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THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE

Cahoots NI and Buxton Opera House, in association with New 42 and the New Victory Theater, present The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a visually spectacular family theatre experience blending live magic, original music, and imaginative storytelling. This new production will run at Buxton Opera House from Tue 2 – Sat 6 Jun (Gala Night: Thu 4 Jun), followed by a New York engagement. Casting to be announced. Tickets on sale now. After a successful development run in Belfast in 2024, where audiences praised the production’s magical effects and engaging performances, the show returns in 2026 as a fully realised production. Set in a world of enchanted forests, snowy skies, and dancing northern lights, the show follows Gunda, an ordinary schoolgirl who discovers an extraordinary power hidden within and must face fierce competition for the chance to become The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Cahoots NI Artistic Director, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice director, Paul Mc Eneaney said: The company is “incredibly excited to be welcoming families into The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as it embarks on its next chapter,” adding that at the heart of the work is “the shared magic of storytelling, celebrating imagination, bravery, and the joy of discovering the extraordinary within ourselves.” Mc Eneaney also highlighted the importance of the ongoing partnership with Buxton Opera House, noting that following last year’s collaboration on The Vanishing Elephant, the creative team is “delighted to be returning and continuing to build on this partnership,” which has helped shape The Sorcerer’s Apprentice into “an even more visually striking and immersive theatrical experience, bringing magic, music, and illusion to the stage in new and exciting ways.” He added that audiences remain central to the production, explaining that as families step into Gunda’s world, they are invited to feel “part of the adventure from the very first moment,” and that the company “can’t wait to see how audiences experience this journey across the 2026 tour.” This production of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England and Culture Ireland. Box Office www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk 01298 72190 Water Street, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6XN Tickets from £25.50 Age guidance: 6+ 00

ASHBOURNE SCHOOL CHILDREN PLACE TIME CAPSULE IN TRANSFORMED MILLENNIUM SQUARE

Pupils from Ashbourne’s St Oswald’s primary have helped place a time capsule in Millennium Square to mark the transformation of the area as part of the UK Government funded Ashbourne Reborn regeneration programme. The time capsule contains a commemorative tea towel with self-portraits of every pupil in the 2025 academic year, which was made to celebrate the 200th anniversary of St Oswald’s primary school. It also contains a number of items contributed by Ashbourne Town Council, including a letter from Mayor Councillor Caroline Cooper, and a compilation of information from Ashbourne Historical Centre outlining the history of Millennium Square. It also contains a programme of events that have taken place in Ashbourne town centre during 2025. Watched by Ashbourne Reborn partners representing local businesses and the community, District Councillor David Hughes, Chair of the Ashbourne Reborn Programme Board and Caroline Cooper, Mayor of Ashbourne Town Council spoke about the historical significance of Millennium Square. Ashbourne Reborn contractors Galliford Try then helped the school children place the time capsule under paving stones in the square to mark the completion of the transformation. Part of the Highways and Public Realm project, led by the County Council, plans for Millennium Square were developed by Ashbourne Town Council. As part of the Ashbourne Reborn regeneration works, which took place during 2025, the area off St John Street has been transformed. Existing brick walls dating back to the 1960s and the dilapidated ‘elderly person’s rest room’ built in 1971, have been replaced with a planted area of stepped seating made with locally sourced stone to provide a shared community space which wraps around the restored Millennium Clock. 00

WICKED Messy Play Party

We know the kids have not long gone back to school but half term isn’t that far away, folks! So plan ahead and grab a ticket to join us for a WICKED half term this February, all about magic and friendship WICKED MESSY PLAY – 18 FEB Green and pink WICKED themed messy play with a variety of natural sensory stations and crafting activities set up! WICKED OUTDOOR CINEMA – 20 FEB Bring your camping chairs and blankets as we snuggle up under the canopy to watch & sing along to WICKED with pizza, popcorn and pink & green drinks. Book now! Future you will thank you 00

Get down to Derby Market Place – 12 Feb 2026 – 22 Feb 2026 for the Valentines Fun Fair!

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Junior Shepherd Week

We’re thrilled to be reopening on 14 February for our Junior Shepherd Week. Step into the world of farming and create magical family memories with a packed programme of fun, learning and hands-on adventure. What’s on Lambing LiveWitness the miracle of new life as lambs are born in our Cow Palace — an unforgettable experience for all ages. Lambing LessonsHave a go with our human-sized birthing tube, learn all about the lambing process and enjoy a few laughs with our friendly farmers. Milking DemonstrationsWatch our cows being milked using our state-of-the-art robotic milker and see modern farming in action. Farmer Role PlayGet hands-on with brushing Highland cows, “calving” a cow, shearing sheep and dressing up just like a real farmer. Plus so much more A fantastic family day out filled with discovery, interaction and unforgettable farmyard fun. Book Here! 00

Darts World Champion, Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler will Face Off in Derby against some of the best players in the world on 31st October 2026!

