Visiting

Chesterfield Chosen to Host National Canal Festival

A popular national canal festival is to be held in Chesterfield for this first time in over ten years.

Organised by the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), the National Trailboat Festival will take place at Staveley Town Basin during the 2016 spring bank holiday weekend.

Highlights of the event include an illuminated parade of boats on the Saturday night and a convoy right up to the River Rother at St Helena’s on the Monday.

Robin Stonebridge Chair of Chesterfield Canal Trust said:

“We are delighted that the IWA has chosen to return to the Chesterfield for its 2016 Trailboat Festival.

“The boaters who came here in 2002 or 2005 will see a great change, both on the canal and in the surrounding area.

“Canals get restored by continuously making the case, by hard graft and by spreading the word and building support from across the country.  Although we still have eight miles to restore, the festival will be a good way to celebrate the trust’s efforts thus far and for visitors to have a really good time here in North East Derbyshire.”

As with the yearly canal festivals held at Staveley, this national event will also include boat rides, canoeing, children’s rides, plenty of entertainment, dozens of stalls plus food and drink including a real ale bar.

The vital difference with this festival however – say Canal Trust members – will be the number of boats. It is expected that dozens of trailboats will be moored in the basin and back towards Constitution Hill Bridge. Many will be decorated, creating a really colourful spectacle.

As trailboats are towed, it will also be possible to be launch them down the slipway at Staveley Basin – where they will enter the stretch of water between Staveley and Kiveton Park which is currently inaccessible to normal canal boats due to ongoing restoration work.

IWA national chairman Les Etheridge said: “Our 2016 Trailboat Festival will help to demonstrate the community benefits that flow from the revival of functioning waterways. As well as providing a great day out, we hope the festival will stimulate renewed support from the public and local interest groups for the Trust’s sterling restoration work.”

Derbyshire County Council owns this section of the canal. The Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure Councillor Dean Collins said: “The newly developed Staveley Basin has made Chesterfield Canal an attractive area for boats and we’re delighted to be hosting the National Trail Boat Festival in Derbyshire next year.

“We’re committed to helping to improve Derbyshire’s economy and tourism has a massive role to play.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the boating community to Derbyshire to enjoy our beautiful county and all it has to offer.”

Chesterfield Canal Trust has previously run IWA Trailboat Festivals at Tapton Lock in 2002 and 2005. Both were hugely successful, as was the IWA Campaign Rally held at Kiveton Park in 2009.

For more information visit http://www.chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk/

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

Young Spireites Winger Signs New Contract

Exciting Spireites winger Gboly Ariyibi has signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract.

The former Southampton player has impressed in recent weeks after being given his chance in the first team.

Commenting on the news, Spireites Manager, Paul Cook said: “Gboly is a very, very exciting young prospect who has great ability and pace. He is still developing as a player so there has to be some patience shown by fans as he learns the game.”

Ariyibi, 20, joined Chesterfield in the summer after a spell at Leeds United. He made his debut in the JPT tie at Scunthorpe in September and has now made a total of eight appearances.

Born in Virginia, USA, before being brought up in England, Ariyibi is a USA Under-20 international.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

New Artisan Market Set to Launch in Chesterfield

A vibrant artisan market is coming to Chesterfield town centre this spring.

Starting on 31st May, the new attraction will take place on the last Sunday of every month and offers a wide selection of locally produced food and individually hand crafted items, showcasing the very best of products from Chesterfield and Derbyshire.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s Executive Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said:

“We have an excellent track record of offering fresh produce on our market and now residents and visitors will be able to buy a new range of exquisite local produce and trinkets.

“They will be able to speak to the stallholders, ask about the products they have made, try new flavours and discover unique treasures.

“Local entertainers will also be performing each month to show their talents and add to the buzzing atmosphere.

“I’m sure this will be a popular addition to the successful markets we already run in Chesterfield, including the monthly farmers’ market and the weekly flea market.”

Joining forces with Chesterfield Borough Council, Denise Valente, Director of The Market Co said: “We are very excited to bring our artisan market concept to Chesterfield.

“The local area has so many incredibly talented artisans, all very eager to showcase their fantastic products.”

For more details about the artisan market, visit: www.themarketco.co.uk.

Chesterfield Market Place also hosts a variety of other markets each week with a general market each Monday, Friday and Saturday, a flea market each Thursday and a farmers’ market on the second Thursday of each month.   For more details click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Proact to Host Funny Photoshoot for Comic Relief

Players and staff at Chesterfield Football Club are inviting visitors to take part in a funny photoshoot for Comic Relief.

Club photographer Tina Jenner will run a pop-up studio at the Hub at Proact Stadium on Monday 9th March from 1.00pm – 6.00pm in return for a donation of at least £2 per image.

There will also be a funny face competition, with the winner receiving a print similar to the poster shown here with their image in the middle, signed by the featured players.

