About Chesterfield

Spireites land Spanish midfielder

17th August 2015

The Spireites are pleased to sign experienced Spanish midfielder Angel Martinez.

Known simply as ‘Angel’, the 29-year-old flew in to watch this weekend’s game at Sheffield United and has now agreed a two-year contact. He was previously with Millwall and Blackpool after starting out at Espanyol in his native country.

Chesterfield manager Dean Saunders is delighted to have landed Angel. He said: “We’ve been waiting and waiting to sign him. He’s got good pedigree having played at Espanyol and been capped by Spain at under-21 level.

“He’s good on the ball and he knows the central midfield position. With his experience of English football, I’m sure he’ll make us better.”

Angel’s signing comes soon after the capture of Lee Novak who was signed on a season-long loan from Birmingham City and made his debut in Saturday’s game at Sheffield United.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Time is running out to enter Chesterfield Marathon

17th August 2015

Runners wanting to take part in this year’s Chesterfield Marathon are being urged to sign up soon – as the deadline for entry is approaching quickly.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 4 of September, meaning there are only around three weeks left for runners to secure their place.

Approximately 1,500 participants from across the UK are expected to take to the streets of Chesterfield on 20 September, running in the full marathon, half marathon and the team relay event, where four competitors take a share of the course.

The event, which has been granted an official road race licence from UK Athletics (RunBritain), will raise funds for children’s charity Kids ‘n’ Cancer, along with several other charities, including MacMillan Cancer Support, Ashgate Hospicecare, The Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity and the British Heart Foundation, as well as community groups like Chesterfield District Scouts and the Friends of Holmebrook Valley and Eastwood Park.

This year, the full and half marathon – as well as the fun run – will start and finish at Queen’s Park in Chesterfield, where an all-day party will also take place.

Andrea Hooley from the Chesterfield Marathon, said: “We would encourage people to get their entry in as soon as possible to ensure they don’t miss the deadline.

“We are excited to welcome people of all ages and abilities to Queen’s Park for what is set to be a fun and memorable day for everyone, helping to put Chesterfield on the map and boost the local economy.”

As last year, any individuals raising £250 (or teams raising £500) for Kids ‘n’ Cancer can enter the race for free.

Runners will have the option to either pay for their ‘chipped’ race bib to be posted to them – or to pick it up for free and register at the Marathon’s Head Office on the day before race day, Saturday 19 September.

Entry for the Fun Run will remain open until race day.

The male and female winners of the full marathon will receive a cash prize of £250 and free entry for next year, and the half marathon winners will get £200 and free entry next year.

To sign-up as a runner or volunteer for the Chesterfield and Derbyshire Marathon visit www.chesterfieldmarathon.org.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

BRM Solicitors provide free will service to help Chesterfield appeal

14th August 2015

BRM Solicitors has joined forces with Macmillan Cancer Support to exclusively offer a free will-writing service during September and October to raise money for the Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre Appeal.

Over the two months, BRM Solicitors will waive its fees, and instead will encourage clients to make a voluntary donation of £54 per single will and £108 per double will to the Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre Appeal. The amounts were chosen as £54 is the equivalent of funding two hours of a Macmillan Nurse and £108, four hours.

Macmillan is trying to raise £2.5 million to build the new state-of-the-art Cancer Centre. This exciting new development will mean that people with cancer in North and North East Derbyshire will be able to receive their vital treatment, care and support in one purpose-built facility – providing joined up services closer to home.

Currently cancer care and treatment is given from different clinics across the hospital site, and the chemotherapy unit is no longer large enough for the number of patients it sees. There is also only a limited information service. The new centre will change all that – enabling specialist teams to provide a range of appointments in one place – including all out-patient chemotherapy and clinical haematology. The centre will also include a specialist information and advice service.

Rob Woodhead, Head of Wills and Probate at BRM Solicitors says: “BRM Solicitors is very proud to volunteer our legal expertise to help such a worthwhile cause. The money raised from this free will-writing initiative will help Macmillan to provide vital support services to people affected by cancer.”

98% of Macmillan’s funding comes from voluntary donations; over a third of which is from gifts in wills.

Rob Turner, Senior Fundraising manager for Macmillan in Chesterfield said: “This is a vital new centre for the people of North and North East Derbyshire. Being diagnosed with cancer is one of the toughest things that anyone can face and the Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre will give local people the very best in treatment and support. But we won’t be able to do this without the generosity of local people and support of local businesses like BRM Solicitors.

Posted in About Chesterfield

Spireites defender signs contract extension

13th August 2015

Dan Jones is the latest Chesterfield player to sign a contract extension.

The 28-year-old defender has put pen to paper on a deal which ties him to the club until the summer of 2017.

Jones is delighted to have resolved his future. He said: “It was an easy decision as I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time since I’ve been at the club.

“I had a good pre-season this year and I’ve really been able to buy into what the new manager has brought to the club. I love his enthusiasm, the way he goes about things and I think there’s a lot to learn from him.