Littler will be co-headlining the event with Nathan Aspinall, Gary Anderson and Adrian Lewis, with Rapid Ricky Evans completing the epic lineup. If that’s not enough, the GOAT Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor will be here on the night doing a meet and greet, plus an exclusive interview. Local players Harry Ward, Peter Burgoyne and Conor Marshall will also be in action and will also get a chance to Face Off against one of Littler, Aspinall and Anderson. It’s going to be an epic night, so why not make the most of it and enhance your experience? You can meet the players, there’s an opportunity FOR YOU TO PLAY AGAINST ONE THE PLAYERS, enjoy Live Lounge food and drink…the list goes on! For more, take a look at what’s on offer Tickets Platinum Meet and greet Floor Seat Balcony Parking There is a large provision of car parking within the city centre ring road, with around 5,500 spaces within a 10-minute walk of the venue, including the 11 disabled parking spaces within 100m of the site at present. Our recommended parking is at Derbion Shopping Centre, a short walk away. If you’re driving into Derby, Derbion offers convenient parking just a short walk away from the venue. Located in the heart of the city centre, Derbion provides three secure car parks with over 2,700 large, undercover spaces. From Derbion, it’s a short 5-minute walk to the venue via St Peter’s Street, Victoria Street, and Becket Well Lane. Parking at Derbion also places you steps away from a range of restaurants like Wagamama, Nando’s, Pizza Express and Carluccio’s as well as a wide variety of grab and go choices in our Food Terrace which can be enjoyed pre-show. Arriving in the evening? Take advantage of Derbion’s evening parking rate—just £2.50 after 5 pm in the Centre and Basement car parks. This makes it a great option for those attending evening performances any day of the week. For more details on parking rates and facilities, visit their website. 00

Win Tickets to the The Good Food Show

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The Wreck of Flying Fortress ‘Over Exposed’

by Brian Spencer Pennine Way walkers almost at the southern end of their epic trek from Edale to Kirk Yetholm look on the crossing of Bleaklow as almost the end of the first day’s section of the ‘Way’. Grateful to enjoy a spell of comparatively easy walking on a path made from flagstones, the walker, if they know the part of Bleaklow where they are, spare a few minutes to make a diversion. About a mile west in the direction of Glossop, Shelf Stones, is a 621 metre high ridge, an unforgiving couple of metres below the moorland crest, the ground is littered with the remains of aircraft wreckage. Closer investigation by those with keen eyesight will spot items stamped with U.S. military reference data. This is all that remains of a U.S. Flying Fortress, once affectionately known as Over Exposed by those who flew in her. Built by Boeing and officially known by its manufacturer’s reference as RB-29A-4-44, she weighed 55,000 lbs fully loaded (36lbbs net), and was powered by four massive rotary engines, two on each wing. First flown in July 1946, she entered military service too late for the actual World War 2 fighting, but was converted to carry photographic personnel and their equipment after joining the 16th reconnaissance Group’s 311st Air Division, photographing the first atomic bomb test, on Bikini Athol, and also took part in the Berlin airlift when the city was effectively held to ransom. Based at Burtonwood American air base near Warrington, Over Exposed ended its working days carrying a team of seven trainee photographers as well as its crew. Weather as we know only too well is, in late autumn, usually damp and misty with poor visibility. The navigator was forced to plan a route by instruments alone, but with all the flight crew fully trained and experienced, the crew and passengers were fully confident of their ability to carry out their planned task. The task they were set was first to fly to Scampton RAF base in Lincolnshire in order to pick up money for the wages of colleagues (and themselves) at their base. This they managed quite easily, leaving Scampton at around 10:15 on 3rd November 1948 in order to give the photographers and navigator’s experience of route finding, probably over hilly country in poor visibility, so a complex cross country flight plan was lodged. This involved changing the route in order to fly west over the highest ground in the District, then flying due west, gradually descending over Glossop and south Manchester to Burtonwood airbase. The navigational task the crew had to answer first involved descending as low as possible in order to get beneath the low clouds. Fortunately the navigator and pilots had the help of scientific instruments to help them find the way, but it is at this point that things went wrong. Was it instrument error? If so it eventually caused the disaster, or maybe sheer carelessness? What ever happened will never be known, the instruments were up-to-date and the navigators experienced. All that is known is that Over Exposed though old in years was flying just a metre or so too low in order to clear the summit of Shelf Stones, almost a matter of inches between life and death. AFTER THE CRASH On the fateful morning of 3rd November 1948 an RAF Search & Rescue team operating from their base at Harpur Hill near Buxton happened to be involved in a training exercise on Kinder Scout. The team arrived at the summit of the Snake Pass at around 4:30 p.m, and despite thick mist, they were able to pin-point the position of Over Exposed crashed on Shelf Stones. Using the summit of the Snake Road as a base they quickly headed for the apparent site of the crash on Shelf Stones. Despite the fairly quick time it took to reach the accident site, as it was readily marked by burning parts of the fuselage; the easiest recognisable item was the tail fin. Only badly distorted remains of crew members were found and the macabre job of carrying them to the Snake Road and eventual identification. The aircraft was found to be carrying about $7400, mainly in paper currency which had surprisingly managed to survive the crash and subsequent fire. All of the money down to the last few dollars was recovered by American Military Police. Immediately after the accident, a large section of the main fuselage was easily recognisable and in fact for several years became a simple bothy providing accommodation for hardy souls intent on spending the night on Bleaklow. Unfortunately less careful visitors no longer look after it so well and, together with vandals, and trophy seekers, very little remains of the original wreckage. However, an attempt has been made to preserve the memory of those who flew on Over Exposed on that fateful day. They are, commemorated on a named military-style grave stone, the centre piece of an annual service at the site. Super Fortress Over Exposed crew and passengers commemorated at the crash site on Shelf Stones Moor. Much of the wreckage of Flying Fortress Over Exposed and items connected to it can still be recognised by those with appropriate training, especially parts of the four turbo-engines, but should be left for future archaeologists to examine. In total there are seven wrecks dating from 1939 to 1956 scattered around Bleaklow and associated moors and are mostly the final resting place of those who flew over the wild moors. Please do not remove any items from the wreck sites without permission. 00