information boards to guide you.
At the visitor centre, you can learn about the evolution of stone from when the earth was formed through to how is it used in modern times. It also reveals how stone has been used not only to build dwellings and roads but also in the production of household goods, sugar, cosmetics and even tyres!
The visitor centre at Porter Lane, Wirksworth, DE4 4LS, also has a gift shop, café, and a play park nearby. Entrance is free and the centre is open from 10am-5pm seven days a week, apart from Christmas Day.
Above: Fae’s ‘Beyond the Curve’ artwork appears to float on the wall!
Left: Visitors can play with digital toys and create shapes, in the Play LAB.
THERE’S an art exhibition by a blind artist at the Level Centre in Rowsley from now until April 14 (weekdays only).
The exhibition, called ‘Sensing Nature’, is the work of Fae Kilburn, from Staffordshire, and is a visual documentation of Fae’s transition from partial-sight to blindness that will challenge people’s understanding of sight-loss.
Fae’s landscapes document the blurring of boundaries and explore the shapes and patterns within the landscape. By using different
methodologies including comparison colour charts and audio descriptions of the landscapes, Fae is able to create prints inspired by what she has seen, experienced and been told that was in front of her.
Fae’s exhibition has several pieces that can be touched, from the embossed Sensing Nature series to the beautiful silkscreen print triptych Transient Moments on Japanese paper; and ‘Beyond the Curve’, that appears to float on the wall.
Level Centre is a registered charity supporting disabled artists what relies on the
support of Arts Council England, trusts and foundations and individual donors to deliver its mission to ‘Celebrate the Art that Difference Makes’.
A new immersive interactive installation has also opened at the Level Centre. Created by John Whall, Play LAB encourages creative play through large-scale projection, screen-based visuals and physical objects. Visitors fill the room with 3D digital shapes and play with digital toys, in a laboratory like you’ve never seen before!
Play LAB was made in
collaboration with workshop participants from Huthwaite and Alderwasley Hall School. It is suitable for everyone including school groups and families. The installation is free to visit, but advance booking is advisable through the Level Centre website.
Play LAB is showing at Level Centre from now until April 14. For more information visit: https:// levelcentre.com/play-lab-2/
• Level Centre has retained its National Portfolio Organisation status through Arts Council England and
Right: This black-and-white silkscreen print landscape, called ‘Uncertainty’, has fine tree branches in the foreground covering a lake. Fae says of this work: “Sections of the image are blurred, representing the loss of my vision in these areas, especially on the right-hand side of the picture. Its lack of colour represents how I see in the evening, and conveys my sense of unease trying to navigate once visible and familiar landscapes. The change in light brings confusion and uncertainty at not knowing what is in front of me — it transforms the once-comforting sounds of nature to something slightly sinister and intimidating. The branch that tickled me earlier is not so friendly now!”
will receive an annual grant of £141,354 from 2023-2026.
Stuart Allen, chair of the Level Centre board, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Level continues as a National Portfolio Organisation. The grant allows us to continue to work with disabled artists and communities through our programme of visual arts and performances to create highquality contemporary work in the heart of Derbyshire.”
Until recently, Level Centre received core funding from Derbyshire County Council, which has announced that it
is withdrawing this funding, leaving Level Centre with a £24,924 a year funding gap each year. Executive Director Kerry Andrews said: “We now need to find alternative financial support to make sure that we can continue to deliver programmes that support wellbeing, combat loneliness and provide a social lifeline to disabled creatives.”
Editor’s Note: Tickets are free for Play LAB – which is open on weekdays until April 14 – but you need to book in advance on the website levelcentre.com Bookings are for up to eight
people (including carers if required) for a 45-minute visit. You only need to make one booking for a group. You can
book a double slot if you need more time. You can also find out more about the Sensing Nature exhibition on that website.
Martins World Travel has teamed up with specialist tailor made holiday experts at Fred.\ Holidays part of the Fred Olsen Cruise family.
ON offer is a selection of superbly crafted itineraries featuring rail inclusive adventures to a variety of continents in addition to exclusive river cruise holidays. Both Fred.\ Holidays and Martins World Travel appreciate that everyone is different and has individual requirements. Whether it’s an ocean cruise, river cruise, rail journey, multi-centre stay, tailor-made holiday, once-in-a-lifetime Cruise & Stay adventure, or a combination trip such as a rail & sail experience, there’s sure to be a holiday to whet the appetite of everyone seeking a special and unforgettable holiday experience.
Highlighted below are just a small number of great holiday optionseach providing high standards of comfort, professionally arranged itineraries and great value.
CRUISE THE SPLENDID RIVER DOURO IN PORTUGAL FLAVOURS OF PORTUGAL & SPAIN (WINE CRUISE) | PORTO TO VEGA DE TERRÓN IN CONJUNCTION WITH AMA WATERWAYS
Departing from Porto
7 nights
01 Aug 2023
AmaVida from £3,545 per person
As far as Portuguese river cruises go, there are none to compare with a trip along the Douro. It is one of Europe’s most beautiful rivers and its UNESCO listed valley abounds with unspoilt scenic splendour. The Douro River meanders its way through northern Portugal and central Spain on a 556-mile journey, passing by rolling hillsides covered with terraced vineyards and vibrant lemon groves.
Flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Spain, the Douro winds its way from the province of Soria across to the Portuguese city of Miranda do Douro before running into
the Atlantic Ocean, near the fascinating historic city of Porto. The AmaVida brings AmaWaterways’ distinctive standard of excellence to the Douro River in Portugal. This grand 106-passenger vessel features balconies in most of its spacious staterooms and suites, which range up to 323 sq. ft. Guests on the AmaVida enjoy fine dining in the main dining room, plus al fresco dining for up to 32 guests. The AmaVida also features a Sun Deck swimming pool; fitness centre and spa; complimentary in-stateroom Internet access on a 42” flatscreen and ship-wide Wi-Fi. A Douro River cruise is the ideal way to explore the cultural and scenic wonders of Spain and Portugal. Guests can enjoy a daytrip to the enriching melting pot of Salamanca, a UNESCO World Heritage city. Salamanca is famous for its university and amazing architectural highlights, which include a magnificent Romanesque cathedral.
On this voyage of Iberian discovery, guests will visit beautifully restored palaces, relax in quaint countryside
villages, soak up the culture of bustling cities, and sample the delectable produce of one of the world’s oldest wine regions.
Departing from London Heathrow on 10th September and 8th October 9 nights from £5595 per person
Departures available from September to October 2023. Milwaukee to Toronto. Guests sail in absolute comfort aboard Le Bellot. The cruise starts at Milwaukee and follows the footsteps of the first settlers, trappers, and Native Americans, before proceeding to Lake Michigan, a veritable inland sea. The next lake, Lake Huron, boasts a myriad of islands in its northern part, with white rocks capped with conifers plunging into the sapphire waters of the lake. Guests also have opportunity to discover the charming city of Parry Sound, in the heart of the wonderful UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve of Georgian Bay.
Le Bellot then sails the canal connecting Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. From there, it calls in at Port Colborne, where guests are able to see the impressive sight of Niagara Falls. These three powerful waterfalls, renowned the world over, are an exquisite natural spectacle. To round off the cruise, Le Bellot sails along the shimmering waters of Lake Ontario, before making its way to the cosmopolitan city of Toronto.
Lower Mississippi (New Orleans to Memphis)
Departing from New Orleans Louisiana
7 nights
26 Jun 2023
American Melody from £4,388 per person
The Lower Mississippi runs right through the heart of the American deep south and is home to the great sounds of New Orleans and Memphis. Guests follow in the footsteps of Elvis Presley, join the Mardi Gras celebrations, or experience the Mississippi Delta Gospel and some traditional blues as they travel down river. Along the way, there’s opportunity to explore the vast antebellum style plantations, historic battlefields and indulge
in authentic Creole cuisine, as well as to sample some traditional Gumbo, Cajun chicken and Jambalaya; all finished off with some pecan pie for dessert. All of this is likely to take place on-board a classic American steamboat. The sprawling Upper Mississippi is home to charming scenery, fascinating wildlife, and interesting culture. This is Mark Twain’s country and America’s heartland - full of history waiting to absorb and enjoy. The steamboat makes its way along the border between Iowa and Illinois, whilst also venturing into Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Upper Mississippi features destinations such as Minneapolis, Davenport, and the bustling city of St. Louis, with its famed Jefferson National Expansion Memorial arch and lively cultural offerings. Hannibal is Mark Twain’s hometown and it’s inspiration to his writing is still clear to see. Guests can enjoy the scenery and witness the many locks and dams in operation as they travel along the river.
There is also an exciting choice of rail journeys and experiences: Canada – The Trans Canada and Rocky Mountaineer journey Switzerland and Germanyscenic splendours by rail Austria and Germany – Stunning views and interesting cities by rail Egypt and the Nile River cruise – discovery the history and culture of this unique region.
FEEL FREE TO CALL ON 01246 220020 or 01246 823763
Martins World Travel, 46 Knifesmithgate, Chesterfield, S40 1RQ T: 01246 220020
Martins World Travel, 25 Market Place, Bolsover, S44 6PN T: 01246 823763
martins-world-travel.co.uk www.1st4Cruises.co.uk
STEVE Dolling, of Upper Newbold, was the winner of our 2022 ‘Derbyshire In Focus’ photographic competition – and one of his prizes was to have a selection of some of his other pictures published in Reflections. Well, Steve has sent us a great selection which we are happy to share with all our readers. Enjoy!
1. Steve and his wife Sophie are highfiving at Padley Gorge. The couple were out with their three children – 12-year-old twins Evie and Isla and 14-year-old Leon – and Evie took this picture of her parents after her father had showed her how to use it!
2. Dusk falls over Linacre Woods.
3. A swan family at Holmebrook Valley Park.
4. A lovely picture of a rainbow, taken from Black Rocks, high above Cromford.
5. Steve’s daughter Isla is ‘warming her hands on the sun’ in this fascinating picture.
6. The night-time facade of Chatsworth House.
7. The start of a new day: dawn over one of the Linacre Reservoirs.
8. A beautiful sunset at Ladybower.
9. Sunset over Cutthorpe.
10. A frosty lawn at Thornbridge Hall, taken last winter.
THERE are great views from Derbyshire’s ‘edges’ – and some historical monuments to enjoy, too – and this walk combines the two!
1 From the car park, walk down the A619 towards Baslow. Just after passing the entrance to the Eric Byne Memorial Campsite, climb a stile built into the wall to the right and enter access land. Gently drop down diagonal through the field, keeping the birch wood on your left. Follow the clear path around the trees and throughout several gaps in walls. Near the summit, there’s an easy
path to the right which leads to what seem to be cairns, known as The Three Men, which you can take if you want.