“Our approach hasn’t really changed too much under Dean (Saunders) and I think we’re playing football the way it should be played. That suits me and my style and now I’m looking to keep playing and help the team to do as well as possible this season.”

Spireites quartet Tommy Lee, Ian Evatt, Sam Hird and Charlie Raglan have also signed extended contracts over the summer.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

England Under 19s celebrate A-level results at Queen’s Park

13th August 2015

Several members of England’s Under-19 squad have picked up their A-level results before the second Royal London One-Day International against Australia at Queen’s Park tomorrow; 10.30am start.

Aneurin Donald of Glamorgan, who is also the England Under 19s Captain, was one of the players who picked up his results ahead of tomorrow’s fixture at Chesterfield.

England Under-19s are also in action at The 3aaa County Ground for the third Royal London One-Day International on Monday 17 August, with the game televised LIVE on Sky Sports.

“My mum went into school down in Swansea and phoned me up this morning,” said Donald.

“I got an A, a B and a D, which I’m happy enough with. It’s not been an easy year because we had an Under-19s trip to Australia in the spring, but we all took our work with us.”

Lancashire’s Haseeb Hameed, who attended Bolton School, was also happy with a B and a C, and like Donald has decided to postpone the possibility of going to university to concentrate on his cricket career.

It is the same story for George Garton, Sussex’s left-arm seamer who had very good news from Hurstpierpoint College with results of A, A*, B.

Ben Green, an all-rounder from Devon who is on the Somerset staff, is one of the younger members of the squad but he also had good news from Exeter School, with an A, a B and a C in his AS levels.

All four celebrated in suitable style after practice at Queen’s Park, with an ice cream from the ice cream van outside Chesterfield’s famous Frederick’s Gelateria.

Posted in About Chesterfield

Motorway link road to get £2.5m funding from D2N2

13th August 2015

A £7.5million link road to the M1 motorway – which will help ‘unlock’ development land with the potential to create over 1,000 new jobs – is to receive a third of its funding from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

The £7.5m Seymour Link Road will link junction 29a of the M1 motorway to the Markham Vale Enterprise Zone site, north Derbyshire. The brownfield site, located on the former Seymour Colliery, is being redeveloped for industry – particularly the manufacturing, technology, environmental and logistics sectors – with the aim of eventually creating up to 4,100 new jobs across the whole site (732 have been created to date).

D2N2 has now agreed to give £2.52m towards the road, with the remainder of the £7.5million cost to be provided by the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (£3.78m) and Derbyshire County Council (£1.26m).

Markham Vale is invested in and covered by both the D2N2 and Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEPs). There are 39 LEPs in England; private sector-led alliances between business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community organisations which promote economic growth and jobs creation in their areas.

Work on the Seymour Link Road is due to begin in October (2015). It will open up an essential highway link to the M1 for 33 hectares’ worth of employment land plots, on the Markham Vale North site.

It is anticipated that the scheme will lever an additional £82m of private sector investment by 2022 through the delivery of 148,000 square metres of commercial space on the Markham Vale North Site by Henry Boot Developments Ltd; indirectly creating approximately 1,235 new jobs, on the Markham Vale North site.

The Seymour Link Road is due to be completed by August next year (2016).

David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The Markham Vale site and the Seymour Link Road specifically are identified as a key priority in our Strategic Economic Plan.

“Markham Vale sits at the northern gateway to the D2N2 LEP area. Linking it to the national road network, via the M1, gives the whole Enterprise Zone site the potential to eventually create up to 4,100 new jobs; which is why we and our partners, the Sheffield City Region LEP and Derbyshire County Council, are making this significant investment.”

Councillor Dean Collins – Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure – said: “We’re delighted to be moving forward with the construction of the Seymour Link Road, which could eventually lead to 4,100 new jobs on the site.

“We’re committed to building a strong economy that creates jobs for local people and helps businesses grow. This latest development for Markham Vale is a great step in the right direction for the site.

“The Seymour Link Road is due to be completed by August next year which will follow on from the expected completion of the new distribution centre for the Great Bear Distribution company, Markham’s biggest deal to date.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Spitfires to fly over Chesterfield to commemorate 75th Anniversary of Unternehmen Adlerangriff

13th August 2015

On Thursday 13^th August Spitfires from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will be joined by private Spitfire owners to commemorate the 75^th Anniversary of Unternehmen Adlerangriff, the German operation to destroy the Royal Air Force in World War II. They are due to fly over Chesterfield at 16.31

Up to 13 Spitfires will launch from Humberside Airport and split into three sections of aircraft to fly over as many villages, towns and cities as fuel will allow, enabling the public to see and hear these wonderful historic aircraft and remember the sacrifices made by the young men of Fighter Command 75 years ago.

The destruction of the Royal Air Force would have cleared the way for the invasion of Britain. The German attacks on 13^th August 1940 inflicted significant damage and casualties on the ground but they did not make a significant impression of Fighter Command’s ability to defend British air space.

The engagements resulting from Adlertag became known as the Battle of Britain.

