TALK OF THE DALES 5th May 2025 issue
- peakadvertiser
- Apr 29
- 13 min read
A SELECTIONS OF STORIES AND EVENTS, SOME OF WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE ROOM FOR IN THE LATEST EDITION...
IMPROVEMENT WORK TO START AT SYLVAN CAR PARK TOILETS
Work to refurbish the public toilets at Sylvan Car Park in Buxton is set to start next week.
High Peak Borough Council receives lots of complaints about the condition of these toilets which have been the target of repeated incidents of vandalism.
As well as offering residents better facilities, these improvements will create a much better impression on visitors to the town as they are often one of the first amenities coach parties visiting Buxton are likely to use.
To help maintain the upkeep of these facilities, and to try and deter vandalism, a nominal charge of just 20 pence will be introduced on a trial basis once the toilets re-open following the work.
As these are the first toilets in the High Peak where a charge is being introduced, the Council will be keeping this position under review.
Payments will be contactless only following research which showed this method of payment is at a record high of over 93% and it is not considered to be a barrier to those wishing to use the toilets.
The work is taking place as part of a rolling programme to improve public toilets across the Borough.
CROMFORD INSTITUTE VE DAY CELEBRATORY AFTERNOON TEA
Enjoy an afternoon of music, singing and nostalgia as we celebrate VE Day in style! Saturday 10th May 1pm-4pm, 16 The Hill, Cromford.
Tea / coffee, sandwiches and cakes. Come in 1940s-inspired dress (optional) and embrace the spirit of the era! Tickets £5pp purchase from: Cromford Post Office, Taylor-Wilde Chocolatier or Bourne Beauty.
NEW GRANTS FOR DERBYSHIRE DALES BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES
Derbyshire Dales District Council has been awarded more than £1-million by the UK Government to extend its successful UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund programme of business and community grants.
The previous grants programme ended on 31 March this year.
Now the additional £1,023,835 will extend the programme until the end of March 2026, building on the success of the previous scheme, which invested £2.7million in the local community and local economy.
Applications for capital or revenue funding will be open to businesses in all sectors, with priority being given to the manufacturing and engineering sectors. Businesses may also be eligible for free energy audits to help them identify how to make energy cost savings and reduce their carbon footprint, with the opportunity to apply for grants to reduce their environmental impact.
A District Council spokesperson said: "We are delighted to have won this funding and the grants will assist business diversification, growth, adaptation and long term resilience. They will help towards the cost of equipment, new technology, digital adoption, specialist consultancy services and training to upskill the workforce and address skills shortages."
Community organisations, town and parish councils and charities will be eligible to apply for a grant via an extension to the previous Community Resilience Grants scheme.
Details of the new business and community grants will be available on the www.investinderbyshiredales.org website. Any business or community organisation interested in applying for a grant should register their interest at www.derbyshire dales.gov.uk/register-interest and ensure they subscribe to the District Council's business enewsletter at www.derbyshire dales.gov.uk/business matters, where further details will be publicised when available.
The District Council also offers a free 1:1 business advice service – all enquiries to economicdevelopment@derbyshiredales.gov.uk
BUILDERS BREW
I've got the builders in this week.
Better keep out of their way so they can get on, don't want to stop the workers!
"fancy a cuppa"? I shout
"if you're putting the kettle on" is their reply.
Good job I got plenty of tea and biscuits in.
Got to keep them happy and hydrated.
Looks like they are doing a good job.
It's mid afternoon "fancy a cuppa"? "anyone for cake"?
"oh yes please, that will be great".
Knock off time, and they tidy up.
"Same time tomorrow then", and I watch them go
By Alison Higgins
BAKEWELL LIBRARY MARCH RECOMMENDED READS
Dark Matter
by Blake Crouch
Category: Adult Fiction
Are you happy in your life? Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he wakes to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before the man he's never met smiles down at him and says, 'Welcome back, my friend'. In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible. Is it this world or the other that's the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves?
This is a mind-bending and exciting novel, with an interesting premise and excellent writing. The plot is fast paced and relentless keeping you engrossed in the novel itself. This is a rare novel in that it can appeal to everyone as it mixes together various genres but is overarchingly Science Fiction. I would recommend this novel to anyone, it is amazing.
Rating 5/5
On the savage side
by Tiffany McDaniel
Category: Adult Fiction
Arcade and Daffodil are bright things, twins born one minute apart who swore to always protect each other.