2 The main path drops gently beneath Gardom’s Edge to the A621 at Toll Bar Cottage. Cross the road slightly to the left and go over the stile built into a gate. Follow the path as it drops down through some interesting wall enclosures, to cross the bridge over Bar Brook.
Keep the landscaped garden to the right of you and continue left between a wall and a railing to enter the Eastern Moors Estate at a stile.
Start to climb through the birch and bracken with the wall on your left, on a track which switches between a nice path and rocky sections. As the track enters a more wooded area, turn left as it begins to level out. Here, a path hugs
a fence as it gently climbs higher and then emerges from the wood. Stop to take in the wonderful views to the left, and the ever-nearing edge above you to the right.
3 As two walls meet at a gate with an access sign, turn sharply right to continue along the edge. Just beyond the first viewpoint – one with a seat – a track comes in on the left from the Eagle Stone. Continue along the edge to Wellington’s Monument.
Just after passing some enclosures on the left, you pass The Chesterfield Roade Guidestone, which was
START: Nether End car park (SK 2802 7211)
DISTANCE: 4.25miles (6.8km)
ASCENT: 890ft (271m)
TIME: Allow 3.5 hours
MAP: OS Explorer OL24
TAKEN FROM: Peak District
Pack: 20 Classic Walks, by Andrew White and Michael Law, currently £10.95 (walking-books. com). The ultimate walker’s companion, with easy-to-follow routes and maps on weatherproof cards, with a bespoke map case provided in the pack.
erected to mark a junction on the packhorse way between Baslow and Chesterfield.
4 Continue to the gate at an access sign, to turn right onto Clodhall Lane. Just after crossing over the A621, continue along a lane on the right, then cross a stile into access land once again. Follow the welldefined path across a field.
Then take the left-hand branch and bear left to head towards a rocky scarp, on an ever clearer track through birch and heather.
5 At the prominent rock buttress, climb to the edge
A joint venture between the National Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Eastern Moors Partnership manages the Eastern Moors Estate on behalf of the Peak District National Park Authority. There are a staggering
5,700 archaeological sites on the Eastern Moors, including medieval guide stoops (like the one pictured at Longshaw Gate) and even World War Two mortar scars on some rocks.
and to Nelson’s Monument. The clear path now drops to the road.Turn right along the road to return to the car park.
Across
1 Ruse is used shabbily by the publisher (6)
4 Mind out, say, the reputation of the sad king? (4,4)
8 Single section from each one (6)
9 Derbyshire place that likes not how it's turned out? (8)
12 Local flower that's eerily ever wiry (5,3)
13 Locally, mine's a hoarder! (6)
14 Heir who deflects attention to sofa town? (12)
19 Strip finished off beer, allegedly, in a local valley (8,4)
25 Managers of our wall tops? (6)
27 Fan to use gel on projecting rim (6)
28 Find loam cultivated but exhausted in the valley? (8)
30 It's more painful when I reach out (6)
31 Paddle, if a bit strangely, above Glossop (8)
32 Wine to be served in a motel, right? (6)
Down
1 Local sweet stick sold in Dovedale? (4,4)
2 Washed up then skived in six (8)
3 Extract one could expect to be right inside! (7)
5 It'll produce a musical rhythm! (4)
6 Strange to be in the alley and see at close quarters (7)
7 Coop? It could be just for sea creatures (6)
10 Want to make bread, say? (4)
11 Colourist said to be terrible (4)
15 Take in some heat? (3)
16 Former length at the start of the letter (3)
17 Alter aim to suit the stuff (8)
18 Hurtles towards a disaster in Nightingale's 'nest' (3,5)
20 All the atmosphere of a pair of old boots! (3)
21 It's possible to end up in this village S of Winster! (4)
22 Distortion, in clear reservoir (7)
23 Fraud, as revealed by the press cameras (4)
24 Unfolded, on deep reflection (6)
26 We've got almost ten ladies like this! (5)
29 Acted in a lah-di-dah way (3)
Name: ...........................................................
Address: ..................................................
Telephone:
We will give a prize of £25 to a randomly-drawn correctly completed crossword. Cut out the completed puzzle and send to: Bannister Publications, 118 Saltergate, Chesterfield S40 1NG by the 21st February 2023. The solutions for December 2022 and January 2023 crosswords can be found on page 77. The solution to the February 2023 crossword will appear in the March 2023 issue.
More free puzzles at pitcherwits.co.uk
Crossword by Prof Rebus
THERE is a LOT to be said for being authentic. The antique auction world reflects the inclusive society we live in, with authentic, traditional furniture selling well alongside pop cultural items. The mixing and matching
of pieces from a wide variety of periods and styles can form an eclectic, but harmonious, look. It is a refreshing approach to furnishing and a little more thought-provoking than the textbook Georgian interior and far more uplifting than the vogue for minimalism.
Popular traditional country items include this very simple but authentic English cricket table. It is called a cricket table but, as far as I know, it has nothing to do with the bat and ball game or the insect. The cricket table was first named and used during the
16th century. The French word “criquet” refers to its stick legs. And the table has three legs, so it can be used where the floor is uneven, when a fourlegged table might wobble.
