“Is this a buzzard?” asks John F-S, who sent us this photo yesterday morning (click to enlarge it). Ornithologists of Parwich, over to you…
Archive for February, 2009
Spotted in Parwich this week…
Posted in Ornithology, Photography on Saturday February 28, 2009| 2 Comments »
Parwich against Preston – Ladies’ football.
Posted in History, Sport on Friday February 27, 2009| Leave a Comment »
“In the course of some rather aimless surfing the web” (his words!), Christopher came across a poster advertising a football match between Parwich Ladies and Preston Ladies, as part of the Shrewsbury Hospitals’ Carnival in 1938.
Presumably, this referred to a ladies’ football team from Parwich hospital. Does anyone know anything more about it?
Christopher Harrison’s licensing and installation.
Posted in 2009, Church, News, People, Photography, Posts of Note on Thursday February 26, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Thanks to John F-S for sending us this report:
Fifty or so of Chris Harrison’s former parishioners boarded a Warrington’s coach on Sunday afternoon to attend ‘The licensing by the Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham and Installation by the Archdeacon of Nottingham of the Reverend Christopher Harrison as Priest-in-Charge’.
The installation was an impressive service sustained by beautiful music and singing in one of Chris’s three new parish churches. Afterwards we were generously entertained to tea and cakes. We left feeling that Chris has a huge, exciting and demanding task ahead of him – we look forward to seeing him from time to time when he returns ‘home’ for a bit of refreshing country air.
Film night this Friday.
Posted in Events, Films on Thursday February 26, 2009| Leave a Comment »
A message from Oxfam in Ashbourne.
Posted in Uncategorized on Thursday February 26, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Did you, or anyone you know purchase a dinner/tea service from Oxfam in Ashbourne? If so, then you will have noticed that one cup is incorrect.
If you can reply to lynnpoppy@live.co.uk or re-visit the shop, then your correct, matching cup can be handed to you.
Stop! It’s Stunner time!
Posted in News on Wednesday February 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »
You can buy it in the Sycamore, you can browse it online, and you can skim our pick of this week’s stories from today’s Ashbourne News Telegraph right here:
Pages 1 to 3: Down’ard’s Revenge: A lenthy report on Ashbourne’s “most exciting Shrovetide game for years”.
Page 7: Cutting bike road deaths: monitoring equipment is being installed various stretches of road, including the A515 from Ashbourne to Alsop-en-le-Dale.
Page 14: Debbie W’s volunteering column returns, with a report on Parwich school’s new gardening project. The column is headed by a cheery colour photo of Debbie with Parwich’s head teacher Caroline Rodgers and school student Lexie L. (Oh, and thanks for plugging PARWICH.ORG, Debbie!)
Page 14: Cinema group step up a gear: A positive report on the film programme at Ashbourne’s Empire Ballroom makes particular mention of the impressive turn-out for Mamma Mia – a film which turned out to be Parwich’s own box-office blockbuster!
Page 18: The Acknowledgements section contains a message of thanks from Gladys, following the funeral of William (John) Myers at St. Peter’s Church on February 10th.
Page 47: Parwich Legion’s darts team scored a 5-4 win against the Royal Oak, Wetton, and the Legion’s A team beat the Shire Horse by the same amount. Parwich Legion are currently placed fifth in Division One, and Parwich Legion A are sixth in Division Four.
If we’ve missed anything, please tell us!
Lent Lunch – Tomorrow
Posted in Church on Wednesday February 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Don´t forget the Lent Lunch that is being held at Church Farm, Creamery Lane (Andrew & Rachel) tomorrow from 12.30pm. Enjoy some cheese, pate and bread – all in aid of the Church improvement fund.
An opportunity to catch up with the local news, with friends and help the Church repairs.
Police Newsletter – March 2009
Posted in Police on Wednesday February 25, 2009| 2 Comments »
Update from your local Officer, March 2009.
We have a few bits to report this month. A couple of crimes, a road traffic collision, a bit of nuisance, and a very enjoyable evening.
Overnight on the 29th January 2009, the Bentley Brook Inn was broken into and items stolen. Some of the stolen property was found abandoned at Cubley. Staffordshire have also suffered a number of burglaries, and car crimes that are similar to ours. We have had some extra patrols out, at the same time as Staffs Police, to try and combat this and gain intelligence and trace possible offenders. (more…)
To Bean or not to Bean – Broadly Speaking!