Together Arc and Daffy forge a world shot through with colour and wonder, a patch of grass becomes an archaeologist dig, the toxic fumes emerging from the local paper mill is dust rising from wild horses galloping in the factory’s basement; an abandoned 1950s convertible is a time machine that can take them and their friend anywhere. Their bong is an escape from their struggling family, their imaginations a reprieve from the failing, lustreless streets of Chillicothe, Ohio.
As the legacy of addiction that has long plagued their mother tightens its grip, Arc and Daffy try to build a new life for themselves. But when a local prostitute is found tangled in the banks of the river, Arc is drawn to the mystery, determined to find the truth and protect the only family she has ever known. But as more familiar bodies are found and with the killer circling closer and closer, Arc’s mission to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate – and the powerful riptides of the savage side ever more difficult to resist.
This novel had me hanging on every word, considering every one of the authors carefully thought-out phrases. The characters are incredibly complex, and the novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
Rating 5/5
Blue Machine
by Helen Czerski
Category: Adult Non Fiction
In a book that will recalibrate our view of this defining feature of our planet. Physicist Helen Czerski dives deep to illuminate the murky depths of the ocean engine, examining the messengers, passengers and voyagers that live in it, travel over it, and survive because of it. From the ancient Polynesians who navigated the Pacific by reading the waves to permanent residents of the deep, such as the Greenland shark that can live for hundreds of years, she explains the vast currents, invisible ocean walls and underwater waterfalls that all have their place in the ocean's complex, interlinked system. Timely, elegant and passionately argued, 'Blue Machine' is one of the biggest stories ever told. The understanding it offers is crucial to our future. Czerski captures the magnitude and subtlety of this complex force, showing us the thrilling extent to which we are at the mercy of this great engine.
This is a fascinating novel about the ocean and how it shapes our world, impacts our daily lives and both helps and hinders us. The writing is easy to understand and whilst scientific in nature it is easy going and well explained making it accessible to everyone. A delight to read from start to finish.
Rating 5/5
Go as a River
by Shelley Read
Category: Adult Fiction
1940s, Colorado: A teenager, Victoria Nash is the sole surviving woman in a family of troubled men. She spends her days running the household on her family’s peach farm.
Wilson Moon is a young drifter with a mysterious past. Displaced from his tribal land, he wants to believe one place is just like another.
When Victoria and Will meet on a street corner, their unexpected connection ignites both passion and danger, revelations and secrets.
After tragedy strikes, Victoria is propelled away from the only home she has ever known and towards a reckoning with loss, hope and her own untapped strength. Gathering all the pieces of her small and extraordinary existence, she will arrive at a single rocky decision that will change her life forever.
This is a beautifully descriptive novel, the characters are wonderfully drawn, with each of their own personalities shining through. The plot itself is incredibly evocative, heartwarming and heartbreaking with a vivid and palpable atmosphere. The narrative is skillfully crafted. One of my favourite novels of all time. I would highly recommend.
Rating 5/5
Nineteen Steps
by Millie Bobby Brown
Category: Adult Fiction
London, 1942: Despite the raging war, spirted 18-year-old Nellie Morris lives a quiet life in the tight-knit East End community of Bethnal Green. Her family and friends all tease that she will marry air raid warden Billy, the boy next door who’s always been Sweet on her.
The arrival of Ray, a handsome American airman stationed nearby causes Nellie to question everything she thought she knew about her future. Nellie’s newfound happiness is short-lived when a tragic accident occurs during an air raid. Even the closest family can’t escape the devastation of war, as the secrets and truth about that fateful night become clear, they threaten to tear Nellie- and those she holds dearest to her apart.
This is a beautifully romantic, yet tragic World War II tale slowly based on real events. The characters are extremely relatable and whist this is an emotional story it is also an easy, enjoyable read.
Rating 4/5
BAKEWELL W.I.
Our annual meeting was held this month at The Friends’ Meeting House with a fabulous ‘Pot Luck Supper’. The committee stands for another year, and they are Rashelle Maltz-Jones, Gill Roberts, Helen Cauldwell, Shirley Johnston and Liz Chatfield. We are delighted to have Sheila Sidebottom rejoin the committee and welcome Jackie Grandy as a new committee member. We have an exciting programme of speakers for 2025, and on 20th May we have invited Air Ambulance to give us a presentation.
We visited Lennon Shoes in Stoney Middleton and have had 2 meals out already this year.