Most antique cricket tables have triangular or round tops, and some have shelves halfway down the legs. It was a country furniture item, and tables can be found that are made of sycamore, ash, oak, elm, cherry or walnut woods. A few have three drop leaves.
The George III oak cricket table we have pictured has general wear in the form of small dents, scratches and small stains, commensurate with its age and which, on this particular item, lends a pleasant patina of age. For an item so ordinary to have survived in authentic condition is something to be treasured and it made £1,690 in the recent auction.
Also, from the same consignment from a property in Baslow, a wing armchair, with attractive scrolling wings, made £980, despite requiring re-upholstery. Wing armchairs were first introduced in England during the 1600s, becoming more popular in the early 1700s, and the basic design has remained unchanged since.
Though there are many types of wing chairs, there are two standard styles: the flat wing and the scroll wing. The purpose of the ‘wings’ was to shield the occupant of the chair from draughts, and to trap the heat from a fireplace in the area where the person would be sitting. Hence, in the past these were often used near a fireplace.
Currently, most examples of wing chairs are fully upholstered with exposed
wooden legs, but many of the oldest examples have an exposed frame with padded cushions at the seat, arm rests, back and sometimes wings. With a little imagination, lots of antiques can be successfully integrated with modern and decorative pieces. Dress up traditional objects, such as oak and country furniture, with Modern British Art, which is fast becoming a mainstream way to decorate interiors. Editor’s Note: If you have antiques and collectable items, it is always worth getting the advice of an Independent Antiques Valuer to assess them. For further information, please contact Vivienne on 01629 640210 or 07870 238788. Alternatively, go to www.viviennemilburn. co.uk or email vivienne@ viviennemilburn.co.uk
IN complete contrast to traditional furniture, rock and pop items are increasingly popular in the current market. From a cottage near Bakewell, this Modern British School logo for the band Smile – starring Brian May, Roger Taylor and Tim Staffell – made £2,250 in a specialist auction.
This band was renamed Queen when Freddie Mercury joined them. It was called Smile originally as the drummer Roger Taylor had trained in dentistry.
The poster, painted in gouache, is 50cms by 70cms and was used in the 1973 charity production by Lou
A wing back armchair, c.1880. The attractive shape of the scrolled wings helped it achieve £980 in a recent auction, despite it requiring reupholstering.
Reizner of Tommy the Rock Opera, starring The Who, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Sandy Denny, Steve Winwood and Peter Sellers. Staged at the Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park, the production was held to benefit the mental health charity, the Richmond Fellowship.
The poster was gifted to the vendor by Reizner, then head of Mercury Records’ European operations. Reizner had signed Smile to Mercury Records in 1969.
In 1970, after Staffell left Smile to play with Humpy
Bong, May and Taylor were encouraged to continue playing by Farrokh Bulsara, a keen fan of the group. Bulsara soon joined May and Taylor as their lead vocalist and, at around the same time, changed his name to Freddie Mercury.
The timing for the sale of the Smile poster was ideal as it has coincided with the release of the film Bohemian Rhapsody, in which it is featured.
Willersley Castle was built by Sir Richard Arkwright, but he never got to live in it, although his family did. Since then it has been a hotel, a maternity hospital (twice) and now has a new role as a residential outdoor centre for schoolchildren, as Barrie Farnsworth reports.
THE country mansion near Cromford known as Willersley Castle has had a fascinating history. It has been a private house for the Arkwright family; a maternity hospital in the two World Wars, a hotel and is now a residential outdoor pursuits centre.
Sir Richard Arkwright purchased the Willersley Estate land – on which there were a few farms but no large house – in 1782 from Thomas Hallet Hodges for £8,864. He then instructed architect William Thomas to design and build a threestorey, castellated house with a seven-bay frontage. Originally named Willersley Hall, it was built on the slopes of Wild Cat Tor, 400ft above sea level, and stood in 60 acres of grounds.
In 1791, when the building was nearing completion, fire broke out and severe damage
was caused to part of the interior. Repairs were completed in 1792 by Thomas Gardner, but Arkwright died before the repairs were completed.
In 1796, RIchard Arkwright Junior moved into the castle with his family; with his son Peter inheriting the estate in 1843. Members of the Arkwright family lived there until the advent of World War One. During the war, the castle served as a maternity hospital.
The Arkwright family sold the property in 1927 to a group of Methodist businessmen who converted the castle into a Methodist Guild Holiday Centre, which opened on May 5, 1928, with a swimming pool, bowling green, games field, tennis courts and 43 bedrooms.
During World War Two, the castle again served as a Salvation Army maternity hospital between 1940 and 1946, who
relocated there from Clapton in the East End of London. It is said that over 4,000 babies were born at Willersley Castle between 1940 and 1946.
It subsequently returned to operating as a Methodist Guild hotel, later known as a Christian Guild hotel.
The hotel was temporarily closed during the first lockdown in 2020. In July 2020, Methodist Guilds Holidays Limited (also known as Christian Guild Hotels) announced that the hotel would not reopen. It was listed for sale, at £4 million, in the summer of 2020. In a report on the sale,
Country Life magazine wrote that the hotel had “some 30,000 sq ft of living space over three floors... further accommodation in the mews house and gatehouse, grass tennis courts, a swimming pool and gym area”.
Christian Guild Hotels fell into administration in January 2021, after struggling through the pandemic. The group had operated three sites in the UK: Sidholme Hotel, in Devon, Willersley Castle and Treloyhan Manor, Carbis Bay, Cornwall; as well as owning Hothorpe Hall, near Theddingworth, Leicestershire.
