About Chesterfield

Joseph Clayton and Sons Ltd takeover rival

6th May 2015

Joseph Clayton and Sons Ltd of Chesterfield have taken over J & E Sedgwick & Company Limited

This will create the largest vegetable tanning group in the UK. The acquisition was initiated to fit with the long term plans of the shareholders and senior management of Claytons.

While the two businesses will continue to run as separate units, retaining the existing management teams, the deal will create an operation with a combined turnover exceeding £6 million. All members of staff will be retained from each company, creating a joint workforce of around 60.

Certain functions such as finance, purchasing and sales will be coordinated to ensure the enlarged organisation will be better placed to support the powerful brands of Sedgwicks and Claytons in the marketplace.

The acquisition will make Claytons the largest vegetable tannery group in the UK.

Ian Walker, Chairman & Managing Director of Claytons said: “While it is easy to see us as two very similar vegetable tanning units in fact our product ranges only have a narrow area of overlap.

“Claytons produce a wide range of bespoke leathers with a variety of end uses while Sedgwicks focus on bridle and saddlery leathers. This is not surprising given that Claytons have developed from an industrial leather background while Sedgwicks have developed out of an equestrian; our processes, leathers and customers are distinct. So this is not an exercise in consolidation but in growth for two longstanding businesses. We are also pleased to be manufacturing in a location near Walsall, the important centre of UK saddlery and leather goods.”

“We are delighted with this outcome for our business” said Richard Farrow, the current Managing Director of Sedgwicks. “Claytons understand our world of vegetable tanned leathers and have a similar heritage to ours. There could be no better custodian to pass our business to.”

Richard is the grandson of one of the early owners and managers of J.E.Sedgwick and with his fellow shareholders has been looking at the future of the company as he comes towards retirement. He will remain as Managing Director and also join the board of the expanded group.

“Our specialist manufacturing teams regularly work with firms to ensure that they have access to the support and guidance necessary to continue to drive their growth, and also receive training from the University of Warwick to ensure that they fully understand the issues faced by firms in the sector.”

Joseph Clayton & Sons Ltd was founded in 1840 in Chesterfield to make leathers for industrial belting, the textile industry, harness leathers and other purposes. It has recently introduced an acclaimed new line of Cordovan Leather for the luxury sector.

Sedgwicks is recognised throughout the world for its bridle leathers and was founded in 1900 in Birmingham in order to make equestrian leathers.

The Camlee Group acted as lead advisors in a deal

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

From canvas to canvas for St Mary’s students’ winning tent design

5th May 2015

Two Year 10 students from St Mary’s School have finally seen their winning tent design brought to life by Staveley-based outdoor products designer FieldCandy.

Students Rhys Rossello (15) and Louis Rafferty (14), both studying Graphics Products at St Mary’s, took part in the tent design competition organised by Destination Chesterfield as part of the Made in Chesterfield festival last year. Made in Chesterfield brought together the town’s thriving manufacturing sector and schools to highlight to career opportunities within it.

The winning design, which features Chesterfield’s crooked spire, the Proact Stadium roof, the train station, Town Hall and Growth Sculpture, was selected by Crush Design and Derbyshire Education Business Project.

Dominic Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager commented: “The judges felt that Rhys and Louis’ design reflected Chesterfield and it was a good modern adaptation for a tent.”

Rhys and Louis worked at Crush Design’s studio on Marsden Street in Chesterfield to transform their design into a format ready for printing on the FieldCandy tent.

Headteacher of St Mary’s Sean McClafferty added: “Both Rhys and Louis are a credit to St Mary’s. They have excelled themselves and I am sure this success will encourage them to consider careers in the area of design as they are both clearly gifted students.”

The design was reproduced on a stunning two-man tent by FieldCandy. John Harris, Director of FieldCandy, said: “We were delighted to be able to participate in Made in Chesterfield. We’re even more thrilled with the wonderful design that Rhys and Louis have produced. It’s translated excellently into a tent and we’re very proud of it.

“Taking part in Made in Chesterfield was a great opportunity for FieldCandy to give something back to the Borough. The Council has been exceptionally supportive of the business and has helped us access grant funding to grow and create jobs here.”

Since launching in 2011 FieldCandy has taken the camping world by storm with its unique eye-catching luxury designs which are all made at the company’s headquarters on Colliery Close in Staveley. The designer tents, which feature offbeat graphics such as leopard print, a block of cheese and floral motifs, have developed a celebrity following and are seen at festivals over the world. Some of the designs have even been showcased at the 54^th Grammy Awards in the US.

