Reflections Magazine October 2023

12,22,32,34,70 Countywide News

All that’s been happening across Derbyshire in words and pictures

16 An ex-soldier carving out a new career

Tools passed down the generations are helping a Chesterfield man make wooden dog beds, as Fiona Stubbs discovers

22 Chance to win three great guidebooks

A competition that could win you three great Derbyshire walking books

28 A right royal car is on display at Ambergate

An award-winning classic car museum now displays a car with one very special royal owner. Barrie Farnsworth reports

44 Rob Hattersley: The man with a Vision for Hospitality

Mike Snow meets a finalist in Derbyshire’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award

50 Property of the Month

A stunning five-bedroom detached home in Brookside

52 Photographer of the Month

It’s Andy J Gill – and what an enchanting picture he’s sent us

58 Fashion

Can we forget fast fashion when the autumn sales are upon us?

62 Is this the best drive in Derbyshire?

Reader Barry Regan offers a stunning route from Wirksworth to the Upper Derwent Valley

66 Puzzle page (including the cryptic crossword)

72 Spotlight on the Arts

People are asked to share their memories of pop culture in and around Chesterfield

74 Yes, bananas can grow outside in ‘tropical’ North Wingfield!

It’s true – and we have the picture to prove it!

78 Out & About

David Blackburn’s walk this month goes alongside a river, several lakes and an unsrestored canal!

80 An ‘isolated’ pub the police tried – and failed – to close Philip Cousins, of the Brimington & Tapton Local History Group, uncovers the fascinating history of The Canal Tavern

84 Antiques: From earth ‘to where no man has gone before’

Our expert valuer Vivienne Milburn goes from terra-firms this month to exploring the outer reaches of the universe

86 Derbyshire’s many structures of ‘great historic interest’

Barrie Farnsworth looks at some of the Grade II* structures in the county, from a greenhouse to a pump house

REFLECTIONS MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

Distribution:

E: distribution@bannisterpublications.co.uk

90 Focus on Food & Drink

October is National Cholesterol Month and also contains National Curry Week – and we have a stunning vegan recipe from a top local chef

94 What’s On

Our comprehensive guide to forthcoming events across Derbyshire and beyond in October and early November

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: John Green, of Harding & Green, who makes dog beds. Find out more about him and his business on P16. PicturebyHelenRowanPhotography.

Countywide News

Partnership, an equity investor that’s part of Lloyds Banking Group and has supported the construction of more than 7,500 new homes across the UK since 2016.

Stancliffe Homes is a family-run business and its Tansley development is called Bentley Walk, which will include a full range of home types, including bungalows, semis and detached houses with up to five bedrooms; as well as six affordable homes.

In this, its first collaboration with Housing Growth Partnership, Atelier has structured the finance for the scheme in an innovative way. It will enable Stancliffe Homes to complete and sell some of the 47 homes while others are still under construction.

‘Freewoman’ honour for Millie

DERBYSHIRE County Council has agreed to bestow one of its finest awards – a Freewoman of the County – on the England caption, Millie Bright.

Born in Chesterfield, Millie grew up in Killamarsh and was a Killamarsh Junior School and Eckington School pupil and first played for the Killamarsh Dynamos.

Millie led the national team to the final of the recent World Cup, where they were beaten by Spain. She played for Doncaster Belles and Sheffield United’s women’s team before joining the Chelsea squad. A defender, her senior international career began in 2016.

The formality of conferring the title upon the World Cup star will take place on a date to be agreed.

Unique loan funds homes development in Tansley

THE development lender Atelier is to provide a £12.1m loan to the Chesterfield-based developer Stancliffe Homes to enable it to build 47 new homes in Tansley.

The finance will be provided alongside an investment from Housing Growth

Sam Jones, director of Stancliffe Homes, said: “Atelier’s unique approach to development finance for house builders has been a breath of fresh air.”

Top accolade for local burial ground

nothing special about them, but some, a precious few, are truly outstanding, and Woodland Burial Company is one of them.

“The team at Granville’s Wood are unsung heroes doing a magnificent job, and the people of Chesterfield and beyond deserve to know this. Bereaved people need to do their very best for their loved one when it comes to the funeral, and to do this they deserve to know what outstanding options they have available at Woodland Burial Company.”

Beccy Edgar, Woodland’s Families & Funerals Manager, says: “I’m really proud of the whole team for this award. The review really reflects our values and how important they are to how we operate.”

Woodland Burial Company – whose website is www.woodlandburialcompany. com –operates Granville’s Wood as an environmentally positive burial ground, restoring the pine plantation to a more natural, thriving woodland.

Honorary titles to former councillors

THREE former councillors have been honoured for the service they have given to the borough of Chesterfield.

Former councillors Alexis Diouf, Terry Gilby and Christine Ludlow received the honorary title of Alderman and Alderwoman at a council meeting last month.

CHESTERFIELD burial ground

Granville’s Wood has been named one of the UK’s best burial grounds following an assessment by the Good Funeral Guide CIC, an independent consumer advocacy organisation.

In its review of Woodland Burial Company, the Good Funeral Guide says:  “Those whose lives have ended are peacefully interred here, in the beauty and the majesty of the tree-filled landscape, but it is the people who grieve and mourn who have created a community here, carefully supported by the small team of staff who look after both the woodland and the people connected to it.”

The Good Funeral Guide accredits select burial grounds according to strict criteria. Woodland Burial Company has been inspected to ensure that clients are treated with courtesy, listened to with empathy, charged fairly and empowered to play whatever part they want in creating a send-off for the person they have lost.

Fran Hall, CEO of the Good Funeral Guide CIC, says: “Choosing a burial ground can be very difficult It’s a choice that none of us want to have to make. Many options are bleak, unappealing places that have

Alderman Diouf served as a councillor for 16 years. He was also Mayor in 2014 and had a very successful year raising money for his chosen charities.

Alderwoman Ludlow was first elected as a councillor in 1991 and served until 2023. She also held office as Mayor in 2007.

Alderman Gilby was first elected to the council in 1987 and served until 2023. He served as Mayor of Chesterfield in 1999.

Honorary Alderman or Alderwoman status is the second-highest honour the council can bestow, after the Freedom of the Borough.

Above: England captain Millie Bright – about to become a Freewoman of Derbyshire.

Above: A computer-generated image of what some of the homes at Bentley Walk, Tansley, will look like.

Above: From left, Alderwoman Ludlow, Alderman Diouf and Coun Tricia Gilby, who collected the honour on behalf of Alderman Gilby.

Shop in style at the Chesterfield 1940s Market!

Residents and visitors to Chesterfield can enjoy themselves during half term as the annual 1940s market returns for 2023.

TAKING place on Thursday 2 November between 10am and 3.30pm, visitors can enjoy 40s music, entertainment, exhibits and meet the stall holders in period dress.

Kalamazoo dance

band will once again be back by popular demand performing throughout the day in New Square. Be sure to bring your dancing shoes and join in the fun! The weekly flea market will take place in the market place with traders in 1940s costume.

There will be a competition for the best dressed stall and visitors are encouraged to get into the 40s spirit by dressing in period costumes. Entertainment includes a variety of 1940s singers located around the town centre and even an escapologist. There

will also be a display of classic cars, a vintage fire engine and a full-size replica spitfire. Chesterfield Museum staff will also be attending in 1940s costume with handling objects from their WW2 education box. This free event is not one to be missed!

AS a small child, John Green spent hours in his great-grandfather’s workshop. Captivated by the smell of freshly-cut wood, the feel of cool, sharpened chisels and the endless possibilities for new creations, he’d set to work alongside Hubert Harding.

Now, after a career in the army, John’s life has come full circle as he returns to traditional carpentry methods in his own business, Harding & Green.

“I was always creative – interested in making things, learning how they were put together and doing things differently,” says John, who lives in Chesterfield.

He specialises in producing hand-crafted,

EX-SOLDIER JOHN’S CARVING OUT A NEW CAREER

Heritage skills and tools

high-quality dog beds – with the name Harding & Green linking back to his early days of woodworking. “My great-grandfather lived in Dorset and had a workshop – a little bolthole at the end of his house – where he made wooden sculptures,” John recalls.

“Hubert worked in a saw mill and had lost part of his finger in a saw mill accident – which, as a young child, always intrigued me.

“I’d spend hours tinkering and whittling scraps of wood in his workshop. He’d give me a piece of wood and some really sharp chisels and basically told me to chop away at the wood –much to my mum’s consternation!

Above: John’s great-grandfather, Hubert Harding, with some of his carvings.

“Hubert’s sculptures were quite naïve – inspired by what he saw around him. There’d be a robin perched on the end of his shovel, a horseman jumping over a hedge, a cricketer…

“After he died, his daughter Esther Jeanes – my grandmother – shared his carvings around the family and, when she found out I was launching this business, gave his tools to me. They’re still in great shape and I use them in my work – it’s a special link to the past.”

John’s grandfather, Alfred Jeanes, was another influence in his future career.

John Green of Harding & Green. All pictures by Helen Rowan Photography

–passed down the generations – are creating a new range of creature comforts, as Fiona Stubbs discovers.

“Alfred also had a workshop – but that was more mechanical and introduced me to mending machinery,” he says. “I’d always wanted to join the army, so I joined the mechanical and engineering side, which allowed me to pursue my interests. After training at a military engineering school near Reading, I went on to work with electro-mechanical equipment, including tanks and unmanned air craft.

“I served in Canada, Germany, Oman and Kosovo and really enjoyed life in the army, which was spent mainly in engineering workshops or in the field, fixing tanks and other equipment.”

After leaving the army, John married and had children and worked in various roles – including a furniture making business.

“That was straight back into a workshop environment,” adds John. “It was hard work but I really enjoyed it and learned so much. Just to be around the smell of wood when you’re cutting it – and knowing you’re producing something from raw material is very special.”

He went on to help produce wooden playhouses and to refurbish furniture –but it was the arrival of family dog, Bryn, which inspired new levels of creativity.

“We were always looking for a suitable dog bed,” he says. “We found cushions and plastic tubs but Bryn just kept dragging them around and they never looked particularly nice or comfortable.

“A dog is more than a pet – it’s an

extra character in the house and people want the best for their dog. When we couldn’t find a high quality, functional and aesthetically pleasing bed for Bryn, I decided to make my own.

“I just sat down and sketched some designs. I decided to use solid oak as it’s hard-wearing – they used to make Royal Navy ships with it – and because it’s beautiful to work with.”

Harding & Green has a range of four dog beds with names inspired by Derbyshire and the Peak District – The Beeley, The Eyam, The Barlow and The Rowsley.

John and his wife, Lisa, carefully researched fabrics for cushions, eventually choosing hedgehog, bee, dog, sheep, chicken, rabbit and pheasant designs for the cushions, which are made by local seamstress Shelley Chapman.

“We wanted to produce a full package, including made-to-measure cotton cushions to perfectly fit each bed,” explains John.

“Lisa has a good eye for colour and design and was instrumental in finding just the right rustic feel. Lisa also makes blankets, which are proving very popular – for both dog beds and people!”

John’s workshop is at a farm on the edge of the Peak District National Park. “I’m based in a former cow shed which I whitewashed and fitted out,” he says. “It’s an amazing place to work, with dogs, horses and chickens, all surrounded by countryside. It’s idyllic. It’s only recently that I realised I’ve returned to doing something that I really love.”

John and Lisa have developed their own range of natural furniture polish to help customers keep their dog beds –and other wooden furniture – in peak condition.

“We looked around for polishes before deciding to make our own. We set about making it in the kitchen… there was a lot of cleaning up to do after the first attempt!” laughs John. “We

The ultimate in comfort for a pooch!

Above: John and his wife Lisa have developed their own range of natural furniture polish to help customers keep their dog beds – and other wooden furniture – in peak condition.

tried different formulas and different percentages of wax to oil – and introduced essential oils of lavender, lemongrass and sweet orange. It works really well.”

Wooden dog beds are becoming more popular with owners, in both aesthetic and eco-friendly terms. “One of the advantages of wood is its durability,” explains John. “Wooden beds should last for years, with a little maintenance – especially those built with traditional carpentry methods. Wood can withstand knocks and bumps – and actually look better for it.

“There are potential health benefits as wood is natural and non-toxic, while a bed with a slotted bottom allows air to circulate, keeping everything fresh and dry. It could also help the dog to regulate its own body temperature, especially important on the hottest days.

“For us, it’s important for dogs to be surrounded by natural materials –wood maintained with natural polish and cushions made of cotton.”

John wants to keep all aspects of the

business as local as possible. Cushions are made by Shelley Sews and Solves; the Harding & Green branding was designed by Kelly Sheldon of 13 Bends Design; promotional leaflets were produced by Kirsty Barber at The Copy And Print Centre and photography is by Helen Rowan. All are based in Chesterfield.

Harding & Green has also been showcased at local country shows during the summer. John says: “I’ve been blown away with the enthusiasm of visitors to the shows. It’s given me so much confidence in what we’re doing.

“People were really interested in how I make the beds. It’s very tactile – they wanted to touch the wood and cushions. It was a new experience for us, but other stall holders were really helpful, too.”

Conversations at the shows also led to some new ideas. “After talking to people with older dogs, we’re starting to make dog steps to help them into their beds, onto sofas etc,” says John. “We’ve also been asked for other shapes and sizes of beds, including cat beds.

“Our creations have created conversations which, in turn, lead us to greater creativity.” Editor’s Note: To find out more about the company, go to hardingandgreen.co.uk

“People were really interested in how I make the beds. It’s very tactile...”

Above: John Green uses his great grandfather’s chisels. Below: John puts the finishing touches to a dog bed.

CHANCE TO WIN THREE TOP WALKING GUIDEBOOKS

CICERONE Press – the leading publisher for walking guidebooks – has offered fantastic prizes for readers, as well as a discount code for the purchase of certain books.

The publisher is offering the winner of our competition THREE guidebooks – Walking in Derbyshire and two of their Walking in the Peak District books, White Peak East and White Peak West – and two runners-up will each receive the Walking in Derbyshire guide.

All you have to do is answer the simple question below:

Q: What is the highest peak in Derbyshire?

Email your answer to barrief@ bannisterpublications.co.uk by November 14, 2023 – and the very best of luck!

For over 50 years, Cicerone Press has been your go-to guide for exploring the great outdoors. The team there is proud to be the leading publisher of guidebooks for walkers, trekkers, climbers and cyclists, covering destinations in Britain, Europe, and beyond.

With nearly 400 guidebooks to choose from, each pocket-sized and complete with crystal-clear maps and expert advice, the

The Screen on the Green

LOUNDSLEY Green Community Centre (pictured below) is a real hive of activity, with lots of groups and organisations basing their activities at the hub.

