Author: Lorraine

Celebrity Interview – Adrian Scarborough

When an actor says this is a “very exciting time”, you have to think that there are some fascinating projects on the horizon. When that actor is Adrian Scarborough who you may know from Gavin And Stacey, Killing Eve and many other shows on the small screen, you’re inclined to take notice. Adrian will shortly be returning to Nottingham to appear in an Alan Bennett story which Adrian himself has adapted. He will also be shooting another television series which for him is a “dream come true” because it’s named after his character. And there’s other work in the pipeline that he can’t talk about yet. Exciting times indeed. The last time Adrian was at Nottingham Playhouse was in 2018 when he played Dr Willis in Bennett’s The Madness Of George III which featured Mark Gatiss in the lead role. He will come back as solicitor Maurice Ransome in The Clothes They Stood Up In, Alan Bennett’s first novella which he wrote in 1996.  Adrian explains how he came to adapt it: “I’d always loved the story, so much so that my wife Rose bought a copy of Alan reading it on a cassette. We got to know it incredibly well.  “I had a conversation with Alan about it and said he ought to turn it into a play. About five years later we had the same conversation. I said ‘did you ever make it into a play?’ and he went ‘No, I haven’t had time. You should do it’. “I laughed, thinking it was a bit of a joke. Eventually my wife said ‘I don’t know why you don’t just sit down and write the darned thing’ because I’d been talking about it so much. Which is what I did.” Adrian sent it to Alan Bennett who said he was very happy with it and gave it his blessing.   Described as a “bittersweet exploration of marriage, dreams and lives unlived”, The Clothes They Stood Up In features mild-mannered couple Maurice and Rosemary Ransome who return from a night at the opera to discover their flat is completely empty. Burglars have taken everything – light bulbs, carpets, toilet paper, even their chicken casserole.  Adrian says the play is both moving and funny.  “The story is about how one side of the partnership is liberated by the loss of the belongings and the other side does the opposite. These people are together just by the fact that nobody else would marry either of them. It’s rather wonderful.” Rosemary Ransome will be played by Sophie Thompson, an Olivier Award winner who has appeared in both EastEnders and Coronation Street, was in one of the Harry Potter films and has taken roles in many major theatrical productions. Adrian says it is “the casting coup of the decade” because she wanted to do the play and was available. “She said she’d carried it around with her in her pocket because it was something that she really desperately wanted to do, which was terribly flattering. “We’ve worked together before on screen but never on stage and we’ve certainly never played man and wife. I can’t think of anyone better than Sophie to play the part. So to get your first choice is always a coup and something that doesn’t always happen in this profession.  “It’s a real treat. She was born to play it and she’ll be absolutely magnificent in the role.” The rest of the cast features Ned Costello, Natasha Magigi and Charlie de Melo. Charlie played Imran Habeeb for five years in Coronation Street and Adrian thinks it’s another coup to get him. “I hope people will come because they want to see him do something very different from Corrie. And they’ll get to see him do THREE different things, so that’s fabulous. “I’ve cast those three actors as everything else in the play. Each of them is playing at least three other parts which is a big ask but hopefully it will keep them occupied and interested. I think it’ll be great for an audience to see how fantastically versatile they all are.” Adrian Philip Scarborough was born on 10 May 1968 in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He credits his mum for taking him to many theatres in the East Midlands including Nottingham Playhouse, the city’s Theatre Royal, the Haymarket, the Phoenix and De Montfort Hall in Leicester and Melton Theatre “which at the time attracted a huge number of very interesting plays and tours”. He says: “We had theatre everywhere we looked. I was truly blessed in that regard.” That inspired him to become an actor “because I was so hopeless at everything else”. After going to Brooksby Melton College he trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, winning an award for best actor. His big-screen debut came in 1994 in The Madness Of King George. Since then his film appearances have included Gosford Park, Vera Drake, The History Boys, The King’s Speech and Les Misérables. On television he was Pete Sutcliffe in Gavin And Stacey and psychopathic assassin Villanelle’s new handler Raymond in the second series of Killing Eve. On stage he’s frequently appeared in the West End. His versatility means he can turn his hand to almost anything. “Somebody once gave me a bit of advice which was to be a jack of all trades, master of none. For a character actor I think that really is a very good piece of advice because if you’re looking to put Marmite on the table for 30 years, then you have to be adaptable.  “The chances are you’re not going to be leading actor material. So you’ll always be second or third man down and invariably be paid a lot less than the star. And although it’s not all about money, being able to work in lots and lots of different ways has meant that I have enough money in the bank to be able to sit and write or go to Nottingham for a month. I pour a lot of