Posted in Opinion on Tuesday February 24, 2009| 1 Comment »
Apologies for the title of the post and my personal use of the blog but…
I’ve recently experienced a strange craving for broad beans (I’m not pregnant by the way). As it’s not bean season, I was wondering if anyone knew of a source of good quality, small, tasty and tender frozen broad beans, ideally with skins off (as I’m rather lazy at the moment).
I did grow some myself last year, they were OK but not great and the crop wasn’t sufficient to enable me to freeze my own. Does anyone have any tips for me for this year? Is there a certain variety that’s better than others (keeping in mind that flavour and tenderness are of great importance to me and I pick them young)? Should they be in rows, on a pyramid or in a square. Can they be grown well in pots? Is there any way to avoid all the insect things without chemicals (other than washing them off with a water spray)? How import is regular feeding?
All answers ideas gratefully received.
Live blues in Hulland Ward this Friday.
Posted in Events, Music, Out & About on Tuesday February 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Lovers of blues music should be interested in a concert which is taking place at Hulland Ward’s village hall on Friday (February 27th).
The Daniel Smith Blues Band are a highly regarded outfit, who have picked up accolades from BBC Radio 2, The Guardian and the national blues press.
Parwich’s favourite country pub – Heat 4 of 4.
Posted in Out & About, Pub on Tuesday February 24, 2009| 1 Comment »
(What’s this all about, then? Click here to find out more…)
For our fourth and final regional heat, you are invited to select your favourites from 14 country pubs in the North West area.
Please tick as many pubs as you like, before pressing the VOTE button.
The three pubs with the highest number of votes will proceed to our grand final.
Voting in the second heat (South East zone) is now complete. Our three finalists from this heat are:
- The Barley Mow, Kirk Ireton.
- The Red Lion, Hognaston.
- Ye Olde Gate Inn, Brassington.
Voting for the third heat (South West zone) remains open until this Friday, February 27th.
What do you think of the blog?
Posted in About this site on Tuesday February 24, 2009| 7 Comments »
Dear blog readers,
As many of you know, we have been blogging for nearly a year now. We went “live” to the world at large in March 2008. We tend to get about 10,000 to 15,000 hits a month with a high of 20,671 hits in December last year (when Tom Chambers was dancing his socks off). We know who some of our readers are as we have comments posted on the site by people both in and outside our catchment area of Parwich, Alsop, Ballidon and Pikehall. But we would like to know more about our readers, who and where they are and what they do and don’t like on the blog. (more…)
Lent Lunch this Thursday.
Posted in Church, Events on Monday February 23, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Come and join in the informal lent lunch this Thursday, 26th February at Andrew & Rachel’s house: Church Farm in Creamery Lane.
Pate, Cheese & Bread is on the menu.
If you know that you are definitely coming, please let Rachel know to help with catering (206).
Or if it’s a last minute decision, then just come along anyway.
This is all part of the fund raising project for vital Church repairs.
Oddfellows Quiz Night – 11th March
Posted in Events, Oddfellows, Pub on Sunday February 22, 2009| Leave a Comment »
A forth coming date to note in your diary…
Parwich Oddfellows are hosting a quiz night at the Sycamore on Wednesday 11th March.
It’s at 8pm for an 8.30pm start, with nibbles being provided at half time.
Entry is £1 per person and funds raised will go towards the St George’s Day Parade (see previous post), to be held on the 26th April.
Everyone is welcome!
Weekly weather update
Posted in Weather on Sunday February 22, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Thanks to the weatherman on the hill for last weeks weather readings, which are:
|
|
Rainfall in mm |
Pressure in Mb am |
Pressure in Mb pm |
Temperature in ºC |
|
|
Max |
Min |
||||
|
Sun 15th |
0 |
1025 |
1024 |
7.1 |
1.8 |
|
Mon 16th |
0 |
1025 |
1022 |
11.0 |
5.2 |
|
Tue 17th |
0 |
1022 |
1024 |
10.1 |
5.4 |
|
Wed 18th |
0 |
1025 |
1024 |
9.0 |
6.1 |
|
Thurs 19th |
0 |
1025 |
1025 |
8.4 |
2.7 |
|
Fri 20th |
0 |
1028 |
1029 |
9.7 |
1.4 |
|
Sat 21st |
0 |
1028 |
1026 |
8.7 |
4.2 |
|
Total |
0 |
|
Average |
9.1 |
3.8 |
School newsletter
Posted in School on Saturday February 21, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Panto time!
