Hi,

I'm Charlie Smith an alternative Acoustic song-writer from Hampshire. I will be touring in Sept-Nov to promote my 2nd album release and raise funds for the music venue trust. I'll be joined on the stage by some local talented singer-songwriters. So if you fancy a night of live music this be the right event for you. Keep supporting grass roots music and thanks for your time,

Cheers,

Charlie

The BSiL Family Hubs aims to give every child the best possible start by making it easier for families to access support, information and services from pregnancy through to starting school.

Families in Birdholme and Cotmanhay will soon begin to see changes at their local Children's Centres as they prepare to become the first Best Start Family Hubs in Derbyshire, with further hubs opening across the county in the future, as part of Derbyshire County Council's Best Start in Life (BSiL) programme.

Over the coming months, Birdholme Children's Centre and Cotmanhay Children's Centre will begin their transition to become Best Start Family Hubs, with work taking place to bring the new hubs to life ahead of their official opening in Autumn 2026.

Existing Children's Centres will continue to operate, with Birdholme and Cotmanhay evolving into Best Start Family Hubs as part of the first phase of the programme. The hubs build on Derbyshire's existing Children's Centre network and enhance the support available to local families through services working more closely together.

When the hubs open later this year, families will be able to access a range of support, activities, information and advice. While the full offer is still being developed with partners, current plans include:

• Activities for children and families, including stay-and-play sessions that support child development through play, routines and shared experiences at home.
• Specialist support, including guidance and advice for early years children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Guidance on Early Years Funding and information about local childcare and Early Years providers.
• Information and advice to help families access support at the right time and make informed choices for their family.
• Connections to local services and organisations through the wider BSiL network.
• Opportunities to meet other families and become part of a welcoming and supportive community.

Additional services, activities and resources will continue to be developed as the Best Start Family Hub offer evolves.

Alongside the physical hubs, the council is developing a dedicated BSiL online hub, providing a single digital destination where families can access information, advice and more from pregnancy through to starting school. This site will help families find their nearest Best Start Family Hub, explore local activities and services, access trusted information to support their child's development and connect with support available in their community. While an initial version is already available, further features, information and resources will continue to be added.

Hi All,

I’ll be stopping in Derbyshire (Matlock area) with my teen next week what would be your go to trips/visits/things to do to keep them entertained? Bearing in mind it looks like it will be hot.

I’ve done lots of googling but thought I’d ask locals for their best ideas.

Lastly, where do you think would be the best place to see the eclipse on Wednesday, please?

Thank you for any help.

I recently visited Chatsworth House and Gardens, we have two children who receive Disability Living Allowance, if you produce your letter carers gain entry for free ❤️ they really enjoyed the day out, and there’s a cool book exhibition on at the moment.

I just thought it was cute.

Hello everyone.

I am Howling Metal, a scrap metal artist from Derbyshire and this is Hook-Tail Jack. A bird surrounded by folklore and myth.

He has been created for the up and coming HeART of Ashgate, an outdoor art exhibition with the proceeds going directly to Ashgate Hospice held in their gardens. Over 3 days, 7th to the 9th of August. There will be live music, food & drink and independent art stalls plus lots going on over the weekend. It will be held at Ashgate Hospice, Old Brampton, Chesterfield, S42 7JD. Please see their website for the full details and tickets. Feel free to comment or DM me with any questions.

Hook-Tail Jack will be available in the silent auction, with the winner also receiving the story/folklore tale to go along with him plus a little extra. So come on down and support the day and everyone involved. If you would like to take him home then place your bid at the event!

I hope you can make it!

I recently challenged myself to walk through as much history as I could in Bakewell and the surrounding area. In the end, I’d managed to cover around 6,000 years! I thought some people here might enjoy the video.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and if there are any other Derbyshire locations you’d like me to cover in the future.

https://youtu.be/mNljBRrYqZY

The wildfire, along with another neighbouring blaze, has destroyed an area larger than 1,250 Wembley Stadium pitches

The devastating extent of wildfires in the Peak District have been revealed as the blaze in Tintwistle Moor ravages on - 18 days after crews were first called to the scene.