Product Test – Charlotte Tilbury

Magic Serum Crystal Elixir 100ml £130 Supersize your skincare with the NEW! XL 100ml bottle of the award-winning Charlotte’s Magic Serum Crystal Elixir!   This hydrating face serum is the secret to your skin’s best future.   Collaborated with expert scientists to bring you a ground-breaking serum for hydrated, youthful-looking skin. A magic matrix of ingredients, expertly blended in a high-performance elixir to give your skin a magic boost!  Awaken your skin’s potential with the power of potent ingredients, featuring Replexiumâ„¢ for younger-looking skin, Golden Vitamin C for a brighter-looking complexion, and hydration powerhouse Polyglutamic Acid – a supercharged skincare ingredient that’s over 4X more hydrating than Hyaluronic Acid.  Immediate effects + lasting action in a single, one-size-fits-all formulation! Suitable for all skin types  Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer £42 This cream bronzer blurs, hydrates and adds a wash of sun-kissed colour to your complexion, while improving the look of your skin every time you wear it! Like a portal to your best self, this NEW bronzing beauty secret will transport you to the world’s most mesmerising beaches to unlock that summer glow look and feeling!   Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara £25  Unlock the secret to instant length, weightless volume, stretch and a 24-hour vertical lift effect for the lashes of your dreams! TRIED & TESTED :: TRIED & TESTED :: TRIED & TESTED Magic Serum Crystal Elixir  I found a few drops went a long way, and that moisturizer was easy to apply after. It contains ‘Golden Vitamin C’ which is enhanced to help the skin absorb it. After only 6 weeks, my skin had an improved, firmer texture especially around my central face area. My colouring was more even too. An impressive product. JP Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer This is a beautiful creamy bronzer that blends effortlessly and gave my skin a smooth, even finish and a beautiful healthy glow. The packaging is gorgeous and has a large mirror. You get a lot of product so it’s excellent value for money. CB Mascara Amazing mascara! I chose black and it lengthens, separates and curls the ends of the lashes. You can add one or more coats for a dramatic effect. Lasts all day long. VP For more information and to buy online visit  www.charlottetilbury.com 00

The Lost Houses of Derbyshire – The New Hall Buxton by Maxwell Craven

From considerable prominence during the Roman period as Aquae Arnemetiae, Buxton drops from record almost completely (avoiding an entry in Domesday Book) until it re-surfaces as Bawkestanes in a document of 1108.  Yet the hot springs and associated bathing facilities may well have survived and in use, if only informally, throughout the 600 or so years intervening, for we find a few modern (that is, medieval and later) buildings in the town actually built directly onto the footings of their Roman predecessors; normally, there is a good thickness of what archaeologists call ‘dark earth’ and other debris between the remains of Roman buildings and those built thereon much later. The New Hall at Buxton was built on the initiative of the Elizabethan grandee George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury KG, in 1572-1573. It was so called because there had been a previous hall there, latterly belonging to Henry Sacheverell of Ratcliffe-upon-Trent. It had probably been previously in the possession of the elder line of the Pole family (of Radbourne, Kirk Langley and Barlborough) for a considerable time before (hence, no doubt, Pole’s Cavern at Buxton, allegedly the refuge of a member of the family who had been an outlaw). The heiress, Lucy, daughter of John Pole of the eponymous Pool Hall, Hartington (now a farmhouse) had married Henry Sacheverell’s father.  This previous house, called the Auld Hall, later Auld Hall Farm, was sold to Lord Shrewsbury in 1578, which is why much of the east side of the Dove north of Hartington became part of the Chatsworth estate, for in 1615, Auld Hall was granted to Bess of Hardwick’s son, Sir Charles Cavendish, his father’s widow and wife of the long-suffering Lord Shrewsbury. It lasted well into the 17th century, but was clearly inadequate for Shrewsbury’s purposes, which were twofold: to build a house sufficient to house Mary, Queen of Scots (of whom he was effectively gaoler) and to welcome in adequate style friends and relations from amongst the grandest families in the land to come and benefit from Buxton’s celebrated hot springs. Consequently, he erected a two pile (i.e. two parallel ranges longitudinally attached) four storey tower house topped with merlons (ornamental battlements) with his lordship’s arms in stucco high on the south front, complete by 1573. He already held some land at Buxton, but acquired more by sale from the Cotterells of Marple, including the well chapel (which may have been very ancient) and Bath Croft, which included the Roman baths. Dr. John Jones wrote of it when it was about finished: ‘…a very goodly howse, four square, four storeys hye, so well compact with houses of office beneath…[and] round about with a great chambre and other goodly lodgings to the number thirty.’ When you look at the best surviving illustration, done by John Speed in or just before 1610, it is difficult to conceive how all this was encompassed, but the diagrammatic treatment of the attached service and accommodation ranges is the key: they were clearly much more substantial than his drawing admits. Speed captures the tower-like appearance of the building, but shows four bays of windows on the east side (in shadow) whereas we know there were three with the central one horizontally off-alignment due to the windows there lighting the staircase. We also suspect that there were three little towers on the rood, rather than the one rather unsophisticated one shown, as a drawing of 1631 by William Senior shows three of them, probably with cupolas. Indeed, his plan, although but tiny, almost suggests a central courtyard, but what remains today does not support this. This building, which was taxed on 12 hearths in 1670 suggesting it was indeed of some size, was innovative. The desire to build upwards in Derbyshire seems to have begun with Prior Overton’s tower (1432), now part of Repton Hall and continued by the Reresby’s of Thrybergh at Eastwood Hall, Ashover (see Country Images in April). It set the standard, not only in height with skied reception rooms, but with a longitudinal hallway the substantial walls of which housed all the chimneys internally, instead of attaching them to the exterior, as was then much more normal.  The almost contemporary Mary’s Tower, Sheffield Manor, also intended for the Scottish Queen’s house arrest, probably echoes New Hall in plainer guise. Others followed: the Hunting Stand at Chatsworth. Complete with domed cupolas (1580s), North Lees, Hathersage (1594), Stydd Hall, Yeaveley (c. 1610), Tupton Hall (1611), Bolsover’s Little Castle (1612) and Holme Hall, Bakewell (1636), whilst Wollaton Hall and Worksop Manor (both 1580s) and Hardwick Hall (1594) are much expanded versions. All hark back to Bess of Hardwick’s Chatsworth (1550s-1570s). Bearing in mind that Lord Shrewsbury was Bess’s fourth husband, one can see these architectural developments in terms of the personalities: all were built by people in Lord Shrewsbury’s circle, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. In the event, the house was a success, harbouring Queen Mary at least five times, certainly in 1573, 1576, 1580, 1582 and 1584 (she suffered from rheumatism), and there are records of numerous other grandees staying to sample the waters. The bath house was next door to the north and interconnected. In the end it ceased to be a country house, but a very grand lodging, the running of which was eventually franchised out. Charles Cotton, however, in 1670 recorded the building in decay, but in that same year (following a fire and so dated on the fabric) it appears to have undergone a substantial refurbishment, costing the Earl of Devonshire £1,168 (paid six years later, needless to say!).  Sometime before 1690 the lantern on the roof (possibly of 1670) put in to light the staircase, was removed and an inventory records the ‘Scotch Chamber’, which establishes that the room occupied by Mary Stuart was still known. However, after mixed reports over several decades  as to its standards of cuisine and comforts, it was decided to totally rebuild the edifice with a view to providing up-to-date

