Derbyshire 6 A crooked spire and week three in Suzy

---

Suzy has been hunkered down here at Delamere Camping and Caravan club site for the last four days. We have booked another four as we still have no idea what is happening with our move. Our purchase has stalled due to the unadopted road and emails are flying back and fro between solicitors to try to clarify the position. We are even looking at the vendors having to provide us with an Indemnity policy which would compensate us if we ever had any problems using the road to our new property. Not a situation we want to be in as we have lived on a private road before and it caused no end of misery. It is my last week at work and the new job is looming large just around the corner.

The weather is lovely although damp but at least this is keeping the winds down and the frost off. Although tonight they have given a frost so we shall see what happens by the morning. Each night we are sent to sleep by the sounds of two owls in the forest calling to each other and the gentle drone of the trains running between Chester and Manchester on the Northern Line. We wake to the sound of birdsong . Blackbirds, robins, goldfinches and small blue tits. Squirrels scampering through the trees and at exactly 7.15, not one minute early nor one minute late the Canada Geese fly over. Their calling to each other wakes us up but we smile as we can set our alarms by them every morning.

Ablutions done early, the grey water emptied and the rubbish taken to the bins we start the day with coffee, croissants and cereals. No rush as not a working day. This is the life.

Tea whenever we want it and a view that changes with the time of day. Lunch was spent at the Fishpool Inn just down the road. With good parking and an excellent ambiance it turned out to be a lovely place for lunch. Not busy but then it is mid week. Service was excellent and friendly nothing too much trouble. To start Garlic mushrooms in a creamy sauce and a mixed plate of meats. Followed by a pork sandwich with apple on a flatbread with a mixed salad and a kettle chips. A touch expensive for lunch but we both had to say we enjoyed it very much and would go back if in the area. Kathrein is still working well, we are still very warm and cosy in Suzy. Booked for the weekend at Teversal a site we have used in the past . Handy for work. Hopefully we wont be there too long. Only one more book to read in my Poldark series and another puzzle book hits the dust and the recycling.

Friday and still here. The journey back and to work has been pretty awful to say the least. It is probably one of the worse journeys I have been on for some time. Getting up in the dark and making way to the shower blocks feels like a chore. And the drive to Chester and beyond busy. Swimming has been pushed in as and when I have found five minutes to spare. Today was my last day at work. An emotional experience. Having spent the last almost 8 years in the office it felt hard to walk away realising I wouldn’t be doing that journey or seeing my friends again. But armed with a plastic daffodil balloon , a gift token , bottles of wine and boxes of chocolates I felt very sad to go.

But then tomorrow is another day and we set off for Derbyshire and our home for the next week. Snow has been forecast for the middle of next week and we are not looking forward to that. The site wont be anything new as we stayed there the first Spring we had Suzy. Hopefully we wont be there too long. The scene out of the window will be different, we will spend the weekend catching up on washing and having a much welcomed bath. Showers are fine but oh to soak away the aches and pains and the cold in a long lingering bath full of piping hot water.

Week three on the road and in Suzy. She is anchored down in the Camping and Caravan club site at Teversal in Nottinghamshire. A site just shy by a mile or so of the Derbyshire border. We have been on this site approximately 18 months ago when we first bought Suzy so we knew what to expect. Our cards were stamped with the information we were over 55 and reception reminded us that from next year the cost of hard standing will increase by £1 and the age concession will go up from 55 to 60. Not a problem for both of us as we are both over 60. Our site is sloped and we are for the first time on blocks. The site is a lovely one with good sized pitches, a shower block to die for. Separate shower cubicles with underfloor heating. Magazines and newspapers available as the site is the local newsagent. And there are a small selection of basic food stuffs. It has cost us another £59 for the weekend. There are no large trees around the site as it is the site of the old Silverdale colliery but the area is peppered with ash and rowans all changing colour as Autumn advances and winter approaches. Will we be in our house for Christmas I wonder?

Being a visitor we decided to go over to Chesterfield to revisit the town. Parking is a bit of a problem. Although there are many car parks dotted around the town they proved to be expensive 70p for half an hour and then rose to a couple of quid for an hour. I dont feel that the council quite make visitors welcome. Chesterfield is a market down lying some 24 miles north of Derby and lies on the confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. The town can trace its beginnings to the 1st century and is at the point of a Roman fort . The name itself comes from the roman word Caester which means a fort and and feld which means a grazing meadow. All I found was a busy town centre and so many people. Very different to our lives in North Wales.

Chesterfield received its market charter like many towns in 1204 and still has one of the largest open air markets in Britain . The market hall an imposing building has been refurbished recently and now contains a nice selection of small independent shops and a lovely continental style indoor cafe. It just felt too cold to want to do anything but get home, put the heating on and dive under the duvet.

The church is the main feature which distinguishes Chesterfield due to its crooked nature. Built in the 14th century wet timber was probably used and the spire warped and twisted over time. Stories abound that the devil went by trying to find a virgin and couldnt find one in Chesterfield.

In the middle of the town is the collection of narrow medieval streets which make up the Shambles. Not on the scale of either York or Chester but nevertheless pretty narrow alleyways with interesting shops. Not a wonderful town centre but one with many shops and some interesting little back streets.

Next week we reach our 4th week in Suzy and still plan to be on Teversal campsite.

---

Photos

Chesterfield
Towards the Spire

Chesterfield
The market hall

Chesterfield
The market place