Reflections Magazine September 2023

14,19,26,28 Countywide News

All that’s been happening across the county in words and pictures

16 Winding back the years…

As Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel Theatre celebrates its centenary, Fiona Stubbs learns more about its fascinating – and varied – history

22 Property of the Month

A fascinating home in Bakewell with a self-contained annexe

24 Photographer of the Month

It’s Mikey McBryan – and what a stunning picture it is!

30 Spotlight on autumn

There are around 15,000 varieties of UK mushrooms to enjoy this season, writes Claire Lyons

32 The ‘Lost Chapter’ of a singing legend

Justin Chandler meets Marti Pellow, former lead singer of Wet Wet Wet, who is coming to Chesterfield in October

38 A tale of two torrents…

Godfrey Holmes examines not one, but two, devastating floods in north Derbyshire in 2007

44 Crossword

48 What is being done to combat climate change locally?

Plenty is the answer, as Barrie Farnsworth discovers

52 Fashion

Forget fast fashion, go for buys that last, says Amy Norbury

56 Spotlight on weddings

A special feature for all those planning a day to remember

64 Stunning sunsets in Derbyshire

Chris Drabble is a walker and photographer who loves to capture our county when the sun is coming up or – in this case – going down!

68 More than a few splashes of summer colour…

The latest stunning selection of readers’ entries into our 2023 ‘Derbyshire’s Wonderful Flora & Fauna’ photographic competition

72 Independent Education

An overview of independent schools across the county and beyond

82 Out & About

We stroll into Ashover’s fascinating history with Rosie Gilligan

86 Antiques: How an auction result went out of this world!

A wristwatch in Dronfield assessed by our expert valuer Vivienne Milburn made thousands at auction – and had links with a space walk!

88 Focus on Food & Drink

The words Matlock and Wines really do go together – and we have a lovely vegetarian recipe of the month

REFLECTIONS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2023

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

Advertising: Mike Snow, mikes@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Advertising: Helen Wragg, helen@bannisterpublications.co.uk

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

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

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

Distribution: distribution@bannisterpublications.co.uk

92 Spotlight on the Arts

The theme of the Heritage Open Days in September is ‘Creativity Unwrapped’ – and Barrie Farnsworth looks at the local highlights

94 What’s On

Our comprehensive guide to forthcoming events in the county and beyond

To see

Published by: Bannister Publications Ltd. Tel. 01246 550 488 (3 lines). Bannister Publications Limited, Office 2A Market Hall, Market Pl, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. S40 1AR. Reflections is published monthly and delivered directly to homes which fall into tax bands D to H and the following postcode areas: DE4 - 2, 3, 4, 5 / DE45 1 / S18 5 / S30 1 / S40 - 1, 2, 3, 4 / S41 0, S41 7, 8, 9 / S42 - 5, 6, 7 / S43 - 1, 2, 3 / S45 0, S45 9.

All Rights Reserved: Reproduction in whole or in part without written consent is strictly prohibited. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any views expressed, or statements made, in signed contributions or in those reproduced from any other source. No responsibility is borne for any errors made in any advertisement, or for incorrect claims made by any advertiser. The publishers reserve the right to refuse any advertising deemed unsuitable for any reason. All material submitted for publication is done so at the owner’s risk and no responsibility is accepted for its return. Reflections Magazine, Bannister Publications Ltd.

Cover: ‘Curbar Edge at sunset’ by Chris Drabble.

more of his stunning sunsets, go to P64

Countywide News

Michelle Veitch, the trust’s chief operating officer, said: “This is a great achievement for the trust and based on the themes from the results – which focused on the environment, facilities, waiting times, respect and dignity –we have already begun to improve thanks, in part, to our new Emergency Department which opened in June.”

The CRH Trust also got a rating of ‘much better than expected’ for the waiting time to speak to a doctor or nurse – and the score for this, 7.2, was the best in the country.

Dr Hal Spencer, chief executive, said: “The results are a real credit to our Emergency Department. We still need people to ensure they are only coming to ED when they really need us, though.”

In terms of people’s ‘overall experience’, the CRH Trust was the eighth best out of 122 in the country.

New members welcome at photo club

and we look forward to welcoming people to our new centre, served by our team of experienced therapists.”

Chesterfield’s new ‘talking therapies’ centre

TRUSTEES from a Derbyshire charity viewed extensive refurbishment work at Chesterfield’s new centre for talking therapies.

Charity Derwent Rural Counselling Service (DRCS) has undertaken the total refurbishment of the former Register Office on New Beetwell Street.

The three-storey centre, which will be officially opened on September 22, has become DRCS’s new Chesterfield base and includes office space, numerous treatment and consulting rooms, meeting rooms and relaxation space to help cope with the increased demand for DRCS services in the area. The building also offers options for businesses to rent rooms and floorspace, with disabled access via new state-of-the-art lift.

Janette Smeeton, DRCS chief executive, said: “This has been a huge project for our team and one of the most important in the charity’s 30-year history. The need for mental health services has never been greater as people struggle post-Covid, with the pressures of work and family, and challenging economic times.

“This will be one of the largest talking therapy centres in the county

The Beetwell Street hub is part of ambitious plans for DRCS which operates a large team of freelance and employed staff based at seven centres across the county covering Amber Valley, Erewash, Chesterfield, Buxton, Matlock, Ashbourne, Derby, Swadlincote and the Peak District.

Over the last 30 years, DRCS – which can be accessed via self-referral or through a GP – has offered talking therapies for common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress and long-term conditions through pathways including counselling, CBT and guided self-help.

In the last eight years, DRCS has been in partnership with Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust to deliver the NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression service, throughout Derbyshire.

To find out how you can access DRCS services, call 0800 047 6861.

CRH best in country for waiting times

A CARE Quality Commission survey, looking at the experiences of people who attended emergency care services, has shown Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust scored 8.1 out of 10 – classed by the regulator as ‘somewhat better than expected’.

The survey took place between November 2022 and March 2023 and looked at the experience of thousands of people across the country.

THIS year, Bakewell Photo Club is encouraging practical activity by members, so its programme includes several hands-on camera sessions where members can share their technical experience. The club also has field trips with follow-on sessions for feedback.

As in previous years, the club has photographic challenges and competitions – the theme this year is ‘Close Up’. External speakers provide inspiration and advice.

The club’s season starts in early September. The club meets generally fortnightly at 7.30pm at Friends Meeting House on Chapel Lane, Bakewell.

New members are very welcome –just come along to one of our meetings. See www.bakewellphotographic. co.uk for the full programme.

Above: Left to right, DRCS trustees Jill Fortune, Phil Askham, Glinys Capewell, Elisabeth Muller and chairman Mark Serby at the new mental health hub in Chesterfield.

Above: A Smartphone picture of Thornbridge Fountain by Richard Gosney of Bakewell Photo Club.

Winding back the years…

GENERATIONS of Chesterfield families will have stories to tell about the venue we know as the Winding Wheel: first meetings, special dates, family outings, celebrations, favourite films or shows –and much, much more.

As a child, I loved hearing older relatives recalling days of their youthful escapades – often based around dances, dinners and cinema at the Odeon.

For me, the building has more significance as the Winding Wheel – from Chesterfield CAMRA beer festivals to supporting my daughter in a couple of stage productions.

This month, countless more memories and reminiscences will be flowing as people are invited to join celebrations to mark 100 years of entertainment in this landmark venue.

Its colourful history, from Chesterfield Picture House to

Odeon cinema to nightclub and now the Winding Wheel – owned and managed by Chesterfield Borough Council – will be recognised in a week of special events.

On Sunday, 10th September, a Centenary Gala Concert will mark the anniversary of the building opening. It will feature performances from nine local theatre schools,

performing arts groups and theatre companies and will be compered by impressionist Tony Rudd, with a special guest appearance by local comedy legend Bernie Clifton.

From 11th to 15th September, there will be cinema screenings showing a film from each decade over the last 100 years. Selected through a public vote, the classic films being shown

are: Metropolis (1926), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Casablanca (1942), The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Godfather (1972), Chariots of Fire (1980), The Full Monty (1997), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) and Paddington (2014).

There will also be a free exhibition, with objects and pictures telling the venue’s story – plus tours of the building and backstage areas.

Designed for the Chesterfield Picture House Company by Sheffield architect Harold J Sheppherd, the venue was intended to be the most luxurious destination in town.

It opened on 10th September, 1923 as The Picture House, showing Frank Keenan in the film Hearts Affair and Buster Keaton in silent comedy The Playhouse.

The Borough Council’s Cultural Services Manager,

As Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel celebrates its centenary, Fiona Stubbs learns more about one of the town’s most enduring and iconic buildings.

The Winding Wheel – the building is 100 years old this month.

Above: The days when the building was simply known as ‘The Picture House’.

Anthony Radford, says: “When it opened, the Picture House was one of several cinemas in Chesterfield. This was the beginning of the heyday of cinema. It was people’s main form of entertainment and there was a lot of competition between the various cinemas.”

The outside of the building was designed in a half-timbered Tudor style – a key feature of the 1920s; while the auditorium featured neo-classical details, with seating for 1,328 people in stalls and circle. The venue was so successful that, in 1930, Harold J Sheppherd was called in again to design an extension.

This included a larger auditorium, with increased seating to 1,559 capacity, plus an elegant ballroom with a silver service restaurant and stateof-the-art kitchen facilities.

“The kitchen was claimed to be one of the most up-to-date in Chesterfield – with modern gas cooking appliances,” adds Anthony. “We have some records of events and functions – in that era, there were a lot of commemorative-type dinners and dinner dances.

“We’ve been unable to find much detail about the original proprietor, but you can imagine the cost involved in building and extending this venue. He must have been a very confident businessman.”

In 1936, the Picture House became part of Oscar Deutsch’s

Odeon empire and was renamed the Odeon in 1937. The restaurant closed in 1969 and the ballroom was converted into a nightclub, first known as Fusion and later as Jingles.

The Odeon closed as a cinema on 19th June, 1981 – its final films were Kurt Russell in

Escape From New York and 12th Squadron Buccaneers.

For the next six years the building remained disused. It was eventually bought by Chesterfield Borough Council, restored and refurbished and re-opened as the Winding Wheel – named, by public

vote, as a tribute to the area’s mining history – in 1987.

With three rooms – the Auditorium, Function and Ballroom – as well as the Stage Bar, the Winding Wheel is now many things to many people with its diverse programme of events: from West End musicals to stand-up comedy, music concerts to lectures and, still, occasional film screenings. It also hosts events ranging from weddings and parties to recruitment fairs, beer festivals and church services. It has been used as an exam venue and even – during the Covid-19 pandemic – a vaccination centre.

The roof and walls of the Winding Wheel Auditorium are so elegant.

Above: Back in March, Chesterfield Civic Society unveiled a blue heritage plaque to commemorate the building’s centenary.

Above: Looking down to the Winding Wheel stage.

Anthony explains: “What’s interesting about the building is that, while entertainment and culture has always been at its heart, it hasn’t been the same thing throughout the 100 years.

“And there have been some stand-out occasions. A great moment for me was when we hosted BBC TV’s Question Time, which included Liz Truss –then a cabinet minister – as a panellist. Another memorable event was a meeting of bishops, arranged by the Diocese of Derby – with the Archbishop of Canterbury giving a speech from the Winding Wheel stage.”

The building’s historic value was recognised in October 2000 when it was designated a Grade II listed building by English Heritage.

It was described as ‘a rare and elaborate 1920s cinema complex, its decoration largely unaltered both externally and internally in its adaptation to new uses.’

“There are other listed cinemas across the country, but not many when you consider there were thousands of cinema buildings,” says Anthony.

“Many have had significant change of use – converted into shops and other businesses.

“The listing gives the building a certain amount of protection for the future. It’s important that we are able to treasure it.”

Its contribution to the town’s cultural heritage was also recognised in March this year when Chesterfield Civic Society unveiled a blue heritage plaque to commemorate the centenary.

The last major celebration was in 2017, to mark the 30th anniversary of the venue reopening as the Winding Wheel.

Anthony says: “People enjoyed sharing their memories of the building from when it was a cinema and other uses. I remember one visitor recalling how he was taken to the restaurant occasionally, as a special treat, in the 1950s and ’60s. I think that’s one of the great things about the centenary celebration – it’s a chance to hear people’s memories and reflections.”

However, he is quick to add that the centenary is not just an opportunity to revel in the past. “It’s also about the future,” he says. “We have a busy programme of events to

look forward to at the Winding Wheel. As the Stephenson Memorial Hall (home to the Pomegranate theatre) is being renovated, the Winding Wheel is hosting this year’s pantomime as well as quality drama.

“It’s not just about looking back – we have every intention of being here for a long time to come. I’m confident we have some great things coming up for everyone in Chesterfield to enjoy. We’ve been through ups and downs over the last 100 years and, thanks to the Borough Council’s on-going support, we’re still here – and thriving.”

Editor’s Note: For more details about the Winding Wheel celebrations, visit chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk. Box office number is 01246 345222.

The impressive ‘skylight’ above the Winding Wheel ballroom.

FANCY THAT

YOU have heard of the ‘Bank of Mum & Dad’, but now there’s a ‘Bank of Grandma & Granddad’.

Research by Saga reveals that 29 per cent of grandparents have gifted or lent money to their grandchildren.

They surveyed 1,000 UK grandparents and 1,000 grandchildren (aged 18-40) – and found that the younger ones tended to raise a conversation about money with their grandma rather than their granddad.

The research also revealed that two-thirds of grandparents who lent – rather than gifted – money to their grandchildren do not expect to be paid back!

Above: The new Pinelog Ltd premises at Sheepbridge and (inset) Judy Barwell.

Photographer of the Month

PHOTOGRAPHER: Mikey McBryan TITLE: To Autumn

IMAGE LOCATION: Matlock Bath

Hit us with your best shot! Are you a professional photographer and would like a chance to be featured as our ‘Photographer of the Month’? Submit your photograph to robert@bannisterpublications.co.uk.

‘Shine A Light’ display on Elvaston Castle.

Bitterns are back in the county!

BITTERNS, the UK’s loudest bird, have bred in the county for the first time on record at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s Willington Wetlands Nature Reserve.

Bitterns first became extinct in the UK in the late 1800s due to over-hunting and loss of their wetland habitats. The species returned in the early 1900s but numbers dwindled again at the turn of the century placing them on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC) Report’s Red List, as one of the UK’s most endangered bird species.

The latest RSPB Bittern Report for 2022 shows that bittern boomed and bred at Willington Wetlands last year.

Although notoriously difficult to spot thanks to their favoured habitat in the reed beds, Bitterns have distinctive nesting habits and can be identified through their foghorn-like call, known as booming, which they use to attract female mates.