Later in 2021, the fourth and final hotel from the inadministration Christian Guild Hotels portfolio – Willersley Castle – was sold to outdoor pursuits company Manor Adventure. No details were given of the price they paid.
Under its new ownership, it has become a residential outdoor pursuit centre – housing
up to 95 pupils at any one time – offering activities such as canoeing, archery, obstacle courses, fencing and high ropes.
The castle has been a Grade II*-listed building since 2000. Standing in 60 acres of grounds, with its central bay flanked by full-height round towers and “with its turrets and crenellations, it was intended to resemble a castle”.
The nearby St Mary’s Church was originally built in 1802 as the Arkwright family chapel and was extensively modified decades later when it became a church.
The castle’s grounds are of ‘international importance
and exceptional significance’, which is why they were included as one of the key features in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, as well as on the National Heritage List for England’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest at Grade II.
The name Willersley comes from the ancient manor estate. The adjacent manors of Cromford and Willersley were partitioned in 1615. The name Willersley also appears in the nearby Willersley Tunnel, which is 764 yards (699m) long and lies between Cromford and Matlock Bath.
Above: Sidholme Hotel at Sidmouth, in Devon, a former Methodist Guild Hotel, was bought out of administration by Arsh Holdings and is a hotel once again.
Above left: Trehoylan Manor, in Cornwall, a 39-bedroom hotel, was sold by the administrators of Methodist Guild Holidays Ltd for ‘in excess of £3 million’ in June 2021, which was almost twice the asking price.
There is also nearby Willersley Crag, which is also known as Willersley Castle Rocks.
Eighty years ago next month – on March 17, 1943 – the final service was held in the Church of Saints John and James in the doomed village of Derwent in the Upper Derwent valley. Such was the occasion and the affection in which the village was held that the church was packed. Steve Brown reports.
BY the Derwent Valley Water Act of 1920, the Water Board had obtained Parliamentary powers to construct what we now know as the Ladybower Reservoir in the Derwent and Ashop valleys. The villages of Derwent and Ashopton, whose sites would be inundated by the new lake, would be abandoned and/or demolished to make way for it.
Despite the rising waters, the Derwent Church spire remained in situ until December 1947 when it was finally demolished, poking up above the surface of the lake as a poignant symbol of the drowned village it once served. Some say that the sounds of the church bells can still be heard rising above the reservoir’s surface when the day is still and calm…
The reservoirs have long been an important source of drinking water for the cities of Derby, Nottingham, Leicester and Sheffield. The higher dams of Howden and Derwent were constructed in the early part of the 20th Century, but the act of 1899 which authorised their building contained provision for the construction of a further four reservoirs in the Ashop and Upper Derwent valleys to meet the seemingly insatiable demand for water of the growing urban populations of South Yorkshire and the East Midlands.
The construction of the earlier reservoirs had displaced only a few farming families but the next phase of construction would potentially affect far more people and prove a lot more controversial. The Derwent Valley Water Board (DWB), whose members were drawn from the cities and districts to be supplied by the reservoirs, decided to abandon the original proposal for a further four reservoirs and instead embark on the construction of a huge earthwork
embankment dam just beyond the point where the Ashop and Upper Derwent valleys joined, close to the village of Ashopton. This would create an enormous single lake but would result in the demolition of the villages of Derwent and Ashopton. Despite much local and national opposition, the building of the new embankment started in May 1935 and the fate of the two villages was seemingly sealed. Derwent village was a settlement of small stone cottages along leafy lanes at the eastern side of the Upper Derwent valley, sheltered to the east by the tor-studded moorland behind Derwent Edge. The mansion of Derwent Hall stood down by the river, close to an ancient narrow stone-arched bridge.
Above: The Derwent Valley Water Board finally blew up the church spire at Derwent in December, 1947, as the waters of Ladybower Reservoir continued to rise.
Built by the Balguy family in the late 17th Century, the hall had seen several recent owners but it and its surrounding land had passed into the ownership of the DWB in 1927, who were clearly already making plans even then for the new reservoir. In the 1930s, it was taken over by the Youth Hostels Association and it was also used as a refuge for schoolchildren from Sheffield after the outbreak of World War Two.
By 1942, however, the DWB had repossessed the hall pending its demolition and by the summer of 1943, it had been reduced to rubble. The 17th-century stone bridge by the hall was also proposed for demolition, but as it was a scheduled ancient monument, this was not possible. Instead, it was dismantled stone by stone and put into storage until the money could be raised to rebuild it. The DWB made a contribution to this and the bridge was eventually re-erected in 1959 over the infant Derwent river at Slippery Stones, north of the Howden Reservoir and as a memorial to local walker and author, John Derry.
The Church of Saints John and James stood down by the village school and outside the gates to Derwent Hall. It was built in 1867, with its western tower and spire added in 1873 and was the last in a line of religious buildings, mainly small chapels, which had stood on the site for several hundred years. It was a beautifully proportioned Victorian church with a chapel, nave, porch and a north aisle with an arcade of three arches. Within the church was an notable ancient stone font from 1670, which had been recovered from the hall gardens. The church pulpit was particularly fine and at the back of the altar was an oak panel which had once been housed within Winchester Cathedral.
