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BRM Solicitors to sponsor Chesterfield Festival of Cricket

14th June 2019

Leading law firm and Chesterfield Champions BRM Solicitors take on naming rights of the popular Chesterfield Festival of Cricket after being involved in the annual event since 2013.

The BRM Solicitors Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, which returns to the picturesque Queen’s Park on Sunday 14 July, will see Derbyshire play Northamptonshire in four-day first-class cricket, before it rounds-off with the showpiece Twenty20 fixture against Yorkshire in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd.

Jimmy Drew, Commercial Manager at Derbyshire County Cricket Club, said: “It’s great to extend our relationship with BRM Solicitors after they have been involved in the festival for a number of seasons.”

“We’ve had some exciting matches across both formats in recent years, including a memorable Vitality Blast win last summer, and we hope to see more of the same in 2019.”

“The festival is very well supported – less than 30 per cent of tickets remain for the Yorkshire fixture – and by taking on the headline sponsorship, BRM Solicitors’ name and branding will be highly visible across Chesterfield this July.”

Rob Woodhead (right), Executive Director at BRM Solicitors, added: “BRM is delighted to continue its support of the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket.”

“Queen’s Park is recognised as one of the best venues to watch cricket in the world and the Derbyshire/Yorkshire T20 Blast, on Saturday the 20 July, is the jewel in the festival’s crown.”

“From BRM’s perspective the opening of our Sheffield office, at Steel City House in 2018, brings added ‘spice’ to the Derbyshire/Yorkshire fixture. When the possibility of becoming the headline sponsor of the Festival arose, it was too good an opportunity to miss!”

Find more information for this summer’s BRM Solicitors Chesterfield Festival of Cricket here.

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

Tree Planted to Celebrate a Year of Success

13th June 2019

The Garden Secret Spa located in the grounds of Ringwood Hall Hotel and Spa celebrated their 1^stAnniversary this week.

A tree planting ceremony within the grounds took place, officiated by the Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield accompanied by Becky & Ricky, Peak FM’s Breakfast presenters.

The Luxury Spa has now been open exactly a year and located within the grounds of Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa consists of a Vitality Pool, Herbal Sauna, Foot Spas, Himalayan Salt Sauna, Blossom Steam Room, Ice Fountain, Experience Showers, Relaxation Lounges, 7 treatment rooms and its own Brassiere.

Since opening its doors in June 2018, The Garden Secret Spa has already become established as one of Derbyshire’s newest luxury spas. In August 2018 the Spa was awarded the prestigious 5 Bubble award from the Good Spa Guide, making it the first in Derbyshire to receive this accolade, along with being a finalist for Best Newcomer.

The spa has also increased its facilities and offerings since its opening; In September the Jennifer Young brand was launched offering ‘Beauty Despite Cancer’ treatments and products allowing cancer patients the opportunity to enjoy a full spa experience. A new spa terrace was then built and launched In October, the terrace wraps around the full length of the spa, and allows access to the gardens from the pool hall.

Jemma Whitney, Spa Manager of the Garden Secret Spa said “We have had the most fantastic first year and would truly like to thank everyone that has visited and supported us since our opening. The concept of the spa was all about bringing the award winning gardens of Ringwood Hall into the spa. To be able to celebrate today by adding a stunning Acer into the grounds means we have been able to give back to our original inspiration. We hope that as our spa grows and develops throughout the years, changing through the seasons, that our new tree will also. We are very excited about the future plans for The Garden Secret Spa”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

CBeebies ‘Waffle’ Star Joins Chesterfield Panto

5th June 2019

Chesterfield Theatres have announced that star of CBeebies Waffle the Wonder Dog, Andrea Valls, will join the cast of this year’s traditional family pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, at the Pomegranate Theatre from Friday 6^th December 2019 to Sunday 5^th January 2020.

Instantly recognisable to youngsters (and their parents) as ‘Mum’ Jess, in CBeebies heart-warming family comedy show Waffle the Wonder Dog, Andrea will make her pantomime debut this Christmas as Princess Jess.

Andrea has enjoyed great success with BAFTA-nominated Waffle the Wonder Dog which first hit TV screens in Spring 2018. The critically acclaimed show, now in its third series, is broadcast in 30 countries worldwide and has been viewed by over 24 million people on BBC IPlayer alone. The programme which features the talking wonder dog Waffle, voiced by the aptly named Rufus Hound, and which focuses on the newly blended Brooklyn-Bell family was an instant favourite with viewers and critics alike, praised for its sensitive and humorous handling of the everyday issues that affect young children, helping viewers to understand and cope with confusing emotions.