At Willington Wetlands, volunteers were able to record male bittern booming and a pair were repeatedly spotted flying to and from a presumed nest site, a positive sign that they were feeding nearby chicks.

Henry Richards, living landscape officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Derbyshire Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers have been managing the wetlands site, mimicking the actions of beavers, since acquiring it back in 2005, to help nature and wildlife take back this landscape.

“In 2021, the Trust reintroduced beavers here, 800 years after they last inhabited the county. Following the licensed release, one pair bred and the first beaver kids were born in 2022. This family has shaped and improved the site, coppicing trees and shrub species and damming smaller water courses.

“These activities have been instrumental in creating a diverse and dynamic wetland which have provided enormous benefits for wildlife including otters, water voles, kingfisher, egret, frogs, toads, dragonflies and fish, as well as the really exciting news about the bittern.”

Improved Families Information Service

PARENTS, carers and families are being encouraged to use Derbyshire County Council’s improved information service designed to ensure they benefit from useful services and support.

The council has developed its Families Information Service (FIS) which provides free, impartial information and guidance for parents and carers with children aged up to 19 or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and or disabilities.

A new feature is a Facebook account which users are being encouraged to follow for regular local and national updates. It includes links to useful services and enables families to keep up with the latest news on issues such as changes to Government funded childcare at www.facebook.com/DerbyshireFIS

In addition to its new Facebook function the service hosts an online directory of information about local and national organisations including childcare services, funding, health, family activities and support groups and can also support users by email and phone.

Residents can find the council’s Family Information Service at www. derbyshire.gov.uk/FIS The service is also available by email at info.fis@ derbyshire.gov.uk or by phone on 01629 535793 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).

Come and join us in ‘friendship month’

DERBYSHIRE Peak District Oddfellows, a friendly society which provides opportunities for older adults in the area to make local friendships, is asking people to see if they could benefit from making new connections.

The invitation is part of the local society’s Friendship Month celebrations this September, where its members are hosting special taster events to help people experience the benefits of joining a social group.

“Your friendship needs and circle of friends can alter dramatically in later life,” explained Trudy Ford, social organiser of the branch. “We benefit from having a wellrounded friendship group – which includes pals with shared hobbies and interests and friends who challenge and support you.”

Events planned include a welcome coffee morning on Wednesday, September 6 at 11am at our Saltergate office in Chesterfield; a Friday evening curry at West Bars Tandoori on Friday, September 8 and a visit to Chesterfield Bowl on Tuesday, September 12 at 11am.

Psychologist, author and friend of the Oddfellows, Dr Denise Taylor, said: “Friendships are vital to our social wellbeing and can have a direct effect on our physical and mental wellbeing.”

To register an interest in attending a Friendship Month event, or to request a free local events pack, contact Trudy Ford on 01246 273076 or email trudy.ford@oddfellows.co.uk.

Further details can also be found at www.friendshipmonth.com

A novel recommendation…

WE are going to carry book recommendations from the team at Bakewell Library every month from now on.

Here’s their first: The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow – a novel that librarian Aimee rated as 5 out of 5!

It’s the story of Mary, the quiet, studious middle sister of the Bennet household in Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. The novel explores the predicament of Mary, who was treated unkindly by her mother and had few friends. It follows the story of how her life evolved after her sister married.

The novel starts a few years before Pride and Prejudice and finishes a few years after, giving a different insight into the Bennet household.

It’s a life-affirming tale of a young woman finding her place in the world. I found it witty and uplifting and, whilst slightly predictable, I did not find that this took away from my enjoyment of the book. A delightful read.

Devolution boss appointed

MARK Rogers has been appointed as the Interim Chief Officer of the East Midlands devolution programme, as part of plans to set up a new mayoral combined authority covering Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham.

Having played a pivotal role in the formation of the West Midlands Combined Authority, Mark will take the lead in ensuring the region is well-placed to establish the East Midlands Combined County Authority, which is due to come into existence next year subject to Royal Assent for a new Act of Parliament.

Above: A bittern at Wellington Wetlands. Picture by Tim Stenton

Above: A day out for the Derbyshire Peak District Oddfellows.

ONE of the things we love most about Granville’s Wood here at Walton are the many and varied fungi we see there. So we are dedicating our article this month to ‘Magnificent Mushrooms’.

Safety First

It is essential that you do not pick any mushrooms without the express permission of the landowner, and only if you are 100 per cent confident in what you are picking. We do not allow the removal of anything from Granville’s Wood. While we heartily approve of sustainable living, if everyone begins to forage without restraint, there will be no plants left!

If you have been picking mushrooms, always wash your hands afterwards, and if you become ill, seek medical advice immediately.

There are plenty of books, resources and foraging courses or experts available to offer advice. We recommend Wild Food UK (foraging book or website).

Varieties

We are blessed with a huge range of mushrooms in the UK (about 15,000!).

Edible mushrooms found in the autumn include Snakeskin Grisette, Orange Peel Fungus,

15,000 varieties of ‘magnificent mushrooms’ in the UK!

Blushing Wood, Scaly Wood, Medusa, Pavement and Jelly Ears!

Buying mushrooms in a supermarket guarantees their edible credentials, and you can often find a good variety to create some interesting meals. Dried options may give you even more flavours. Our pictures show several varieties that are found in our woodland alone, and you may find many more out and about.

Recipes

Mushrooms are a regular ingredient in lots of well-loved dishes, and you might already enjoy them in pizza, omelette, risotto, pasta and a traditional stroganoff.

However, if you fancy adding them to some new meals, here are some ideas to try…

Mushroom Dauphinoise (mixing mushrooms, potatoes and Cheddar cheese); Asian Noodle Soup, Mushroom & Tarragon Tart, Mushroom Masala and Mushroom Mac & Cheese.

Storage

As with all seasonal produce, you can’t always eat it before it goes off. Ideas for storing mushrooms, so you can enjoy them all year round, are often easier than you might think.

They last up to ten days in the fridge, best kept in a paper bag. Mushrooms can also be marinated and left in the fridge in a glass jar, as these will last much longer. You can also lightly steam, blanch or fry them ready to be frozen. This works best for the larger or more robust varieties as you need to slice or quarter them.

To last even longer, you can also dehydrate mushrooms in the oven or air fryer. If you only have cupboard space, then they can be easily picked and used with cold meats, steak or even spread on toast

Editor’s Note: You are welcome to walk in Granville’s Wood and take a look at all the marvellous mushrooms, but please do not pick them. If you’d like to have a more formal show around with a member of our staff, you can book an appointment via info@ woodlandburialcompany.com or call us on 07422 655116.

As summer moves into autumn – as the Met Office dictates on September 1 –Claire Lyons, of the Woodland Burial Company at Walton, says that this is the most impressive season to see the county’s many and varied fungi.

Above: Mushroom dauphinoise is delicious!

THE ‘LOST CHAPTER’ OF A SINGING LEGEND

Marti Pellow, lead singer of the band Wet, Wet, Wet – who were such a smash hit in the Eighties and Nineties –  has a new book and album out, and is appearing at the Winding Wheel in October. Justin Chandler reports.

IT’S perhaps unsurprising that so many people focus on the ‘pretty boy’ image. After all, Marti Pellow was the heartthrob who went to number one when his band, Wet Wet Wet, released their debut album, Popped In Souled Out.

He was the cover star, the pin-up, the guy with catwalk-model looks whose first five albums secured 12 platinum records, a BRIT Award, and three number one singles, including the iconic, worldwide smash, Love Is All Around.

And yet the man with the flashbulb smile achieved that success for a very different reason – his ability as a singer and songwriter. It’s remarkable to consider, for instance, that while Wet Wet Wet released six studio records with Pellow, he’s released 12 studio records since launching his solo career. The 13th, the remarkable Dante’s Prayer, was issued last year, with his autobiography, Pellow Talk, while the 14th, The Lost Chapter, will be released this month, along with his second book.

The record-and-book focus on the very thing that made Pellow successful – his talent as a singer and songwriter. “The Lost Chapter is a snapshot. It reflects on my journey as a singer/ songwriter, and draws on some of the artists who’ve influenced me,” he says.

A picture of Marti taken for use in the Pellow Talk: The Lost Chapter book and album.

It does all of that and more. In his latest book, Pellow reflects on the influence of such greats as The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Van Morrison, and Joni Mitchell, as well as Marvin Gaye, Don McLean and Neil Young. All helped to shape the sound he went onto create and Pellow pays homage to those greats as he remembers their enduring influence.

He goes further, however, with his new record. It features 11 new songs that were written by Pellow and a small number of co-writers. He’s taking the record and the

book on tour, including a night in Chesterfield, playing 41 shows in intimate theatres around the UK – many of which already sold out. It will give fans the chance to hear some of Pellow’s new songs, old songs, and reinterpretations of classic songs by his favourite artists.

“Music is important. It’s the thing that lives in the space as life is unfolding. And some of the music from the early part of my career, in Wet Wet Wet, has lived on for two generations. People love those songs and that’s why I still play them. The Lost Chapter will give people the chance to see the other side of me, as a songwriter, and to find out a different part of my make-up.”

A special evening is in store, during which he’ll be joined by two other musicians, while spending a large part of the evening talking about the music that made the man. It’s an opportunity for him to connect with fans who’ve followed his career since the late 1980s – as well as those who’ve been inspired by his work in the West End and on Broadway. He views his fans as family – a group of people with whom he has a special relationship.

“I’ve always been fascinated by family. I see how a lovely relationship blossoms over the years, which thrills me. I wonder why two people grow together and their bonds become stronger. And when I look at my career as a singer/songwriter, I see the same thing. The relationship between me and my fans is just as special, it’s just as beautiful. Just as I see a family staying together over the decades, I see us staying together for 30 or 40 years and

more. So, I ask myself this: what compels people to stay with an artist over such a long period of time?”

Pellow’s current tour is the musical equivalent of spending an evening, in his living room, thumbing through his record collection. It’ll take fans back to their youth, to an era where people would gather in one another’s bedrooms and explore the music that thrilled them.

“Record collections were so important when I was growing up. Our parents would have their own collection, as would our grandparents. I remember being told to step away from the radiogram at my grannie’s house as I was about to put my hands on her Dean Martin 78s. ‘No, don’t touch that, you.’

Those days were so important because record collections were the first port of call, whether it was Dean Martin, Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra. Then, when we’d get into your teens and hang out with our mates, we’d do that – we’d go out with a poly bag filled with records and just listen to and talk about music all night.” Pellow’s choices are revealing. They veer from the poetic brilliance of Leonard Cohen to the socially-aware polemic of Gil ScottHeron, Lynton Kwesi Johnson and Marvin Gaye. He had favourite songs by the great English-Scottish singer/ songwriter John Martyn, while he adored the

musicians who emerged from Laurel Canyon, at the turn of the 1960s/1970s, such as Jackson Browne, through to the anarchic energy of punks like The Clash, or the mellow, reggae grooves of Bob Marley, Lee “Scratch” Perry and King Tubby.

All feature in his colourful new book – as do listening suggestions, so that fans can refer back to his favourites. And those influences are distilled in a brilliant, melodic, acoustic-driven record, that shows Pellow’s talent as a singer and a songwriter.

“I guess that’s an element of what I do that tends to get overlooked,” he says. “So it’ll be nice to share that with fans and listening to the songs that shaped our youth and, in my case, my life.

“I think when people write my story, they tend to focus on a small part of it – an incredible part, when Wet Wet Wet had ten remarkable years, between 1987 and 1997. But there are parts that are sometimes overlooked – so that’s why I thought it was time to put pen to paper and write The Lost Chapter.”

Editor’s Note: Marti Pellow’s Pellow Talk – The Lost Chapter is at the Winding Wheel Theatre, Chesterfield, on Tuesday, October 3 at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced from £33 –although few seats were left as we went to press – and are available to book online at www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk or by calling the box office on 01246 345 222. His new album and book are available together, via www.awaywithmedia.com/buy-books

Above: The cover of Wet Wet Wet’s first album in 1987.

Pellow in action on stage.

“...there are parts that are sometimes overlooked – so that’s why I thought it was time to put pen to paper and write The Lost Chapter.”

Flooring in an iDeal world!

WITH improved layout and a wholesale refurbishment and expansion of its showroom, iDeal Flooring has significantly enhanced the shopping experience for its ever-growing band of loyal customers.

With designated display areas for the various product ranges, the new showroom layout has made it easier for customers to manoeuvre around the eclectic choice of quality flooring and carpets on offer.

An established independent business, iDeal Flooring displays all the hallmarks of a family-run enterprise: uncompromising integrity, unrivalled personal service, meticulous attention to detail, and competitive pricing. Joint partners, Kevin Howarth and Callum Virgillio, were born and bred in Chesterfield and understand fully the local market. Not only that, but they also both boast a vast wealth of experience in the carpet and flooring industry.

LVT flooring is very much in vogue nowadays and the exciting ranges of Karndean, Project Floors, LG Hausys, Vivante, Fusion, Polyflor, Camaro, and Expona take centre stage in the first part of the showroom. New creative design patterns like herringbone, parquet, prisma, and basketweave add a touch of class and variety to the selection. For added peace of mind, customers are invited to take samples of the tiles home and see how they would look in situ. There’s also a stunning range of click vinyl flooring, which locks together seamlessly.

The engineered wood offering at iDeal Flooring comprises premiumgrade ranges from Xylo and V4.

For customers seeking quality carpets, the choice is seemingly endless. There’s a fine

selection of bleach cleanable polypropylene carpets, as well as a stunning offering of luxuriously soft wool ones too. Most of the leading manufacturers are well represented and boast their own superb display areas. These include Associated Weavers, Whitestone Weavers, Abingdon, Hugh Mackay, Kingsmead, Victoria Carpets, Saxony, Penthouse, Furlong, Hall’s, Invictus, Hudson Brooklyn, Gaia, Mr Tomkinson, Thomas Witter, and Gaskell. Whilst ‘greys’ are very much sought after at the moment, Kevin is keen to point out that any preference - however quirky, funky, and imaginative, can be catered for. “We’ve recently fitted a beautifully original combination of gold and green!” he explained.

“We try to offer the right choice for every taste and budget imaginable,” says Kevin.” We are extremely competitively priced with roll stock available from £6.99 per sq. m. Not only that, but we also have room-size roll ends on display for just £40 upwards. Customers should also note that we offer special discounts for full-house carpeting and flooring requirements. And what’s more, on all fittings of carpets over £12.99 per sq. m we offer free underlay, free gripper, free door bar and free delivery! As with everything we stock, a superb fitting service is always readily available. We now have three fitting teams, and, in the good old

iDeal Flooring, 362, Walton Fields Road (just off Chatsworth Road), Chesterfield, S40 2DQ t: 01246 270202 e: ideal.carpets@btconnect.com www.chesterfieldcarpets.com

family tradition, both of my sons, Nathan and Brad, are an important part of these teams!”