Great Northern Railway and The Bennerley Viaduct – by Brian Spencer

The first time I came across the Bennerley Viaduct was one foggy November day, a few years back. We were following the twists and turns of the Nottingham Canal along the Erewash Valley and decided to swap sides and cross the valley in order to reach the Erewash Canal on our way back to Ilkeston.  The word ‘Viaduct’ on the Ordnance Survey map seemed to offer a high level way, over the river and the branch linking the London to Sheffield lines via Derby and Nottingham, in order to join the Erewash Canal near the Bridge Inn at Cotmanhay.  Suddenly, out of the mist there appeared what can only be described as a piece of a giant’s Meccano modelling. This was the latticework of the Bennerley Viaduct, then but wonder of wonders, not now, a way across the Erewash Valley.  In order to reach a suitable valley crossing, we had to follow the remains of the Nottingham Canal tow-path all the way to Shipley Gate where a short length of boggy path took us across the valley and link up with the Erewash Canal tow-path.   Since our abortive attempt to cross the viaduct, teams of dedicated volunteers have restored the viaduct’s track-bed, created access links to the canals at either end, making a delightful high level footpath, cycleway for all to enjoy. Sweeping curves of the access paths on either side of the valley, make it an easy way for disabled explorers to enjoy the delights of this one-time industrial valley where nature again holds say. The viaduct and the ornate cast-iron bridge over Derby’s Friargate Bridge over the Ashbourne road, are the only links with a railway that appears to have been built with no thought to cost.  They and other bridges carried what was known as the Great Northern Railway.  The line was created in 1879 in order to join rail services both east and west, linking Grantham on the east coast main line, to Stafford in the west.  The line made a huge loop, going north, then west, away from Nottingham; very little is left of this section as housing is now built over much of its city-length, or some now enjoys a new life as a tram-track.  When the Great Northern reached the boggy width of the Erewash valley, it had to span two canals, the river and also the route of the Nottingham section of the Erewash Line from Nottingham to Sheffield. Designed by the Richard Johnson, Civil Engineer to the Great Northern Railway, with Samuel Abbot acting as resident engineer.  Rather than build a conventional structure of building in bricks and stone, it was decided that the viaduct would be made from wrought iron.  This would create a latticework structure of girders, each spanning 76feet in order to support the locomotive deck. Each supporting upright would rise from low brick pillars capped with gritstone topping.  Running from Awsworth in the east to Ilkeston above the river’s western bank, it created a unique structure, one of the first metal railway bridges in the world.   Three additional skewed spars at the Ilkeston end carried the line over the Erewash Canal, then onwards by conventional tracks, through Ilkeston and onwards to Derby and Stafford.  Bennerley Viaduct was opened in 1877 and was in use until the Beeching ‘Axe’ dictated its closure.  Unusually for lines suffering closure, the Great Northern’s goods carrying trade was the first to be abandoned, on 7th September 1964.  Passenger services continued until they were also abandoned almost three years later on 4th September 1967. During its lifetime, the Great Northern Railway carried both passengers and goods, mainly coal from mines throughout the region.  Scores of short branch lines snaked across the north Midlands, carrying coal to fuel Britain’s Industrial Revolution.  Life got a bit exciting during a zeppelin raid in the Great War when a flotilla of the inflated sausages attacked Nottingham.  Small bombs were dropped all around the marshalling yards near Awsworth, but no lasting damage was done.  One of the attackers ran out of fuel on its way back to Germany and drifted over to Norway where it went aground on rocks off a tiny island in the south-west of Norway.  Luckily no one was harmed either on the ground in the Nottinghamshire countryside, or members of the crew of the zeppelin. BENNERLEY VIADUCT, A LISTED BUILDING IN NEED OF PRESERVATION  With the closure of this two-star, listed build in need of protection, when Bennerley Viaduct finally closed in 1967, caring voices began to be raised, with ideas floating to and fro about what could be done.   Several organisations stepped forward with ideas and early plans for the future.  The first was called Railway Paths Ltd, an organisation as the name suggests, dedicated to preserving paths and access surrounding rural lines.  Their idea was to use Bennerley Viaduct as a link between paths surrounding the Nottingham and Erewash Canals in between.  Unfortunately for them, railway bureaucracy came along in the shape of Sustrans, the national railway maintenance company who scotched any idea of a voluntary organisation taking over responsibility for the viaduct.  Fortunately the parlous state of the country’s economy unexpectedly came to the aid of those keen to save Bennerley Viaduct when Sustrans so to speak, threw in the towel, allowing voluntary organisations to take over and commence restoration work. Another voluntary organisation, Friends of Bennerley Viaduct came forward, offering to work alongside Railway Paths Ltd.  Sustrans one must feel was only too pleased to be rid of this massive problem and willingly sold the viaduct at a peppercorn price.  As joint owners, the two sets of volunteers could then settle down to the real job of restoring this historic addition to the local heritage. Armed with a grant of £40,000 from the National Lottery Fund restoration work and the construction of access paths began at an amazing speed, and in a matter of months the tow-paths of Erewash and Nottingham Canals were linked, making opportunities’