Always looking to extend their offer, the centre’s board recently decided to “test the water” with a community film screening.

They’ve decided to start with a lighthearted comedy called ‘Three Day Millionaire’ that centres around three Grimsby trawlermen who find their livelihood has been sold from under them.

Tickets are priced very reasonably at just  £4, and include a cuppa before the action starts on Thursday, November 23. Refreshments are served from 6.30pm and the film begins at 7pm.

To reserve and pay, please email secretary@lgct.org.uk as soon as possible.

publisher have everything you need to plan your next adventure. From the most iconic hikes to off-the-beaten-path trails, Cicerone guides offer something for everyone. Their authors are experts in their field, and their love for the mountains and countryside they write about shines through in every page.

Cicerone Press has set up a discount code – reflections20 – for the three books mentioned above, which will give all readers 20 per cent off the price of the guidebooks, and their eBooks, bought only through the publisher’s website, cicerone.co.uk

The Walking in Derbyshire guidebook (£12.95 before discount) contains 60 easy or moderate circular walks of between

New members always welcome

BAKEWELL WI continues to thrive, with a variety of speakers at its meeting on every third Tuesday of the month. In fact, a varied programme has already been created for 2024, which may include a gin distillery visit!

The WI enters Bakewell Carnival every year to raise funds (you may have seen its members dressed royally this year); and has a charity market stall in Bakewell Market as well as at the Methodist Church.  ‘Pot Luck suppers’ are a favourite of members as well as the New Year’s meal out.

The aim of Bakewell WI is to be a force of good in the community; enjoying each other’s company and always welcomes new members and visitors.

If this is something that you would like to be part of, come along to The Friends’ Meeting House, Bakewell, on the third Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm; or contact Rashelle on 07912314972 for further details.

Trip to Germany

A group of Chesterfield u3a members have recently returned from an actionpacked visit to  their partner organisation

2.5 and 9.5 miles. The Walking in the Peak District: White Peak East book (£12.95 before discount) contains 42 halfday or day walks in an area including Matlock, Wirksworth and Bakewell.

The other volume, Walking in the Peak District: White Peak West, (again, £12.95 before discount), describes 40 walks in the west of the Peak District in Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire.

Remember, the discount only applies to those items purchased through the Cicerone website. No subsequent discounts can be applied to an order if this discount is applied; and Cicerone reserves the right to withdraw or amend this promotion at any time.

in Darmstadt. The tour included visits to Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Mannheim, the Merck visitor centre and a cruise on the River Main from Miltenberg.

An invitation was extended to the Darmstadt hosts to visit Chesterfield in 2025.

Below: Chesterfield U3A members enjoyed a day trip to Mannheim in Germany.

WARD’S SHOES: The local company with the world at its feet!

FAMILY-OWNED and steeped in history, Wards Shoes has gained an enviable reputation both far and wide for providing quality footwear and unparalleled personal service to its ever-growing band of loyal customers.

Earliest records show that Welford House in Bakewell was home to a shoe shop at the time of Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee in 1897. That makes a grand total of 126 years of supplying the people of Bakewell and beyond with quality footwear products.

Wards Shoes began in 1954 when Eric Ward started selling shoes at Bridge Street in Worksop. Eric’s son Steven joined the business in the 1970s and his wife Jane became an integral part of it later. Now in its third generation, the business is currently run by Steven and Jane’s niece, Alison, alongside her husband, Justin Mansfield.

Wards Shoes displays all the hallmarks associated with an independent, family-run

business: an unrivalled depth of stock and knowledge, premium quality brands, and a level of service that’s second to none.

“We pride ourselves on selecting the top manufacturers providing the very best in ladies’ and gents’ footwear,” said Justin.

“Our brands of women’s boots and shoes include Rieker, Gabor, Josef Seibel, Fly London, Caprice, Ecco, and Pikolinos, whilst the gents are especially well catered for with brands such as Rieker, Skechers, and Josef Seibel, to mention but a few. And, what I believe sets us apart from other shoe shops is the vast depth of stock that we carry. We have a massive choice of stock in store to ensure that our customers will very rarely leave disappointed.

“Each season we look for new and exciting products to offer our customers the latest innovations in comfort and style – something you can’t always find on major high streets. We hope our collection leaves visitors to our shop spoilt for choice.”

Many of the staff have been with Wards Shoes for a good

number of years, thus making sure that the traditions of excellence in customer service are maintained. The Bakewell members of staff include Jane, Sally, Tracey, Kay, Gill, Sally, and Claire, all of whom are well versed in the art of unobtrusive, yet attentive, individual care, service, and attention. Customers are always afforded the time to browse at their leisure and offered advice with fit, styling and brands. Launching the website in 2022

was an exciting new chapter in the Wards Shoes’ journey. The unique collections are now available to order on the webiste anywhere in the world.

34 Matlock Street, Bakewell, DE45 1EE t: 01629 812993

36 King Street, Belper, DE56 1PL t: 01773 822643

www.wardsshoes.com

FOR EVERY WALK OF LIFE, WARDS SHOES IS THERE TO HELP ITS LOYAL CUSTOMERS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

‘Royal’ car on display at Ambergate

ACAR with one very special royal owner is the latest to arrive at the award-winning classic car museum in Ambergate.

A custom-built Middlebridge Scimitar No 5, which was previously owned by HRH Princess Anne for 35 years, has gone on display at Great British Car Journey.

The dark green car left the Nottingham factory on December 13, 1988 and was delivered to the Princess Royal. It was the last of eight Scimitars that she owned over 52 years.

Among its distinctive detailing, the car features a unique bonnet emblem – a silver female jockey on a horse. The unique mascot was presented to the Princess Royal following

her performance in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, where she competed on the late Queen Elizabeth II’s horse ‘Goodwill’.

The car remained in the Princess Royal’s ownership until very recently. It was stored at her country estate, Gatcombe Park. Despite having 114,000 miles on the clock, the car is in remarkable condition, even boasting its original exhaust.

Unfortunately, due to personal security reasons, Her Royal Highness has been unable to drive her cherished Scimitar No 5 for a number of years. Keen to preserve the car, Princess Anne agreed to the purchase

The Middlebridge Scimitar No 5, custom-built for Princess Anne. All pictures courtesy of Great British Car Journey.

Princess Anne with the Scimitar at Gatcombe Park.

Left: The Princess Royal’s car had a unique bonnet emblem – a silver female jockey on a horse. The mascot was presented to HRH following her performance in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, where she competed on the late Queen Elizabeth II’s horse ‘Goodwill’.

of it by Middlebridge Scimitar enthusiast and classic car collector Kohji Nakauchi.

Mick Gaughran, chair of the Middlebridge Enthusiasts Scimitar Set (MESS), explained: “Princess Anne loved the car. She was incredibly sad to part with it, but agreed to it on condition that it would be sympathetically restored. The car had been incredibly well looked after and needed minimal work. It is simply stunning.”

The car was given its ‘minimalist’ restoration work by marque specialists, with all conservation works agreed with Gatcombe Park. “The cars have galvanised steel chasses and fibreglass bodies, so they don’t rot,” added Mick.

Following its conservation, Middlebridge Scimitar No 5 has been loaned to Great British Car Journey. It is now on display in the museum’s 150-strong collection, complete with its original personalised number plate – 1420 H. The number plate has since been returned to the 14/20 Hussars, who originally gifted it to HRH on her twentieth birthday.

The car is now one of a number of historically-significant cars on display in the Ambergate museum, including Lord Baden Powell’s Rolls-Royce.

Richard Usher, founder of Great British Car Journey, said: “I am incredibly grateful that Great British Car Journey has been chosen to display this historically-significant car. Not only is it an Eighties classic, the car also has an illustrious history and Royal provenance and is a wonderful addition to our exhibition.

“It is an absolutely stunning example of a Middlebridge Scimitar and is testament to the Princess Royal’s care for the vehicle that it is in such a good condition, after 114,000 miles of, no doubt, enthusiastic driving!”

The former owner of Middlebridge Scimitar, Kohji Nakauchi, a classic car enthusiast and collector, was there for the handover of the Scimitar No 5 to Great British Car Journey. He said he was “very honoured” to see the car on display in the museum.

Princess Anne’s first Scimitar was a joint Christmas and 20th birthday gift in 1970 from the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. HRH’s personalised plate was a 20th birthday gift from the 14/20 King’s

Hussars, of whom she is Colonel-inChief. The number plate was used on all Princess Anne’s Scimitars.

The car was specified with 5-speed manual transmission, econo-drive cruise control, headlamp wipers, sapphire green pearlescent paint, a black velour interior and a car phone.

Princess Anne’s scimitar is the only Middlebridge Scimitar to feature wipers on the front headlamps. HRH was not only a Middlebridge Scimitar owner but was also active with the Middlebridge Enthusiasts Scimitar Set (MESS).

After Reliant ceased production in 1986, the rights to the design were bought by the now defunct Middlebridge Engineering, which designed and built her final Scimitar at its Nottinghamshire factory. She officially opened the new factory in Beeston in 1988.

Only 79 Middlebridge Scimitars were built, and all but two can be traced today by MESS. Editor’s Note: To view opening times and purchase discounted entry tickets to the attraction, visit www.greatbritishcarjourney. com. Book Drive Dad’s Car driving experiences at www.drivedadscar.com

Lord Baden Powell’s Rolls Royce is also on display at the Great British Car Journey.

As well as the Rolls Royce insignia, Lord Baden Powell had the scouts’ motto, Be Prepared, on his bonnet.

“I am incredibly grateful that Great British Car Journey has been chosen to display this historicallysignificant car.”

The continuing success story of H&F

The Beginning

Hi, I’m Phil, the owner of H&F Furniture and I’d love to tell you a little bit about my pride and joy and how it all started.

From a young age, I’ve always been interested in furniture and design, so I embarked on a furniture design degree at Leeds University. After graduating, I wanted to put my academic studies to full use in practice, so I took the leap and started up my first business. This was an extremely exciting time, as I got to see my vision, dreams, and drawings turned into products and delivered to happy customers.

I teamed up with my incredibly talented wife and we set up the H&F Furniture showroom in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. We wanted to create a company which focused on our love for interiors and quality design. H&F Furniture has now been successfully running for over 10 years, and to this day, we still pride ourselves on our strong family ethics and offering the highest levels of customers underpinned with uncompromising integrity. We firmly believe in making quality, handmade rustic style farmhouse furniture, that’s built with passion and care.

The Showroom

Our three-floor showroom is established in an old corn mill in the centre of Chesterfield next to the coach station.

We would love to welcome you to browse our range of hand-crafted furniture at your leisure (maybe pausing for a cuppa and a slice of cake in our coffee shop), or to take an up-close look at a piece that’s taken your eye.

All three floors are bursting with an eclectic mix of desirable delights - in fact, the vast

majority of products from our dining, living, bedroom and office furniture ranges take pride of place on display.

Beautiful bespoke kitchens…

We also design, make and instal high quality handmade English kitchens. Every bespoke kitchen is custom made in our Derbyshire workshops by a team of the finest cabinetmakers and draughtsmen, all of whom have a passion for their craft and an expert technical knowledge.

With over two decades of making and designing kitchens, we really have mastered the art of the prfect bespoke kitchen. Our experienced kitchen designers and cabinetmakers will work hand in hand with you every step of the way to create your dream kitchen, built to last a lifetime.

The Future

We are so proud of how far we’ve come. We’ve grown substantially over the years and now deliver our furniture and interiors on a national scale, with frequent trips to London and the south of England. However, this expansion hasn’t affected our quality and we still remain focused on our Derbyshire

roots by ensuring that we always provide that local touch and quality service.

At H&F, we don’t just make furniture, we turn houses into homes as well as turning your interior dreams into realities. Whatever you need for your home, we can help. From furniture to paints, wallpapers and quirky accessories, everything is available either online or in-store. Also, if you are looking for that custom made piece that you just can’t find anywhere else, please feel free to get in touch. We would be delighted to make something unique for you.

My wife and I look forward to seeing you in the showroom soon.

H & F, 4 New Beetwell Street, Chesterfield, S40 1QR

T: 01246 277797 E: sales@handf.co.uk

www.homeandfurniture.co.uk

“At H&F, we don’t just make furniture, we turn houses into homes as well as turning your interior dreams into realities.”

‘Shell-abrating’ a crayfish rescue

A SERIES of major translocations of white-clawed crayfish have successfully taken place at sites across Derbyshire to protect the endangered species.

Working with partners at The National Trust, The Woodland Trust, AECOM, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has coordinated the relocation of native, white-clawed crayfish which are under threat from the non-native signal crayfish.

Hundreds of the native species have been moved from lakes at Kedleston Hall and Calke Abbey to ‘Ark’ sites at secret locations in Derbyshire.

Building on last year’s success at Kedleston, a novel approach has been taken to collecting the white-clawed crayfish using a ‘drawdown’ technique. Brooks at Kedleston and Calke were drained and redirected for a short period to entice the white-clawed crayfish out of their burrows. Further collections are planned at both sites so that more crayfish can be moved to ‘Ark’ sites.

The species has been in decline since American signal crayfish got into UK waters in the 1970s. Signal crayfish are bigger and stronger than the whiteclawed, can feed on them, out-compete them for homes and food, and carry a disease fatal to the UK species.

Before being transported, health checks were performed on the crayfish

to ensure they were ready for the move. eDNA sampling was also carried out by the Environment Agency to ensure there were no signs of crayfish plague or American signal crayfish.

Kath Stapley, project lead at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Despite ongoing conservation efforts, sadly it is only matter of time before the signal crayfish downstream make their way into the lake systems at Kedleston and Calke Abbey and eventually wipe out this protected species.

“We had successful translocations at Kedleston and Ashover last year and we are excited to be carrying out four more translocations this year. We want to remove as many of the white-clawed crayfish as possible and take them to sites where the threat is much lower.”

Stephen Wright, of the National Trust, said: “We are delighted to take part in this important project to conserve the UK›s only native freshwater crayfish. The more efficient drawdown technique employed within our lakes, ensured over 200 whiteclawed crayfish were collected at Kedleston and almost 600 at Calke last month.”

Louise Hill, of the Environment Agency, said: “With so few populations remaining, we must do what we can to preserve the endangered native crayfish. They play a vital role in keeping our waterways healthy, so it’s important we take action to ensure their survival in the River Derwent catchment.”

Couple trade in UAE heat for life in Derbyshire…

AFTER trading in their rented apartment in the United Arab Emirates, a couple have returned home to a new property at Harron Homes’ Holmewood development, Thorpe Meadows.

