File Under Female is a collaborative project created by award winning Chesterfield artist Bella Milroy, Artist in Residence at the Women’s Art Library Goldsmiths, University of London and is set to come to Chesterfield Library at the end of October.

The project, supported by the Women’s Art Library, Derbyshire Library Service and Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals and sponsored by Arts Council England, evolved during 2017 into an exhibition, publication and creative exchange event produced from her residency at the Women’s Art Library. It explores and celebrates the inspiring qualities of women artists’ archives made compelling by additional hand written texts and drawings found on top of, next to and along-side archived materials. Milroy’s artwork reveals how discovering such unseen elements brings fresh insight into the careers and lives of those women artists and opens new ways of thinking about her own.

The exhibition at the Kingsway Corridor, Goldsmith’s University of London 12th October – 3rd November 2017, presents Milroy’s original artworks along with publications co-produced with The White Pube and graphic designer Keir Mucklestone-Barnett.

These works explore and respond to the unique archived documentation of the diverse work of women artists from around the world held by the Women’s Art Library. The accompanying publications will also be exhibited in all public libraries in Derbyshire and distributed to be accessible to all libraries across England during national library week 9th – 14th October 2017.

The exhibition comes to Chesterfield Library on the 27 October. A representative from the project says:

“We are really excited by this Chesterfield event, seeing it as an important element of the whole project, and a way of acknowledging important regional creative work. We are interested in its continuation, extending the partnership and the possibilities that can support local creative work that might emerge from this, including the development of a local women’s art archive with a relationship to the Women’s Art Library, Goldsmiths University of London.”

Ashgate Hospicecare is thrilled to announce that Markovitz have agreed to continue their sponsorship of their flagship fundraising event, the Sparkle Night Walk.

Chesterfield’s biggest fundraising event, which saw 2,563 local people walk the 10km route across the town, raised an unbelievable £202,500 for patients and their families across North Derbyshire, the High Peak and the Derbyshire Dales in 2017.

David Hopkins, CEO of the Markovitz Group, said:-

“As the main sponsor of this year’s Sparkle Night Walk we were delighted to see so many people turn out in support of such a well-run event. We were even more thrilled to hear that the night had raised well over £200,000 for Ashgate Hospicecare; such a worthy cause providing an essential service for our community. Here at Markovitz we are proud to continue our association as main sponsors with next year’s Sparkle Night Walk and we wish it every success.”

Esther Preston, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Ashgate Hospicecare, said:-

“We are delighted to have M Markovitz Ltd as the main sponsor for our Sparkle Night Walk for a second year running.  It is only thanks to the generous support of our sponsors that we are able to put on an event of this scale and raise much needed funds to support the increasing number of people who require hospice care.”

Hundreds of local people gave fantastic feedback on the event. Eileen Lowe, from Matlock in Derbyshire, said:-

“What an amazing night. Walking down the bypass was surreal, the atmosphere was electric. Thanks to all the volunteers & public who cheered us on. Such a worthwhile cause!”

Registration for the M Markovitz Ltd Sparkle Night Walk 2018 is now open. M Markovitz Ltd are hosting a Home Improvement Show on the 20^th and 21^st October between 10am and 5pm at The Palace Hotel in Buxton where people can sign up for the Early Bird price of just £10.

Chesterfield gardeners are celebrating their blooming wonderful results as the Chesterfield in Bloom awards are held.

The annual awards, hosted by Chesterfield Borough Council at Ringwood Hall Hotel, which is the competition’s main sponsor, recognise the best gardens and the most green-fingered residents, schoolchildren and business owners in the borough.

Taking the top prize for the best overall garden were Barry and Maureen Lomas. The judges praised their front and back garden massed with hanging baskets, containers of all shapes and sizes and bedding plantings, all maintained to the highest standard.