Restaurant Review – Kayi Mezze Grill, Mickleover

Experiencing a different culture’s dietary habits really broadens your horizons where the use of ingredients is concerned, some familiar and some not so. Kayi Mezze Grill, named after the owners two daughters, is  based in Mickleover and features a mix of delightful Turkish and Syrian cuisine , refreshingly clean to the palette. But we will come back to the food later. Situated  on the corner of Vicarage Road just off Uttoxeter Road in Mickleover, Kayi Mezze Grill has a crisp clean look from the outside and it just gets better as you walk though the door.  The work on the restaurant was designed and carried out by owner Mr Ahmed Binsh who we were delighted to meet during the evening.  The pale stone work, with vertical strip lighting built in, was evocative of  a traditional Turkish restaurant, and the huge, white floor tiles sparkled cleanliness.  Having been open for two years, with an obvious gap whilst the Covid pandemic raged through the country, the restaurant and takeaway is now in full swing.   Dining with good friends, we received a warm welcome from MJ  our host for the evening. Whilst we enjoyed our Morretti Zero beer,  MJ was happy to go through the menu and explain how the dishes were all prepared from fresh produce all sourced locally, and many of the vegetables and herbs were grown in the owners garden, with the emphasise on organic produce wherever possible.  Our dining companions had experienced Turkish food and were already keen fans. We needed a little help and were grateful for the descriptions on the menu. Behind us, and behind a surround of toughened glass,  the chef was busily turning food over on a giant grill above glowing Peruvian, charcoal embers. It was a warm evening so we chose the sharing platter for 4, from the Mezze cold starters. The selection arrived with a thin, lightly cooked flat bread each, and then it was up to us to dip in to the selection of dishes. There was hummus, garnished with pomegranate and chickpeas,  Mutabak and Muhammara with its mix of sweet and savoury, and hint of spices.  Muttabal, my personal favourite, made from grilled Egg plant (Aubergine)blended with Tahini and spices,  and Baba Ghanouch, again with egg plant as a core ingredient. The freshness of the ingredients, and oils used really stood out to me. MJ serve us a little extra course here of  Halloumi; charcoal seared cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep’s milk, and barbecued spring lamb ribs, marinated in special herbs and spices then roasted over the Peruvian wood charcoal grill.  Grilled King Prawns in a signature marinate, left overnight before being smoked over Peruvian wood charcoal with a  special sauce.  Lamb Kofta was Esther’s favourite, tender ground spring lamb seasoned with in-house spices fused with onions and parsley, shaped into kebabs, and then smoked over Peruvian wood charcoal and served with a fresh salad. My choice was the chicken shawarma, a dish of succulent marinated chicken, layered on a vertical rotisserie where it’s slow-roasted in its own juices until perfectly tender and extra flavourful  served on a flat bread along with rice and bulgur wheat and a side salad. A generous portion which was absolutely delicious.  Meanwhile Brian was carefully de-constructing his Sea bass, which also was marinated overnight in herbs and spices and then smoke roasted over the Peruvian wood charcoal, whilst saying how fresh and succulent  the white  flesh was. True to form, my wife chose the grilled king prawns. Again these are slit along their back before being left overnight in Kayi Mezze’s  signature marinade and then smoked over Peruvian wood charcoal and adorned with an in-house special sauce. Finally served with the freshest of salads and generous chunks of lemon. After such a lovely evening, we just needed a small taste of something sweet for dessert and  Baklava was the perfect thing to share, with its chopped pistachio nuts and honey . With extensive experience gained from working all over the Mediterranean, Kayi Mezze Grill have created a restaurant where you can experience signature dishes, carefully chosen from a variety of regions, by their chefs. On reflection, I thought that this had been the perfect evening for my introduction to Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine, one which I truly enjoyed. I was impressed by the simplicity of the dishes, and how the fresh ingredients were enhanced by the light touch of added herbs and spices. Everything was cooked freshly as you ordered it, and as a bonus I also realised how very much healthier food prepared and served in this way is. All in all we had a fantastic evening and agreed that this was a place to revisit to explore more of the menu,  to  immerse ourselves in the Turkish and Syrian style of dining.  Kayi Mezze Grill also provide a takeaway service and offer a discount if you collect. There is parking for a few cars behind the restaurant, with two free car parks in close proximity. Kayi Mezze Grill3 Vicarage Rd, Mickleover DE3 0EA.https://kayi-grill.co.ukTel: 01332 595861 00