James and Gladys Thomas spent 12 years in the Middle East, including in Abu Dhabi, where they worked as head of brand operations and marketing executive respectively.

County council’s £46 million ‘forecast overspend’

DERBYSHIRE County Council’s Cabinet on September 21 approved a report that specified a range of cost-control measures, in order to reduce that forecast overspend of £46 million in the current financial year.

Council leader, Coun Barry Lewis, said: “This is not a bankruptcy situation, far from it. However, this is a difficult situation and we must rise to the challenge. We are taking immediate action to control our spending.”

The cost-cutting measures include:

A recruitment freeze – although some jobs will continue to be filled where they are essential, such as social care frontline positions; Reducing overtime worked by employees; Delaying any contracts not yet signed; Postponing any projects still in the planning stage

The budget gap comes despite £29.6 million of council reserves being used to try to balance the books, and after £55 million was used to balance the budget in the last financial year.

A report has blamed the shortfall on inflation and increased demand, particularly in adult and children’s social care, which together are responsible for more than £20 million of the shortfall.

“We loved the Middle East, but after 12 years abroad, we wanted to move back to the UK,” said James. “My mother and siblings live in Chesterfield, so this development was perfect.

“Yes, we loved the heat and the glamour of the UAE, but honestly we’d really started to crave that English rural feel,” he added.

Gladys, who’s from the Philippines, hasn’t previously lived in the UK, but she’s fallen in love with the diversity of the English seasons and the woodland walks surrounding the development.

“It’s wonderful to see the variety of colours and weather patterns throughout the year. I never even seen snow in real life, so for me, it’s all magical!”

Thorpe Meadows consists of three and four-bedroom homes, with prices starting from £199,995.

Above: On the move from its home in the lake at Kedleston Hall!

Above: James and Gladys Thomas outside their new home in Holmewood.

Natural Earth Products

NATURAL EARTH PRODUCTS lies in the heart of the Peak District, surrounded by stunning countryside, with views of Froggatt and Curbar Edges down to Chatsworth House. Why not pay a visit to our beautiful showroom, a family-owned and run

business, established for nearly 20 years. We supply high-quality natural stone and wood flooring; bespoke, handmade Derbyshire stone fire surrounds and woodburning/ multifuel stoves.  Whether you are doing a full-scale home renovation or simply updating a tired room, there is something to suit all tastes.

Our natural stone tiles and wood flooring ranges have been carefully selected to add beauty, warmth, and charm to your home. We offer a wide variety of sizes, finishes and colours, so please visit our showroom to see the most up-to-date range, as we are constantly updating our displays.

If you would like an alternative means of heating in this time of rising energy prices, come visit our showroom, where we have a wide range of beautiful stoves catering for both traditional and contemporary homes. Our customers are provided with endless possibilities for their projects.

For a limited time only our Farmer’s Cottage limestone (featured) has 10% off, making it just £54m², inc. VAT (while stocks last). Nationwide delivery is available.

Opening hours are Monday – Friday 09.00-17.00, Saturday 09.00-13.00.

Facebook: Natural Earth Products

Instagram: @naturalearthproducts

www.naturalearthproducts.co.uk

T: 01433 631333

Crowdfunding campaign to restore waterpower at historic mills

CROMFORD Mills, a unique site of rich historical and technological significance, is embarking on a remarkable journey to bring the power of water back to its heart.

This iconic Derbyshire site played a pivotal role in shaping the Industrial Revolution as the first successful waterpowered cotton spinning mill in the world.

Now they plan to bring waterpower back, harnessing the original energy source to help power and sustain this Grade I-listed site.

The restoration project includes the installation of a new 5-meter diameter water wheel and a 17kWh hydro turbine and water source heating system. By utilising the original water course, this system is expected to generate approximately 20-25 per cent of on-site electricity. This will help reduce the site’s carbon footprint and address the challenges posed by rising energy prices.

Round-robin event winners…

IT was success for John Turner and Philip Robinson, winners of the annual Robinson Bowls Doubles Trophy, which this year was held on Chairman’s Day in late August.

This round-robin event pairs experienced league players with newer members to give everyone a fair chance of winning the coveted trophy. The experienced player, who plays in Robinson ‘A’ teams, is club treasurer John Turner; while Philip Robinson (no relation to the Robinson company) has completed his first season with the club.

Runners-up were Edwina Mansell and Marilyn Blackwell.

For more information about playing crown green bowls at Walton Dam, check out Robinson Bowls Club on Facebook.

Hotel guests ‘positively impact’ local economy

RESEARCH has found that guests staying at Premier Inn Chesterfield Town Centre, located in the former Co-op department store on Elder Way, are each spending, on average, £79 a night in the local area.

Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hospitality business and owner of Premier Inn, carried out the research. It found that Premier Inn guests typically spend £137 externally on items such as entertainment, with £79/night (56 per cent of the total spending) being spent in the local area within which

their chosen Premier Inn is located.

The comprehensive study by Whitbread involved surveying more than 12,600 Premier Inn guests staying in 357 Premier Inn hotels across the UK.

Alex Flach, UK Development Director in the UK & Ireland for Whitbread, said: “From shopping to sight-seeing, local dining to local drinks, this analysis shows the positive economic impact of Premier Inn hotels on local economies.”

The 92-bedroom hotel, located on the upper two floors of the former Co-op store, was opened in 2019.

The ground floor of the building was transformed into eight large units, and there are currently a number of leasing opportunities available. Joint agents for Elder Way – WSB Property Consultants and FHP – are now marketing the units at food, drink, entertainment, retail and clinical operators.

The project has been made possible thanks to the generosity of the Green Entrepreneur Fund, Severn Trent Community Fund and local businesses including Vaillant Boilers and Twiggs.  However, with rising costs, the Mills has a funding gap and is looking for your support to complete the project.

“We are on a mission to restore the power of water to Cromford Mills,” said Eilis Scott, CEO of the Arkwright Society. “With your generous contributions, you’re not just supporting a water wheel; you’re powering education, preservation and innovation.”

Cromford Mills has set an ambitious fundraising target of £60,000 to complete the installation by November 2023. Every donation, regardless of size, is a step closer to realising this vision.

To make a donation, visit the crowdfunding page at https://www. crowdfunder.co.uk/p/cromford-waterpower-project. Supporters can choose from a range of bespoke rewards as a token of appreciation for their contribution.

Above: The trophy is presented by club chairman Geoff Mitchell (centre) to John Turner (left) and Philip Robinson (right).

Above: The Premier Inn Chesterfield Town Centre, on Elder Way.

Above: Cromford Mills wants to bring waterpower back to the site.

BRANCHING INTO BEDROOMS

Owned and managed by husband-andwife team, Dave and Helen Oxley, and ably assisted by daughter Charlotte, 1st Class Kitchens has built up an enviable reputation locally for designing and fitting premium quality kitchens. Whilst they have taken on bedroom installations in the past upon the request of satisfied customers, this latest move represents a statement of intent that bedrooms will become an integral and important part of their business.

A bespoke fitted bedroom can make all the difference in day to day living. With any space, storage capacity can be maximised through design and an assortment of mechanisms and pull-outs to ensure all garments and possessions are kept organised and easily accessible. No matter the scale or complexity of the vision, 1st Class Kitchens can offer a bespoke solution.

“Made-to-measure fitted wardrobes are our speciality,” said Helen. “Carcass wardrobes are the default option as they offer the best quality, construction, and overall internal and external aesthetic. Designed with solid 18mm panels, as well as internal top, bottom, side, and back panels, this method of wardrobe construction creates a “full carcass” that covers all flooring and walls, offering continuity and craftsmanship that fits seamlessly with individual storage requirements and design needs. Our carcass wardrobes are all constructed using 18mm thick materials to ensure the fitted storage solution is strong, stable and can stand the test of time.”

Designed to suit every lifestyle, the fitted bedrooms from 1st Class Kitchens are made-to-measure and fully customisable. They offer various styles from traditional to contemporary with hundreds of options to customise, including exterior and interior colours and handles. The furniture can be made from solid wood, acrylic, or vinyl to suit individual preference. The range of styles, such as handleless and shaker, colours, finishes, and modifications are almost inexhaustible. Mirrored doors and glass doors may feature according to individual taste and preference.

Fully fitted wardrobes, drawers, and soft furnishings are skilfully incorporated into a design to maximise space, efficiency, and

modern living needs. Dave oversees every installation - from initial consultation to final fitting. Every single customer is offered unrivalled personal service and can view and modify an expertly configured CAD design.

Dave is keen to point out that 1st Class Kitchens can cater for the full range of tastes, budgets, and lifestyle needs. “We tailor each project to suit the distinctive and unique needs of each individual customer. This can come down to price, space available, and generic preferences.”

Kitchens of high quality and distinction

In response to overwhelming customer demand, Chesterfield-based 1st Class Kitchens has taken the logical step of diversifying into supplying and installing fitted bedrooms.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FlameCare has a better plan!

WHEN it comes to boiler and central heating maintenance plans, FlameCare can justifiably claim to have put together a better plan.

In the unfortunate event that the boiler breaks down or there’s a leak, FlameCare’s service and maintenance plan means that customers are fully taken care of. With a superfast response, FlameCare’s team of highly experienced engineers always get to customers on the same day that the issue is reported. This includes Christmas Day and all bank holidays!

FlameCare stocks a huge range of boiler parts for all appliances, so customers can rest assured that they won’t have to wait for parts to come through the post to get their heating back online. FlameCare’s

engineers always try to be as flexible as possible.

FlameCare’s boiler care and maintenance plans are exceptional value for money, and all include the annual service, 24/7 call out, parts and labour guarantee, a free initial service worth £85,

unlimited call outs, no excess, no minimum contract, and a price guarantee for the first 12 months. And if all this wasn’t enough, FlameCare generously donates the first month’s payment of any new plan to Ashgate Hospice!

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

“FlameCare stocks a huge range of boiler parts for all appliances, so customers can rest assured that they won’t have to wait for parts to come through the post to get their heating back online.”

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.

Rob Hattersley: The man with a Vision for Hospitality

‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award

BEING the son of former restaurateurs and local wine merchants, John and Diane Hattersley, Rob was always destined for a career in the hospitality industry.

A former pupil of Lady Manners School in Bakewell, Rob started his hospitality career working in his parents’ wine bar, Aitch’s in Bakewell, before being employed as a chef and manager in various roles and operations.

“When I was 18, I went to work in France as a chef for six months,” said Rob. “I did a Hospitality Management degree at Manchester University and got on the graduate scheme at Pitcher and Piano and progressed with them for three years.”

Having enjoyed stints in management roles with the company in Southampton, Bristol, and Newcastle, Rob had a two-year spell as a Beverage Operations Manager for Royal Caribbean International.

Mike Snow meets the man behind Longbow Bars & Restaurants Ltd and a finalist in Derbyshire’s latest

Rob Hattersley sitting outside the Ashford Arms, which has been acquired by Longbow Bars & Restaurants Ltd, and is due to open early in 2024 after structural work and renovation.

Picture by Tom Hodgson.

Part of the restaurant at The Maynard at Grindleford.

“At the time, I decided on a complete change of scene and worked throughout the fleet including Royal Caribbean’s biggest ship, ‘Oasis of the Seas’. This enabled me to see the world and gain invaluable experience at the same time. I don’t regret it for one moment. After a couple of years, though, I wanted to make my life on dry land again.”

Rob then took over a large bar and restaurant in Nottingham with remarkable success, and then spent three years at The Farmhouse at Mackworth, Derby. At the time, he boasted over 20 years’ experience under his belt, having managed restaurants, bars and kitchen operations all over the world.

Throughout his epxerience, Rob became frustrated that many hospitality businesses would always put profit before anything else, often leading to negative customer experiences and low staff morale. Rob’s vision took on the completely opposite stance. He desperately wanted to create hospitality

businesses which were people-led, people-focussed, and people-inspired.

“Most businesses are looking for increased productivity, increased turnover, increased profit, and the inherent growth which comes with it. However, they try and achieve it in a back-to-front fashion. My philosophy is to start with the staff. Your people are the ones who drive the business forward. In some ways, the staff are more important than the customers, because if they’re happy it will follow as a matter of course that the customers will follow suit.

“A recent report from Deloitte suggests that employers see a return of £5.30 on average for every £1 invested in staff wellbeing, so it’s never been timelier to prioritise staff.”

Since embarking on running his own business, Longbow Bars & Restaurants, Rob has been wholeheartedly committed into putting his philosophy into practice: “My aim has been to put people at the

forefront of my business and create a career path for them where they can flourish, progress, and grow as people.

“Nothing excites me more than seeing one of the apprentices paving their way forward to becoming successful in one of the senior positions. This gives me a real buzz.”

With the George Hotel in Hathersage and The Maynard at Grindleford currently experiencing an exponential upturn in footfall and business growth since Rob’s arrival, there seems to be plenty of evidence that Rob’s refreshing ethos has some legs.

“Leah Bancroft has recently been nominated on the shortlist for ‘Apprentice of the Year’ with the East Midlands Chamber,” said Rob. “Seeing Leah progress and achieve career growth gives me unbridled satisfaction. I have personally been nominated for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’, but Leah’s achievements make me even happier. Furthermore, the awards which reflect the whole team’s combined

Above: Leah Bancroft of Longbow Bars & Restaurants Ltd is on the shortlist for ‘Apprentice of the Year’ with the East Midlands Chamber. She will know whether she’s won in November.

Lots of space to relax in at the rear of The Maynard.

The courtyard at The George at Hathersage.

efforts and commitment are the most satisfying of all. For example, we are also on the shortlist for two more awards: ‘Excellence in Customer Service’ and ‘Commitment to People Development’. We are investors in people and believe that the best talent comes from within.”

Staff development emanates glowingly throughout the entire Longbow operation. Seven years ago, Josh Butler was a ‘food runner’; today, he’s a General Manager of Longbow’s newest acquisition. Josh attained the ‘Young Achiever’ accolade at the Derbyshire Tourism Awards. Six years ago, Stephen Atkinson was a Deputy Manager; nowadays, he fulfils the role of Group Operations Manager. Both the current General Managers started as Assistant Managers – Charlotte Barker at The Maynard and Alice Houghton at The George.

Longbow Bars & Restaurants pride themselves on achieving a balance of providing premium quality food at affordable prices, delivered by happy staff who are committed to excellent customer service. All these ingredients make for a success story complemented with comfortable interiors and a relaxed ambience in buildings full of character and charisma.