FieldCandy and Crush Design were just two of a number of companies that took part in Made in Chesterfield 2014. The manufacturing festival will return later this year in November for a full month of events. It is coordinated by Destination Chesterfield and is designed to showcase Chesterfield and North Derbyshire’s thriving manufacturing sector and its associated industries to students, raising awareness of the employment opportunities within it as well as the number of varied and exciting roles.

To keep up to date with events and developments in Chesterfield, as well as plans for Made in Chesterfield 2015 visit www.chesterfield.co.uk

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield

Solar farms in Derbyshire Move a Step Closer

30th April 2015

Plans for solar farms in Derbyshire are moving a step closer following consultation on the project.

Derbyshire County Council Councillors will next week (Tuesday 5 May 2015) hear that there is overall support for ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels − better known as solar farms – at five proposed sites in the North East and Amber Valley areas of the county.

Following a six week consultation, which included drop in sessions close to the sites, local residents indicated they generally agreed with proposals to put solar farms on underused land we own.

This includes former colliery or underused agricultural land unsuitable for growing crops.

Planning permission will now be sought next month (May) to develop sites at:

agricultural land at Mansfield Road, Temple Normanton
former Williamthorpe Colliery, Holmewood.
Westthorpe Hills, former Westthorpe Colliery, Killamarsh
land at Pye Bridge, Alfreton
former Swanwick Colliery reclamation land, Swanwick

Proposals to develop agricultural land at Swathwick Lane, Swathwick, Wingerworth have been dropped following concerns by local residents that it would be too intrusive.

If planning permission is granted solar panels would be installed in the ground to generate electricity from the sun. An energy supplier then pays us for each unit of electricity produced with extra payments if the electricity is then exported to the National Grid.

If any of the sites get the go-ahead they could be up and running by March 2016.

Service Director for Transport and Environment, Allison Thomas, said:

“These sites are not currently being put to their best use so if we get planning approval it offers great potential to generate a good income for the council and so help protect services.

“Generally these locations tend not to be of much environmental interest so developing them could also provide a good opportunity to improve the local conservation.

“We have made a public commitment in our Climate Change Charter to invest in renewable energy technologies to help reduce our negative impact on climate change and provide local, green sources of energy, and it is pleasing to know that, in principle, we have the support of local residents.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Children to Become Market Traders at Chesterfield Market

30th April 2015

Chesterfield’s youngsters are being given the opportunity to learn about life as a market trader at the children’s market event on Saturday 23 May 2015 from 10 am-4 pm

Open to three to 14-year-olds, budding traders are invited to sell their unwanted toys, clothes and books around the town pump in the market place. There will also be entertainment and a disco on the day.

Stalls are free but availability is limited.

To book a stall at the children’s market, visit www.visitchesterfield.info/childrensmarketbookingform.aspx or call Chesterfield Visitor Information Centre on 01246 345777 or 01246 345778.

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

Calling New Market Traders for Chesterfield

30th April 2015

Chesterfield Borough Council is giving new market traders the opportunity to take stalls for only £10 as part of the annual Love Your Local Market week.

The offer is open to people who have not previously been market traders to stand at the general market on Friday 15, Saturday 16, Monday 18, Friday 22 or Saturday 23 May.

For more information or to pre-book a stall, call the council’s markets team on 01246 345999

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

New York-Inspired Bar to Open in Chesterfield

28th April 2015

A new bar is set to open next to the Crooked Spire Church in Chesterfield this May.

Named ‘Apartment,’ the forward-thinking venue has a New York city-vibe and will offer quality cocktails, spirits and beers alongside a range of regular and pop-up events – from salsa nights to whisky tasting sessions. It will also be available for private hire.

One of the directors commented:-

“Apartment hopes to contribute something significant to the town centre which will create greater footfall and improve the social experiences that the town has to offer as a whole.

“There will be a strong focus on putting a little extra love and care into what we do, to create a fantastic, unique experience to both locals and visitors.”

Apartment launches to the public on Sunday 24th May with ‘Celebrity Karaoke’. More information on this, other events and employment opportunities can be found by searching on Facebook for ‘Apartment Chesterfield’.

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

Discover Derbyshire with New Free App

27th April 2015

A new free app has been launched to reveal local stories and hidden secrets from across Derbyshire.

Designed to boost tourism locally, the app, named ‘Discover Derbyshire & Peak District,’ is now ready to download after more than 10 years of research and design by Derbyshire-based company Audio Trails Ltd.