Restaurant Review – The Little Kitchen, Little Eaton

On our travels Susan and myself  have eaten breakfast in some very memorable places: an ‘all American’ diner on I50, somewhere near Williamsburg, Maryland, overlooking one of  the many picturesque creeks that litter the shores of  the Chesapeake Bay. In the roof  top restaurant of  the Hotel Bristol, Sorrento, Italy, with its magnificent view of  the bay of  Naples, watching the ferry depart for Capri. And on a Boeing 747; the TWA ‘red eye’ from Chicago to London; memorable for all the wrong reasons. It was a warm mid-week morning and we’d been invited for breakfast at the Little Kitchen, Little Eaton; a venue we’d passed many time and remarked on how busy it looked. For many years, what is now the Little Kitchen, had been, primarily, a newsagents run by the husband and wife team, David and Donna Baxter. They expanded the café and dining venture as newspaper deliveries declined, eventually developing Little Kitchen in to the bistro style venue it is today.  The entrance to Little Kitchen is through a Parisian café influenced, pavement forecourt with dark grey waist high wooden planters along the boundary. These are topped with glazed panels keeping the area bright, and along with the gazebo keep it shielded from the odd rain shower. The interior of  Little Kitchen is ‘industrial-vintage style’ from the bare ceiling lights with their exaggerated filaments to the mid-century, steel framed chairs and workmanlike tables. There is an open kitchen at one end of  the building and a well stocked bar at the other. It was a warm, sunny morning and I said that we’d like to sit outside. And so we were escorted through to the garden court. An intimate area dotted with gazebos and a selection of  tables that can seat from two to eight diners. With so much outside space it’s no wonder the eatery is also dog friendly. The friendly and knowledgeable waitress asked us what we’d like to drink from a selection of  various coffee combinations and teas. We both went for the double espresso and it was excellent. Golden brown with a good crema. A rich flavour, not too bitter or watery. The breakfast menu ranges from the loaded full English, through hot sausage or bacon breakfast rolls to pancakes with maple syrup, fresh fruit and Nutella. Plus there’s a ‘specials board’; it’s a roll of  brown parcel paper hanging from the wall with daily offerings written on it.  I selected the lean bagel stacker. Sandwiched between a split and toasted bagel, spread with cream cheese, with a generous portion of  wilted spinach topped with sautéed mushrooms. Plus a grilled, thick cut, rasher of  bacon and a meaty, country style, sausage. The latter sliced length ways to stop it falling out of  the stack. The final touch was half  of  a grilled tomato. The whole tower held in place with a wooden skewer. The bagel was what it should be; simple and a little chewy.  The spinach was tasty and along with the mushrooms was a delicious combination. The bacon and sausage was just the right amount of  meat for this well balanced breakfast combination. The alternative mean stacker has even more ingredients. Susan’s choice was more brunch than breakfast: eggs royal. A round of  farmhouse toast covered with a small pile of  sliced smoked salmon. This was topped with two perfectly poached eggs and accompanied with a smooth hollandaise sauce. The slightly salty salmon provided all the seasoning the meal required.  Little Kitchen is versatile. The spectacular display of  home-made cakes, ready for the afternoon teas, caught my eye. They also cater for parties and are popular with cyclists. Their weekend evening menu features ‘add your own topping’ pizza. It’s only a few miles north of  Derby and is open every day at 8am and on Monday to Thursday they close at 5pm. Friday and Saturday they close at 10.30 and on Sunday: 6pm.  And yes, we did visit Tiffany’s in New York. It was early on a cool Autumn morning in 1984. But, back then, they didn’t do breakfast. 00

Walk Derbyshire – The Roaches

As a few members of my brood have a nought at the end of their birthdates this year, we decided to celebrate by holding a family get-together.  The venue decided upon was the Mermaid Inn, an old drovers’ pub high on Morridge Ridge above Leek.  Due to the change in drinking habits following the ‘drink/drive’ regulations, the pub was fast losing its traditional clientele and either had to close, or change to something better than simply being a supplier of alcoholic drinks. The scheme a developer came up with was to improve the place by changing it into a high class self-service guest house, something that was perfect to our requirements as it easily covered the demands of a family group whose ages ranged from a few months to ninety.  By some miracle of organisation, everyone was free for the chosen weekend and travelled safely from points north, south, east and west without too much difficulty. The Mermaid by the way, takes its name from a nearby moorland pool, the haunt of a mermaid who is supposed to snare unwary travellers.  Overlooking the head waters of the River Trent’s highest tributaries and on high ground opposite the long ridge known as the Roaches, it makes an ideal base for anyone wishing to explore both the Roaches and Dane Valley as well as the little known areas above the headwaters of the Manifold Valley. It was the Roaches which attracted me most strongly.  As an area I have neglected as of late, I decided to take time off and re-explore this long sinuous arm of gritstone, the last fling of that rough stone marking the southern end of the Pennines.  The name ‘Roaches’ is supposed to have been conjured up by French monks based on their now ruined Dieulacress Cistercian Abbey to the south of Tittesworth Reservoir.  One can imagine that when asked about the name of the line of rocks cresting the skyline at the valley’s head, the questioned monk would simply give a Gallick shrug and maybe said ‘we call them les Rochers’ – the Rocks. As a result and over the years the name stuck, and became anglicised to Roaches. The Roaches offer some of the finest gritstone climbs in the Peak District.  This is where many of the top Manchester climbers such as Joe Brown and Don Whillans first developed their skills.  Routes of everyday standard can also be found on these crags, along with those that might seem to a novice, as appearing to require the most acrobatic moves.  Originally the whole area was private land where animals such as wallabies and a single yack once roamed. Nowadays we have free access to the moors and rocks, which this walk enjoys to the full.   During its early stages, the walk passes past an attractive cottage tucked into the lower tier of rocks lining this long gritstone ridge.  Called Rockhall Cottage, it is now a comfortable climbers’ hut, but was inhabited until his death a decade or so ago, by the self-styled ‘King of the Roaches’.  A constant harrier of walkers and climbers alike, he scoured the local moors for bog oak and other firewood to keep him and his ailing wife warm. The walk starts from roadside parking beneath the sharp peak of Hen Cloud to the south east.  It then follows an elongated figure of eight route along the ridge crest as far as the Dane Valley, before returning by the road winding along the foot of the Roaches, and also allowing the tiring walker to enjoy far ranging views across the North Staffordshire Plain; on a clear day it is possible to see as far as the outliers of Snowdonia.  Other interesting views will be of Shutlingsloe, Cheshire’s Matterhorn and to the west above Rudyard Lake is The Cloud where because of the mountain’s conical shape, the sun appears to set twice around mid-summer.  Another pond, Doxey Pool where another water-sprite is supposed to live, is passed during the walk: strangely the pool does not appear to have any entry or exit, yet it never overflows. At the walk’s turning point in the wooded Dane Valley, the main feature apart from the scenery, is Lud’s Church, a natural ravine cutting deeply into the rocky hillside.  This is where Walter de Ludbank, a follower of Wycliffe held dissenting religious services in the 14th century.  A more recent legend links the cave with the medieval poem to ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’.  If this is correct, then it was upon this spot that King Arthur’s champion met and fought the Green Knight. THE WALK – STEP BY STEP Either take the courtesy bus along the foot of the Roaches, or park in a convenient lay-by along the road.  Go through the narrow stone stile on your right of the road to follow the signposted path climbing upwards to the col between Hen Cloud and the Roaches.  Walk past Rockhall Cottage and as far as the first rocks on your left. Turn left and scramble through the rocks lining the crag’s upper tier.  Turn left at the top and follow the ridge crest. Continue along the airy ridge for around three miles.  Go past the mysterious tiny pool where the sprite called Doxey is said to reside.  Cross the road where it cuts through the gap at the end of the Roaches. On the far side of the gap, turn right along an access track for about 50yards and then go to the left through a narrow stile, continuing downhill over the rough moor by following the direction of a line of yellow waymark arrows. Use the boundary wall to continue along the way, by keeping it on your right. Follow the heather-clad moorland path for about a mile, then go down into the Dane Valley. Approaching the densest part of the tree-line, turn left away from a more distinct path joining from your right.  Continue to follow the pine wood’s upper edge for