“We are busy at The George and Maynard every day of the week,” said Rob. “The George is brimming with customers and

serves up to 300 guests every single day; and, similarly, The Maynard is often packed on Mondays. I’m a coeliac myself, so catering for all dietary requirements is close to my heart. Many of our meals are gluten-free and we take great pride in offering an eclectic selection of plant-based options. Healthy food can be equally delicious!

“As a Peak District lad, nothing brings me greater pleasure than breathing life into unviable hospitality businesses in my home county,” added Rob. “Longbow only uses local Peak District suppliers – a move that has gained recognition in various hospitality awards such as East Midlands Business Awards, Visit Derbyshire and Peak District Awards and The National Wedding Awards, where The Maynard was awarded best wedding venue in East Midlands two years running, taking the national runner-up spot in 2022.”

Starting his own business was not plain sailing for Rob, however. He opened The Maynard just six weeks before the first lockdown, having sold his home to fund

the sale. “There was no point in cursing our luck,” said Rob. “We had to devise ways of treating this like an opportunity rather than a setback. Therefore, we sorted out an enticing take-away menu, and embarked on a programme of renovations and refurbishments.”

Upon reopening after the second lockdown, The Maynard, which caters for weddings up to 130 people, has a 110-seat restaurant, a bar, and 19 bedrooms, enjoyed 66 per cent growth, putting the team in a position to open The George at Hathersage in late 2021.

Following continued consistent growth, despite a rapid increase in costs, Longbow Bars and Restaurants Ltd is currently ready for a third venue to complement the achievements of The Maynard and The George, as Rob explains: “The Ashford Arms at Ashford in the Water will look strikingly different than before, as it has undergone necessary structural work and a complete re-design of the restaurant,” said Rob. The Ashford Arms is expected to open early in 2024.

Rob concludes: “We aim to tick all the boxes with our premium pub experience, whether visiting the Peak District as a tourist, seeking a pint with friends, a romantic date night by the fire, or a lively gathering with loved ones.”

Property of the Month

Mullbery House

Chatsworth Road, Brookside, Chesterfield

• Stunning Executive FIVE-BEDROOM DETACHED FAMILY RESIDENCE set over three floors

• Gas central heating (new combi) and uPVC double glazed. New Roof 2021 and completely re-rendered with a 5-layer self-clean silicone

• Absolutely exquisite ultra-modern dining kitchen

• Exquisite refitted 4-piece family bathroom

• Extensive south-facing rear landscaped patio and gardens extending to just under 1/2 acre - excellent for outside social entertaining

• Within Brookfield School catchment

• Principal bedroom with balcony/dressing room and refitted ultra-modern en suite

• Extended blocked paved driveway for several vehicles and single garage with new electric door and electric car charger point

• Refitted utility/cloakroom/boot room with raised ceilings and Velux windows.

CONTACT US

Wards Estate Agents: 01246 233333 wardsestateagents.co.uk

Offers in the region of £1,125,000

Photographer of the month

PHOTOGRAPHER: Andy J Gill Photography TITLE: ‘Enchanted’

IMAGE LOCATION: Peak District

PHOTOGRAPHER’S DESCRIPTION: This long exposure image is taken in a magical location deep in a woodland at the heart of the Peak District National Park. It is hidden away on the edge of Beeley Moor, I came across it recently and it enchanted me from the first moment I saw it. I will no doubt return many times throughout the seasons, and soak in the tranquility of this beautiful place. This image and the rest of the ‘Enchanted Woodland’ collection can be found on my website: https://1-andyj-gill.pixels.com/ Instagram: @andyjgill_photography

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.

on the recent move!

THE recent move to offices within the Market Hall in Chesterfield town centre has been the catalyst for growth for Reflections magazine.

Established in March 1992, Derbyshire’s largest-circulation lifestyle magazine is flying high after its relocation a month or so ago.

The last few issues of Reflections have seen the magazine increase in size to 100 pages with a noticeable upsurge in advertising and editorial.

Brimming with contemporary and historical articles about the local area, and buoyed by property, dining out, walks, ‘what’s on’, fashion, antiques, crosswords, news, and all manner of interesting contributions, Reflections is your first point of call for all things local.

And there’s great news for people wanting to get hold of the magazine! Reflections is now readily accessible from the south-facing entrance opposite Low Pavement from its own generic stands just inside the Market Hall.

Further revamps are on their way, as exciting times lie ahead for this dynamic and popular publication.

Office 2A, Market Hall, Chesterfield, S40 1AR

T: 01246 550488 www.reflections-magazine.com

A celebration of the history of the village of Elton and neighbouring hamlet of Gratton, ‘Echoes of Elton’ is a fascinating and captivating read appealing to anyone who has a fondness for the local area.

Edited by Lynn Burnet, has drawn the content from a collection of articles previously appearing in the ‘Elton Echo’, a quarterly publication produced continuously since 2005.

Both the settlements of Elton and Gratton boast a history stretching back over a thousand years, of

which a few random snippets are attractively presented in this lavishly illustrated and interesting book.

With over 40 articles written by a diverse selection of local and aspiring wordsmiths and writers, the book has a special appeal to residents, former residents, and visitors alike.

‘Echoes of Elton’ is available from: www.bannisterpublications.com//bookstore

THE GOVERNESS TAKES ON CHESTERFIELD PANTO!

Magic, mystery, and mayhem await audiences to Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel Theatre this December when producers Paul Holman Associates return with a sumptuous and spectacular offering of the pantomime Aladdin. The chase is on for tickets as The Chase star Anne Hegerty is to headline in this spectacular Christmas production.

Instantly recognisable as The Governess from ITV’s long running, multi-award-winning teatime TV programme, Anne Hegerty is a firm favourite with millions of fans of The Chase, both in the UK and Australia. She has also appeared in I’m a Celebrity, Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Take Away, Loose Women, This Morning and Celebrity Juice, to name just a few of the popular programmes.

The quizzer and TV personality will be bringing her governess greatness to the role of empress! As the character responsible for allowing Aladdin to marry, she’ll be going

head-to-head with the hero of this pantomime and encouraging him to be a cash builder!

Born in Cardiff, living in LA and flying into Chesterfield for Christmas, actress Jo Osmond will be delighting audiences as she joins the cast in the role of Spirit

With over 25 years’ experience in TV and film, Jo has appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Disney’s Dumbo, Snow White and the Huntsman and Dr. Who. She currently portrays various characters in the Star Wars Universe, including playing the popular Gonk droid in the Mandalorian TV series.

Hugely recognisable from presenting and hosting, Nigel Clarke is due to take control of the magic carpet as he stars in the title role of Aladdin.

The versatile presenter and performer, well-known for Cbeebies The Baby Club and The Toddler Club, also founded the award-nominated Dadvengers Starting in 2020, the podcast offers support and resources for fathers and attracts over half a million listeners.

Britain’s Got Talent semifinalist Tony Rudd brings his mimicry to the role of Wishee Washee. The comedy impressionist and talented voice over artist was a huge hit with the BGT judges when his unforgettable Minion routine had audiences on their feet with their vote of approval!

Once more, the Winding Wheel stage will be transformed to allow for a big production, with sumptuous scenery, dramatic lighting and of course, the essential magic carpet. Lavish costumes will add additional sparkle and with a snappy script, modern choreography and music, Aladdin is packed with everything Chesterfield audiences love from their panto!

Running from the beginning of December 2023 until 2 January 2024, tickets for Aladdin are on sale now at chesterfieldtheatres. co.uk/panto

“…she’ll be going head-to-head with the hero…”

JO OSMOND

ANNE HEGERTY

NIGEL CLARKE

TONY RUDD

Autumn Sales: FAREWELL TO FAST FASHION?

Can we forget fast fashion while autumn sales are with us?

LAST month, our fashion editor Amy Norbury told us to forget fast fashion – and buy things that last. But the fashion retailers are understandably keen for us to keep on buying new items – and many of them have launched sales or new collections to tempt us.

Leading the way is Marks & Spencer, who have launched a massive autumn sale. Hundreds of products from womenswear, menswear, children’s clothing and more have dropped in price.

Among the items that have dropped markedly in price is a Printed Pleated Midaxi Skirt, which is down to just £18.

1. Tencel Rich Belted Utility Jacket, £37, White Stuff.

2. One of the items in Michelle Keegan’s new Very collection on Instagram.

It’s time to buy boots, of course, and M&S have dropped the price of its Chunky Chelsea Ankle Boots by £25. You cannot move on the high street without seeing sales signs – and we noticed that this Tencel Rich Belted Utility Jacket was down from £75 to £37 at White Stuff.

Last month, the Rita Ora x Primark collection was released in stores across the UK. The singer’s clothing collection covers everything from dresses to jeans, coats and boots. There has been a lot of interest on social media around Rita

Ora’s collaboration with the fashion retailer.

Also last month, actress Michelle Keegan shared her new Very fashion collection with her Instagram followers.

And fashion was thrust into the political arena last month by the Liberal Democrats, whose deputy leader Daisy Cooper suggested that we should levy a 1p tax on every new item of clothing in a bid to tackle fast fashion.

“Fundamentally, if you think about how many items of clothing people buy a year, I can’t imagine anyone is going to end up spending 50p over the course of one year. It’s a very, very small tax, with a view to then raising funds to help with clothes recycling,” Ms Cooper said.

“We do have a problem in this country with fast fashion and this is just one way in which we might be able tackle it.”

3. Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper, who has suggested we impose 1p tax on every new item of clothing we buy.

4. Printed Pleated Midaxi Skirt, down to just £18 at Marks & Spencer.

5. Chunky Chelsea Ankle Boots, Marks & Spencer

THE BEST DRIVE in Derbyshire?

In a roads feature in our August issue, we asked readers to offer their best drives in the county – and we have selected Barry Regan’s route as the one to use here.

Barry says: “Having driven these roads, and worked in the Peak District over many years, I was inspired by the roads article to compile this drive which, I believe, is the finest in Derbyshire. Best regards to all at a fine magazine.”

S Wirksworth market place, left onto B5023 towards Cromford. As you drop down into Cromford, there are views of the Matlocks, Riber Castle and Willersley Castle.

1

Cromford traffic lights, left onto A6 and go through Matlock Bath. High Tor cliffs to the right and cable cars above. Continue on A6 through Matlock and Darley Dale towards Bakewell.

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At Rowsley, turn right onto B6012 towards Baslow. Views of Chatsworth House, pass Edensor village. As you top the hill, rocky Baslow and Curbar Edges are on the skyline.

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At Baslow, join A619 towards Sheffield and Chesterfield, then at the next roundabout, go onto the A621 towards Sheffield. Road runs through open moorland. Big Moor

on left hand side has a large wild deer herd.

4 Owler Bar, left onto B6054 towards Fox House. Open views of moorland.

5 At junction with A625, turn right towards Sheffield briefly, then left onto A6187. Views of Burbage valley, across Longshaw Estate and the hill fort of Carl Wark.

6 At Fox House, turn left on A6187 towards Hathersage. After one mile, reach “Surprise View” with Kinder Scout on the skyline.

7 Continue on A6187, through Hathersage and Hope to Castleton. Drive through the village, then head up the Winnats Pass unclassified road. Spectacular limestone gorge and various show caves.

Barry’s route takes us past Masson Mill on the A6.

Barry’s route takes us past the picturesque village of Edensor. Picture by Simon Hampton.

Looking down from High Tor onto the A6 as it approaches Matlock.

Picture by Lorraine Baker.

8 At the top of Winnats Pass, turn right, then after a quarter-mile turn left, then after another quarter-mile turn right uphill towards Edale. Mam Tor now towers over you, then the Edale Valley opens up, with Kinder Scout on the horizon.

9 Continue winding down to Edale, then along the Edale Valley with Kinder Scout and Win Hill to your left and “The Great Ridge” to your right. At Hope, turn left onto the A6187 again, towards Hathersage.

HEAD HOME NOW – OR ENJOY AN OPTIONAL SCENIC DRIVE TO THE UPPER DERWENT VALLEY.

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At the major junction south of Bamford, turn left at the traffic lights onto the A6013 towards Bamford. Climb to Ladybower Reservoir.

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At the junction with the A57 (with traffic lights), turn left towards Manchester and Glossop.

After half-a-mile, turn right onto the dead end road to get to Fairholmes visitor centre. On Sundays throughout the year, and Saturdays and Bank Holidays from Easter until the end of October, the road

beyond Fairholmes is closed to motor vehicles to provide a more relaxing environment for walkers and cyclists.

4 Continue – if you have picked the right day – beyond the visitor centre, up past Derwent Dam and then Howden Dam to the “King’s Tree” at the end of the road. The tree was planted by King George VI in 1945. The road winds into re mote country. It passes the site of Birchinlee (or ‘Tintown’ as it was known), built to house the workers who built Howden and Derwent dams over a century ago.

The end of the road at the King’s Tree in the Upper Derwent Valley.

Barry’s route heads up Winnats Pass on the way to Edale. Picture by Patrick Mastin.

The A6187 winds down to Hathersage after passing ‘Surprise View’.

We drive past the Fox House inn on Barry’s route.

ACROSS

1 Played and delivered the water (5)

4 An inch saved in restructuring our own Henry ‘Hydrogen’ (9)

8 Overcrowds a record loss of promises (4)

9 Wok label soaked off in High Peak moorland (8)

12 How the alloy was mixed in the village (8)

13 The pro who comes back in on a cloudy hill? (6)

16 Tolstoy’s leading the big cat, say? (3) 17 Breams to dry out for county kickers (5,4)

19 It’s excessive also (3)

21 Ash-tray ruined with hospital? It’s lower near Ripley (8) 26 Rugby, off to a bad start, is a bit dirty (6)

27 Hamlet, where gin takes its place in a crazy world (8)

30 Long Rake stones found in resort (or Barlow!) (5,3)

31 Encamps, without men having head gear (4)

34 Twist the dyke West of Belper? (9)

35 Arithmetic Richter Scale providing a stand (5)

Pitcherwits

DOWN

1 All the kip he could snatch at festival location: why not? (8)

2 A VIP lion installed at Matlock Bath mining museum (8)

3 Quietly downed the plans of a watering hole (7)

5 Love that strange little rodent! (4)

6 Loafer is badly riled (5)

7 When do changes become a Moor? (6)

10 Tree for this Wednesday? (3)

11 Tell the story of a rare ant attack (7)

14 Oh my, what a piece of resistance (3)

15 Codes from a troubled psyche, right? (7)

18 Stationary part of whiskymaking process? (5)

20 Be more significant than a huge two, I suspect (8)

22 Arm to be twisted, like a Derbyshire flower (5)

23 Yang leader emerging, in many instances (3)

24 Hag sat about looking shocked (6)

25 Twisted tubercular lute removed near Calver (6)

28 Go down with sauce (3)

29 Laugh with a car horn? (4)

32 Rainbow back from the aircraft’s hold (3)

33 Jump that has kinetic energy in it (3)

Name: ...........................................................

