Chesterfield Museum is currently working with a number of local organisations in order to put together an exhibition that conveys different experiences of ‘Chesterfield in Lockdown’.
The Museum team are appealing to the local community to get in touch with stories, memories, images and items that express their experiences during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Organisers hope that by working with local people, community groups and organisations, residents can come together to share memories of lockdown and isolation.
They are also keen to include the stories of key workers who have kept Chesterfield and the UK going during this unprecedented crisis.
There are three main areas of the upcoming exhibition which the team are seeking submissions for:
Photographs
Images that you’ve taken on your mobile or with your camera during this time or anything that you feel is an image of ‘Lockdown in Chesterfield’ (signs, queues, empty parks or streets)
Images of what has helped you cope with Lockdown (nature, your garden, cooking, reading, screenshots of chats with friends and family online).
Items & Keepsakes
Artworks, pictures, paintings, models, textiles – any projects that you’ve embraced and focused on. For example, all the rainbows created.
Items and objects that will always remind you of this time / period such as home-made mask, walking shoes, toilet roll, bottle of hand gel
Stories and Thoughts
Your thoughts about the past six months and ‘Lockdown’ expressed through diary extracts, blogs, poems, letters, emails.
Anecdotes & little stories of some of the things you’ve experienced.
After successfully reopening gyms, swimming pools and fitness classes, Chesterfield Borough Council is pleased to announce that squash courts and 3G pitches will be re-opening to the public from Tuesday 1 September.
Initially those customers who had regular bookings prior to closure will have the opportunity to continue their booking, which will be open to new customers once existing customers have had the opportunity to confirm their bookings. If you are an existing customer, the leisure team will contact you directly.
Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt cabinet member for health and wellbeing said: “Lots of people get their weekly exercise from playing squash or five a side football and it’s really important that we can help people exercise more by restarting these sports at our facilities.”
In order to safely reopen these facilities, the council has followed industry specific advice issued by England Squash and the English Football Association. As part of the restrictions for reopening, you can only play with people in your household or social bubble. You must also bring your own equipment in order to play.
Booking can be made by calling Queen’s Park Sports Centre on 01246 345555, emailing qpscenquiries@chesterfield.gov.uk or for squash using the online booking system here(opens in new tab).
The Plastic Free Chesterfield community group are encouraging Chesterfield people to join the Refill Revolution and bring their reusable water bottle, coffee cup or container to fill up on the go, rather than buying a single-use alternative.
With the school holidays, staycations and summer day trips in full swing as lockdown has eased, a new Summer of Refills campaign to help cut down on litter has been unveiled.
In the town, you can refill at more than 20 venues including Bottle & Thyme, Fred’s Haberdashery, The Cheese Factor, Stephensons Tea and Coffee House and Chesterfield High Street Award nominee Steph’s Sustainable Stuff. Plastic Free Chesterfield is highlighting a different business a day on their social media channels.
Simon Davidson, Owner of The Cheese Factor, said: “The Cheese Factor is joining the Summer of Refills campaign so people can start to help the planet by refilling containers not throwing them away!”
Steph Mannion of Steph’s Sustainable Stuff said: “I’m taking part in the Summer of Refills campaign to help the people of Chesterfield reduce their dependence on single-use plastics. Bringing their own containers for food, toiletries and cleaning products can save money and cut down on waste.”
Greg Hewitt, Community Lead of Plastic Free Chesterfield, said: “As the public get back out and about, enjoying their summer holidays, I hope they will choose to reuse and bring a reusable water bottle, coffee cup or container with them. We can all join together to make a difference and reduce single use in our community.”
The list of all Chesterfield businesses taking part can be found here.
On 29 August, local runner David Smith intends to run 92 miles in under 24 hours to raise money for the Chesterfield Canal Trust.
The canal runs for 46 miles from Chesterfield to the River Trent and he will run there and back in a day, the equivalent of 3 and a half marathons.
David is a Life Member of the Trust and will be raising money for its 2027 Appeal Fund. This aims to complete the restoration of the canal by 2027 which will be the 250th Anniversary of its opening.
He will set off from Chesterfield in the afternoon of Saturday 29th August. Having run through the night, he will be aiming to get back early on the Sunday afternoon.
David is no stranger to long distance running, nor to raising money for good causes.
Already a keen runner, when he moved to Chesterfield in 1994 he began looking for running routes and it wasn’t long before he came across the canal. Back then it was just a grassy track, but over the years he has seen what a great job the Trust has done helping to restore the canal.
After a while, various family events led him into fundraising and he started running to raise money for a variety of causes, most notably Ashgate Hospicecare and the MS Society; David’s wife has MS. In 2014, David’s grandson was stillborn and this pushed him to a new level, raising money for two babies’ charities – SANDS and Tommy’s.