Celebrity Interview – Arthur Smith

There are some people you think you’re going to like even before you speak to them. Anyone who’s written a memoir called My Name Is Daphne Fairfax sounds a fascinating character and Arthur Smith lives up to expectations. When I rang Arthur to talk about his upcoming show in Derby, I didn’t interview him; we had a chat like two old mates and there was plenty of laughter at both ends of the telephone. He’s known primarily as a comedian and broadcaster but he’s also a playwright, poet and singer. “I count myself as the third best Leonard Cohen tribute act in south London,” says Arthur of the Canadian singer-songwriter known for his dark lyrics and depressing tunes. “If you look at his lyrics he’s often very witty. I think it’s partly the slowness and deepness of his voice. But he’s not one for singing happy songs.” One of Cohen’s tunes will probably be included in Arthur’s show Laughter, Music, Thoughts and The Odd Poem. Like many young adults Arthur wanted to be a rock star and sang with a band called The Results.  “We actually did a few gigs, even released a single but we left them on a radiator or something and they melted. And then we all fell out, as you do. “My introductions to the songs got longer and I was getting laughs. I could sing all right but I’m better at making people laugh.” Brian Arthur Smith was born on 27 November 1954 in Bermondsey, south east London. His father Syd was a survivor of the Colditz prisoner-of-war camp and became a police constable. Arthur went to a grammar school before graduating from the University of East Anglia with a degree in comparative literature. Friends and family know him as Brian but when he started as a comedian he had to join the entertainers’ union Equity to be able to work. There was already someone with the name Brian Smith, so he used his middle name instead. He came to prominence as a stand-up performer on the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s. He’s still referred to as an “alternative” comedian today although he says the title is now meaningless. “It was about the time that (Margaret) Thatcher came in. We were a reaction against comedians like Bernard Manning and Stan Boardman. They just did gags. A lot of it was racist, homophobic and sexist.” Arthur’s laid-back, individual style meant he picked up plenty of broadcasting work. He continues to appear on the Radio 4 conversation, music and comedy programme Loose Ends while on television he became one of the Grumpy Old Men – middle-aged blokes talking about any issues of modern life which got on their nerves. So does Arthur class himself as a grumpy old man these days? “If they pay me, I’m prepared to be grumpy! There are lots of things that irritate me. It’s a question of framing them in a way that makes them sound funny.  “I’ll be doing a bit of grumpy stuff in the show. I’ve had a few good responses when I ask audiences what makes them grumpy. Everyone’s a bit grumpy as they get older.” Arthur is still deciding what material to include in his Derby show although there will be some poetry. He may recite one or two of his own poems or he may choose Happy The Man by John Dryden, the first British Poet Laureate. “It’s funny how poetry fits in quite well with comedy,” says Arthur. “You find with comedy that you can deliver a punchline but if the words aren’t quite in the right order, you don’t get a laugh. But if you switch a couple of words around, you do get a laugh. There’s definitely a connection between poetry and stories and gags. I try to reflect that.” There may well be readings from Arthur’s memoir. His opening line at hundreds of comedy performances has been: “My name is Arthur Smith, unless there’s anybody here from the Streatham tax office. In which case I’m Daphne Fairfax.” Arthur could almost be described as a hellraiser a couple of decades ago but a health scare forced him to take a look at his lifestyle. “I was drinking way too much and living the high life. I ended up with acute necrotising pancreatitis and then I got diabetes as a result of it.  “I seem to be okay these days and I’ve given up the drink. I have an occasional glass of red wine but I haven’t had a hangover for more than 20 years.” His busy schedule means that before he comes to Derby he will return to the Edinburgh Fringe with a show which is typically Arthur. “I’m doing a show called My 75 Years at the Edinburgh Fringe because it’s the 75th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival and the Fringe, so I’m telling people I’ve been here every year. And I revisit some of the ridiculous times I’ve had there. “I once got arrested at the end of a gig. I did this late-night tour of the Royal Mile. I was arrested for making a lot of noise – breach of the peace and possession of a megaphone is what they said.” You can also expect to hear Arthur on more editions of Loose Ends but you’ll have to be quick if you want to hear him introducing shows on the Comedy Club on BBC Radio 4 Extra which is shortly to close, becoming an online-only service. Another of Arthur’s successes is his voiceover work on the BBC One daytime show Money For Nothing. In it presenters save objects destined for council refuse tips and experts turn them into desirable items which are sold for a profit. Some people regard Arthur’s contribution as the highlight of the programme.  “I used to have to go to Glasgow to record that but now I do it from home with a mattress around my computer and a proper microphone. They give me