Those taking part will need to complete a photo consent form, which will act as a model release form, which can be downloaded from the Chesterfield FC Community Trust website. Under-18s who attend alone will need to bring a signed form with them.

The Trust’s sport & activity manager, Rachel Booth, said: “As a charity, the Trust is really happy to support such a good, charitable cause.

“We are really looking forward to working with the football club and Tina Jenner Photography to stage such a fun event at The HUB. All of the staff will be joining in and we can’t wait to see our funny photos!”

For more information on the event, please visit http://www.spireitestrust.org.uk/rnd2015/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Chesterfield to Host International Cricket in 2015

Queen’s Park, Chesterfield, will once again be in the media spotlight when international cricket returns to the town in an Ashes summer when England Under-19s face Australia Under-19s in the second of five One-Day internationals in August.

The match is to be played on Friday 14 August and is a chance for supporters to watch the England and Australia stars of the future, including a potential appearance from Derbyshire fast-bowler Will Davis who was recently selected for the Under-19s tour of Australia.

The match will bring a second helping of high quality action for the Chesterfield public following Derbyshire County Cricket Club’s annual Festival of Cricket, in association with Chesterfield Borough Council. This will be held in July and includes LV= County Championship action against Glamorgan and NatWest T20 Blast fixtures versus Northamptonshire Steelbacks and Yorkshire Vikings.

Chesterfield Cricket Club Chairman Mike Taylor said: “We are looking forward to another great summer of cricket here in Queen’s Park.

“In July, we will host Derbyshire County Cricket Club’s Festival of Cricket and it’s great that we’ll bring the curtain down with an Ashes battle between the best young players in England and Australia.

“Hosting both these high profile events is great news for the town and also great news for Chesterfield Cricket Club. Watching some of the best players around always inspires our youngsters at the Club and local schools and these big matches provide us with opportunities for us to raise funds which help us continue to run a very successful league cricket club.

“We’re proud to host Derbyshire‘s Festival of Cricket and hope the Festival will continue for many years. It’s been great to host additional matches in recent summers like the England Women, Yorkshire versus the Unicorns and now the England and Australia Under-19s.

“It’s well documented that Sachin Tendulkar called our ground the most beautiful he’s ever played on. Hopefully we’ll send some English and Australian stars of the future away with a similar view.”

Entry for the match is free of charge beginning at 10.30am.

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

Chatsworth International Horse Trials to Raise Funds for Air Ambulance

The Air Ambulance for Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland  (DLRAA) has been announced as the official charity for this year’s Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials which takes place from 15-17 May.

The DLRAA, which provides a vital life-saving rapid response helicopter service, relies entirely on donations to keep the service flying. At a cost of £1,700 for each mission, it is hoped the partnership with the Horse Trials will help support the ongoing fundraising and raise awareness of the important work carried out every day.

Just last year, the DLRAA attended 22 equestrian-related missions in Derbyshire alone. In many cases, the crew is the first on the scene providing vital medical care before either flying the patient to hospital or transferring to a location where they can be reached by land ambulance.

DLRAA flew a total of 1032 missions in 2014 which included 442 road traffic collisions, 186 medical emergencies and 195 sports related injuries, 90 of which were equestrian-related.

Sophie Burt, National Partnerships Manager for Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA), said:

“It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to be involved in such a prestigious event and we would like to thank the Duke and Duchess and all the team for choosing DLRAA to be the Horse Trials Charity for 2015. DLRAA are a charity that receives no government funding, so we rely entirely on donations and fundraising opportunities like this to keep our vital service flying. It costs around £1,700 for each mission, and we fly an average of three a day.”

The charity will have a stand at the event and will be out and about talking to visitors about their work and accepting donations over the three days.

As well as thrilling cross country action featuring the world’s leading riders, the Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials has fun for all the family with entertainment including the British Scurry and Driving Trials; Pony Club Mounted Games and Falconry displays. Dog lovers will be in for a treat with the gun dog displays; have a go dog agility; dog show and Hound parade.

The event has lots for children to enjoy from meeting the Chatsworth Farmyard animals to Punch and Judy shows; face painting; Mini Land Rovers; bouncy castle and giant slide.

Tickets for the Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials start at £10 for adults and £4.50 for children aged five and over. For more information on the Dodson & Horrell International Chatsworth Horse Trials, visit www.chatsworth.org.

Posted in Visiting

Spring Exhibition Opens at StraightCurves

StraightCurves‘ Spring Exhibition is now open to the public. The Hallway Gallery features original pieces and framed prints by local artists and craftspeople including Liz & Kate Pope, Abi Burlingham, Wildgoose Designs, English Tilly and Dianna Lee amongst others. As well as traditional artwork, it also showcases pieces created in clay, crochet, wood, felted wool and vintage fabrics.

Looking forward to welcoming locals and visitors to see the Spring Exhibition, Owner Karen Rogers said:-

“It’s great to have so much local artwork on show here at StraightCurves and we hope everyone will pop in for a browse and a brew.