Address: ..................................................

ACROSS

9 False god is an old one, alas! (4)

10 Nags about a problem (4)

11 Thick-skinned one treated with iron in hospital (5)

12 Pass around the watering places (4)

14 Genuine appeal of a low tide (4)

DOWN

3 Adjudicator, bound to host the ball (3)

4 How to treat the little eyes, say? (3)

6 Empress Maude, not content with identity of Malta (7)

7 Have to be browned off? (3)

13 Dairy product with accompanying melody? (3)

16 Idaho’s first lady (3)

17 For one who’s not an amateur? (3)

1 For a loafer who’s a bit cutting in the kitchen? (10)

1 Ear begins to take a bashingbetween Russia and US (6,3)

5 Mob rioting with gusto, in wellies! (8)

2 Fishy types with degrees? (7)

15 A pair of aces played in flying room (8)

8 Sweetened fruit type of fairy, eh Tchaikovsky? (9)

.................................................................. Telephone: ..................................................

We will give a prize of £25 to a randomly-drawn correctly completed crossword. Cut out the completed puzzle and send by October 18, 2023, to: Bannister Publications Limited, Office 2A Market Hall, Market Hall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 1AR. The solutions for the September 2023 crossword can be found on page 97 of this issue.

18 No room for compromise, as botulism is neutralised (10)

10 Mended speed with least said (7)

free puzzles at pitcherwits.co.uk

Crossword by Prof Rebus

ACROSS

CRUISE DIFFERENTLY IN A WORLD Waiting to be Explored!

There

Martins World Travel is pleased to present one of its favourite cruise companies, Fred. Olsen Cruises - a family-owned business providing high standards of comfort, quality, and value. A firm favourite with the Martins World Travel cruise specialist staff and clients alike, the Fred Olsen Experience certainly stands out and guarantees an unforgettable cruise holiday experience.

SMALLER SHIPS WITH UNRIVALLED PERSONAL SERVICE

Because ships are smaller, the members of the crew are able to get to know the guests personally and to understand what they like. Staff pride themselves on the warm and attentive personal service they offer. Without doubt, people are central to the specialness and distinctiveness of a Fred. Olsen cruise.

BEST ITINERARIES

Journey planners put so much consideration and pride into crafting itineraries afresh every single year, because they want guests to sail the most imaginative routes and to visit the world’s most wonderful destinations at the very best possible times to experience them. Spectacular and breathtaking experiences include visiting the Azores when the Perseid Meteor shower streaks

the night sky, Mumbai during the Holi Festival, and the coast of Canada during the largest migration of Humpback whales on earth. For this reason, Fred. Olsen Cruises have been awarded Cruise Critic’s ‘Best Itineraries’ for five consecutive years.

SOLO TRAVELLERS

Cruising with Fred. Olsen is perfect for solo travellers. The smaller ships are easy to navigate and offer a warm, welcoming, and friendly atmosphere. It is easy to meet, get to know, and make friends, as guests explore the world with like-minded guests. As a solo traveller, it’s so easy to feel right at home on a Fred. Olsen ship. Friendly, smiling crew will greet you, make you feel welcome and do everything they can to ensure you settle in and relax.

FRED. OLSEN SHIPS

Bolette This flagship vessel proudly bears the name of Fred. Olsen’s Great Grandmother, Bolette, thus maintaining a historic connection to the Olsen family. Exuding classic, elegant

style in her exterior and interior design, and featuring spacious and comfortable public areas, this ship has just 690 cabins.

Borealis Sistership of the Bolette, Borealis is ideally suited for enjoying scenic cruising of the world’s lesser-known waterways. Borealis features a wonderful series of lounges, bars, elegant restaurants, and wide-open deck spaces, as well as 702 beautiful cabins and suites.

Balmoral The smallest ship in the fleet has wonderful facilities - six beautiful restaurants, seven bars and lounges, two pools and lovely wide-open decks which are perfect for when Balmoral is scenic cruising. Her smaller size is a huge asset when it comes to creating itineraries that go off the beaten track and into less visited ports and waterways.

is much that sets the experience of a Fred. Olsen cruise apart. But nothing more so than its people. As Mr. Olsen himself says, “It’s all about the people. All of it, everything”

FRED. OLSEN CRUISE EXAMPLES: WORLD

CRUISE

5TH JANUARY 2024

DEPARTING FROM LIVERPOOL TO SOUTHAMPTON, 103 NIGHTS, BOREALIS.

PRICES FROM: £15,399 per person

Spend three days on Florida’s coast, where sun-kissed beaches and the Kennedy Space Station are among the many attractions. Guests can encounter wildlife in the rainforests of Costa Rica; revel in local cultures and volcanic vistas in Hawaii; and find bliss among the paradise islands of French Polynesia. Diverse landscapes, famous vineyards and scenic waterways are yours to experience in New Zealand, while iconic landmarks and natural wonders such as the Great Barrier Reef await you in Australia. Highlights on the Asian leg of your voyage include rarely-visited Alotau in Papua New Guinea, laid-back Bali; and Komodo Island – the natural habitat of the world’s largest lizard.

IN SEARCH OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 1ST MARCH 2024 DEPARTING FROM NEWCASTLE, 9 NIGHTS, BALMORAL

PRICES FROM: £1,399 per person

In just nine nights, you will have the chance to spot the natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights from the comfort of your ship. There are plenty of immersive winter activities to give you a taste of life in the Arctic wilderness, from dog sledding to ice fishing with a Tromso local. Scenic cruising highlights, include the Seven Sisters Mountain range and Torghatten – the mountain with a hole through its centre.

CULTURAL ADRIATIC DISCOVERY. 30TH MAY 2024

DEPARTING FROM SOUTHAMPTON, 20 NIGHTS, BOREALIS

PRICES FROM: £3,199 per person

This cruise has been designed to offer an insight into the fascinating yet turbulent history of the Mediterranean and Adriatic, a region shaped by different conflicts over the centuries.

You can explore Cartagena’s Roman sites, accompanied by a local archaeologist. Two calls to Croatia will present Diocletian’s Palace in Split and the Walls of Dubrovnik, which have protected the city for centuries. Call the experienced cruise specialist staff to discuss your cruise requirements. There are special offers for later 2023 sailings in addition to a wide selection of cruise itineraries from 6 UK ports through 2024.

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

FANCY THAT…

RESULTS of Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count 2023 were released last month, revealing a better picture for UK butterflies than had been feared.

Overall, participants in the Big Butterfly Count enjoyed seeing more butterflies this year than in the previous four summers. In total, over 1.5 million butterflies and day-flying moths were recorded from July 14-August 6.

However, the long-term trend is not good. Since the Big Butterfly Count started 13 years ago, many species have significantly decreased, including Ringlet, Common Blue and Speckled Wood.

The most-seen species this year was the Red Admiral, with 248,077 recorded – an increase of 338% on last year’s Count and the first time the species, which is increasing in the UK as a result of climate change, has taken the top spot.

A book about the ‘Heir to Chatsworth’

TWO recommended books to read this month from the team at Bakewell Library.

The first is of local interest, as its title suggests, Kick: The True Story of Kick Kennedy, JFK’s Forgotten Sister, and the Heir to Chatsworth, written by Paula Byrne.

Her real name was Kathleen and she charmed the English aristocracy, eventually marrying William Cavendish, the heir to Chatsworth. The library team rated it 4 out of 5.

A new novel – The Family Holiday, by Elizabeth Noble – gets 5 out of 5 from librarian Aimee which, she says, “is a lovely story about a family grieving their mother, and how one social holiday helps to make life whole again. I loved this book – it was a fabulous read.”

Mental health awareness event

LOCAL people are being invited to a mental health awareness event being held in October at the Town Hall in Chesterfield.

The event will take place on World Mental Health Day (October 10), from 10am to 2pm.

There will be a number of different organisations attending the event, who will each give a presentation about the support and services they offer.

Speakers will be attending from Rethink, P3, Live Life Better Derbyshire, You’re Never Alone, Compassionate Voices CIC and Stand To.

There will also be the opportunity to speak to the organisations about accessing their services, and an

opportunity to receive a basic health check with Live Life Better Derbyshire.

The event is being organised by the Chesterfield Equality and Diversity Forum, supported by Chesterfield Borough Council.

If you would like to attend, email: policyteam@chesterfield.gov.uk to register your interest, confirming any dietary requirements, food allergies and accessibility requirements you may have.

Funding boost for peatland restoration

MILLIONS of pounds in Government funding have been awarded for peatland restoration across the Peak District, to be carried out by Moors for the Future Partnership, and on land cared for by the National Trust. This is part of wider funding which recognises the importance of restoring peatlands across northern England to help tackle climate change and boost biodiversity.

Partners across the Great North Bog coalition and at the National Trust have been awarded a significant share of the £16m Nature for Climate fund to boost peatland restoration projects.

In the Peak District National Park, Moors for the Future Partnership and the National Trust received £3.6m of the funding pot which will help them to continue their work to restore peatland and create areas of healthy blanket bog on a landscape scale. Thanks to the latest funding, work is now able to start this autumn to restore 678 hectares of land in the Bamford area and on moorland above Kinder Reservoir. Moors for the Future Partnership will also be carrying out restoration work across 655 hectares of land, including in the Goyt

and Roaches areas, where volunteers will plant large amounts of sphagnum moss.

Get your Santa’s Grotto tickets now

CHESTERFIELD Borough Council is pleased to announce that Santa Claus will be back in town this Christmas, and tickets are now on sale to meet him in the Grotto.

Taking place in the Market Hall’s Assembly Rooms, the Christmas Grotto will be open from November 19 to December 24.

Tickets for the grotto need to be booked in advance by visiting chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk/shows/ santas-grotto.aspx, by calling the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) on 01246 345777 (10am to 3.30pm) or by visiting the VIC in person.

Tickets are on sale now and families are encouraged to book their preferred time slots. Tickets are priced at £7.50 per child. A maximum of two adults can attend with each paying child, so any extra adults will need to buy a ticket also.

Every child that visits Santa will receive a wrapped present. Each time slot to see Santa will admit up to 10 people, over a 30-minute time frame.

Don’t forget to bring your phones or cameras!

The Red Admiral Butterfly was spotted the most times this year.

Share your memories of pop culture in Chesterfield

LOCAL people are being invited to take part in a new project that aims to involve local people in a celebration of pop culture and community memory.

Project REVERB aims to collect images, ephemera and oral history recordings which can then be used to inspire works of art which will form the basis of a future exhibition. Chesterfield Museum is currently working on the exciting project with oral history recordist and artist, John Hall, from Artspace.

On Sunday, October 8, from 11am to 3pm, Chesterfield Museum and REVERB will be in the Pavements Shopping Centre, hosting the first event which coincides with the Chesterfield Record Fair. As well as a place to reminisce and chat to the team, there will also be interactive activities designed to spark musical memories, including a large memory map and a fun badge-making activity.

John Hall said: “As well as the big names, Chesterfield has produced loads of its own bands, promoters, fanzines, and DJs. It has had – and still has – great independent record shops, and atmospheric venues that have supported the endless cycle of scenes and trends over the decades, all important to the vitality and changing flavour of the town’s pop culture and identity.”

John, who was born in Chesterfield, studied at Leeds

and Sheffield and has worked in the arts in South Cumbria since 1996, added: “We are looking for the evidence of all these years of local creativity – the stuff in the back of the drawer, in the scrapbook, or maybe framed on the wall. The stuff you just can’t throw away because of the magic it contains and the memories it can summon.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, and if there’s a story, let’s hear that too.”

Coun Kate Sarvent, of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We’re really excited to be working with John Hall on this project. Our town has a rich

cultural history with a host of huge names performing over the years. I hope lots of you will take part in this project and help ensure that your memories can live on for years to come.”

Eventually the project aims to present an exhibition which draws on memories of the local pop scene using images, ephemera (collectable items that were expected to have a shortterm usefulness), and oral history recordings to inspire works of art, photography, sound and film.

The project team are interested in collecting digital scans and photographs of items including posters, leaflets,

WANT TO JOIN BONSALL ARTS TRAIL 2024?

ARTISTS across Derbyshire and surrounding counties are invited to apply to join the Bonsall Arts Trail, which will take place over the weekend of June 29 and 30, 2024.

Hundreds of visitors are expected to attend the art trail, which will be housed in large marquees and in the homes of Bonsall residents.

The event will build on the success of the 2022 trail ,which showcased the work of around 90 artists including painters, sculptors, printmakers and many other creatives.

Bonsall Arts Trail chair Julie Leggett said: “We’re keen to attract high-quality artwork from the community of artists.

“It’s a big event and we aim to

Above: An advert for Fusion discotheque on Chesterfield’s Holywell Street, kindly supplied by Andrew Wobble, aka Rat from top local band The Bland and from Planet X records.

Centre: A single sleeve (circa 1970) with the rubber stamp of Chesterfield’s undergroundera record shop, Some Kinda Mushrooms, run by promoter and musician David McPhie.

Left inset: The front cover of a Cosmic Pig fanzine. Courtesy of Andrew Wobble.

autographs, photos, tickets, record/music shop bags, fliers, locally produced records, live tapes, badges and more.

The images used with this article demonstrate the type of objects the project is looking to collect.

provide a exciting platform for the full range of artistic skills. As well as exhibiting art, the weekend will include music and entertainment, food and hands-on fun for all the family.”

Artists have until January 31, 2024 to apply and can find more information on the website bonsallartstrail.org. or by emailing bonsallartstrail@yahoo.com.

SUMMER EXHIBITION WINNERS…

MANY artists exhibited at the Matlock Artists’ Society summer exhibition held in August at the Gothic Warehouse at Cromford – and the competition was tough for the prizes on offer, and visitors were also invited to nominate a painting for the Public Choice Award. The winners were:

Best Picture (The President’s Trophy): Still Life by Jan Scott. 2023 Special Topic – Still Life (Robert Burley Award): Still Life, by Jan Scott.

Best Watercolour (The Seymour Trophy): Summer Shade, by Maggie Sutton.

Best Acrylic (Ken Spencer Award): Helen, by Jan Scott.

Best Oil (joint winners): Ashford in the Water, by Marilyn Micallef; and In My Kitchen, by Ruth Gordon.

Best Mixed Media: Over the Edge, by Sheena Fowkes.

Best Pastel: Flying High, by Carol Mumford.