David often runs in fancy dress carrying a collection bucket (see below) and has competed in events from 5K to 400K, raising over £100,000 in the process. Weather permitting, he will run in full Scooby Doo attire.
during the coronavirus pandemic. David carried on running in his back garden and later round Derbyshire but not raising much money. He had always wanted to tackle the Cuckoo Way – the official name for the canal towpath.
David said: “Over the weeks of lockdown the Canal has become a vital resource allowing walkers and cyclists to experience its beauty as they exercise. It’s important we ensure the brilliant efforts of the Trust volunteers are allowed to continue so the canal can be fully restored for even more people to enjoy.”
Rod Auton, Chesterfield Canal Trust Publicity Officer, said: “We were blown away when David got in touch with this incredible proposal. A few people have walked the full length of the canal in about 16 hours, but to run it there and back in a day is mind-boggling.”
He added: “We hope that the public will get behind David and contribute to our 2027 Appeal. It would be fantastic to see boats sailing into Chesterfield having come all the way from the river Trent. We’d certainly like to see David on the first boat – hopefully it will have been an easier, but slower, passage!”
If you would like to support David or the Canal Trust, you can visit the Chesterfield Canal Trust website or visit David’s Crowdfunder page. Alternatively, you can send a cheque to the Chesterfield Canal Trust, Hollingwood Hub, 22 Works Road, Chesterfield, S43 2PF.
Chesterfield Canal Trust supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
The erection of the structural steelwork frame for Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre marks a major milestone in the development’s progress.
Work on the site has been progressing safely through the Coronavirus pandemic with work on the foundations beginning in April and now the steelwork is being erected, which means that the new Enterprise Centre is on track to be completed and will be a key contributor to the town’s economic recovery.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, who visited the site said: “This is both an exciting and an important development for Chesterfield, and I’m pleased that work is continuing to progress despite the current challenges.”
“This Enterprise Centre is key to ensuring that Chesterfield remains a thriving borough and will create lots of new opportunities for local businesses and people, supporting the sustainability of the town centre.”
The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is an important development in Chesterfield’s post-Coronavirus economic recovery plans. It is also a key part of the plan to regenerate this key area of the town and to ensure the town continues to thrive.
Robert Woodhead Limited’s Project Manager, Daniel Cove, said: “Our current works on site centre around the installation of the steel frame and are expected to be completed within the next two weeks. This will then allow us to bring back the ground workers, install the lift pit, the underground tanking and the perimeter blockwork to allow for the installation of the ground floor slab. We are also expecting to receive delivery of the pre-cast concrete stair and the composite metal decking at the end of August to allow for the installation of the roof and expect to be watertight by mid-October.
“We are working with local companies on this project, the ground worker we have contracted for the works is DJ Newbury who employ a number of Chesterfield residents. Going forward we hope to engage with local supply chains for a number of trades including dry lining, flooring and painting and decorating.”
Andrew Dabbs, Board Director at Whittam Cox Architects, said: “As a local practice we are delighted to see progress being made on site.”
“The Enterprise Centre is an important part of the Northern Gateway regeneration in Chesterfield, providing a new and unique commercial offer which is designed to be a catalyst for further investment and development.”
As well as providing high quality facilities for businesses wanting to locate in the town centre, the architecture will provide a new contemporary landmark which will enrich the urban fabric of the town. This building is further evidence that Chesterfield can deliver its ambition and realise a building fit for a long and sustainable future.
Scheduled for completion in Spring 2021, the new building will provide 32 high-quality offices in a range of sizes (26 to 120 square metres) over three floors. It offers a shared reception and lobby area, meeting rooms, first floor break out area, bicycle store, shower and changing facilities, air conditioning throughout, lift access, internal bin store, kitchenettes on each floor for use by occupants, individually metered power supplies, access control to all office doors, CCTV coverage to internal communal areas and external area. IT fibre connection into building with maximum speed multi bandwidth and WIFI is provided throughout.
Office space is offered on easy in and out letting terms and tenants at the Enterprise Centre will also benefit from access to a range of other council services and venues, including business support and corporate rates for leisure passes, parking permits and conferencing facilities.
With its town centre location, the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is easily accessible by car, train, bus and cycle users. It’s situated opposite the new Saltergate multi-story car park and close to all major bus routes and Chesterfield Train station.
The building has been designed to have sustainability principles at its heart, minimising its impact on the environment and achieving considerable efficiencies in energy use.
The new centre is an important addition to Chesterfield Borough Council’s commercial property portfolio and will hopefully be a key component in Chesterfield’s post COVID 19 recovery.
The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre project has benefited from grant funding support from the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund.
Chesterfield Borough Council’s museum’s team have been busy planning a series of digital events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of V-J Day and the end of World War Two, and a range of online summer holiday activities. There are lots of great activities for the whole family to get involved in.
