“Can I come?” I would ask when my Dad announced he was going to ‘Foggy’ Bagshaws to pick up a part for his car. Moving forward half a century, it’s quite a bizarre feeling to be sitting in the High Peak Bookstore (formerly Bagshaws Garage) at Brierlow Bar on the Ashbourne to Buxton Road talking […]

Cooking in a traditional way has always been the ethos at the Sanam, and they are immensely proud that their quality food has maintained a fine reputation in the area whether it be ‘dining in or takeaway’. The Sanam offers a mouth-watering tasty menu of food so whilst enjoying your pre-dinner drink it is good […]

Matlock is known for its great walks and heritage; it also has good facilities for shopping, leisure and recreation including the lovely Hall Leys Park. The skyline of Matlock is famously dominated by Riber Castle, gracefully overlooking the town. We are privileged to live on the outskirts of this beautiful town and one evening we […]

I can remember back in 1978, sitting in my car, listening to the radio and the latest captivating episode of the BBC comedy The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I never missed one of them. A couple of years later, looking for reading material to keep me occupied through a long flight […]

A traditional Sunday lunch is still a firm favourite with me. What could be better than roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, fresh vegetables and a boat of gravy all accompanied by a glass of red wine? So when Victoria, a Director from The Blacksmiths Loft, Blacksmiths Yard, Sadler Gate, Derby invited us to try their new […]

It was a cold, dark, Thursday evening in the middle of January. The forecast was for it to get colder with possibly a heavy snowfall. The worst of the winter was yet to come. So, we decided it was time for a spicy evening out to banish the winter blues. We headed to Codnor Market […]

Today we know Seale, in Leicestershire until transferred to Derbyshire in 1897, as two places, Netherseal and Overseal, but this was not always the case, for at the time Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, the chief lord was Henry de Ferrers and under him it was held by a man called Robert. It is […]

The Dark Peak was never a place welcoming enough, through elevation or climate, to encourage the erection of major country houses, although small stone built manor houses were built, especially in the environs of Chapel-en-le-Frith. Shallcross hall, therefore, was something of an exception, being a classical house of moderate size situated on as windy hilltop […]

Sir Vauncey Harpur-Crewe of Calke, 10th Bt. was a true eccentric; unpredictable, obsessive and solitary. One of his pastimes was the catching of specimens various types of fauna and having them stuffed, mounted and parked in the great saloon at Calke Abbey. Smaller creatures, including butterflies he dried and pinned to boards. One summer morning […]

It never ceases to surprise me the number of really very substantial houses that once existed within the boundaries of the present City of Derby. Most of them have already appeared on these pages, but Darley House has so far escaped being chronicled. Although no great shakes aesthetically, it has a triple importance: first that […]

When I was young, especially when visiting relatives in Ireland, ruined country houses were virtually commonplace. Tax, bankruptcy, pessimism and misfortune led many owners post World War Two to abandon their homes and live somewhere cheaper to heat, and generally more convenient. Contents were sold and most often the house pulled down, but many were […]

Scrub woodland and lush grazing along a hillside climbing above the Derwent Valley was once part of a thousand acre hunting and pleasure ground used only by royalty. Established in the 13th century for King Henry III’s son the Earl of Leicester who was also called Edmund Crouchback, it became known as Beaurepaire, ‘a beautiful […]

For a town that has seen industries come and go, Belper manages to retain its semi-rural appeal. With countryside coming right up to its oldest part, it is easy to escape the pressures of everyday living. Not only does Belper have this countryside on its doorstep, it has, for a town of its size, probably […]

Regular followers of my walks will no doubt have noticed that I always try to design the walk around a convenient pub.  This walk is no exception and can almost be considered a pub crawl. It passes the doors of two and, more to the point, starts and finishes at a walker (and dog) friendly […]

Despite traffic thundering along the A52 Derby/Ashbourne road barely a mile away, the tranquil villages of Osmaston and Shirley with their thatched-roofed cottages and mellow Derbyshire brick, are the archetypal image of typical English villages.  Between them are the wooded sporting estates of Osmaston Manor and Shirley Hall; this walk crosses both. Oddly enough, the […]

It is a long time since I was last in the area around the Roaches near Leek.  The highest gritstone edge in the Peak, the escarpment dominates the northern skyline in this walk.  Tittesworth Reservoir has a long history.  It was built in two stages with the original dam created in 1858 to collect water […]

The remains of Roman camps are not exactly scarce, but those at Cawthorn on the North York Moors near Pickering are decidedly different. Brian Spencer went along there to try to understand what went on in them and why some were built to non-standard designs. Soldiers have always needed somewhere to train.  In Britain huge […]

Tom finished third in the greatest race ‘THE four-minute mile’ Time has not dimmed the lustre of what is arguably the most significant landmark in the history of athletics. The magic and romance from that match between Oxford University Athletic Club (OUAC) and the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) remains. A blustery afternoon at Oxford’s Iffley […]

Two hundred years ago this month, a group of poor men desperate to feed their families took decisive if impulsive action aimed at overthrowing the government and ending poverty. At the time England’s economy was in a dire state: bad harvests had led to famine and fewer workers were needed because of the Industrial Revolution. […]

From sitting shoulder to shoulder with a mountain gorilla on the slopes of a dormant volcano in Rwanda, to being charged by a wild tiger in the foothills of the Himalayas, Pollyanna Pickering is one of the few artists to have truly travelled the world to get close to her wild subjects. And Pollyanna recently […]

A perennial favourite at the fortnightly general sales we have at Bamfords are the figurines made by the Royal Doulton factory. Of high glazed porcelain, very well painted and finely modelled these are favourites with collectors and have the advantage of being well catalogued. Readers will probably not need reminding that Doulton’s was founded in […]

A Little Bit of Luxury with Molton Brown COASTAL CYPRESS & SEA FENNEL Molton Brown, London’s fragrance experts, awash the senses with sea-soaked adventure through their new Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel collection. Embodying boundless exploration into the uncharted, the fragrance captures a salt-sprayed collision of the ocean swell against rugged outcrops. As a marine […]

Product Test Review – Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion 200ml £31 A rich, creamy lotion with a seductively appealing fragrance, which effectively rescues dry skin. To the touch, skin becomes softer, smoother and more supple. To the eye, skin becomes firmer, brighter and more youthful. Extensive testing Test 1: Skin Hydration. Test panel volunteers applied […]

Glam It Up with Pixi Beauty Strobe & Sculpt £24  This palette contains 3 highlight and 3 contour shades for refined lighting and defined shading created by Maryam. The contour shades create realistic shadows to recede features, while highlight shades gives a strobe-like luminosity to amplify and reflect light. Sheer yet buildable mineral powders blend […]

Deep Sleep Body Therapy 100ml £20 A spray-on moisturiser to soothe your body and calm your mind before bed Launched in 2011 with our iconic deep sleep pillow spray, the deep sleep range is now a collection of fast acting natural remedies proven to help overcome temporary periods of sleeplessness and re-instate a healthy sleep […]

Sumptuous Infinite Daring Length + Volume Mascara  RRP £21 Stretch lashes to limitless lengths This season, Estée Lauder introduces a new addition to its mascara portfolio – New Sumptuous Infinite Daring Length + Volume Mascara. Featuring a multitude of gravity-defying fibres that take lashes far beyond tips, this luxurious and high-performing mascara works to deliver […]