Timings for this significant event are:

Section 1:

Humber Bridge 1603

York 1612

Linton on Ouse 1615

Thirsk 1618

Leeming 1621

Teeside 1625

Whitby 1635

Scarborough 1640

Bridlington 1644

Hull 1651

Section 2:

Grimsby 1612

Mablethorpe 1618

Skegness 1621

Boston 1627

Grantham 1634

Newark 1638

Gainsborough 1645

Scunthorpe 1649

Section 3:

Lincoln 1611

Nottingham 1621

Derby 1625

Chesterfield 1631

Doncaster 1638

Scunthorpe 1644

All locations and times are subject to weather and operational changes.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Famous chefs make for a tasty line up at Chatsworth Country Fair

12th August 2015

This year’s Chatsworth Country Fair offers the chance to watch two of the most famous chefs in Britain demonstrating their favourite dishes.

Hugely popular TV presenter and chef John Torode will be appearing for the first time at the fair. John will be sharing dishes from his new book, ‘My Kind of Food’, which is due out in mid-September. He will be carrying out three demonstrations on Sunday 6 September at 11.00am; 1.30pm and 4.30pm.

Baking queen Mary Berry CBE returns for the third year after proving a huge hit with the Derbyshire crowd. Visitors will be able to see the doyenne of cooking demonstrating three of her favourite recipes from her book, ‘Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites’ at 11.00am and 3.30pm on Saturday September 5. She will show the audience how to create her delicious Summer Ring Pavlova; Garlic Mushrooms Penne Gratin and Gavaldalax followed by book signing afterwards.

With children under 14 admitted free, the Chatsworth Country Fair is great value for a family day out with something for everyone – from the energetic Ukrainian Cossack Stunt Team to the popular Red Arrows. This year the fair takes place from 4th to 6th September. For more details visit the Chatsworth website or click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Positive job figures for Chesterfield

12th August 2015

The number of people out of work and claiming jobseekers allowance in Chesterfield has fallen again this month.

Across the three counties the overall claimant count fell by 38 to 1155 in July compared with 1,193 in June and by 505 from 1660 in July 2014.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy for East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) said: “The overall trend continues to be very positive, especially the year-on-year figures across the three counties covered by the Chamber.

“Job creation is a really important part of economic growth and it’s great to see that the East Midlands is still one of the leading regions in the country in this regard.

“It is important, though, that the jobs created are accompanied by increased productivity so that the growth in jobs is sustainable.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Duke praises university’s “rescue plan” for Chesterfield building

11th August 2015

The Duke of Devonshire has praised the University of Derby for rescuing one of Chesterfield’s best-loved buildings.

Generations of Chesterfield women owe their start in life to an education at the former St Helena’s Grammar School on Sheffield Road, which will open as the University’s new campus in September 2016.

The Duke, who is the University’s Chancellor, said: “What a rescue. It is very, very exciting. It’s immensely worthwhile and will be great for the University and Chesterfield,”

The Duke had a tour of the Victorian red-brick building, whose light and airy corridors and classrooms provided a pioneering design for schools which was widely admired across Europe and America.

The Duke’s, ancestor, the ninth Duke, officially opened the building in 1911.

The Duke heard how the University’s Nursing courses, run in collaboration with Chesterfield Royal Hospital, will move into the listed building, complete with a mock ward containing robot or “sim” patients that simulate human responses to treatment.

There will also be Engineering and Computing classes, plus a suite of offices which will be used as business incubator units for the town’s entrepreneurs.

Most of the original features and lay-outs will be retained, although the former indoor netball court will become the main entrance. The only part of the existing building which is in need of demolition is a small extension built in the 1960s.

“The way it is going to be modernised while keeping the best of the old seems to be very much the way in which the University maximised the benefit of the Devonshire Dome at Buxton,” the Duke added.

The University has been training local people to work in Nursing and Health Care for many years. The NHS has found that training people locally means they are more likely to stay in their home town, which has meant Chesterfield Royal Hospital has retained excellent, local staff.

This emphasis on training for local people will not only help to meet demand for highly-trained workers, but also keep their spending power within the Chesterfield economy.

Read about the development in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Council pays tribute to Alderman Jim McManus

11th August 2015

Chesterfield Borough Council is paying tribute to Alderman Jim McManus, who died peacefully this morning.

Jim was a member of the council for 28 years. He was first elected in 1987 and retired at the recent elections held in May.

He served as the borough’s mayor in 2001 to 2002 and was the council’s executive member for housing from 2011 until earlier this year.

During this time, all of the council’s housing reached the Decent Homes standard for the first time and work began on building the new purpose-built Parkside older-persons’ accommodation on Stand Road.

Jim was created an honorary alderman in a special ceremony last month.

Councillor John Burrows, Chesterfield Borough Council’s leader said: “It is with great sadness that I heard of Alderman Jim McManus’s passing.
“Our thoughts, prayers and condolences are with Carol, his wife, and the family.

“I have personally lost a true friend and colleague – his advice and guidance on complex local government issues will be greatly missed by me and all his colleagues.”

Arrangements for Jim’s funeral will be announced in due course.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business