Kevin and Callum are justifiably excited about the future of iDeal Flooring. “We have the perfect outlet to expand our business,” says Kevin. “We can offer our customers a comprehensive choice in an easily accessible showroom with ample free parking. We pride ourselves on the quality of our products. Not only that, but we also offer impeccable personal service delivered with unflinching integrity.”

With improved layout and a wholesale refurbishment and expansion of its showroom, iDeal Flooring has significantly enhanced the shopping experience for its ever-growing band of loyal customers.

FlameCare adapts and modifies!

transform their bathrooms into fully accessible and practical spaces.

With an exceptional knowledge of the specialist products available on the market, the team at FlameCare provides thorough and detailed advice about product selection and bathroom design tailored to the needs of each individual customer.

all the leading brands and manufacturers, FlameCare ensures that all the products are of the highest quality.

For total peace of mind, FlameCare provides complete project management, experienced installers, fully insured warranties, and service and repairs.

THE difference professionally installed wet rooms, levelaccess showers, walk-in baths, and handrails can make to people living with disabilities is immeasurable. This is why disabled bathroom adaptations

are one of FlameCare’s most popular services. With full design services and friendly, approachable staff, FlameCare works with customers and their families every step of the way to

The range of care showers, wet rooms and adapted bathroom products is chosen with quality, comfort and safety in mind – making it really easy for those with limited mobility or disabilities to modify their bathroom to their needs.

Working in conjunction with

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FLAME CARE:

FlameCare

67-77 Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, S40 2AL

T: 0800 0855 518

E: info@flamecare.co.uk

www.flamecare.co.uk

A tale of two TORRENTS

NEW Year, 2007 was but three weeks old when the sleepy village of Stoney Middleton – up until then famed more for its wonderful well-dressing; its ornate octagonal church and its nine manufacturers of boots and shoes – was inundated by ten thousand tons of muddy and, yes, stony sludge. All this due to a breach of the lagoon belonging to Glebe Mine – the UK’s only producer of indigenous fluorspar – at Cavendish Mill, up-dale. And Stoney Middleton’s history is defined entirely by its dale-side situation: alongside the busy A623, cluttered with clattering HGVs, most of them transporting aggregates. This is how Arthur Mee, renowned geographer and traveller, described Stoney Middleton in 1937: (This village) is singular & well-named: for its houses rise, tier upon tier, on ledges of rock, under steep hanging cliffs. A place of unexpected charm where a little brook flows on its way to the 17th Century Middleton Hall.

From Monday, January 22, 2007 onwards, nobody would ever again describe the babbling Dale Brook skirting England’s only Grade II-listed (and octagonal) fish-and-chip shop as sleepy!

As with inundations elsewhere, not every village property was impacted that dreadful day – though the whole population suffered disruption as the big clean-up began. Worst affected were houses at the entrance to, and all along the right of The Nook, nestled just to the left of the newly-contaminated stream’s natural course: the main road blasted through Middleton Dale as recently as 1830, subject to tolls from 1840. The flood then rampaged onwards at least one mile, in the direction of Calver Sough, five feet above the tarmac, before the main road was closed completely,

with county council diggers moving in to begin removing masses of mud and muck: an operation estimated to cost ratepayers £2 million (£3.5 million today); the cost to insurers far, far greater.

Miraculously, the 15th Century St. Martin’s Church – rebuilt in 1759 after a colossal fire – and its churchyard were spared, by a matter of yards. The worst penalty was paid by low-lying cottages in Grove Gardens, site of a waterfall and the ancient, paraffindriven Corn Mill taken over by William Lennon in 1904.

So great was the trauma of that day in 2007 that, understandably, the diminishing number of village residents who lived through it are reluctant to talk about the flood and its awful aftermath. Perhaps they wish to bury the episode now that complex court proceedings are over and done with?

Headlines immediately after the landmark hearing in Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court, delayed till March 2009, reported a Glebe Mines’ fine of £22,000: made up of £16,000 for the January 2007 breach and £6,000 for an extra leak later that same year; Glebe also paying very precise costs of £38,937 and 16 pennies for “causing poisonous, noxious, and polluting matter to enter (30 miles of) the River Derwent and the River Trent.”

In other words, an entire ecosystem was threatened by this Category 1 Incident. Baldly stated, dale streams that fateful day contained 52 times as much arsenic as permitted within the EU, 50 times the lead, 80 times the mercury. In mitigation – and mitigation surprisingly there was – Glebe was found to be not deliberately responsible for the flood. The company, working with the Environment Agency, had apparently foreseen the risk and strengthened a reservoir wall where it was at its frailest. Where the Health & Safety

Godfrey Holmes examines not one, but two, terrible floods engulfing north Derbyshire in 2007

“The flood then rampaged onwards at least one mile...”

Above: Flooding in Stoney Middleton on January 22, 2007. Courtesy Patrick Mason.

Dale Brook through Stoney Middleton in more normal times! Picture by Godfrey Holmes.

Executive always needs persuading that guilty companies intend – or are reckless ahead of – catastrophic consequence. Almost every time, corporate bodies, by their sheer size and importance, are found free of any responsible “guiding mind.”

The Great Flood engulfing Chesterfield – Doncaster, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull too – on another Monday of the same year, June 25, appears much simpler in origin than Stoney Middleton’s earlier ordeal. However, it was far more devastating in its spread. The day started with the ordinary summer showers that drive holidaymakers into amusement arcades; admittedly following a very wet Sunday night.

But from 11am onwards, the heavens opened. Rain poured down on to fields, verges and roadways already saturated. By 2pm, puddles were meeting each other; and by 4pm the River Hipper, wending down to Lower Brampton from Eastmoor, part of the vast Chatsworth Estate; and the River Rother had both overflowed, at and around their confluence. The north of England Rother – which also gives its name to the town of Rotherham – rises in Pilsley and proceeds in a generally northwards direction through the centre of Chesterfield, where it feeds the Chesterfield Canal, and on through the Rother Valley Country Park and several parts of Sheffield before joining the River Don at Rotherham. Historically, the Rother powered many mills, mainly

‘Floods more frequent’ warning…

THE flooding in Chesterfield was one of a series of large floods which occurred across the UK during the summer of 2007. There was flooding across Scotland on June 14; East Yorkshire on June 15; lots of counties including Derbyshire on June 25; and much of the West Country and South Wales on July 28.

June 2007 was one of the wettest months on record in Britain, with average rainfall of 5.5 inches (140 mm), more than double the June average. Some areas received a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours. It was Britain’s wettest May–July period since records began in 1776. Civil and military authorities described the June and July rescue efforts as the biggest in peacetime Britain.

In its Review of the 2007 Floods, the Environment Agency chairman, Sir John Harman, said: “As climate change makes floods more frequent, public bodies, businesses, communities, families and individuals will all need to prepare to do their bit to respond to the threat of floods. This year that threat has come from overwhelmed drains and sewers, our rivers and the sea.”

The floods came a year before Parliament approved The Climate Change Act of 2008, which aimed for an 80 per cent cut in greenhouse gases by 2050.

Above: The cottages along The Nook in Stoney Middleton were right in the path of the January 22, 2007, flood. Picture by Godfrey Holmes.

Right: The homes in Alma Street West were badly affected by the 2007 floods. The Rover Hipper runs by the bottom of the street. Picture by Godfrey Holmes.

This is what the relatively new Riverside Retail Park looked like on the evening of June 25, 2007. Courtesy of the BBC.

corn or flour mills – most of which ceased to operate by turn of the last century – and very few of those mill buildings survive.

By 6.30pm that Monday, the relatively new Ravenside Retail Park was under water; also the very vulnerable Horns Bridge Roundabout. And next to that congested intersection, the old road from Hasland was under water; as well as stretches of Dunston Lane, Hady, Ashgate and Whittington. And the B6057 passing through Unstone en route to Dronfield became virtually impassable.

But worst affected in Chesterfield were the Tapton cottages immediately adjacent to Chesterfield Railway Station; and the humble terraces of Hipper Street West and Alma Street West off Chatsworth Road in Lower Brampton. Here the devastation was complete and largely irreparable. For a full fortnight, sodden bedding, settees, carpets and suitcases were slumped outside folks’ front doors – with the District Council intent on charging householders for their removal!

Heroically, the congregants of the Zion Primitive Methodist Chapel – now known as the Lifehouse Church – and the management of the esteemed Robinson’s Cardboard, jumped in with both feet to assist the bereft.

Sixteen years later, it is far from evident that the rivers Hipper, Rother, Derwent, Drone, and Sheaf will not reach their capacities again and overflow. Nor have all landlords or mortgagors yet installed waterproof front doors and

raised ground-floors. World War One sandbags and shovels are still the only tools in the tool-cupboard – although the Environment Agency has fitted limited additional flood defences in partial response to past deluges; also anticipating future flash-flooding resulting from the concreting over of lawns and meadows.

Right across the region, people still look back on the leaden skies and choked dams of Year 2007 with horror and regret. Certain prayers uttered in

Above: The Toll House in Stoney Middleton, next to the brook, was flooded. It is England’s only Grade IIlisted (and octagonal) fish-and-chip shop. Picture by Godfrey Holmes

Stoney Middleton’s exquisite St. Martin’s Church were answered. But many other pleas and supplications – particularly sufferers’ heartfelt entreaties to our Water Boards or to particular arms of Government – remain unheard.

The old road to Hasland was under water by teatime on June 25, 2007.

Picture by Godfrey Holmes.

TakeGuard – when it comes to choosing windows!

UNCOMPROMISING integrity, unrivalled service, and a relentless pursuit of the finest products have been the hallmarks of the continued success of this innovative and dynamic company.

To complement their core ranges of windows and conservatories covered by HeatGuard, SecurityGuard, and SoundGuard, a brand-new selection of windows is now available at even more competitive prices under the umbrella tradename of ValueGuard.

ValueGuard

The ValueGuard choice of windows and conservatories comprises all the foremost features of the rest, whilst shaving off significantly on the costs. So, with ValueGuard, you really can have your cake and eat it!

Energy efficient, noise reducing, and secure, these windows enjoy the all the main beneficial properties, whilst offering savings to boot.

The ValueGuard range has been introduced in response to the imposing demands on people’s budgets at this time with soaring energy bills and the like. Offering specs and styles to meet the

most exacting of budgets, ValueGuard gives the ultimate in value for money.

HeatGuard

HeatGuard, with an impeccable thermal spec, provides an extensive collection of energy efficient uPVC Double and Triple glazed windows, tailor made to suit every individual property’s style and appearance. Whether its contemporary, country, or urban developments, HeatGuard Windows have the perfect window to complement any home.

SoundGuard

With noise reducing attributes, SoundGuard windows, with a definitive acoustic spec, can help make any home a quieter, stress-free place. The windows are specifically assessed for sound absorption and given an STC, Sound Transmission Class, which measures how well a material reduces outdoor to indoor noise. Double-glazed and triple-glazed windows offer a significantly higher STC.

SecurityGuard

SecurityGuard offers windows and conservatories which come with high security built in, ensuring peace of mind, maximum protection, and ultimate safeguarding of the property. The composite doors are arguably the most secure on the market, featuring insurance and Police approved locking systems.

Conservatories with the Leka Systems lightweight, solid roofs

The Leka Systems roof converts every conservatory into an ambient, muchneeded space that can be used daily, all year round: nice and cool in the hot summer months and cosy and warm throughout the harsh winter.

Lightweight, cost effective, energy efficient, and MFA approved, Leka roofs outperform as well as outlast common glass and polycarbonate roofing systems.

Conservatory Styles

HeatGuard has the experience to build any type and size, from simple Lean-To versions, to...

• Georgian

• Gable Ended

• P Shaped

• Edwardian

• Bespoke Designs

“We’re redefining customer satisfaction, one happy customer at a time.”

Locally based, highly reputable, and long-established windows and conservatory company, HeatGuard, continues to tick all the boxes when it comes to providing the ultimate in value, quality, and personal service.

Across

7 Solo verb can be declined here (8)

9 Well-known coin, about to be re-issued (6)

10 It's amongst the pastrami dishes, you'll find (4)

11 Tor by Wirksworth is an opal designed to thrill? (6,4)

12 Venetian bridge that's tailor-made? (6)

14 Ten, going about like a village on the Dove (8)

16 News of a tardy road? (6)

17 Village seat at the head of the dining table? (6)

21 It'll be mown over in Ashover's neighbour (8)

23 Bawl, so upset as to be heard in the village (6)

25 The sticky side of consumer goods? (3)

26 Old printer made the dancer take of the dinner jacket (3-3)

28 Had a lesson in valley formation (4)

30 Poorly in Versailles? (3)

31 Hag has him bewitched near Shirland! (6)

32 Got to graft like mad to get this edge! (8)

Name:

Down

1 Little mountain built by nematodes, right, of Buxton? (8)

2 Viciously sued that kind of car salesman (4)

3 Flyers here, or at visa checkout (8)

4 North Sea feature; not an original, alas! (3,3)

5 It's classy to shop around! (4)

6 Ill boy messed around like anything (6)

8 One of our towns in dire peril at the end of May (6)

13 Big strong buddy eh Robin? Hood and all! (6,4)

15 Court cards said to be churchy places (5)

18 Barlow or bust, where stones are rounded (5,3)

19 Are heard in Greece? (3)

20 Swallow the Orient, when flung about (6)

22 Prompt (but not a cue) that's mine to work out (2,4)

24 Pasture village? (3)

27 Immediate cash point that's lain derelict? (4)

28 Hounds the dodgers who back out red (4)

29 Plenty of these to bid for? (4)

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 20th September, 2023. The solutions for the August 2023 crossword can be found on page 97 of this issue.

More free puzzles at pitcherwits.co.uk

Crossword by Prof Rebus

THE FUTURE OF FLOORING AT FLOOR DEPOT

FLOOR DEPOT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH KARNDEAN, NOW OFFERS THE ULTIMATE SHOWROOM EXPERIENCE WITH A HUB OF INSPIRATION

As a dedicated and designated Karndean Design Concept Studio, Floor Depot now offers a unique and even more fulfilling customer experience.

