Thanks to all who voted in our long-running “Parwich’s favourite country pub” survey. From an original list of fifty pubs – all within approximately 10 miles’ driving distance of Parwich – we can now announce the Top Three.
In third position, we have The George at Alstonefield.
Since being taken over by Emily Hammond in 2007, The George has shifted its focus towards high quality dining, in its simply but smartly refurbished restaurant. Meanwhile, the compact bar area remains cosy and welcoming.
Having started with a pool of fifty country pubs – all within an approximate ten mile driving distance from the centre of Parwich – our four regional heats have whittled the number down to a final twelve. But which of these is Parwich’s favourite? We’re about to start finding out.
For our grand final, we’ve made a couple of changes to the voting system. Firstly, you will only be permitted to vote for ONE pub – so please choose carefully! Secondly, you won’t be able to view the results until we announce them on the blog – which will take place on Friday March 13th.
Finally, do please feel free to lobby for your favourite pub in the comments!
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you’re trying to think of somewhere (other than the sales) to go over the next few days, and running out of ideas about where to take the rellies, well good news. Ilam tearooms is open from 11am tomorrow until January 4th. If the weather is anything like it was today it’ll be gorgeous over there. These photos were taken this afternoon. (more…)
For many years the Parwich Guizers (also known as the Brothm Mummers) have been bringing festive cheer to Parwich and beyond. Last Saturday, the group (Denis, Roy, Ben, Arnold, Rob, Ken and Brian) ventured out on the road again, taking their traditional Christmas play to Buxton in the afternoon, and to various local pubs in the evening.
You are invited to join the tour, watch Bold Slasher swinging his sword, and see the Doctor and his gurdy gout on this video:
By double-clicking on the video window, you can also watch this clip in a larger widescreen mode.
It is possible they will also magically appear on Christmas eve in the village, maybe at The Sycamore and The British Legion. Click here for more information on the Guizers and their play.
Friday 12th December Festive Fun Night and Late Night Shopping.
6.30pm – Children’s Lantern Parade
followed by Carol Singing in the Market Place.
Fun Fair, 100 year old Carousel, Live Entertainment, Market and Charity Stalls.
7.30pm Navivity Play in Church Street from children of all ages.
9pm – Shops close.
Be there early & enjoy the fun & you can still be back in Parwich to see the film (the one with the Abba songs) at 7.45pm
Parwich Guizers and Mummers have been performing their ancient play for the last 25 years. This guizing play used to be performed in Biggin-by-Hartington in the 1930s and perhaps for many years before.
The group will be out again on Saturday December 6th, collecting for the Red Cross (Congo Fund) and a local charity.
The day’s activities start in Buxton:
1pm – Outside the Opera House
1.15 – The Club house (opposite Opera House)
1.45 – Grove Hotel – The Slopes
2.30 – Spring Gardens
3.00 – Kings Head – Market Place
3.30 – Beltane, Hall Bank
This is followed by a tour of some of our local pubs, starting at 8pm:
Looking at the lush summer photos provided by Mr & Mrs Lamb below, it is quite striking to see just how different our landscape can be across the seasons. These photographs were taken on Saturday afternoon around the church at Ballidon. Thank goodness for cosy fires and warm cups of tea!
Following the trip to see a stage production of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the History Society is leading a walk to see the real thing, all are welcome (swords are not essential):
Sunday saw the annual madness which is the Dovedale Dash. 1200 runners from all over the world, descend on Dovedale for a 5 mile run over hill and down dale (and through the river).
It was also the 44th consecutive occasion that Clive Russell has competed, and although he didn’t match his win in the veterans section last year, he was runner up. A truly amazing achievement.
He was joined by a gaggle of Linnel’s, a Drummond, a couple of Amos’s to name but a few.
I sadly was consigned to my sick bed with a bad case of Chinese bird flu (is there any other kind?) and couldn’t even spectate.
Don’t forget to reserve your tickets for Parwich & District Local History Society’s trip to see Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, staged by the New Perspectives Theatre Company:
Having set my alarm an hour too early we have time to kill before our guide comes, plus I feel relatively human for the first time for a few days having struggled with tummy bugs and then a cold.
Yesterday was supposed to be a free day to explore the city so we set off for The Bund (in a green taxi as specified by the guide with our destination written in Chinese) This is a long strip of elevated promenade along the river. From it you can see all the beautiful colonial buildings most of which are now protected – the Chinese find these Western style grand houses fascinating but I think it’s a bit like many typical European cities.
There is so much to say about this amazing country of contrasts.