Lost Houses of Derbyshire – Middleton – By – Youlegreave

As is the case with so many other of Derbyshire’s lost houses, the present Middleton Hall, at Middleton-by-Youlgreave, is a replacement, on another site in this case, of an earlier house. Indeed, there had been a manor house in Middleton from a relatively early date, for there had been a domestic chapel there before the mid-twelfth century, remains of which were discovered by Thomas William Bateman in the grounds of the present hall (of which he was then owner) in 1870. How this chapel came into being is cloaked in uncertainty. In 1066 man of Norse descent called Dunning appears to have held Middleton, along with Pilsley, one of the eight manors of Barton Blount, and one of the two manors of Holme, Wadshelf and Brampton. By 1086, when Domesday Book was compiled, he had lost the lot but had been compensated by being installed as King’s thegn in the manor of Calow, by Chesterfield, and thus became ancestor of the Calow family. In 1086, Youlgreave was part of the extensive holdings of Henry de Ferrers, who installed as sub-tenant a man called Col or Colle, another person of Norse ancestry, and his family held it from the King, along with Middleton, Stanton, and Harthill.  Robert son of Colle seems to have resided at Harthill, where he built a fine manor house with a chapel (which still stands, despite conversion, long ago, to agricultural use), and it would appear that Middleton was sub-tenanted by a family of that name, just as Stanton was sub-tenanted by the Stanton family. Indeed, we find Miles de Middleton there in 1230 and his grandson William was involved in a land transaction there in 1291.  These Middletons held under the descendants of Colle, later the de Harthills, and after them from the Cokaynes. From the latter the manorial estate went to the Howes of Langar in Nottinghamshire in the 17th century. After the Middletons died out, the Medieval house seems to have fallen into decay and been abandoned, chapel included: even Dr. Cox, author of Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire (1875-1879), seems to have missed it.  Meanwhile, Robert, third son of Hugh Bateman of Hartington Hall bought a house and some land in Youlgreave which included part of Middleton in 1615 and in 1626 he built a new house, Middleton Hall, in the village, which seemingly included fragments of an earlier residence. In 1670, his son paid tax on seven hearths there, suggesting that it was a reasonably substantial place. They also held some land at Hartington. Robert’s house was clearly a simple E-plan or H-plan upland stone manor house, but as the only view we have of it was done shortly before demolition in 1812, our information is based on surmise. What the drawing actually shows is a typical late 18th century three bay two and a half storey farm house with a central entrance and an oeuil-de-boeuf attic window over the centrally positioned entrance with its Adam-influenced fan lit door, all enclosed by gritstone quoins, implying that the main building material was difficult-to-work carboniferous limestone from a local source. There are similar farmhouses, even down to the bull’s eye window, all over the White Peak, and especially on the former Bateman family’s Hartington Hall estate. What we also see on the left, however, is a surviving early 17th century cross wing of two storeys and attics, with typical mullioned casemented windows under cranked hood moulds with a group of tall stacks to one side. From this we may be fairly sure that the Batemans decided to enlarge the house c. 1770 and did it by replacing two-thirds of the original building with a brand new large farmhouse, probably put up by the local builder using a pattern book, leaving a third of the old house as a service wing. This seems to have been the work of Richard Bateman (1727-1774). Furthermore, the family estate kept on expanding, fuelled by successful lead trading and a cloth business in Manchester, mainly run by Richard’s youngest son, William. The eldest son was Thomas (1760-1747), who managed to buy from Viscount Howe, all the manorial land at Middleton which had been acquired the previous century by the Howes. In 1786, Thomas married Rebecca the daughter and co-heiress of Arthur Clegg, another Manchester cloth merchant, again increasing the family fortune. Their only son was William, who grew up to be a distinguished archaeologist and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.  He, however, died aged 47 in 1835, also leaving a son, Thomas, who caught the archaeology bug from his father, and became famous as the excavator (but without the methodical care expected today) of Bronze Age and later barrows all over Derbyshire, Staffordshire and southern Yorkshire, chronicled in two detailed books, now highly desirable. Young Thomas, born in 1821, was thus much influenced by his father’s example, but also by that of his grandfather in architecture, into whose care following his father’s death, when he was 14, he was placed. Meanwhile, old Thomas, buoyed up by his increasing wealth, his acquisition of the rest of the land in Middleton, and a fire which left the hall unlivable, resolved to replace the old family home rather than repair it. He therefore retired temporarily to Meadow Pleck, another house on the estate, and in 1823 – the year he served his High Shrievalty – unceremoniously demolished the old house. He was, however, already personally designing its successor, which was begun in 1824 and completed in 1826 on a new site, but quite near to the old house, off Rake Lane. It was two storey, flatted topped with a balustrade, very four square, with slim octagonal angle turrets and a projecting lancetted entrance in antis. It has a fine hall with an elegant Hoptonwood staircase with an iron balustrade. Much of the oak panelling from the old house, however, was transferred and survives within. The stables were a simpler version of the same.  This, however, was