IMAGINE

Floor Depot’s Karndean Design Concept Studio provides a relaxed homefrom-home feel, with inspirational boards and design source materials, to help customers imagine how their favourite flooring could look in their home. A revolutionary digital tool and interactive play table not only lets customers see the wide range of luxury vinyl flooring in typical settings, but by uploading a photo of their space, will instantly show them what a new floor might look like in their setting.

EXPLORE

Customers can explore diverse flooring styles with the interactive play table. They can discover the inspirational story behind each design and view example room photography. Then, they can try out different layout options, design strips, and complementary borders on a design table to create their personalised floor design. The flooring visualiser provides realistic imagery of different flooring designs. With improved usability, optional colour schemes, and side-by-side comparison, customers can discover the stylish and highly practical flooring in a truly visual manner.

DISCOVER

With the full range of Karndean wood and stone effect designs on display, customers can discover flooring options that suit their individual style. From traditional to contemporary, or even something a bit quirky, they can discover a Karndean floor that expresses their personality and fits with their interior style.

EXPERIENCE

When customers visit the Floor Depot Karndean Design Concept Studio, they will be supported by trained and knowledgeable staff every step of the way - from selecting their perfect floor design to expert flooring installation in their home. As an independent, family-run business, Floor Depot has gained an impeccable reputation for excellent personal service, quality products, and expert installation.

FLOOR DEPOT ACHIEVES 100% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Pictured right is Jemimah from Floor Depot receiving just recently a 100% customer service award from Karndean Flooring. Inspired by nature, Karndean’s luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) combine cutting edge technology with an authentic look and feel of a wood or stone floor.

A market leader, Karndean expect and demand the most exacting standards of customer service from its stockists. That’s why gaining a 100% customer service award from Karndean is such a coveted accolade and represents a real feather in the cap for Floor Depot.

AT YOUR SERVICE!

The experienced and knowledgeable team at Floor Depot offer genuine, objective, and helpful advice on all aspects of carpets, flooring, beds, and accessories. They aim not just to meet customers’ expectations, but to exceed them!

At Floor Depot, we do things differently. Come and visit our dedicated showroom, for a no-pressure look around our displays. Whilst always on hand to help, our staff give you space to explore the showroom, and get a feel for how the products will fit in your home.

What is being done locally to combat climate change?

PLENTY IS THE ANSWER!

WHAT is Chesterfield doing to combat the effects of climate change? Well, plenty is the answer. Transition Chesterfield was started in 2008 and since then has involved hundreds of people in practical projects and activities that help to make the town more sustainable, low-carbon and locally self-sufficient. And Chesterfield Borough Council declared a climate emergency in 2019; pledged that the council’s operations would become carbon neutral by 2030; and to work toward decarbonising the wider borough by 2050. So what sort of ‘projects and activities’? Well, Transition Chesterfield has been running Repair Cafés since 2016. Now held on the third Saturday of the month (10am-1pm) at Chesterfield Baptist Church on Cross Street; where items of all types – except microwaves and bicycles – can possibly be given an extended lifespan. As its organisers say: “Less

waste!  Less pollution!  Less money!”

Yes, it really offers a cafe as well, so you can get refreshments while your item is being repaired. All you need to know is: it’s ‘last orders’ by 12.15pm; and leave a donation to help with the running costs. And the ‘fixers’ are always looking for new ‘fixers’ – so if you want to join the team, email repairs@ transitionchesterfield.org.uk

What if you have a bike that needs repairing? Well, you can go to Chesterfield Dr Bike, from March to October inclusive on the first Saturday of the month, between 9.30am1pm, at Queen’s Park car park, and your bike will be repaired for free.

On the second Sunday of the month, in August and September, Dr Bike is at Hollingwood Hub, next to the Chesterfield Canal, offering free checks and repairs between 10.30am-2.30pm.

And in September and October,

surplus fruit and vegetables are picked by  Transition Chesterfield’s Abundance project volunteers and distributed free of charge – and what can’t be eaten gets juiced, so nothing is wasted.

The Abundance project regularly donates to Chesterfield food bank and Grassmoor’s ‘Big Local’ community centre. The project organisers say they have plenty of trees to harvest but need more pickers and people with cars to help distribute the fruit. So, if you can spare some time this month or in October, even if it’s just once or twice, get in touch by emailing abundance@transitionchesterfield. org.uk or by calling Polly on 07779 111818 or Alison on 07776 448486.

By earlier this year, Chesterfield Borough Council had planted a staggering 3,500 trees since the 2020/21 planting season – and, it estimates, it had reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by around a third between 2019 and 2022. Its efforts to improve the thermal efficiency of its 8,500 council houses is

Barrie Farnsworth looks at what Chesterfield – and Derbyshire in general –is doing to tackle the effects of climate change.

“Less waste! Less pollution! Less money!”

continuing to schedule; and virtually all streetlights are now using LEDs.

Since May of 2021, Chesterfield has also been an accredited Plastic Free Community – dedicated to minimising the town’s contribution to the single-use plastic crisis –one of more than 700 such UK communities supported by Surfers Against Sewage.

And there are already dozens of local companies who have become accredited Plastic Free Champions, like Elsie Moss Botanical we featured in last month’s Reflections.

Among the other local Plastic Free Champions are the Crooked Pickle Co, whose products are sold in glass, rather than plastic, jars; who use corn starch-based packing filler instead of plastic bubble wrap; use paper tape instead of plastic tape; use paper instead of plastic bags and have a recycling scheme used by catering customers. Then there’s the Specialised Canvas Group at Staveley, which has banned its staff from bringing single-use plastic bottles or coffee cups to work; and Me England of Bridge Street, Chesterfield, which makes all its candles from soy wax and has pledged to wrap their melts in paper, instead of plastic, packaging.

Chesterfield Borough Council plans

to launch a climate change forum this month, and has asked for local people to get involved. The forum will help to shape the council’s future strategy to enable the borough to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Elsewhere in Derbyshire, the National Trust has had a record tree-planting season with 60,000 trees have been planted in the High Peak, bringing the total to more than 310,000 in ten years.  Mainly during last winter, native species of trees including sessile oak, silver birch, rowan, hawthorn, downey birch, alder and bird cherry have been planted by the National Trust in the sheltered valleys and cloughs that lead onto the moors.   The trees will keep the valley sides stable at the same time as providing shelter and food for wildlife.

And new figures show that 362 farmers and land managers in the Peak District National Park are involved in projects in the Government-funded Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, which supports nature recovery and climate resilient businesses, heritage conservation, and better access for people to enjoy our protected landscapes.

Projects in the Peak District include planting trees and hedgerows to create wildlife corridors; investing in infrastructure

to improve hay meadow management; restoring ponds; repairing heritage structures, such as limekilns; and using new technology to improve livestock management and enhance habitats.

Efforts to address society’s neglect of nature are being stepped up with the Government appointing Derbyshire County Council to a new role to take the lead in protecting and prioritising nature in Derby and Derbyshire.

The county council is one of 48 councils across the country appointed as the ‘responsible authority’ for nature recovery – a statutory role brought about by the Environment Act 2021.

It means the county council will be responsible for putting together a plan, called the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which will map the location and condition of Derbyshire’s habitats and identify where biodiversity is in decline or limited in ecosystem value.

Editor’s Note: Bannister Publications’ print supplier proudly uses FSC-accredited paper, guaranteeing that the paper comes from well-managed forests and other controlled sources. From the forester to reader, we all have a responsibility to protect and sustain the natural environment.

Above: The National Trust has completed a record tree-planting season in the High Peak. Courtesy National Trust.

FORGET FASHION FAST

As the fashion world’s ethos continues the move from fast fads to buys that last, make this autumn the time to invest in some key wardrobe pieces which will be your style cornerstones for years to come,

IIT was the late, Derbyshire-born Dame Vivienne Westwood who extolled the virtues of “Buy less, choose well, make it last.” And it was the iconic designer’s maxim which played out as the main focus of the autumn/winter catwalks, nearly a year after her death in December 2022. While it’s never been easier to get your fast fashion fix, thanks to the endless stream of websites popping up to hawk cheaply-made, mass-produced goods shipped to your door for pennies, there’s a sense of rebellion in the air as timelessness has overtaken trends as the watchword on the catwalks.

And with the environmental and ethical concerns raging around fashion’s consumerism, we’re seeing a shift to a more conscious approach to dressing. This season’s hottest trend? Pared-back wardrobe staples in quality fabrics which you’ll be able to return to season after season.

We The Free Last Call shirt, £98, Free People. www.freepeople.com

writes Amy Norbury

Bordley knit midi dress, £159, Barbour. www.barbour.com

Linen Shirt £49, Twill trousers £39, Belt £26 & Sandals £69, all John Lewis. Tepi tan knee-high boots, £145, Dune London. www.dunelondon.com

FASHION

There are some things which never go out of style – a classic white shirt, a black woollen coat, quality denim – and while they may cost a little more to start, the investment will pay off in the long run with minimal cost-per-wear over their lifespan.

It may feel more cost effective to spend a fiver on a basic white T-shirt, but when it’s shapeless, discoloured and unwearable after after a only couple of washes, suddenly the £50 T-shirt which fits like a dream, washes beautifully and still looks brand new after years of wear doesn’t seem so expensive.

And while it may feel like buying cheaply enables you to update your style more often, there are certain wardrobe items where it definitely pays to make an investment. The classic winter coat, the wear-witheverything leather loafers, the staple knee-high-boot; these are all items which you’ll reach for time and time

again, so opting for quality means you’ll be able to enjoy your favourites for longer. An investment wardrobe is something which can be built up over time, so take a look at what you wear most and start there, perhaps adding just one or two timeless pieces to your arsenal each season. As well as looking and fitting better, quality fabrics feel better to wear too, meaning you’ll get more enjoyment out of your pricier pieces – and that’s surely worth the investment.

5. The White Company cashmere jumper, £110. www.thewhitecompany.com

6. Goldsmith black loafers, £75, Dune London.

7. Trench coat £110, Wide leg jeans £49, Loafers £85, all John Lewis.

– PLEASING TO THE EYE!

Amidst the retail hub of shops on Chatsworth Road in Chesterfield lies independent premier opticians, Oculi.

OWNED and managed by local Chesterfield resident, Kate Hirst, Oculi, currently in its fourth year of trading, prides itself on a patient-centred and relaxed environment offering a oneto-one personalised service.

Kate is the dispensing optician at Oculi with over 20 years’ experience. She is passionate about offering an unrivalled personal, friendly, and professional service. The ambient, contemporary, warm, and welcoming surroundings lend themselves

to a tranquil and enjoyable customer experience.

Supported by two inhouse optometrists, every eye examination is given the time and care for a thorough and comprehensive assessment and diagnosis. With one full hour allocated to every appointment, the optometrist, who is personal to every single customer, is afforded the opportunity to get to know the customers and understand how they like to have their eye care administered.

“Our role during dispensing is advising which are the

most suitable lenses and frames, and finding a balance between function, comfort, appearance, lifestyle, and cost,” says Kate. “The emphasis of these elements will be different for each individual. As an independent optician, we are an approved supplier of Zeiss lenses, offering the full range, comprising SmartLife and DriveSafe progressive varifocals, as well as single vision. Zeiss has a large portfolio of lenses including Progressives, Office, Digital and Single Vision along with various lens technologies and coatings which means there is a lens to suit virtually every patient’s lifestyle. We use a sophisticated measuring system as part of our in-depth examination.”

With a commitment to premium brand quality, Oculi offers a comprehensive range of frames – from exclusive

brands, such as Blackfin and Etnia Barcelona to other fantastic quality frame brands, including Lafont, Allpoets, Vanni, Dutz, and Wolf.

The Allpoets selection of frames is a welcome and popular new addition – with its funky colours, supreme quality, and commitment to recyclable products.

Sports Eyewear from Rudy Project further enhances the product offering. This exclusive Italian sports brand covers various sporting needs, such as cycling, running, golf, and skiing.

EYE EXAMINATIONS • SPECTACLES

CONTACT LENSES • BOUTIQUE EYEWEAR

SPECTACLE LENSES BY ZEISS

LATEST TECHNOLOGY FOR EYE EXAMINATIONS & SPECTACLE DISPENSING

420 Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, S40 3BQ

t: 01246 558104

e: info@oculiopticians.co.uk

www.oculiopticians.co.uk

For the nominal fee of £30, there is opportunity for clients to have an OCT scan. Using a state-of-theart OCT (Optical coherence tomography) camera, the optometrist takes both a digital photograph and a threedimensional cross-sectional scan of the back of the eye in one sitting. This allows for instant and early diagnosis of certain common disorders, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetes, glaucoma, macular holes and vitreous problems. With free parking, warm and friendly service, and the absolute best quality products, a visit to Oculi is most certainly worthwhile.

OCULI. 420 Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, S40 3BQ t: 01246 558104

e: info@oculiopticians.co.uk

www.oculiopticians.co.uk

Outdoor and local – top Wedding trends for 2024!

AS we head towards 2024 (whether we like it or not!), it’s clear that the wedding world is evolving to reflect the changing attitudes and preferences of couples. From intimate and sustainable weddings to non-traditional attire

and personalised details, the trends are all about celebrating love and individuality. Whether you’re planning your own wedding or attending as a guest, get ready to be inspired by the exciting and creative trends that will be shaping the wedding landscape in the coming year.

The Year of the Outdoor Venue

In 2024, indoor weddings will take a backseat as outdoor venues reign supreme. From beautiful hotel gardens, such as those served up by The Maynard Arms, Dunston Hall, and Riverside House Hotel to rustic barns and beachside bashes, couples are opting for breathtaking backdrops that allow guests to soak up the sunshine and fresh air.

Rob Hattersley, owner of The Maynard Arms in Grindleford, said, “With breathtaking views over the stunning Peak District, venues like ours, have become ever more popular for wedding couples. Not only do we have our stylish and beautiful indoor Chatsworth Suite, but we also have the most idyllic setting and views you could ever imagine – ideal for both photographs and relaxed mingling.”

It’s never been so important to shop local!

With eco-consciousness on the rise, sustainable weddings are set to take centre stage in 2024. From locally sourced, organic food to recycled decorations, couples are finding innovative ways to make their wedding day kinder to the planet.

When it comes to looking for venues and wedding suppliers, starting your search closer to home is the key. Word of mouth is the best kind of recommendation. Think about it, if someone has taken the time to recommend a local wedding supplier in person, they have to be pretty special. Particularly in this day and age, when people are generally much harder to impress!

With many companies, the extent of their local knowledge can often mean the difference between success and failure. This is certainly true of wedding suppliers. By choosing a wedding supplier that’s local, you’ll be able to tap into this know-how. Not only that, but you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and road miles travelled at the same time.