Posted in Arts, Events on Friday February 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Dave Woolley, Val Stevenson and Nia Linnell would like to invite all would-be thespians to a meeting in the pub at 7pm on Friday 27th February.
It has been a long time since there was a village production and it is our intention to `write` and produce a suitable play starring those willing to make a fool of themselves!
Secondary age school children are also invited.
Rehearsals will only be held at the weekends and it is intended that there will be 2 or 3 performances mid-May.
Monies made from the sale of the tickets and half time refreshments will go towards the Memorial Hall Rebuild Fund.
If you can’t attend on Friday but are interested in having a part, or even working backstage, please can you let one of us know so we can bear you in mind for casting.
Where do you buy your heating oil?
Posted in Oil, Services on Friday February 20, 2009| 19 Comments »
Just after filling my oil tank a while back, I had two very irritating conversations. One with Nia, who said that her man in Leek charges 5p per litre less then Halso and Peak Oil. And one with Jane B who said that, whenever they are quoted a price per litre by Halso or Peak Oil, they always haggle and get a reduction. I felt I had paid over the odds.
So, please tell me – where do you get your oil? Does anyone have a cheap(er) supplier? Do you always shop around and, if so, who tends to be cheaper? Do you always haggle and get the pence-per-litre price knocked down and, if so, by how much? Who has had the price reduced by the most? If you get a good price next time you buy, put it on the blog so we can all jump on the bandwagon and get hold of some cheaper oil. This information would be useful for everyone in the village who heats their house and water with oil.
Parwich’s favourite country pub – Heat 3 of 4.
Posted in Out & About, Pub on Friday February 20, 2009| 1 Comment »
(What’s this all about, then? Click here to find out more…)
For our third heat, the spotlight falls upon twelve country pubs in the South West zone.
Please tick as many pubs as you like, before pressing the VOTE button.
The three pubs with the highest number of votes will proceed to our grand final.
Voting in the first heat (North East zone) is now complete. Our three finalists from this heat are:
- The Bowling Green, Winster.
- The Druid, Birchover.
- The Duke of York, Elton.
Voting for the second heat (South East zone) remains open until next Tuesday, February 24th.
Over 60’s 2009 Programme.
Posted in Societies on Friday February 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »
- April, Tuesday 14th – Bridgemere Garden World – 9.30am
- May, Tuesday 12th – A Mystery Trip – 6pm
- June, Tuesday 9th – Lincoln – 8am
- July, Tuesday 14th – Trentham Gardens – 11am
- August, Tuesday 11th – Mystery Trip – 6pm
- September, Tuesday 8th – Whitby – 8am
- October, Tuesday 13th – National Memorial Arboretum – 11am
- November, Tuesday 10th – 6pm – Pie & Pea Supper with Bring & Buy.
- December, Tuesday 8th – Christmas Lunch – 12 noon.
If you are interested in joining the Over 60’s group, please ring Alan on 279.
If there are sufficient places available on the coach, then non-members are welcome to come along. The coach always leaves from The Green.
Horticultural Programme for 2009.
Posted in Gardens, Societies, Young people on Thursday February 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »
There are lots of interesting trips, talks and shows being organised by Parwich & District Horticultural Society for 2009. Everyone is welcome. To book or make enquiries regarding trips please ring Liz Henbury on 302.
- April, Wednesday 1st – Talk ‘A Shady Place’ with Stuart Dixon
- May, Wednesday 20th – Visit to Consall Hall Gardens A 70 acre haven of beauty and tranquillity set amidst the beautiful scenery of the Churnet Valley, high above Consall Forge with it’s canal and steam trains.
- June, Sunday 21st – Open Gardens & Childrens Show
- July, Wednesday 22nd – Visit and guided tour of Arley Hall & Gardens The Gardens, which are amongst the finest in Britain, are outstanding for their vitality, variety and historical interest and are particularly celebrated for the magnificent double herbaceous border. The Hall is an impressive example of a Victorian country house built in the Elizabethan style.