We have some excellent trips planned – plus watch out for us at Bakewell Carnival in July.
We are a fun-loving group of ladies, and if this is something that you would like to get involved in, please come along to our next meeting on Tuesday, 20th May at The Friends’ Meeting House at 7.15pm. Alternatively you can call Rashelle on 07912 314972 for further information, including our monthly coffee mornings.
CALVER BOWLS CLUB
Calver Bowls Club are always after new members. The new season. has just started and we would like to invite anyone of any age to come and try Bowls.
We are a very friendly social group who enjoy meeting up for a game of bowls. We are situated at Calver cross roads (by Regatta), opposite The Calver Arms.
We meet on Wednesday and Friday 2-4ish, we will give tuition if needed and equipment is provided. Please wear flat shoes.
Further information from Barry Andrews (Chairman) on 07855 564562.
DARLEY DALE WI
The ladies of Darley Dale WI have had an interesting few months during the early part of 2025.
They were given valuable advice at their February meeting when a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) warned against online and telephone scams and the best way to deal with such situations. Guidance was given on passwords and how to protect bank and credit card accounts.
Expert crafter and friend of the group, Bev Bunting gave the ladies a spring themed activity at the March meeting. Everyone was given the opportunity to decorate a canvas shopper imprinted with a fitting transfer, resulting in an array of original bags. It is always a pleasure to welcome Bev with a guarantee of an enjoyable evening.
The April meeting saw a welcome return of Anish Nathwani from the British Red Cross. Anish presented a short workshop in basic emergency first aid. Members were given situations in which they might be required to use everyday items to administer first aid to an individual before the professionals arrive. It was received with enthusiasm, giving a sense of enlightenment.
A team of four members will compete in the County Quiz on 24th April at the Baslow village hall.
Jayne Haywood organised the collection of books for the Annual Book Club. These will be discussed after the AGM which will be at St Helens Church Hall, Darley Dale on Tuesday 13th May commencing at 7pm.
Visitors and new members are always very welcome. For information please contact Secretary, Jennifer Lane telephone 01629 732447.
MATLOCK ANTIQUE AND COLLECTABLE SOCIETY
Friday the 11th of April turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year so far, however there was a good attendance at our monthly meeting for the guest speaker, Maggie Slingsby who spoke with great passion about the history of tea drinking.
Flowing with information, she kept members and visitors alike interested about this every day drink’s surprisingly long and varied history.
Maureen Wood gave the vote of thanks for a most interesting lecture.
Our next meetings speaker is all about John Smedley archive and museum latest finds. Visitors are very welcome.
THERAPY DOGS NATIONWIDE
We desperately need new recruits in this area. If you have a calm dog. any shape, size or breed and have an hour or so to spare, even just once a month you would bring so much comfort and joy to so many. Please visit our website: https://tdn. org.uk. No training – just a calm dog which will be temperament assessed (as will you!). Our therapy dogs once assessed can go to hospitals, hospices care homes, prisons, ambulance, fire, police stations, in fact anywhere they can bring joy and comfort. We also do one-off visits to companies/ establishments for the wellbeing of their staff.
After a probation period your dog can also go into schools for the ‘Paws and Read’ scheme. Children who do not like to read or do not like to read out loud can read to a non- judgemental therapy dog. Children queue up to read to mine!
To become a therapy dog your dog must be more than 9 months old and you to have had your dog more than 6 months. You can do as little or as much as you want, there is no pressure. We wear a polo shirt uniform and the dogs wear a TDN collar and lead. Please, please have a look at our website – being part of the Therapy Dog Team is so rewarding. Dogs enjoy it too.
Pam Oliver
ROTARY BAKEWELL
Onwards and Forwards
As the current Rotary year nears its end President John Craike will be leading the celebrations for our 48th birthday bash – which will be a hog-roast lunchtime barbeque at the Medway Centre on 14th May.
The Club AGM takes place on 7th May and the Club Assembly on the 21st – ahead of a formal handover to the new President, John Hopkins on 2nd July.
In addition to the regular meetings at the Rutland Arms in Bakewell, we have our annual outing to Carsington sailing Club for Rotary Children’s Fun Day/Sailability for pupils from Lady Manners’ School in Bakewell on 11th June.
Once again, we shall be hosting the annual Brass in the Park concert during Bakewell Carnival week on Wednesday 2nd July. Later that month we shall be paying a return visit to the Stoney Middleton Boot Factory with lunch afterwards at The Cupola.
