Derby Uncovered Issue 3

Derby

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Find us on page 29

COVERED Derbyshire

Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire

CONDEMNED TO DEATH

We step back in time to look back at the fascinating and often brutal history of crime and punishment in Derby over the centuries.

DEATH-DEFYING DAREDEVILS

We go back to the 18th century to look at the story of the reckless daredevils who tried to woo the crowds in Derby - and the extreme lengths they went to.

derbyuncovered

derbyuncovered

WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

The world of graphic novels meets the bygone days of Joseph Wright and the town of Derby in Bob Moulder’s upcoming graphic novel.

CARE & COMPASSION FOR YOUR FAMILY, AS IF IT'S OUR FAMILY

Ashmere is a family run business providing the very best care across Derbyshire. Our ethos is that we are here for everyone, from our residents right through to the families too. When the time comes to find a care provider we know that there are many questions that need to be answered and our personal approach ensures you get the opportunity to speak with our care team directly and addresses all the questions you may have.

Ashmere is a family run business providing the very best care across Derbyshire. Our ethos is that we are here for everyone, from our residents right through to the families, too.

When the time comes to find a care provider we know that there are many questions that need to be answered and our personal approach ensures you get the opportunity to speak with our care team directly and address all the questions.

Ashmere currently has seven fantastic care homes to choose from, specialising in the following areas; residential care, nursing, dementia and daycare.

All of our care homes have friendly, professional and dedicated teams that work tirelessly to make sure each one of our residents are provided only the best care possible.

Derbyshire UN Derby

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CONTENTS

FEATURED ARTICLES

PAGE 5

OLD IMAGES OF DERBY

In this issue we look back at the work of one of Derby’s finest artists – Samuel Parkins.

PAGES 6, 7 & 8

CONDEMNED TO DEATH

We step back in time to examine the fascinating, and often brutal, history of crime and punishment in Derby over the centuries.

PAGE 10

ROYAL CROWN DERBY

Learn the incredible story of the finest Royal Crown Derby china that went down with the Titanic in 1912.

PAGES 11, 12 & 13

ARTISANS UNCOVERED

Come and take a look at just who you will be able to see out our debut event – Artisans Uncovered.

PAGE 14

BRILL-ME

Take a hold of your emotional health and wellbeing with the help of Claire Austin and Brill-Me.

PAGE 16

LOCAL STUDIES LIBRARY

Find out how to discover your history with the help and resources of Derby Local Studies and Family History Library.

PAGE 20

KALWINDER SINGH DHINDSA

Derby author, poet and creator Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa shares his work and thoughts with us.

PAGE 24

DERBY MIDLAND FC

Find out about the football team that preceded Derby County and how they gave The Rams one of the greatest ever Derby County strikers.

PAGES 26 & 27

W. W. WINTER

We welcome to the newspaper the longest-running photography business in Britain.

PAGE 28

ALICE IN THE BACON BOX

We examine the tragic life of Alice Grace who become known as Alice in the Bacon Box.

PAGES 30

HADDON HALL

Keep yourself up to date with the very latest from Haddon Hall – ‘the most perfect house to survive from the middle ages’.

PAGE 32

DERBY AND BURTON HOSPITAL CHARITY

Find out more about how you can help the Derby and Burton Hospital Charity.

PAGE 33

EXCITING TIMES FOR THE CATHEDRAL QUARTER

We hear from Eve Taylor, BID Project Executive and Brad Worley, BID Manager from the Cathedral Quarter.

PAGE 34

WIN A COPY OF THE BOOKS

‘WE DANCED IN DERBY’ AND ‘RUM ‘N’ COKE’ BY ROGER SMITH. Take part in our fantastic competition to win not one, but two, wonderful Derby-themed books.

PAGE 38

NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME

Read about the local gardens open for charity in April and May.

PAGES 40 & 41

DERBY IN PICTURES

Mark Miley from derbyinpictures.com looks at the iconic and historical landmark of the Derby Cathedral.

PAGE 42

FISH IN WATER

Sarah Roach, our resident wellbeing and change coach, talks about the value of using this season as the ‘New Year’.

PAGE 43

NUTRITION AND RETREAT

Time to reflect, re-energise and be inspired. Reflect on Nature. Re-energise from Nutrition. Be inspired by us.

PAGE 44

DERBY MUSEUMS

Come and see what’s happening and read the latest updates from the Derby Museums.

PAGE 45

DERBY DAYS OUT

We are excited to be partnering with Derby Days Out –the Number 1 What’s On website for all things Derby.

Derby

PAGES 46 & 47

ASHBOURNE

Learn about the history of the town of Ashbourne –far more than just ‘the gateway to Dovedale’.

PAGES 48 & 49

FAMOUS FOOTPRINTS

We examine the life and times of Bess of Hardwick – the richest woman, after the Queen herself, in Elizabethan England.

PAGES 50 & 51

DEATH-DEFYING DAREDEVILS

We go back to the 18th century to look at the story of the reckless daredevils who tried to woo the crowds in Derby - and the extreme lengths to which they went.

PAGE 52

DERBY WORKHOUSES

Feared by many, the Derby Workhouses cast a shadow over many people’s lives. Find out more about their history here.

PAGE 53

WITHERS GIN

We find out all about the story of Withers Gin and how you can make your own gin at their Gin School.

PAGES 54 AND 55

WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

The world of graphic novels meets the bygone days of Joseph Wright and the town of Derby in Bob Moulder’s upcoming graphic novel.

PAGE 57

DERBYSHIRE MAKERS

It’s time to shop local – and there is no better place to start than with this collective of Derbyshire creators and makers.

PAGE 58

DINNER AT THE KING’S HEAD HOTEL

Read the story of when some of Derby’s top businessmen grouped together to help a recently widowed woman.

PAGES 60 & 61

GHOSTLY DERBY

Last orders please - It’s time to look at three of Derby’s most haunted pubs in this regular and spooky feature.

PAGES 64, 65 & 66

WARD’S OF FRIAR GATE

Ian Griffiths continues with part two of his fascinating look into the history of Ward’s of Friar Gate.

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO PATRICK GRIFFIN WHO HAS OVERSEEN ALL THE EDITORIAL WORK WITHIN THIS ISSUE. HIS HELP, AS EVER, HAS BEEN INVALUABLE.

Old images of Derby

For our regular look at some old images of Derby, in this issue we feature some more of the beautiful works of Samuel Parkins. In the last issue of Derby Uncovered we took an in-depth look at Samuel’s background and life and if you like what you see here, then I’d recommend checking it out.

The paintings form part of the Goodey Collection – a collection of over 500 paintings of local scenes by various artists - which was donated to the Derby Museum and Art Gallery by Alfred E. Goodey in 1936. The Derby Museums do an incredible job of protecting and celebrating our area’s history – please support them in any way you can.

The rear of The George Inn - now The Jorrocks –in Iron Gate.

Babington House in Derby – demolished in 1897.

The old Assembly Rooms in Derby Market Place.

A view of how Full Street would have looked c.1760.

Derby’s Shire Hall on St. Mary’s Gate.

The corner of the Market Place and Iron Gate – the buildings on the corner were demolished c.1924 for the new Barlow and Taylor store.

Condemned to death

The often brutal history of crime and punishment in Derby.

Having been interested in local history for around 30 years, I have on plenty of occasions, noticed that one part of our area’s story which holds a particular fascination for many, myself included, is its history of crime and punishment. Over time Derby has seen many brutal acts of both crime and the punishment meted out for crime. Perhaps, looking from our ‘modernday’ perspective, this is the reason behind our almost morbid appetite for these stories.

Derby, as with all of its history, has a long catalogue of events that happened within this sphere. For example, it can boast of having five prisons (or gaols) over time and there have been multiple executions across the centuries, often drawing huge crowds of curious onlookers.

But as we dig deeper – as we like to do at Derby Uncovered – we find even more history in these stories as we look at the lives of the condemned and the events that led up to their deaths.

The gaols included the first County Gaol that was built in the 1500s in the Cornmarket. It was built alongside the exposed Markeaton Brook which –if we recall how the majority of waste was disposed of in those days - meant that the open brook was effectively little more than the town sewer. The historian William Hutton (1723-1815) wrote that ‘our ancestors erected the chief gaol in a river, exposed to damp and filth, as if they meant to drown the culprit before they hanged him’. His words were incredibly apt as in 1610 a sudden

William Hutton detailed much of Derby's early crime and punishment history.

The junction of St. Peter's Street and the Cornmarketlocation of Derby's first County Gaol.

A painting of Friar Gate Gaol by Alfred John Keene.

rising of the brook during the night drowned three of the captive prisoners. If you managed to avoid drowning or the hangman, then it might well be the ‘gaol fever’ that got you because disease was rife inside the gaol. More than 50 prisoners died due to the insanitary conditions during a 50 year period from 1630 onwards.

For a certain period in Derby’s history if you were condemned to hang then the executioner responsible for launching you into eternity would be the reviled John Crossland. Facing the death penalty himself around 1653-1658, after being accused of horse stealing, he stood in the dock alongside his elder brother and father. With Derby lacking its own official hangman, the bench perversely offered a pardon to any of the three who was prepared to hang the other two.

The father and elder brother immediately declined the offer only for John to readily accept with an ‘avidity’ that led William Hutton to observe: “He would hang half the creation, and even the judges, rather than be a sufferer himself.” John performed the executions so well, and with such little remorse, that he became the official hangman for Derby and two or three neighbouring counties. Reviled locally for what he had done, the mere mention of his name was used to hush disobedient children – he was, in effect, the local bogeyman.

Derby’s Cornmarket Gaol also once housed a prisoner who was perhaps very surprised to find himself incarcerated – John Greatorex. John was actually the gaoler who, in 1731, found himself locked up for the crime of

playing football, a sport for which Mayor Isaac Borrow strongly disapproved. Declaring that ‘the prison should not hold him one night’, Greatorex promptly fulfilled his boast, broke out and fled before morning.

For people in Derby today the two gaols or prisons that most people would be aware of are the County Gaol on Friar Gate and its successor on Vernon Street. The gaol on Friar Gate is still partially preserved below ground level and has been turned into a fantastic visitor experience by Derby’s Richard Felix and though the Vernon Street Gaol is long since gone, its stunning and historical façade still remains to this day. Opened in 1756, the gaol on Friar Gate was designed to hold accused awaiting trials or punishment and not for punitive punishments such as incarceration for extended periods of time. Consequently, it soon became overcrowded, cramped and often lawless and it was entirely possible for felons, debtors, males, females, the young, the old, the untried and the convicted to communicate freely.

It was here, in 1817, that the gaol held five menJohn Brown, Thomas Jackson, George Booth, John King and Thomas Hopkinson, who were sent to trial for setting fire to hay and corn stacks.

The system of crime and punishment we had in England at that point in time is now referred to as the 'Bloody Code' - over 200 offences were punishable by death and setting fire to hay and corn stacks was one such offence.

Four of the five accused were found guilty and hanged on August 15, 1817. The exception was Thomas Hopkinson who escaped the hangman by turning King's Evidence - admitting guilt and testifying for the state.

The masthead from the broadside printed for the execution of John Brown, Thomas Jackson, George Booth and John King.

The facade of Vernon Street Gaol still stands today.

Coming so close to the hangman, you might assume that for Thomas Hopkinson it was a lesson learnt. However, if you did assume that then you'd be very wrong.

Less than two years later, on April 2, 1819, Thomas this time kept his appointment with the hangman after being found guilty of highway robbery.

The executions themselves were often a huge public spectacle. When Samuel Bonsall, William Bland and John Hulme were executed in 1843 it was estimated that around 35,000 to 40,000 people turned up to watch, with people pouring into the town from places such as Belper and Chesterfield on specially laid-on trains organised by the North Midland Railway. With special trains laid on once more, the execution of George Smith in 1861 for the murder of his own father was reputed to have drawn an even bigger crowd still.

It's perhaps the fear of dying so publicly that made others determined to avoid the hangman at any cost. This was particularly true in the case of two brothers – John and Benjamin Jones – who in 1784 hanged themselves in their own cell rather than face their public executions. Desperate not to allow the men to escape their sentence, a doctor was summoned when the bodies were found, in a futile attempt to revive the men so they could be hanged all over again!

Opening in 1827, Derby’s last gaol – at Vernon Street - was claimed to be ‘one of the most complete prisons in England’. It certainly seemed that money was no object when it was built - the gaol cost £65,227 to build - around £6.6 million in today’s money.

In 1833, John Leedham became the first prisoner to be publicly hanged at the gaol. John was also the last person ever to be hanged in Derbyshire for

a crime other than murder. In front of a watching crowd, he was hanged for the crime of bestiality.

In 1862, the last public execution occurred in Derby and afterwards the executions took place behind the gaol walls. The condemned was Richard Thorley who, two months previously, murdered his girlfriend, Eliza Morrow, on Agard Street by slitting her throat in a jealous rage. More than 20,000 people attended the execution and afterwards his body was buried within the prison grounds.

In 1873, Benjamin Hudson was hanged for the murder of his wife in what was the first private execution to take place at the gaol. The last person to be executed at the gaol was William Slack who was executed on July 16, 1907. He was hanged by Henry Pierrepoint for the murder of Lucy Wilson in Chesterfield.

After the First World War the gaol acted as a military prison for prisoners who had been convicted by court martial until it was demolished in 1929. During the demolition the bodies of executed prisoners were moved into a plot of land beneath the prison walls and once the demolition was complete, only the imposing façade remained, and this can still be seen to this day.

Once demolished, a small chapter in the huge and varied history of Derby was closed.

Contemporary illustrations of Richard Thorley and Eliza Morrow.

An excerpt from a Calendar of the Prisoners in 1817.

Corner of St. Peter's Street and the Green Man Yard, 1881.

BY ALFRED JOHN KEENE

Derby UNCOVERED

The Titanic, the most famous ship ever to have sunk, carried to the bottom of the sea a significant quantity of finest Royal Crown Derby china.

Going down with the ship

However whilst Royal Crown Derby were not to be moved on the prices, they did agree to print (at their expense) a brochure for the sailing in which they advertise their own ware as follows…‘in exquisite taste...consisting of a band of encrusted gold work with painted ornament of Chaplets and Festoons in the Louis XVI style, delicately finished in tints of green.’ The leaflet continues: “Travellers who take their meals in the Restaurant of the Titanic will have their viands [food] served on china entirely superior to that provided at any of the finest hotels in the Kingdom.”

plates, 150 breakfast cups and saucers, 100 teacups and saucers, 36 creams and 25 slop basins. But the service made for the wealthy passengers wasn’t the only Royal Crown Derby on board. Down in the hold, were barrels of exquisitely decorated china bound for wealthy clients in America including friends of Judge Gary whose bespoke dinner service featured in the previous edition of Derby Uncovered. Covered in extravagant layers of raised gold, these expensive orders never reached their destination.

The White Star Line, who owned The Titanic, had commissioned ships’ chandlers Stonier & Co of Liverpool to find and purchase suitable pieces for its ships and it was they who placed the order with Royal Crown Derby for the supply of porcelain for the exclusive first class dining room on the Titanic. But Stonier & Co and White Star Line were determined to get a good deal on their order and correspondence shows there was a significant amount of haggling to arrive at the agreed price. Stoniers pointed out that the presence of the china on the Titanic would act as a worldwide advertisement with the ‘cream of passenger traffic’. The company’s reply, in the form of a telegram states: ‘Have fully considered and allowed for advertisement accruing. Regret impossible to concede any abatement in prices, which are rock-bottom.’