Away from ‘Waffle’ Andrea, who trained at East 15 Acting School, has starred in Jack & Dean of All Trades alongside Jessica Hynes, Valentine’s Night for Sky Arts and is currently writing and developing a digital sketch series.

Pantomime producer Paul Holman said: “With her natural warmth, charm and energy not to mention a fantastic singing voice, Andrea is the perfect choice for our vivacious Princess Jess and if she can handle a talking dog I’m sure our Giant will be no match for her!”

Andrea joins the previously announced star of pop supergroup Steps, Lee Latchford-Evans, who takes the title role of Jack in this year’s spectacular production. Filled to the brim with toe-tapping pop songs, high energy dance routines, laugh-out-loud comedy and breathtaking special effects along with all the well-loved pantomime traditions and plenty of chances to join in the fun, Jack and the Beanstalk has something for all the family this Christmas.

Jack and the Beanstalk runs at Pomegranate Theatre from Friday 6^th December 2019 to Sunday 5^th January 2020. Tickets are on sale now and can be booked online at www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk or via the Box Office on 01246 345 222.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Christmas, Leisure, Visiting

Historic Pub Tour launched in Chesterfield

4th June 2019

A new attraction launches in Chesterfield at the end of June. The Chesterfield Great Historic Pub Tour features 8 of the town centre public houses and the town’s historic sites along the way.

Taking place every Saturday from 12:00 noon, at the Pig And Pump on St Mary’s Gate, (formerly the White Swan), this walking tour takes 4 hours.

Launching on the 29th of June and running until the end of August, the tour costs just £5 per person, which can be paid in cash to the tour guide on the day as booking is not required.

“I am hoping to attract visitors from far and wide”, said the Tour’s Creator, Shaun Stevenson. “There is a great deal of interesting history behind many of the pubs in Chesterfield, and I want this Tour to be both enlightening and fun”.

A guidebook, which contains much of the historical information, directions and also an observational quiz, is currently being put together, with the help of local historian, Janet Murphy. The guidebook will be available to purchase from the Tourist Information Centre, and at each of the venues from August.

Shaun is hoping to attract local people interested in the history of Chesterfield through the summer and is also marketing the tour to coach companies.

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

Chesterfield Museum wins award for the Trench Experience

30th May 2019

Chesterfield Museum has won an award for its interactive display which commemorated the centenary of the end of the First World War.

The Trench Experience Exhibition, which ran from 12 October to 19 January at the popular Chesterfield Borough Council run attraction on St Mary’s Gate, received the award for enterprise and innovation at the recent Derbyshire Heritage Awards.

The awards, run by the Derbyshire Museums and Heritage Forum, celebrate the work taking place in museums and heritage organisations across the county.

Part of the museum’s art gallery was transformed into a section of a trench like those on the Western Front in France and Belgium from 1914 to 1918. Sights, sounds and smells were included to give visitors a good idea of a soldier’s life during the conflict.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “I am extremely proud of the hard work carried out by staff and volunteers at the museum to make this possible. It is great to see them recognised by the county for their innovative approach to marking the First World War.”

The exhibition was supported by many local organisations and was funded by Chesterfield Borough Council, a £1,500 grant from Museum Development East Midlands and donations from the many visitors to the Museum over the year.

The Trench Experience exhibition was extremely popular with both local people and visitors. The museum saw a 36 per cent increase in visitors while the exhibition was on show.

Chesterfield Museum is open each Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free. For information on the current exhibitions, visit: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/museum.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Vicar Lane reveals community hero in their midst

30th May 2019

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is proud to reveal the identity of an as yet, unsung hero who has been working under the cover of darkness to help local charities over the last 18 years.

Ken Harper is the centre’s Night Security Officer and, while undertaking his duties and nightly patrols of the centre, he collects the small denominations of change discarded by shoppers throughout the day, collecting them up to make a monthly donation to charity. Over the past 18 years Ken has donated this ‘loose change’ to charities including Hospices and St. John Ambulance and, most recently to Cancer Research and McMillan Cancer Support.

Each year, for the least 18 years, Ken has collected between £150-£190, donating over £1,000 in total to a variety of local charities, proudly pinning the monthly paying-in slip on the team notice board for all to see.

To explain, Ken says, “I thought this was a good way of helping these charities out. Not only do I collect the coins that have been discarded, but I also receive change that has been saved by the on-site cleaning, security and management teams, who bring it in and add it to the pot – it’s a real team effort. The charities I donate to are worthy causes that are dear to my heart.”

