Leisure

Casa Hotels are the highest rated Four Star hotels in Derbyshire

11th March 2020

Casa Hotels are delighted to announce that both Casa Hotel and their sister hotel, Peak Edge Hotel, have once again achieved the coveted silver star status from the AA.

Both the hotels visited by a member of the AA inspector team recently who stayed overnight at each hotel. They were subsequently marked on the various standards that make up the renowned AA star rating, including accommodation, dinner and facilities in general.

The six critical areas that the hotels are marked on are: cleanliness, hospitality, service, bedrooms, bathrooms and food and both hotels with both hotels receiving excellent merit scores. It means that Casa and Peak Edge Hotels are now the highest rated four-star hotels in Derbyshire. The inspector commented on the high standards of the hotel teams and the cleanliness of the hotels. Both the Red Lion Pub and Restaurant and Cocina restaurant have also maintained their Two AA Rosette Awards.

Casa Hotels Managing Director, Stuart Downham said: “We are once again absolutely delighted – to be awarded silver star status is fantastic but to maintain it proves that we do indeed offer consistently high standards at both of our hotels. We all work tirelessly to ensure that our guests have the best possible experience when they stay at Casa or Peak Edge and being awarded the Silver Star award cements all of our hard work”.

Casa Hotel was also a finalist at the Marketing Peak District Tourism Awards on Thursday 5th March. They were delighted to be awarded the silver award in the Hotel of the Year Category. This was the first year of the awards, held at the Buxton Dome in Derbyshire.

Click here to find out more about Casa Hotel

Click here to find out more about Peak Edge Hotel

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Pitchford reaches first World Tour singles final and doubles final

9th March 2020

Liam Pitchford hailed a “massive step” in his career as he reached his first singles final on the ITTF World Tour at the Qatar Open – a day after reaching his first doubles final.

And although both ended in defeat to opponents from the all-powerful Chinese camp, Pitchford can take huge confidence from a string of eye-catching performances, including beating the world No 1 in the semi-finals.

Seeded 15th for one of the strongest events on the calendar, world No 22 Pitchford started in the last 32 with a 4-2 win over Alvaro Robles of Spain and then overcame world No 27 Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus by the same margin.

His quarter-final against Chuang Chih-Yuan of Chinese Taipei showed Pitchford at his best as he dismissed the world No 37 – a former long-standing top-10 player – 4-0.

That set up a semi-final against Xu Xin, against whom Pitchford had never won a set. All that changed in spectacular fashion as the Chesterfield athlete won 4-2 with a performance of focus and intelligence as Xu struggled to find attacking openings against Pitchford’s precise short game.

The final was a high-quality affair against a player who was recently world No 1 and who had to pull out his top form to see off Pitchford 4-2).

Pitchford said: “It’s a bit mixed emotions. It’s always disappointing to lose a final, but overall it’s been a massively positive tournament. It’s a massive step and the next step is to win one.”

“I had my chances in the final and maybe on another day it could have gone my way, but I made him play his best and pushed him to the limit.”

“Especially against the Chinese, you’ve got to mix up the play and I think I did that really well.”

“The fifth set was one of the best sets I’ve played and it was probably the same for him. That’s what you’ve got to do against these players and that’s the level I want to be at all the time.”

A day earlier, Pitchford & Paul Drinkhall became the first English pair to reach an ITTF World Tour doubles final, which they did as an unseeded pair.

Having come back from 2-0 down to defeat Serbia’s Marko Jevtovic & Zsolt Peto 3-2 in the preliminary round, they saw off Mohammed Abdulwahhab & Ahmad Khalil Al-Mohannadi of the host nation 3-0 in the last 16, following up with a 3-1 defeat of Lam Siu Hang & Ng Pak Nam of Hong Kong in the quarter-finals.

It was another pair from Hong Kong in the semis, second seeds Ho Kwan Kit & Wong Chun Ting, and the English pair withstood a comeback to seal a 3-2 victory which made them the first English pair to reach a doubles final since the World Tour began in 1996.

Standing in their way were Xu Xin & Ma Long of China, the No 1 pair in the world and No 1 and No 3 respectively in the singles rankings.

Drinkhall & Pitchford lost the first 11-8 but hit back by the same margin, but the Chinese pair stepped on the gas to win the next 11-1, and they completed a 3-1 victory by winning five points in a row from 6-6 in the next set.

Pitchford said: “We hadn’t played together for a while but I think we proved we’re the best pair together and now we’ll play a few more tournaments together and hopefully kick on.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure

Chesterfield FC Community Trust secures National League Trust grant

7th March 2020

Chesterfield FC Community Trust has secured funding from the National League Trust to support delivery of sports clubs in the community.

