Park Farm, Allestree

We recently moved to Allestree, having lived down in Devon and Cornwall for the past 13 years.  So I wanted to find out what happens here and find out how to get involved.


So the first thing I did was go and join the Allestree Library. This is situated in the local Park Farm shopping centre. The staff are very friendly and helpful and various events happen there too, for instance on Tuesday afternoons it's Rhymetime for children and Thursday afternoons is a drop-in knit and natter afternoon.

There are all sorts of shops at Park Farm, see: http://www.parkfarmshoppingcentre.co.uk/. For instance, amongst the 56 units there are several food shops, award-winning fish and chip shop, banks, post office, butchers, bakers, cafes, take-aways, chemist, health-food shop, cobblers, dry cleaners, dentist, vets, gift shops, shoe shop, charity shops and others.

Park Farm has now been operating for over 50 years which is quite a record, see article in the Derby Telegraph last year: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/50-years-trading-Allestree-Park-Farm-Centre/story-19901652-detail/story.html.

Unfortunately the pub has now been empty for several years, although a couple of years ago it's believed that pub chain JD Whetherspoon were perhaps taking on the site.  Unfortunately nothing has been heard since then.  Other speculation has been that M&S may be interested or it could be turned into flats.

The up side of going to Park Farm is that there's a free car park - so long as you don't stay for more than two hours.  If you do then it's a £70 fine which is rather unfortunate as there's so much to do at Park Farm that it's very easy to be there longer.

Perhaps the answer is to travel there by bus and take my shopping trolley (they're not only for old ladies!).  From our part of Allestree (Ford Lane, Lambourn Drive, Derwent Avenue area) it's possible to get there directly on the No 17 or 17A every hour (http://www.derbysbus.info/times/timetables/017A-100328.pdf).