Leisure

babyluv Website Goes Live

6th May 2015

Chesterfield’s award-winning baby shop babyluv is pleased to announce the birth of its new website babyluv.co.uk.

As well as giving customers more flexibility over their shopping times, the babyluv website also offers free local delivery and a new ‘Click & Collect’ service.

There’s also lots of extras such as the ‘Share the luv’ section, which includes tips and advice on a variety of subjects from becoming parents to creating a hospital bag -including one for Dad!

The team is also on the look out for parents to join its product testing panel and is asking anyone who is interested to get in touch.

Sharna Nessling, Owner of babyluv, said:-

“We’re so excited about the birth of our new website and we are busy adding new products every day.

“The reaction we have had so far has been amazing and I cannot thank my customers enough for all their ideas and patience whilst we developed it!”

babyluv was originally started by Sharna and her partner Damian back in October 2012 after being made redundant and finding out they were expecting all on the same day.

Since then the business has gone from strength to strength and last year was proud to win Clothes, Toys and Accessories Retailer of the Year at the 2014 Chesterfield Retail Awards.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield College Student Wins BBC Art Competition

6th May 2015

An art student from Chesterfield College has gone from delivering the Radio Times on a paper round to being featured in the magazine as a winner of the BBC’s Little Painting Challenge.

Charlotte Wood, aged 17 was one of 29,000 artists to submit artwork on a postcard and her image of two people sleeping on a train came first in the post 16 beginners category winning her £500 of art supplies and a place in an exhibition at Whitworth Gallery in Manchester. She attended a celebratory event in Manchester on Friday 1^st May where the work of the winners and the runners up will be on display until 22^nd May.

Charlotte said: “I was so happy when I found out I had won but just being part of this exhibition is amazing. I never would have thought that my paper round and my passion for art would give me this opportunity! Meeting the other winners and seeing the artwork by the runners up was really inspiring too.”

Charlotte’s dream would be to study art in New York but her short term plans include finishing her level 3 extended diploma in art and design studies at Chesterfield College before going to Leeds or London to do her degree.

Rob Baxter, Curriculum Manager for Visual Arts at Chesterfield College said: “We are really proud of Charlotte. She has got a real talent and the judges obviously recognised this. Over the time she has been studying with us we have seen her talent grow and develop really quickly. I think this is the first step on a really exciting career for her.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Children to Become Market Traders at Chesterfield Market

30th April 2015

Chesterfield’s youngsters are being given the opportunity to learn about life as a market trader at the children’s market event on Saturday 23 May 2015 from 10 am-4 pm

Open to three to 14-year-olds, budding traders are invited to sell their unwanted toys, clothes and books around the town pump in the market place. There will also be entertainment and a disco on the day.

Stalls are free but availability is limited.

To book a stall at the children’s market, visit www.visitchesterfield.info/childrensmarketbookingform.aspx or call Chesterfield Visitor Information Centre on 01246 345777 or 01246 345778.

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

New York-Inspired Bar to Open in Chesterfield

28th April 2015

A new bar is set to open next to the Crooked Spire Church in Chesterfield this May.

Named ‘Apartment,’ the forward-thinking venue has a New York city-vibe and will offer quality cocktails, spirits and beers alongside a range of regular and pop-up events – from salsa nights to whisky tasting sessions. It will also be available for private hire.

One of the directors commented:-

“Apartment hopes to contribute something significant to the town centre which will create greater footfall and improve the social experiences that the town has to offer as a whole.

“There will be a strong focus on putting a little extra love and care into what we do, to create a fantastic, unique experience to both locals and visitors.”

Apartment launches to the public on Sunday 24th May with ‘Celebrity Karaoke’. More information on this, other events and employment opportunities can be found by searching on Facebook for ‘Apartment Chesterfield’.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Discover Derbyshire with New Free App

27th April 2015

A new free app has been launched to reveal local stories and hidden secrets from across Derbyshire.

Designed to boost tourism locally, the app, named ‘Discover Derbyshire & Peak District,’ is now ready to download after more than 10 years of research and design by Derbyshire-based company Audio Trails Ltd.

It allows visitors to discover 200 ‘hidden gems’ around the county and uses satellite location technology to display places of interest close to where they are standing.

People can unlock hidden walking trails and listen to local residents’ personal stories that bring the past to life. Using archive photography, the app also allows users to fade old images into their device’s camera view and see how today’s scene has changed compared with the past.

Ann Wright, Head of Arts at Derbyshire County Council said:-

“We want people to discover things they may not know about Derbyshire, such as which local suburb was built by Russian wrestlers, or which town liquorice allsorts were invented in and this app will help them do that.