The project is aimed at engaging parts of the community that don’t always have the capacity to access sporting opportunities.

Keith Jackson, The Trust’s head of sport and activities, said: “It’s fantastic news that we have again secured funding from the National League.”

“This will enable us to increase our offer for those in deprived areas, those with disabilities and other hard to reach groups.”

“We owe a huge thanks to the National League Trust for supporting our project again.”

The recent Chesterfield FC match against Ebbsfleet United last weekend marked the Time to Change fixture for Chesterfield FC Community Trust. Time to Change is a nationwide campaign to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people who experience mental health problems.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Winners Revealed: Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards 2020

6th March 2020

Shining stars of the local tourism industry were announced at the prestigious Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards last night (5 March).

Designed to recognise and reward excellence in the area’s valuable £2.3 billion visitor economy, the awards brought together 31 finalists in 11 categories for a glittering ceremony at Buxton’s Grade II* listed Devonshire Dome.

Some of the Peak District and Derbyshire’s finest hotels, B&Bs, holiday parks, pubs, visitor attractions and experiences were amongst those recognised at the awards evening, which was organised by Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire with support from the University of Derby and the European Regional Development Fund.

Demonstrating the quality and diversity of the area’s tourism offer, awards were hotly contested and nominees progressed through shortlisting, mystery shopping and a rigorous judging process by panels of experts to arrive at last night’s much anticipated awards ceremony.

The evening was enhanced by a sparkling drinks reception which included tastings from White Peak Distillery, the area’s first full-scale craft distillery, and a three-course meal prepared by students from the University of Derby’s Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism.

Host James Berresford, former CEO of VisitEngland, congratulated finalists as Gold, Silver and Bronze award winners were announced, shining a spotlight on the best of the area’s visitor economy.

Gold award winners were each presented with a hand-crafted plaque sponsored by Derbyshire-based C W Sellors Fine Jewellery.

In a further boost, Gold winners will now represent the Peak District and Derbyshire at the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence on Tuesday 16 June in Hull.

Brendan Moffett, of sponsors the University of Derby, said: “We’re delighted to host this wonderful celebration of the area’s tourism industry at the prestigious Devonshire Dome in Buxton.”

“The University of Derby is keen to use our location at the heart of the Peak District to continue to support the growth of our excellent tourism businesses and develop the next generation of talent to meet future challenges, ensuring the industry can remain strong and competitive.”

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “It is our privilege to celebrate some of the talented businesses who offer that extra special service and experience for some of the Peak District and Derbyshire’s 42 million visitors each year.”

“All of our finalists are shining examples of quality, excellence and innovation. It is this emphasis on quality that keeps us firmly on the map as a world-class visitor destination. Congratulations to all our worthy winners and finalists!”

The Winners:

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award

GOLD: Hoe Grange Holidays, Brassington
Silver: Croft Bungalow Accessible Holiday Let, Birchover
Bronze: Hope Cross Cottage at Vicarage Farm, Wheston

B&B and Guest House of the Year

GOLD: Underleigh House, Hope
Silver: Grendon Bed & Breakfast, Buxton

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

GOLD: Landal Darwin Forest, Matlock
Silver: Hoe Grange Holidays, Brassington
Bronze: Hayfield Camping and Caravanning Club Site

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

GOLD: Hoe Grange Holidays, Brassington
Silver: The Devonshire Arms, Pilsley

Experience of the Year

GOLD: Pure Outdoor Ltd
Silver: Acclimbatize Ltd
Bronze: Live for the Hills Ltd

Hotel of the Year

GOLD: The Peacock at Rowsley
Silver: CASA Hotel, Chesterfield
Bronze: Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa, Chesterfield

New Tourism Business Award

GOLD: White Peak Distillery, Ambergate
Silver: myGuidedWalks Ltd
Bronze: Tagg Lane Dairy Ltd, Monyash

Pub of the Year

GOLD: The Prince of Wales Village Pub & Restaurant, Baslow
Silver: The Devonshire Arms, Beeley
Bronze: The Royal Oak, Hurdlow

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year

GOLD: Ashford Mill, Ashford-in-the-Water
Silver: Peak District Holidays Ltd, Matlock Bath
Bronze: Peak Venues – Redhurst Barn, Wetton

Taste of the Peak District & Derbyshire

GOLD: Fischer’s Baslow Hall
Silver: The Cavendish Hotel, Baslow
Bronze: The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop

Visitor Attraction of the Year

GOLD: Chatsworth
Silver: Matlock Farm Park
Bronze: Haddon Hall

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Summer, Visiting

Clarissa’s Interiors opens at Vicar Lane

6th March 2020

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is pleased to announce the opening of a brand-new independent pop-up shop at the centre.

