July 2009

John Lowe Rosie Gilligan meets Old Stoneface - an appellation which belies the character of a man who has championed, and perfected a once-ubiquitous working class sport.

Violent Evidence of the Vikings Barry Marsden traces the local roots of the Vikings - marked by some fascinating discoveries which testify to their fearsome reputation

Dr Antonio Nicholau Da Silva Spanish Flu rampaged across the world during WW1. Behind the statistics was a local doctor who died of the disease whilst treating and comforting the local population. Tom Bates & Lynn Rodriguez

North Derbyshire Field Club Godfrey Holmes traces the history of the North Derbyshire Field Club - an organisation dedicated to the joys and mysteries behind mother nature’s work.

A Lesson in Charity Chesterfield St Mary’s School has taken direct responsibility for providing some of Africa’s poorest children with education. Leonie Martin

Let There be Light When Chesterfield council declared let there be light, the borough became the first town in England to pioneer use of electric street lighting. Barry Marsden

Robert de Ferrers An iconic figure in medieval history - notably for repelling a key Scots invasion at what is known as the Battle of the Standard. Barry Marsden

Wesley’s Travels in Derbyshire Credited with the founding of the Methodist movement, John Wesley made a number of visits to Derbyshire - each recorded in his journals. Patricia Batstone
 

June 2009

Lost Architectural Heritage The Hydro was once a byword in luxury and opulence - reflected in buildings of grand scale and design. Godfrey Holmes discovers one that surprisingly existed in Baslow.

Overcoming Blind Indifference The direct link of Nystagmus and work in the mines was discovered by a North Derbyshire GP - potentially saving gthe sight of many hundreds of miners. David Jenkins

Death of a Dynasty For nearly a thousand years, the Eyre family was one of Derbyshire’s most prominent and powerful. Rebecca Stark explores the history of the Eyre Chapel in Newbold.
 

Enthusiasts whose work is a hive of activity John Holloway discovers how Derbyshire Bee Keepers Association is doing its bit for a vital insect that has colonised the world but is now under threat

The Sinking of the Tirpitz One pilot, Freddie Watts DFC, decorated for his part in the operation to sink Germany’s most feared battleship was a Londoner who made his life in Derbyshire. Rosemary Watts and Graham Cooper.

People - Michael Morley Robert Graham meets the Derbyshire man behind Big Brother and Deal or no Deal
 

May 2009

Sutton Scarsdale Hall Godfrey Holmes traces the series of misadventures that led to the loss of Sutton Scarsdale Hall in Chesterfield, in the latest in a series on the area’s lost architectural heritage

Derbyshire’s Bronze Age Jewellery Many early graves of primitive man contained remains of ancient jewellery. Barry Marsden takes a look at some of that which is stored in Sheffield Museum.

The Men with Iron in their Blood The ascendancy of coal and iron came about during the industrial revolution and its insatiable thirst for the raw materials of manufacture. David E. Jenkins

The Cavendish Philosopher Luke Sherlock chronicles the fascinating life life of a towering intellect, Thomas Hobbes, revealing his surprisingly deep connections to Derbyshire.
 

The Mother of all Makeovers Chatsworth House would hardly qualify for a one-hour make-over. Tom Blyth reveals the multi-million pound plan to safeguard its fabric and develop innovative new attractions.

The Derbyshire Druids In an age before Christianity, in Britain it was the earth and the sky which were revered as the sun and the land sustained people through the growing of crops. Tom Bates examines Derbyshire’s Druid’s beliefs .

The Ghost of a Lead Mine laid to Rest The story of the Upper Palaeolithic period in Derbyshire between 70,000 to 10,000BC and the archaeological evidence of early man. Barry Marsden


 

Discovering Your Gateway Ancestor As part of an occasional series Harry Broughton takes a look at ways in which one can trace one’s ancestral roots and uncover an often unknown past.

The Flattening of Rye Flatt  Godfrey Holmes marks the passing of Rye Flatt, Chesterfield - a place that once largely embodied the soul, hearth and home, of a great local family of industrialists and benefactors.