“It emphasises our county’s attractions in an innovative way which is easy for people to use while out and about using their own phone or tablet.”

Audio Trails Creative Director Dan Boys said:

“We’re really pleased to be part of a project like this that combines history with personal accounts and pictures.

“It’s great working in partnership with the council and staff such as countryside rangers who have shared their in-depth knowledge about places such as Linacre Reservoirs and the former industries along Five Pits Trail.

“The idea of the app is to bring personal stories, archive photography and lesser-known historical information together in one easily accessible package so that people can really discover Derbyshire for themselves.”

Dan is currently in the process of adding information to the app about the Pennine Way to celebrate the famous trail’s 50th anniversary. It was the UK’s first long-distance trail and stretches 256 miles from Edale in Derbyshire to the Scottish Borders.

More locations, trails and stories will be added to the app throughout 2015 and people are encouraged to share their stories or old photographs.

The ‘Discover Derbyshire & Peak District’ app is currently available to download for iOS devices via the AppStore with plans for an Android version to follow later this year. No mobile reception is needed to use it − once downloaded, all content is stored and can be accessed anywhere.

Find more information at www.discover-derbyshire.com.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Town to Commemorate Battle of Chesterfield

24th April 2015

Volunteers are wanted to help mark the 750^th anniversary of the Battle of Chesterfield next year.

Plans are already underway to stage a large medieval-style event in the town centre on Sunday, 15^th May 2016 with plenty of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

Community group, Chesterfield 750 is looking for people with a range of skills to help from fundraisers and researchers to costume designers and musicians and asks anyone who is interested in getting involved to get in touch.

Publicity Officer, Colin Harrison, a member of the Chesterfield 750 group said:-

“In preparation of the anniversary there will be several separate events and projects – the first of which is the building of a cart to be used on the day. There are also proposals to make a series of videos about life as it would have been at the time, a miniature re-enactment of the battle and plans to involve schools – maybe with something like the design of their own banners. We also hope that as many local groups as possible will take part, in whatever capacity they will most enjoy.

“Actual historical details of events around the battle are slightly sketchy, which we will take advantage of to allow a wide interpretation of them. We want this to be a fun event, rather than a strictly educational one, although we hope to provide some interesting information as a by-product of our research.”

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 28^th April from 7.00pm at The Rose and Crown Pub on Old Road in Chesterfield and everyone is welcome. For more information please email info@chesterfield750.co.uk or visit http://www.chesterfield750.co.uk/.

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

Wingerworth Fencing Club Win Double Gold

22nd April 2015

Wingerworth Fencing Club is celebrating its fifteenth birthday with two gold medals secured at the British Championships, which were held at EIS in Sheffield last weekend.

In the individual events on Saturday, Hannah Lawrence became British Women’s Champion, a title which she last held in 2008. Hannah won all of her fights on the day and none more convincingly than when beating fellow England and GB team mate Amy Radford, from Malvern Fencing Club 15-6 to take the championship.

The second day of was the team event and the Wingerworth Ladies beat every team in the competition and trounced Truro in the play off final by 45 – 29. The team had been strengthened this year with the addition of Mary Cohen who joined Hannah Lawrence, Jayne Crook and Caitlin Chang.

Wingerworth Fencing Club coach, Tony Klenczar, said:-

“This was a superb weekend for Wingerworth and the promotion of fencing in Derbyshire. All the people in the club who are competing at this level work extremely hard, along with their coaches, to achieve these results.

“We are always keen at the club to encourage new people to take up the sport. We want Derbyshire fencing to be bigger and better than any other club in the country!”

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

Chesterfield Meets Spain in Mi Casa Cook book

21st April 2015

A tantalising new cookbook has been launched by local entrepreneur and Chesterfield’s four star Casa Hotel owner, Steve Perez.

The mi Casa Cook book, follows hot on the heels of Casa Hotel being voted 5th best hotel in the UK, in Trip Advisors 2015 Travellers Choice Awards. It draws on influences from Steve’s Spanish roots, and his passion for high quality local produce. Mi Casa, offers insights into dishes inspired by his Derbyshire upbringing as well as showcasing the skills of the two AA rosette kitchen team and Head Chef Andrew Wilson.

Featuring over 30 dishes ranging from simple Tapas dishes to ‘Something Special’ Cocina restaurant inspired recipes, Mi Casa has been written to suit the skills of the novice and adventurous home cooks alike with easy to follow recipes.

For Steve Perez, this book marks the latest venture into the food, drink and hospitality industry. Speaking of the book launch, he said: “I’m delighted to have a platform to celebrate my love of food in ‘Mi Casa’. Not only is it a great way to recognise some of the fantastic local food produce available in Chesterfield and surrounding areas, it’s also an opportunity to inspire readers to add a taste of Spain to their dishes too.”