V-J Day – 75th Anniversary
Chesterfield Borough Council will be commemorating the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) by launching an exclusive video on the Chesterfield Museum Facebook page.
V-J Day takes place on Saturday 15 August and the Museum have partnered with History’s Maid to develop a video that commemorates this day and the soldiers who tragically lost their lives in the Pacific campaign.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “Our virtual VE Day celebrations were a great success and I’m pleased to be able to announce a similar selection of events and activities to help commemorate the anniversary of V-J Day.”
The video, along with activities for viewers to download, will be released via Facebook at 11am on Saturday 15 August. It will provide some important background to V-J Day including how it marked the end of World War Two. The video and activities will remain on the website for people to view and download.
Chesterfield Museum’s main exhibition this summer was going to be ‘Put That Light Out!’ which would explore the home front in Chesterfield during World War II, including rationing, holidays at home, the Women’s Voluntary Service and the Home Guard.
In order to bring this exhibition to life on a digital platform, the Museum will be running three online videos which aim to tell the story of everyday life during World War Two.
The videos will be available on the Chesterfield Museum Facebook page at 11am on three consecutive Mondays starting from 17 August.
Councillor Kate Sarvent continued: “I’m delighted that the Chesterfield Museum is able to make these videos available online, as it’s so important that we remind ourselves and teach our children and young people about what life was like during World War Two. The Chesterfield Museum website also has a selection of activities including some brilliant arts and crafts that will help young people connect with history and understand the impact of World War Two.”
The first video focusses on evacuation and you will learn about the role of an evacuation officer, how it felt to send her own children away and will discover what ‘operation pied piper’ was. You will also find out how gas masks influenced women’s hair styles, the meaning behind ‘saucepans for spitfires’ and how the blitz affected Chesterfield.
On the 24 August you can learn how rationing changed the lives of local people when it was introduced in January 1940, find out what was in weekly rations and some of the hints and tips that were popular at the time to make rations go further.
It will also look at ‘dig for victory’ and how this encouraged everyone to become vegetable gardeners and grow their own produce anywhere, even on the top of Anderson shelters. There is also a special look at the incredible work done in supplying food for the country by the Women’s Land Army during World War Two.
The final video in the series will be released on Monday 31 August and will explore why clothes rationing was introduced when materials were scarce and why this meant that boys wore shorts all year round no matter the weather. People were also encouraged to repair clothes and recycle old fabric, creating an overall message of waste not, want not.
The series of three video will be released on Facebook, www.facebook.com/chesterfieldmuseum, and the selection of activities that will help young people connect with history and understand the impact of World War Two can be accessed here: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/museum from Saturday 15 August.
Derbyshire Distillery’s gins have picked up a hat trick of awards at the London Spirits Competition.
Three of the Chesterfield based distillery’s gins were awarded silver and bronze medals, an impressive result for a company that has been distilling for just over two years.
Chesterfield Dry, the company’s first gin, and their premium gin, Derbyshire Master Blend, were awarded silver medals, with Chesterfield Mojito taking bronze.
The judging panel comprised spirits industry experts, with commercial buying responsibility, which ensured that all spirits selected as winners in the competition were exactly the types of spirits that are favoured by both the spirits trade and the end consumer. The London Spirits Competition awards panel considered three main elements of each spirit, quality, value and packaging to come to their final decision.
Commenting on the company’s success at the competition, head distiller David Hemstock said: “We are delighted that our gins have again been recognised by an independent judging panel, which this time were evaluating a wide range of spirits from around the world.”
“From day one we have enjoyed positive feedback from our customers, but to win these latest awards endorses our hard work and reinforces our commitment to producing consistently smooth, drinkable gins.”
Derbyshire Distillery was established in 2018 with a simple aim: to produce fantastic gins, vodkas and liqueurs using the best local and international ingredients and fresh, cool Derbyshire water.
The area’s official tourist board is encouraging local communities to show their support for food and drink businesses in the Peak District and Derbyshire by making use of the Government’s new ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme which launches today.
The nationwide scheme aims to protect jobs in the hospitality industry and incentivise customers to dine out by offering a 50% discount up to a maximum of £10 per person on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at participating establishments throughout August.
Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire says the scheme is a great way not only for local people to rediscover the great food and drink on their doorstep, but also to show their support for local tourism and hospitality businesses which were closed during lockdown.
The Peak District and Derbyshire’s visitor economy supports over 30,000 jobs and it is hoped that ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ will provide a much-needed boost by increasing customer confidence and helping local businesses on the road to recovery.
Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, says: “The Eat Out to Help Out scheme presents the perfect opportunity to welcome customers back after a very challenging few months and we urge everyone to show their support for local pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels by dining out and enjoying the Peak District and Derbyshire’s fantastic food and drink offer.