Saltergate & The Life of Brian  Brian Clough spent most of his life in Derby, now Chesterfield Football Club, in the film The Damned United, has been instrumental in immortalising his memory. Alex Carlisle

Fashioning Success in a Material World Fashioning Success Viyella is a world-famous brand, but its origins are set firmly here in North Derbyshire. Tom Bates  

In Search of a Lost Dynasty Godfrey Holmes charts the history of a dynasty - evidence of which is all but concealed save that of a hidden country estate and names that provides clues to an extinct species of aristocracy.

Derbyshire’s Dawn Men - Part 2 The story of the Upper Palaeolithic period in Derbyshire between 70,000 to 10,000BC and the archaeological evidence of early man. Barry Marsden

A Ocean Away For most mortals, danger and adventure is no further than the pages of a good book. But some choose to test themselves to the limits. Dave Clarke is one such example. John Holloway 

 

The Front Line in Saving Life Rosie Gilligan chronicles a history of the local ambulance service whose wider origins can be traced back to the 13th century.

The Last Hunloke of Wingerworth Sir Philip Hunloke was the last holder of that name to live at Wingerworth Hall. Roy Smith tells the story of the man who was also The King’s Sailing Master.

A Remarkable Shift of Focus John Holloway catches up with award-winning Lewis Whyld, whose stunning images constantly garce the pages of our daily newspapers.
 

Darwin and DerbyshireCelebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of “The Origin of Species”, Tom Blyth traces Darwin’s connections with Derbyshire

Derbyshire’s Dawn Men The Old Stone Age period is well documented by archaeologists in Derbyshire, but not so well known are traces of even earlier hunter-gatherers roaming the county. Barry M Marsden

Dressing for an Oscar Robert Graham speaks exclusively to Oscar winner Michael O’Connor about the inspiration behind the film “Georgiana” - coincidental to the announcement that the costumes are forming part of a Chatsworth exhibition this month

Restoration on Track For a casual visitor to Ashover, the idea of a railway line dissecting the Amber valley might seem implausible. David Wilmott reveals evidence of the railway that once linked Ashover and Clay Cross

At Home in the Hills Rarely seen in Britain, mountain hares are most common on Scottish hills but they can also be found on the Peak District moors. Heather Turley

Manners that Maketh the Man Charming, interested people whilst being somewhat modest in character are the observations made of Lord Edward Manners. Rebecca Stark meets the man behind Haddon Hall.
 

The Father of Modern Glass Making Tom Bates investigates the story of glass manufacturing that goes back to Roman times and reveals the local connections to its manufacture that have only only recently been unearthed.

The Wrench from Crimea to Baslow Crimean war surgeon and contemporary of Florence Nightingale, Baslow’s Edward Mason Wrench exemplified the best of Victorian virtues: character, courage, duty to his country and to his fellow man. Roy Smith

The Rise and Fall of Belmont Godfrey Holmes this month begins a series of articles on the area’s lost heritage - beginning with Holymoorside’s Belmont.

It’s Twins Although a part of Europe, the British are still and ‘island race’. John Holloway meets an organisation at the heart of Derbyshire that is working hard to promote the entente cordiale.

A Stamp of Approval The future of stamp collecting might seem to be bleak but philatelists in Chesterfield have been meeting for over sixty years. They intend to be here for another sixty. Bert Orwin

William Wood The Plague of Eyam was a seventeenth century catastrophe which devastated a quiet Peakland community, and we owe our knowledge of those events to a little-known scholar, writes Barry Marsden
 

River Wolton Halfway through her tour of duty, River Wolton’s task is to raise the profile of poetry and to celebrate Derbyshire places and people. It is a busy job, as Jane Croft discovers.

Not To Be A Bystander To mark the liberation of Auschwitz, the UN has designated January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Rebecca Stark visited the Laxton Holocaust Centre, near Newark

The First Christmas Card The custom of sending Christmas greetings began in the mid-1800s and has since spawned the massive greeting cards industry. But it all began with one card, writes Bert Orwin.

A Chatsworth House Christmas Some 100,000 visitors will marvel at the transformation of the house, yet the Chatsworth Christmas remains a family project, inspired by a children’s Christmas story book. Tom Blyth

A Talent for Life Against all odds, Peter Bull survived a devastating illness and turned his life around, winning the 2008 ‘Life After Stroke’ Award for Art from the Stroke Association. John Holloway

Divine Intervention Many of Chesterfield's Victorian churches and chapels have changed to other uses and some have been demolished. Godfrey Holmes goes in search of a precious heritage.