Yesterday, Brian and I went on the ‘Harmonious Train’ to visit the ‘Humble Administrators Garden’ in Suzchou. The Chinese love gardens, and everything has a symbolic deeper meaning – but basically they are trying to recreate their amazing countryside on a smaller scale. Every time you turn, a different beautiful view is framed either by a carefully placed tree or a hole in a garden wall and the Feng Shui creates harmony.
In contrast, a visit to a 5 star loo (yes, they are graded) demands huge will power to survive. I now have amazing bladder control and can manage all day with only one visit!!
China is proving to be all that I had dreamed about since I first wanted to visit thirty years ago. People are fascinated by us – particularly my blonde hair – and stare wherever we go.
I am sitting here in my hotel room in Guilin, South West China on a hot and very humid afternoon, and it seems a small miracle that I can log on and catch up with all the news from home. I can see the famous steep sided mountains poking up up through the mist and hear the sound of Chinese drummers and protesters – someone always seems to be protesting here.
We wake to the sound of Chinese music and the sight of hundreds of workers of all ages doing their morning Tai Chi and then I log on to see beautiful Autumnal shots of Parwich and news of ‘Strictly’ – surreal.
Parwich & District Local History Society are organising two related events: a trip to see Sir Gawaine & the Green Knight, staged by the New Perspectives Theatre Company, and a walk to Lud’s Church, the Green Chapel in the story.
Thank you to Brian Mullan of the Ashbourne Adult Community Education Centre for sending us details of this year’s courses with places still available, included are art, computing (open, CLAIT, ECDL, ITQ, web design, greetings card design), Spanish, English for speakers of other languages, first aid at work, maths for adults, tap dance, yoga and tai chi. Click here for information on days and costs (pdf format).
For more details or to register contact: Ashbourne Adult Education Centre, Cokayne Avenue, Derbyshire, DE6 1EJ, tel 01335 345 613, email ashbourneace@hotmail.com
These photos were taken in Wolfscote Dale behind Hartington on Sunday afternoon. It was glorious to see the turning leaves in the sunlight….and such a short drive from Parwich. Makes you forget all about the wet Summer!
Whether you are an Upard or Downard, you will be interested in the feature length documentary “Wild in the Streets” by Hollywood film-makers Jimmy Zalcman and Peter Baxter that is to be premiered in Ashbourne’s Empire Cinema on Friday 17th October. This film explores Ashbourne’s Shrovetide Football. To see a trailer for the film go the the official Wild in the Streets website.
Tickets will be available through the Coach & Horses, Nigel’s Butchers or members of the player’s committee. Is this also something for parwich film to show?
Yesterday’s Local History Society trip was a great success. We started at Middleton Top, where the stationary engine was working. When the Cromford & High Peak Railway (now the High Peak Trail) was build in the late 1820s, to join the Cromford Canal to the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge, they did not have a set idea of what a railway should be. (more…)
For the third year running, Sotheby’s of London are staging Beyond Limits: a selling exhibition of modern and contemporary sculpture in the gardens of Chatsworth House.
This year’s display includes sculptures by Salvador Dali, Marc Quinn, Zadok Ben-David, Lynn Chadwick, Robert Indiana, Zaha Hadid, Richard Hudson and many more.
Our favourites this year were Marc Quinn’s giant bronze baby (“Planet”), which sits at the near end of the lake, and Robert Indiana’s “The American Love”, which sits at the far end. We were also very much taken by Jedd Novatt’s more abstract – and endlessly fascinating – “Chaos Vascos II”.
The exhibition runs until November 2nd and comes highly recommended – particularly on a clear, bright afternoon, when the sunlight displays the works to their best advantage.
(Hover your cursor over each image to reveal its title, and click on each image to enlarge it.)
Which sculpture is your favourite? Please let us know in the comments.
Martin C also has passed on this tip from his mother-in-law, Joan S (moved to Ashbourne but not forgotten), that Consall Gardens in Staffordshire are well worth visiting. The Gardens are open every Wednesday, Sunday and Bank Holiday from Good Friday to the end of October, so there is still time to visit before the end of the mseason. Would this be a good destination for a future Horticultural Society trip?
On reclaimed industrial land this 70 acres of landscape garden are the creation of one man, William Podmore, over many years. There is interest through out the year. (more…)
I am not sure how relevant this is to most of our readers, but I liked the pictures.