By March 1912, cask barrels of china were shipped to Belfast ready to be used on the Titanic including 600 dinner plates, 150 soup plates, 150 breakfast plates, 100 salad

You can buy it here:

The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, just after a lavish dinner party hosted by wealthy American businessman George Widener to which he invited the Captain and other wealthy influential guests. The food at the dinner party was almost certainly served on the Royal Crown Derby service. The ship struck an iceberg an hour after the dinner party. Many of the passengers did not survive including George Widener and Captain Smith, who was last seen leaping from the bridge into the freezing sea.

None of the original order survives today, although it has been spotted by divers on the wreck. However, the design lives on and was reissued in 2012 for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s tragic sinking and can still be purchased today in a slightly modified design without the White Star Line logo.

www.royalcrownderby.co.uk/product-category/collections/titanic-collections

Book here www.royalcrownderbymuseum.com/visit-us

If you cannot find the dates to suit, you can book directly with me at ewoledge@royalcrownderby.co.uk

The Titanic plate and pattern book.

The letter from Stoniers attempting to negotiate the price with Royal Crown Derby.

The brochure created for the sailing of the Titanic by Royal Crown Derby.

ARTISANS UNCOVERED Bringing the very best in Derby and Derbyshire creators and makers together.

As we move into spring, I often find it’s a time to not only shake off the lethargy that winter can bring, but also to look forward to the lighter and brighter days and make plans to get out and about a bit more.

One thing you don’t want to miss out on, and simply must put in your diary, is Artisans Uncovered on June 3-4 this year.

Hosted in the beautiful Italian Mill at the Museum of Making in Derby – itself a fantastic place to visit –Artisans Uncovered is an event that brings together over thirty of the very best makers and creators in Derby and Derbyshire for a two-day event all under one roof.

To make it the very best it can possibly be, we’ve taken care of two very important things.

Firstly there is a broad range of exhibitors for you to visit – we’ve got food and drink, homeware, jewellery, botanicals, giftware and much more.

Secondly – and most importantly – all the exhibitors are from Derby and Derbyshire as we wanted to celebrate the very best of what the area has to offer.

Particularly with the current cost of living crisis, it is incredibly important to support your local area.

By shopping locally from local people you are directly helping to create jobs while also keeping money in the local economy. You are also encouraging entrepreneurship and helping to strengthen the local community while supporting the environment by reducing waste and conserving energy.

Admittance to Artisans Uncovered is free, so you can spend the money you bring with you for this event on some of the wonderful things on offer instead.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, you can also take a moment to check out some of the wonderful history from the Royal Crown Derby Museum who have very kindly agreed to put on a display.

The final cherry on top of all of that is whilst you are there you can also take in the sights and experiences of the Museum of Making itself – a museum that tells Derby’s 300-year history of making and uses that story to inspire new creativity.

As you can see, this really is an unmissable event, but to whet your appetite even further just turn the page to see a list of the wonderful creators and makers who are attending.

ARTISANS UNCOVERED Exhibitors List

LOUISE WEST LACE DESIGN louisewestlacedesign.co.uk

WITHERS GIN www.withersgin.co.uk

VEGAN BAKES - VEGAN BAKERY www.ve-bakes.co.uk

FORESTERS LAMPSHADES AND DECOR www.foresters.life

LINDAS ART GLASS lindasartglass.com

SAZZI CREATIONS - HANDMADE ACCESSORIES, DECOR AND GIFTS sazzicreations.co.uk

SMALL PRINT COMPANYTRADITIONAL LETTERPRESS PRINT smallprintcompany.com

CRZYBEST - SILVERSMITH & SCULPTOR www.crzybest.co.uk

DIANA GREEN ART www.dianagreenart.com

THUNDERBUG DESIGNSHANDMADE ITEMS FOR FASHION AND HOME www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ ThunderbugDesigns

SARAH PERKINS - PET PORTRAIT AND WILDLIFE ARTIST www.sarahperkinsart.co.uk

DARLEY ABBEY CIDER darleyabbeycider.co.uk

THE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CO. www.bittersweetchocolates.co.uk

GOURMEGG - AWARD WINNING SCOTCH EGGS AND FINE FOODS webapp.mobileappco.org/m/ gourmegg

REBECCA LOUISE GIFTS"CHEEKY, SLIGHTLY INAPPROPRIATE & BLOODY HILARIOUS GIFTS" www.wotamug.co.uk

RUBY HOLMES WARECONTEMPORARY CERAMICS FOR THE HOME

www.rubyholmesware.com

MILLIE MOTH - ALCOHOL INK ARTIST

www.milliemothshop.com

ELSIE MOSS BOTANICAL - NATURAL BATH AND BODY PRODUCTS

www.elsiemossbotanical.com

BLUE AND GOLD BOTANICS

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ BlueandGoldBotanics

KAREN LOGAN ART AND DRAW DERBY

www.karenlogan.com

www.instagram.com/draw_derby

SO GOOD KOMBUCHA UK sogoodkombucha.com

ALAN BROWN RESTORATION SERVICES

www.facebook.com/ alanbrownrestorationservices

LITTLE FRIENDS HONEY

www.littlefriendshoney.co.uk

PAT A CAKE STUDIO - A FAMILY AND FRIEND RAN BAKERY patacakestudio.co.uk

MAMA LESA’S TOP TIPPLE CANDLES

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ MamaLesaCandles

CURRY ON COOKING

curryoncooking.com

STELLA’S KITCHEN - AFRICAN & CARIBBEAN CUISINE

www.stellas-kitchen.co.uk

As well as all of the amazing talent and products on show we will also have a historical display by the Royal Crown Derby Museum: www.royalcrownderbymuseum.com as well as the fact that the event is housed in an amazing museum of course!

Meet two of the sponsors of ARTISANS UNCOVERED

Artisans Uncovered is a free-to-visit and low-cost to exhibit at event, that is possible because of the kindness of four local companies who have agreed to sponsor the event –Bee-Assisted, The Review Business, Spectrum Homecare and Solution Accounting – all of us at Derby Uncovered are genuinely grateful for their support.

Over this and the next issue we will be hearing from our sponsors and getting to know a little bit about them and their thoughts and answers to some questions that we put to them. In this issue we hear from Harrison Stewart of The Review Business and Cath Harrison of Bee-Assisted.

those new to the game to get off the ground and help long-standing businesses stand taller so we should be pushing businesses to grow with the modern age and make right all that they can.

Can you first tell us a little about yourself and your business?

Established in October 2008, we have tried to move away from the traditional financial advice route with our competitive charging structure and our stance on helping those who aren’t just large net-worth individuals. We have over £75,000,000 under management and have helped over 7,000 people with their pensions and investments. We are a small team of experts with over 60 years of combined experience in the financial sector.

We are here for the customer and being fully regulated gives you the peace of mind that we have your best interest at heart. Our mission is to help you manage your money, no matter how big or small; we want to ensure that together your money works the hardest it can for you.

I believe passionately that pension advice and good investments should be accessible to everyone. Our mission is to help each and every customer have peace of mind over their pensions and retirement investments.

You’ve very kindly agreed to sponsor an event dedicated to makers and creators from Derby and Derbyshire. How important do you think it is for people to support their local companies and economy in the modern age?

We think supporting local businesses is incredibly important. It can help

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your business first of all?

A little about me? Well, I’m born and bred in Derby. I was born in 1971 at the Queen Mary Maternity Home, which was just off Duffield Road and then brought up in Findern, South Derbyshire, where I have lived for 51 years now! I have two sons, aged 21 and 18. I went to school in the county and when I left school at 15 I worked at what was then BREL, at Derby Carriage Works on a YTS (Youth Training Scheme) in business and administration. I stayed there for eight years and I have also worked in various PA, EA and office support roles for over 35 years.

There will be some wonderfully creative people there – do you have any creative talents or skills yourself?

Our talents lie in creating an easy and conducive atmosphere for people and the ability to give peace of mind to those who need it is an incredibly useful skill and one for which I am very grateful. If you are uncertain about your finances, come and speak to us. We may not have all the answers but we will do our best to set your mind and ease and put you in the right direction.

Derby Uncovered, as you know, are very much about promoting our area and all the benefits of it. If there was one thing you could change about Derby to help it grow what would that be?

The architecture in the city centre needs renovation, there should be more investment in IT and we could also benefit from more nature reserves!

Finally, where would you like to see both your business and Derby itself in ten years’ time?

We want to be a business which has helped many people and inspired others to do the same.

We want to be with our clients for the long term, a family-run business for the families of Derby.

We would like to see Derby become more affluent, more beautiful and to see it continue to go from strength to strength.

In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, I was made redundant from the job I was in and having just started a new position, was ineligible for furlough. Unable to rejoin my previous company, I was forced to consider my next steps, so I decided to take the plunge and launched BeeAssisted as a limited company and began my own VA (virtual assistant) company overnight.

I now also offer support to new VAs and have been a guest speaker at networking groups and podcasts and I voluntarily support students in secondary schools in Derbyshire. I am also proud to have won ‘Virtual Assistant Company of the Year’ at the Central England Prestige Awards in 2022 and this year I am a finalist in two categories at the PA Forum Awards for the West Midlands. I have also just appeared in Woman magazine in February for an article about women over 40 who have thrived after divorce.

You’ve very kindly agreed to sponsor an event dedicated to makers and creators from Derby and Derbyshire. How important do you think it is for people to support their local companies and economy in the modern age?

Supporting local companies and economies is crucial in the modern age for several reasons:

1. Economic growth: Local companies are often the backbone of a community's economy. By supporting local businesses, consumers can help stimulate economic growth in their area which can lead to increased job opportunities and a more prosperous community.

2. Environmental impact: Local businesses are more likely to source their materials and products locally, which can reduce the environmental impact of

transportation and shipping. This can help reduce the carbon footprint of the community and promote sustainability.

3. Unique products and services: Local businesses often offer unique products and services that cannot be found elsewhere. By supporting these businesses, consumers can help to preserve the cultural identity and diversity of their community.

4. Personal connections: Local businesses are often owned and operated by people who live in the community. By supporting these businesses, consumers can build personal connections with their neighbours and contribute to a stronger sense of community.

In summary, supporting local companies and economies is important in the modern age for economic growth, environmental sustainability, preservation of cultural identity and building personal connections within the community. Being part of local initiatives and community events like this is something which is very close to my heart and it’s my bit to help other small business owners thrive.

There will be some wonderfully creative people there – do you have any creative talents or skills yourself?

Unfortunately, not really! I enjoy photography but I don’t have many creative hobbies.

Derby Uncovered, as you know, are very much about promoting our area and all the benefits of it. If there was one thing you could change about Derby to help it grow what would that be?

I would love to see a proper market again in Derby. The markets in Derby are now almost non-existent. I have chosen to sponsor this event as it helps local businesses and local farmers sell their produce, while also encouraging more of a community and is so much better than an online experience. I would rather put money back into the local area than into the pockets of large supermarkets or online retailers.

Finally, where would you like to see both your business and Derby itself in ten years’ time?

I am building a strong team and hope that we continue to grow so that I can help others become a VA as it’s a great way to work from home and allow people the flexibility to be at home for their families and children which is so important. I hope that Derby becomes alive once again, I think since the pandemic and the start of people using the internet for shopping, we don’t have the variety of shops and community in the centre and its something I feel the city lacks. I really hope the City Council can encourage the development of the areas which now look like ghost towns. I would love to see more small independent businesses in the city centre in order to help our local community.

Emotional health and wellbeing have, over recent years, finally begun to receive the important focus and recognition that they deserve. However, recognising the importance of something is only part of the solution. What can you do as an individual, organisation or business to improve the emotional health and wellbeing of yourself and those around you?

Everyone matters!

Supporting individuals with their emotional health & wellbeing

Hello! How are you?... are we listening to the reply or are they just words?

5 steps to wellbeing:

1. Connect with other people

2. Be physically active

3. Learn new skills

4. Give to others

5. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)

Peaky Pacas:

Explore, unwind and connect during wellbeing days and activities with:

6. Alpaca trekking

7. Crafting session - spinning fibre from alpacas into yarn

8. Guided meditation and breathing practices

9. Yoga (indoors or outdoors)

10. Crystal healing

11. Reiki.

Experience relief from the stresses of every day life!

February/March 2023 has kept me busy with:

Small Steps Big Changes (SSBC) CityCare

Nottingham- Workforce Manager –devising the Workforce Strategy by engaging and co-producing cost effective and targeted training and events.

Trauma Awareness Conference March

Derbyshire Autism Services Designing training and managing a CPD accreditation.

Live Life Better Derbyshire – supporting the design and development of a new healthy eating game for Early Years children and practitioners.

Gong baths are a sound therapy which contributes to peoples relaxation and wellbeing. Join Margit McIntosh in her workshops which also includes chanting, breathing exercises and meditation.

Introduction to Motivational Interviewing

If your job role involves helping people to make better choices about their lives, it can feel very frustrating when they seem not to want to work with you and may persist with making the wrong decision.

Edmund Austin:

Engage with nature with supported bird watching sessions in the Peak District.

Derby and Derbyshire

Emotional Health and Wellbeing website:

This emotional health and wellbeing signposting website for Derby and Derbyshire contains local and national links and resources updated regularly.

Watch out for the next edition for more support and resources/ signposting.

For further information please visit Brill-me.com/resources

Claire was a brilliant and talented colleague who helped us deliver some brilliant training to colleagues, to partners and schools over a number of years, helping to move the diversity agenda and provide colleagues with more confidence to act fairly and inclusively. She also led the work with schools over LGBT equality and to give access to knowledge and learning to loads of people working with young people, and out in the community.

John Cowings

EDI professional

Claire gave me an opportunity to deliver my sessions to her organisation and I’ve found her to be really organised, an effective communicator, and passionate about all she does. I highly recommend her in all areas of her work.

Nick Barwick

Expert on Children in Care, Mentoring, Resilience, Wellbeing and Fun

If you require training, sessions, project management or consultation services, please contact us at Hello@brill-me.com or telephone 07807 874918.

Claire Austin – Founder of Brill-Me

Our work can be summed up in a few words - Rescuing and rehoming Border Collies and collie crosses thoughout the UK, but of course there’s much more to that simple phrase.

On average we have between 25 and 30 dogs at our centre and unfortunately always have a waiting list for dogs needing our help. The calls can come from other rescues who may be finding it difficult to home a collie in their area, to those rescues who take in strays and may have anything from one to ten collies needing help quickly. And of course individual owners contact us who for a vast array of reasons can no longer care for their collie.

Wherever the call comes from we may have to go into a ‘serious think’ mode. Priority is given to any dog in stray kennels as their very existance may be under threat if we cannot offer a place.

Details of dogs from their own homes are recorded. We try to prioritise, often giving a little advice so the situation can be ‘managed’. We also have to try and have a space or two for emergencies or any dog we have homed who may need to be returned.

When a dog arrives from its own home we ask the owner to complete a questionnaire, this helps us to understand the dog and the way its owners have lived with it. This can be a very upsetting time for all. Many tears may be shed and sometimes guilt and anger are very evident. Wherever the dog has come from we can soon tell how much interaction the dog can cope with and staff will then begin to build an assessment of the dog. Areas that may need input are identified, hopefully to help the dog overcome its problems, although not all dogs have problems. The assessment is an ongoing process but can only ever be an assessment and not a guarantee. Prospective collie owner compleet our online aoption form which is trying to establish lifestyle, level of experience and what they hope the dog will be capable of. This will hopefully allow us to identify those dogs which should best meet the new owners hopes and needs.

Once the ‘match’ is made, we get down to the paperwork. New owners are asked to read and sign a contract agreeing several points. Our dogs leave us micro chipped, vaccinated wherever possible, with four weeks free insurance or an insurance voucher and also a pack of useful information including vaccination and worming records. The rehoming fee we request includes the Trusts promise to try to help with any

difficulties and to always take dogs back if the need arises. Follow up calls are usually made within a couple of weeks and previous owners are informed that their dog has a new home.

We are often asked if we have a non-destruction policy. The answer is yes and no. No time limits are placed on the dogs who come to us. Some will be here for months; they may be very traumatised and need time to adjust. Some dogs need a very special home and special people who want “a project” don’t come along very often. Dogs would be put to sleep on the vets advice if they have severe untreatable medical problems or if they are considered dangerous. There are hefty fines for knowingly passing on a dangerous dog and we all like to sleep with a clear conscience. Occasionally a dog arrives who cannot be helped even after months of trying. We jump through a lot of hoops before we take the decision to euthanase. We hate to fail but have to remember that we were not responsible for getting the dog into the state it was in. However, very few dogs are dangerous and many can be managed with sensible calm handling.

£5 provides flea and worm treatment for one dog.

£10 provides vaccinations for one dog.

£15 will feed a dog for a months. £5 £10 £15

DISCOVER YOUR HISTORY

Come and explore fabulous archival collections housed in one of Derby’s finest heritage buildings. Whatever your topic and level of interest, enjoy free access to a huge wealth of resources for the local or family historian!

Dig into old newspapers, books, and documents. Study maps, plans, and photographs. Our helpful and knowledgeable team are on hand to help you uncover the history of our city!

www.inderby.org.uk/libraries

Life can be stressful for all of us. It often seems that there’s not quite enough hours in the day to get things done and if, like many are, you’re balancing the pressures of home life alongside the pressures of being a business owner or executive, these problems only intensify. Even if you do manage to keep on top of the myriad of everyday tasks which must be done, it’s often at the expense of your happiness and stress levels.

Cath Harrison, Founder and owner of Bee-Assisted Ltd, with her small team of professional VA’s, will quite literally create

extra time for you by taking care of the tasks you can’t do, don’t do, or shouldn’t do. Whether the support you require is for your business, with services such as executive PA support, travel arrangements, event management, minute taking and much more, or for your personal life, which is under strain from your business commitments, Bee-Assisted also provides Lifestyle Management support.

Bee-Assisted provides you with a PA for your personal admin, helping you with tasks such as arranging personal appointments, car servicing, help with organising family

IT’S AN INVESTMENT

If you’re a business owner, and its business support you want, then your time is far more valuable if it’s spent generating revenue whilst Bee-Assisted takes care of the rest.

If you’re looking for support in your personal life, then it’s an investment in your own health and well-being.

The pressures of modern-day life can, at times,

10 hours of support for you or your business per month, this is done as a retainer package for a minimum of 3 months.

Any extra hours will be charged at £30 per hour.**

be crushing, but by using the services offered by Bee-Assisted there’s no reason why they have to crush you.

Cath has over 35 years experience in supporting Executives and business owners, within various private and public sector organisations, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Administrative Management (FinstAM)

events, researching home improvement services, childcare, pet care, window cleaners, gardeners, utility providers and insurance renewal quotes … the list goes on.

You might be wondering what the cost of all this is? It’s certainly not as much as you think it might be – you can pay for these services hourly at £30 per hour, for a little or as many hours as you require. Alternatively, there are package options, which start at just £270 for 10 hours per month!

and the Executive Personal Assistants Association (EPAA).

Now her experience and skills are available for others to benefits from.

Why not sit back and allow somebody else to handle many of the stressful issues in your life while you take a break? After all, you deserve it.

20 hours of support for you or your business per month, this is done as a retainer package, for a minimum of 3 months.

Any extra hours will be charged at £30 per hour.**

30 hours of support for you or your business per month, this is done as a retainer package, for a minimum of 3 months.

Any extra hours will be charged at £30 per hour.**

You choose from ad-hoc hours, or a great Package Deal

Findern, Derby, United Kingdom

Telephone: 01332 411984

Email: catherine@bee-assisted.com

If you are looking for administrative support, Cath is the lady for you!

Super organised and very efficient, you can be assured that your projects will get prompt and expert attention, freeing you up to focus on other areas

JulieT-411

www.bee-assisted.com

Let somebody else handle many of life’s issues…

…while you take a well-earned break

“Super organised and very efficient...”

Bumble-Bee PACKAGE

Honey-Bee PACKAGE

Queen-Bee PACKAGE

Interactive animal and playtime fun all year round!

On-site riding school Popular birthday parties School & group visits

Award winning attraction celebrates 20th Anniversary

Matlock Farm Park in Derbyshire is looking forward to celebrating their 20th birthday this spring with their visitors.

The attraction has come a long way since humble beginnings, recently winning Visitor Attraction of the Year for the second year running and the Accessible & Inclusive Tourism award through the official regional tourism board, Visit Peak District & Derbyshire. The park’s farm supervisor also won Visit England’s Tourism Superstar award and they’ve also just won Best Event for their annual Peak District Highland Games from the National Farm Attractions Network.

The farm park has seen continual reinvestment in the last few years, with new state of the art play areas and improved facilities for all. The venue offers popular parties and school visits and there is a horse-riding school.

Managing Director and founder Allan Finlay is proud of how far the park has come: ‘We’ve really surpassed everything we set out to do. My background was hospitality, and my wife Virginia has always been in farming - we started the park off just as a little something to do together. I look now at what we offer with all the animals, facilities and activities and feel immensely proud, particularly of our team who work hard to deliver the experience. Seeing children and adults happy when they’re with us is just wonderful’.

Lotty Hawkins, Assistant Manager, is looking forward to the anniversary celebrations planned for Spring: ‘We’ve lots going on including an exciting prize giveaway campaign. After this we have a great calendar of special events throughout the year. 2023 is going to be a great year for Matlock Farm Park!’

See our website for more details: matlockfarmpark.co.uk and keep up to date on our social media pages

We are not your normal accountancy firm, where you see us once a year and we invoice you for our time!

We are there for your business ALL year round and we get involved in the nitty-gritty, everyday essentials to keep your business finances on track. What businesses tell us they need is someone to be there to hold their hand, help them set up the systems and be at the end of the phone when they have a query. That is the service we deliver!

We love working with new businesses and start-ups, to give you the advice and assistance you need to start your business correctly and on a good foundation. We help you avoid the main mistakes that crash so many new businesses.

We also love to work with micro and small businesses where our input makes a real difference and allows you to run your business and leave your financial management in our safe and experienced hands.

Profitability

We will work with you and support you to make a positive impact on the profitability of your business. Our measured success is based on your success and your satisfaction with our service delivery and advice.

Commerciality

We believe in a no jargon approach and will ensure we translate our technical knowledge into useful business solutions for you and your company.

are here for you every step of the way

Bookkeeping

We offer a tailored bookkeeping service taking care of the day to day paperwork to keep your financial affairs up to date, leaving you to focus on your business.

Payroll and CIS

We can run the payroll for your business, set up your auto-enrolment pension as well as dealing with your Construction Industry Scheme.

Statutory Accounts

End of financial year accounts can be prepared for your shareholders and submitted to HMRC and Companies House.

Consultancy

We can provide Company Formation and Company Secretarial services. We can also advise you on computerised accounting software.

Personal support

We are here to support you as a business owner and not just your business. Your Solution’s Accountant will personally support you in every aspect of running your business and will help you achieve your personal goals as well as your business goals.

Understanding

We believe that we need a thorough understanding of your personal and business aspirations to help you to achieve your planned growth and development.

Management Accounting

We can prepare your management reports on a timely basis to enable you to plan and monitor your business.

Sole Trader & Partnerships

Whatever the legal entity of your business, we can help keep your books in order, prepare your accounts and file your self-assessments.

Taxation

We can prepare your VAT returns and calculate your Personal Income Tax and Corporation Tax.

Budgeting & Forecasting

Companies use financial forecasting to determine how they should allocate their budgets for a future period. We can help your business with this.

SolutionAccount

Allow me to introduce myself…

My name is Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa. I am a writer, author, poet and creator. A proud Derby man. Born and raised in Pear Tree, Normanton.

I will be using my allocated space in the Derby Uncovered Newspaper to share my Derby related poetry and stories.

"I want no epitaphs of profound history and all that type of thing. I contributed – I would hope they would say that, and I would hope somebody liked me,"

Brian Howard Clough

On Thursday, 6th November 2008, I travelled to Nottingham with my wife Rav, my 2-week old daughter, Layla and my friend Sib. I needed to see Brian Clough and pay gratitude.

Back 2 Back

A visit to Nottingham from Derby to view, The unveiling of an iconic statue. A Boro-born legend who transformed the game.

A goalscoring great before the genius manager he became.

I’ve always admired the spirit and tenacity of Brian Clough, as a man and as a footballer. In my opinion he was one of the best managers in football history too – top 1. But you never truly achieve anything alone; even Clough needed help. Less than 2 years after seeing the Brian Clough statue unveiled in Nottingham. Derby County Football Club erected another statue for Brian Clough at Pride Park. However, this time I made sure we recognised both Clough AND Taylor – the greatest managerial partnership in football history.

Letter T

I will finish off this piece with one last poem from my Pear Tree Rambler collection. A Middlesbrough connection that runs as deep as the Steel River.

Steve Bloomer | Brian Clough | Peter Taylor

In this collection of poems each letter of the alphabet is dedicated to an iconic figure in the history of Derby. In addition to this I will also include further poetry and information in relation to the iconic figure being shared.

Letter C

Brian Howard Clough is revealed, what an emotional sight. But something inside me, just doesn't sit right.

Where's Pete? Clough's partner and right hand man.

The goods in the back. The man with a plan.

Peter Thomas Taylor of The Meadows born and bred.

Old mucker to the shop window and close friend of Old Big Ead.

A Notts man who gave his all for Club and City.

Now a forgotten hero? Erased, from football history?

Clough AND Taylor should be up there. In celebration of both men.

Just like at Derby and in the beginning. Together again.

The poem above is from my collection of poetry called nor MAN ton, an introspective collection of poetry and prose.

Heartbeat

Boro born and Redcar raised.

A Stainsby girl from Acklam Grange. My wife to be my new fiancé.

From the land of Clough and Rea's Cafe.

In the next Issue...

The Letter D and E. Who could it be? In

If you’d like to see more about the books mentioned they can be found at Amazon - and don’t forget to check out the following:

www.khalsir.com www.twitter.com/KhalSir

www.facebook.com/PearTreeAuthor www.instagram.com/khalsir/

Every article will begin with a poem from my book Derby.

If you have denture problems –perhaps you’re uncomfortable, embarrassed when you smile, or unable to enjoy the food you like – we can help!

Our expert Clinical Dental Technician’s can create all types of comfortable, secure and lifelike dentures that will restore your smile and transform your appearance.

Strictly by appointment only. All measures possible will be taken to protect the safety of our patients with the guidelines provided.

DRIVEN £1000 SUBSIDY FOR HIRING A GRADUATE!

SMEs in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire who hire a recent graduate could be eligible to claim a £1000 subsidy through The DRIVEN Programme at The University of Derby.

Funding is limited and subject to your business meeting our eligibility criteria, so contact us now to see if your business is eligible.

Find out if your SME is eligible and how to enrol at: www.derby.ac.uk/driven

BECOME A DRIVEN BUSINESS

Support with graduate recruitment

Recruit with less risk

Work with our experienced recruitment professionals

Engage with specialist events, workshops and resources

Attract and develop future leaders

FIND OUT MORE AND CONTACT US www.derby.ac.uk/driven email: driven@derby.ac.uk

GRADUATE TALENT FOR DERBYSHIRE & NOTTINGHAMSHIRE SMEs

This programme is part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). ESF supports activities to extend employment opportunities and develop a skilled workforce.

Derby Midland Football Club

The first club formed was the Midland Railway Cricket and Quoits Club and over the subsequent years athletics, bowls, tennis – and finally –football were added. It is perhaps ironic that, as in the case of The Rams - which was formed in 1884 as an offshoot of Derbyshire County Cricket Clubthe decision to form Derby Midland Football Club was taken with a unanimous decision in a meeting on June 20, 1881 held at the pavilion of their own cricket club.

As a very young - Derby County supporting – child, I would regularly look forward to my parents buying their Sunday Mirror and Sunday People so I could see if there was a match report for the previous day’s game. I knew, of course, that there would be one the following day in the Derby Evening Telegraph, but there was something about the coverage of not just my team, but the entire programme of Saturday’s football that appealed to me – especially in the days when most of the games were actually played on a Saturday.

As a child looking at this, from time-to-time I pondered the question as to why some cities had more than one football club while Derby only had one. Little did I realise, that for a very brief period in the late 1800s, Derby was home to another football team that was considered to be Derby’s leading team – and its existence put pay to yet another local team –Derby Town FC – which had preceded them both. Derby Midland FC actually preceded the existence of The Rams, being founded three years earlier in 1881 and both clubs share an intertwined history. Though founded in 1881, Derby Midland FC can actually trace the very reasons for its existence back to 1844 when the Midland Railway company came into being and Derby became its headquarters. With Derby becoming home to an ever increasing number of its employees and recreational pursuits becoming more sought after, various clubs for the employees were formed.

Derby Town FC – a team that could be considered by many as the trailblazers for football in Derby when it was established in 1869 – soon saw many of its players defecting to Derby Midland, including 23-year-old clerk Henry Evans who became their first captain. The defections were so widespread that within a year Derby Town FC folded.

The old saying ‘what goes around comes around’ is very apt here because, three years later in 1884, the newly-formed Derby County Football Club initiated an equally ruthless raid on the Derby Midland team’s playing staff. Derby County’s first two signings were Haydn Morley and George Bakewell - defectors from Derby Midland – and many more followed.

With war effectively declared between the two clubs, they refused to play each other for three years before meeting three times during 1887-88. Though Midland won the first match, The Rams won the next two.

It was in 1888 however, that the fatal blow struck Derby Midland when Derby County, and not them, was invited to be a founding member of the Football League.

Although, alongside other rejected clubs, they struggled on and joined the Midland League for the 1889-90 season, the writing was effectively on the wall for them and in June 1891 it was announced that they had amalgamated with Derby County. In truth, the announcement was overly kind to them – they had effectively been

swallowed whole with Derby County paying off their debts and taking all of their players – one of whom was Steve Bloomer. With that, the short existence of Derby Midland Football Club came to an end.

There is one more thing though. They did play against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup in the 1889-90 season.

They won 3-0.

THE STORY OF ONE OF DERBY COUNTY’S VERY FIRST RIVALS.

‘Come on you Mids!’

A team picture of Derby Midland FC for the 1888/1889 season.

Derby County's legendary Steve Bloomer originally played for Derby Midland FC.

Peter Barker R.S.M.A

Phillip Dyke

James Preston

Though each photograph often hides thousands of words of history inside it, the immediacy of seeing a moment of history encompassed in an image is often unrivalled. When it comes to old photographs and images of Derby, there are a few sources in particular that lead to a rich source of history and nostalgia including the photographs of Richard Keene (1825-1894) –an early Derby photographer, the postcard images of Frank Scarratt (1876-1894) and the work undertaken by Hurst &

Wallis on behalf of the council in the 1930s.

For me though – and in my humble opinion – there’s one photographic collection of Derby and its surrounds that is quite simply unique and that is the collection that belongs to W. W. Winter.

The origins of Winter’s can be traced all the way back to 1852 when E. N. Charles first opened his original studio and the premises that Winter’s can still be found in today – 45, Midland Road, Derby – were built in 1867.

When it comes to looking into the history of Derby and its surrounds, there’s one thing that people seem to enjoy more than anything and that, of course, is the old photographs.

Can you help Winter's? Do any of our readers know who the lady in this picture is?

A Derby Co-operative Society mobile shop delivering to an estate on the outskirts of Derby - used for deliveries of fruit, vegetables and milk in the days when private cars were a rarity, this method of shopping was attractive to housewives who would otherwise have had to trudge long distances with heavy shopping bags.

The UK’s oldest photography business that is still going strong in Derby.

As well as offering various services to the citizens of Derby – which nowadays include portraiture; the copy and restoration of old negatives, slides and prints; picture framing and passport, visa and ID headshots – Winter’s have also amassed an incredibly large and detailed collections of images of Derby over the years.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, on May 17, 2018, they also launched the W. W. Winter Heritage Trust. The Trust - which can be found at heritagetrust. wwwinter.co.uk - arranges public meetings and lectures which aim to advance the education

of the public in the history of photography, and in particular that relating to W. W. Winter Ltd., the city of Derby and the East Midlands. They also manage the entire collection of images in the W. W. Winter archive.

With a pedigree like that, and with our own ethos which is to both promote the history and heritage of Derby and Derbyshire as well as promoting the businesses within it, it is undoubtedly a pleasure to welcome them to the newspaper and to thank them for the tireless work they do, and have done over the years,

to both play a part in Derby and to curate its past.

You’ll see on this page some wonderful examples of the work they have done in the past with both stunning portraiture and also some wonderful snapshots of Derby in times gone by. We look forward to seeing more of them in upcoming issues but, in the meantime, if you have some spare time on your hands then why not get in touch with the Trust who are always looking for volunteers. You might also want to check out the services they offer in their studio – perhaps it’s time for that portrait you’ve always wanted.

Derby Co-op store in a Derby suburb, c.1940 - Derby Co-operative Society opened many small stores such as this one all around then town in the 1930's. W.W.Winter Ltd had a large commission from Derby Co-operative Society ( known as 'the D.C.S.') and photographed not only new developments but also recorded buildings, vehicles, people and processes.

If any of our readers know who this family is, it would be wonderful to find out.

A Victorian portrait by Winter's.

Alice Grace

The tragic tale of ‘Old Alice in the Bacon Box’.

Born on July 2, 1853, Alice was the daughter of stocking maker William Grace and Alice Bunting. At the time of her birth, the family lived in Holbrook and alongside Alice and her parents she also had an older brother – Joseph. By the time she was three, the family had moved to nearby Morley where Samuel and Charles became her younger siblings – born in 1856 and 1859 respectively.

Tragedy seemed to stalk the early years of Alice’s life and that of her family. In 1864, at the age of only 14, Alice’s older brother died. Only two years after that her youngest sibling – Charles – also died at the tragically young age of seven.

Perhaps in an attempt to start anew and leave, as best they could, the tragic memories behind, the remaining family moved to Little Eaton where they made their home on Blacksmith's Row by the Gang Road.

For Alice it seemed that no move would stop the litany of tragic and cruel events that were occurring in her life. In 1877, the now 24-year-old Alice, fell deeply in love with what she thought was the love of her life. After Alice became pregnant, her lover cruelly rejected her and many felt that this life event was the one that she never recovered from after the shock it had heaped upon her.

The tragedies kept coming – her baby daughter died in 1878 and by 1891 she had also lost both of her parents and her one remaining brother. The run-down cottage where she lived was in desperate need of improvements and Alice decided to withhold her rent in the hope of forcing her landlord to make the necessary repairs.

However, the inevitable happened and she was evicted which started her journey towards poverty and homelessness.

Though initially she attempted to live in a shed and a stable, she was forced out of both and found herself fashioning her own accommodation from an old bacon box that would have previously been used to pack sides of ham whilst using another to keep her belongings in.

Located on the canal wharf near the Clock House, sympathetic locals would sometimes provide her with food and occasionally allow her to bathe. Though attempts were made to remove her to the workhouse, she always resisted as many of the time would have done due to their fearful reputations. Cleverly, Alice would always make sure she had a sixpence on her to prove she was not destitute and she continued to work at the local paper mill for a period of time.

When she did lose her job, she survived by begging and also by telling fortunes and though the box would change occasionally, and though she moved around the village, into the quarries and on to Whitaker Lane, Alice lived this life for almost twenty years. During this time she became something of a celebrity with people coming from far and wide to see her with many taking photographs and her image was even featured on postcards.

Of course twenty years of living rough inevitably took its toll on Alice, and both her health and appearance began to deteriorate and she was eventually taken to the workhouse at Shardlow. Though two versions of how this happened exist – one being that she was too ill to resist and the other stating that she no longer had even a penny to prove that she was not destitute – it seems that all accounts agree that she actually found happiness in the workhouse and settled into a job there until her death in 1927.

It's nice to know that after a lifetime full of tragedy she finally found some happiness and peace, but the story also perhaps reminds us of the harshness of life, even in this country a relatively short time ago. Perhaps as we remember Alice and ensure that her story is never forgotten, we should also count our own blessings for what we have.

If, as we like to believe at Derby Uncovered, the true history of any place lies in the history of the people that lived in it, and in the stories of the lives of those people, then the story of Alice Grace is both a story filled with sadness and one that deserves to be remembered – it’s the true story known to some as ‘Old Alice in the Bacon Box’.

A contemporary image of Alice Grace and her bacon box.

The church hall at Little Eaton where Alice spent much of her life.

Haddon Hall’s 2023 opening dates revealed

Haddon Hall, one of the country’s most elegant, historically important, and timeless stately homes, has confirmed the opening dates for its 2023 season. From April 1st to September 24th, visitors can once again immerse themselves in 900 years of history, marvel at Tudor and Elizabethan architecture and craftsmanship, and stroll around the hall’s Elizabethan walled gardens and magnificent Medieval Parkland, enjoying uninterrupted views of the Peak District.

Throughout the spring and summer, there will be free Guided Tours every Monday, starting from April 3rd, which run at intervals throughout the day, providing visitors with a brief introduction to the history of the hall. In the summer holidays, every Tuesday from July 11th to August 29th, there will be Children’s Free Guided Tours, with Archery classes available to buy on the day. Guests can also experience live music in the hall on selected Sundays from June 4th to September 17th. Taking place at 12pm and 2pm, these wonderful recitals fill the hall with music and are included within the admission ticket.

Haddon’s Medieval Park will once again reopen to visitors, with a packed and diverse events calendar, which includes its popular Parkland and Specialist Walks, alongside Photography Workshops, and for the first time this year, a Forest Bathing morning and Bat Watching evenings. The first event on the calendar is a Photography Workshop on May 11th, followed by the first Parkland Walk on May 13th. The full events calendar can be found at their website at www.haddonhall.co.uk

Continuing to strengthen its relationships with the local artisan community, Haddon’s Gatehouse Gift Shop reopens to the public on April 3rd, and will see different artisans in situ each week, giving visitors the chance to shop for something special on both their way in and out of the hall.

There’s also the opportunity to enjoy a delicious breakfast, lunch or Afternoon Tea at Haddon’s restaurant, with a wonderful view of the hall and river and a menu that focuses on seasonal, local produce.

Following the overwhelming success of its Derbyshire Discount last year, Lord and Lady Edward Manners have decided to extend the discount into the 2023 season, offering 30% off entry for the residents of Derbyshire, including students, adults and concessions, in addition to free entry for children under the age of 16 years old.

Lady Edward Manners said: “Over the last few months, our wonderful team have been hard at work getting Haddon ready to reopen to the public on April 1st and we are very much looking forward to welcoming visitors back for a beautiful day out in a truly unique and historic

setting. Alongside the fantastic events calendar we have lined up throughout the year, we are currently putting the finishing touches to our incredibly popular Mercatum Artisan Markets, which will be announced in detail in the coming months.

“From nine centuries of history, to the magnificent roses cascading down the hall’s walls, the delicious food in our restaurant and a gift shop brimming with local artisan’s wares, Haddon really has something for everyone, and we look forward to seeing you soon!”

An amazing choice of events for everyone...

Derby 10k

Charity places available

Sunday 26 March

Starting and nishing at Pride Park, the home of the Rams, the route will take in city centre sights before looping back to the stadium.

Skydive

Saturday 20 May

Head into the sky and leap 13,500 ft.. This is your chance to experience ying through the air at 120mph and help your local hospital.

• Deposit £60

• Miniumum sponsorship £400

Derby Half Marathon

Charity places available

Sunday 4 June

With an exciting new route that starts and nishes in Iron Gate, and takes in Pride Park Stadium, Alvaston park and the stunning scenery of Elvaston Castle Country Park.

Family Fun Day

Saturday 17 June

Come and join us for a family fun lled day at Mickleover Sports Club with craft stalls, food and drink and a fun fair.

NHS 75th Birthday

Celebrations

Wednesday 5 July

2023 marks 75 years of the National Health Service treating 1.3 million people a day in England. The NHS touches all our lives, and today we cannot imagine life without it. Details on events coming soon.

Colour Run

Saturday 16 September

Run, walk or even dance around our 5k course where you will be ‘blasted’ with coloured powder, and cross the nish line wearing the colours of the rainbow and a huge smile!

Snowdon Trek

Saturday 23 September

You will leave from Pen-Y-Pass and follow the Pyg Track as it winds its way up. The trail sits below the dramatic Crib Goch and above the pristine Glaslyn (Blue Lake), o ering fantastic views at every point. •

Registration from £35

Charity Gala

Friday 17 November

Take a step back in time and join the charity in a 1920’s Theme Gala, with a Gatsby-style evening of glamour. More details TBC.

Santa Run

Sunday 10 December

This Christmas, join hundreds of Santa’s at Markeaton Park for the Derby Santa Run! Whether you hop, skip, dance or run the route, ‘yule’ be sure to have lots of festive fun.

For more details visit our website www.dbhc.org.uk/events

@derbyburtonhospitalscharity Registered Charity Number: 1061812

@hospitalcharity

Establishing the area as a destination, increasing footfall and organising events to attract visitors to the city are key focuses of Derby’s Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) which is about to start its fourth five-year term in March.

Exciting times are ahead for the Cathedral Quarter – thanks to the dedicated BID team who work hard to promote the area’s great independent shops, beauty salons, professional services, and award-winning restaurants, coffee shops and pubs that are nestled on streets that have been central to Derby for centuries.

Eve Taylor, BID Project Executive for Cathedral Quarter, said: “We are a driving force behind so many amazing projects in Derby and this year we will be doing our very best to showcase the Cathedral Quarter once more.

Exciting times ahead for the Cathedral Quarter

“In July, you’ll see dinosaurs in the Market Place with the return of ‘A Jurassic Day Out in Cathedral Quarter’ and ‘Celebrate Sadler Gate’ will provide a day of family entertainment. We will be supporting other city events including Derby Feste, the Folk Festival and all our Christmas events.

“Delivering projects that encourage visitors to Derby and breathe new life into the city centre, is at the forefront of everything we do.”

Cathedral Quarter has become established as a well-known destination incorporating independent, regional, and national businesses in retail, professional services, leisure and culture.

The success of the work carried out by the BID led to the Cathedral Quarter being crowned as the National BID of the Year by the Association of Town

and City Management (ATCM) as well as the coveted title of ‘best city centre location’ in the Great British High Street Awards in previous years.

Brad Worley, BID Manager for Cathedral Quarter, explained: “We have come such a long way over the years and the future looks promising.

“We have built up a strong sense of community, and by working together, we have forged great relationships with local businesses and partners allowing us to drive our core BID objectives.

“Working to transform our city for the benefit of every single person who lives or visits here is what strives us forward as a team.”

Derby’s Cathedral Quarter was developed as a Business Improvement District in 2008, after businesses voted in favour of a plan to support businesses and brand the area. They were facing challenges like the opening of Derby’s first large shopping centre and the relocation of stores like Debenhams and Marks and Spencer.

Today, Derby’s Cathedral Quarter has successfully established itself as a

destination. Amongst many of the BID projects, the BID introduced a team of two Rangers who patrol the streets supporting businesses and welcoming visitors, and, following its successful Loyalty Card scheme ‘I Love the Cathedral Quarter’, has now introduced its new money-saving app, LoyalFree.

LoyalFree promotes money-off deals, local events and allows shoppers to unlock discounts and deals from shops, salons, and hospitality businesses across the BID area. It is free to use for all visitors and residents and can be downloaded from the App store on any Smart phone.

Brad said: “There is just so much to mention but I hope it’s clear just how closely we work with businesses in our BID, so everyone can get the very best from their visit to Cathedral Quarter.

“We know UK high streets have changed but Derby’s independent businesses have continued to flourish. Shoppers and visitors have remained loyal to the Cathedral Quarter, but our work is more valuable than ever.”

WIN COPIES OF WE DANCED IN DERBY AND RUM ‘N’ COKE BY ROGER SMITH!

For all of those who remember the Dance Halls, Discos, Clubs and Pubs in Derby in the 1960s, We Dance in Derby is must-read.

Written by Roger Smith this new 90-page book is packed full of nostalgiainducing photographs and memorabilia, and chronicles more than 40 dance venues during that magical period. It also shares the memories of people who were there, the dances they did, the music they danced to and even the clothes they wore.

In Derby, the old venues – the Assembly Rooms (before it burned down in 1963), the Trocadero, and the Albert Ballroom, were still providing music for dancing with their own resident bands. But in December 1959, just two weeks before the start of the new decade, in the old Grand Theatre building in Babington Lane, Mecca opened the Locarno ballroom. It was a revelation. Mecca used its own stable of bands and the occasional local group –but it was the resident DJ, spinning 45-rpm vinyl, that was favoured by dance-crazy young people, as what would become known as the Swinging Sixties got under way.

Then in the mid-sixties the burgeoning Mod movement came to the fore and the exclusive

band of stylish kids with their love of soul music soon influenced the mass-market. This new culture directly gave birth to Derby’s Clouds club and the club scene started to flourish with new venues popping up around town.

The famous dance venues that are featured in the book include the Locarno, Assembly Rooms, Trocadero, King's Hall, Albert Ballroom, Corporation Hotel, Rialto, Black Cat Club, Stork Club, Discovery Discotheque, Clouds, Shotgun Discotheque, Magic of Ju Ju, Havana Club, Polish Club, Club Italia, and the Sherwood Hotel.

You can win a copy of not just this wonderful book, but also Rum ‘n’ Coke, a novel by Roger that takes a nostalgic look at teenage life in early 1960’s Derby, by answering the question below.

The façade of one of the venues in We Danced in Derby – the old Derby Assembly Rooms – now resides in which location?

Don't worry if you're not the lucky winner‘WE DANCED IN DERBY’ by Roger Smith is available online at www.thetapmarketing.com/ publishing and from Waterstones, 78-80 St Peters Street and Poyntons, Crown Walk, Derbion Centre.

Priced £16.50

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Old houses in The Strand, c1934.

BY ALFRED JOHN KEENE

The Strand in Derby is one of the streets that does not, unlike many of the others, follow the medieval street pattern that once existed.

It in fact owes much of its existence to the culverting of Markeaton Brook. The brook was culverted in distinct stages. Albert Street and Victoria Street for example were culverted in the 1830’s. The part of the brook which ran along the line of what is now The Strand was culverted in 1877/78, with The Strand itself built by 1881.

Derby UNCOVERED

Local Gardens open for Charity

As spring arrives the garden visiting season starts in earnest. As well as the fantastic public gardens we have in Derbyshire, many private gardens open for The National Garden Scheme which gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, and raises impressive amounts of money for some of the UK's best-loved nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake. Here are a couple of local spring gardens to visit. Details of all gardens opening can be found at www.ngs.org.uk

April

334 Belper Road, Stanley Common, just 7 miles north of Derby will be open for the National Garden Scheme on Wednesday the 12th of April from 11.30 until 4.30. A hidden gem of a country garden with many attractive features, and in particular in April you can walk through the cowslip filled meadow to the lake. Children a very welcome to this garden with activities to keep them entertained, admission is just £4.00

May

Three miles south of the City Centre you will find the village of Alvaston – did you know that Alvaston was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086? The village rapidly expanded in the 19th century and was the terminus of the tram route that ran along London road.

On Sunday 7th and Sunday 21st of May 26 Stiles Road, Alvaston will be open from 1pm until 5pm. A small town garden which is full of surprises and ideas whatever the size of your garden. Packed with features such as a wisteria tunnel, ponds, mini woodland walk, veg plot and over 30 varieties of clematis.

Admission is just £3.00, children go free and dogs on leads welcome. There will be plants for sale and home made teas.

Just 6 miles south of Derby you will find the historic village of Repton, the former capital of the Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Mercia, with its historic church and famous School.

A group of local keen gardeners open their gardens as ‘Repton NGS Village Gardens’ on Monday 29th May from 1 – 5.30 for a combined admission of just £6.00, children go free.

Coming up in future articles we will be exploring the real ‘secret gardens’ that open for the National Garden Scheme and private gardens which are only open to the public on a handful of occasions each year – including picture postcard cottages, allotments, grand houses and inspirational suburban spaces.

Visiting the Repton NGS Village gardens you’ll find a range of plots, from small to large with different gardening styles so there’s sure to be something to interest you. You’ll find tropical plants and an orchid house at 22 Pinfold

Close. If ‘grow your own’ is your thing, Repton Allotments are open - as well as traditional plots there is a new community area.

10 Chestnut Way is a plant lovers paradise, extensively redesigned over the last few months – perhaps start or finish your visit here and enjoy tea and cake!

If you’d like to see the gardens again at the height of summer the gardens are open again on Monday Saturday 15th July from 1 -5.30

10 Chestnut Way is also open ‘by arrangement’ for groups of 5 to 25 people from February to October if you would like to arrange a more bespoke visit.

26 Stiles Road in Alvaston, Derby.

Have some delicious cakes whilst you visit the gardens.

334 Belper Road, Stanley Common.

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Derby Derby

Cathedral by Mark Miley

After last issues fascinating look at the work of Charles Herbert Aslin and the footprints his Central Improvement Plan left on Derby, Mark Miley, owner of Derby in Pictures –www.derbyinpictures.com – takes a look at one of the most iconic and beautiful landmarks in Derby –Derby Cathedral.

The city of Derby is blessed with a great deal of wonderful and historic buildings but of these, arguably the most impressive is our beautiful Cathedral, standing proudly on the edge of the city for over 500 years.

Rear view of the Cathedral showing Perpendicular tower, the 18th century nave and the 20th century extension to the rear.

Unlike the grand, imposing austerity of most English cathedrals, ours is bright and welcoming, the result of a number of rebuilds over the centuries.

Traditionally known as the church of All Saints, construction began in the 14th century on the site of a much older, pre-conquest, church, although today nothing now remains of that building. The tower was replaced between 1510 and 1530 with the fabulous Perpendicular edifice we see today and is reputed to be the second highest church tower in England. This beautiful structure is also renowned for holding the oldest ring of ten bells in the world, dating from the 17th century.

By the early years of the 18th century the church was beginning to fall into significant disrepair and so the vicar - Michael Hutchinson - had it demolished, fortunately sparing the tower. It is said that Hutchinson decided unilaterally to do this and had the building demolished overnight, leaving the corporation with no choice but to begin fundraising for its replacement.

The renowned architect James Gibbs was commissioned to provide the replacement and the Neo-classical interior he created is

a beautifully light and airy space, so unlike most other buildings of this type.

some beautiful wrought iron gates, the work of the renowned local craftsman Robert Bakewell, which once formed the entrance to a now demolished private house on nearby St Mary's Gate. More of Bakewell's work can be found inside the Cathedral where he created the magnificent screen encompassing the Royal Coat of Arms of King George II.

In 1927, with the population of the town expanding All Saints was hallowed, becoming Derby Cathedral on 28th October. An extension was planned to better equip it for this task and this was designed by Sir Ninian Comper, however this plan was never realised due to the restrictions and austerity of the war years. Instead, a revised version was built in 1966 to the designs of Ninian's son Sebastian

The front of the cathedral is graced by

The Cathedral is also home to a large number of funerary monuments, a number of which pre-date the current building, presumably being transferred from the previous cathedral. There are a number from the 17th century, however the oldest is probably the wooden carving known as the 'effigy'. Carved to portray someone in the Canonical robes of All Saint's Church it is thought to date from about 1527 and is unusual in being carved from wood instead of the usual stone.

One of the most well-known monuments in the building is that of Elizabeth 'Bess' of Hardwick, founder of the Cavendish dynasty of which the Dukes of Devonshire are one significant branch. Bess designed the monument herself and had it made in time for her death. Beneath the church lies the Cavendish family crypt where many of the family are interred.

The beautiful Neo-classical interior.

The unusual carved wooden monument known as the 'effigy’.

Spring – ‘tis the season for change don’t you think?

Sarah Roach, our resident wellbeing and change coach, talks about the value of using this season as the ‘New Year’.

Well done – you’ve made it through the darkest months of the year and it’s already March. I can’t tell you how grateful I am now for those lighter mornings!

I hope with those lighter mornings comes a new spring in your step; I love the idea of Spring being your new year, which is easier for me as my birthday is in April. When I start another year I try to spend the first three months of each calendar year hibernating and being kind to myself, (I do suffer from Seasonal Adjustment Disorder (SAD), reflecting and planning.

Spring - time to do all the things that you are made to feel you have to do in January but have absolutely no motivation to achieve.

I thought I would take this time to share with you a few things I do to help me do that:

1. Morning routine – you’ve probably read a few articles about the value of routine – because it works! The first 2 hours of every day, sets me up for the day; I shower – and yes, I do

A little about me

have my 2 minutes of cold water at the end; then I meditate for 20 minutes, then I go look after the pugs, make some breakfast, and then eat that as I write my journal. I end my journallings with a mini life audit (more later!), where I set my top 3 tasks for the day – personal and work related. THEN I turn on the work laptop……. Mind clear, settled, and focussed on the day ahead and body awake, relaxed, and fuelled. Onwards!

2. Set sleep patterns: I can speak personally about the value of set bed/sleep times. I spent years undermining myself by see-sawing between early nights and late nights, having to get up early for the big commute, crashing out at the weekends, with lie ins or naps – or sometimes both! Staying up on Sundays, gripping on tight to the freedom of the weekend – which meant I woke up on Monday, muggy headed and less than enthusiastic for the week ahead. So get up at the same time every day, go to bed at the same time every day whenever you can. And I can’t tell you the joy of waking up naturally, refreshed before the alarm goes off!

3. Water. First thing – 500ml straight down. And then at least 1.5 litres throughout the day. And do watch the caffeine; a therapist once told me that if you are suffering from anxiety or nerves, the first favour you do for yourself is give up the caffeine – it’s a stimulant your body doesn’t need right now.

That’s all for now because quite frankly if you do just one of those things, you should give yourself a pat on the shoulder. Next time, let’s do that life audit!

I’m 52 (nearly 53 ), live with my partner Mick, in our new build home with our two pugs Harvey and Lewie. I’ve worked across the public and private sectors, in various roles, but most recently worked in big change projects, often where IT systems are being changed, supporting programme directors keep everything on track. And over that time, I saw that people beats process every single time. But quite often people are an afterthought. I work hard to remind people involved in and leading big change projects that if you don’t involve and take people with you, your project won’t achieve the benefits you need it to. I work with individuals and organisations to make sure change is prepared, planned and managed to ensure the right outcomes for all.

I offer one to one coaching, I’m soon to be qualified as an advanced hypnotherapist, and I am a great listener; and I currently have space for two new clients – reach out!

E: sarahroach@fishinwater.org | m: 07894 961095

Nutrition And Retreat Time to reflect, re-energise and be inspired…

Time

With longer days and Spring around the corner, we may start to feel energised and ready to prepare for the summer, a holiday or maybe even make some changes to our daily routines.

For me this starts with Lent and 46 days of fasting. My husband and I normally give up alcohol and any form of sweets (although I don’t really eat these, I give up chocolate to support my hubby). In the past few years, we also decided to limit meat consumption to weekends only, which enhances my creativity in the kitchen, devising new meal ideas using as many different seasonal vegetables and fruit. In turn, this benefits our health as well as our pockets.

Whether you observe Lent or Ramadan or any other form of fasting, Spring could be a moment when you decide to review your health and possibly reevaluate your diet. Check whether it is serving you.

Is it benefiting you or hindering you in any way?

A good way to start to look at this is a food mood diary. This is where you record your diet and how you feel daily to highlight any correlations or patterns.

If you are unsure how to go about it, I will share with you my approach as a registered nutritionist. It is called the three T’s: time, type and total. When do you eat and how fast? What is it that you consume? And how much do you intake?

Over the next few issues, I will cover each of the T’s, starting with time. The number of meals we have in the day generally doesn’t influence our body composition, but the timing of the meals may be a factor in how hungry we feel, potentially increasing or decreasing our daily consumption.

A study conducted in Israel (Jakubowicz et al, 2013) looked at two groups that were eating the same number of calories in the day, but at different times. One group consumed the majority of the food in the morning, while the other in the afternoon. The group that had bigger breakfast had approx. 20% lower blood sugar levels throughout the day. There are other studies that show breakfast rich in protein and carbohydrates, rather than a low-carbohydrate option, helps reduce hunger and cravings potentially helping us to maintain a healthy weight. Eating slowly is also important for three reasons. Firstly, the digestion process starts in our mouth so chewing everything, even that liquid smoothie, makes a big difference. This is how the food is broken down and digestion of sugars is started. Secondly, the slower process can lower the risk of indigestion and increase the enjoyment of eating. Finally, slowing down the absorption allows time for the hormonal and nervous system to kick in, and our brain to send satiety signals. This can help prevent overeating.

The well-known saying to have “breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper” has truth and meaning within it. Think about the time of day and your food consumption in line with this. We know that life gets in the way, and it can be hard planning meals around your busy schedules, but there are some tricks you could try. As a starter here is a quick and easy recipe for a carbohydrate and protein rich breakfast you could prepare the day before.

by Marta Zaremba-Marsden ANutr

We are thrilled to be part of this publication and look forward to sharing lots of amazing events with you.

For local events, attractions and clubs just visit www.DerbyDaysOut.co.uk or follow @DerbyDaysOut on Facebook and Instagram. If

like

see your event listed on the Derby Days Out 'What's On' Page contact sarahb@derbydaysout.co.uk

Derby Book Festival

Derby Book Festival will be bringing books to life with over 50 events across the city from 19 - 27 May 2023. This year's Festival will have something for everyone whatever your age and interest - from Concorde to cookery, gardening to ghosts, seaside to singing! There'll be some of the most celebrated, entertaining and well-loved authors and poets, Alastair Campbell, Kate Mosse, Patrick Gale, Brian Bilston, Charles Dowding, John Boyne, Alison Weir, Blake Morrison, T M Logan, Caleb Azumah Nelson and many more! Plus a Book Fair, writing workshops and a special Big Book Bonanza at Déda with FREE activities and street theatre performances. Pick up a festival programme from libraries, arts venues, cafes and tourist offices across the county.

Ashbourne

More than just ‘The Gateway to Dovedale’

Packed full of fascinating history and architecture, it has always seemed slightly unfair to me to refer to the town of Ashbourne as ‘The Gateway to Dovedale’. Of course, Ashbourne is the ideal and perfect base for all those wanting to explore the limestone landscapes of the southern White Peak, and Dovedale is most certainly worth a visit – but there is so much more to Ashbourne than that.

The history of Ashbourne probably dates to around the 8th or 9th century when it is believed an Anglo-Saxon settlement was established in the area. What is known for certain is that it is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 where it is referred to as Esseburne meaning stream with ash trees, and by the 12th century it was being referred to as Ascheburn. Granted a market charter in 1257, Ashbourne was, in medieval times, a frequent rest stop for pilgrims walking “St Non’s Way” to the shrine at Dunstable in Bedfordshire.

Today Ashbourne has over 200 listed buildings and includes amongst these, historic almshouses, fine coaching inns and genteel town houses. Included in the listed buildings is the facade of the Grade I listed Old Grammar School which opened in 1603 after five people petitioned Queen Elizabeth I for a school on the basis that, ‘for lack of education, the inhabitants were given over to wickedness and vices such as idleness, swearing, drunkenness, whoredom and such like’!

The Domesday Book entry for Ashbourne.

The brass foundation plaque for St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne.

St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne.

The church of St. Oswald's, with its striking 212 feet high spire, is another visually beautiful spectacle. Described by the writer George Eliot as ‘the finest mere parish church in the Kingdom’, the existing church dates back to the 1200s, though renovation work in the 20th century found evidence of a Norman crypt. The dedication plaque in the church is from 1241 and is thought to be the oldest in Britain.

Another building with a long and fascinating history is The Mansion - a Grade I listed building. The original brick house was built in c.1685 by an attorney called Benjamin Taylor. The house was refronted in 1764 by the grandson of Benjamin – Dr. John Taylor. He was known locally at the time as the ‘King of Ashbourne’ - due to his extravagant and flamboyant ways which included his periodical habit of giving large amounts of food and drink to both the rich and poor of the town. Dr. Taylor was also an old school friend of Samuel Johnson - often referred to as Dr. Johnson – whose acclaimed work ‘A Dictionary of the English Language’ in 1755 was described by Walter Jackson Bate as ‘one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship’. Dr. Johnson visited The Mansion firstly in 1740 and then on multiple occasions in the 1770s. During his visits he would often drink in The Green Man pub in Ashbourne – itself built in the 1750s.

Between 1802 and 1814, and during the Napoleonic Wars, the town of Ashbourne housed 172 French prisoners of war. Initially, this type of prisoner would have been housed in prison hulks and purpose-built

prisons. These establishments were, however, considered to be of too poor a standard to house captured officers who had given their word that they would not try to escape. These officers were first housed in towns near to the coast, however in the early 1800s, and with the threat of a French invasion at the forefront of people’s minds, the decision was made to move the officers away from potential invasion points and into towns like Ashbourne. All prisoners were required to stay within one mile of the town and to observe a curfew. Ultimately ten of the prisoners married local girls and whilst here the officers brought their own personal staff with them. It is, in fact, thought that the original recipe for Ashbourne Gingerbread was acquired from French prisoners of war. Now home to Birds Bakery, The Gingerbread Shop in Ashbourne dates back to c.1492 and though originally believed to be an Inn it was, during the Napoleonic Wars era, converted into a bakery. This building is considered to be the ‘spiritual home’ of Ashbourne Gingerbread and local gingerbread can still be bought in the town today. Of course, no look at Ashbourne and its history could happen without talking about Shrovetide football and The Royal Shrovetide Football Match. For the uninitiated, a game of Shrovetide football is played annually each Shrovetide Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. On these occasions the two teams that play the game are known as the Up'Ards and the Down'Ards. The Up'Ards are traditionally those town members born north of Henmore Brook, which runs through the town, and Down'Ards are those born south of the river.

There are two goal posts set three miles (4.8 km) apart, one at Sturston Mill (where the Up'Ards attempt to score), the other at Clifton Mill (where the Down'Ards seek to score). In local parlance a successful score occurs when the ball is goaled and the process of 'goaling' a ball requires a player to hit it against the millstone three successive times. The game starts at 2pm each day, and re-starts if a goal is scored before 5pm, with the game ending at 10pm or at the time of the ball being scored after 5pm. The game is played throughout the town with no limits on the number of players on each side and during the game, shop windows are boarded up with people encouraged to park their cars away from the town. The game has very few rules, though the few it does have stipulate that play is not allowed in gardens, the Churchyard or the town’s Memorial Gardens. For large portions of the game it is essentially a game of ‘hug’, where the ball is carried around in a large group of players, although the ball is quite often in the air as well. If it sounds like something a little bit crazy, it is – but it’s the good kind of crazy and dates all the way back to at least 1667.

With Easter coming up soon, and if you’re looking for a place to visit, you couldn’t do much better than Ashbourne. Full of history, stunning architecture, a bustling weekly market, independent shops and much, much more, Ashbourne is most certainly more than just ‘The Gateway to Dovedale’.

St. John Street in Ashbourne in 1951.

Victoria Square in Ashbourne.

The Shrovetide ball goaled by H. Hind on Ash Wednesday, 1887. Adrian Roebuck at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.

General DonatienMarie-Joseph de Vimeur Rochambeau –Ashbourne’s most famous Napoleonic prisoner.

Famous

As regular readers will know, in each issue we take a look at someone who has left an indelible imprint on our local area. Two pages is, of course, only sufficient to provide an overview of something that could stretch much further but hopefully it’s enough to engender enough interest in some to find out more. With Bess of Hardwick and her place as the second most powerful woman in Elizabethan England after the Queen, her four marriages and her legacy of both Chatsworth House and Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, two pages is a challenge for even an overview – but we shall try to do so.

By the end of her life Bess had almost unimaginable wealth, yet her origins, though far from humble, were substantially less grandiose. Born into a family of landowners who owned land in and around Hardwick and a modest manor house on the site of Hardwick Old Hall, Bess had left home by the age of 12 to serve at nearby Codnor Castle.

It has been said by many that Bess married well throughout her life – though it should be noted that she was also regarded by many as a very shrewd businesswoman –and her first marriage had occurred by the time she was 15. Robert Barlow, himself only 13, was heir to a neighbouring gentry family and died the following year. After his death the marital claims to Robert's estate were disputed and although after being initially refused dower - a widow's share for life of her husband's estate – Bess, after a lengthy court battle, was awarded her claim on the Barlow estate and compensation several years after Robert's death.

After Robert’s death it is thought by many that following this Bess most likely became lady-in-waiting to Frances Grey, mother of Lady Jane Grey. If this was the case then this would have brought her into the top echelons of Tudor society. What is known for certain is that during this period of her life she met, and ultimately married, Sir William Cavendish. William was twenty years her senior and had been twice widowed. Under the Tudors he had amassed a fortune and in 1549, under the

Elizabeth Talbot,

of Shrewsbury, better known as Bess of Hardwick. Born: 1527. Died: 1608.

advice and influence of Bess, the couple bought the Chatsworth estate in Derbyshire where, in 1553, Bess began to build the new house. Her marriage to Sir William was thought to be happy and resulted in eight children, but upon his death on October 25, 1557, Bess was widowed again and in vast debt to the Crown.

In 1559, Bess married for a third time – this time to the elderly and rich William St Loe, the captain of Queen Elizabeth I’s guard. Due to his relationship with the monarch, he was able to reduce the debt Bess owed and paid it back in full on her behalf. When William died in 1564/65 he left everything to Bess which transformed her into one of the wealthiest women in England. It is estimated that her annual income at that time was about £60,000 – around £20 million in today’s money.

Countess

Hardwick Old Hall.

Footprints

Bess did not remarry until 1568, when she married George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, and became the Countess of Shrewsbury. This was to prove a marriage that would soon run into a lot of trouble.

One of the biggest factors and cause of strain in the marriage was created in 1586 when Queen Elizabeth made Shrewsbury the custodian of Mary, Queen of Scots, after her forced abdication. This was to be the case for 15 years and as Mary was moved around between Shrewsbury’s many houses, the task proved burdensome, expensive and was a huge drain on both of their resources and patience.

Shrewsbury’s anger was also enraged when relationships with the Queen were damaged by Bess secretly engineering a marriage between her own daughter Elizabeth and Charles Stuart – whose heirs were claimants to the English throne.

With Mary seemingly playing her part in aggravating the problems between the couple, and with Shrewsbury resenting the time and money that Bess devoted to remodelling Chatsworth, the couple spent increasing

amounts of time apart before their marriage broke down in 1584.

Under the threat of attack from her husband’s men, Bess returned to her old family home at Hardwick which she had purchased the year before from the estate of her brother, James, who had died heavily in debt. As she and her husband were now in dispute over the ownership of Chatsworth, Bess decided to focus on a property that was undeniably hers.

Between 1585 and 1590 she enlarged and remodelled the medieval manor house into what is now known as Hardwick Old Hall but when, on November 18, 1590, Shrewsbury died leaving her a widow for the fourth time and unimaginably wealthy, she began planning an even grander house at Hardwick, just metres away from the unfinished Old Hall.

Completed in 1599, the new hall was one of the greatest houses of the Elizabethan age. As with other houses of that era, glass was regarded as exhibiting

your high-status and the new hall had huge windows giving rise to the saying ‘Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall’.

Bess died in 1608 leaving William, her son, most of her great estates and now – over 400 years later – both Chatsworth House and Hardwick Hall are open to visitors allowing us all to see two of the greatest building projects of that time.

If you want to find out more about visiting, then go to:

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ visit/peak-district-derbyshire/hardwick www.chatsworth.org

Hardwick Hall - 'more glass than wall'.

Chatsworth House.

Death defying daredevils!

The story of one man, a tightrope and a donkey!

When we look back into the hundreds of years of Derby’s history, we can find many a strange tale. Perhaps though not many as strange as the story of one man, a tightrope and a donkey. What makes this tale so special is not just it’s content though – it’s the fact that we can picture it accurately as one of the key components of the story still stands today –the Cathedral tower.

Elsewhere in this issue, Mark Miley – owner of the wonderful derbyinpictures.com website – has given us a wonderful look back at the history of Derby Cathedral and mentioned in his article that the tower was constructed between 1510 and 1530. It was this very tower in the 1700s that would play a part in the feats of not one, but two, tales of death-defying daredevils.

It is the eminent historian William Hutton, (1723-1815), who recounted in his ‘History of Derby’ (1791) the tale of a man named Cadman – a man he described as a ‘small figure of a man’ and ‘seemingly composed of spirit and gristle’ – who arrived in Derby in 1732 with the intent of entertaining the town by ‘sliding down a rope’. We can assume from his writings on the subject that William wasn’t overly impressed by such men as he states: “There are characters who had rather amuse the world, at the hazard of their lives, for a slender and precarious pittance, than follow an honest calling for an easy subsistence.”

Derby Cathedral Tower.

He goes on to describe how the rope in question was attached at one end to the top of the Cathedral tower – or All Saints as it was then – with the bottom end attached to St. Michaels describing it as a ‘horizontal distance of eighty yards, which formed an inclined plain extremely steep’.

With a breast plate made of wood, featuring a groove to fit the rope, Cadman performed for three successive days on the rope exhibiting tricks whilst on it such as firing a pistol, blowing a trumpet, hanging from his hands and laying on his back. Though earlier showing some disdain for such shows and performances, Hutton was actually more than a little impressed and described the events as a ‘wonderful exploit’. The Cadman in question performing these stunts was in fact Robert Cadman. Born in 1711 he was an 18th century steeplejack and ropeslider who, between 1732 and 1739, performed various feats of daring. Though he escaped uninjured from his show in Derby he later died in Shrewsbury when he fell during a performance in 1739 when the rope he was using broke. He was buried at St Mary's Church in Shrewsbury, where a commemorative plaque in his memory may still be found by the west entrance.

Though you might think that performance could not be outdone, Hutton then goes on to tell of a man, ‘much older than the first: with a coat in dishabille; no waistcoat; shirt and shoes the worse for wear; a hat worth three-pence, exclusive of the band, which was packthread bleached by the weather; and a black string supplying the place of buttons to his waistband’, who arrived in August 1734

and proceeded to tie a rope once again to the top of the tower but this time to the bottom of St. Mary’s Gate.

Armed ‘with a breast plate, and at each foot a lump of lead about half a hundred weight’ he drew a wheelbarrow after himself with a boy of thirteen inside it from the top to the bottom, before returning to the top for one last trip down the rope – this time with a donkey!

The rope broke just twenty yards before he reached the end, and as Hutton describes it: “Legs and arms went to destruction. In this dire calamity, the ass, which maimed others, was unhurt himself, having a pavement of soft bodies to roll over”. Though noone died, ‘the rope broke near the top, it brought down both chimnies and people at the other end of the street’.

Of course, these days such performances would be instantly banned – and rightly so – but it was a different world back then. Thankfully nobody –including the donkey – was seriously hurt, however the next time you’re near the Cathedral tower you may find yourself glancing to the top with a slightly different perspective on things.

With centuries of history and located in the city centre itself, Derby Cathedral is a must-visit location and a location I’d highly recommend you take the time to see. If you are interested in finding out more, you can here:

derbycathedral.org

www.facebook.com/derbycathedral

www.instagram.com/derbycathedral

The memorial plaque to Robert Cadman on the tower of St Mary the Virgin, Shrewsbury.

The exploits of the daredevils were recounted in The History of Derby by William Hutton.

The Derby Workhouses Please Sir, I Want Some More...”

If we examine the entirety of his work, perhaps one of the most well-known lines quoted from any of the stories of Charles Dickens would be Oliver Twist’s words in the Mudfog Workhouse – “Please Sir, I want some more…”. That one line, for many, seemed to perfectly illustrate the bleak realities at that time of living within a workhouse. They certainly inspired fear in my grandma’s generation – she wasn’t prone to talking much about the past, at least not in my presence when I was a young child, but even long after the era of workhouses, they still instilled fear into her when she spoke of them.

In England, a workhouse was an institution where the purpose was to provide work and shelter for povertystricken people who had no means to support themselves. Life was very regimented, controlled and monotonous for the inmates who all wore uniforms. They rarely received visitors and could not leave unless they were formally discharged to find or take up work and provide for themselves.

If we go back to 1777, we can see that a parliamentary report records five parish workhouses in Derby - All Saints, St. Werburgh, St. Peter, St. Alkmund and St. Michael. By 1797 that number had been reduced to four with St. Michael’s absent in a survey of the poor by Sir Frederic Morton Eden. The same report detailed how one house in every sixteen in Derby was an ale-house and that the workhouse with the best conditions was St. Alkmund’s – with 36 people being accommodated in the workhouse - six of them under seven years old and eight of them between the ages of eight and 12.

In 1834 the Poor Law Amendment Act came into existence and took the administration of the English Poor Laws – the existing system of poor relief laws – from the individual parishes as they had been before into Poor Law Unions. Each union was an amalgamation of the existing parishes which were all now jointly responsible for the administration of poor relief in their areas - each governed by a board of guardians.

In 1837-38 the first Derby Union Workhouse was built on the south side of Osmaston Road. Designed by John Mason, it did not follow any of the Poor Law Commissioners standard plans despite the fact that the same commissioners had authorised the sum of £5,360 to be expended on the building. It served as a workhouse for just under forty years and when a new workhouse was built on Uttoxeter Road in 1876-78, the site was sold to Royal Crown Derby for a new factory.

The new Derby Union workhouse was built on the north side of Uttoxeter Road. Designed by local architects William Giles and Robert and Thomas Brookhouse, it contained a three-storey main block with a central clock tower. A central dining hall and kitchen block were contained in its rear with a chapel to the north, the infirmary to the east and a separate school building also on the north of the site. It would later become known as the Boundary

House Institution, then after 1948 Manor Hospital. It was that very same hospital that, on the occasions we drove past it when I was a child, my mother and father would occasionally mention the ‘old workhouses’. Manor Hospital closed in 1988 and was demolished in 1992.

From as early as 1914 a Poor Law Hospital – to care for the union’s sick and poor – had been discussed. Though work was delayed by the First World War and its aftermath, in 1926 work finally began on the erection of the hospital on a twenty-eight acre site at the south side of Uttoxeter Road. The official laying of the foundation stones took place on June 29, 1927, with the hospital opened on November 16, 1929 by the Mayor of Derby – Alderman J.H. Grant –at a cost of £175,000. Less than six months after the opening, the Local Government Act of 1929 came into operation and control of the hospital passed to the Derby Town Council. For many years the Derby City General Hospital stood here and now the Royal Derby Hospital is situated on this site.

In 1948 The National Assistance Act abolished the last vestiges of the Poor Law and with it the workhouses, though many of the workhouse buildings were converted into retirement homes run by the local authorities. When the Act came into force an era that instilled fear into many was finally over.

Derby's first Union Workhouse was sold to Royal Crown Derby. Here is an illustration of it shortly after it became their factory.

The entrance to the Derby Uttoxeter Road Workhouse.

The layout of the Derby Uttoxeter Road Workhouse as it appeared on a map.

Image Copyright belongs to Royal Crown Derbyreproduced with their kind permission.

WITHERS GIN SCHOOL

A cocktail of fun, learning and Derby entrepreneurship

For those who travel in and around Derby on a regular basis, there will quite often be little gems that might, on occasions, pass unnoticed. These gems might be something historical, or a previously unvisited location, but in this case it would be a business that you weren’t previously aware of but probably should be.

If you’re not already aware of Withers Gin and their Gin School, then you’re definitely missing out. Whether you’re a gin lover yourself or whether a family member, friend or loved one happens to enjoy a tipple, you will discover that nestled at Unit 7 on Mansfield Road, is just the place for you.

Withers Gin was founded by Sarah Withers in 2020. Sarah has a background in luxury jewellery and their exclusive gin recipes have been developed with guidance from Ed Gibson, formerly Head Distiller at Burleigh’s and Bond Street Distillery. Starting with the creation of white label products for various small entities such as small sporting clubs, Sarah is now overseeing the creation of much more bespoke product ranges for clients including country houses and hotels. But let’s return to the gin school. Can you go as an amateur and make your own gin and is it enjoyable and fun when you do it?

The answer to both of those questions is a resounding yes.

Derby Uncovered were lucky enough to be invited along in February to take part in a lesson on gin making and it was an incredibly enjoyable time. We started – with a partner – by listening to Ed talk about the background of gin and impart some of his immense knowledge on the subject. This was in itself fascinating to learn and

took us nicely to the bit where it was time to get creative.

With over 70 botanicals to choose from to flavour our gin, we were asked to choose around five or six that we would use. Various sniffing and smelling of botanicals ensued at this point until we were happy with our proposed recipe. Then, when it was time to weigh the amount of each botanical we would use, Ed again assisted with his knowledge of just how strong each one was and how much we should put into our mix. With everything weighed out, our botanicals went into the still alongside our neutral grain spirit and the creation of our gin was underway. Whilst we waited for this, Ed took us through the entire process that Withers go through to make their gin. He explained everything from the recipe creation through to it being named, bottled and labelled and it illustrated just how much work Sarah and her team put into making sure the end product is as good as it can be.

Then as our gin was slowly beginning to drip from the still into a jar, we learnt about how certain botanical flavours can be tasted earlier in the distillery process and how it takes an expert like Ed to know exactly when the gin has been distilled for long enough.

Once everything was ready – and I must add at this point our gin tasted absolutely gorgeous –the gin was named, bottled and labelled and it was ready to take home. For those who don’t like your drinks too strong – you even get the option of choosing a strength. What’s more, as all of the recipes are retained, you can always order more if your gin wowed your family and friends.

Would I recommend a session at the school?

Absolutely I would. It was the perfect mixture of educational and enjoyable and I went off home with a bottle of gin to boot.

If you’d like to find our more about Withers Gin School you can do here:

When two worlds collide…

By David Turner

It will come as no surprise to anyone, and I’ve also mentioned it before, that I’ve been interested in our local history for around 30 years now. A lesser known fact about me is that when I was younger there was something else that captivated me as well as local history – comic books and graphic novels.

As a teenager living in Derby at that time, we didn’t have a dedicated comic book store, so I used to have to travel across the border into Nottingham to visit the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre and get my regular fix from Forbidden Planet.

On the one hand it might be easy to regard my two interests as wildly different but for me they both had one thing in common – they both offered a window into a different world. Yes, in one of the worlds Captain America might have been fighting the evil Nazi mastermind Red Skull, but for both stories like that and stories about Saxons and Vikings fighting each other in the Battle of Derby in 917AD, (yes, that actually happened), they both seemed equally fantastical.

As I grew older, my love of our local history grew alongside my age and although I stopped collecting comic books and graphic novels so voraciously, I still admired them as a fantastic medium in which to tell a story.

The (Old) Bell on Sadler Gate, Derby.

Rotten Row in the Market Place, Derby - demolished in the late 19th century.

Markeaton Brook when it used flow visibly through the town centre.

The Market Place, Derby c.1765.

I have always found graphic novels in particular, to be a perfect halfway house between a comic and a book, so you can imagine my delight when in early December last year, I logged onto one of Facebook’s many local history groups to see a beautifulgraphic novel style - black and white illustration of Derby’s Market Place and its surrounds in 1765. It was immediately apparent from looking at the image that a great deal of historical research had gone into it and my excitement only increased when I read through the comments. I was delighted to see a comment from the artist himself – Bob Moulder – and realised my love of local history and graphic novels were to be combined when he stated it was ‘a provisional drawing for an illustrated story/graphic novel’ that he ‘was working on about Joseph Wright and the painting of the ‘Orrery'.' The Orrery in question was, of course, the famous painting ‘A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery’ painted by the Derby-born and world-renowned artist, Joseph Wright. I knew immediately that I wanted to find out more and a short while later managed to speak to Bob himself on the phone and talked to him about his graphic novel and his background.

Born in London and raised in Watford, where he did his art foundation, Bob went on to study Fine Art in Belfast at the height of the Troubles. Personally witnessing some of the events of that time, Bob acknowledges it as the start of his idea of producing art that responded to what was happening in the world – history as it unfolded. After three years Bob, in his own words, ‘got a poor BA Hons degree and realised I wasn’t a fine artist’ but had met his wife-to-be and decided what he really wanted to do was draw comic strips. By now living in London, he got his first comic strips published after a couple of years and he had taught himself the skills needed to become an illustrator.

Since then Bob has worked on over 300 publications and regards Wojtek: The Bear Who Went to War, which he worked on with his wife Moy, as a career highlight as a visual storyteller.

The big questions for me when I spoke to Bob were perhaps the questions you might have yourself – Why Derby and why that era of Derby?

The answer, as most answers often are, is quite simple. Bob moved to Derby in late 1997 when his wife got a job lecturing at the University of Derby. As an artist himself, Bob was entranced by the work of Joseph Wright and would often visit the Joseph Wright Collection at the Derby Museum and Art Gallery. It reached a point where Bob wanted to do a story about him that could act as a legacy work that would both entertain and educate others. Bob noted that since the COVID-imposed lockdown there had been a lot more joined-up thinking regarding Derby’s cultural aims and Bob wanted to play his part.

The graphic novel is still in the early stages so we will have a little while to wait before we can see a finished draft, but as you can see from some of the sketches here, it promises to be both thoroughly enjoyable to read and a fantastic historical document. In the meantime if you want to support Bob in his endeavours then I’d highly recommend you buy the very book that he regards as a career highlight - Wojtek: The Bear Who Went to War. Though technically a work of fiction, it is based on real events and real characters and is a wonderful and uplifting tale from WW2 based on the exploits of a Syrian brown bear and the Polish soldiers who adopted him as a mascot, friend and colleague.

Oh and a little warning – if it’s the first time you’ve read a graphic novel there’s every chance you’ll be hooked for life.

The book can be found here:

www.amazon.co.uk/Wojtek-Bear-Who-Went-War /dp/1913802906

A panel from the story in the Market Place, Derby.

When you look into the background and history of a great many things, you often find that their origins are beautifully simple. In the case of The Derbyshire Makers – a collective of Derbyshire makers and creators who create beautiful products for others to enjoy, as well as offering learning opportunities to those that want them – it all started with a meeting of various makers and creators over a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

Founded in 2019 by Amanda McConnell and Louise James, their intent was to bring together makers and artists from across Derbyshire to meet and support each other and develop new business opportunities and collaborations.

In November 2022, Sharon O’Connell –herself both a member and successful textile artist – volunteered to take over the running of the organisation and is now in the process of guiding it in the next exciting phase of becoming a blossoming Art Collective.

Here at Derby Uncovered, we have had the pleasure of speaking and dealing with some of Derbyshire’s finest creative talent in the build-up to our Artisans Uncovered event in June and it’s not an understatement to say that the products being created within our county are truly, truly beautiful.

Of course, key to the success of these wonderful creatives is you – the reader. It’s incredibly important – especially in this era

– that we support our local economy, and if you take a look around you’ll see many, many businesses that deserve your support. For those of you who like to get out and about you can visit one of the many events

where the creators and makers can be found. The Derbyshire Makers themselves have an event – Spring Artisan Fair – at Peak Village, Rowsley, where not only will you be able to buy their fabulous creations, but also meet the people behind the products, find out how they are made and what inspires the makers. If you’re struggling to attend the events then don’t despair as there are lots of online stores where you can buy from many talented makers and creators.

Sharon O’Connell has been with The Derbyshire Makers since the very beginning, and when we spoke to her recently her passion for not just what they had already acheived, but what they were also planning shone through. It’s only right that we leave the last word to her.

"Having been with TDM (The Derbyshire Makers) as a textile artist (Sharon's Studio Art) since the first meet up in 2019, I was excited to take over the running of it last year. As with any organisation, TDM has evolved over the years from a mainly networking group, to a thriving art collective of talented and diverse

artists and makers - all living and working in Derbyshire and creating art and craft to a very high standard.

I am really looking forward to guiding TDM in the next stage of its evolution - not just because we are already known as a collective synonymous with quality, talent and beautiful creations, but because (and I know it sounds cheesy) the artists are all just such a fabulous bunch of people!

All our Makers are passionate about their craft and love sharing their experiences, techniques and talents - which is why everyone comments on how friendly our events are, you can't stop us chatting and sharing!

If anyone is interested in our events or would like to join as a member of TDM, our website www.thederbyshiremakers.co.uk has all the details or follow us on social media @TDM_TheDerbyshireMakers

I can't wait to see you at our next event at Peak Village, Rowsley on 1&2 April - please make sure you introduce yourselves!" If you like to see more of Sharon’s own work then you can at www.sharonstudioart.com and The Derbyshire Makers themselves can be found at www.thederbyshiremakers. co.uk or you can email them at info@thederbyshiremakers.co.uk

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HOTEL DINNER FOLLOWS DEATH OF LANDLORD HOTEL DINNER FOLLOWS DEATH OF LANDLORD DINNER FOLLOWS DEATH OF

By Richard Cox

Richard Cox is an ex-journalist and public relations consultant. In 1970 he became a reporter at the Derby Evening Telegraph, learning the basics of a profession steeped in the technology of hot metal presses and ancient typewriters. He moved to the Nottingham Evening Post in 1978 and was appointed Business Editor. In the mid ‘80s he ‘jumped ship’ to public relations and ended up running his own business-to-business consultancy.

Under the pen name Tony R. Cox, he has written four novels in the Simon Jardine crime thriller series, and a fifth will be published this year. He has also contributed short stories to several anthologies as well as having a limited edition short story published as an accompaniment to the Simon Jardine series.

The people of Derby have been kind and caring for many years, it seems.

In 1851, Henry Cantrill, who ten years earlier had been the owner of The Nag’s Head, 74 St Peter’s Street, before taking on The King’s Head Hotel on Cornmarket, died suddenly on April 4. The hotel was a coaching inn over what is now the entrance to the Market Hall. He left a widow and six children, including Caroline, then aged 11, who went on to become my paternal great grandmother after marrying wine and beer merchant Thomas Cox. Two sons of Henry and Elizabeth Cantrill, Henry and Thomas, went on to become the licensees of the St. James Hotel and the Royal Hotel.

I don’t know the financial circumstances of the family, but it appears that several businessmen in the town decided to help Mrs Cantrill, who’d taken on the hotel business, by holding a dinner at The King’s Head to honour her. Today, nearly two hundred years later, the names of some of the hundred plus guests will be familiar to many. Among the guests were the executors of the late Henry Cantrill, who were fulsome in their tributes and toasts.

Guests included James Sutton of Shardlow Hall; the Rev. W. Hope of St Peter’s; Mr S. Poyser; Mr Alderman Moss; Henry Mozley; Mr Alderman Forman; Mr Corden; Mr Whiston; Dr. Brigstocke; Dr. Ferguson; Messrs. Johnson, Beeland, C. Borough, C. Bridgett, Chatterton, Collinson, Crammond, E. Davenport, Davys, Dunnicliff, Forman (juniors), J. Gamble, A. Holmes, Hoskins, Huggins, Hollingshead, Maggs, Mosley, R. Ordish, J. Peach, Peat, C. B. Portmore, R. Ratcliffe, Stevens,

T. Tunaley, Walters, Welbourn, Wilder, and, as the Derby Mercury of June 25, 1851 states … ‘&c, &c, &c’.

The newspaper report, which covers the large dinner in extreme detail, begins:

‘DINNER AT THE KING’S HEAD HOTEL’

“Several of the friends and well-wishers of Mrs Cantrill, hostess of the Kings Head Hotel, desirous of manifesting the good feeling they entertain towards her, and of expressing the interest they feel in her success, resolved to hold a celebration dinner in her admirably managed hotel. Wednesday last, the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, was fixed on, and on that day nearly a hundred and forty gentlemen sat down to a sumptuous entertainment, which included every delicacy of the season. It was served up with a recherche elegance, and in a superiority of style and abundance, which did the highest credit to the larder and kitchen of Mrs Cantrill, and well sustained the reputation of the King’s Head.

“The wines and dessert were likewise of the first order, and the attendance well-regulated. During the evening several gentlemen entertained the company by excellent sung songs, and from time to time the harmony was greatly heightened by the admirable performance of Herr Neurick, who gave several solos on the violin in his usual masterly manner, which elicited the highest applause.”

Such florid newspaper reporting died out, but I think I’d rather read that carefully penned work than some of the gross spelling mistakes and errors of today’s offerings. Eventually, the frequent toasts arrived at a ‘bumper’ for Mrs Cantrill! This did not involve throwing her up and down by the arms and legs, but it refers to a full glass toast – and there were several of those!

“The Chairman then called for a bumper; and after briefly adverting to many of the great improvements which have of late years taken place in the borough of Derby, he alluded to the

necessity of providing good inns. When they remembered that commercial men spent so large a portion of their time in travelling as they necessarily did, they would at once see the importance of having suitable accommodation. After the experience they had had on the present as well as on former occasions they could all say a kind word for the King’s Head Hotel (Applause). And that brought him to the subject of their present meeting – namely to drink the health and wish success to Mrs Cantrill and her family (Much and hearty applause). He would not on that occasion allude to a melancholy circumstance which had recently occurred, further than to say that it had naturally placed Mrs Cantrill in a position of some difficulty. She was resolved, however, to make this hotel worthy of the patronage of the public, and trusted to be in some degree encouraged, and they were met that evening to encourage her, but – as one of the largest and most respectable parties he ever remembered to have seen in the borough of Derby – to offer themselves as bondsmen to the public that she is capable and willing to fulfil the duties she undertakes (Loud cheers).”

This would have been about the fourth ‘toast’ of the dinner and it was followed by at least six more. Sounds like a great night out. Pity it was all ‘gentlemen’!

Elizabeth Cantrill was the scion of Derbyshire ‘landed gentry’. Her parents’ name was ‘Sale’ and that family has been traced back to Sir Richard Sale (1545-1625) who was the Rector of Weston-on-Trent for 50 years. Sir Richard, a Master of Law, who served under several Bishops of Lichfield is commemorated, with his wife, Dorothy nee Wilne (1555-1615) in Westonon-Trent church.

Time moves on, but I am aware of several links through the thirteen (two died very young) children of Thomas and Caroline Cox, including my grandfather, William. They include Offiler’s brewery (and later, the San Remo Restaurant), Derby Porcelain (later Royal Crown Derby), the Derby Electric Light Company, and even a sibling of the late Mayor, Miss M. E. Grimwood-Taylor.

An excerpt from the article in the Derby Mercury.

The King's Head Hotelc.1860's.

Dedicate a tree in Derbyshire’s growing woodland.

Established in 1988, Heritage Wood is located just off the A52, halfway between Derby and Ashbourne and nestled in the delightful unspoilt Derbyshire countryside. A mix between nature, celebration and reflection, it offers a unique opportunity to dedicate a tree in memory of a loved one, to mark a variety of occasions and lifetime events, or maybe to offset your carbon footprint, or simply to enjoy seeing your sponsored tree grow. It is your opportunity to create your own personal bond with nature.

A visit to Heritage Wood provides the perfect setting for you to spend time with your thoughts, to remember happy times and to enjoy making new memories. A moment of contemplation and escapism, a pleasant walk or a picnic, or just time to sit, relax and enjoy the peaceful natural surroundings. We have 8 different tree varieties available for sponsorship. Once you have selected your tree you need

to decide on your wording which will be engraved on the plaque. Once complete, the plaque will be placed beside your tree and a certificate issued.

Heritage Wood has no gates and is free to visit at any time.

Our office is located just across the road from Heritage Wood at Ednaston Business Centre, located within Derbyshire Self Storage.

Ghostly Derby ‘The Dead Centre of England’

With Derby located centrally in the UK, and with a rich local history that dates back to the Roman times, it’s hardly surprising that there have been so many stories and tales of ghosts in the local area. One of the most reported places for ghosts have been public houses and, in this issue, we look at the stories behind three of them.

Ye Olde Dolphin Inn.