Thomas Denman Man Midwife Born in Bakewell in 1733, Thomas Denman became one of the leading man-midwives in London and one of the first to be licensed by the Royal College of Physicians. Roy Smith

Dreams and Psychicbread Mark Gwynne Jones was once described as “charismatic, charming, captivating and slightly mad”. Jane Croft meets a brilliant local writer, poet and musical lyricist.

Artist of the Month: Paul Stefan The inspirational and award-winning work of Paul Stefan reveals an uncanny skill with the camera and a profound understanding of the artistic potential of photography. Tom Blyth

The Magic of Mistleoe Traditionally the time of ‘mistletoe and mince pies, yearly accounts and slippery times’, Christmas mistletoe is is harvested only from wild-grown sources. Jackie Thompson

Walking Norman Taylor suggests a walk on high level footpaths with continuously changing views and impressive crags along the Southern Gritstone Edges

Gardens: Gather Ye Rosebuds Inspired by the illustrations of Redouté, we take a further look at the botany of the Rosa genus
 

November 2008

Living For Every Day Ashgate Hospice celebrates its twentieth anniversary as one of North Derbyshire’s most prominent and vital providers of palliative care. David Lyon tells the story of this remarkable achievement.

William Harrison Ainsworth Inspired by a visit to Chesterfield in the 1850s, Ainsworth created Dick Turpin and a new writing genre, and became more famous in his time than Dickens or Walter Scott. Barry Marsden

Stand Firm, Strike Hard Derbyshire’s county regiment, once the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, was reorganised as the Mercian Regiment whilst under fire in Afghanistan. The name has changed but not its courage and professionalism. Tom Blyth

Climbing High A celebrated climber and mountaineer, Andy Cave has chosen Hope Valley as his base camp from which to lead a multi-faceted life. John Holloway

Herbert Spencer, Man versus the State Exploring the life and works of Derbyshire’s most eminent Victorian philosopher, whose words on the pernicious effects of over-legislation chime uncannily with current political and social concerns. Jane Croft

A Name For All Seasons In the first in a new series of articles about genealogy and family history, Harry Broughton looks at the name game.

Today, Tomorrow, Forever The National Memorial Arboretum is less than 20 miles from Derby. In 150 acres and amongst more than 50,000 trees are poignant, moving and awe-inspiring memorials, universal and inclusive. Jackie Thompson

F C Boden A Chesterfield-born miner until short time and the 1926 General Strike brought illness and poverty to mining families, Boden studied at night-school to find a new life as an acclaimed novelist and poet. Rebecca Stark
 

October 2008

Origin of a Species of Musical Genius Ralph Vaughan Williams, on the anniversary of his death Sue Kirkland discovers a number of fascinating local connections to one of the nation’s greatest 20th century’s composers

Nothing Odd about Good Fellowship Friendly societies - once the answer to the welfare state - existed across Derbyshire to provide for the sick and infirm among its membership. Jackie Thompson discovers the Oddfellows.  

Soccer and a Good Samaritan David Lyon and Stuart Basson chronicle the chequered fortunes of a club for whom one man has remained its long-standing custodian...its chairman, Barrie Hubbard 
 

The Iron Will Behind an English Institution John Holloway discovers an icon of a disappearing English institution, the archetypical hardware shop, now mostly long departed, that once made Napoleon observe that England was a nation of shopkeepers.

Bakewell Floral Art Club The National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies was formed fifty years ago - Bakewell Floral Art Club was one of the first to join. Tom Blyth

Pistols at Three Barry Marsden recalls the fascinating story of how a duel at Winster caused a tragic death - which subsequently turned into a murder hunt.

 

September 2008

Come On You Blues! Chesterfield Football Club has been at its Saltergate site longer than any other club in the Football League, but it can now look forward to a new home on the former Dema Glass factory site. David Lyon

Wirksworth Festival It’s festival time again at Wirksworth, with its annual invasion of musicians, artists and players, beginning with the Art and Architecture Trail weekend on September 6 and running through to September 21. Pamela Butler

Celebrating 200 Editions of Reflections From its first edition in 1992, Reflections has offered a view of North Derbyshire that blends past and present, echoing the region’s uniqueness of character and nobility of spirit. Graham Bannister

A Mine of Information A rich vein of mining history has formed the backbone of Derbyshire through the ages. John Holloway visits the Peak District Mining Museum.