Bruce the Bus
There is a new leaflet encouraging people to explore the Peak Park by public transport:
Children can help plan days out across the Peak District with a new family-friendly leaflet featuring
Tess the Train
Bruce the bus and Tess the train. The “Hop on and Explore” leaflet is part of a Peak Connections campaign to encourage families with younger children to use public transport when visiting the area.
Thank you to the contributor who sent in the above title and the following photos of Issy (Isabel) M and Tinker of Parwich, taken at the Mountain Rescue Demonstration Team at Longshaw Sheep Dog Trials on Saturday 30/8/08. These Sheep Dog trials are said to be the oldest in the country, having been run continuously (apart from the two World Wars) since 1898.
Never mind “Team GB”’s antics in the Olympics – come and watch “Team Parwich”, or better still come and be a part of “Team Parwich”, in the BRADBOURNE VILLAGE FELL RACE next Sunday 24 August at 10am.
It is run over two laps of a 3 Mile beautiful course, one of the most picturesque courses in the calendar – entry fee is £3 on the day.
There are also English Junior Fell Championship races for U8’s, U10’s, U12’s, U14’s, U16’s & U18’s – entry fee just £1. The U16 & U18 races will be held in conjunction with the main race and the other 4 junior races from noon.
You never know, you could be running alongside the great Roberto!
Three bands – Mankala Beat, Más Y Más and Quirky Turquoise – are due to take the stage on Saturday 16th August, 7pm – 11.30pm for an outdoor mini festival behind the Lime Kiln pub in Wirksworth.
p.9 Sycamore Inn and the Bluebell Inn are into the finals of the Great British Pub Awards. (Photos of both Ruth Sampson and Janet Gosling are included.)
p.13 Those involved in local history might be interested to know that Brian Rich, a strong supporter of Parwich & District Local History Society is holding a nine week course on ‘The Life and Landscape of Medieval Derbyshire and North Staffordshire‘ from 3oth September. Unfortunately this one is to be in Uttoxeter Library but if you are interested phone 01782 583436 (before 22nd Aug) or 01782 733436 (after that).
p.15 The Manifold Show is this Saturday (9th August) at Castern Hall, Illlam.
p.16 The May Heathcote Trust is calling for final grant applications from our area. A number of local groups have benefited in the past from the charitable trust set up by the will of May Heathcote of Bradbourne. The Trust is coming to the end of its life and is calling for final grant applications. (For more details contact Mrs S Smith c/o Flint Bishop, St Michael’s Court, St Michael’s Lane, Derby, DE1 3HQ, tel. 01332 340211, email Sharon.smith@flintbishop.co.uk)
Many thanks to Mike G for these pictures from yesterday at the English National Sheepdog Trials taking place at Blore Pastures in Ilam. The event continues today (Sunday 3rd August) until 5pm.
If BOTH rock festivals AND steam rallies are not your thing, then you might consider visiting the English National Sheepdog Trials taking place this weekend at Blore Pastures, Ilam. More details may be found by clicking here.
If open air rock festivals aren’t quite your “thing”, then here’s an alternative activity for this weekend.
Now in its 38th year, the Cromford Steam Rally takes place on Saturday and Sunday (August 2/3) at High Acres Farm, Dewey Lane, Brackenfield, near Matlock. (On the A615 Matlock to Alfreton road; click here for a map.)
The rally is of interest and amusement for the whole family, whilst at the same time retaining the essence of the bygone spirit of our event.
Our tractor section will give you a unique insight into life on the farms in days gone by.
Look in our rural crafts section and enjoy the demonstrations taking place.
We have traditional steamers, historical motor vehicles, stationary engines, a model marquee and miniature steam.
Amble around the stalls, have a look at our old time fair rides, look through our sections of motorcycles, commercial vehicles, military displays and our wonderful old time organs.
Full admission is £6. OAPs and 14-and-unders pay £3, and under-5s can enter free.
On Friday 17 of us set off to the RHS Tatton Park Show, it was a great day out, very warm and thankfully dry. There was loads to see, the most amazing displays in the marquees, including vegetables, plants & flower arranging. Outside there were the show gardens, back to back gardens & formal beds – some take a little while to get your head around. There is also all the paraphernalia that goes with gardens, we came away with a greenhouse!! Thanks to Dot for organising this trip for the Horticultural Society.
Chaired by Andrew Lewer with Senior Officers and Members from DDDC, DCC, the Police, the Fire Service and the Peak District National Park Authority present to discuss Civil Issues, Parking, the Ashbourne Partnership and ANY other topic that those attending wish to see discussed.
Friday 12th December
PARWICH.ORG 