A locally based wedding photographer is more likely to be familiar with your wedding venue. This could even mean better wedding photos for you as they’ll know how to work the venue to their advantage to achieve just what you want. Independents take the time to get to know you.

Independent, local wedding suppliers are more likely to take the time and make the effort to get to know you, so they tick all the right boxes on your big day.

Alistair Myers, co-owner of the Riverside House Hotel, said, “When compared with wedding suppliers that operate

nationally, locally run businesses tend to be much more affordable, which will work wonders for your wedding budget! WE have a portfolio of wedding suppliers that are tried and tested and know the local market like the back of their hand.

For our part, we source local and seasonal food and drink wherever we can. Not only does this help to support small local businesses, but it is also the most environmentally friendly option.”

Intimate and Micro Weddings

The pandemic has paved the way for a trend towards intimate and micro weddings. These smaller-scale weddings prioritise quality over quantity, giving couples the chance to create a personalised experience for their closest loved ones.

Magnificent Maynard: An idyllic wedding venue in the heart of the Peak District

WHETHER it is an intimate celebration or a grand dinner and dance, The Maynard is a unique and stylish choice for an unforgettable day in the heart of the Peak District with breathtaking views across the Hope Valley. The Chatsworth Suite is the exclusive wedding space and underwent a makeover in January 2020 to enhance the elegance of this room. Through beautiful original features, this ballroom assists in creating a vision of style for a bespoke and memorable wedding.

The Maynard is licensed to hold civil wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships for up to 130 day guests and 200 evening guests. Soraya Ferrer, the Maynard’s experienced wedding and events manager,

guides and advises wedding guests every step of the way, helping them to design the envisaged day that is personalised uniquely to them.

Head Chef, Greg Robinson, has created a bespoke menu with the very best fresh, local ingredients that are sustainably sourced to ensure wedding guests’ expectations are exceeded. From canapés to the wedding breakfast and evening buffet, there are options to suit all types of needs and budgets.

The hotel has 19 boutique bedrooms, including the new ‘Sir Don Bradman Suite’, for the wedding couple to stay on the wedding night. The hotel has 19 boutique bedrooms, including the new ‘Sir Don Bradman Suite’, for the wedding couple to stay on the wedding night.

ASTUNNING grade II listed building nestled in the heart of the Peak District, set in its own grounds on the river Wye in the idyllic village of Ashford in the Water.

With a licence to hold civil

- RAFTERS AT RIVERSIDE HOUSE

ceremonies for up to 28 guests in our main dining room, up to 12 guests in our intimate private dining room or outside in our beautiful gardens.

There are plenty of amazing opportunities to

capture memories with loved ones surrounding you in some spectacular settings, one of which being the historical sheepwash bridge situated just outside our main gates.

Available to book for exclusive use for you and your specially chosen friends and family to take advantage of 14 bedrooms and the entire grounds of the hotel to enjoy a day you’ll be able to cherish for a lifetime.

Elegance Redefined at FINESSE BRIDES & GROOMS

Suits for Every Occasion:

Discover our vast collection of suits available for purchase and hire. Our selection caters to every groom’s unique style, from timeless classics to contemporary trends. And let’s not forget the little ones – explore our range of matching kids’ suits to ensure that every member of your party looks their best.

Bridesmaids’ Elegance:

Elevate your bridal party with our stunning array of bridesmaids’ dresses that radiate charm and grace. From soft pastels to bold hues, our dresses are designed to complement your theme and celebrate your closest friends.

Monthly Multi-Way Master Class: Experience the art of versatility with our exclusive multi-way dress master class.

Join us each month for an enchanting session guided by our experts, teaching you the secrets to styling multi-way dresses. Sip on bubbly as you unlock the infinite possibilities of this unique dress style.

Empowering Every Bride:

Our plus-size wedding dress experts are here to celebrate everybody, ensuring that your journey to finding the perfect dress is filled with joy and confidence. Our range is designed to flatter and accentuate your beauty.

Glowing Reviews and Awards: Join our community of satisfied couples who have rated us with over 100 5-star reviews. We are humbled by our multiple awards that recognize our commitment to excellence and innovation.

Flexible Payment Options:

We understand that planning your dream wedding involves financial considerations. That’s why we offer low deposit and interest-free payment options without needing credit checks. Your journey to elegance just became more accessible.

A GIFT OF PERFECTION

As a token of appreciation, enjoy a free gift bag and receive over £300 worth of extras with every wedding dress purchase. Benefit from a free dress bag, complimentary insurance while stored with us, free storage, and a pre-wedding day steam to ensure your dress is picture-perfect.

Suits for Every Occasion

Bridesmaids’ Elegance

Monthly Multi-Way Master Class

Empowering Every Bride

Glowing Reviews and Awards

Flexible Payment Options

Book Your Appointment: Ready to embark on your journey to elegance?

Call now to secure your appointment at 01246 860542 and experience the Finesse difference. You can also visit our website at www.finessebridesandgrooms.co.uk

Your wedding day deserves nothing but perfection, and at Finesse Brides and Grooms, we make your dreams come true with a touch of sophistication and a dash of magic.

Finesse Brides & Grooms 63, High St, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, S45 9DX

Eco-friendly and sustainable

In 2024, couples will opt for sustainable and locally sourced décor, ethically made wedding attire, and plant-based cuisine. Furthermore, zero-waste weddings will become more popular, reducing environmental impact while celebrating love

and commitment in an eco-friendly manner. In order to avoid wasting paper, couples can choose to make digital wedding invitations. However, if they are more traditional, it’s best to use recycled paper, free from acids and made by hand, giving a more original result. For the married couple, the best thing is to wear natural clothing made from fabrics such as cotton, linen, or silk. A wedding dress made with organic textiles, perhaps?

Unique Wedding Locations in Chesterfield

Also, natural, and organic makeup products could be used by both the bride and her guests. Eco-friendly makeup is also on trend in 2024!

Another option is to rent suits and the wedding dress, so that the bride (and groom!) could re-wear certain pieces and appreciate the history of their mother’s, aunt’s, or cousin’s wedding dress.

Regarding accessories, instead of buying them or using harmful materials, they could always be made from flowers or other natural products.

From grass tablecloths, paper cups and leaves as place settings to wooden cutlery or thin log material as placemats and coasters, sustainable is sacred! Environmentalism can be practised everywhere! Also, vases can be made with little jam jars or small beer bottles filled with sand from the countryside soil. Also, place stones could be used with the names of each guest instead of using paper in order to indicate their places at their table.

In order to be complete environmentalists, the couple could opt for a ceremony during the daytime, so that they can make the most of the natural light and not need to use electricity.

And to finish, an ecological honeymoon! Yes, ecotourism is also on trend, therefore

Continued on 62

CHESTERFIELD VENUES can help you find the perfect heritage venue for your wedding day.

We are specialists in the entertainment industry and our flexible wedding packages include self-catering and fully catered options.

The Grade II Listed Winding Wheel Theatre is one of the largest wedding venues in Chesterfield. With three rooms to choose from, including a beautiful ballroom, it is the

perfect venue for getting married as well as holding your reception. You can hold your celebration in one room or across all three.

Available for wedding receptions is Hasland Village Hall in Eastwood Park. The historic venue has a large main hall with stage and servery, an adjacent meeting room and on-site car park.

Contact us on 01246 345 333 or venue.hire@chesterfield.gov.uk.

Fall into Autumn with Dotique!

WE might all be patiently awaiting the arrival of some consistently good late summer weather (any day now…), but when it comes to discovering the upcoming season’s fashion trends there’s no such thing as too soon.

As the days get darker and the leaves begin to fall, the crisp English weather symbolises the start of the autumn season and excitement is starting to brew at Dotique. The thought of customers trying on all the new season fashions is actually one of the most inspiring things about the arrival of chillier months.

Based at 296-298 Chatsworth Road and within the prestigious Peak Village shopping complex at Rowsley, Dotique continues to offer a fusion of everyday clothes and party frocks.

Selling beautifully stylish clothing to women at an affordable price, Dotique is about individuality and personality, a personal, warm, and friendly customer service, providing a destination shopping experience that is unrivalled in the area. It showcases the very best of ‘grown up style’ in an environment that makes customers feel comfortable and inspired.

Dotique owner, Dorothy Robinson, is always trying to push the boundaries in terms of product choice and excellence in personal service. “We’re not a boutique where you worry about walking through the door in case you can’t afford

anything. We choose a wide range of options so that it can appeal to everyone, younger, older, and all budgets.  We seek out good quality, wardrobe staples as well as higher end designs for special occasions.

“We are completely independent, and every lady is given the time and guidance they need to find the perfect fits to suit them. Whether they’re looking for styling advice, that perfect pair of jeans, or something special for an upcoming occasion, the doors are always open, and a friendly smile awaits. We also offer a good array of plus sizes.”

The Chatsworth Roadbased Dotique boutique is now brimming with autumn and winter ranges from brands such as Atelier Rêve, Soya Concept, Foil, Oui, Mos Mosh, Marble, Robell, Monari, Dolcezzaa, Emme, Peruzzi, Part Two, Red

Button, Brax Jeans and Fransa. Whether it’s an elegant top, a chic jacket or pair of trousers, jeans, or shoes and boots from Geox, you’re sure to find something to suit your taste here.

Housed in their own separate space, the Mother-of-the-Bride/ Groom outfits are simply stunning – offering sophisticated and fashionable stand-out pieces to grace any prestigious ceremony. With impressive labels, such as Veromia, Labella, and Frank Lyman, and a separate and secluded changing area, this is certainly the place to visit to look elegant and distinguished on the big day! A great range of accessories and hats from Max & Ellie and Nigel Rayment, stylish bags, jewellery from Envy, and shoes from Capollini mean that the entire outfit – from top to toe – can be organised at the same time and in the same place.

There is now a fantastic sale

on for the beautiful and elegant prom dresses. Unbeatable bargains can now be had, with savings of half price or more.

Also expanding on the first floor of Dotique’s sizeable building on Chatsworth Road, is Brampton Beauty Retreat. Now taking up the entire floor, the retreat is a personal haven for health, beauty, and wellbeing.

Some brands, like Marble and Robell, cross both boutiques, whilst the Peak District Villagebased Dotique shop has forged its own bespoke, original, and unique offering, which includes Fransa and Flitflop.

Dotique is located at 296/8 Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield S40 2BY and Peak District Village, Chatsworth Road, Rowsley, DE4 2JE. All information on brands stocked and the latest news can be found on the website, www. dotique. co.uk. T: 01246 498 536

Continued from 60

what destination do you choose? Well, anywhere deemed to be an eco-friendly location, somewhere that cares for the environment…using a healthy mode of transport that also supports the planet.

Personalised Details

It’s the unique touches that make a wedding unforgettable, and in 2024, couples are getting creative with personalised details. Whether it’s a quirky seating chart or centrepieces that reflect their personalities, these special touches help make the wedding feel truly one-of-a-kind.

Non-Traditional Attire

Say goodbye to traditional wedding attire as couples embrace individuality with non-traditional options. From chic pantsuits to vibrant suits and bohemian dresses, the possibilities are endless for expressing oneself. Gone are the days of tuxedos and white gowns. Modern couples are venturing into bold colours, vintage ensembles, and culturally inspired outfits that tell their unique journey.

Hats to complement any wedding outfit!

WHEN it comes to wedding outfits, customers can be dressed from head to toe at Blanc Occasions. Stocking an extensive of ‘Mummy of the Bride/Groom’ outfits, ranging from sizes 8 –30, Blanc’s collections include many leading brands, such as ‘Veni Infantino’ by Ronald Joyce, Luis Civit, Carla Ruiz, Lizabella, Couture Club and Claudia C.

These stunning outfits are complemented with stunning hats, hatinators (resembling a hat, but on a band) and fascinator from ‘Snoxell Gwyther’ and ‘Failsworth’, leather shoes by Elegante, lunar and fashionable handbags to suit. Pairs of shoes can also be bespoke dyed by ‘Rainbow Club’ to match any outfit. At only around one third of the cost, hat hire is a popular option nowadays. With two occasional wear showrooms and three ground floor fitting rooms customers can take their time in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere to choose the perfect hat to match their stunning outfit. Last chance to buy occasional wear Mother of the Bride outfits from £99

Blanc Occasions, 177 Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield S40 2BA Tel: 01246 767220 www.blancouture.co.uk.

Stunning sunsets in Derbyshire...

This selection of stunning Derbyshire sunsets is provided by Chris Drabble, a writer, hill walker and landscape photographer who loves to capture views when the sun is coming up – or, in this case, going down! More of Chris’ photography can be found at Photo4me.com

1. Arbor Low

Arbor Low is a large stone circle or henge standing on a promontory of high ground on Middleton Moor. It is often referred to as the Stonehenge of the North. The fact that the stones are in a prone position doesn’t diminish the significance of the site or its atmosphere at sunset.

2. Curbar Edge

People with radio-controlled model aeroplanes launch their aircraft into the setting sun from Curbar Edge.

3. Stanage Edge

This photograph has captured a fabulous mackerel sky as the sun sets on Stanage Edge.

Reflections September 2023

4. Magpie Mine

The cool grey of the abandoned buildings of Magpie Mine stand out in contrast to the warm tones of the setting sun.

5. Carl Wark

Carl Wark is an Iron Age, fortified hill high above Hathersage. Here, Higger Tor can be seen in the distance and Carl Wark’s defensive wall in the foreground is warmed by the glow of the setting sun.

6. Bamford Edge

Bamford Edge provides a fantastic promontory for a sunset scene offering spectacular views in all directions. Prominent features to look out for are Win Hill and Crook Hill in the west and then looking round in a clockwise direction reveals Kinder Scout, Ladybower Reservoir, Ashopton Viaduct, the Howden Moors and on to Bleaklow, Stanage Edge, Higger Tor, Over Owler Tor and Millstone Edge.

7. Crich Stand

Crich Stand is the 100-yearold memorial, built to honour the fallen Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Regiment soldiers in World War One.

8. Over Owler Tor

A couple stand on the edge of Over Owler Tor, catching the last rays of light on their faces before the sun sinks below the horizon.

9. Pinnacle Rock

Pinnacle Rock on Curbar Edge bathed in orange hues from the light of the setting sun.

10. Riber Castle

The gritstone towers of Riber Castle are illuminated by the warmth of the setting sun in autumn.

MORE THAN A FEW SPLASHES OF summercolour…

THE entries to our ‘Derbyshire’s Wonderful Flora & Fauna’ 2023 photographic competition keep flooding in – and we have another fine selection to show you.

First of all, how many of you have seen a bee covered in pollen? Well, reader Mark Ward, of Brassington, spotted one hard at work in the gardens at Hardwick Hall on July 23.