Best Collection: Mark Rodgers.

Public Choice (Margaret Ramsden Award): Hunter’s Moon over Bilberry Knoll by Jan Scott.

Top Right: Jan Scott’s painting of Still Life won The President’s Trophy as Best Picture at the exhibition.

Middle Right: Summer Shade, by Maggie Sutton, won The Seymour Trophy as Best Watercolour in the exhibition. Right: Flying High, by Carol Mumford, won the Best Pastel award.

Below: Hunter’s Moon over Bilberry Knoll, by Jan Scott, took the Margaret Ramsden Award as the Public’s Choice as best picture at the exhibition.

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PICTURE COMPETITION

Bananas growing outside in ‘tropical’ North Wingfield!

CLIMATE change might have helped – but this bunch of bananas is growing in a North Wingfield back garden! Glyn Ashley, who lives in St Lawrence Road, takes up the story: “Five years ago, I transplanted my banana tree into the garden. In cold weather, I amuse

the  neighbours when I wrap it in fleece, bubble wrap and a rotary dryer cover (see inset picture), but this has allowed it to survive. Imagine my delight when this year not only has the plant survived but has  rewarded me with a flower and bananas. I took the picture in mid-August.”

I thought you might find this image amusing and worthy of inclusion,” says Stuart Else, of Matlock. “I was cycling along Cliff Lane, a minor road just before Robin Hoods Stride, and was confronted with several hundred sheep being switched between fields. There was no way to hurry them along, so the

farmer opened a field gate for me on my mountain bike to bypass them. I took the photo with my iPhone 11 on September 15.”

“The heather was beautiful on August 24, and the view – looking towards Mam Tor from Win Hill – was stunning too,” says Peter Wigglesworth, of Matlock.

It’s bovine bliss up on Curbar Edge, captured by Ian Moorcroft, of Hollingwood, in late August.

Next, a dragonfly resting in the garden of Kathleen Moore, of Chesterfield.

A sheep clearly enjoying the view from Derwent Edge, surrounded by glorious heather  on August 20. It was taken by Lorraine Baker, of Matlock.

A Little Egret on the River Derwent at Chatsworth, taken

on September 13 by Brian Smith, of Upper Newbold, who says: “I think it was a juvenile as it didn’t seem confident wading into the river and didn’t manage to catch any fish in the 40 minutes I was watching it!”

“Near where I live are some hazel trees, and between 8 and 9 every morning a couple of squirrels come to have breakfast on the nuts – and here’s one of them,” says Tony Holmes, of Wirksworth.

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This is a Lucombe Oak, taken on August 17 in the garden of  Melbourne Hall by Brian Smith, of Upper Newbold, who says: “Lucombe Oaks are notable because they keep their leaves in all but the harshest of winters, dropping them just before their new leaves appear in spring.”

Now, another stunning heather picture, taken by Russ Teale, of Newbold, on August

17 at Stone Edge Cupola.

“A harvestman arachnid inspects the quality of this season’s gladioli in my garden,” says Ian Moorcroft, of Hollingwood, about this image.

Here’s a Gatekeeper Butterfly, taken by Linda Kemp, of Wingerworth, in late July.

Next, fungi of some description taken on a walk in mid-August around Osmaston Lakes by Julie Potton, of Belper.

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It’s your last chance to enter this year’s ‘Derbyshire’s Wonderful Flora & Fauna’ competition, as the deadline for entries is Monday, October 16, 2023 at 12noon… so there’s still time to enter!

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 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.

A lovely butterfly captured by Shelley Ward, of Matlock, while on a walk around the Chatsworth estate in late July. Finally, a stunning sunset – and lovely heather on Curbar Edge, taken on August 17 by Lorraine Baker, of Matlock.

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A WALK BY A RIVER, SEVERAL LAKES AND AN UNRESTORED CANAL!

Lots of facilities –according to the signpost – at Rother Valley Country Park! All pictures by David Blackburn.

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO DAVID BLACKBURN, WHO DEVISED THIS VARIED WALK, WHICH IS MAINLY IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE BUT WITH A BIT OF DERBYSHIRE AS WELL.

THE route begins alongside the River Rother, then into the Rother Valley Country Park, following the lakeside. It’s then uphill and on lesser-used paths followed by a length of roadside walking leading on to the village of Wales. From there the route descends to the top of Norwood Tunnel and beside the unrestored Chesterfield Canal. The walk continues alongside the unrestored canal before passing smaller lakes and back into Killamarsh, using routes which will hopefully be used when the canal restoration takes place.

ROUTE

From the car park, go up the steps and follow path on the left along the flood bank (one of several in the area which protect Killamarsh). At the end, go right – ignore the first path and follow the grassy track. Go left at the seat and follow the track between river and lake and as it veers right up a slope,

keep straight ahead on the grass track close to the river (in wet weather keep on the main track, then beside road to bridge). On reaching road, go left over bridge. Currently there is a lot of work going on to replace a huge gate to control the flow of the river. It’s an aspiration of the Chesterfield Canal Trust to see this river used as a navigable link between a restored canal and the River Don at Rotherham, but that’s a long way off.

There is a visitor centre here with café, toilet and access to water-based sporting activities (and even a miniature railway) and it’s usually quite busy. Go to car park and follow left hand edge to join the lakeside path, going right along it. Just before the clump of trees, veer right off the path, over the ‘level crossing’

and carry on along the road. At the striking suspension bridge, cross river, turn right and look for a path on left into the wood. Take this and then right after a few yards and follow narrow path beside the fence and up the hill keeping close to the right-hand edge of the wood. At the top go right along the lane (Waleswood Road) continuing as it becomes a (quiet) surfaced road (Delves Lane), about half a mile in all.

Turn right at the barriercontrolled entrance to Waleswood caravan park and make for the clearly signposted footpath a few yards ahead. Go left on this narrow-fenced path (you may have to duck under a fallen tree) to the top corner of the golf course. Take the path left, following the field edge on what appear to be abandoned

arable fields (lots of partridge enjoying the fallen grain when I was there), continuing up to the road, bypassing a wet area.

Cross the busy road carefully and go up Cherry Tree Drive. There’s a stretch of pavement walking from here – carry on round to the top end of the drive, then go right and over the motorway, continuing as far as Orchard Lane (next to the school). Go along it and turn right into Church Street, an attractive part of old Wales village where there’s a fine church and a pleasant pub.

Follow the road past the cemetery and down the hill. At the clear cross path go right –you are approximately on top of Norwood tunnel here – and over the field and on the track under the M1. There a possibility boats may sail through here one day – or will an underground route be chosen? Land beyond the tunnel is currently still protected as a possible route for the HS2 railway to Leeds. The path veers right, then quickly turns left and then down the grassy field. Go right at trees and follow the edge of the path round left.

The route goes along the side of Rother Valley Lake.

FACT FILE

START: Rotherham MBC car park (free) off Sheffield Road, Killamarsh, S21 1ED; turn off the main road beside Killamarsh Juniors Athletics Club. Bus service 80 (Chesterfield – Sheffield) stops very nearby.

DISTANCE: A little under 7 miles

ASCENT: 347ft

TIME: 3-4 hours

TAKEN FROM: Chesterfield Canal Trust’s Cuckoo Autumn 2023 magazine

Path is very clear now – look carefully behind and you can see the western portal of the great Norwood Tunnel. There’s a long flight of locks hidden in the undergrowth, then suddenly a pond (lock pound) and complex of residential buildings. A lovely spot with lots of interest relating to the canal – and many problems for canal restorers!

Continue down and pass under the old canal bridge back

into Derbyshire. Path can be wet here and there’s plenty of water in the canal so take care not to get too close. Cross busy Mansfield Road and continue beside the derelict canal – there used to be a coal wharf along here, by the milestone. If towpath is overgrown, follow the adjacent road for a short distance. Back on the towpath the outline of the canal is very clear, with water in parts. Go round the U-bend

and after 300 yards, just past a large mound on the building site opposite, take the footpath going off right and diagonally down the hillside. When restored, the canal will have to descend here through a new flight of locks, to avoid the built-on canal through Killamarsh. At bottom, turn left along the broad track above Nethermoor Lake – current plans will take the boats across the lake! After

A POST-PANDEMIC SEAT FOR WALKERS!

ONE of Derbyshire Dales’ premier tourist attractions is the preserved railway line which operates steam and heritage diesel trains on the former main line north from Matlock over three-and-a-half miles of track to just south of Rowsley. Running alongside this track is a footpath used by many walkers. From Matlock it first runs alongside the west bank of the River Derwent and then through countryside to the west of the A6, past The Whitworth Institute and Darley Dale to the site of the former Rowsley railway station.

During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the footpath was a constant haven for many local walkers and families looking for easy exercise away from built-up areas.

Amongst the many taking advantage of the footpath were members and friends of Matlock Rotary, who realised that there was no seat or resting place anywhere along its length. So Rotarians held discussions with Derbyshire County Council and Peak Rail, who both agreed with our suggestion that we could provide a seat approximately halfway along the path.

The base of a former trackside hut was identified as a suitable site. Matlock Rotary then ordered a seat from TDP of Wirksworth, who manufacture outdoor furniture from recycled plastic waste.

However, there was no access for vehicle delivery to the site; and the seat was too heavy and awkward to be carried. Peak Rail came up with a solution where the seat was lifted onto the flatbed by a pneumatic crane with a six metre jib extension which allowed it to be sited from the rail track. The seat is now in place and

a few yards, follow track going right round the bottom of the lake and follow flood bank back to the car park. This last section is lovely – the flood bank is initially tree lined, then opens out with fine views across Nethermoor Lake, which has the potential to be used as part of a restored canal route.

in use, as the picture shows. A plaque of the seat reads:

‘THIS SEAT IS DEDICATED TO THOSE AFFECTED BY COVID-19’ Thanks to all who helped in the provision of this seat.

If you would like further information on this project, or Matlock Rotary, contact terry. matlockrotary@gmail.com.

Above: A walker enjoying the new seat close to the Peak Rail line.

Chesterfield Canal near Killamarsh.

An ‘isolated’ canal-side pub the police tried – and failed – to close

IT IS not often that an ‘isolated’ pub – with no one living in its immediate vicinity and one that police wanted to see closed – survives, but there was one tavern alongside the Chesterfield Canal that saw it through until the Swinging Sixties.

That pub was The Canal Tavern, right on

the canal towpath, about half-way between Hollingwood Lock and Mill Green. Its nearby houses were all gone by the 1930s, which is why the local police twice objected in that decade to it having its licence renewed.

Until the late 1920s, there were two establishments on the canalside stretch from Hollingwood Lock into Staveley.

Above: This 1921 Ordnance Survey Map shows the position of Canal Row. The Moulder’s Arms public house is accessible via a footbridge over the canal. The Canal Tavern, though not marked, is adjacent to Canal Row. In later years the sand spun pipe plant of Staveley Works extended right down to the tavern.

It is 60 years since a fascinating local canalside pub closed – even though the local police had wanted it shut 30 years earlier! Most of this information is from a well-researched article by Philip Cousins of the Brimington & Tapton Local History Group.

Left:

be a cloakroom. This hides the entrance to the tavern, which was down the path, under the sign. The right-hand portion and the first floor contained the living accommodation. Right: This is where the Canal Tavern pub and the adjacent Canal Row houses stood. Picture by Ian Moorcroft. Below: The Chesterfield Canal Trust’s narrowboat Madeline occasionally runs past where The Canal Tavern was sited.

There was the ‘Moulders’ Arms’, at Lees Buildings, which closed in 1927; and The Canal Tavern, next to a group of 18 backto-back houses in Canal Row – apparently known to some locals as ‘Frog Row’.

The Canal Tavern was originally a beerhouse, established some time before the 1869 Wine and Beerhouse Act. The licence was not a full one, which meant that the tavern could only sell beer and porter, not spirits. A full licence was granted only in 1949.

Beerhouses can be difficult to trace in trade directories, as, unlike public houses, their sign is not usually listed. Nevertheless, we find Mark Waterhouse, of Canal Row, as a retailer of beer in Pigot’s directories of 1835 and 1842. It seems, therefore, that the tavern was in operation as a beerhouse before 1835. Canal Row and the two cottages next to the Tavern were in the separate ownership of the Barrow family, of Staveley Works fame.

Edward Williamson is listed in White’s directory of 1857, where the premises are described as ‘beerhouse, Canal row’. Later, courtesy of Kelly’s directories, we find Alfred Williamson at the ‘Canal Tavern’ in 1881; Albert Williamson, beer retailer at the ‘Canal side’ in 1888 and again at

‘Canal row’ in 1899 through to 1904.

An Inland Revenue field book of 1885 lists ownership of The Canal Tavern with Rev. G Bennett, A.G. Cowell and A.H. Marrian. The brewers Duncan Gilmour and Company were the occupiers. Yearly rent was £64.

The tenant of the Canal Tavern in 1939 was William Henry Wright who, it was said, had been licensee for just over three years. Before that his father-inlaw had been there for 27 years. In 1963, the Derbyshire Times caught up with W.H. Wright’s son, Mr J.G. Wright, who was then landlord at the Lord Nelson in Stephenson Place, Chesterfield. The younger Wright told the newspaper: “I was born in the Canal Tavern… my grandfather, Mr Elisha Jacques,

had it for 30 years; and my father, Mr W.H. Wright, was landlord for about 24 years.”

Fishing appeared to be particularly popular in the inter-war period. This doubtless increased the popularity of the tavern when, as one resident recounted, ‘droves’ of Sheffield people caught the train to Staveley Works station to go fishing along the canal.

It was in 1938 that the police first raised an objection at the Chesterfield magistrates’ annual licensing meeting. They claimed the premises were structurally unsuitable and that they were not required. Before this objection had been raised, the brewery company had served notice on the clerk to the magistrates that they were going to place before them a scheme for a new licence, on a different site. This would have seen the Canal Tavern abandoned.The owner of the unspecified new site had, however, insisted that the brewery complete purchase; this on the very last day for serving notice to the clerk for the new licence scheme. The brewery had declined; ‘they would not be forced in that manner,’ the Derbyshire Times reported. The brewery’s representative, P.E.G. Mather, stated that the company would do everything in its power to get an alternative site, acceptable to the magistrates, for next year’s licensing session. The police still objected, but the magistrates decided to renew the licence and consider the whole matter at the next year’s licensing sessions.