It allows visitors to discover 200 ‘hidden gems’ around the county and uses satellite location technology to display places of interest close to where they are standing.

People can unlock hidden walking trails and listen to local residents’ personal stories that bring the past to life. Using archive photography, the app also allows users to fade old images into their device’s camera view and see how today’s scene has changed compared with the past.

Ann Wright, Head of Arts at Derbyshire County Council said:-

“We want people to discover things they may not know about Derbyshire, such as which local suburb was built by Russian wrestlers, or which town liquorice allsorts were invented in and this app will help them do that.

“It emphasises our county’s attractions in an innovative way which is easy for people to use while out and about using their own phone or tablet.”

Audio Trails Creative Director Dan Boys said:

“We’re really pleased to be part of a project like this that combines history with personal accounts and pictures.

“It’s great working in partnership with the council and staff such as countryside rangers who have shared their in-depth knowledge about places such as Linacre Reservoirs and the former industries along Five Pits Trail.

“The idea of the app is to bring personal stories, archive photography and lesser-known historical information together in one easily accessible package so that people can really discover Derbyshire for themselves.”

Dan is currently in the process of adding information to the app about the Pennine Way to celebrate the famous trail’s 50th anniversary. It was the UK’s first long-distance trail and stretches 256 miles from Edale in Derbyshire to the Scottish Borders.

More locations, trails and stories will be added to the app throughout 2015 and people are encouraged to share their stories or old photographs.

The ‘Discover Derbyshire & Peak District’ app is currently available to download for iOS devices via the AppStore with plans for an Android version to follow later this year. No mobile reception is needed to use it − once downloaded, all content is stored and can be accessed anywhere.

Find more information at www.discover-derbyshire.com.

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

Town to Commemorate Battle of Chesterfield

24th April 2015

Volunteers are wanted to help mark the 750^th anniversary of the Battle of Chesterfield next year.

Plans are already underway to stage a large medieval-style event in the town centre on Sunday, 15^th May 2016 with plenty of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

Community group, Chesterfield 750 is looking for people with a range of skills to help from fundraisers and researchers to costume designers and musicians and asks anyone who is interested in getting involved to get in touch.

Publicity Officer, Colin Harrison, a member of the Chesterfield 750 group said:-

“In preparation of the anniversary there will be several separate events and projects – the first of which is the building of a cart to be used on the day. There are also proposals to make a series of videos about life as it would have been at the time, a miniature re-enactment of the battle and plans to involve schools – maybe with something like the design of their own banners. We also hope that as many local groups as possible will take part, in whatever capacity they will most enjoy.

“Actual historical details of events around the battle are slightly sketchy, which we will take advantage of to allow a wide interpretation of them. We want this to be a fun event, rather than a strictly educational one, although we hope to provide some interesting information as a by-product of our research.”

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 28^th April from 7.00pm at The Rose and Crown Pub on Old Road in Chesterfield and everyone is welcome. For more information please email info@chesterfield750.co.uk or visit http://www.chesterfield750.co.uk/.

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

East Midlands Businesses Buck National Trend

23rd April 2015

Businesses in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire outperformed their national counterparts in the first three months of the year, according to the results of a new survey.

East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) has released the results of its latest Q1 Quarterly Economic Review 2015, which found that business growth remained robust in the early part of the year, giving an increasing number of firms optimism for the year ahead.

The findings were in sharp contrast to the national survey released by the British Chambers of Commerce earlier this month, which saw firms reporting weaker results in most areas – including domestic sales, exports and business investment.

The Chamber tracks business performance across a range of key economic indicators – including sales and orders, staffing levels, price expectations, investment intentions and business confidence – to produce a quarterly ‘State of the Economy Index’.

After falling in two consecutive quarters at the end of 2014, the index increased from a year-ending 377 to 386 in Q1, bolstered by firms’ strengthening confidence in their profits and turnover in 2015, which is resulting in rising staffing levels and investment plans.

In terms of activity, 51% of firms reported an increase in UK sales in Q1, which mirrored the previous quarter, and there was a slight fall in the number of firms reporting a decrease in domestic sales. However, this was offset by a fall (from 33% to 29%) in the number of firms which reported an increase in their export sales in Q1.

Firms’ confidence in both future turnover and profitability increased over the quarter, as 67% (up from 64% in Q4) said they expected their profitability to increase over the next 12 months, while 76% (up from 71%) expected an increase in turnover.

This strengthening confidence has led to business investment plans being revised upwards. Almost four-in-ten businesses said they planned to increase their investment in training and plant/machinery this year, while almost eight-in-ten businesses indicated they will award a general staff pay rise, at or above inflation, in 2015.