Percy Toplis, Chesterfield’s ‘Monocled Mutineer.’ A man of many disguises and aliases, a debonair charmer, a chancer with a scam for every occasion, a desperate man who stopped at nothing, perhaps not even murder. Barry M. Marsden

On Set with Georgiana Georgiana Spencer married the Fifth Duke of Devonshire in 1774, but returned to Chatsworth in 2007 for filming ‘The Duchess’. Starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes and a full cast of ‘extras’. Lynn Ludditt was there

The Poetry of Water The 2008 Buxton Poetry Festival
Buxton is the perfect setting for verse inspired by a watery theme and the 2008 Buxton Poetry Festival shows that poetry is flourishing in Derbyshire’s fine literary climate. Jane Croft

August 2008

No Gym? No Problem! On the rolling hills of Chatsworth Park, Nic Pattison jostles with sheep, cattle and deer to meet the health-conscious folk who submit to the exacting disciplines of a ‘Fitness Boot Camp’.

A Cook’s Tale Born in Melbourne, Thomas Cook became the founding father of the package holiday. John Holloway looks at the life of a commercial genius whose novel day trips spawned the modern travel industry.

Letting Off Steam From August 22 to 25, there will be a spectacular celebration of six major railway anniversaries at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse. Godfrey Holmes thrills to the experience of steam and diesel locomotion to be seen at Rail Power 2008.

From Derbyshire to Darjeeling Known around the world as the ‘Toy Train’, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway owes its continued existence to a group of British enthusiasts that includes Derbyshire artist and designer David Charlesworth. Roy Smith

Behind the Lines Georgina Slack looks behind the scenes at the annual Well Dressing at Ashford-in-the-Water

A Fragile Friendship Marking the 400th anniversary of the death of Bess of Hardwick in 1608, Rebecca Stark investigates the relationship between Bess, Mary Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth I: the three most formidable women in England.

Bryan Donkin & Company: The Second Century When the company founded by the nineteenth century inventor and entrepreneur, Bryan Donkin, outgrew its first home in Bermondsey, his son moved the company to Chesterfield where it thrived for another hundred years. Tom Blyth.

July 2008

Slack Hill, History and Mystery Slack Hill, between Chesterfield and Matlock, once had bends, a pub half-way up, a working quarry and a toll-cottage. Godfrey Holmes reflects on the history and the mystery this memorable road.

Eels at the Avenue Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has recently released 30,000 young eels at, the Trust’s nature reserve in Wingerworth. The project has been used to promote wildlife awareness in local schools. Heather Turley

Making the Break Nigel Bond, of Old Tupton, is one of the world’s top thirty snooker players. Although still close to his roots, he counts the likes of Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Sean Murphy as his friends and competitors. John Holloway profiles one of the region’s most talented sons.

Up Stoney Creek... and a long way from Dronfield, where John Harvey was raised by the local minister. In 1813, on the banks of the St Lawrence River, Lieutenant Colonel John Harvey fought the Battle of Stoney Creek, described as the ‘battle that saved that saved Canada’. Roy Smith

Mr Acland’s Tramway Robert Acland, Chesterfield’s first electrical engineer, who built the town’s first generating station on Chatsworth Road and subsequently oversaw the planning and construction of the Corporation’s electric tramway. Barry Marsden

What Goes Under “Many a woman of fifty summers possesses a youthful looking figure, thanks to the perfection of corseting today”, said an article published in the early 1900s, entitled ‘Your corset and how to wear it’. Jackie Thompson discovers ‘what goes under’ amongst the famous collection of costume at the Bakewell Old House Museum.

Back to Basics at Chesterfield industrial schools The Chesterfield Union Industrial Schools opened in March 1881 on Ashgate Road, now the site of Ashgate Croft School. It was set up to house, educate and train the children of the Chesterfield Workhouse. It is thought to have been one of only two of its kind in the country. Rebecca Stark