The position of the brewery, Gilmour and Company of Sheffield, had changed by the licensing sessions of 1939, as there was no scheme for replacement of the

The Canal Tavern, as pictured by Ian Cleland on the front of Staveley News, October 1953. The single-storey, slate-roofed extension is thought to

“It was in 1938 that the police first raised an objection at the licensing meeting.”

tavern proposed! The police reported to the magistrates that there were once 62 houses in the ‘immediate neighbourhood’, but that these were now demolished, with The Canal Tavern now isolated. The police, who were still objecting to the licence renewal, stated that on visits undertaken in October, November and December 1937, an average of 19 persons were found on the premises; while from January to March 1939, the average was only nine.

However, Ernest Slater, the brewery’s Chesterfield and district manager, said that the amount of drink sold was an ‘exceptionally good sale’ for a premise of the tavern’s nature. There had been 110 barrels, of 36 gallons each, sold to the year-end February 1939. Men from Staveley Works went to the tavern during their lunch hour. During the half-hour summer drinking extension, men from the shift that finished at 10pm also visited.

The tenant had told the police he was selling about one-and-a-half barrels a week, plus ‘a little bottled stuff’. Later the licensee (W.H. Wright) told the bench that he was ‘doing quite a comfortable trade’. Interestingly, the brewers did not deliver to the premises. A carter was employed to fetch beer from the station – but which railway station is not recorded.

Though the police claimed the pub was not required, with sufficient premises already in the area, the magistrates decided that the license would be renewed. Whether or not the presence of leading Staveley Company man, D.N. Turner, as chairman, had any bearing on the outcome is not recorded!

The Canal Tavern did eventually close— on April 4, 1963—when the then landlord Alfred Ernest Crane drew the last pint ‘from the canal-cooled cellar.’ At closure, the brewery would have been Joshua Tetley of Leeds, who had taken over Gilmours in 1954. A Derbyshire Times report described the tavern as ‘half forgotten’; with the landlord recorded as stating that most of his recent trade had come from Staveley Work’s employees: “They slip across with their sandwiches during breaks. After the

hot shops, they find that the beer from my usually cool cellar washes down very well.” These workers would probably be slipping out from the sand-spun pipe plant of Staveley Works, itself now just a memory. By 1962, Staveley Works had extended literally up to the bottom of what “used to be the inn’s fruit-bush laden garden”.

The Canal Tavern had a ‘long concert room’ at the rear, with outside toilets, and late in the tavern’s life, regular performances from ‘skiffle’ groups were apparently held there.

The proximity of the tavern to the canal resulted in some patrons taking an accidental dip; and one-time landlord’s son J.G. Wright confirmed stories of the fishing from inside the tavern. He said in 1963: “Fishing from the window? That’s no angler’s tale, I’ve done it myself.”

The premises were demolished some time after the closure – but at least the fish are back, along with the fishermen. Occasional boats, too, ply a rejuvenated Chesterfield Canal, past the site of the Canal Tavern. Editor’s Note: Philip Cousins would like to thank staff at Chesterfield Local Studies Library, Derbyshire Record Office and The National Archive, Kew. The history group’s website is https:// brimingtonandtaptonhistory.org.uk/

Above: The Sand Spun Plant at Staveley Works – many of its employees frequented The Canal Tavern.

“WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE” FROM EARTH TO

By Vivienne Milburn FRICS

Antiques Auctioneer & Valuer

This month, Vivienne goes from terra-firma to exploring the outer reaches of the universe.

MAPS and globes help us to find our way through the world. However, early maps and globes have great chunks of the world missing as they were still unexplored. The Johnston globe discovered in Wingerworth (see picture below) dates from 1883 and is relatively complete apart from large areas of Antarctica, which are missing. This actually made it more collectable, and it sold for £1,100 in a recent specialist auction.

The globe was made by W & AK Johnston, the partnership between brothers William and Andrew Keith Johnston which is recorded in the Clifton, Gloria Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851 as working circa 1830-55.

They were apprenticed to

the leading Scottish globemaker, James Kirkwood, until his workshop was destroyed by fire in 1824. The brothers subsequently established their business by acquiring the publishing house of William Lizars and began printing maps, atlases, globes and related geographical publications.

W & AK Johnston became highly respected for the quality of their globe cartography, in particular their 12-inch geo-physical globe and, amongst other accolades, were awarded a Royal Appointment by Queen Victoria.

The pair of early 19th Century globes we have pictured – one terrestrial, annotated with all the major discoveries and land masses known at the time; and one celestial – were made by

the Cary family of globe makers, and are inscribed “Cary’s New Terrestrial Globe, delineated from the Best Authorities Extent, Exhibiting the Different Tracks of Captain Cook and the New Discoveries made by him and other Circumnavigators.”

Founded in the late 18th Century by John Cary (1755-1835), the company began with the engraving and selling of maps from the early 1780s. John had previously been apprenticed to William Palmer, until he

became a freeman in 1778.

The first globes by Cary were advertised in the January 1791 edition of Traveller’s Companion, which offered 3½-inch to 21inch diameter terrestrial and celestial globes. The address of the company at this time was 181 Strand, London; and the company was commonly known as J & W Cary, to recognise the contribution of John’s brother William (1759-1825). It is from this address that the pictured pair of globes were produced.

While John and William Cary had a joint enterprise for globes, the brothers operated as separate business entities when producing other maps or scientific instruments. William Cary was primarily an optician and nautical instrument maker, having been apprenticed to Jesse Ramsden, whose workshop was also located on the Strand.

It is rare to find

globes from

Independent

Above: Detail of the Johnston globe label.

Left: A late Victorian 12-inch terrestrial globe, by W. & A.K. Johnston, Geographers, engravers & printers to Queen Victoria. Dated 1883, on a turned ebonised stand, showing parts of Antarctica and other remote parts of the world not yet mapped, it made £1,100 in the recent specialist auction.

the pre-1700 era; and a pocket globe by J Moxon dating from 1675 and showing California as an island made £150,000 at a recent auction. Early 18th Century pocket globes have survived in fair number and sell well when in good condition.

Now we “go where no man has gone before” – but sticking to the theme of exploration – to look at what happened to a sci-fi film poster.

In a specialist film memorabilia auction, the signed Star Trek film poster we have pictured made £590. With its certificate of authentication; and signed by actors including William Shatner (Capt Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr Leonard “Bones” McCoy) and George Takei (Mr Sulu).

Star Trek was created by American writer and producer Gene Roddenberry and chronicles the exploits of the crew of the starship USS Enterprise, whose fiveyear mission was to explore space and, as stated in the title sequence, “to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” It began as a Sixties’ television series and became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon.

The franchise has expanded into films, more TV series,

Right: Autographed film poster for Star Trek the motion picture, with signatures including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Stephen Collins, Grace Lee Whitney, Mark Lenard, Roger Aaron Brown, Nichelle Nichols and the Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. It also included a certificate of authenticity and was 96cm high by 66cm wide. It made £590 in a specialist film memorabilia auction.

video games, novels and comic books, becoming one of the most recognisable and highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

It all made Star Trek memorabilia very collectable, with some of the original costumes and early models of The USS Enterprise making the most money. Let’s hope the collector’s market for globes, maps and Star Trek memorabilia will “Live long and prosper”!

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, contact Vivienne on 01629 640210 or 07870 238788; or go to www.viviennemilburn. co.uk or email vivienne@ viviennemilburn.co.uk

Above: A pair of early 19th Century terrestrial and celestial library globes by J & W Cary, charting the discoveries of Captain Cook and other circumnavigators. Dated 1828, each 15-inch diameter and raised on a floor-standing mahogany base fitted with a compass. They made £8200 in the specialist auction.

‘GREAT HISTORIC INTEREST’ SOME OF THE COUNTY’S STRUCTURES OF

BURTON Closes Hall is a 19thcentury country house, now in use as a nursing home, at Haddon Road, Bakewell. The house was built in 1848 for John Allcard, a wealthy banker and stockbroker of Derby. It was originally built as a modest two-bedroomed house, to a design by architect Joseph Paxton, and intended as a summer retreat.

It was much extended in 1856 for Allcard’s son William, a railway engineer, best known for his 1830 work on the Sankey Viaduct, Warrington, Cheshire, where he was mayor in 1848 and 1851. The Allcard family fortunes were much reduced by a financial downturn in 1871 (when William Henry Allcard, a barrister, sold the estate).

Further improvements and extensions were made in 1888 by J B Mitchell Withers for the purchaser Smith Taylor-Whithead, who was High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1894.

It is now a 58-bedroom residential care home, run by Hill Care, which was established in 2001 when John Hill bought his first care home, Burton Closes Hall. Hill Care now operates 38 care homes across the UK.

A Jacobean manor house of the edge of Barlow has a long barn, dating back to 1530,

which hosts weddings and other special occasions now. Barlow Woodseats Hall is believed to have been the first marital home of Bess of Hardwick, though her husband Robert Barlow passed away in 1544, even though they were both only teenagers.

Arthur Mower, who was the estates manager for the Earl of Shrewsbury –who Bess later married – remodelled the present hall in 1624. He died in 1652, but many generations of his family occupied the house for many years. Subsequent owners included the Duke of Portland and the Earl of Shrewsbury.

The five-bay cruck barns are extremely

rare and have a Grade II* listing as well as the hall itself. Its courtyard contains two cottages, now containing eight ensuite bedrooms often used by wedding parties or corporate groups. There is also now a restaurant at the hall.

At Chatsworth, The First Duke’s Greenhouse, Queen Mary’s Bower and

Buildings of exceptional historic interest are assessed as Grade I, those of great historic interest as Grade II* and those of special historic interest as Grade II. But it’s not just buildings, it can be all sorts of structures from greenhouses to pump houses.

Barrie Farnsworth looks at some of the Grade II* structures in the county.

Top: Burton Closes Hall at Bakewell, a 19th Century country house now a residential care home.

Above: Barlow Woodseats Hall with its courtyard and restored barns. Courtesy of barlowwoodseatshall.com

The Hunting Tower are all Grade II* listed buildings. The 1st Duke’s Greenhouse, built in the 1690s, is a long, low building with ten arched windows and is shown in Kip and Kynff’s 1699 view of the garden.

The 4th Duke moved the greenhouse from its original site north-east of the house to the northern edge of Salisbury Lawn and it is now fronted by the Rose Garden.

Such buildings were first developed in Holland at the start of the 17th century and were called ‘greenhouses’ because they were originally used to house tender ‘greens’, or evergreens, during the winter. They were also often referred to as ‘orangeries’, because they were used in particular to grow citrus species and similar plants.

The 1st Duke’s Greenhouse, which is open to visitors, is one of the most important 17th century greenhouses surviving in England, and it now houses part of Chatsworth’s Camellia collection.

Completed in 1582 for Bess of Hardwick and designed by the Elizabethan architect Robert Smythson, the unique Chatsworth Hunting Tower stands 400 feet above the house on the edge of Stand Wood. It is the most impressive survivor from the period and an incredible example of Elizabethan architecture.

The Leawood Pump House (also known as High Peak Pump House) was built in 1849 to supply water to the Cromford Canal, built some 50 years previously.

Located a little along the canal towpath from High Peak Junction, it stands to a height of 45 feet (14m) on the right bank of the River Derwent, at the end of the Derwent Aqueduct, and has a 95-foot (29 m) chimney stack with a cast-iron cap.

The Watt-type beam engine was designed and erected by Graham and Company of Elsecar, Sheffield, and the engine works at seven strokes per minute. Water is drawn from the River Derwent through a 150-yard (140m) tunnel to a reservoir in the basement. It is then lifted 30 feet (9.1m) and discharged into the canal.

The immense size of the pump (which can transfer almost four tons of water per stroke and seven strokes a minute, a total of over 39,000 tons of water per 24 hours) is explained by the fact that there were restrictions on removing water from the River Derwent, this being allowed only between 8pm on Saturdays and 8pm on Sundays.

The pumphouse worked continuously from 1849 until 1944 when the canal closed. It was restored in 1979 by the Cromford Canal Society and is run periodically.

Tissington Hall is an early 17thcentury Jacobean mansion house. The Fitzherberts acquired Tissington by the marriage of Nicholas FitzHerbert to Ciceley Frauncis, heiress of Tissington, in 1465.

The old moated manor at Tissington was replaced with the new mansion in 1609 by Francis FitzHerbert and remains the home of the family. The current occupant is Sir Richard Fitzherbert, 9th Baronet, who appeared on two TV gameshows – Weakest Link and Golden Balls – in 2008.

Tissington Hall is one of a small group of compact Derbyshire gentry houses in

which a central hall runs through the house from front to back – and there is also a through-hall at Hardwick Hall.

The garden terraces and walls, stable block, staff quarters and outbuildings, and gates, are separately listed to the hall, all at Grade II.

Ogston Hall is a privately owned 18thcentury country house close to Ogston Reservoir. A building on the site is listed in the Domesday Book as part of the Deincourt manor of Morton. The Revell family of South Normanton held Ogston in the 14th century by marriage to the Deincourt heiress.

The present house has its origins about 1500 but was much altered in the 17th century by the Revells. The earliest member of that family of whom anything is recorded was Thomas Revell, sergeantat-law, who made a fortune from lead smelting. His will of 1474 survives.

In 1706 William Revell died, leaving the estate to his sisters, one of whom married Richard Turbutt. Turbutt bought out his sister-in-law’s interest.

In 1768, his son William Turbutt extended the house by adding a fivebay south east wing. Further work was done for Thomas Turbutt in 1851, including a five-storey castellated tower. In the mid-1800s, Gladwin Turbutt arranged for additional modifications. Part of the estate was flooded in 1957 for the creation of Ogston Reservoir.

The Hunting Tower high above Chatsworth House. Picture by Russ Teale.

Top: Tissington Hall, a Jacobean manor house. Picture by Brenda Newsam.

Above: Leawood Pump House, built in 1849 to supply water to the Cromford Canal.

OCTOBER is National Cholesterol Month – dedicated to raising awareness of the health implications of high cholesterol levels – so we look at what foods we should eat to keep those levels as low as possible; as too much cholesterol can block your blood vessels. It makes you more likely to have heart problems or a stroke.

But what is cholesterol? Basically, it’s a soft substance found in all of our body’s cells, and helps support our brain and nervous system. It is made in the liver, but we also get cholesterol from the animal-based foods we consume.

And why on earth is there ‘good’ and

Keeping those cholesterol levels down

‘bad’ cholesterol? Well, it’s a fact that there are two types – LDL and HDL. LDL is the unhealthy ‘bad’ type, and the one which we need to keep low. While LDL levels are impacted by consuming foods high in saturated fat, it’s been shown that too many sugars in the diet can also raise your LDL level.

HDL is the ‘good’ cholesterol – and the part we need to keep at a high level by choosing healthy fats such olive oil. HDL helps absorb the fat in our bloodstream and take it back to the liver.