- September, Sunday 6th – Horticultural Show
- October, Thursday 8th – Bob Matthews Quiz
- November, Friday 6th – AGM & Social Evening
In the Stunner this week…
Posted in News on Wednesday February 18, 2009|
As ever, Wednesday is Ashbourne News Telegraph day. The newspaper is available for purchase from the shop in the Sycamore, and a free electronic edition is also available.
Here are some of this week’s stories of interest:
Pages 1 & 3: Marks and Spencer is coming to town. A council planning committee has overturned a decision made in December to stop the arrival of the retail giants.
Page 4: Council tax bills are set to rise for hard-up residents.
Page 5: Heavy rain is expected for this year’s Shrovetide game.
Page 5: Filling the gap with dentists: an Ashbourne dentist has pledged to take on extra NHS patients from next month.
Page 5: Don Jr, son of the late Don Lowndes Sr, has allowed 2 of his father’s Shrovetide footballs to be displayed in the Coach and Horses in Ashbourne. Don Lowndes Sr was born in Parwich and turned up the ball in 1974.
Page 6: QEGS is seeking planning permission for a 9.1 metre flagpole at the school.
Page 7: Clamping down on motorists: stricter parking enforcement starts in Ashbourne from tomorrow (Thursday Feb 19th).
Page 26: JW Foot & Sons from Parwich traded at the most recent Bakewell market.
Page 27: Mayfield’s weekly salsa and merengue classes (at the Royal Oak) offer “a chance to try out the Latin style of dance made famous by Parwich’s Tom Chambers”.
Page 27: There’s a screening of Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia” at Hulland Ward on Saturday, admission £4.
On the website only: Historic video footage of Shrovetide games dating back to the 1920s has been found on an internet archive. Five clips are available for view, including some remarkable ATV footage of the 1974 games which features the late Don Lowndes.
Have we missed anything? If so, then please let us know…
Calling all potential sponsors…
Posted in Memorial hall on Wednesday February 18, 2009| 1 Comment »
At this stage of the Memorial Hall redevelopment project, the securing of additional funds has become a top priority. With this in mind, PARWICH.ORG and the Memorial Hall committee would like to invite any interested local businesses to lend their support to the project, by becoming official sponsors. (more…)
WI events for 2009.
Posted in Events, Societies on Wednesday February 18, 2009| Leave a Comment »
The Parwich WI has a variety of talks and visits organised for 2009. Why not think about joining this organisation? Contact Rachel R (202) or Jill L (353) for more details. They meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month in the Memorial Hall at 7.30pm. The talks and trips are always open to everyone and they have some wonderful catering to round off the meetings.
- March, Thursday 19th – Everest and Nepal with Claire Shea-Simonds at The Memorial Hall at 7.30pm.
Claire took part in the Everest Marathon & she spoke about it in the village last year. Her talk was so exciting & impressive that she has been asked back, so those who missed out the first time can enjoy her presentation. - April, Wednesday 22nd – Trip to Kedleston Hall
- May, Thursday 21st – Meeting to discuss Resolutions – at The Sycamore
- June, Thursday 18th – Embroidery around the World with Kathleen Mason
- July, Thursday 16th – Moving to Derbyshire – a life saving experience with Wendy Watson
- August, Thursday 20th – TBA
- September, Thursday 17th – New Zealand – A talk by Dennis & Pauline Laycock
- October, Thursday 15th – TBA
- November, Thursday 19th – AGM
- December, Thursday 17th – Christmas Social
This Saturday at the Legion: The Red Devils.
Posted in British Legion, Events on Wednesday February 18, 2009| 1 Comment »
The Red Devils consist of Josie and Tim: a couple from Birmingham, who travel around the country with a mixture of Josie singing and a Karaoke machine for those who like to show their own talents. They have visited the Legion on several occasions, and Carl assures us that “it should be fun!!!”

Properties for sale or rent.
Posted in Housing on Tuesday February 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »
IMPORTANT: These details have been updated elsewhere. Please click here for our most recent property round-up.
- Hope Croft, Parwich. 3 bed semi-detached, £365,000
- Lenscliffe, Parwich. 3 bed semi-detached, £600 pcm
- Parwich Lees Cottage, Alsop Road, Parwich. 3 bed cottage, offers around £450,000
- NEW: Pikehall, 6 bed farmhouse, £750,000
- Smithy Lane, Parwich. 2 bed cottage, £595 pcm
The list will be updated again next month. Until then, you will be able to find it on the INFO page, and in the ELSEWHERE ON PARWICH.ORG section on the right hand side of this page.