Other category winners at the awards were:

• Best container garden or hanging basket: Stephen and Margaret Wright
• Best small allotment plot: Mick Charlesworth
• Best large allotment plot: Colin Bloom
• Best small allotment site: Rufford Close Allotment Association
• Best large allotment site: Hunloke Avenue Allotment Association
• Best pub or restaurant The Britannia Inn
• Most improved gardens: The Green Care Home – Alicia Armstrong and Frank Walsh – Inkersall Allotments
• Best back garden (less than 80m²): Barry and Maureen Lomas
• Best back garden (larger than 80m²): Christine and Julia Stubbs
• Best front garden: Jane Land

The schools competition saw the following winners:

• Painting competition  (reception to year 2): Isla Burns – Henry Bradley Infant School
• Painting competition  (year 3 to year 6): May Husband – Brockwell Junior School

The following schools also received awards in the competition: Ashgate Croft School Brimington Junior School, Calow CofE Primary School, Duckmanton Primary School, Hasland Infant School, Speedwell Infant School and Spire Infant School.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Every year the standard of entries into the Chesterfield in Bloom competition gets higher and higher making the judges’ decisions more and more difficult.

“Congratulations to all of the winners and to everyone who took the time to enter. Their efforts to help keep Chesterfield vibrant and green are very much appreciated.”

This comes as Chesterfield has received a prestigious gold award in the East Midlands in Bloom awards for the second year running.

Judges from the East Midlands in Bloom committee visited the borough in the summer to assess the borough’s entry in the competition.

The judges were impressed with the levels of community involvement – particularly the members of the Chesterfield in Bloom committee as well as the flower displays in the town centre and the enthusiasm of the children from Spire Infant School.

They gave a special award for the sensitive management and conservation of Holmebrook Valley Park and a gold award to Ringwood Hall Hotel for the best hotel/pub garden in the East Midlands.

Councillor Ludlow added: “It’s wonderful news that we have received a gold award in the East Midlands in Bloom competition for the second year running.

“This is thanks to the efforts of all our staff and volunteers who keep Chesterfield looking its best year round.”

The Specsaver’s Eye Pod, an interactive sight loss simulator that educates the public about the importance of eye health and regular eye tests, is set to come to Chesterfield on Friday 29 September.

The Pod, which has been touring the UK, comes in light of research published by Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Specsavers that reveals one in five people will live with sight loss in their lifetime despite at least half of all cases being avoidable.

The alarming new statistics show that 250 people in the UK start living with sight loss every day. Women are at greater risk than men, with nearly one in four women set to develop sight loss in their lifetime compared with one in eight men.

The Specsavers/RNIB Eye Pod – which will be located in New Square this Friday – will demonstrate how the four main eye conditions (Age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts) can affect your sight.

The trailer has two cameras on top of the pod which link to screens inside where the public can view their surroundings with symptoms of each condition. In each case the experience lasts around one minute, with key facts and statistics about the condition then appearing on the screen.

Experts will be on hand throughout the day to offer sight loss advice and free eye test vouchers. The Eye Pod will tour the country to raise awareness and funds in support of RNIB.

Specsavers began a partnership with RNIB in 2016 with the mission of transforming eye health and communicating the vital importance of regular eye examinations, not just for eye sight but also to detect sight and life threatening conditions.

Chesterfield’s mayor is looking to find couples in the borough who got married in the same year as the Queen.

To mark the 70^th wedding anniversary of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh the mayor, Councillor Maureen Davenport, would like to visit couples who are celebrating their own platinum anniversary this year so that she can present them with flowers to mark the occasion.

Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh were married on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey and will become the first monarch and consort in British history to celebrate 70 years of marriage this autumn.

Councillor Sharon Blank, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for governance, said: “This is a very special year for the Queen and Prince Philip as they celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary and we would like to mark the occasion by celebrating with people who also share their anniversary in the same year as the royal couple.

“We ask anyone from Chesterfield borough who celebrates their 70^th wedding anniversary this year to contact the mayor’s office so we can mark their special day.”

To arrange a visit from the mayor to mark the occasion, please contact: Amanda Clayton, member and civic support officer, Chesterfield Borough Council, Town Hall, Rose Hill, Chesterfield, S40 1LP or call (01246) 345239.