SATURDAY 10TH JANUARY, 7.30PM With a voice as deep as a southern sunrise and guitar work sharp enough to cut through any honkey tonk noise, Mark brings a fresh edge to classic country, with a sound of his own. Known for his rich vocals and masterful guitar work, Mark delivers songs that feel both nostalgic and new. On stage he's equal parts calm confidence and electric energy, letting his guitar speak as boldly as his voice. His music offers listeners storytelling they can

Once again at Bakewell Methodist Church we are celebrating the Christmas story with a Festival of Nativities. The invitation is to everyone to come and see the meaningful story of Christmas pictured through beautiful Nativity crib scenes, including a life-size scene with all the characters around the crib. Come and discover again how the birth of Jesus came about and why that brings so much to celebrate in this season! The Festival is open every day from 1st to 22nd December

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Edwards Every year about this time children (and parents and grandparents) will be anticipating one of the high points of the year-Santa Specials on Steeple Grange Light Railway. Not surprisingly because as well as a gift from Santa in his Grotto there will also be mince pies, a hot drink and a ride on one of the railway’s small but real trains. This year the Specials will run on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th December, one mile north of Wirksworth by

The Wirksworth Fairtrade Town Team celebrating at the town sign and Siddhraj and Rukvi Odedra showing some of the Fairtrade products in their shop, Dip's Place The Wirksworth Fairtrade Town Team is delighted to announce that Wirksworth has won back its Fairtrade Town status. The town was first accredited as a Fairtrade Town back in 2009, but in recent years this status has lapsed. Now, however, the Fairtrade Foundation has updated Wirksworth’s Fairtrade status for a further t

On Thursday 4th December Christmas really begins in beautiful Wirksworth, with the town Christmas tree lights being turned on. As usual this will follow the Peace Ceremony which will take place at 5.30pm on Memorial Hall Gardens. Residents will then gather at the Market Place at 5.55pm and the tree lights will be turned on by the Mayor, followed by the singing of a family-friendly selection of carols. This year the fantastic Raise Your Voices Choir will accompany the singing

L-R: Steve Maybury and Club Chairman, Paul Davies To judge by the popularity of television and radio programmes devoted to the subject, crime thrillers are a source of continuing fascination to the public. Most of these are based on fiction but, in contrast, an actual murder committed in 1931 was the topic of a recent talk to the Bakewell and District Probus Club by member, Steve Maybury. The story, as related by Steve, was about an apparently contentedly married couple, Jul

The picturesque village of Tissington lies embedded into a historic landscape fashioned and farmed by man going back centuries and beyond. A surrounding gridwork of drystone walls enclose rich pasture with evidence of medieval ridge and furrow field systems. The village itself is a time warp of quintessential Englishness that melts my heart with its prettiness and character. And so it was that Nellie and I headed off from Tissington station car park for a wander along the tr

Believed to be the Peak District’s only hotel and restaurant with this status, the Hope Valley venue doubles down on inclusive, seasonal, locally-sourced dining.  The Maynard, one of the Peak District’s most popular hotel and restaurant destinations, has been officially accredited by Coeliac UK - a milestone that recognises the team’s dedication to safe, inclusive and flavour-led dining for guests who are coeliac and those who eat gluten-free.   The Coeliac UK Gluten Free Acc

Sunday 23rd November, 10.30-12.30 “Isn’t jazz played in seedy basements late at night?” Yes – but you can also immerse yourselves in the cool sounds of mellow jazz whilst enjoying an amazing breakfast at The Medway Centre in Bakewell! The Jazz Breakfast is deservedly one of Oxfam’s most popular annual events. Come with your family and friends to relax, chat and read the Sunday newspapers, which we provide, while enjoying a sumptuous buffet of cheeses, cold meats, eggs, smok

Wyns Tor Singers invite you to their autumn concert in St Helen’s Church, Darley Dale. The choir will be singing a wide range of lively and thoughtful choral music from the renaissance to the 21st century, picking up themes of Autumn and Advent. Our guest artist will be our favourite Welsh harpist Elfair Grug, who will bring us several solo pieces from the harp repertoire. Elfair has joined us on several occasions in recent years, and has always been a joy to listen to – don’