Another successful Repair Café at the Methodist Church Hall
Despite competition from the start of some of the Easter holidays and a Farmers’ Market in town it was another successful outcome for those who brought items for repair on 29th March. The next gathering is on 31st May. For further details or to offer your assistance, contact Margie Stuckey at the Medway Centre on 0162981 3638.
Stroke Awareness Month
As part of the national Stroke Awareness month, Rotary Bakewell in conjunction with the Stroke Association are again offering lhe local community the opportunity to come and have their blood pressure checked. These will be available at the Agricultural Business Centre, Bakewell between 10am and 4pm on market day Monday 12th May
Meeting Round-Up
At our club lunchtime meeting on 19th March we were joined by Naeem Anjum who told us of his current position and the difficult situation in Pakistan particularly for Christians – the stated government policy in Pakistan is quite different to reality! He, his wife and young daughter left in 2023 and are making very positive contributions to life in the local area and are hoping to be allowed to stay in this country.
CASTLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Thursday 15th May 7.30pm “Derbyshire at Sea” an illustrated talk by Liz Keeley.
Derbyshire is about as far from the sea as it is possible to get in the UK, but in this talk Liz explores some of the ways in which county and coast have been connected, beginning 330 million years ago, and ending in the present day.
Talks are held in the Peveril Centre, Methodist Church, Buxton Rd, Castleton.
Visitors are most welcome. A small charge of £3 includes light refreshments. No charge for students.
Society membership
The subscription is still only £15pp. We organise eight talks each year and where possible an evening excursion or social event during July. Anyone interested in joining the society (see our website https://castletonhistorical.co.uk/ for information on our wider activities) can contact us via the email address secretary@castletonhistorical.co.uk
CROMFORD PLANT SALE
Don’t miss it! Saturday 10th May will see the Cromford Plant Sale being held at the Cromford Community Centre (in the Market Place) from 10.30am to noon.
All sorts of tender and other vegetables ready to plant out. Also perennials, shrubs and some bedding. The sale is to raise funds to run the Cromford Garden and Produce Show to be held on August Bank Holiday.
We look forward to seeing you there!
MATLOCK PROBUS CLUB
At the April meeting of Matlock Probus Club the members were welcomed by the Chairman, Mr Roger Flint. Two guests were also welcomed.
Our Speaker for the meeting was Mr Trevor Wragg from Hartington who is a well known and award-winning stone waller. Trevor told the meeting about all the different styles of walls that he had built during his career and how each County/ area had their own way of building walls. He said he was able to tell what part of the Country he was in by just looking stone walls. We also learnt about the history attached to the size and shape of fields, some of which date back to strip farming in Medieval times when the strips of land were divided by stone walls and each owner grew crops and perhaps kept a cow or pigs or chickens to feed themselves.
Trevor was the stone walling British Champion 1996 and holds the Dry Stone Walling Association’s Master Craftsman Certificate. He is a qualified instructor and examiner for the Dry Stone Walling Association.
We certainly learnt a lot from Trevor and I’m sure we will all be looking out for the different styles of stone walling and also features built into walls such as different gaps and holes left for creatures to pass through including rabbits, ducks and badgers.
A thoroughly entertaining and informative illustrated talk. A vote of thanks was given by Vice Chairman, Tony Pyner.
Our next meeting will be held on 1st May when we will learn about the restoration of Haddon Hall by the 9th Duke of Rutland.
Matlock Probus Club meets at the Duke William, Church Street, Matlock on the first Thursday of the month. We meet at 10.30am for coffee, followed by a talk and an optional carvery lunch.
For further information please contact: Roger Flint, Chairman, 01629 582184 or Nigel Carabine, Treasurer, 01629 823581.
SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL, BUXTON & DISTRICT
‘Soroptimist International, Buxton & District’ very much lives up to the title ‘and District’. Many members do live in Buxton, but many more hail from Chapel-en-le-Frith, Whaley Bridge, Tideswell, Longnor, and even as far as Leek. The group has links with Stockport Soroptimists also, and joint ventures often take place. .
Any women who wish to learn more can find us on our website or Facebook page. We help women and girls, locally, nationally and internationally – and we have fun doing it.
Most meetings are held at the Book Store Brierlow Bar, Buxton.
Recently members held a ‘Brilliant Breakfast’ at Longnor, in aid of the King's Trust (formerly Prince's Trust). Donations are still rolling in, and we expect a great total.