Parwich’s favourite country pub – Heat 2 of 4.
Posted in Out & About, Pub on Tuesday February 17, 2009| 1 Comment »
(What’s this all about, then? Click here to find out more…)
For our second heat, we move down to the South East zone (roughly speaking, that is).
Please tick as many pubs as you like, before pressing the VOTE button.
The three pubs with the highest number of votes will proceed to our grand final.
Location of Christopher’s licensing service on Sunday.
Posted in Church on Tuesday February 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Don’t forget that this Sunday, 22nd February at 3.30pm sees the Licensing and Installation of Christopher as Priest in Charge of All Saints’, St Mary’s and St Peter’s in Nottingham City Centre.
A number of people are going by coach from the village, but we have been asked to put up details of St Mary’s location, for those that are travelling independently.
You can download details of the nearest car parks by clicking here.
The most convenient parking locations are at Fletcher Gate (#9 on the parking map; orange circle) and Stoney Street (#10; orange circle), both of which are only a short walk from the church (#13; grey square).
Parwich Alternative Film Show: Friday Feb 27th.
Posted in Events, Films on Tuesday February 17, 2009| 1 Comment »
Our next “alternative” film tells the story of the legendary singer Edith Piaf.
From the slums of Paris to the limelight of New York, Edith Piaf’s life was a battle to sing and survive, live and love. Raised in poverty, Edith’s magical voice and her passionate romances and friendships with the greatest names of the period — Yves Montand, Jean Cocteau, Charles Aznavour, Marlene Dietrich, Marcel Cerdan and others — made her a star all around the world. But in her audacious attempt to tame her tragic destiny, the “Little Sparrow” — her nickname — flew so high she could not fail to burn her wings.

- Watch the trailer.
- Find out more about this film from IMDB.
- Find out more about this film from Wikipedia.
PARWICH MEMORIAL HALL
FRIDAY 27th February, 7.45PM.
Entrance free.
- Wine and fruit juice available.
- Big screen.
- Silent projection.
- Hi Fi Sound.
- Special facilities for those with hearing difficulties; please ask.
School newsletter
Posted in School on Tuesday February 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »
The Cyberscouts’ January adventure.
Posted in 2009, A52s, Cyberscouts, Posts of Note, Young people on Monday February 16, 2009| Leave a Comment »
With the memory of turkey, mince pies and central heating still in their systems, all sections of the 1st Derbyshire Dales Cyberscouts met at Gradbach Scout Camp on January 3rd, to celebrate the start of another year of traditional scouting activities.
Following the opening ceremony around the flag pole, the group enjoyed its first Moving On Ceremonies, which see members developing and moving from one section to another.
There was also the opportunity to recognise the achievements of individual members by awarding skill badges – notably in the areas of creativity and experimentation – whilst the Camp Wardens stoked up the log fires in the stone farmhouse, where some of the day’s activities were to take place… (more…)
Parwich Primary School Parents meeting – Tuesday morning
Posted in School on Monday February 16, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Just a reminder that Nia, Lynne, Alison and Tricia will be at the Memorial Hall tomorrow morning (Tuesday) straight after school drop off (8.30/8.45) for a meeting to talk about our children at school. We hope as many people as possible will come along and that those who are unable to will let us have their thoughts on any issues relating to school.
Another wintry scene.
Posted in Photography on Monday February 16, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Thanks to Matt H for sending us this depiction of a very snowy Gardener’s Cottage.
(It looks even better when enlarged – go on, give it a click!)
Forthcoming dates at the Legion.
Posted in British Legion, Events on Sunday February 15, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Here are three new dates for your diary:
- Saturday February 21st – The Red Devils.
- Saturday March 21st – Irish Night.
- Saturday April 11th – Elvis Night.
All events take place at Parwich Royal British Legion.
Please click each “flyer” to enlarge it.