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager, Vicar Lane said: “For one individual to demonstrate such community spirit over all these years is incredible. Ken is an inspiration to the Vicar Lane team and wider community and we’re proud to have him as a long standing member of our team.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Leisure, Visiting

Extensive developments begin at Hotel Van Dyk

29th May 2019

An extensive two-million-pound development is well underway at Hotel Van Dyk on Worksop Road, Chesterfield.

An entirely new state-of-the-art hotel is in the process of being built at the venue that will house over fifty new bedrooms, a luxury spa, new restaurant and additional wedding, meeting and conferencing facilities.

The new hotel, which will be located next to the existing building, will see Van Dyk significantly boost the local economy by employing over one hundred new staff in a variety of positions.

The development is set to make Van Dyk the premier location within Chesterfield for accommodation, food and drink, weddings and conferences.

Building work at the site began in March and is expected to be completed by the end of November.

Marc Wildes, Managing Director at Van Dyk, said: “We’re all really excited with how it’s coming together, not long ago it was all just a plan. To see it start to take shape is amazing.”

“I’m so proud to be able to offer a venue like this to the people of Chesterfield, we wanted to put something together that ticked all the boxes. I can’t wait for everyone to see it when it officially opens.”

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

Chesterfield Town Centre Car Boot Approved

21st May 2019

Plans for Chesterfield’s Sunday morning car boot to move to Chesterfield town centre have been approved by Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee.

At their meeting yesterday, members of the planning committee agreed to the move of the weekly council-run car boot sale, which is currently held at the Proact Stadium, to Rose Hill car park from July.

The last car boot sale at the Proact Stadium is due to be held on Sunday 14 July with the first one anticipated to take place at Rose Hill car park, behind the Town Hall from Sunday 21 July.

The car park will close each Sunday morning for the car boot sale to take place from 8am to 1pm with access for traders from 7am.

Plans have been put in place for traders arriving early to wait on Rose Hill to prevent disruption for residents on nearby streets.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy said: “It’s exciting to see the car boot sale move to the town centre.

“We have kept existing traders informed of the plans and we look forward to welcoming traders old and new as well as new customers to the car boot sale at Rose Hill car park from July.”

Chesterfield borough residents can use their free parking pass to park for free in nearby surface car parks including: Albion Road and Holywell Cross (Donut) car parks.

Additional free parking for residents is available at: Derbyshire Times, Devonshire Street, Durrant Road, Hollis Lane (excluding on-street bays), Queens Park (North and South), Spa Lane, Station Road, St Mary’s Gate and Theatre Lane car parks.

Any new traders looking to stand at the car boot sale at Rose Hill car park should contact the council’s markets team by calling (01246) 345999 or email markets@chesterfield.gov.uk

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Exhibition of Chatsworth treasures in New York could boost U.S. visitors to Peak District and Derbyshire

20th May 2019

The Peak District and Derbyshire could look forward to a rise in visits from the US as a prestigious exhibition of art and objects from Chatsworth launches at Sotheby’s in New York.

Free of charge and open to the public from 28 June – 18 September 2019, Treasures from Chatsworth: The Exhibition, offers a rare chance to view the legendary Devonshire Collection in the US.

As well as offering a showcase to some of the Derbyshire stately home’s most famous treasures, it is hoped the exhibition will inspire more US tourists to book a trip to the Peak District and Derbyshire – discovering the area’s vibrant cultural scene in the process.

Treasures from Chatsworth will feature over 40 masterworks including fine art, decorative objects, furniture, jewellery, clothing and archival materials from the Devonshire Collection – widely celebrated as one of the most significant art collections in Europe. All objects have been accumulated over 500 years by the Cavendish family, and held at Chatsworth near Bakewell.

Research from VisitBritain shows that the UK’s culture and heritage is a huge draw for overseas visitors – with more than £8 billion spent annually by international tourists who visit castles/historic houses in the UK (based on 2016 figures).

Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board, says the exhibition will help to raise awareness of the area’s rich cultural heritage, which ranges from stately homes such as Chatsworth, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, to a vibrant arts scene and sites of worldwide historical importance, such as the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

The US is the UK’s most valuable inbound visitor market for tourism spend, with US visitors spending a record £3.6 billion across the UK in 2017, up 9% on the previous year. Visits from the US grew 13% to 3.9 million in the same period.

The US also ranked the UK second out of 50 nations for its overall brand in the 2018 Anholt Nation Brands Index, up one place on 2017 and equalling its highest ranking ever.

Tourism’s value to the Peak District and Derbyshire economy was worth £2.15 billion in 2017, supporting 28,630 full-time jobs with 40.45 million visitors travelling to the area in the same period.*

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “Promoting the Peak District and Derbyshire on a global scale is at the heart of our work, so it is fantastic news that items from Chatsworth’s prestigious Devonshire Collection will be exhibited in New York this summer.