“Our businesses have worked exceptionally hard to reopen their sit-down services in line with government guidelines and not only is the scheme a great excuse for a weekday treat, it’s also going to be pivotal in building customer confidence and helping the hospitality industry to successfully get back on its feet.”
Dom Stevens added: “The Chancellor’s support for the sector is particularly welcome at this time however, we must all ensure we continue to support hospitality businesses beyond the eat out to help out scheme. With the hospitality sector now fully re-open, the town now has a real opportunity to capitalise on the staycation boom and drive forward its economic recovery.”
Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy added: “The re-opening of these businesses is vital for our local economy and will help ensure the longevity of the many brilliant establishments in our borough.”
Tens of thousands of families are benefiting from a unique scheme designed to help them enjoy savings when they spend money in their local economy.
Heron Publications, the family-run company behind four long-established local community magazines, is delivering 52,000 loyalty cards to readers who can use them to enjoy a range of savings and incentives offered by local businesses, month after month.
The scheme is completely free for residents and businesses alike with no hidden charges or membership fees.
Each month, listings of where cards can be shown to make savings will appear in the free distribution ‘Dronfield Eye’, ‘Twist’, ‘Active8’ and ‘Wings’ publications.
Director Mike Firth (below) said: “We are an independent business ourselves, so know only too well the pressures almost all local companies are under at this time. We wanted to do something that would make a difference in our communities and this scheme is already paying dividends for our readers and for shops and services.”
“Hundreds of businesses feature in the pages of our publications each and every month, but this scheme is open to absolutely every local tradesman, shopkeeper, restaurant owner and more.
“It’s the closest thing to our communities issuing their own currency.”
The scheme is been supported by Chesterfield Borough Council, Dronfield Town Council, Wingerworth Parish Council and South Yorkshire Police.
For further information, call Heron Publications on 01246 416027.
Chesterfield Borough Council will be hosting a virtual Medieval Fun Day on Tuesday 28th July, with talks and videos available throughout the day on the Chesterfield Museum Facebook page.
The virtual Medieval Fun Day will take place on Tuesday 28 July, the day when this ever-popular annual event had been due to be held in Chesterfield town centre. Unfortunately, this year’s event has been cancelled due to the current Coronavirus pandemic.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “I know many people were disappointed to hear that the Medieval Fun Day had been cancelled but the museum team have worked hard to enable everyone to access a range of Fun Day activities online where people can learn more about Chesterfield’s history.”
The event will start with a video that looks back at previous Medieval Fun Days and all the exciting acts over the years including the roaring dragon and the unforgettable court jester.
Charlotte, who is part of the front of house team at the museum will talk about what life was like for people living in medieval Chesterfield and an actor playing the part of a medieval executioner has recorded a special video that will help people learn more about crime and punishment in medieval Chesterfield; how law breakers were burned, maimed and disembowelled, what the Scolds Bridle was used for and the dreaded ‘jig of death’.
Maria Barnes, who is one of the museum’s collections officers will also give a short talk on some of our medieval objects, including the fascinating history of the builder’s wheel that was used to construct the Church of St Mary and All Saints (Crooked Spire).
During previous Medieval Fun Days local re-enactors have set up camp in the churchyard. The team will therefore be sharing some great pictures of the Thomas Stanley Retinue re-enactors, which will bring to life the various weapons and armour used in the medieval period.
As well as all these great talks there is also got a selection of brilliant craft activities put together by STEAMWORKS. These include guides to making a salt dough castle, model catapults, some fabulous golden goblets fit for any medieval monarch and a jesters’ hat.
There’s plenty to keep you entertained as activities are scheduled throughout the day so make sure you visit www.Facebook.com/ChesterfieldMuseum from 9.30am and join in the fun. All videos released as part of the Medieval Fun Day will stay on the Chesterfield Museum Facebook page for you to watch at your convenience.
Chesterfield FC Community Trust has launched Camp Inspire to help youngsters prepare for a return to school in September.
Based in the HUB at the Technique Stadium, the health & wellbeing camp has been designed to improve the physical health and social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people.
Running until Friday 28th August, Camp Inspire is centred around the five ways to wellbeing.
There are Camp Inspire Connect sessions for 4-10-year-olds and a Camp Inspire Activate programme for those aged 10-17.
Scott Atkinson, the Trust’s head of education and wellbeing, explained the thinking behind Camp Inspire: “Our community partners have told us there’s a clear need for this type of summer holiday provision.”
“It’s open to all but we are looking to identify funding to pay for places for disadvantaged children.”
“We’re working with local schools and local authorities to identify those children who are most in need.”
“We would welcome support from local businesses who are interested in sponsoring places for vulnerable children.”
The Camp Inspire sessions run from 8:30am to 5:30pm with early drop-off and late pick-up available ant a cost of £2 per half hour.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Preference cookies are used to store user preferences to provide content that is customized and convenient for the users, like the language of the website or the location of the visitor.