Clarissa’s Interiors is run by mother and daughter team Jayne and Clare. They started out in 2016, making hand crafted glass jars and lanterns with floral designs and animals as well as creating bespoke designs for customers. They sold these on a stall at Chesterfield’s Thursday market, which was followed by a gazebo at Vicar Lane on a Saturday. This worked in tandem with them working the local country show and event circuit, so the pop-up shop is the next step in their exciting venture.

The store is located opposite CEX and sells a range of home interiors / home décor collections. These include Clare’s hand-crafted items along with beautiful items for the home – from mirrors, and clocks, to wall art, cushions, lamps, occasional chairs and tables, small accessories, candles, ornaments and more.

The store is open from 9am – 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager, Vicar Lane said, “We’re very pleased to be able to support yet another young, local business spread their wings and grow, in the heart of Chesterfield and are very excited to see the range of products on offer at Clarissa’s Interiors.’’

Click here to find out more about Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

New exhibition to showcase people, possessions and perceptions at Chatsworth

5th March 2020

A new exhibition will present some of the fascinating figures that have shaped Chatsworth’s past and present over the centuries, by placing their portraits alongside key objects that both illuminate their story and influence perceptions about Chatsworth.

Life Stories traces the lives of friends, artists, politicians and others associated with Chatsworth. Running from 21 March to 4 October, the exhibition pairs portraits and objects, inviting visitors to look closer and meet the many faces of Chatsworth.

Artists Lucian Freud and Angela Conner, the playwright Tom Stoppard, the poet Sir John Betjeman, and ceramicist Natasha Daintry are paired in new and unexpected ways. Objects such as the abandoned paints used by Freud on an unfinished work found in the Sabine Bathroom are used to illustrate their relationship to Chatsworth.

Famous names and objects, Devonshire family members, and staff such as cellarman Edmund Marsden invite visitors to look again at works in the Collection. Founder Bess of Hardwick’s portrait is shown with a modern reproduction of her necklace of 1000 pearls, footage recreating the moment film star Adele Astaire met her future family introduces moments of humour and humanity, while new pieces of jewellery by contemporary artist Tarka Kings are inspired by Chatsworth’s collection of portrait miniatures.

Dr Alexandra Hodby, Curator of Exhibitions & Engagement, Chatsworth said: “We wanted to make the famous faces seen all around Chatsworth more human and easier to relate to – to reduce the distance that their name or the grand setting can sometimes create. In the end, they are human beings like the rest of us and by linking them to a very personal object we make it easier to understand them as people and the impact, great or small, they have had on Chatsworth over the years,”

Click here to find out more about the Life Stories Exhibition

Skin Deep by Natasha Daintry © Natasha Daintry © The Devonshire Collections, Chatsworth. Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield FC Women appoint General Manager

5th March 2020

Gabrielle Salomon has been named as the new general manager of Chesterfield FC Women.

Gabrielle, who is involved with the Sport Policy Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University, will oversee the day to day running of the organisation and take the lead on all off-the-pitch matters.

She holds an MSc in Sport Management and is studying for a PhD, investigating the impacts diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives have on gender equality in football workplaces.

Commenting on her new role, Gabrielle said: “I’m excited to join Chesterfield FC Women as this club experienced a lot of great progress both on and off the pitch over recent seasons.”

“There is a strong dynamic around the club’s operations and incredible work planned for the future.”

Michael Noon, Chesterfield FC Women’s chairman and first-team manager, added: “We are delighted to have been able to attract somebody of Gabi’s calibre to come and work with us. ”

“Gabi’s knowledge and experience will be invaluable and she will play a key role in developing the women’s set up even further.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home, Leisure

Chesterfield Festival of Cricket Vitality Blast tickets now on sale

3rd March 2020

Tickets for the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket Vitality Blast fixture in June are now on sale.

The Derbyshire Falcons return to Queen’s Park on Saturday 20 June to face the Yorkshire Vikings as part of the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket.

The fixture was a complete sell out in both 2018 and 2019, with similar demand expected for 2020.

Prior to the visit of the Vikings, Derbyshire will face Worcestershire in a County Championship match at the picturesque Queen’s Park to begin the week-long Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, in association with Chesterfield Borough Council.

Derbyshire will face the Yorkshire Vikings in the newly-structured Royal London Cup at Queen’s Park in Chesterfield on Sunday 26th July. The List A visit by Yorkshire will be the sixth day of cricket in Chesterfield next summer.