Next, Chester Doran, of Shuttlewood, spotted this Red Admiral butterfly in his garden in late July.

And here’s a splash of summer colour in Lathkill Dale, taken on July 29 by Andy Hanna, of Great Longstone. Russ Teale, of Newbold, said: “It took a lot of patience to get a picture of this grasshopper” at Williamthorpe nature reserve on August 3. M.W

Kathleen Moore, of Chesterfield, used her phone to get this picture of fallow stags on August 9 on the Chatsworth Estate.

Lunchtime! Caterpillars of the black and red Cinnabar moth feeding on ragwort in

Leashaw Wood, Holloway, taken by Dave Wright, of Cromford.

This little chap/lass was spotted in her mum-in-law’s garden at Walton, Chesterfield, on a humid July day by Lorraine Baker, of Matlock.

Big cat sighting!  This ‘big cat’ was spotted ‘driving’ a Derbyshire Dales District Council van in Bakewell on July 31 by Pauline Chapman, who lives in the town.

One of the Highland cattle among the heather on Baslow Edge, pictured by Simon Hampton, of Walton, in mid-August.

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In this year’s competition, you can take stunning images of plant life or wildlife or both – it’s 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 do not want entries from commercial photographers; and drone images will not be accepted.

Please email your entries to barrief@bannisterpublications. co.uk, giving your full name and

“My small garden has plants to attract insects,” says Tony Holmes, of Wirksworth, “and one July evening, I noticed this Yellow Striped Dragonfly swaying in the light breeze from a sprig of lavender. It was a cold evening and it was still there the following morning.”

Next, a big lizard on Beeley Moor, pictured on July 30 by Peter Wigglesworth, of Matlock.

A beautiful African Lily next, pictured by Mark Ward, of Brassington, at Hardwick Hall on July 23.

Peter Wigglesworth, of Matlock, spotted these two trout swimming by in the River Wye, near Bakewell, on August 12.

Finally, a green Brimstone butterfly taken at Williamthorpe nature reserve in early August by Russ Teale, of Newbold.

address, a contact telephone number and a description (including the date it 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, 2023… so there’s still time to enter!

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THE BENEFITS OF AN INDEPENDENT EDUCATION

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS can be large (up to 2,400 students) or small (as few as 300). Some are academically selective, some are not; some are day schools, some are boarding (offering a number of options, for example full, weekly or flexi).

There are many benefits of an independent education, such as…

CHOICE OF SUBJECTS

The choice of subjects taught at independent schools is one of the most attractive

factors for parents – and their children. They usually offer a much wider range than the national curriculum taught at state schools (on which the GCSE and A Levels exams are based). Additional subjects can include a number of modern foreign languages; Latin and Greek; Drama, Music, History of Art; Business, Economics, and Computer Science; Politics and International Relations, Philosophy and Theology.

CLASS SIZES

Another attraction is the small class sizes and the ratio of staff to students. A top academic school in the independent sector will employ not only specialist teachers but individual tutors to ensure students’ high performance. Students will gain the confidence and ambition to attend the universities

Fantastic Results at Mount St Mary’s College

STUDENTS at the Mount are rightly celebrating excellent results for Summer 2023!  Headmaster Dan Wright said: “I am delighted that in a period where the press forecast significantly lower grades at the very top level, our performance at grades A* and A was actually higher than last year!  Our CTEC students also performed exceptionally well with nearly half of all grades at Distinction level.  My sincere congratulations to a cohort that has known so much disruption for their first set of public examinations!”

Mount St Mary’s College is an independent day and boarding school for children aged 11 – 18, with a broad curriculum, marrying up traditional and modern subjects to offer the very best in education. The College is

now accepting applications for September 2024. Register for their Autumn Open Events to discover more about the outstanding academic results,

or enter the careers of their choice, supported by a wellstaffed Careers Department.

CO-CURRICULAR OFFERING

Independent schools typically offer outstanding facilities. Parents can expect a wide range of sports with professional coaches for each, as well as specialist equipment and dedicated areas; music and drama (including practice

and performance space); state-of-the-art classrooms, labs and technology.

PASTORAL CARE

Independents they have been pioneers in understanding teenage mental health and recognising the importance of wellbeing, of getting the balance right between teaching leadership and resilience and encouraging kindness and tolerance.

exceptional co-curricular offerings, and how they are inspiring young hearts and minds to go forth and set the world on fire.

Mylnhurst Preparatory School is exceptional

WE PRIDE ourselves in offering a world-class primary education starting with rising three-yearolds in our outstanding Nursery. Set in beautiful and expansive grounds, our sun- filled Victorian and modern buildings provide the perfect metaphor for the school itself: proud of our traditional values but always looking towards the future.

Learning at Mylnhurst is as intellectually stimulating as it is fun. The latest in digital technology is embedded within lessons and the curriculum is enriched by the knowledge and passion of subject specialists. Our glorious facilities include a cookery room, outdoor classroom, swimming pool, multi-platform IT suite, music rooms, a dance studio and sports hall. Our team of talented teachers provide

a wealth of opportunities within and beyond the classroom for children to discover their interests and talents and to develop their quiet self-confidence.

Although we are proud of our strong track record of enabling children to enter their first choice of secondary schools, results are only a small part of the picture. It is

our firm belief that happy children thrive. Our emphasis is as much on exceptional pastoral care and emotional wellbeing as it is on academic results.

BARLBOROUGH HALL SCHOOL

BARLBOROUGH HALL SCHOOL is a Jesuit, co-educational independent day school and nursery for children aged three to 11 in the heart of Derbyshire. We inspire a love of learning from the moment your child joins us. On the sports track, from the extracurricular, to the great outdoors, there’s more to discover at Barlborough Hall School.

Learning together is fundamental to the way we care for and develop children to the best of their academic abilities, as well as encouraging their extra-curricular interests. Our facilities mean children get to explore a vast range of subjects, from science in our very own lab, to swimming lessons on site.

Whilst we are always striving for excellence, our school is a place full of laughter. Every corridor, every classroom and every playground is full with

the sound of happiness. The children’s smiles are infectious and they are what make Barlborough a truly wonderful place to be.

We truly believe the best way for you to decide if Barlborough Hall School is for you, is to come and see for yourself. Discover

more at our open week from 2nd – 6th October. Register now at www.msmcollege. com or call our admissions team on 01246 810511.

PUBLISHING YOUR FIRST BOOK: A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH FOR 2023

MANY include becoming an author on their bucket lists, but their hopes get squashed by how difficult it seems. Researching, telling a story, and conveying ideas seem like a challenge in its own right. But, once the book is written, how and where do you find a publisher.

Self-publishing can be hugely rewarding. The author retains ultimate control of every step of the publishing process in a way that couldn’t be achieved with a traditional publisher. Choosing a trusted and experienced publishing house presents the perfect opportunity to combine autonomy as an author with publisher expertise. North Derbyshire-based, Bannister Publications, is a highly regarded regional publishing institution. There are many reasons why they’ve become the publishing partner of choice for local authors:

Local network: 30-year experience of publishing has enabled strong and longstanding local connections to be built

Reputation: as the publishers of Derbyshire’s largest circulation

lifestyle magazine Reflections, Bannister Publications offers a well-established platform that can help to promote the book.

Breadth of experience: a comprehensive portfolio of writers, authors, photographers, artists, and others, all with varying levels of experience, have been supported in getting their work published in a professional manner, in a variety of finished book forms.

Personal service: displaying all the hallmarks of a highly reputable familyrun business, Bannister Publications prides itself on offering a friendly and attentive service. From initial discussions to the final printing of the book, Robert Bannister, guides authors along their journey every step of the way.

Quality: the editing and design services are unrivalled locally, and the printers, who are used, serve the UK’s major publishing houses.

Value for money: Runs of small books at comparatively low prices are easily attainable – as are longer run bigger and more intricate publications.

The first step to publishing a book starts here…

Bannister Publications Limited

118 Saltergate Chesterfield

Derbyshire

S40 1NG

hello@bannisterpublications.com

T: 01246 550488

TAKE A STROLL INTO ASHOVER’S HISTORY

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SHOVER HIDES ITS INDUSTRIAL PAST WELL, but several intriguing features are revealed along this circular five-mile walk that takes in part of the village, the fascinating but little known Overton, and sections of the former Ashover Light Railway, writes Rosie

ROUTE

TURNING left out of the car park, walk past the Black Swan and along Church Street; keeping The Crispin Inn on the right. A plaque on the wall tells how the name came about when Royalist Sir Thomas Babington returned from the English Civil War after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Across the road are the Bassett Rooms, a fine stone house built in 1846 as a girls’ school; they are now the Parish Rooms. The Bassetts were manufacturers of liquorice confectionery and this was home to Miss Elizabeth Bassett who lived to be 105.

The Royalist connection is picked up again at All Saints’ Parish Church, on the right. Dating from about 1350, it was built by Thomas Babington of Dethick. There’s much to see inside, including a Norman lead font and alabaster effigies of Babington and his wife.

Turning right immediately after the Church, the route takes you along the lane and public

Gilligan.

footpath past the Old Bakehouse. The lane narrows as it passes the school playing fields on the right and Butt’s Grange on the left. Look over the stone wall on that side to see a line of stone fences – slabs placed edge to edge. It’s thought that stone was used because it was so plentiful and cheap. More of these can be seen on the walk later.

At the end of the lane cross Butts Road (B6036) and take the footpath almost directly opposite, between two houses. The path rises up and the landscape opens out as it then descends. Cross Marsh Brook by the stile bridge and join the well-defined path that leads ahead towards Butt’s Quarry.

Ashover’s characteristic geology led to it being encircled centuries ago by working quarries and mines, though little visible evidence remains now that these have been worked out and vegetation has taken over. However, the size and extent of Butts Quarry, which closed in the early 1970’s, can still be appreciated. Limestone was originally quarried here, followed later by fluorspar.

With the quarry to the left, the footpath continues straight along a narrow path and crosses the River Amber by a small bridge. The walk then continues uphill across four fields, following the footpath and passing the intriguing Goss Hall.

The last stile leads to a lane half hidden by trees. Turn left and continue for about a mile to Overton Hall, passing a number of houses and farms, including Overton Lodge. Overton Hall is clearly indicated by a stone

plaque at the gates. This house was first recorded in 1293, though its current shape, originally known as ‘high house’ dates from 1693. Through inheritance from his uncle, Robert Banks Hopkinson, the estate passed in 1792 to Sir Joseph Banks. Although best known for his botanical discoveries and the well-known story of the Mutiny on the Bounty, Banks took a keen interest in all matters of science. Along with his uncle and other landowners, he invested in the Gregory Company to extract the seams of lead under the Overton estate.

To see where the Gregory mine was sited, retrace your steps for about a quarter of a mile and walk up the footpath, indicated left. The path rises through a wood for about a third of a mile, the first part of which is laid with flagstones worn concave by generations of miners travelling to and from work, and who probably lived in the cottages close to Overton Hall.

At the point where the trees end you reach another stile. Here, there are stunning views east towards Milltown and Woolley Moor. To the west the hillside rises steeply and shows evidence of excavation and disturbance: this is all that remains of Gregory mine. The local geology made the lead difficult to extract and flooding was always a problem. To cope with this, pumping engines were installed in 1744 and 1768 at the top of the hill. In 1782 a Boulton and Watt engine was placed at Oldengine Farm on Holestone Gate Road, and between 1770 and 1775 the mine

reached its peak of profitability. The fall in the price of lead and the cost of pumping led to the mine closing in 1802.

The walk then takes a sharp turn down to the left to follow the edge of the wood, past ruined buildings and another stone fence, and into the trees. After a short, steep section, which ends with a farm on the right, the lane widens and walking becomes easier through pleasant farmland. Walk past ‘The Beeches’ on the right to join Gin Lane, coming in from the left. The term ‘Gin’ dates from when horses were hitched to a contraption used to pump water from the mines around Overton, before pumping machines were installed.

Gin Lane eventually turns sharp right but the walk continues in a straight line along a narrow footpath. Soon the trees become denser and the path enters a wood. To the left are gates into Milltown Quarry, the last surviving working limestone quarry, which closed in 2005. Originally limestone was burned to make lime for agricultural use, and was later used in iron-making and road making.

Turning left, the path now closely follows the River Amber, with Fallgate on the right.

Ignoring the bridge at Butts Pastures, the footpath carries on to reach Jetting Street. Just before this, a wooden shed and a short section of rail on the left are all

Above: All Saints’ Church, Ashover.

Overton Hall.

FACT FILE

Distance: 8 km (5 miles)

Time: About 2.5 hours

Grading: Easy to moderate.

that remains of Fallgate Station, a stop on the Ashover Light Railway. Built by the Clay Cross Company to transport minerals from local quarries to Clay Cross, the railway had a two foot gauge. It operated between 1925 and 1950 and reached as far as Butts Quarry. With several stops along the way, it also served passengers who used it for local travel and to reach the main line at Clay Cross.

More sections of rail can be seen embedded in the tarmac as the walk continues along Jetting Street. This was a spur of the railway that served the limekilns set back from the road on the left.

OS map: Explorer 269

Start: The car park at Ashover Parish Centre on Milken Lane, just past The Black Swan Pub. There are public toilets on Moor Road; the other side of the pub.

There is now a right fork, past Demonsdale Farm, which leads to a footpath alongside the Amber. Across the river, sections of the old railway embankment can still be seen. Further on the path crosses the Amber and turns up to the right, coming out on Hockley Lane (B6036). Turn left past Wheatcroft Cottage, once the home of Ashover’s famous poet, Geoffrey Wheatcroft. The next 350 yard section of road has no pavement, so caution is necessary until the sign for Ashover appears. The Old Poet’s Corner pub is on the left, and on the right is a low wall enclosing the perimeter

of what was once a butcher’s shop. Turn up Church Street and then fork right, returning to the Parish Centre.

The stunning view from the site of Gregory Mine.

INCREDIBLE DESTINATIONS Personalised Holidays to

Martins World Travel in partnership with First Class Holidays make your holiday dreams a reality by understanding what really matters to you. Whether you’re a beach lover or adventurer; a lover of history and culture or the great outdoors; at one with nature or the big city; prefer luxury or authentic; being independent or part of a group, our travel specialists will get to know what your heart most desires and create a holiday to match.

and First Class Holidays is one of our preferred partners. The perfect season for the Pacific West of Canada and Alaska is May to September when the harsh winter is but a memory and temperatures rise, as days lengthen during the short northern summer.

Guests can take a cruise to explore Alaska’s coastal mountains, glaciers, marine wildlife, and quaint towns, or take to the land and explore the vast and varied interior landscape. Whatever way you choose to explore Alaska, there’s sure to be something to satisfy all tastes and preferences.

