Stephen Booth Crime novelist, Stephen Booth is the author of the best-selling ‘Cooper and Fry’ series, set in and around the Peak District. His novels have won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, are translated into 16 languages, and have now become a hit Channel 5 TV series. Stephen is coming to St Peter’s Church, Edensor, DE45 1PH, Saturday 09 May, 7:00pm. He will talk about the magic of reading and what draws so many thousands of readers into his fictional world – from t

Matlock Music’s 2025/2026 season continues on Friday 24th April with a recital by Josh Hughes, an emerging classical guitarist who has already established a reputation for his expressive interpretations and refined technique. With his passion for performance of the classical guitar, he brings a fresh yet respectful approach to the repertoire, captivating audiences with both sensitivity and precision. Having studied with Craig Ogden at the Royal Northern College of Music, Josh

For classical music lovers in the Bakewell area, the Town Hall Chamber Series for 2026 offers a wonderful opportunity to hear some outstanding concerts performed by members of the Hallé, Manchester Camerata, and top free-lancers working all around the UK. Folk and Fantasy is the second concert of the series. Hallé principal oboist, Stéphane Rancourt will perform alongside colleagues, Marie Schreer (violin), Chris Emerson (viola) and Dale Culliford (cello), all former and cu

SPRINGWATCH BACK IN DARLEY DALE AN ILLUSTRATED TALK BY JACK BADDAMS MONDAY 20TH APRIL Last year Jack Baddams, a researcher and presenter on the Springwatch programme gave a talk about the early years of the programme. On April 20th he will return to tell us how the programme has developed since its first appearance on 30th May 2005 It is the BBC's largest outside broadcast programme with a crew of 100 and 50 cameras. He will explain how the programme is made and how the team

Photograph courtesy of Robert Booth Derbyshire Swift Conservation is to hold a public event to celebrate the second year of grant funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to save Derbyshire’s Swifts by protecting and creating nesting sites keeping our summer skies alive with their calls for future generations. The celebration will see workshops for families and a talk from renowned Swift expert, Edward Mayer. There will also be the opportunity for the public to learn

The Fishpond Choir will be hosting a ‘Come & Sing’ on Saturday, 18th April at The Whitworth Centre, Darley Dale. DE4 2EQ They will be learning two fabulous contemporary pieces from scratch: An arrangement of ‘The Skye Boat Song’ by Bob Chillcott; and ‘Chorale Elegia’ by Karl Jenkins. It’s a great chance to give choral singing a go. If you’re already in a choir it’s an opportunity to meet and join with fellow enthusiasts in a beautiful venue. The fee is £15 which includes p

Severn Trent is hosting a week of community events in Matlock to unveil a major new £20m investment in the town – and to listen to feedback from residents. The company is staging a series of drop-ins from 13th April when staff can talk through the proposals, answer questions, and hear what local people think. The plans include a major upgrade for Matlock Sewage Treatment Works which will boost site capacity to serve future generations, plus improve the health of the River D

This annual free public festival not only celebrates the town’s vibrant food and drink scene but also serves as an important fundraising event for local charities. Over the years, the festival has helped raise significant funds to support community projects, while also boosting the local economy and morale in Bakewell. Sample the best of local and regional produce, artisan food, and drinks whilst supporting charities and local causes through festival participation. Come and

Step into history with the Peak District Mines Historical Society and T’Owd Man as they revive the annual miner’s holiday at the legendary Magpie Mine near Sheldon. Explore the mine's site with expert guides and dare to peer down the shafts if you’re brave enough. Browse stalls from PDMHS, Wirksworth Mines Research Group, and Goodluck Mines Preservation Society. Chat with specialists, discover mining artefacts, and uncover the fascinating stories behind our local heritage.

