Every year Bakewell u3a hosts a coffee afternoon to raise money for a worthwhile charity, sometimes local, sometimes national. For 2026 the organisers have chosen Cancer Research UK and invite you and your friends to come along to the Methodist Church, Bakewell, at 2pm on Wednesday 21st January and join in the fun. There will of course be a raffle and plenty of coffee and tea and biscuits but the main attraction will be the table-top sale of lots of hand-made or unwanted bit

Derbyshire Wayfarer Ranger tickets can now be purchased through an app, making them more convenient for bus and train users. Until now Derbyshire Wayfarer Ranger tickets have only been available to purchase from libraries and tourist information centres as scratchcards, on buses and at railway ticket offices. Developing a digital solution ensures that the ticket is available to a wider number of people and is more accessible. The tickets can now be bought through the Trave

Amelie Ingrouille, a student film producer in her final year at the Manchester Metropolitan University is planning her major graduation project which will be a 10 minute short film set in rural 17th century Northern England during the witch trials. She is in search of a field barn that she and a small crew can use to film inside and out. It should be derelict – old enough to work as a convincing 17th century location, but safe enough to have people inside. Amelie would be ext

Visitors to Haddon Hall were treated to an unexpected touch of Christmas magic recently when the South Notts Men’s Chorus were joined by a most unlikely and enthusiastic guest. As the choir filled the historic hall with seasonal favourites, a bright-breasted robin appeared, hopping and fluttering around the room as if drawn by the music itself. Far from being shy, the little bird sang his heart out, chirping boldly alongside the choir and earning smiles from singers and audi

St Anne’s School Choir and Christmas Tea Oh, Bless them, they were wonderful. A chorus of joyful voices melting our hearts. Perfect. Nothing beats St Anne’s School Choir at Christmas. Then Christmas tea, a lovely finalé to our WI year. Chatsworth Christmas Outing Happy chaos. Some of us were early, some late, some poorly and some were there but we never found them. It was busy and it was tricky to keep together because there was a plethora of young burgeoning media influencer

Derbyshire Dales District Council has announced its bin collections schedule for the Christmas and New Year period. The most significant change is for Dales residents who usually get waste and recycling collections on Thursdays. As Christmas Day falls on a Thursday this year, their Christmas collection is brought forward to Saturday 20 December, while what would have been a New Year’s Day collection is a day later on Friday 2 January. Usual Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday col

River Network proudly showcased its commitment to community support at the Christmas Victorian Market in Matlock, where their dedicated team highlighted the phenomenal work being done in housing, foodbank services, and family support. The market stall served as more than just a festive display; it provided the team with invaluable experience in retail and retail management, while also fostering skills in security and security management. This initiative allowed team members

If you take a nostalgic trip on heritage railway Peak Rail you are likely to see how a generous donation of stone by independent local company Longcliffe Quarries Ltd has enabled the company to make some significant improvements. Peak Rail operates a steam and heritage diesel service for tourists and visitors to both the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales. The limestone has been used for a platform extension at Rowsley and for foundations for rebuilding a footbridge at D

The ladies of Darley Dale WI concluded a very interesting and enjoyable programme for 2025 when they met recently. President, Sue Lamb welcomed everyone to the meeting including visitor, Kath. Fellow member, Jayne Hayward provided greenery and trimmings for the making of Christmas wreaths. After a deft demonstration by Jayne everyone soon got into the spirit and produced original decorations. Several members had attended the Autumn Celebration event at the Winding Wheel in

As a small, vibrant charity, The Farming Life Centre relies entirely on diverse funding streams to deliver life-changing projects — every pound goes straight back into supporting farming and rural communities across the Peak District. The Farming Life Centre is delighted to announce that they have received generous funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and the National Lottery Community Fund to expand their much-needed Rural Befriending Project. This funding wi

Derbyshire Open Arts is an annual event that promotes the work of artists and makers across the county. Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the event which has grown into Derbyshire’s largest open studio event and will take place over the Spring Bank holiday weekend, Saturday 23rd to Monday 25th May 2026. There are many benefits to artists of being part of Derbyshire Open Arts including: • promotion of your work and venue via social media platforms, newspapers and maga

Parking in Borough Council car parks will be free again this year this December as High Peak residents and businesses prepare for, and celebrate, the festive season. The Council is offering free parking in its pay and display car parks on Saturdays 6, 13, 20 and 27 December, and on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, to encourage people to support local businesses and shop local. Parking will also be free in Buxton on Saturday 22 November and Glossop on Saturday 29 November fo

Our informed and interesting speaker, Dave Berry talked us through Arkwright's life – from his very lowly beginnings in a poor family from Lancashire to his wig making apprenticeship, his famous water powered cotton spinning machine, factory building and finally to finding fame and fortune as one of the richest men in England. At one time declaring he could 'pay off the country's debt' – which he declined to do incidentally! We learned about the court battles and rivalry in