Peak District Online Issue 2 by Peak District Online

PEAK DISTRICT ONLINE MAGAZINE WINNING ENTRY - PHOTO COMPETITION Izzak Walton Hotel - Under new management Plucky Pheasants

Welcome Welcome to the second edition of our brand new Peak District Online Magazine. The amazing month of November is upon us with its mists and mellow fruitfulness.....as well as the usual wind, rain and bluster! So far the month has made for some wonderful colours and the team of Peak District Online’s photography duo, ‘Wakes World’ and ‘Villager Jim’ share with you their harvest of stunning imagery. Using unique angles to highlight this very beautiful part of our country, this new and vibrant publication will be available for your perusal each and every month. Featuring the scenes, places, animals and people of the Peaks, brought to you through the lens of the master artists behind their very popular photography websites. This months budding photographer can win the chance to win a 2 night break at the stunning Izaak Walton Hotel on the River Dove and find out about the unique history behind this beautiful newly taken over hotel in our article dedicated to it. See the silly pheasant looking splendid in its colourful plumage and read about their penchant for riding on the front of cars! Reporting all the latest events and dates for your diary, Peak District Online continue to bring to you the latest news, local bits and pieces as well as providing the UK’s largest holiday accommodation directory any where on the web.

plucky pheasants

he stunningly beautiful pheasant is out and about in abundance in the Peak and a very common sight. It’s quite easily to forget how impressive the male pheasant actually is, because they seem to be almost everywhere - but the images below are intended to remind you of their beauty. Slow to take off in flight, it’s not uncommon to encounter a silly pheasant meandering aimlessly along country lanes or hurtling headfirst towards your bumper instead of away from it. They’re certainly not the cleverest of our bird population - in fact; they do seem to be a little bit batty!

he difference between the male and female of the species is quite astonishing. With its very large, long tail, the male pheasant has very different markings to that of the female, certainly looking like they’ve been blessed with a bird paintbrush. Their rich chestnut, golden brown and black markings on their body glisten in the sunlight, in an almost two tone way and their long delicate tail and dark green iridescent head contrasts against the red-face feathers.

nlike the human population, the females are much more demure, not at all showy, with mottled paler brown and black plumage. Males are usually larger than females and have much longer tails. They also play no part in rearing the young, this all falls to mum.

n some parts of Derbyshire (I’ve seen them myself in Chatsworth), it’s common to see a black or green pheasant. They are the same iridescent colour as the neck of the common pheasant, due to pigmentation in their captive breeding, but males have shorter tails on average and have a much darker plumage. This is uniformly bottle green on the belly and breast. They also lack a white neck ring like the common pheasant.

he female pheasant of the green variety is darker, with many black dots on the breast and belly colour. Other colour mutations can be seen in the countryside and an extremely rare pheasant, a pure white albino, has been captured on camera recently by Villager Jim. Unfortunately birds of this rarity are easily spotted by prey and have hearing impairments, both of which donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help survival chances sadly.

heasants can be seen across most of the UK, but are very common sight in the Peak District moors and open farmland, usually spotted in abundance under woodland edges, copses and hedgerows. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been known to wander about our little villages and help themselves to bird seed fallen from our garden tables.

s part of the partridge and quail family, the RSPB estimates we have between 1.8 and 1.9 million birds in this country and if you’re walking or driving through the Peak District, we think we’ve probably got a high proportion of this estimate with the huge amount we have!

ommon pheasants are bred to be shot in great numbers where they are taken on the traditional formal ‘driven shoots.’ The open season in the UK is 1st October to 1st February and its quite common to hear the haunting sounds of guns, echoing across the Peak District valleys throughout this period. They are spectacular to watch in the breeding season, their fights are quite aggressive and a fair few feathers are lost along the way.

dding colour and movement amongst the barren winter moors, they contrast beautifully against the famous Derbyshire Heather, the next time you see a pheasant wandering about, just slow down a little, because is likely to want to have a ride on the front of your car!