So, the list of foods which can raise our ‘bad’ cholesterol, and therefore which we need to limit in our diets, include butter, red

meat, pastries, processed meats, deep fried foods, refined grains and sugary beverages.

Foods that can raise our ‘good’ cholesterol levels – and which we should therefore ensure are in our diet – include, as well as olive oil, salmon, nuts, whole grains, fruit and vegetables. Generally, replacing saturated fats with plant-based oils, and consuming lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, are some basic steps you can take Eating foods that are high in fibre have also been shown to reduce both LDL and the total cholesterol levels.  Exercise can help to increase HDL, the good cholesterol, while smoking can lower your HDL.

Ready for the 25th National Curry Week?

IT’S the 25th National Curry Week from October 2-8. Yes, the first one took place in October 1998, founded by the late Peter Grove. Peter was a prominent journalist who had fallen in love with curry. His vision was to drive awareness of the burgeoning Indian restaurant industry, while also raising funds for charity.

It was in 2022 that curry overtook the traditional Sunday roast, and spaghetti bolognaise, as Britain’s favourite home-cooked dish.

So you could celebrate National Curry Week in the comfort of your own home with dishes from your favourite takeaway. Or you could cook up your own curry feast, using the National Curry Week recipe book, called From Bombay to Britain, featuring dishes from fifty of the UK’s finest restaurants, which costs just £6.56 from Amazon, with all proceeds going to the ‘Curry for Change’ charity.

VEGAN MAPLE CAULIFOWER

DELICIOUS vegan dish from Andy Wornes, the executive head chef of the award-winning restaurant and cocktail bar, Bank House, Hathersage, this month.

The Bank House has won the best contemporary restaurant in the Sheffield and north Derbyshire area for two years running; and was awarded the travellers’ choice from Trip Advisor, which ranks it among the top 10 per cent of hospitality venues worldwide!

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets (about 2-1.5 cm)

50 ml of pure maple syrup

2 gem lettuces, cut into quarters

150g all-purpose flour

200g panko breadcrumbs

200ml Smokey BBQ sauce

1 teaspoon of ground garlic

1 teaspoon of onion powder

Water

Salt (for seasoning)

Fresh chives (for garnish)

METHOD

SERVES 3

1. Preheat your fryer to 190°C. While it’s heating up, let’s get started on the batter. In a mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, ground garlic, and onion powder. Gradually add water while stirring until you achieve a thick batter consistency. You’re looking for a batter that clings to your fingertip or a spoon. If it’s too runny, add a touch more flour.

2. Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, ensuring they’re well coated. In another bowl, place the panko breadcrumbs and

then add the batter-coated cauliflower florets one handful at a time. Make sure each piece is thoroughly coated with breadcrumbs. This double coating method will give you an extra crispy crunch when fried.

3. Carefully place the cauliflower into the fryer and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until they turn a beautiful golden brown.

4. While the cauliflower is cooking, you can prepare the sauce and garnish. In a mixing bowl, combine the Smokey BBQ sauce and maple syrup, stirring until they meld into a rich, tangy coating. For the charred gem lettuce, heat oil in a frying pan over

high heat. Once it’s hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the gem lettuce quarters, cooking for 1-2 minutes with the cut side down until they develop a nice char.

5. Once the cauliflower is perfectly crispy and golden, carefully remove them from the fryer and toss them in the sauce mixture. Season with a pinch of salt and toss to ensure they are fully coated.

6. To serve, place half of the charred gem lettuce quarters in a bowl, top with half of the saucy cauliflower, and repeat. Finish off this dish with a sprinkling of fresh chives for a touch of brightness and flavour.

Andy Wornes, of Bank House, Hathersage, who has supplied our recipe this month.

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

Office 2A Market Hall

Market Hall

Chesterfield

Derbyshire, S40 1AR

hello@bannisterpublications.com

T: 01246 550488

Oct 21 Jimeoin: The Craic

BOX OFFICE: 01246 345 222 www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk

OCT

3 Marti Pellow: The Lost Chapter 

Oct 17 Dame Joan Collins: Behind The Shoulder Pads

Oct 8 Dawn French

 (Pavilion Arts Centre)

20 The Legends of American Country 

21 Burbage Band: Classical versus Classics!  (St John’s Church)

BOX OFFICE: 01298 72190 www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk

OCT

3-7 The Woman in Black

5 And Then Come the Nightjars

21 Tenors Unlimited: Celebrating 20 Years 

24 Billy Billingham MBE: Always A Little Further 

25 Toyah and Robert’s Sunday Lunch Live

26 Roy Orbison and The Traveling Wilbury’s Experience 

27 Lloyd Cole 

27 Suzi Ruffell: Snappy (Pavilion Arts Centre)

28 Ross Noble 

BOX OFFICE: 0114 249 6000 www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

OCT

1-21 The Hypochondriac (Crucible)

3-7 Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet  (Lyceum)

6 Focus on the Clarinet  (Upper Chapel)

10-14 The Bodyguard: The Musical  (Lyceum)

17-21 Annie (Lyceum)

20 Rachael Cohen Quartet  (Playhouse)

21 Schubert, Janacek and Beethoven  (Playhouse)

24 Will Tell and The Big Bad Baron (Playhouse)

25-26 The King of Reggae: The Man, The Music  (Lyceum)

27 Bach Cello Suites (Upper Chapel) 

5 Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band 

SHEFFIELD CITY HALL

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

WINDING WHEEL

BOX OFFICE: 0114 2 789 789 www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk

PLAYERS’ FINAL SHOW OF 2023

If you’ve not been to see one of the Chatsworth Player’s performances this year, you have missed a treat, and time is running out to catch a performance. Their final show of 2023, Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, is coming to the theatre at Chatsworth House (pictured) on October 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14.

Steel Magnolias is a comedy-drama about six female friends in the American south. Small town gossip, family friction and tragedy are all contained in this modern classic that will make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and remind you to appreciate the true friendships that we develop through our lives.

The Players will be raising money for Diabetes UK at the performances, so please bring something for the donation buckets.

The play is directed by Alicia Bloundele, who has previously directed two plays for High Tor Players. Her Assistant Director credits include shows at the National Theatre, Zoo Venue (Edinburgh Fringe) and the Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith).

Alicia said: “We’ve really hit the ground running with Steel Magnolias and this has only been possible with the stellar commitment from the cast and backstage support team.

The cast are working on their lines, accents and bouffants to bring this well-loved story to the Chatsworth stage... hairspray and all!”

BOX OFFICE: 01142565656 www.sheffieldarena.co.uk

Visit our website at www.reflections-magazine.com

22 Steelers v

Fife Flyers 28 Steelers v

OCT

7 Twilight Autumn Market at Wessington Orchard. Delicious food, drink and hand-crafted items, amazing coffee and hot food! 4-7pm

8 Autumn Ceramics Fair at Cromford Mills. The Northern Potters Association is delighted to be holding its Autumn Fair at this historic venue. An amazing range of all things ceramic, from functional kitchenware, sculpture to ceramic art. 10am-4pm.

8 Chesterfield Record Fair. Monthly fair in the Market Place, on the second Sunday of each month. Thirty-plus national dealers stood at this event. The most vibrant record fair in the country!

refreshments served from 6 30pm. Chesterfield Community Centre, South Place S40 1QU For more information go to www.cpsg.uk

13 Introduction to Autumn Foraging at Padley Gorge. A four-hour workshop with a foraging expert, including ID guidance, finding and tasting wild ingredients and a walk at Padley Gorge. For more information, visit www.foragebox.co.uk

15 Artisan Market at Cromford Mills. A marvellous market showcasing local makers, artisans and producers. The market runs each third Sunday of the month in Arkwright’s historic mill yard. 10am to 4pm

15 The Giant Wedding Show. Meet over 60 handpicked wedding experts, discover the latest wedding trends and feast your eyes on all the wedding eye candy. At Osmaston Park Wedding Venue, Ashbourne, 10.30am to 3pm.

16 Chesterfield & District Local History Society. Starting at 7pm, Byron Machin talks on “Mining in Derbyshire”. Lecture Room behind St. Thomas’ Church, Chatsworth Road, parking on site

Continued on 96 95 Reflections October 2023

26 & 27 Shine a Light at Cromford Mills. Be captivated as Shine A Light transforms the historic Cromford Mills with an audio-visual display reflecting on the mill’s transformation and rebirth since Arkwright’s time. Timed entries from 6pm. More info and ticket prices at cromfordmills.org.uk

27 Great British Vintage & Classic Car Meet. Meet like-minded car enthusiasts and learn more about Great British Car Journey and the Great British Car Club. From 4pm to 8pm at Great British Car Journey, Ambergate.

28 Pilsley Art Group Exhibition. 10am4pm at St Mary’s Centre, Pilsley. Lots of beautiful paintings on display and to purchase. Refreshments available, free prize draw. Looking for future members to join the group, talented or not. For more information, call 07780 557189

28 Hocus Pocus Outdoor Cinema Spooktacular at Calke Abbey. A fantastic outdoor cinema experience with a screening of the Disney classic. Film starts at 7.30pm but you can arrive from 6pm (refreshments available to purchase). More info and ticket prices at adventure cinema.co.uk

28 Bonkers Bingo Chesterfield. Bonkers Bingo is BACK, and this time we’re sassier, but definitely not classier. At Mecca Bingo, Foljambe Road, S40 1NJ

2 1940s Market, Chesterfield. From 10am to 3.30pm, sing along to 1940s music, see classic cars and military vehicles and meet market stall holders who will be dressed in 1940s clothing – plus a replica spitfire in Rykneld Square (opposite the Visitor Information Centre)

3 Fireworks at Stand Road, Whittington Moor. Chesterfield Borough Council’s annual fireworks extravaganza will be an event for the whole family to enjoy. There will be a range of entertainment on the main stage. Gates open at 4pm, bonfire lit at 6pm and fireworks from 7pm.

COMPETITION WINNER…

THANKS for all your entries to the competition to win a pair of tickets to see Eddi Reader at Buxton Opera House on October 15.

The lucky winner is Nicola Humphreys of Youlgrave – enjoy the show, Nicola! The answer to the question – which group did Eddi first appear as front woman – was, of course, Fairground Attraction.

GALA CONCERT FOR ASHGATE HOSPICE

A CHARITY concert takes place on Saturday, December 2, at 7.30pm, at the Cavendish Hall, Edensor. Featuring performances from West End star Savannah Stevenson, Equinox Saxophone Ensemble and local Derbyshire musicians Katy Strudwick and Andrew Marples. Doors open at 7pm on the night for a welcome drink and tickets are £15 each.

Katy is a teacher and musician who has lived in Chesterfield for 25 years. She has organised this Gala concert with a hope that her target of raising £3,000 for Ashgate Hospice will aid them in continuing to help those in need.

Katy said: “December 2023 marks 10 years since my Mum died and Ashgate Hospice cared for her so brilliantly in her last couple of weeks. I realise how lucky I am to be able to do what I do with my music, and a huge part of that is thanks to the support she gave me.”

The Gala Concert at Edensor is a way for Katy to say thank you to Ashgate Hospice.

Actress and singer Savannah Stevenson is best known for playing Glinda in Wicked on the West End Stage for three years as well as working with Andrew Lloyd Webber in Aspects of Love. She and Katy met 25 years ago when Katy took a teaching job at the school Savannah was a pupil at, and they are so excited to be reunited for this concert.

There will be a range of music from the brilliant Equinox Saxophone Ensemble who have produced several CDs and the line-up is completed by a mix of beautiful flute and piano music from Katy

STEVE HARLEY COMPETITION IS OFF…

THE Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel performance at Buxton Opera House in December – that we offered you the chance to win a pair of tickets in a competition last month – has been cancelled.

In fact, all the shows that they planned in Europe and across the UK in November and December are off.

A message from their agency on September 19 reads: “Steve Harley is to undertake a medical

and Andrew Marples, who perform together regularly in concerts around Derbyshire.

The ticket price of £15 includes a glass of fizz on arrival, and delicious festive treats in the interval, generously provided by Libby’s of Chatsworth Road. There will be a raffle with an array of lovely prizes from local businesses, and every penny raised will go towards helping the ongoing costs of running the hospice.

Tickets are already selling well, so get yours soon. Tickets available from Katy (email ktstrud@gmail.com) or on Eventbrite at https:// concertforashgate.eventbrite.com/

procedure followed by a period of recuperation. Ticket holders should return to their original point of purchase to obtain a refund.”

And Steve himself said: “It saddens me deeply to have to cancel shows, and I feel really sorry for all ticket-holders. But I aim to be back on-the-road, ready for the spotlight, for our January dates. That’s my goal.”

So I am afraid the competition is off – but thanks for all your entries.

SUBMIT YOUR LISTING OR EVENT

Please email your information including dates to whatson@reflections-magazine.com before October 21st, 2023, to appear in the November 2023 issue.

Why not have

Congratulations to Richard Dyson of Sheffield, who won the September 2023 crossword. They have won £25!

SPA BREAK COMPETITION WINNER

The winner of the competition for a Spa Break at the Double Tree by Hilton Sheffield Park is Alison Hawking

The answer to the question was 131

Congratulations to Alison and huge thanks to all entrants for taking part in this competitionmagazine.

REFLECTIONS PHOTOJOURNALIST, SHANE HENIGHAN, CAPTURES THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEAR’S FAIR IN THIS SPLENDID COMPILATION.

World-class displays, celebrity chefs and glorious sunshine attracted thousands of visitors to the 40th Chatsworth Country Fair.

Alan Titchmarsh, president of the country fair, launched his new book “Chatsworth: The gardens and the people who made them”. And former Love Island contestant turned celebrity farmer Will Young visited the event to promote his debut publication “For the Love of Farming”.

The famous Red Arrows aerobatic display team roared across the skies above Chatsworth House to delight the crowds on Sunday and a Spitfire soared over the site on Friday.

Families enjoyed watching the JCB Dancing Diggers and the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

Celebrity chefs Mary Berry and James Martin were among the demonstrators who shared their cookery know-how with visitors. Crowds were entertained by horse driving, marching bands, dogs, birds of prey and parachute displays, hot air balloons, bagpipe, and Highland dance competitions. Visitors to the Derbyshire Makers’ Marquee had the chance to sample and buy quality items ranging from arts, crafts, jewellery and homeware to photography and fine food and drink – all produced in the county. Exhibitors included Treak Cliff Cavern, producers of iconic Blue John Jewellery; Roundhouse Gallery, a South Derbyshire-based ceramics studio and pottery; and The Original Paper Starlights, whose colourful handmade lanterns decorated the marquee.