“The gallery is also a perfect companion to the range of workshops and courses we offer here – many of which are taught by the artists whose work is on display. We have a range of great gift items available too, including textiles, jewellery, craft kits and a wide range of cards – again from a range of local craftspeople.”

StraightCurves and the Hallway Gallery are open 10am – 4pm Monday-Friday, and are located at 104 Saltergate in Chesterfield.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Visiting

Local Rock Group Gears up for Charity Gig at Real Time Live

A band formed by staff at BRM Solicitors and Cheetham Jackson will appear at Real Time Live in Chesterfield on Friday 27th February.

Rock, Stock, and Gavel, were the surprise entertainment at a function hosted by BRM last summer. After their set of classic and modern rock covers proved a hit with guests, the band continued and the gig at Real Time will be their public debut.

Tickets are only £2 and are now available to purchase from BRM Solicitors or Real Time Live. All proceeds will be donated to Breast Cancer Care.

Doors will open at 6.30pm on the night.

To book email andrew.robinson@brmlaw.co.uk or realtimemusic@hotmail.co.uk.

Posted in Visiting

Hear all about it at Hollingwood Hub

An audio post has been unveiled as the latest attraction at Hollingwood Hub on the Chesterfield Canal.

Visitors can now hear eight short messages about the canal, the trust and local history. Wherever possible, the recordings have been made by people who have worked on the canal or by people with detailed local knowledge.

Chesterfield Canal Trust Secretary, Bev Hunt, said:

“We are very grateful to the Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation for awarding us the money for this splendid audio post. We are sure that it will increase the public’s enjoyment and knowledge of the canal and the amazing history of the immediate locality.”

Joanne Rhodes, manager of Yorkshire Building Society’s Dronfield branch added:

“I’m delighted the Charitable Foundation – which is funded by our members through Small Change Big Difference, has been able to support the Chesterfield Canal Trust and its audio post project.

“The commitment and enthusiasm that the trust members have for what they do shone through! They do an amazing job and are so passionate about their work, the canal and also the history of the area.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Visiting

X Factor’s Amelia Lily to Join Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

Amelia Lily is set to bring yet more X Factor to the Winding Wheel in this year’s production of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat as she steps into the role of Narrator alongside fellow X Factor finalist Lloyd Daniels, who plays Joseph.

Amelia, who was mentored by former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland, finished third on The X Factor 2011, and then went on to have chart success with her debut single You Bring Me Joy, which got to number two.

No stranger to the bright lights, the star was also the support act for Girls Aloud’s farewell tour in 2013, and for Olly Murs at the INTRO Festival.

Coming to Chesterfield in April, the colourful retelling of the biblical story about Joseph, his eleven brothers and the coat of many colours stars will once again star Lloyd Daniels as Joseph.

Lloyd became the X Factor’s youngest contestant in 2009 and got to the final five out of 250,000 contestants to perform in front of 10 million TV viewers. Since then he has performed to sold-out arenas on a 56 date X Factor tour and released his popular single Suburbian Girl.

The musical also sees the welcome return of Matt Lapinskas who will be donning his Elvis outfit once more to reprise the role of the Pharaoh. Best known for playing Anthony Moon in BBC EastEnders, Matt was also runner up in the penultimate series of Dancing on Ice. He joined the Joseph cast in 2014 for the UK, making his first musical theatre role.

Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat will be at Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel from Tuesday 14 to Sunday 19 April 2015. Tickets can be booked via the Chesterfield Theatres Box Office by calling 01246 345 222 or visiting chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk.

Posted in Visiting

JE James Manager Takes on Derbyshire Times Flagg Challenge

Big-hearted cycling firm JE James is leading by example as preparations get under way for the Derbyshire Times Flagg Challenge for Ashgate Hospice.

Manager Dean Poole, based on Brimington Road North, has pledged to tackle the Peak District himself now the cycle shop has stepped in for the second time to support the event.

Dean said: “The hospice does a fantastic job and we want to be able to help raise as much money as possible by supporting this charity ride.”

The 44-year-old former Sunday league footballer is doing the ride despite suffering with a cruciate ligament injury in his left knee and cartlidge damage in his right knee.

He added: “It’s all about the challenge and being able to achieve something for the hospice so we’re encouraging as many of our customers as possible to get on board.”

The fourth Flagg Challenge sets off from the hospice from 9am on July 26 and goes out as far as Flagg and back again via Chatsworth and promises to be bigger and better.

Entrants have a choice of a 50 or 25 mile marshalled route and they receive maps, a guide, and a training programme. Everyone participating will be armed with fundraising tips and raffle tickets and a range of interactive web and social media updates. There will also be fundraiser prizes.

Early-bird £20 entry form availability will be announced very shortly. For details contact Jon Cooper on 01246 504524, jon.cooper@jpress.co.uk or the hospice’s Charlotte Gratton on 01246 567250 and charlotte.gratton@ashgatehospice.nhs.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Visiting