Ilam, Nr Ashbourne, DE6 2AY telephone 01335 350 981 fax 01335 220 055 email reception@izaakwaltonhotel.com www.izaakwaltonhotel.com The Izaak Walton Hotel has reopened after being taken over by former guests James and Amanda Keay who will be running the hotel with their business partners Andy and Hayley Jeneson. The hotel has had a sympathetic refresh and is now fully operational. It has 36 bedrooms and views of oustanding beauty across the Derbyshire Peaks. It was named after the author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Complete Anglerâ&#x20AC;?. The idyllic setting and modern facilities make the hotel a unique setting and ideal choice for your stay. We also cater for Weddings, Conferences, Private Parties, Family Gatherings and Luncheons. We can offer light snacks and lunches in our Dovedale Bar and fine dining in the Haddon Restaurant under the supervision of our Head Chef Simon Harrison. We have a variety of rooms available including some with four poster beds for that special occassion. The Haddon Restaurant and Dovedale Bar are open to Residents and Non-Residents alike. Just a short drive out of Ashbourne we are suitably situated for your visit to the wonderful Peak District area of Derbyshire.

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The Izaak Walton Hotel is a characterful hotel near Dovedale, near the village of Thorpe, Ilam & Tissington. It now has brand new owners, James Keay and Andy Jeneson. The pair took ownership of the Hotel on Monday 31st March 2014 and are generously offering the wonderful photographic competition prize for this months magazine - a two nights stay with bed and breakfast included Monday - Thursday. The hotel holds many fond memories for James and his family since the 1950’s and it’s with determination and hard work they’re looking forward to welcoming guests past and present and have many exciting plans securing the long term future for this wonderful family run hotel. James said ‘My family and I were so saddened by the closure of the Izaak Walton last Spring that we felt a duty to rescue it and return it to its former glory.’ He went onto say, ‘ This will of course take time but we are totally committed to realising our dream. Initially we will work through a sympathetic refresh of the hotel and grounds followed by further ongoing refurbishment of the main hotel over the coming months and years.’ Making the hotel an ongoing success is also the aim of Andy, who has 20 years’ experience in the hospitality trade. They believe wholeheartedly that with his experience and the support of both their families, the hotel will continue in the same vein as before, to be a wonderful escape for fisherman and families alike.

Weddings, Conferences, Private Parties, Family Gatherings, Luncheons and more...

inspiring... idyllic... irresistable.

PHOTO COMPETION WINNER

Wayne Richardson - competition winner ‘Cloud inversion over The Great Ridge ’

Alison Streets - ‘Alport’

runners up

Alison Crump - ‘Life on the Edge’

Paul Machin - “The Pinnacle” Curbar edge

The winner of this month’s photography competition is Wayne Richardson. Wayne’s winning photo is very topical as there has been some wonderful inversions throughout the Peak District over the last month and Wayne’s photo captures the Mist pouring over Back Tor & Lose Hill on the Great Ridge taken from Mam Tor. Wayne has won two nights Bed and Breakfast kindly donated by The Isaak Walton Hotel. www.izaakwaltonhotel.com Only our second contest and the number of entries was impressive and the quality of the photographs even better. Next month’s competition is called ‘Landscape Heavens’ so please send us your idea of a Heaven on Earth photograph. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPONSOR OUR PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION PLEASE EMAIL US AT INFO@PEAKDISTRICTONLINE.CO.UK

visit our facebook page for next months competition

events

Contemporary Art Exhibition at Hardwick Hall at Hardwick Estate Wed 11 Jun - Sun 16 Nov Alastair Mackie’s newly commissioned work, ‘Epitaph’, uses technology which is literally ‘cutting edge’: a 3D scanner, Computer Aided Design software, and a 5 axis [Computer Numerical Control] CNC machine have transformed a stone from Hardwick’s own quarry to produce a conceptually beautiful sculpture.

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Magical Lantern Workshop November 15th Magical Lantern Procession, Join in the fun by making your own willow lantern. Quick and simple to do. Just pop in to a worshop and have a go - al ages welcome. at Buxton Museum & Art Gallery.

