Author: Dom Stevens

Independent giftware and home décor store to open at Vicar Lane

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is delighted to announce the opening of a brand new independent giftware and home décor store, ‘Shop Indie’ at the centre on 1st October.

The ethos of Shop Indie is to showcase fabulous products from independent makers and designers from across the UK.

The collection includes unique handmade jewellery, stationery, prints & art plus baby & child décor, cards for every occasion and a selection of gifts available to personalise.

Lisa from Shop Indie said, “As an independent maker myself, I have been constantly impressed by the talent and creativity of people from across the UK. After being in business the last 10 years, John and myself have seen a massive shift towards online shopping which we have so far embraced. However, nothing beats being able to see the detail and work that goes into every product in person, and we wanted to bring this back to the high street.”

Lisa added: “Chesterfield has a lovely range of independent shops already, and we feel that the town would be a great fit for us. We look forward to giving the people of Chesterfield the opportunity to discover something a little different on their high street.”

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane said, “Shop Indie really does offer our customers something special on their visit into Chesterfield. As the high street only continues to face increasing pressures from the rise of online shopping, it’s imperative that we offer our customers a unique and high quality shopping offer, which stores like ‘Shop Indie’ provide.”

The addition of ‘Shop Indie’ to Vicar Lane brings a high-quality, exclusive product offering to the heart of Chesterfield, offering customers greater choice when shopping for a special gift or new addition for their home.

Click here to find out more about town centre shopping

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Visiting

Perez Ready for penultimate Porsche contest

19-year-old Amigos Redline Racing star Seb Perez hopes that his birthday weekend will bring luck to Silverstone in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship this weekend (28-29 September) after a four week break.

Perez, from Chesterfield, turns twenty years old on Monday (30 September) and hopes to celebrate it with a trophy or two, following last year where he took two podium places.

This weekend will be his third race weekend at the Northamptonshire circuit, the last two on the Grand Prix circuit that started in July at the International Porsche Supercup as a British guest driver racing alongside Sir Chris Hoy supporting the British Grand Prix and then a support to the FIA World Endurance Championship.

A disappointing Silverstone weekend in August saw him and the Amigos Redline Racing team struggle to find the pace in the car during the two free practice sessions that saw him finish ninth and eleventh respectively. The team worked hard on the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup supercar chipping away at the performance from then on.

Qualifying proved that Perez was still in the Porsche rankings, he stormed the sessions finishing sixth and a third row slot for race one.

An entertaining thirty-five minute race one saw Perez in a battle that resulted in a solid sixth-place finish and was looking to secure an even better finish in race two.

His race two encounter didn’t quite weigh up to expectations through, after a slow start but a fantastic recovery Perez ended up in fourth place by lap 12 of the 17 lap contest when he lined up a move on the outside of Brooklands before disaster struck, contact sent him off track and with dirty tyres he then lost control of the car into Luffield, getting stuck in the gravel and being forced to retire.

Not one of the best weekends for the Derbyshire race ace, commenting on the weekend he said “the speed we had in the second race was brilliant, so we need to bear that in mind and keep our heads high. We need to do what we did in race two and hopefully we’ll have a solid result this weekend on our return to Silverstone.”

Perez is back on the shorter 1.639 mile Silverstone National circuit for the penultimate weekend’s two races, last year he took to a double Porsche ProAm podium success, winning the second race and taking a third in race one.

He commented “I’m looking forward to Silverstone after the four week break and hoping for a weekend like last year that was faultless taking two race podium finishes a first and third place.”

Perez is currently in sixth place in the championship and Amigos Redline Racing third in the Entrants Championship.

The final round of the Championship sees the Amigos boys back at Brands Hatch on the Grand Prix Circuit (12 – 13 October) where it all started in April this year

This year’s 16 race Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship series is one of the most highly regarded championships in Europe and follows the Kwik-Fit British Touring Car Championship as a support package.

Editorial by Paul Horton and Images Paul Horton Motorsport Photography

Posted in About Chesterfield

Chesterfield College organise Half Term taster sessions

During October half term (28-31 October), Chesterfield College are offering a range of free taster courses for 14 to 17 year olds. The taster sessions are a great way to find out more about college life and the range of subjects available to study at college.

With over 25 different morning and afternoon sessions to choose from, there really is something to suit all tastes; from acting to graphic design, app development to welding, childcare to fashion design and much more. Please see the full list below.

Monday 28 October

  • Sport – 10am-12pm
  • Uniformed Public Services – 10am-12pm
  • Intro to Game Design – 10am-12pm
  • Acting Techniques – 10am-12pm
  • A Level Carousel – 10am-12pm
  • Bread Dough and Pizza Making – 10am-12pm
  • Hairdressing – 10am-12pm
  • Beauty Therapy – 10am-12pm
  • Scientific Skills – 1-3pm
  • Hairdressing – 1-3pm
  • Beauty Therapy – 1-3pm
  • Intro to App Development – 1-3pm

Tuesday 29 October

  • Media (Make a Video in a Day) – 10am-3pm
  • Graphic Design and Mixed Media Applications – 10am-12pm
  • Travel and Tourism – 10am-12pm
  • Automotive Pit Stop Challenge (Lockoford Lane campus) – 10am-12pm
  • Vehicle Body and Repair – 1-3pm
  • PC Strip and Build – 1-3pm
  • Business Studies – 1-3pm

Wednesday 30 October

  • Robot Challenge – 10am-12pm
  • Intro to Welding – 10am-12pm
  • Construction – 10am-12pm
  • Health and Social Care – 10am-12pm
  • Intro to Welding – 1-3pm
  • Robot Challenge – 1-3pm
  • Construction – 1-3pm
  • Childcare – 1-3pm
  • Intro to 3D Modelling – 1-3pm

Thursday 31 October

  • 2D Animation – 10am-12pm
  • Art and Design – 10am-12pm
  • Photography – 10am-12pm
  • Fashion Design – 1-3pm

There is no limit to the number of taster sessions you can try to help you narrow down which course you would like to study after school. However, places are limited and offered on a first come first served basis so it is vital to book your place early to avoid disappointment. For more information and to book click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business

Progress made on North Derbyshire Manufacturing Zone

Work has now started on bringing six key development sites across north Derbyshire into use to help regenerate the area and provide a jobs boost.

In January 2019, the government announced a £220k investment for local councils across northern Derbyshire to help look at ways to accelerate growth across key manufacturing sites.

The sites include the Staveley and Rother regeneration corridor, Clowne North, The Avenue, Coney Green, Egstow Park and Callywhite Lane.

The region has a long and cherished history of manufacturing, something which all the partners involved want to build upon and make it easier for businesses to set up or expand.

Three key strands had been identified to move the project forward, which consultants have now been appointed to lead on and they will report back their findings in spring 2020:

  • A Mobility Strategy that will look at innovative and sustainable ways of allowing people to get to and from the new jobs to be created on the sites.
  • Look at ways of simplifying planning processes for new developments on the sites.
  • Prepare commercial design guidance to help inform the look and style of new buildings and landscapes.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Coupled with regeneration already happening in Chesterfield, the project will look at key ways we could develop sites in Staveley. We look forward to seeing how the regeneration will benefit our residents and businesses.”

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development County Councillor Tony King, said, “Derbyshire County Council are leading on the mobility strategy looking for new, better and easier ways for people to access the jobs on these sites.”

D2N2 Chief Executive Sajeeda Rose said,”D2N2 is the spark in the UK’s growth engine. Government is keen for this project to demonstrate lessons learned that can be used here and elsewhere in the country. The Zone will help us drive forward and deliver on our ambitions for growth across northern Derbyshire.”

Bolsover District Council Leader, Councillor Steve Fritchley said, “Regeneration and development are key to the success of the area, but it’s important that we have the right development in the right place. The design guidance will not only make sure we have this but also make sure we build on our strengths and support existing and new businesses.”

North East Derbyshire District Council Leader, Councillor Martin Thacker MBE said, “The different strands will help us focus our minds on what is needed to bring it all to fruition. These are exciting times for north Derbyshire and this zone will help us fast-track growth and development in the area.”

The work is being undertaken jointly by Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire County and North East Derbyshire councils along with D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

MSE Hiller Welding

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Reasons to visit Chatsworth this Autumn

Autumn at Chatsworth is a chance to explore something new, from the changing colours of the landscape with a new garden trail to seasonal walks, talks and workshops and an abundance of best seasonal produce from the estate.

There are many reasons to visit, stay, shop and eat at Chatsworth this autumn.

  • Explore the great outdoors and enjoy the changing views and colours of the 105-acre garden with a new autumn trail. Discover 16 places with great views and learn more about the plants, trees and Capability Brown designed landscape. Enjoy the remodelling of the five-acre Rockery, the first part of the largest transformation of Chatsworth’s world-famous 105-acre garden for 200 years.
  • Get busy with the family outdoors with lots of autumnal activities at the farmyard. Create a hay crown, learn about wool craft, make a bug hotel, watch a dry stone waller or get up close with creepy crawlies this autumn in the farmyard.
  • Harvest events for food lovers include cream tea at the Cavendish restaurant with scones, bramble hedge jam & cream, and the Farm Shop to Table Top dinner in the Carriage House café on 25 October.
  • Try something new and explore the programme of autumn talks, walks and more. Find out what the foresters are busy with this autumn with a forestry walk through the woodlands; capture the changing colours with a watercolour workshop; find out more about the herbs, plants and flowers grown in the kitchen and cutting garden on a walking tour or join a plant hunters walk and talk inspired by the expeditions the 6th Duke encouraged from Chatsworth during the 19th century.
  • Capture the essence of autumn at Chatsworth in this photography competition for a chance to win a top prize of a deluxe package including an overnight stay for two at The Cavendish, a one year Gold Friends family membership, £250 vouchers for the estate farm shop, a ‘Paxton’ farm shop hamper, plus a brewery tour at Peak Ales. Find out more here. Post photos on Instagram using the #AutumnAtChatsworth tag for a chance to win first and second prizes for the best photo encapsulating autumn at Chatsworth primarily featuring the house or the best photo encapsulating autumn at Chatsworth primarily featuring the garden.
  • Shopping goes seasonal too with inspirational ideas to wrap up warm, all you need to get out dog walking, recipe books, hats, gloves and blankets and delicious seasonal produce to take home.
  • Explore the changing landscape with an autumn Tractor & Trailer ride from the farmyard. Suitable for all ages with commentary, the trailer riders are also fully accessible.
  • It’s also the last chance to see The Dog: A Celebration at Chatsworth which closes on 6 October: displaying a myriad of paintings and objects from letters, snuff boxes, jewellery, sculpture and ceramics to tapestries, drawings and painted ceilings this new exhibition celebrates the Cavendish family’s centuries-old relationship with dogs.

More information on Autumn at Chatsworth is available here.

Images: Chatsworth House Trust

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Farm to Fork experience gives college students a taste of the food industry

A class of young Chesterfield chefs have been given a taste of the local farming industry in a Farm to Fork experience, organised by Destination Chesterfield and Owen Taylor & Sons.

The group of aspiring young chefs included Chesterfield College Level 2 cookery students, Jake Parkin (18), Sophia Johnson (18) and Callum Fitzpatrick (18) who have all been shortlisted for the prestigious Young Chef of the Year 2019 title (right).

The winner of the award will be announced on Wednesday 23 October at the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with Chesterfield College.

Designed to give the students an appreciation for the best farming, butchery and culinary skills, the experience included a visit to The Tickled Trout in Barlow, Owen Taylor & Son’s factory butchery and the Red Tractor-assured Butterley Top Farm in Ashover.

Eleven students from Chesterfield College’s Level 2 Cookery course got the chance to undertake the Farm to Fork experience.

The visit followed a specially organised cook-off earlier this year which saw Jake, Sophia and Callum each prepare a two-course meal for judges, who included Chris Mapp, owner of The Tickled Trout and Richard Taylor, Managing Director of Owen Taylor & Sons.

Carl Evans, Operations Manager of Owen Taylor & Sons, who accompanied the students on the visit, commented: “Following the success of hosting a Farm to Fork experience for last year’s Young Chef finalists, we were honoured to be asked to host the event again but, this time, for the entire class.”

“It’s important for students to have this experience so they can appreciate for themselves how beneficial it is for catering businesses to put local meat on the menu. They can see the sustainability and high welfare at the farm and how that helps to create a high-quality final product.”

“We are proud to sponsor the Young Chef of the Year category at the Food and Drink Awards and were impressed by the final dishes produced under the pressure of the competition. Hopefully, the students will be inspired by the experience and will progress well in catering.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield, praised The Tickled Trout and Owen Taylor & Sons for their involvement in the 2019 Food and Drink Awards, saying: “The Farm to Fork experience is great for the young chefs from Chesterfield College. It gives them a real insight into where our food comes from and how it gets from the farm to the plate – it’s important for any chef to understand that.”

“When we established the awards six years ago, we wanted to make people aware of the thriving food and drink sector in Chesterfield, including aspiring young chefs. Hopefully the students now have a clearer view of the fantastic opportunities in the town.”

As well as the Young Chef of the Year title, the winners of all 15 categories in the 2019 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards will be announced by celebrity chef, Brian Turner, who is hosting this year’s glittering black-tie awards ceremony at the Winding Wheel.

In addition to Owen Taylor & Sons, other supporters of the awards include Apprentice Town (Led by Chesterfield Borough Council), Banner Jones Solicitors, BHP Chartered Accountants, Casa Hotel, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire Times, Distinctive Magic, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), Edge Events Management Ltd, Elder Way (Jomast Developments), FEAST – Food and Drink Forum, Hoods Florist, Jumble Creative Design, Kier Group, Learning Unlimited (The Chesterfield College Group), Magnifica, MSE Hiller, Peak FM, Reflections Magazine (Bannister Publications Ltd), Shorts Chartered Accountants and Vicar Lane Shopping Centre. For more information about the awards, visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/foodanddrinkawards.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Destination Chesterfield

Derbyshire businesses invited to one of Europe’s largest walking & cycling fairs

Derbyshire tourism businesses have the chance to reach thousands of potential international visitors at the Fiets en Wandelbeurs walking and cycling fair in the Netherlands next spring, thanks to an exciting opportunity offered by the area’s official tourist board.

Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire has announced that as part of their £1.2 million ‘Delivering a World Class Visitor Economy within Derbyshire’ project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), they will be flying the flag for the area at the Fiets en Wandelbeurs walking and cycling fair in Utrecht, from 28th February to 1st March 2020.

Fiets en Wandelbeurs is one of the largest events of its kind in Europe, attracting over 40,000 walking and cycling enthusiasts who are passionate about active holidays, excursions and experiences. The fair has a complete offering in walking and cycling, from routes and destinations to the latest equipment and innovations.

The tourist board is inviting a small number of businesses from the Peak District and Derbyshire to join them at the fair for the chance to promote their business and reach new markets, encouraging more international visitors to book a break – and discover great walking and cycling – in the area.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Derbyshire businesses who are interested in reaching overseas visitors. Thanks to our beautiful countryside, amazing landscapes and fantastic walking and cycling opportunities, the Peak District and Derbyshire is already a popular destination for Dutch visitors and the Netherlands is one of our priority markets.

“Together with the help of passionate local businesses at Fiets en Wandelbeurs in Utrecht, we hope to encourage even more international tourists to book an overnight break and discover what we have to offer.”

To qualify for the opportunity to join Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire’s stand at Fiets en Wandelbeurs in Utrecht, your business must be:

  • Based in Derbyshire
  • An SME (less than 250 employees)
  • A visitor economy business (or part of its supply chain)

Successful applicants will be responsible for their own travel and expenses but will be provided with the trade show space free of charge due to the ERDF project funding.

The closing date for applications is 17:00 on Friday 25th October 2019. Successful applicants will be notified in early November.

To find out more and to apply for a space, please click here.

Image credit: Visit Peak District & Derbyshire

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Visiting

Local businessman featured in Parliamentary Review

Local businessman Marc Wildes, Managing Director of Wildes Group, has been featured in this year’s Parliamentary Review, looking at best industry practise.

Founded in 2009, the Wildes Group acquired Van Dyk Country House Hotel in November 2016, adding to a portfolio of successful ventures including Wildes Education, Loaf Hair salons, House of W, the Holiday Inn Express in Crewe and the Holiday Inn Express in Hoylake, Wirral.

An introductory message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett reads: “The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Wildes Group is an attempt to do just that.”

Marc Wildes, Managing Director said “My business ethos is grounded in working hard to grow businesses that integrate with each other, create employment, training and career paths with a clear aim to strengthen the local economy via an ethos whereby all of our management team promote the importance of sourcing skills and products at a local level wherever possible”.

An example of this ethos in practice is the multimillion pound investment that is taking place at Van Dyk by Wildes , the luxury 4 star 1 rosette hotel in North Derbyshire. The investment will see the creation of a further 54 bedrooms and suites, an additional restaurant and terrace coupled with the new Ballroom with attached outside wedding garden and the development of Spa by Wildes which will include a Jacuzzi, Steam Room, Gym and spa gardens.

Read the full parliamentary review about the Wildes Group

van dyk snow 873 466

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Leisure

Help to support Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

Several organisations in Chesterfield and the surrounding area are opening their doors to help raise much-needed money for people living with cancer by hosting an event as part of Macmillan Cancer Support’s World Biggest Coffee Morning.

Macmillan’s Coffee Morning takes place on Friday 27th September and they are in need of help to support the growing number of people living with cancer across the UK. Organisers are inviting people to come along, share in the fun and raise vital funds at the same time for the growing number of people living with cancer across the UK.

Macmillan is almost entirely funded by donations and simply cannot support the growing number of people with cancer who need them without the public’s help. Every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer. There are over 2.5 million people living with cancer in the UK and this is set to grow to almost 4 million by 2030.

Hannah Lumb, Macmillan Regional Fundraising Manager said: “Cancer can affect anyone, and it impacts on every part of your life. Macmillan provides financial, physical and emotional support for people living with cancer. We rely 99% on public donations to support our work, so a huge thank you to anyone who is either hosting or attending an event for us. Your support will really make a big difference.”

For more information about a public coffee morning near you please click here.

Support people with cancer in your community to live life as fully as they can, by joining in Macmillan’s Coffee Morning this September. For more information go to their website here.

Posted in About Chesterfield

Rate Cute pop up shop opens in Vicar Lane

The Rate Cute pop up shop opened at Vicar Lane Shopping Centre today (20 September), offering vintage clothing, accessories and more.

Rate Cute is a fashion brand owned by Charlotte Bolton (below), selling vintage, up-cycled clothing and handmade goods. As well as Charlotte’s own brand, the store will feature other small businesses and independent designer makers from all across the UK.

Charlotte said: “We’ll be stocking handpicked vintage clothing, handmade clothing, prints, accessories, greetings cards, ceramics, homeware – that’s all very modern and quirky.”

The shop will be located in the former Grainger Games unit, next to Iceland. The store will remain open until Christmas, however may remain open longer.

Charlotte Bolton says: “I’m super excited – I did the yarnbombing in Chesterfield a few years ago, to try and bring something fun and creative to the town, so now I’m really excited to be opening a pop-up shop which is definitely going to bring something different.”

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane said, “The addition of Rate Cute is really exciting for Vicar Lane. There is a growing trend for wearing more unique styles as well as a more ethical, conscious approach to fashion and shopping in general, so we’re sure the store will appeal to a number of new and existing customers at Vicar Lane.”

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is home to a wide selection of fashion, homeware, jewelry and beauty stores to suit all tastes.

See more pictures on our Facebook page here.

Click here to read more about shopping in Chesterfield.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

The Housing Strategy is out for consultation

Local people have got a chance to have their say on the council’s Housing Strategy as it is now out for consultation.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s Housing Strategy (2019-2023) consultation will be open for the public to raise their views on from 13 September to 14 October 2019, with the document being available online to read and comment upon.

Housing is critical for everyone and everyone can have a view. The Housing Strategy aims to set the scene to ensure that appropriate housing in all areas and across all tenures is available to meet the housing needs of the people of Chesterfield.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “To ensure we are reflecting all views and recognise the diverse range of housing needs, we want to engage across the council, with partners and stakeholders and with existing tenants and residents.”

“This consultation is a demonstration of how the council takes its responsibilities as a housing provider very seriously. The strategy has been given a lot of thought within the organisation and is now available for residents to comment on.”

“It is important to ensure we collate a wide range of ideas and views to ensure we focus on the most relevant issues and interventions to have the greatest impact over the next four years.”

The strategy is set out under three key objectives:

  • Delivery – Ensuring that increased new housing provision meets the needs of current and future residents of Chesterfield to provide a home for every stage of life
  • Quality– The council will utilise internal and external resources to ensure that as many homes as possible in all tenures are of decent quality
  • People – Ensuring that the needs of all groups to access and sustain housing appropriate for their needs in Chesterfield.

You can find out more about the consultation and comment on the strategy by following the link to the questionnaire on the council’s website https://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/housing-strategy

Story of Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Leisure