Two years ago, Connect Fibre began connecting homes and businesses across Wirksworth with a simple mission: to deliver broadband that is faster, fairer, and truly flawless. Since then, thousands of households have experienced the difference that full fibre broadband can make. From seamless streaming and lag-free gaming to reliable video calls and smart homes that just work, better broadband has quietly become an essential part of everyday life. At Connect Fibre, we believe e

Bamford Sheepdog Trials and Fell race will be held on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th May at Bamford Recreation Ground. Gates open at 9am and the fell race starts at 1pm. This historic, traditional event is always a brilliant day out and offers a great atmosphere for all the family. It is amazing to watch the dogs and handlers at work and watch the teamwork between man and dog that has been built up over years of training. These are skills that have been passed over the generation

Local band Third Quarter and Mark Bradshaw A charity concert… ALL proceeds will be going to Ashgate Hospice as everyone involved has given their time for free. Local band ‘Third Quarter’ deliver a fabulous mix of rock, jazz and blues from across the decades, providing a rich mix of music from toe tapping dance numbers to laid back blues, including many of the songs that you know and love, but have possibly long since forgotten. Lead vocals and percussion: Gary Hannan. Lead

Forget Henry VIII and his gargantuan appetite, it's time to have a look at what ordinary people would have been eating in Tudor times. This talk looks at the food and drink of ordinary Tudor people together with how it was cooked and how it was eaten. What foods were available? What contribution did different foods have to diet? Did they have enough to eat? Talks are held in the Peveril Centre, Methodist Church, on Buxton Road, Castleton, at 7.30pm. Visitors are welcome. Fur

Jacqui Dankworth and Charlie Wood Following on from the tremendous success of the recent afternoon concert featuring Connaught Brass, Peak Music returns to its evening slot for the final event of the 2025/26 season. Appearing at the Cavendish Hall, Edensor, will be renowned vocalist Jacqui Dankworth, the daughter of jazz legends John Dankworth and Cleo Lane, accompanied by pianist and composer Charlie Wood. Like her parents, Jacqui is best known as a jazz performer, but she

The next Rotary Club of Bakewell Community Coffee and Repair Café will be held at the Bakewell Methodist Church Hall on Saturday 28th March from 10am to 12.30pm. Come along for refreshments and bring your items for repair. Trusty volunteers are there to help and you could even learn how to fix things yourself. There are fab electrical repairers who will try and bring life back to your small appliances. The 'glues and screws team' (Dave Rawson and Harry Gregory, pictured) hav

Matlock Music’s 2025/2026 season continues on Friday 20th March with the much-anticipated return of the Wihan String Quartet of Prague, with Leoš Čepický and Jan Schulmeister (violins), Jakub Čepický (viola) and Michal Kaňka (cello). The quartet is one of the leading string quartets to emerge from the great Czech school of performance. The New York Times praised its deeply pleasurable and traditional sound and it was called one of the world’s finest chamber ensembles by BBC M

Following the successes of previous “Come and Sing” workshop events hosted by Wirksworth Community Choir, they are once again organising one of these very enjoyable days for anyone who would like to spend a day learning and singing a large scale work – not often performed locally, owing to the scale of the piece. This year’s choice is Brahms – German Requiem, a beautiful work and Brahms’ largest ensemble work. It will be sung in English not German. The full work with Chorus

The new clubhouse and a view of a previous show In April this year, an exciting new chapter in the history of the Matlock Rugby Club will begin with the demolition of their existing Clubhouse. This will be replaced by a new Clubhouse which will include a large function area, new toilets (including a disabled toilet), a large kitchen, bar, club kit shop, decking area and disabled access. The new facility is scheduled to be open late in 2026. The now annual Rotary & Rugby Cl

John Stannard So what exactly is HIST ORY? Reflections on the WHO (not the band), WHAT, WHERE, WHY and HOW of history with a nod in the general direction of When! Ian Holmes 'The Hope Air Crash 15th February 1943' ..the story behind the plane crash 83 years ago which is commemorated by the plaque and maple tree on Castleton Road opposite Warehouse Lane. Amanda Grego Medieval 'doodles' within the Beauchief Abbey Cartulary The Beauchief Abbey Cartulary documents the privileges

Christ Church, Holloway, will be hosting a Come and Sing, Words and Music event at 6:30pm on Good Friday, 3rd April. This will be a celebration of the great liturgical and musical tradition of Good Friday, with a choir formed from singers throughout the area. Several well-known anthems will be sung, including Mozart’s ‘Ave verum corpus’ and Stainer’s ‘God so loved the world’; and the hymns will include ‘There is a green hill far away’, ‘Praise to the holiest in the height’, a