YOU will experience superb service every step of the way –before you go, whilst you are away, and even when you come home.

Alaska and Canada both offer a spectacular holiday experience. Combine them both on a tailor-made First Class Holiday adventure, and you have the ultimate travel adventure.

The friendly members of the team at Martins World Travel have an excellent knowledge of these amazing destinations

ALASKA

Alaska is one of the world’s truly unique states in the USA with a genuine frontier feel. Alaska oozes nature’s wilderness throughout this majestic state. Glaciers, mountains, limitless forests, tundra plains, national parks, stunning rugged wilderness, and abundant wildlife offer stunning visual experiences.... and that’s just the beginning. One minute you’ll be chatting to the friendly locals in a coffee shop and the next you’ll be hearing the crack of a calving glacier.

CANADA

The western regions feature British Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon. They are noted for breathtaking

scenery, the stupendous mountain ranges including the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains, crystal clear to azure blue lakes, and a wide variety of wildlife. Four- and five-star hotels provide high standards of comfort and facilities through every selected itinerary. Specially created itineraries include rail or coach travel with knowledgeable guides. Self-drive options and city stopover add-ons are another great way of fine tuning an itinerary.

CRUISE PLUS OPTIONS WITH HOLLAND AMERICA

Guests can, if they choose, relax on superbly equipped cruise liners staffed by friendly and helpful crews. There are so many amazing sights whilst cruising the Inside Passage along the coastlines of British Columbia and southern

Alaska. Numerous glaciers can be seen, whales are ever present, and the small port towns each have a delightful and differing character. Holland America Line has been cruising to Alaska since 1947 – even before Alaska was a state! The company’s unmatched experience, expertise and insider knowledge mean that guests will experience the authentic Alaska they’ve only ever previously imagined in their dreams. Words barely describe those life-changing moments when a glacier calves, a bald eagle soars, or the sun shines on a mountain peak that fills up half the sky. Scenes of mindblowing beauty will continually thrill as the spell of Alaska takes over the inner senses. Holland America Line offers the ultimate in worldwide premium travel experiences on-board perfectly sized ships. Elegant lounges are adorned with fine art and fresh flowers; restaurants serve gourmet cuisine and delicious snacks; and the experience is wonderfully enhanced by attentive service, enrichment opportunities, and destination expertise.

ACCOMMODATION

Whether you choose an inside stateroom, an outside stateroom for a view, or one with a veranda for relaxing with a drink whilst the scenery passes by, you can be sure it will be supremely comfortable, and you’ll receive an attentive service from your cabin steward. All staterooms offer their Signature Mariner’s DreamTM bed with plush Eurotop mattress, massage showers, Elemis amenities in the bathroom, and a TV and DVD player.

ENTERTAINMENT

Guests can take their choice from lavish Vegas-style shows, vocalists and variety acts, the on-board casino, quiet bar lounges, and the

nightclub and disco. During the day, there’s the health club and spa, fitness centre, swimming pools, Jacuzzi, hot tubs, tennis, volleyball, and basketball. The youngsters are well catered for too with kids’ and teen clubs.

DINING

On any cruise, dining is a big part of the experience – and nowhere more than with Holland America Line. On all their ships, you’ll find a vast range of options from casual dining by the pool, to the formal dining room and speciality restaurants serving everything from Italian to Japanese, and from steaks to fish. Coffee shops, cafés, bars, and lounges all add to the choice and provide a perfect setting for relaxing drinks with friends.

SIGHTSEEING

A big part of any cruise holiday is the sights and experiences in each port of call. A full excursion programme is offered on each cruise itinerary and sightseeing tours should be booked directly with the cruise line – either before you travel or once on-board. Some excursions have to be limited due to the locations they visit or the facilities they use.

HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISE

PRICE INCLUDES:

• 7 nights’ accommodation in your chosen cabin grade

• All meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on disembarkation

• Entertainment on board

• Port taxes

Fine dining restaurants, spa treatments, gratuities and drinks are NOT included in prices. For the ultimate tailor-made holiday experience contact our travel experts at Martins World Travel. Our First Class Holidays itineraries are ABTA and ATOL protected.

CALL AND DISCUSS YOUR TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS WITH OUR FRIENDLY AND EXPERT TEAM 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

AN AUCTION RESULT OUT OF THIS WORLD!

By Vivienne Milburn FRICS Independent Antiques Auctioneer

& Valuer

How a routine valuation to value a wristwatch in Dronfield became

Vivienne

Milburn.

THE must-have accessory continues to make more than its face value at auction. It is the stories that go with them that appeal – whether about the lunar landings or James Bond – although some examples are more collectable than wearable, it is mainly all about style.

The enduring status and popularity of the wristwatch means they are achieving hammer prices over £10,000. There really has never been a better time to discover the value of your own watches.

The rare Omega stainless steel ‘Speedmaster Pre Moon’ wristwatch, model number 105.003-65, brought by the Dronfield client in 1967 and, despite been in a very worn condition, made £11,800 in a recent specialist auction.

It’s estimated that over twothirds of the world’s population are aware of the Omega brand. With a 160-year history, and still thriving as one of the world’s most successful timepiece manufacturers, Omega watches are more popular than ever at auction, achieving record prices.

Beginning in 1848, Omega watches have been witness to many significant historical events. In 1909, Omega was responsible for keeping time at the Gordon-Bennett International ballooning race and, in 1932, was awarded the same responsibility at the Olympics.

Omega is credited with some of the most important advances in timekeeping and this reputation, along with some distinctive styles, has led to them being worn by some of the most

famous people – and in some remarkably interesting situations.

For example, the Omega Speedmaster passed eleven tests by NASA and was the first and only watch on the moon in 1969.

The rare steel ‘Speedmaster Pre Moon’ wristwatch we have pictured, also known as an ‘Ed White’, has luminous baton markers and centre chronograph sweep hand; with three subsidiary dials for running

seconds, minutes and hours; with start/stop and reset pushers above and below the liveried crown, and engraved with the Omega “hippocampus” logo. It was presented in its original red and gold tooled case and outer card box, with guarantee booklet and card and the original warranty certificate from retailer

H.L. Brown, dated June 1965. Despite the watch being in a scratched and pitted condition, it still made £11,800 at auction. The reason for this wristwatch being so collectable is its association with the moon landings. Gemini IV became the second crewed spaceflight to lift off as part of NASA’s Project Gemini. Astronauts James McDivitt and Ed White circled the earth 66 times in four days, making it the first US flight to approach the five-day flight of the Soviet Vostok 5. The highlight of the mission was the first space walk by an American, during which Ed White floated free outside the spacecraft, whilst tethered to it, for approximately 20 minutes. Both of these accomplishments helped the United States overcome the Soviet Union’s early lead in the space race.

Below: The red liveried case in which the Speedmaster watch was presented, the instruction booklet and the Omega box in which it was sold in 1965.

a story about going to the moon, writes

Right: The rare Omega stainless steel ‘Speedmaster Pre Moon’ wristwatch, model number 105.003 - 65, brought by my Dronfield client in 1967 and, despite being in a very worn condition, it made £11,800 in a recent specialist auction.

On this mission, Ed White wore an Omega Speedmaster, model 105.003 strapped to the outside of the left sleeve of his G4C space suit. To accommodate the space suit, the watch was attached via a long nylon strap secured with velcro. When worn on the wrist, the strap could be wound around several times to shorten its length. This was the first time an Omega Speedmaster had been exposed to the vacuum of space. This model was later given the nickname the ‘Ed White’ in recognition of his historic space walk (officially described as an EVA or extra vehicular activity) on June 3.

The 105.003 was made for just a short period of time (19631969), with the majority made in 1965, before the 145.012 model was introduced and chosen by NASA to accompany the Apollo 11 mission to put the first man on the moon. The 105.003 and prior models are informally known as ‘Pre Moon’ Speedmasters since their manufacture predates the moon landings. The Speedmaster remains one of several watches qualified by NASA for spaceflight and is still the only one qualified for EVA.

In the same auction – and from my valuation visit to a home in the Hope Valley – the Omega stainless steel ‘Seamaster Professional Diver 300M’ wristwatch, which had James Bond connections, made £2,200. Dating from

circa 2006, model 2552.80.00 has a signed ‘blue wave’ dial, with luminous skeleton hands, luminous markers, centre sweep, date window and bar minute track. The link bracelet has a fold-over clasp with wetsuit extension, and was presented in its distinctive red liveried case, with instruction booklet. The example from Hope Valley made £2,200 in the specialist auction.

The Seamaster Diver 300M was first launched in 1993 to immediate success. Loved for its timeless design and ocean technology, the original timepiece marked Omega’s return to the world of diving watches, and kickstarted their notable association with James Bond. In 1995, Pierce Brosnan wore one for the first time in ‘GoldenEye’ and to date, the Seamaster and other Omega watches have now featured in nine James Bond movies. This model is still referred to as ‘the James Bond watch’.

Another well know wearer of the Omega Seamaster is William, Prince of Wales, who was given a Seamaster Diver 300M by his mother, the late Princess Diana, and is rarely seen without it.

Editor’s Note: Perhaps you also have jewellery, antiques and collectables that might be valuable? If so, it is worth getting

the advice of an Independent Antiques Valuer to assess them. For further information, please contact Vivienne on 01629 640210 or 07870 238788. Alternatively, go to www.viviennemilburn. co.uk or email vivienne@ viviennemilburn.co.uk

Left: William, Prince of Wales, who was given an Omega Seamaster Diver 300M by his mother, the late Princess Diana, and is rarely seen without it.

Above: The Omega ‘Seamaster Professional Diver 300M’ wristwatch, from a client in the Hope Valley, made £2,200 in a specialist auction. Top left: The first American to walk in space, Ed White wore an Omega Speedmaster strapped to the outside of the left sleeve of his G4C space suit.

& DRINK

Matlock and Wines: yes, it does go together!

The words Matlock and Wines sound like they are at odds – but there’s a company of that name which has a vineyard that has already produced nearly 2,500 bottles of wine. Barrie Farnsworth reports.

ONE of the highest vineyards in the country must be Cuckoostone Vineyard, just above Matlock Golf Course, at 250 metres (820ft) above sea level. It is owned by retired chartered surveyor Peter Walden and ex-teacher Andy Page, who started Matlock Wines four years ago.

The vineyard is on a steeply-sloping, south-facing plot at nearby Cuckoostone Grange, and the vines were planted in 2019 in what Andy describes as a ‘family and friends day’ – when around 30 people turned up one Saturday to plant three different

A FEW MORE CUCKOOSTONE DRINKS!

NOT only is there a Cuckoostone Vineyard in Derbyshire, but there’s a Cuckoostone Distillery too –although it’s based at Church Farm in Barlow – and it’s won a bronze award in the Great Taste Awards 2023 for its Peak Heritage Forager gin.

It’s called Cuckoostone Distillery because founder Ade Cole and master distiller Becky Morgan like to go foraging in woodland – not too far from the vineyard – that they get to via Cuckoostone Lane.

They use a mix of foraged and home-grown botanicals to flavour the spirits they produce in their three stills, two of which are repurposed 100litre beer kegs!

They have even recently collaborated with Hartington Creamery to produce whey-distilled gin and vodka.

Their award-winning Peak Heritage Forager gin costs £44 and is sold at Chatsworth Farm Shop and online through cuckoostone.co.uk

types of vine: two reds, Pinot Noir and Rondo, and one white, Seyval Blanc.

The pair, who describe themselves as ‘old fools’, had thoroughly researched what types of grape could survive – and even thrive – in a cool climate and at such altitude. Both knew they had to be patient, for there is a limited crop of grapes two years after planting – and, in the autumn of 2021, the pair harvested enough grapes to produce around 450 bottles of wine.

Not that they made their own wine – “it would cost a fortune to set up a winery,” said Andy – instead, they sought the services of one of England’s top winemakers, Martin Vickers, of Halfpenny Green Vineyard in South Staffordshire. “He has been such help to us,” Andy explained. “He’s been a real mentor.”

The two men knew that they should get a full crop three years after planting: and such was the weather in 2022 that they harvested 2.3 tonnes of grapes at Cuckoostone Vineyard – enough to make around 2,000 bottles of red, rose and sparkling wine.

“We were even able to pick the grapes before we expected to: the reds in midSeptember and the white in early October,” said Andy. “Mind you, we expect to harvest a lot later this year, such has been the weather – it could even by the first week of November before we harvest the Seyval Blanc.”

The harvest so far, thanks to Martin’s efforts in Staffordshire, has produced around 900 bottles of red wine; over 800 bottles of rose; and around 500 bottles of sparkling wine, which is not ready to drink yet as it requires two years in the bottle before it is ready.

Harvesting is another ‘family and friends’ effort – and the grapes go off to Halfpenny Green Vineyard in large plastic containers holding about 400 kilograms of grapes.

Above: The steeply-sloping Cuckoostone Vineyard high above Matlock.

Above inset: Planting the vineyard in 2019 was a real ‘family and friends effort’.

A local businessman has bought a sizeable quantity of the total, but the two men now need to find outlets to sell their wine – “as there’s too much to drink ourselves!” says Andy.

Both Peter and Andy had to go on a course at Derby College to learn how to spray their vines with an anti-mildew mixture, which they do every few weeks through the growing season, as well as weeding their 52 rows of vines regularly – but there’s not much we have to do in the winter, Andy adds.

A Google search reveals that the highest vineyard in England is Holmfirth Vineyard in Yorkshire, at 840ft above sea level – only a few feet higher than Cuckoostone!

Editor’s Note: Anyone wishing to find out more, or wishing to retail the wine, should email peter.walden@matlockwines.co.uk

Above: Two bottles from the 2022 harvest.

BROAD BEAN AND GARDEN PEA SMASH WITH TOMATO SALSA

By Stephen French, chef at Chatsworth

in Rowsley

TAKES 10-15 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

150g broad beans

150g garden peas

4 mint leaves

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Good sourdough bread

Seasoning

For the salsa:

200g of cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)

2 spring onions (finely sliced)

10ml white wine vinegar

20ml extra virgin olive oil

METHOD:

Fill a saucepan with salted water and bring to the boil. When boiling, blanch the peas for 2 minutes then drain and refresh in cold water, drain again and set aside. Follow the same process for the broad beans.

Once the broad beans are cool, peel off and discard the skins.

Place the beans, peas, mint, lemon juice and zest into a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds, season to taste and set aside.

To make the salsa

Place all the ingredients into a bowl and gently mix to combine the flavours.