With a history that dates back to c.1530, it’s no surprise to learn that the Dolphin has had more than its share of ghostly goings on. A grey lady has been witnessed in the bar, there have been reports of a ghostly boy who sits on the stairs, and the

screams of a girl have been heard in the night.

The 18th century extension at the rear of the pub was originally a doctor’s house in an era where many doctors would practice their craft and advance their learning dissecting corpses – including those of recently hanged criminals. According to local legend, the doctor went down into the cellar one

morning after the delivery of a body and upon removing its shroud, found it to be still alive.

With such a history – and especially when we consider some of the heinous crimes some of the dissected individuals committed – it is perhaps inevitable that something still lingers on in the Inn.

Ye Olde Dolphin Inn in 1953.

The Greyhound.

The Greyhound dates back to the 1700s and during its history has often found itself at the centre of town life. For a great many years, the Cattle Market was held on the street outside and it was also located near to Friar Gate Gaol which opened in 1756. Many people believe that The Greyhound would have been the location that the criminals who had been condemned to hang were taken for their last drink on this mortal coil.

There have been multiple reports of ghostly occurrences there including mysterious figures who would suddenly appear before disappearing, beer pumps turning themselves off, unexplained footsteps and aromas and sudden drops in temperature.

Some people believe that hauntings often occur in a place where an extremely stressful event has taken place. If we then think of the condemned criminals taking their last drink – fully aware that they were very shortly to be hanged – it is perhaps to be expected that something ghostly still inhabits the premises.

Jorrocks – (The George Inn).

The George Inn on Iron Gate – now known as Jorrocks –dates back to at least 1648 and was originally a coaching inn. It was used by the Duke of Devonshire as his headquarters when commanding the Derbyshire Blues, in readiness for the invasion by Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) in 1745. When on December 3, 1745 news reached them that Bonnie Prince Charlie’s troops were now only 13 miles away in Ashbourne they withdrew to near Nottingham. When the prince arrived in Derby on December 4, he called at the inn and demanded billets for his troops.

In 1994 a team of men working in the pub unearthed a human skull directly under the premises, and ever since that happened various ghostly happenings have been reported, including the sighting of a long-haired man wearing a blue coat walking along the landing and stairs who walks towards the bar area before disappearing, human groans that have been loudly and distinctively heard and crockery moving all by itself.

As with our other two public houses, it seems that the sheer weight of history that occurred in them has ensured that something – whatever it might be – has been left behind.

The Greyhound on Friar Gate, Derby.

Jorrocksformerly The George Inn on Iron Gate, Derby.

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9 Full and varied daily programme of activities

9 Nutritious and tasty meals freshly cooked by our chefs

- May Events 2023

Join

Tuesdays

Knit and Natter

2pm - 4:30pm

Meet new people, enjoy a warm welcome and have a natter.

Fridays Give Back Fridays

12pm - 2pm

As a thank you to our Blue Light workers, we’ll have chip butties and hot drinks.

Thursdays

Gardener's Club

1:30pm - 3:30pm

Join us to share your expertise or learn new skills and enjoy good company.

Fridays Fish and Chips Lunch

12:30pm - 13:30pm

Welcoming those over 65 to enjoy a delicious fish and chips lunch with us.

Saturdays Cinema Club

10:30am - 2pm

Each week we show a children’s movie in our luxury cinema room, with popcorn and treats for the little ones.

Ward’s Ward’s

In issue 2 of Derby Uncovered I told the story of a 200-year-old Derby firm of art dealers and restorers - Ward’s of Friar Gate: Royal Warrant holders to King George IV no less!

The last proprietor of Ward’s, my dear friend Miss Margaret Ward, died almost twenty years ago. Here I offer a glimpse of life at Ward’s, a remarkable place from a bygone age.

Margaret was already approaching 80 when we first became friends. My passion for collecting antique pictures had brought me to Ward’s little Dickensian shop and gallery at 12 Friar Gate for several years. When eventually I was invited into the private quarters beyond the shop I was entranced: for here was a charming Georgian house, almost a country house in the middle of Derby whose rooms were stuffed with the exquisite treasures collected by generations of the Ward family.

In her parlour overlooking the garden Margaret held court, receiving a daily stream of clients and visitors. Although tiny, she generated a twinkling warmth, with her shock of golden curls adorned with a satin ribbon and her unique floral suits she seemed larger than life. Here she met collectors and connoisseurs from all walks of life, and it was not unusual to walk in and come across anyone from the Duchess of Devonshire to the Vicar, a dustman or a group of nuns.

Margaret’s hospitality, lively conversation and generosity were legendary. Her recollections of past times were occasionally as hilarious as they were dramatic, and I hung onto every word as she described growing up in Edwardian Derby.

Ian Griffiths was born in Derby in 1963. He attended Bemrose Grammar School in Derby before studying law and becoming a solicitor, and for twenty years a senior partner, in the old Derby solicitors’ firm of Moody & Woolley (established 1846).

Ian has written numerous pieces for a number of local heritage group publications and a book - “Littleover, Portrait of a Village“ in 1990.

She was born in York Street, Derby in April 1909, an only child to Charles and Elizabeth Ward. When they relocated the business from the Cornmarket to number twelve Friar Gate around 1919, the family made the large house attached their home.

Friar Gate was at this time a smart quarter of Derby with many of its fine old Georgian houses still occupied by the professional classes who worked in the town. Across the street from Ward’s was the large mansion known as The Friary, home then to the Boden family and later a hotel. Margaret could recall the Markeaton Hunt meeting outside the Friary every year before World War Two and the assembled huntsmen and hounds cantering off down Friar Gate to the open countryside along Ashbourne Road.

Margaret had a happy childhood with parents she adored. Photographs of her as a young woman during the 1920s show her dressed in the fashionable clothes of the flapper era, and it always amused me that even in her 90s Margaret still referred to fashionable young women as “Flappers”.

Margaret bravely took over the reins of Ward’s after her Father’s death in 1969, supported by a cast of remarkable and unforgettable characters. Under Margaret’s sharp-eyed supervision, the Ruston family were responsible for the technical and artistic side of restoring and framing the old pictures that came into the rear workrooms.

The running of the household was steered by the immaculately dressed Elsie, Margaret’s friend and confidante. With her tall elegance Elsie bustled around all day, providing Margaret and her staff and visitors with endless cups of tea or something stronger later in the day. She fulfilled the roles of everything from Housekeeper to secretary and eventually carer. She walked the two miles from her home to Ward’s early every morning and back on many a late evening. She had her own family to care for so where her boundless energy came from, I’ll never know.

Elsie was relieved and sometimes assisted by June, another of Margaret’s old friends. Quite the comedienne, June had led something of a varied life and her improbable stories had everyone in stitches although not always intentionally! June’s giddy forays into saucy slapstick invariably earned Margaret and Elsie’s disapproval.

Ian studied garden design and spent twenty years opening his town garden to the public in Derby for charity - under the National Garden Scheme.

Ian retired from law at the age of 52 and recently moved to Cornwall to live in an ancient family house and to undertake the rescue and restoration of its historic garden - which is also open to the public.

Margaret in the shop in 1977.

Margaret's 80th birthday photographic portrait.

By Ian Griffiths

A Victorian time capsule on Friar Gate

A Victorian time capsule on Friar Gate

Christmas was another time of good cheer with the shop busy and a constant stream of customers and friends pouring in and out at all hours. After the doors closed at the end of business on Christmas Eve the fun would begin. Bottles would be opened and singing, and laughter would last well into the night. Plates were piled high from the kitchen table which groaned with mounds of Elsie’s turkey sandwiches, mince pies and trifles.

During warmer months entertaining took place in the charming old walled garden or at Margaret’s fishing hut on the River Dove at Ellastone. Here she leased a stretch of fishing rights and remained a keen angler all her life. In the hut picnic lunches and teas were enjoyed at a properly laid table, framed pictures on the walls even here.

Despite not having ever driven, Margaret also kept a car to be used for her weekend trips into the Peak District. Her fiancé, Bill or her friend Julian acted as chauffeur. Sadly Bill died in 1978, leaving her bereft.

At the end of the twentieth century Margaret turned 90. The business was still flourishing but Margaret was beginning to feel her age and vulnerability. Ward’s was by now a remarkable

Margaret loved to entertain and held frequent soirées in the upstairs Drawing Room. Here stood a rosewood concert grand piano which had arrived one rainy evening in 1933, craned in through the

sash window, the gift of Sir Haughton Okeover, Baronet, of Okeover Hall, a family friend. Around this magnificent instrument many impromptu and lively sing-alongs took place. On Margaret’s birthday, with the house usually resembling a florist’s shop, so numerous were the bouquets from well-wishers, she would invite a group of friends to be entertained by one or more of her many pals from the musical performing world. Victorian Music Hall was a favourite theme and Margaret would be in her element, word perfect as she sang along to the sentimental old ballads. A few tears falling as “Bless this House“ rounded off the evening’s programme. Downstairs Elsie would have prepared an enormous buffet for the guests to tuck into. June meanwhile dispensed drinks from a bar in the pantry, a post she ensured she remained at all evening.

Margaret and her Father on a motorcycle at Dovedale in the late 1920's.

Margaret fishing in the River Dove, 1930's.

A fishing party at the hut in 1935.

Margaret in the workshop at Friar Gate, inspecting artworks in the process of restoration c.1975.

Ward’s Ward’s A

and eccentric survivor in the midst of modern inner-city life, although gradually the premises became surrounded by nightclubs and a variety of restaurants and takeaways, the noise and smell of which became hard to ignore. Determined to carry

Victorian time capsule

on Friar Gate

A Victorian time capsule on Friar Gate

on Margaret insisted on continuing to sleep alone at the property. Several times vandals smashed the big plate glass window of the shop and stole paintings. Despite her frailty however, Margaret helped the police successfully capture a ring of prolific art thieves!

By 2001 it was clear that her health required expert care and reluctantly she retired into the care of the sisters of mercy at St Mary’s nursing home at Ednaston. Here from her bed, she enjoyed gazing out across the fields of her beloved Derbyshire. She died peacefully in September 2003 aged 94. With no one to take over the business was closed, and poor Elsie was left to dismantle the fragile time capsule that was Ward’s. Remarkably the premises had been rented for almost a century and the old buildings were returned empty to the landlord. They were sold sometime afterwards to a developer who gutted most of the historic and sadly unlisted interior and created a large modern restaurant. Ultimately the magnificent Ward collection of art antique furniture and porcelain was dispersed at auction.

Margaret’s funeral at Derby Cathedral was attended by several hundred people and the cortège stopped briefly outside the old shop in Friar Gate. Someone had placed a spray of white lilies on the door. Margaret’s

ashes were spread like those of her parents on Thorpe Cloud - her favourite spot in the world. In April 2009 a group of Margaret’s surviving friends, including Elsie, gathered at the restaurant created within the walls of 12 Friar Gate to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Margaret’s birth. Although practically nothing of the old place was recognisable there was a grand piano and one last rendition of “ Bless this House” rang out as we raised our glasses to our dear friend Margaret. I like to think that in the empty rooms upstairs at 12 Friar Gate the ghosts of all those wonderful parties continue to this day.

Margaret as a girl in fancy dress around 1920.

Some of the mountains of floral displays that filled the house every birthday.

Margaret outside the shop at 12 Friar Gate. She was very particular about the window displays - this one is in celebration of the Royal Wedding in 1981.

Left to right: June and Elsie.

Left to right: Margaret and Elsie.

Issue 3

Charity Background

The charity was established in 1974 by local Derby resident Milly Wigley after reading about the death of a neglected child. Originally called “Concern Association Derby”, it acted as a meeting place for parents to attend and discuss any issues they may have been facing.

The charity opened its Family Support Centre at 13 Leopold Street, Derby, in 1987. The centre provided the charity with offices, a day nursery for children, and facilities for parents.

The charity continues to operate from its premises on Leopold Street, and currently provides three bespoke services; Supervised Contact, Family Support and Mentoring services.

Our Mission

Our founding aim is to relieve the distress and suffering experienced by families and children. Our charity works to benefit vulnerable children, young people and families, making life improvements by:

■ Responding to the needs of children where stress within the home may adversely affect their welfare or development

■ Providing support for children who are regarded as vulnerable and who may be at risk of social exclusion

■ Delivering community services designed to foster the general wellbeing of families with children

■ Providing services for parents which will enable them to better respond to the personal needs and financial support of their children

13 Leopold Street, Derby DE1 2HE

Tel: 01332 341516

How

£20

A donation of £20 would cover the average cost of one for one of the positive activities that a Children First Derby mentor might engage in with their mentee. This could include a visit to a climbing wall, a museum, the cinema, a sporting event or taking part in an arts activity.

£5 £10

We provide our family support, mentoring and supervised contact coordinators with dedicated mobile phones so that our service users and volunteers can contact them easily. A donation of £5 would cover the monthly charge to Children First Derby for one of these essential phones.

To donate visit www.childrenfirstderby.co.uk

Kip McGrath – catering for the educational needs of your children

Primary and Secondary Tuition

English Maths

Spelling

Reading

Comprehension

Primary – Secondary

A Level English

A Level Maths

11+

Online Tutoring

Science

It’s perhaps stating the obvious to declare that we are all different – but sometimes the obvious needs stating. Each of us, as we grow, find our own paths in life and our own way of doing things. Sometimes – as it was in my case – our own way of doings things might not fit ideally with the rigid structure of how, when we are younger, we are supposed to learn things during our educational journey.

I’d consider myself to have a reasonable degree of intelligence but at school, particularly in core subjects like English, maths and science. I underachieved. For me it was too easy to get lost, both accidentally and sometimes on purpose, amongst the other children, and the grades I achieved in those subjects don’t, I would like to think, reflect what I perhaps could have achieved.

Many of today’s children don’t just have that to consider either. A whole generation of children also face the unique challenges brought on by the disruption to their education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully for those children, and for us as

parents, there’s a solution to this problem when it comes to the core subjects of English, maths and science.

Kip McGrath and their Education Centres were founded all the way back in 1976 in New South Wales, Australia by Kip and Dugnea McGrath. Their ideology was very simple - ‘every child can learn; they just need to be taught properly’. Treating each child individually, Kip himself developed a remediation learning system, based on assessing the child to identify the gaps in their learning. Once each assessment is completed every child then has their own individual and tailored learning programme. The system works so well that with a combination of computer and written tasks, Kip’s methodology can bring a non-reader to functional literacy within 100 lessons.

Over the years this system has helped millions of children worldwide to catch up and keep up in the core subjects. With tutoring available both online and in their Ofsted Registered Education Centres, Kip McGrath’s qualified and experienced teachers

can ensure that your child receives the individual attention that they both need and deserve. Kip McGrath Derby West centre is based in The Square in Mickleover and is owned by former Principal and Ofsted Inspector, Malcolm Ferguson.

Each child is given a FREE educational assessment which tells their teachers exactly what level your child is working to and whether any gaps in learning have developed. Clear and personalised goals are then set which, when reached, are an immeasurable help to your child’s ability and self-esteem.

As we all know from our own experiences, a good start in life can stand you in good stead for the many years that follow – Kip McGrath enables you to make sure your child has that good start. Interested parents can contact Malcolm on 01332 517666.

Tutoring Times

Tuesday 4.00pm - 7.30pm

Wednesday 4.00pm - 7.30pm

Thursday 4.15pm - 7.30pm

Friday 4.15pm - 7.30pm

Saturday 9.20am - 12.30pm

Since going to Kip, he’s had a big boost in his confidence and has caught up with his school work.

Melissa, Mum of Mitchell