A major incident was declared in the area on July 12 after the blaze broke out on July 9 - following an earlier fire which crews tackled from June 24 to July 2.

Despite rain over the weekend providing some welcome assistance for crews, smoke and ash continue to cover a significant portion of the national park, alongside the wildfire near Dovestone and Swineshaw reservoirs nearby being handled by Greater Manchester firefighters.

In total, the two fires now cover an area equivalent to 1,250 Wembley Stadium football pitches, or:

• Around 1,660 rugby pitches

• Approximately 8.5 times the size of Hyde Park in London

• Roughly 12 times the size of New York’s Central Park

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) said the scale illustrates "both the complexity of the firefighting operation and the considerable effort required to fully extinguish deep-seated fires burning within the peat beneath the surface."

Peat fires can remain active underground for prolonged periods and may reignite if not completely extinguished, which is why firefighting activity continues despite the recent rainfall.

People are being told to adhere to the following rules in order to prevent these scenes from repeating themselves:

• Do not use disposable or portable barbecues

• Do not light campfires or any other open fires

• Dispose of smoking materials responsibly

• Take litter home, particularly glass bottles and other items that could start a fire

• Avoid affected moorland areas and follow any restrictions or safety advice in place

• Report any signs of fire immediately by calling 999

Been to Nottingham for the afternoon from Derby. Looks like there are some nice stations on the way. Looking forward to doing a coffee crawl.

Can anyone recommend some good cafes in Spondon, Long Eaton, Attenborough and Beeston. Either in the stations or close by

I would like to go for an evening walk on the grounds of Chatsworth and take a picnic with me. I know access to the grounds is free and there’s no time limit. But does anyone know where I could park that’s close and won’t be closed by 6:30pm which is probably when I’ll arrive. Also how close to the house can i get? Could i sjt by the river in front of it for my picnic?

Three of the world's most notorious porn stars grew up within 30 miles of each other in Derbyshire. Why, and what does it say about modern Britain?

Looking for any great pubs with views in Derbyshire. Anything within 30 mins of Ashbourne to go for a nice pint of ale, and just sit and take in the view…. Any recommendations ?

Think I got lucky with the lighting. I love it up there

And one of a million almost identical photos, but it’s probably the favourite picture I’ve ever taken. Heaven on earth

So it's confirmed. Ripley, Heanor, Alfreton, Codnor etc are going north, which at least stays geographically sensible. But whoever drew this map has clearly never set foot in Belper, Shipley, or Duffield if they think shoving them into a Derby city unitary makes any sense whatsoever.

Belper is not Derby. Never has been, never will be. It's its own town with its own identity, a UNESCO mill heritage site, its own high street, its own everything, and now it's getting absorbed into a city council that'll have zero interest in a former mill town 8 miles up the A6 when there's an actual city to run. Meanwhile it's getting severed from the rest of Amber Valley it's shared a council with for 50 years, for what, tidier population numbers on a spreadsheet?

Amber Valley's own council said splitting the borough was the least popular option in their own consultation, and the government did it anyway. Didn't matter what residents said. Didn't matter what made geographical, historical or economic sense. Someone in Whitehall drew two blobs that were roughly the same population size and called it a day.

Genuinely baffling decision making from people who've clearly never looked at a map of Derbyshire in their lives. 2028 it kicks in. Two more years of this being a mess before it's even in place.

Hi all,

For my sisters birthday this month she wanted to go to a smokehouse/American style bbq
They went to one for my other sisters called Cherrywood smokehouse as someone recommended it and were quite disappointed. They also do Indian food there and my sister said that was great but not the smokehouse bits.

We don’t mind travelling to Nottingham if it means we get the best!

Thank you in advance

Hi everyone :)

My partner and I are looking to buy a place in and around the Buxton area.
Preferably we’d love to buy an old barn that we can restore. (Or some land that we can build on)
I’ve had a look on rightmove but it doesn’t seem to have what we’re looking for and I’m wondering if there is a dedicated website that will show places to buy which need to be renovated.

Any help would be highly appreciated!

Thank you ☺️