To plate

Cut slice of sourdough bread, drizzle with olive oil and place into a hot pan both sides until lightly toasted. Place the bread on a plate and spread the broad bean smash over the bread. Top with a nice helping of tomato salsa and a little pinch of pepper.

Alternative serving options

Add a slice of Chatsworth cured bacon or slow roasted tomatoes on the vine.

Above: Stephen French, who has provided this lovely recipe.

Kitchen

IT’S ‘CREATIVITY UNWRAPPED’ MONTH!

SEPTEMBER is the month when thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate our fantastic history and culture. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are free to explore.

This year, the theme of Heritage Open Days is ‘creativity unwrapped’, so many places in Derbyshire are presenting the work of creative people past and present… and here are some of the highlights.

MATLOCK Moor Methodist Church, Quarry Lane, Matlock, DE4 5LG will host a feast of beautiful art, pottery, glass and textiles made by local artists who will be present to display and talk about their work on Saturday, September 9, between 11am-3.30pm, with refreshments available.

Among the artists will be textile artist and embroiderer Sarah Burgess; ceramicist Ann Bates; and glass blower Jonathan Abbott, of Lumsdale Glass; and other members of our community with skills in quilting, bobbin lace-making and crochet.

There will be an opportunity to make Christmas decorations out of clay and a colouring competition for children.

The chapel itself is a fine example of Primitive Methodist outreach in 1903, refurbished in 2018 as a welcoming and versatile community space but retaining features of its original design such as chapel hat-pegs!

Tea, coffee and cake will be available all day and soup-anda-roll at lunchtime. No booking is required for this event.

ON Sunday, September 10, Revolution House, Old Whittington, S41 9JZ will be staging a ‘Discover Joseph Syddall’ event. There will be a display of the work of artist Joseph Syddall in the village where he was born.

Syddall’s rarely-seen sketches and paintings will be displayed and you will be able to learn more about his fascinating career.

The house is open from 11am to 4pm with tours/talks at 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm and

2.30pm. These will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis and don’t require any booking. Entry to the house and garden is free, however donations are welcome.

THERE will be an Eckington Creativity Exhibition in St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Eckington, S21 4BH on Tuesday, September 12, 10am-12noon, and Saturday, September 16, 11am-4pm, with refreshments available both days. No booking is required.

It will be a display on creativity by Eckington people past and present in this beautiful church, which is the oldest building in the town. The

Joseph Gales Jr. was born in Eckington. His father, Joseph Gales Sr, was a printer in Sheffield, who was compelled to emigrate to America in 1795 because of his republican principles. Joseph Gales Jr. (1786-1860) was a journalist and the ninth mayor of Washington, DC, from 182730, the city’s only mayor born outside the USA.

display will include writers, musicians, artists and crafters. These include the radical writer Joseph Gales, who emigrated to the USA in the 18th Century and is famous there; and the three Sitwell family siblings, active in the 20th Century as writers and sponsors of art including the war poet, Wilfred Owen, and the female trumpeter, Joan Hinde, who played with many mid-20th Century big bands.

The Grade I-listed church was first dedicated in 1100 and is a mainly Norman building. It has an impressive square tower added in the mid-12th Century, with a spire added at some time in the 13th.

You can also visit the church on the evening of Thursday, September 14 to hear the bellringers in the tower and the Eckington Singers in the choir stalls and learn about these activities from their leaders. The church is open from 7-8.30pm.

There is also a guided walk on Friday, September 15, starting at 11am in the ancient church and passing some of Eckington’s architectural gems on the way to Renishaw Hall, home of the Sitwell family, for a talk by the head gardener.

A maximum of 20 people per tour/session (allow two hours including church visit and Renishaw Hall talk). Other features of Renishaw Hall (gardens, cafe, hall tour are charged) but site access, talk and museum are free.

Visit St John The Baptist Church, Tideswell SK17

8NU – otherwise known as ‘The Cathedral of the Peak’ on Saturday, September 16 (10am-4pm) to explore 600 years of local creativity.

The exhibition presents local creativity, starting with medieval stone carvings created during the building of this church; intricate 19th and early 20th century wooden carvings from the famous Advent Hunstone; and creativity over a 600-year period showcasing local artists and writers. No booking is required.

Right: This Joseph Syddall sketch is in the serialisation of Thomas Hardy’s famous novel, Tess of the Durbervilles, illustrated by various artists in a 1891 issue of the London Graphic. Sir Hubert von Herkomer (a German-born British painter, illustrator and early pioneer of film) praised Syddall for his excellent pencil drawings and proclaimed him to be ‘the best draughtsman in England’.

Right:

The three Sitwell family siblings, active as writers and sponsors of the arts, primarily between the 20thcentury world wars. From left, Sir Osbert, Dame Edith and Sir Sacheverell. Renishaw Hall has been the home of the Sitwell family for nearly 400 years. Sir Osbert gave the hall to his nephew, Sir Reresby Sitwell, in 1965.

From left, moon dust bauble, dapple bauble and oil slick bauble – all made by Lumsdale Glass.

22 Jen Brister: The Optimist (Pavilion Arts Centre)

24 Phil Wang: Wang

OCTOBER

1 Crooners

3-7

27 Alfie Boe 

28 The One Like Judi Love

28 Grayson Perry: A Show All About You 

30 An Evening with The Hollies

OCTOBER

1 BB With Love 2023 

5 Big Girls Don’t Cry 

BOX OFFICE: 01142565656

www.sheffieldarena.co.uk

SEP

9 Steelers v Nottingham Panthers

16 Steelers v Cardiff Devils

23 Steelers v Coventry Blaze

30 The Reytons 

OCTOBER

1 Steelers v Cardiff Devils

Other Events

SEP

8-17 Wirksworth Festival. One of the most vibrant showcases for contemporary art

GREAT MUSIC IN THE PEAK

THE Peak Music Society’s exciting 2023-24 season opens on Wednesday, September 27.

Peak Music’s aim from its beginnings back in 1968 was to bring the best musicians from Britain and further afield to play to audiences in the Peak District.

The founding members wanted the society, which is now a registered charity, to become the northern equivalent of Wigmore Hall, London’s world-renowned chamber music venue. It is no coincidence that very many of the players who have graced the stage of the Cavendish Hall, Edensor, have themselves performed at the Wigmore Hall and such is the case in the forthcoming season.

It starts on September 27 with an ensemble not seen every day, namely a trombone quartet, and an allfemale one to boot. Bones Apart have been together for over 20 years and have appeared throughout the world.

OPEN GARDEN DAYS

COXBENCH Hall, Alfreton Road, Coxbench will be open for the National Garden Scheme on Sunday, September 10 from 2.30-4.30pm.

The former ancestral home of the Meynell family, its gardens focus is on organic and wildlife friendly themes. There is a tropicalstyle garden, ponds, hostas and vegetables growing next to the 18th century potting shed.

There is fantastic wheelchair access to most of the garden, so a great choice for anyone with mobility issues. Dogs on leads are welcome, too, and children visit for free.

There will also be refreshments and plants for sale.

Yew Tree Bungalow’s garden at Thatchers Lane, Tansley, will also be open on Sunday, September 10 from 11am-4.30pm. This beautiful cottage garden contains many unusual trees, shrubs and perennials. There’s a vegetable and fruit garden, and a shade area planted with a wide range of ferns.

Admission is £5, children free. Dogs on leads welcome to visit.

Bringing the garden-visiting season to a close in Derbyshire is ‘Holmlea’, Derby Road, Ambergate, which is open on Saturday and Sunday, September 16

Their wide-ranging programme for the Cavendish Hall mixes music from as early as the 12th Century to Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell and songs from the film Calamity Jane. A memorable evening is guaranteed.

On October 18, there is a performance by the Jervaux Singers at Cavendish Hall. As the name suggests, the group is based in North Yorkshire and tours widely in the UK, performing sacred and secular choral music as well as opera extracts and solo songs.

Their programme includes operatic favourites from the likes of Mozart, Bizet and Verdi to the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, “Some Enchanted Evening”.

For lovers of the guitar, the November 7 concert by Peter and Zoltan Katona – jointly known as the Katona Twins – should be an absolute treat. They move effortlessly from strictly classical into more contemporary styles, including flamenco. The Times newspaper commented that Peter and Zoltan “know how to make a good show” and they have performed in front of packed arenas across Europe. Details of the society’s 2024 concerts will feature in the January edition.

and 17, from 12noon-5pm each day. There’s a large, productive kitchen garden and interesting features across the one-and-a-half acre garden including a riverside walk along the Derwent with creatures and features for younger visitors to spot. Late season colour is provided by salvias, asters and dahlias.

Home-made teas will be served from ‘The Pavilion’, and admission is just £4, with children admitted free. Dogs on leads welcome too.

that you’ll find in rural England. During our Art & Architecture Trail Weekend, the entire town becomes a gallery with over 150 artists and designers exhibiting and selling their work in more than 70 venues. It is the perfect way to meet artists, buy affordable art and take a look inside some of Derbyshire’s most exquisite homes.

9-10 Shardlow Inland Port Festival 2023. A weekend of family fun and entertainment featuring a “Floating Market” and Historic Working Boats, market stalls, live music, fairground attractions, food and drink.

9 Tapton Lock Festival. The free annual event is organised by Junction Arts and Derbyshire County Council, with the aim of bringing families and friends together to enjoy the outdoors, promoting better health and wellbeing. There’s outdoor theatre, music and dance, arts and crafts workshops, stalls, ‘have-a-go’ canoes, boat rides and much more. Family favourites such as the brilliant bubbleologist, circus skills and climbing wall will return but there’ll also be some new entertainment for 2023 including performances and workshops from Bollywood dancers, African drummers and the Babbling Vagabonds Magical Market Stall!

9 Derby Pride at Markeaton Park. There will be live music, acts, and DJs on the main stage; a vibrant market area featuring local small

Continued on 96

Above: Coxbench Hall garden is open on September 10.

Left: The Bones Apart trombone quartet. PicturebyJonCox.

10 to 18

businesses, charities and other organisations offering support and information to the community; food and drink vendors; and a family area for kids of all ages. Derby Pride is a safe place for the LGBT+ community to celebrate being their true selves and to have a fun time

Chesterfield Canal Walking Festival. The fourth Chesterfield Canal Walking Festival will take place between Saturday 10th and Sunday 18th. It is believed to be the biggest event based on a single canal in the country. There are 36 walks on offer varying from a couple of miles to the full 46 miles of the canal over three consecutive days. You can find everything on the Trust’s website – just search for Chesterfield Canal Trust. The walks must be booked in advance either online or by ringing 01246 477569. All are free except those that involve a boat trip.

16-17 Derbyshire Woodland Festival 2023. An annual celebration of traditional and contemporary woodland crafts.

BLAIR DUNLOP RETURNS TO HIS ROOTS…

SPITAL Arts are proud and delighted to welcome Chesterfield’s Blair Dunlop for a long-awaited return. Blair recently made a brief appearance at Stainsby Folk Festival supporting his mum, Judy Dunlop, to much acclaim from the audience.

Blair is an award-winning British singersongwriter and guitarist, and has released four albums, two EPs and toured around the globe – all this in a short five-year career!

There is also a unique appearance from Jonathan (Rude Not to) Dellicour. He is one of the famous Belgian Spireites, a group of loyal Chesterfield FC supporters. As Rude Not to, Jonathan has recently produced a very successful album, ‘Why Chesterfield’, dedicated to the town and its football team! Jonathan has agreed to travel all the way from Brussels for this gig, with some of the Belgian Spireites cheering him on!

Jonathan has been a guitarist and composer for nearly 30 years. His favourite style is fingerpicking. The Why Chesterfield? album

WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO SEE ‘50 YEARS A REBEL’

WE have a pair of tickets to give away to see Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel at Buxton on Friday, December 15.

The band celebrated their 50th anniversary last year and the celebratory shows were such a joy that Steve is taking the band out again later this year to mark ‘50 Years A Rebel’.

For Steve, life on the road is more than just a job: it is almost his life’s blood. He said, “Just over fifty years ago, in early 1972,  I progressed from London busker, regaling the tourists with an acoustic version of ‘Sebastian’ and other Human Menagerie tracks, to Cockney Rebel popster, determined to forge a unique furrow, full of the self-confidence of young manhood.

“The original Cockney Rebel was formed out of Beckenham Arts Lab and drummer Stuart Elliott’s bedroom in Pimlico. We played our first gig as support to the Jeff Beck Group at the Roundhouse, London. Since then, I haven’t really been off-the-road in five amazing decades.

“The song ‘Sebastian’ took on a whole new life when an orchestra and choir were added for our first album, and ‘Judy Teen’ in early 1974 turned us into bona fide, Top Of The Pops stars. Still a wandering minstrel, I wouldn’t have it any other way."

These very special shows in December will include songs from the vast Harley Songbook, including the legendary ‘Make Me Smile’.

Rod Stewart, who covered Steve’s song ‘A Friend For Life’, describes him as “one of the finest lyricists Britain has produced.”

TO WIN THE PAIR OF TICKETS, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: Q

Where was Cockney Rebel’s first gig?

Send your answers by email to barrief@bannisterpublications. co.uk, making sure you include your name, address and telephone contact details, by September 21, 2023.

Tickets to the Buxton show are available from https://www. thegigcartel.com/Artists-profiles/ Steve-Harley-Cockney-Rebel. htm or from the Opera House.

is on Spotify, Bandcamp, etc – simply go to https://rudenotto.lnk.to/whychesterfield

Don’t miss this fantastic event at St Leonard’s Church, Spital S41 0HA. Tickets £15 from spitalarts@gmail.com or 01246 220741

It is a brilliant day out for all the family. At Elvaston Castle Country Park, Borrowash Road, Derby.

18 Chesterfield and District Local History Society. Phil Tooley talk on “Spireites, from Saltergate to Sheffield Road, a Chesterfield FC Chronicle” at the Lecture Room behind St Thomas’ Church, Chatsworth Road, 7pm, parking on site.

22-23 Derby Feste 2023. This year’s compelling programme features a host of world-acclaimed and up-and-coming international and UK artists who will bring the city centre streets to life with contemporary and unique music, dance, street theatre and large scale installations.

29 - Oct 1 Derby Folk Festival. There are concerts in The Old Bell Hotel Derby from Friday evening to Sunday evening, and these will be sold as a small number of “Weekend Tickets”, and then “Individual Concert Tickets” – giving people the opportunity to come to as little, or as much, of the festival as they choose. Alongside this will be free music and dance on the streets of the Cathedral Quarter. For more information visit: www.derbyfolkfestival.co.uk

Blair Dunlop.

Steve Harley – still on the road with Cockney Rebel.