A reminder that the seventeenth Christmas Tree Festival at All Saints’ Parish Church, Bakewell will take place between 11 and 21 December 2025. After the festival’s opening during a short service at 7pm on Thursday, 11 December, the church will be open from 9.30am to 4pm daily (12 noon to 4pm on Sundays). Delicious home made refreshments and light lunches will be served in the Open Door Café each day between 10am and 3.30pm (12.30 to 3.30 on Sundays) There will be music to

Matlock Music Society continues its exciting 2025/26 season with a concert on 28th November given by PIVA, the internationally acclaimed early music ensemble. Returning by popular demand, the group will help ease us into the Christmas spirit by celebrating the Yuletide season, performing seasonal music and songs from Tudor times. Since forming in 2002, PIVA has become established as one of the UK’s leading early music ensembles specialising in the popular dance and ballad mu

L-R: Club Chairman, Paul Davies and Stefan Andrejczuk To many people in this country, the name of Marks & Spencer suggests the traditional British business but, in fact, it was founded by a penniless immigrant, Michael Marks who, in 1882, arrived in England unable to speak the language but who was determined to work hard to earn a living. The story of the famous retail business which bears his name and that of his partner, Thomas Spencer, was related to the Bakewell and Distr

Wirksworth Community Choir are a small, but perfectly formed, four part choir and we are looking for new members. All voice parts are very welcome….especially tenors. We have a variety of abilities and our well known musical director, Adam Green, encourages everyone’s best, to produce great choral singing. We have no audition but the ability to read music is a plus, though not a necessity. We have performed in and around Wirksworth for 40 years and sing anything from Britten

Imperial Rooms, Matlock – Wednesday 26th to Saturday 29th November, 7.30pm Pay What You Can Matinee: Saturday 29th November, 2.00pm The High Tor Players return to the stage this November with Arthur Miller’s timeless classic The Crucible, performed at the Imperial Rooms, Matlock, from Wednesday 26th to Saturday 29th November at 7.30pm each evening. Founded in 1937, the High Tor Players are a long-established Matlock-based theatre group known for their high-quality, community

L-R: Prof. Roger Clough with Rotary members, Margie Stuckey and Dr John Burn We were delighted to welcome Prof Roger Clough to our evening meeting on 29th October at The Rutland Arms, Bakewell for a very stimulating presentation and discussion based on his book Oldenland – how to grow old gracefully, understand others and enjoy your later years! Roger is a retired academic from Lancaster University who has written numerous books on ageing and social care – and widely spoken p

Children at Rowsley CE Primary School brought their World War II topic alive last month, as they entered school on 24th October 1942 for a World War II day. Year 5 and 6 dressed in 1940s clothes, made a ration cake, and took cover during air raid sirens. Class teacher Mrs Hewitt taught wartime lessons throughout the day, Chair of Governors, Mr Thornhill read Biggles to the class and Rowsley Craft Club visited school for a ‘make do and mend’ session.

Claire De la Haye (Musical Director of the choir) and James Churchill (Chair of trustees) presenting Roger Cassidy, Chair of Aquabox Trustees (centre) with a cheque from profits on the September concert in the Aquabox warehouse in Wirksworth Just try to imagine a place with no safe water supply and / or open sewage in the street. It could be a muddy desert water hole or there might be too much water around but it is all contaminated. This week it could be Sudan, Jamaica or Ga

The next Rotary Club of Bakewell Repair Café is being held at the Bakewell Methodist Church Hall on Saturday 29th November from 10am to 12.30pm (last jobs taken 12 noon). Our usual team of repairers will be on hand to try and save your items from the scrap heap using their brilliant repair skills. Items previously repaired successfully include vacumn cleaners, radios, stools, and our bicycle repairer is coming too. We will also be holding a special Darning Workshop at the sa

Two films by Cressbrook resident, artist and filmmaker, Jeff Perks will be screened on Saturday 29th November at 8pm (doors 7.30pm) and Sunday 30th November at 3.30pm (doors 3pm). 'For Better, for Worse', part of the BBC's Present Imperfect series made in 1990 will screen first on the Saturday. When Jackie married Figgy Fox, a drummer, he had what she wanted – a sense of humour and a job. He also had three children to add to her five. 'Breaking Through', a 1984 C4 documenta