Banks Mill Open Studios and Artisan Fair

5 - 8 Friday, 28 November
10 - 5 Saturday, 29 November
10 - 5 Sunday, 30 November


See: https://www.facebook.com/events/1551445975069913/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

Exhibition in Derby's Market Hall: https://www.facebook.com/BBCRadioDerby?fref=ts

A special exhibition at Derby's Market Hall which looks at the area's more recent heritage from the 1970s and 1980s.



But can't find information anywhere else.

Saturday 26 October at the Derby Silk Mill
10am til 4pm

According to BBC Radio Derby the Mini Maker Faire will be at the Derby Silk Mill this weekend, including the Bloodhound Super Rocket Car.

see:
https://www.facebook.com/BBCRadioDerby
http://www.derbymuseums.org/events/dmmf14/#.VEpXi_nF-wh

Over 55's fair - 9.30 til 1.00pm on Friday 24 October at St Peter's Church, St Peter's Street, Derby


See: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=4f65e92b5e&view=att&th=1491debc687f2b04&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw

This was an excellent event and I picked up a few leaflets from some of the stalls, including:

CPRE: to protect rural England: http://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-do/transport/rail/in-depth/item/2925-derbyshire-branch


Free Fall Arts: Past Lives Project. They are very keen to get hold of cine film footage of Derby.  They are prepared to digitise your old film, old photos and memories of Derby.  They'd like to make a new film of Derby heritage: www.pastlivesproject.com or infoat pastlivesproject.com.

30 November

Elvaston Castle and Country Park is a wonderful and much loved landscape, owned and managed by Derbyshire County Council

Derbyshire County Council has been looking for a sustainable way forward for Elvaston Castle and Estate for some years and is currently working in partnership with the National Trust to secure its future. 

Derbyshire County Council approved the 10 year ‘Vision and Plan’ for Elvaston Castle and Estate last June. This now sets the plan for the future of this special place

The next steps for the Derbyshire CC and National Trust project team include:

• Work to start to set up a new managing body (perhaps a Charitable Trust) for Elvaston, to take forward the future of the Estate
• Business and financial planning
• Preparation of a Heritage Lottery Fund bid to start delivery of the Vision

More than 400 local people and interested organisations took part in the consultation process on the draft plan earlier this year, and these comments have all been carefully considered. 

Message from Derbyshire Council Council:

How we fund the next steps for Elvaston – have your say

We’re planning a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to start securing the future of Elvaston. If you’d like to find out more about what this means and view the proposals, chat to the project team and leave your comments, come along to a special event on Sunday 30 November, between 10.30am to 3pm at the Gothic Hall, Elvaston Castle, DE72 3EP.  No need to book – just drop in.

We’d love to hear your thoughts.

For more information see: 

http://www.futureelvaston.co.uk/

and 
http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/countryside/countryside_sites/country_parks/elvaston/default.asp?VD=elvaston

nearby

Trentham Monkey Forest

Today I went with the relatives (to see other relatives) - Barbary macaques monkeys.  
About 140 of these delightful creatures live in over 60 acres, about an hour away, on the other side of Stoke on Trent. 
These monkeys originate in the mountains of Morocco and Algeria, so are quite at home here in the midlands, with our hot (!) summers and cold winters.  
We saw lots of them, including several babies of between two and a half and six months, being fed and learned all about their way of life.



For lots more information see: http://www.trentham-monkey-forest.com/information.php?id_cat=1

nearby ...

From now onwards Derby City Council's Passport to Leisure scheme is to be called the Derby Inspired Leisure Card (DILC?!).  The scheme will offer standard percentage discounts on centre prices, rather than a variety of discounts.

Derby residents (those paying Council Tax to Derby City Council) will get a discount of 20%, whereas non-Derby residents will get a 10% discount.  Concessionary members will get a 40% discount.  

The age category for eligibility for new members is changing to 65 years and over.

For anyone over 75 a new Leisure Card is available which offers a discounted price of £1 for gym, group exercise and swim sessions for Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and all weekends. 


Annual renewal will be: £5 for adults; £2.50 (juniors/ concessionary/ DCC employees/ 75 years saver card); and £14 for a family.

Recreation members now need to renew every six months at a cost of £2.50.

If you are a Derby resident and would like to receive the 20% discount, take a council tax bill and a letter showing your name for the council tax address to any leisure centre.

see: http://www.derby.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/sport-recreation/leisurecard/

nearby ...

The Bridge Inn, Mansfield Road (http://www.visitderby.co.uk/dine/real-ale-pubs/the-bridge-inn), is under new managership.  They are intending to revamp the menu and it looks as though the place is on the up.  

This is 'a good thing' because the pub enjoys a nice situation, being next to the river, with plenty of parking, outdoor seating and inside there are several small 'rooms' so, although the place is large it doesn't seem overwhelming.

Although it's near to the middle of Derby, near a junction of three roads, it doesn't feel too 'towney'.  For potential customers, it has a large secondary school nearby and many businesses, as well as local trade.  In fact this pub feels more like a 'local' than a chain.



Apparently the pub's owned by the Spirit Company (http://www.spiritpubcompany.com/spirit/en/home), which probably explains why the drinks prices are so high.  But the food prices tend to be very competitive.  So I look forward to seeing how the pub progresses in the next few months.