The DWB purchased the church, churchyard and vicarage in 1937 on the same basis that they had acquired Derwent Hall, then rented the church building and yard back to the Church of England. However, despite the purchase, the DWB still had to negotiate a major problem at the church, namely what to do about the 284 bodies which were buried in the churchyard there. The DWB was obliged in law to safely exhume the bodies and rebury them in consecrated ground – but the churchyard at the nearby village of Bamford wasn’t big enough to take the burials from Derwent. The problem appeared to have been solved when the DWB bought a piece of land at Yorkshire Bridge and had it consecrated for the purpose of burials – but it came to nought as a local resident, using the Burials Act, successfully objected to it, as the new burial ground was within 100 yards of his house.
A compromise solution was then reached when the DWB agreed to pay a significant contribution towards the cost of extending the churchyard at Bamford on condition that the bodies from Derwent could be buried there. The process of removing the bodies could then take place; meticulous records of each grave were compiled and the whole process was completed by July 1940.
It had been hoped initially that the church could be rebuilt on a new site in
Right: Village life goes on as normal at Ashopton as the viaduct, which now carries the A57 across Ladybower Reservoir, was being built.
the valley above the waters of the new lake but when this proved to be impractical, the endowments of Derwent church were moved to a new church at Frecheville, to the south of Sheffield. The ancient font found a new lease of life in the church at Tansley, near Matlock; the church bells were re-hung in Chelmorton Church; and its east window can now be seen within the parish church at Hathersage. The church, the school, schoolhouse and other village buildings were finally demolished later in 1943 as the outlet valves were closed at the new dam and the waters of the new reservoir began to rise.
Yet the church spire of Sts John and James remained and soon became a stark reminder of the village which had now perished. The DWB had decided to leave it standing as a memorial to the people of Derwent, but it had become an attraction in itself as sightseers would often try to reach, and even climb, it when water level in the lake was low. As such, it was for safety reasons that the spire was finally blown up and reduced to rubble in December 1947 and the last vestige of Derwent finally vanished.
The remaining inhabitants of Derwent had moved away to other parts of the High
Peak, although a sizeable proportion set up new homes at the DWB’s purpose-built village at Yorkshire Bridge, further down the Derwent valley. They were joined there by many of the displaced inhabitants of Ashopton, a village which had stood at the very heart of the new reservoir and which, like Derwent, had been demolished to make way for it. Final photographs taken of the village show it dwarfed by the huge viaduct rising above it, which now carries the A57 Snake Road across the reservoir.
The Glossop-born writer, the late Dame Hilary Mantel, wrote a short story entitled ‘A Clean Slate’ in which she recalls that, as a child, she was often told of the church spire which rose eerily above the waters during hot summers. Although she knew that this wasn’t true as the spire had been demolished, others did believe it. Indeed, there are some even now who believe you can still hear the church bells ringing beneath Ladybower’s water.
The dry and hot summer last year once again revealed the sad remains of Derwent village; it continues to attract many visitors when this happens and so the fascination lives on. Editor’s Note: The author wishes to acknowledge the invaluable source material for this feature provided by the book Silent Valley authored by Vic Hallam.
“The church spire of Sts John and James remained and soon became a stark reminder of the village.”
CHEFS can’t seem to agree on the origins of steak au poivre, a decidedly French dish consisting of steak crusted with peppercorns, pan-fried, and served with a creamy sauce to complement the juicy steak. Regardless of its genesis, this classic is perfect for St Valentine’s night!
1 tbsp olive oil
1 12-ounce strip steak
1 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
Salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 tbsp cognac
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup crème fraîche
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Serve with a baked potato and a roasted carrot salad.
SERVES
Heat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high. Season steak with crushed peppercorns and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until well browned on each side, about 4 minutes. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and roast until instant-read thermometer registers 125°F for medium-rare, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and rest at least 10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, pour off any fat from skillet.
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp Cooks’ Ingredients Peppery Pul Biber
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
2 oranges
SERVES 2
Add butter, shallot, and any peppercorns left over from seasoning and sauté on medium until shallot is tender, about 2 minutes. Add cognac and cook, stirring, until reduced, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and simmer 1 minute. Whisk in crème fraîche and mustard and simmer until slightly thickened. Season with salt if desired. Serve sliced steak with carrot salad and baked potatoes. Spoon sauce over steak.
2 tbsp olive oil
225g pack Waitrose Duchy Organic Cypriot Halloumi, sliced
½ x 80g pack pea shoots
50g wild rocket
METHOD
Wipe away any excess juice from the pan, then return to the heat and add the halloumi. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp.
Toss the pea shoots and rocket with the remaining olive oil, then divide between 2 bowls. Top with the caramelised orange and halloumi, then drizzle with the spiced honey before serving.
160g/5¾oz dried pappardelle or fettuccine pasta
1 tsp olive oil
3 shallots, peeled and finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
180g/6⅓oz mixed or brown
mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegan ‘butter’
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp tamari
125ml/4fl oz vegetable stock
125ml/4fl oz plant-based creme fraiche
½ lemon, juice only
salt and black pepper
2 fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions, until al dente.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the shallots and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.
Prize Crossword
Add the mushrooms and butter and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika, mustard and tamari. Pour in the stock and cook for a few minutes, then turn the heat down as low as possible. Mix the crème fraîche with the lemon juice, then spoon into the mushroom
Congratulations to Megan Cook of Storrs Road, Chesterfield who was the winner of the December 2022 crossword. Megan won £25.