Weekly Weather Update
Posted in Weather on Sunday February 15, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Last week’s weather from the weatherman on the hill:
|
|
Rainfall in mm |
Pressure in Mb am |
Pressure in Mb pm |
Temperature in ºC |
|
|
Max |
Min |
||||
|
Sun 8th |
0 |
1004 |
1004 |
2.1 |
-5.5 |
|
Mon 9th |
3 |
1002 |
997 |
1.7 |
-2.7 |
|
Tue 10th |
5 |
990 |
1013 |
6.1 |
0.2 |
|
Wed 11th |
0 |
1015 |
1019 |
5.6 |
-2.1 |
|
Thurs 12th |
1 |
1024 |
1022 |
2.5 |
-4.2 |
|
Fri 13th |
0 |
1021 |
1024 |
7.9 |
0.1 |
|
Sat 14th |
0 |
1025 |
1027 |
3.7 |
-1.2 |
|
Total |
9 |
|
Average |
4.2 |
-2.2 |
Spectacular Sunrise and Stripey Fields
Posted in 2009, Photography, Posts of Note on Saturday February 14, 2009| 1 Comment »
The parwich.org Roving Photographer wanted to take some pictures of the last of the snow which emphasised the ridges and furrows on our hillsides. As he drove out past Bradbourne early on Saturday morning, the sunrise started to become interesting, so he continued on to Carsington. The sun rose a little further and the sky took on the most beautiful colours. The glow from the water and the snow was captivating.
Later, some snowy “ridge and furrow” pictures were taken to record this unusual variation on our landscape. A few are shown here.
Jo-anne Jewett in the papers…
Posted in People on Saturday February 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »
For those of you who missed it, there was a really good article on Jo-anne and her book (The Beautiful Truth) in last Saturday’s Derbyshire Evening Telegraph. Jill Gallone, who wrote the article, said:
It’s been put together beautifully and simply. As well as showing you, step-by-step, how to apply make-up correctly, it tells you the basics you need to buy and explains the colours to suit your hair, eye and skin tones.
I followed the advice, was astonished to learn about some of the daft mistakes I’d been making for 20-odd years, then looked into the mirror to discover a new me.To read the full article, click here.
Parwich School Parents Meeting on Tuesday 17th
Posted in School on Saturday February 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »
A fantastic opportunity to chat about any school issues that you would like to raise over coffee & cakes in the Memorial Hall with Alison B, Trisha W, Nia L & Lynne G.
Once you have dropped your children off on Tuesday morning, pop into the Memorial Hall.
Join the Cyberscouts.
Posted in Cyberscouts on Saturday February 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »
The relaunch of the Cyberscout Group in our area is proving very popular. The 1st Derbyshire Dales District is by far the largest District in Derbyshire and it is the least densely populated, Glossop to Baslow to Brailsford and Leek.
The idea behind it is to promote and provide Scouting to the young people in small villages throughout our area, making it a more convenient way to access to Scouting. All sections of the Cyberscout Group, Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts and Explorer Scouts will meet nine times a year and the Scouting programme can be downloaded from the Cyberscouts website. The meetings will be for full days and or weekends which will include assessing the progress of the young people on the last set of downloaded programme exercises, and preparation and introduction for the next set of downloads. (more…)
Parwich’s favourite country pub – Heat 1 of 4.
Posted in Out & About, Pub on Friday February 13, 2009| 1 Comment »
Although Parwich is lucky enough to boast two fine drinking establishments of its own, we are also fortunate to have a large number of country pubs within a short driving distance.
Using Google Maps as a guide, and excluding town pubs in Ashbourne, Bakewell and Wirksworth, we have found a grand total of fifty country pubs within a rough 10-mile radius.
Since we have so many places to choose from, we thought it would be interesting to discover where Parwich folk like to visit, when they fancy a change of scene. Hence this poll – which will run in four heats followed by a grand final.
Naturally, we have excluded our own drinking establishments, as they would obviously have walked the contest! Instead, this is an exercise in discovering what lies further afield.
We have divided our 50 country pubs into four zones: North East, South East, South West and North West. (But in order to balance the numbers, we have moved some of the pubs between the categories – so the geographic locations are only approximate.)
For the first heat, here are the 12 pubs from the North East zone.
Please tick as many pubs as you like, before pressing the VOTE button.
The three pubs with the highest number of votes will proceed to our grand final.
If you have visited any of these pubs recently, then please tell us about them in the comments. You might be able to help others make up their minds, or help them discover some good new venues.
Our second heat will be along in a few days’ time.
