“Boosting visitor numbers and increasing visitor spend is paramount in ensuring that the local economy can reap the benefits of tourism, and the Treasures from Chatsworth exhibition will serve as a great international showcase for the area’s rich cultural heritage.

“Chatsworth is one of the UK’s leading stately homes and we hope the exhibition will inspire more US visitors to add Chatsworth, and the wider Peak District and Derbyshire area, to their must-visit list.’

Derbyshire County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism, Councillor Barry Lewis, said: “Promoting Derbyshire as a global cultural and tourist destination is one of our top priorities and Chatsworth is one of the jewels in Derbyshire’s crown, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to our county each year.

“So we’re thrilled to hear some of the estate’s treasures will be showcased in New York and hope it will whet the appetite of American tourists who will be encouraged to visit Derbyshire and see all our beautiful county has to offer for themselves.”

Gavin Landry, VisitBritain Director of the Americas, said: “It is great to have this exhibition come to the US and shine a spotlight on the cultural draw of the Peak District and Derbyshire, inspiring Americans to travel to Britain.

“Our research shows that many US visitors are motivated to travel to Britain due to our history and heritage and this exhibition is sure to get more Americans to experience the delights of Chatsworth and the surrounding area and extend their stay.”

Images: Chatsworth House Trust

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

Events aimed at ambitious writers and keen readers

16th May 2019

Arts Derbyshire has been awarded £14,950 from Arts Council England to run a project for writers and readers.

The project, called Writing Ambitions: Commissioning, is a partnership between Festivity, Writing East Midlands, Junction Arts and Derbyshire County Council.

It will commission five writers to work with a Derbyshire-based arts festival during 2020 to produce and perform pieces of writing in the local community.

All of the festivals selected are members of Festivity, which is the arts festival forum for Derbyshire, and a part of Arts Derbyshire. It includes:
•Tapton Lock Festival in Chesterfield
•Melbourne Festival
•Erewash Festival of Light
•New Mills Festival
•Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Discovery Days Festival

Each writer will also have the opportunity to collaborate with a local Derbyshire library.

A networking and information day will launch the project this autumn.

The writers will be supported with workshops and mentoring by well-established and award-winning writers and poets Cathy Grindrod, Jo Bell, Matt Black and River Wolton.

Workshop places are open to all writers and will offer support to those interested in working to commission, in other words, being paid to complete a special piece of work.

The commissioned writers will also collaborate on a piece of work providing advice to writers hoping to be commissioned in the future.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism, said:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for experienced or budding writers to take their writing further. Not only will the project foster local talent but it will boost local events and communities as well.”

The project will also deliver the LoveLit series of literature events and writing workshops for readers and writers held in Derbyshire libraries.

On Tuesday 18 June 2019 at Chesterfield library social historian and broadcaster Hallie Rubenhold will talk about her new book ‘The Five’ which looks at the lives of the women murdered by Jack the Ripper.

Writing workshops with Mike Gayle, Professor Joe Moran and Joanna Courtney are among the other events being held.

And the first Derbyshire Noir Book Festival on Saturday 17 August 2019, celebrating crime and psychological thrillers, will feature panels, talks and a chance to network for crime readers and writers at Chesterfield library.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield Manufacturer’s Goods Selected for Famous London Retailer

13th May 2019

Chesterfield business Ingmans is celebrating after a luxury briefcase which retails at £3,995 has been commissioned by Joseph Cheaney & Sons.

Their leather luggage brand “Cobb England” is manufactured in the heart of Chesterfield alongside their retail and cobbler business.

Andy Ingman said “To say we are proud to be commissioned by a 150 year old, established English company, with such prestige as “Joseph Cheaney & Sons is an understatement of great magnitude.
Joseph Cheaney are one of the UK’s greatest quality, Goodyear welted shoe manufacturers. ”

“Great Britain ?? is the cultivator of the shoe industry in the 18th century, and has held its own on a global front ever since. So for our company as small as it may be, shows craftsmanship, quality, consistency and tenacity has made us break through into our capital London. Not only that, Jermyn street which is famous for retail throughout the world.”

The business relocated to the former Burton’s Store in Chesterfield on Burlington Street in 2018.

Andy Ingman, added “We wanted to create a lovely place to shop with a unique experience where we can offer excellent customer service. We have a beautiful stock of shoes, clothing & handmade leather goods and we have also created a wonderful workspace for shoe repairs.”

Ingmans have also been nominated as a finalist in the best new store category at the Chesterfield Retail Awards.

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