Why not have a go at the February 2023 crossword on page 69?
Prize Crossword
Congratulations to Anne Geary of Hunters Walk, Chesterfield who was the winner of the January 2023 crossword. Anne won £25.
Why not have a go at the February 2023 crossword on page 69?
Why not have a go at the February 2023 crossword on page 69?
mixture and slowly stir through (the heat should be at an absolute minimum). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the pasta and serve in two bowls. Top with the mushroom stroganoff and garnish with thyme.
Feb 24 An Evening with Henry Blofeld
Feb 8 Giovanni Pernice: Made in Italy
Feb 24 Belinda Carlisle
It’s a Greek name – ‘Galanthus’ translates as ‘milk flower’.
A single Galanthus plicatus ‘Golden Fleece’ sold for £1,390 on eBay in 2015!
A naturally occurring substance within the plant, called galantamine, is used to help treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, although the bulbs themselves are poisonous.
Rare snowdrop varieties are not usually easy to propagate, hence the hefty price tag per bulb!
Snowdrops were named after earrings not drops of snow.
There are more than 2,500 varieties of snowdrop.
11-15 Empire of Light (15) (Pavilion Arts Centre)
12 The Ronnie Scott’s All Stars
I DON’T know about you, but by February the winter seems like it will never end – but then the first signs that spring is round the corner appear as the Snowdrops emerge from the ground, writes Tracy Reid.
To celebrate this moment, gardens across the country open their gardens during February for the National Garden Scheme ‘Snowdrop Festival’. Here in Derbyshire, after a couple of years absence, The Old Vicarage in Middleton-by-Wirksworth will be opening on Sunday, February 26, from 11-4, admission is just £4, with children admitted free. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome, and there are lots of fantastic walks nearby on the High Peak Trail and Cromford Canal if you feel like making a day of it.
They are symbolic of spring, purity and religion.
As well as snowdrops you’ll find inspiration for your winter garden, with crocus, narcissus, witch hazel and winter pot displays. So why not wrap up, enjoy some fresh air and those beautiful heralds of the coming spring.
And the famous Snowdrop Walk is open throughout February at Hopton Hall Gardens (DE4 4DF). Admission is £5 for adults, children aged 6-16 £2.50, and under-6s are admitted free. Assistance dogs only are allowed into the gardens. The gardens may close in extreme weather – so check online at hopton hall.co.uk before you travel.
13 Alcarras (15) (Pavilion Arts Centre)
14 Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells (Pavilion Arts Centre)
16 Suzanne Vega (Talk)
16 A Celebration of Father Ted with Joe Rooney (Pavilion Arts Centre)
17 Women in Rock
18 Fastlove: A Tribute to George Michael
19 It’s Not Unusual: The Tribute to Tom Jones
21 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour (12A)
22 Northern Ballet: Ugly Duckling
22 Fairport Convention (Pavilion Arts Centre)
23 KT Tunstall
24-26 Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (PG) (Pavilion Arts Centre)
24 Dreamboys: No Strings Attached
25 The South
26 An Evening with Pam Ayres
27 Saint Omer (12A) (Pavilion Arts Centre)
HARDWICK Hall will host two nights of stunning after-dark displays for the final instalment of Derbyshire’s Shine A Light spectacular on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th February.
Tickets for the magical events are selling fast as visitors prepare to watch Hardwick’s remarkable history unfold in a breath-taking display of light and sound projected against the dramatic backdrop of Bess of Hardwick’s Elizabethan masterpiece. The displays will combine cutting-edge projections, moving animations, special effects, and live music to tell the story of the jewel in Bess’s crown. Plus live entertainment throughout each evening, and food and drink vendors selling treats from pancakes to Indian street food, Shine A Light promises fun for the whole family.
The displays at Hardwick Hall are the final instalment in a four-part programme of Shine A Light events that began at Cromford Mills in October 2022.
YOU could win a pair of tickets to a performance by The South at Buxton Opera House on February 25 at 7.30pm.
All you have to do is answer this simple question:
Whatisthenameofthefemalesingerofthegroup?
Please send your answer by email to barrief@ bannisterpublications.co.uk, or on a postcard to Reflections , 118 Saltergate, Chesterfield S40 1NG, by no later than noon on Friday, February 17, 2023. Please provide your name, address and daytime telephone number along with your answer.
The first correct answer selected at random will receive the two tickets to the show. Best of luck!
Yes, The South are back on the road, doing what they do best: performing the timeless classics of that great British pop institution, The Beautiful South.
The South is a nine-piece band who feature former members of The Beautiful South,
The events have since thrilled hundreds of visitors at Elvaston Castle and Barrow Hill Roundhouse. Delivered by internationally-renowned Derbyshireborn video projection artists Illuminos, Shine A Light is designed to celebrate Derbyshire’s rich history and cultural heritage and extend the tourism season. Entry is from 5.30pm each night, with large-scale projections every 20 minutes throughout each evening. Tickets are £9 for adults and £6 per child (aged 4-16 inclusive, free for 3 and under). For more information and to book tickets, visit www.visitpeakdistrict.com/shine-a-light
including singer Alison Wheeler and sax player Gaz Birtles, who has moved across to front the band with Alison and taken on vocal duties.