Derbyshire County Cricket Club celebrates its 150^th anniversary in 2020 and will play 17 days of home weekend and Bank Holiday cricket in 2020, with all but one home County Championship match spanning a weekend.

Click here to find out more about the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket

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

Chesterfield’s Liam Pitchford is double national champion again

3rd March 2020

Liam Pitchford is the national Men’s Singles Champion for the sixth time after successfully defending his title at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships.

The Chesterfield star beat fellow Olympian and second seed Paul Drinkhall in the final, recovering from 2-0 down to fight back and win 4-2.

The title moved him joint second on the all-time list, level with Drinkhall, Alan Cooke (also from Chesterfield) and Denis Neale, though still five behind the legendary Desmond Douglas.

Top seed Pitchford said: “It feels amazing. I’m on the same amount as plenty of good players, so the next step is to keep winning.”

“At the start I don’t think I played that bad. He was playing really well. Even throughout the whole match I think we both kept a good level. I had a bit of luck at the end of the fifth set and it can change matches. It was a few points here or there today and it went my way.”

Pitchford had earlier defeated another Rio Olympian, third seed Sam Walker, 4-1 in the semi-finals.

He was given a tough match by Junior national champion Ethan Walsh in the last 16, twice trailing before coming back to win 4-2, while his quarter-final was a more straightforward 4-0 margin over seventh seed Helshan Weerasinghe.

In the Men’s Doubles, Commonwealth Games gold medallists Pitchford & Drinkhall won the title for the seventh time, missing a match point in the third game but eventually getting past Walker & Tom Jarvis 3-2.

Pitchford has little time to enjoy his triumph, however, as he is competing at the Qatar Open this week.

Photo credit: Alan Man

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure

Route confirmed for 2020 Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon

2nd March 2020

Organisers of the 2020 Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon have confirmed the route for this year’s race.

Download the Chesterfield Half Marathon Route

Download the Chesterfield 5 Mile Route

Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon Guide

Chesterfield Half Marathon Road Closures

The race begins in the Park, before runners head through the town centre to be cheered on by the crowds in the market square and looping around the town’s famous crooked spire and southwards onto the A617.

Runners will then get the unique opportunity of not only running along the dual carriageway, but on right-hand side of the road, before heading towards Hasland Road and coming back towards the town centre, passing the halfway point in Hasland.

The runners will then have another chance to lap up the atmosphere of the busy crowds as they head back towards the town centre, past headline sponsors Redbrik Estate Agents, the town hall and out onto Chatsworth Road. They then then head towards event charity partner Ashgate Hospicecare, before looping back onto Chatsworth Road and heading for the finish line in Queens Park.

The 1km Fun Run will also take place during the main event in Queen’s Park.

John Timms, Event Director at Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, said: “We’re delighted to confirm the route for this year’s Half Marathon.”

“Following feedback from runners, Chesterfield Borough Council and event partners, we’re building on the route to not only provide an enhanced experience for our runners, but also provide easier movement for traffic, to keep the people of Chesterfield moving around the town as much as possible.”

“It also offers more opportunities for people to come and watch the event, with more time spent in the town centre and Queen’s Park. Friends and family can easily see runners a few times within walking distance of the start.”

“We’re really excited about this year’s event and we can’t wait until it starts.”

Entries remain open for the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, which is being held in aid of Ashgate Hospicecare, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and countless other good causes.

Enter the Chesterfield Half Marathon

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield FC ‘Time to Change’ fixture raises awareness

29th February 2020

The Chesterfield FC match against Ebbsfleet United last weekend marked the Time to Change fixture for Chesterfield FC Community Trust.

Time to Change is a nationwide campaign to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people who experience mental health problems.

Statistically, one in four people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Participants from the Trust’s A Spire Right programme volunteered their time to engage with supporters at the Ebbsfleet game by giving leaflets out that focused on three points:

1. They are the same person as you. When someone tells you they have a mental health problem, don’t treat them differently.

2. Don’t just talk listen. Showing you are paying attention can make the world of difference.

3. Be careful with your language. Making a joke of someone’s mental health can be really isolating.

Andrea Parkinson, the Trust’s senior education and wellbeing officer, says: “There are two main fixtures at the Proact Stadium every season that focus on mental health and suicide prevention.”

“Dedicating matchdays to try and end the stigma regarding mental health is very important for our community and it also works alongside the messages we deliver on our mental health courses.”

“The participants gain from engaging with supporters and it is also a great way of raising awareness of our mental health projects.”

For more information regarding the health and wellbeing courses, please email andreaparkinson@spireitestrust.org.uk

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Visiting