Chamber Chief Executive George Cowcher said: “Despite the build up to the General Election, it was encouraging to see such a resilient performance from East Midlands businesses in the first three months of the year, with many indicators of business success seeing improvements.

“Over the past year, the Chamber’s message to politicians and decision-makers has been that the East Midlands has moved from being a ‘bellwether’ of the UK economy to a national leader, so it is equally encouraging to see this message borne out in these findings, with the figures in this report exceeding their national equivalents.

“There are a number of factors contributing to this success, including the broad spread of business sectors present across this region and the drive and commitment that exists within East Midlands businesses and their employees.

“These characteristics will continue to stand the region in good stead post-election.

“Regardless of the political make-up of the next Government, if business had one overarching message to give, it would be to focus on delivering long-term policy and avoid the kind of political short-termism that acts only to complicate the planning and running of a successful business.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield

Wingerworth Fencing Club Win Double Gold

22nd April 2015

Wingerworth Fencing Club is celebrating its fifteenth birthday with two gold medals secured at the British Championships, which were held at EIS in Sheffield last weekend.

In the individual events on Saturday, Hannah Lawrence became British Women’s Champion, a title which she last held in 2008. Hannah won all of her fights on the day and none more convincingly than when beating fellow England and GB team mate Amy Radford, from Malvern Fencing Club 15-6 to take the championship.

The second day of was the team event and the Wingerworth Ladies beat every team in the competition and trounced Truro in the play off final by 45 – 29. The team had been strengthened this year with the addition of Mary Cohen who joined Hannah Lawrence, Jayne Crook and Caitlin Chang.

Wingerworth Fencing Club coach, Tony Klenczar, said:-

“This was a superb weekend for Wingerworth and the promotion of fencing in Derbyshire. All the people in the club who are competing at this level work extremely hard, along with their coaches, to achieve these results.

“We are always keen at the club to encourage new people to take up the sport. We want Derbyshire fencing to be bigger and better than any other club in the country!”

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

Chesterfield Meets Spain in Mi Casa Cook book

21st April 2015

A tantalising new cookbook has been launched by local entrepreneur and Chesterfield’s four star Casa Hotel owner, Steve Perez.

The mi Casa Cook book, follows hot on the heels of Casa Hotel being voted 5th best hotel in the UK, in Trip Advisors 2015 Travellers Choice Awards. It draws on influences from Steve’s Spanish roots, and his passion for high quality local produce. Mi Casa, offers insights into dishes inspired by his Derbyshire upbringing as well as showcasing the skills of the two AA rosette kitchen team and Head Chef Andrew Wilson.

Featuring over 30 dishes ranging from simple Tapas dishes to ‘Something Special’ Cocina restaurant inspired recipes, Mi Casa has been written to suit the skills of the novice and adventurous home cooks alike with easy to follow recipes.

For Steve Perez, this book marks the latest venture into the food, drink and hospitality industry. Speaking of the book launch, he said: “I’m delighted to have a platform to celebrate my love of food in ‘Mi Casa’. Not only is it a great way to recognise some of the fantastic local food produce available in Chesterfield and surrounding areas, it’s also an opportunity to inspire readers to add a taste of Spain to their dishes too.”

“My late Father Santiago, originally from Barcelona, inspired me throughout my career. I grew up in the Derbyshire countryside with him cooking Spanish dishes in the home. When it came to building Casa Hotel, I wanted something which would reflect my Mediterranean roots and the same is true about the Mi Casa cook book.”

Central to Casa Hotel’s achievements are the quality of the ingredients and produce used in its menus. Walton Lodge Farm, which is part of Steve’s Walton Lodge Estate, provides meat and eggs to Casa Hotel. Mi Casa features a behind the scenes look at the workings of the farm and its unique connection to the hotel. It also introduces other local key Derbyshire suppliers, Highfield House Farm and John Hattersley Wines, as well Yorkshire-based Grey’s Fine Foods, which brings the authentic Spanish tastes and ingredients to Casa.

Throughout the last 40 years Steve has successfully carved a career for himself in the hospitality industry. From Steve’s humble beginnings working in the kitchen of his father’s restaurant, moving from managing pubs to developing the hugely successful international drinks business Global Brands.

‘Mi Casa: Spanish-Inspired Recipes from the Heart of Derbyshire’ is available to purchase directly from Casa Hotel or through Amazon and is priced at £14.95.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure, Visiting