A Voyage Around the Small Isles of Scotland

This little ditty was taught to us by our Scottish geography teacher many years ago, and because of it, I have always wanted to explore the group of tiny sea-washed islands to the south of Skye.  This opportunity came about when Sheila spotted an advert by a company called The Majestic Line.  Apparently they operate a fleet of small luxury motor cruisers holding around twelve passengers and four crew.  What they had on offer was not only a cruise around our chosen waters of the Hebrides, but all the while enjoying meals (prepared in our case) by a Paris trained Cordon Blue chef.   We booked the tour of what are known as the Small, or Sma’ Isles quite early in view of the limited number of spaces available, later making our way as instructed to the quayside in Oban.  About a quarter of a mile off shore our home for the next few days, the Glen Etive waited our arrival.  We soon discovered that access was by a small tender that came bouncing its way across the open water, an early introduction to the standard method of reaching the island stop-offs. The Majestic Line has only been running for a few years and takes its title from an episode in a Para Handy tale.  He was the skipper of a Clyde Puffer called The Vital Spark, hilariously filmed in a BBC TV comedy series a few years back.  A member of Para Handy’s nefarious crew was called McPhail, the self-styled engineer who spent his spare time when not tending the rickety engine by reading cheap romantic novels. One day he went missing, only to return a few weeks later with the story that he had sailed with the Majestic Line, whose ships had golden funnels.  The founders of the company we were travelling with decided to call it the Majestic Line and, in keeping with the story, all their ships’ funnels are painted gold.  But that is the only link with Para Handy tales, no black smoking coal burning steam engines and accommodation is way ahead on anything offered by the Vital Spark.  Not only does it border on five star luxury, but as I discovered when I chatted to Skipper Peter, the spoked ship’s wheel is only for decoration and the Glen Etive steers itself by sat/nav and computer programme. While Peter was responsible for our safety and comfort at sea, our inner comfort came via the culinary skills of Chef Gordon, a man whose life has to say the least, been quite an adventure.  After a spell in the SAS he turned to cooking, becoming along the way the owner of an Alnwick-based Michelin-starred restaurant until he was ‘captured’ by the Duchess of Northumberland.  Parisian training also led him to the job of catering for the demands of film crews.  Looking after the likes of us filled in the gaps between commissions.  Every meal was a culinary delight, using foods caught or grown around the waters of the Western Isles. For example our first dinner, a true taste of the Hebrides, was made up of lobster, langoustines, mussels and locally grown salad and new potatoes.  Fish was plentiful and blended in with venison and my favourite, haggis! Two other crew members were there to make sure we enjoyed every comfort; Jill the ‘Jack’ of all trades was officially Bosun and Ian, a young lad from the Clyde Valley was quickly getting his sea legs as an up and coming deck hand. A gentle burble from the engines told us we were on our way along the Sound of Mull, the canal-like stretch of water between Mull and the rest of Scotland.  With the tender bouncing in our wake like a well-trained puppy we made our way to a sheltered anchorage near the mouth of Loch Sunart.  Sleep came easily, but I was woken later to the sound of roaring, not the Sunart monster, but amorous stags. With a strengthening wind behind us we made our way up the Sound of Sleat, past Ardnamurchan Point, the most westerly part of mainland Britain.  Onwards beyond the wilderness of Kintail to a quiet bay  below the ruins of ‘Saucy Marty’s’  castle – she was a medieval princess who spread a chain across the channel in order to exact tolls from passing ships.   What the rest of M.V. Glen Etive’s crew and passengers seemed unaware of was that very near to where we anchored lies the wartime wreck of a ship full of mines.  Apparently it was in collision with another ship while anchored at Kyle of Lochalsh and burst into flames.  In order to avert a disaster, the burning ship was towed across the sound to a quiet spot where it sank, fortunately without the mines exploding, but it is still there almost eighty years later. Bright sunshine and a gentle wind took us up to Loch Kintail opposite Applecross, site of the famous road across the Pass of the Cattle, the highest road in Britain, it winds its way from sea level to over 2000 feet in a matter of four miles.  At its foot, two redundant North Sea oil rigs were being dismantled, brought back to their birthplace, they show how fragile the North Sea oil industry has become.   With attractive views of distant peaks, we turned towards Plockton, one of the prettiest villages in Scotland.  This is where a quirk of the Gulf Stream encourages flowering shrubs to bloom well away from their normal habitat. Being Scotland the weather changed overnight, with strong winds and a choppy sea taking us back into the Sound of Sleat.  Unlike the trainee captain of a submarine a year or so ago who ran aground nearby, we passed under the bridge connecting Skye to the mainland at Kyle of Lochalsh.  It was around here that the first of the friendly, inquisitive dolphins came to see us and playfully splash and grin as they enjoyed our company.  Turning the