“My late Father Santiago, originally from Barcelona, inspired me throughout my career. I grew up in the Derbyshire countryside with him cooking Spanish dishes in the home. When it came to building Casa Hotel, I wanted something which would reflect my Mediterranean roots and the same is true about the Mi Casa cook book.”

Central to Casa Hotel’s achievements are the quality of the ingredients and produce used in its menus. Walton Lodge Farm, which is part of Steve’s Walton Lodge Estate, provides meat and eggs to Casa Hotel. Mi Casa features a behind the scenes look at the workings of the farm and its unique connection to the hotel. It also introduces other local key Derbyshire suppliers, Highfield House Farm and John Hattersley Wines, as well Yorkshire-based Grey’s Fine Foods, which brings the authentic Spanish tastes and ingredients to Casa.

Throughout the last 40 years Steve has successfully carved a career for himself in the hospitality industry. From Steve’s humble beginnings working in the kitchen of his father’s restaurant, moving from managing pubs to developing the hugely successful international drinks business Global Brands.

‘Mi Casa: Spanish-Inspired Recipes from the Heart of Derbyshire’ is available to purchase directly from Casa Hotel or through Amazon and is priced at £14.95.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Leisure, Visiting

Arts Festival Something to Shout About at Chatsworth

21st April 2015

Chatsworth is set to launch a major new arts festival this September.

‘Art Out Loud‘ is a three-day event featuring a stellar line up of more than 20 speakers drawn from the literary world, art, tv, museums and journalism.

The festival, which runs from 18th to 20th September, has been inspired by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire’s passion for the arts.

The Duke said:-

“Over the past few years Chatsworth has developed a fantastic programme of arts-related exhibitions and events, which has been very well received.

“We are delighted that the Chatsworth Festival will be joining this programme in 2015, giving our visitors the opportunity to hear some of the world’s best authors, journalists and artists share their thoughts and experiences.”

‘Art Out Loud’ is the latest addition to a burgeoning arts scene at Chatsworth and the event will run alongside the 10th anniversary of the ‘Beyond Limits’ monumental sculpture exhibition in the garden starting in September.

Speakers include Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry CBE; author and filmmaker Hannah Rothschild; BBC Arts Editor, Will Gompertz; and the Duke of Devonshire who will be talking about the Devonshire Collection, one of Europe’s most significant art collections. A full programme for the festival will be announced in June.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Spireites Prepare for True Blue Day

21st April 2015

Chesterfield’s game at home to Bristol City on Saturday will be ‘True Blue Day’, with Spireites fans urged to wear blue to show their support for the club.

The aim is to be as many fans as possible wearing blue at the Proact Stadium on Saturday 25th April, whether it be a replica home shirt, t-shirt or scarf.

The dress code in the corporate areas of the stadium will also be relaxed on the day, allowing those in the lounges to wear replica shirts.

Spireites Chief Executive Chris Turner said:-

“We want to generate a party atmosphere to celebrate what has been a fantastic season and it would be fantastic to witness a sea of blue in the stands when the teams run out.

“There is a limited stock of home replica shirts on sale in the Club Superstore and we also have some blue t-shirts and scarves available. The players and management have done superbly well to put us within touching distance of the play-offs so let’s make True Blue Day an unforgettable occasion.”

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

Daredevil Stunt Team Joins Chatsworth Country Fair

20th April 2015

Three exciting new acts have been announced for this year’s Chatsworth Country Fair – including the energetic Ukrainian Cossack Stunt Team which is set to wow visitors with mind-blowing stunts – from balancing on a saddle whilst galloping at full speed to hanging from a stirrup with just one leg.

The world-famous group will be joined at the event by The Band of the Corps of the Royal Engineers, who will perform a medley of traditional army marches, as well as a selection of well-known hits and current chart toppers. Appearing at numerous state occasions, the band continually achieves wide public recognition through its many broadcasts, recordings and concert performances, most notably playing at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and, to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The Essex Dog Display Team will top off the action-packed schedule of new talent, with 10 various breeds of dogs and their handlers carrying out an exciting display of ambitious exercises and agility obstacles, which may even see them jumping through flaming hoops! A big hit with royals and celebrities alike, the team has performed in venues ranging from the grounds of Blenheim Palace and Windsor Castle to the studios of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

Held in the beautiful Chatsworth parkland surrounding the house in the heart of the Peak District, the popular three-day event will feature all three acts in the prestigious Grand Ring, along with many more performers yet to be announced.

This year’s Chatsworth Country Fair promises bigger and better entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. For more information visit http://www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/chatsworth-country-fair/.

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