Since the demise of The Beautiful South in 2007 after 18 years, The South have been touring UK theatres and festivals, bringing back the sound of these treasured songs: A Little Time (a number one single), Perfect 10, Rotterdam, Old Red Eyes Is Back, Good as Gold plus many more, as well as a few The South originals.
As well as Alison and Gaz, The South comprises Phil Barton (guitar), Steve Nutter (bass), Dave Anderson (drums), Karl Brown (percussion), Gareth John (trumpet), Su Robinson (sax) and Andy Price (keyboards).
Tickets for the Buxton show are available from http://thesouth.co.uk/tour-dates/ or from the venue at buxtonoperahouse.org.uk or ring 01298 72190.
MARCH
1 Come What May: The Ultimate Tribute to Moulin Rouge
3 Buxton Buzz Comedy Club (Pavilion Arts Centre)
4 Susie Dent: The Secret Life of Words (Pavilion Arts Centre)
4 The Elvis Years: The Story of the King
BOX OFFICE: 0114 249 6000 www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
FEB
7 Under The Stars: Boxing Clever (Playhouse)
7-11 Fisherman’s Friends (Lyceum)
10 Brahms, Schumann & More (Upper Chapel)
14-18 Mother Goose (Lyceum)
18 All Our Goals (Crucible)
18 Romantic Piano Trios (Playhouse)
21- Mar 4 Jersey Boys (Lyceum)
Continued on 80
Continued from 79
FEB
BOX OFFICE: 0114 2 789 789
www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk
3 Last Laugh Comedy Club
3 The Chicago Blues Brothers
4 Manchester Camerata and Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus
9 Whitney: Queen of the Night
12 Danny Baker
18-19 Jon Richardson: The Knitwit
24 Belinda Carlisle
28 Prue Leith: Nothing in Moderation
MARCH
3 Rat Pack: Swingin’ At The Sands
5 Jurassic World with a Live Orchestra
BOX OFFICE: 01142565656
www.sheffieldarena.co.uk
FEB
2,3,8 ,9 & 10 Young Voices 2023 (Music)
5 Steelers v Coventry Blaze
15 Steelers v Fife Flyers
17 Peter Kay
18 Steelers v Fife Flyers
24 Yungblud
25 Steelers v Coventry Blaze
CLASSICAL Sheffield has announced the full programme of Classical Weekend 2023, celebrating its 10th anniversary, from March 17-19.
Tickets to all events can be purchased via the website, alongside all information about the concerts, at https://classicalsheffield.org.uk/ events/2023/classical-sheffield-weekend-2023
The last Classical Weekend took place in 2019 but the pandemic meant the biennial Festival was postponed in 2021. The 2023 Weekend brings a varied selection of music-making across the city.
The Weekend opens on Friday, March 17 with concerts from Music in the Round, The Hallé and The University of Sheffield.
On the Saturday, free pop-up performances take place in the Winter Garden, with free Samba and Brass Band workshops led by Sheffield Music Hub and Concord All Stars in Orchard Square. A variety of singing and instrumental groups will be performing
DEFYING dreary weather, Matlock G&S Singers are already planning their 2023 summer show at the Medway Centre in Bakewell on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th June.
This year, it’s ‘two for the price of one,’ as the choir will be partnering one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s best-loved one-act operettas, ‘Trial By Jury’,with one of Sullivan’s least known, ‘The Zoo.’
The choir’s musical director, Melanie Gilbert, said: “These two musical gems are witty, lighthearted and full of sing-along moments. They’re fast paced, funny and sure to please. G&S fans get a chance to hear some old favourite
songs alongside rarely performed ones. And if you’re new to this style of music, these two ‘one-act wonders’ are the perfect introduction."
The two June performances start at 7.30 pm. Tickets will be on sale in advance – go to http://www.matlockgilbertandsullivan. org.uk – and at the door, price £12.
Matlock G&S Singers is the new name for Matlock Gilbert & Sullivan Society, who have been performing for over 30 years. The choir rehearse at All Saints Church Hall, Matlock, on Fridays, and new members are always welcome - ring chairwoman Sue for a chat on 0780 750 3367.
concerts throughout the day in Upper Chapel and St Matthew’s Church Carver Street. Four Sheffield Community Choirs sing together for the first time at Victoria Hall; and Sheffield Bach Choir close the day with a concert at St Mark’s Church, Broomhill. Perhaps one of the highlights of the weekend is the concert dedicated to the music of local folk superstar Kate Rusby on the Sunday. The grand finale is a performance at Sheffield City Hall of Mahler’s Symphony No.2, Resurrection.
CHESTERFIELD needs to champion itself better if it is to thrive in 2023 and beyond. That will be the message at this year’s Celebrate Chesterfield business conference. At the conference, Global Business Awards Motivational speaker of the year 2021, Steve Judge will deliver a mini motivational workshop to inspire the business community. Steve will be encouraging people to get behind Destination Chesterfield’s to position the town as a desirable destination for visitors, investors and residents. In addition to Steve Judge, speakers will also include Dr Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council, and Andy Byrne, Property Development Director for the Devonshire Group, which is behind the future development and regeneration of 150 hectares of former industrial land in Staveley. The free breakfast conference is being held on Thursday, 2 March from 7.30-11am at The Winding Wheel Theatre.
Fully booked every year, businesses are being urged to book their tickets now to the free conference. To book a place, visit www.chesterfield. co.uk/celebrate/2023-exhibitor-booking-form/