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Castleton

Christmas Switch On

Lights

November 15th Switched on this year outside the Toll Bar Gift Shop by Steve Nallon playing ‘Dame Trott’ in Buxton Opera House’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk Panto and ‘Gully Mouse’ from Gullivers Kingdom - Steve Nallon was the voice of Margaret Thatcher in Spitting Image

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The National Forest Food and Drink Fair at Rosliston Forestry Centre November 16th The National Forest Food and Drink Fair, and Abracadabra Bake Off at the Centre. Includes baking competitions, cookery demonstrations and a Farmers’ Market.

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visit our events website here

A Festival of Christmas Trees at Crooked Spire Church November 22nd Come to the famous ‘Crooked Spire’ Church for a Festival of Christmas Trees! Come and see a variety of Christmas Trees all decorated by different people and groups within the Community.

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Bakewell Christmas Market at Bakewell November 29th/30th

17th Century Derbyshire Food at Eyam Hall From November 23rd Have you ever wondered what you’d have for breakfast before the Full English or what came before the jam roly- poly? Join food historian Mark Dawson on a journey back to 17th century Derbyshire and discover favourite recipes and secret ingredients.

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Annual Indoor Dickensian Street Market November 29th

Visitors are welcomed to this beautiful town and its

This is far from just a market, it’s an experience.

traditional English Christmas Market, where you will enjoy cultural entertainment and stroll around stalls nestled within the beautiful streets and marketplace.

Turn back the clock to the days when shopping was fun.

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Wander casually through brightly decorated stalls with their sellers dressed in Dickensian period costumes, or simply sit, surrounded by the stalls, in the simulated village green and listen to and watch a cavalcade of entertainment running throughout the event; Brass Bands, Dancers, Vocalists, Musicians, Choirs. more information

EAST LODGE COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL & RESTAURANT Rowsley, Matlock Derbyshire - DE4 2EF Telephone: 01629 734 474 E-mail: info@eastlodge.com www.eastlodge.com

CALLOW HALL COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL & RESTAURANT Mappleton, Ashbourne Derbyshire - DE6 2AA Telephone: 01335 300 900 E-mail: info@callowhall.co.uk www.callowhall.co.uk

FESTIVE DINING AT EAST LODGE AND CALLOW HALL Festive Lunch & Dinner Menu These special festive menus will be served from Saturday 29th November 2014 until 24th December 2014

FIRST COURSE Chef’s seasonal soup of the day Smooth chicken liver and Port parfait with red onion chutney, mulled red wine reduction & toasted sourdough Classic cold water prawn cocktail, with Icelandic prawns, Marie Rose sauce & iceberg lettuce Aromatic crispy duck spring roll, cucumber, spring onion & ginger salad with caramelised Hoi Sin dressing Creamed mushroom and leek mille feuille with shallot sabayon

MAIN COURSES Traditional roast Barlow turkey with caramelised winter root vegetables buttered sprouts, duck fat roasted potatoes and bacon wrapped chipolata Slow braised beef cheek with dauphinoise potatoes and port wine sauce Pan fried fillet of salmon with Thermidor mashed potatoes, puff pastry fleuron and pink Champagne sauce Smoked feta, spinach & ratatouille strudel with toasted pine nuts, fondant potato, Parmesan crisp and coriander butter sauce

DESSERTS Our own recipe classic Christmas pudding served with brandy sauce Warm chocolate orange brownie with Grand Marnier ice cream and popping candy Scandinavian iced berries served with hot white chocolate sauce A selection of homemade ice cream and sorbets A selection of handmade cheeses with quince paste, crackers, grapes and celery Price for 3 courses plus coffee; Lunch - £24.95 per person Dinner - £29.95 per person Freshly brewed coffee with mince pies - £3.75

PHOTOS TAKEN BY VILLAGER JIM AND WAKES WORLD VIEW OUR DAILY PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK

VIEW OUR DAILY PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK