Review of Friday nights gig in Derby - The Smyths and RE: Order (The Smiths and New Order tribute bands)

On Friday 25th Nov 2011, The Smyths and Re:Order performed at the Darwin Suite (Derby Assembly Rooms). I my review I have Photographs, videos, Gig Dates, Set lists....

This was sold out and I can see why, The last time The Smyths performed in Derby was at the Flowerpot Pub where it also sold out. I have never seen a tribute band before so was not quite sure what to expect and here we have two tribute bands together! I managed to get a great position right at the front so had a perfect view of the performance by both bands. Were you there right at the front too? Did you enjoy the gig as much as me?

Re: Order were on first performing lots of well known New Order tracks.
Peter Hook (Jim) had the distinctive very low slung bass guitar.

Here is the Set list for Derby's gig on Friday 25th November 2011 by Re:Order
Regret
Thieves like us
Vanishing point
Atmosphere
The village
Bizarre love triangle
Leave me alone
Paradise
Way of life
Blue Monday
Perfect kiss
True faith
Love will tear us apart
Temptation

Unfortunately their drum machine stopped part way through playing Blue Monday. I enjoyed the performance but personally think they were completely overshadowed by The Smyths.

The Smyths
Next up was The Smyths.

If you are a fan of The Smiths then I can highly recommend you go and see The Smyths, you will not be disappointed.
The Smiths broke up in 1987 and have never reformed, I did not get into them until it was too late so being given the second chance to see them is great.
I was completely blown away by not only their note-for-note performance, but also Graham Sampson's portrayal of Morrissey, he had got all the little quirks and mannerisms of the original artist so right.
I knew most of the songs very well so was able to sing along, Not something I would normally do but was enjoying this gig so much you just had to.
Every track was delivered with such perfection, you wanted it to go on for hours, but alas it had to end after 28 songs. At the end of the gig Morrissey oh I mean Graham climbed down off the stage and shook the hands of everyone at the front of the gig including me. You keep forgetting its not Morrissey.

I would go out of my way to go and see The Smyths again as they are so amazing. If you live in Derby then you will only have to wait until May neext year when they play The Flowepot yet again. I don't know if I can wait that long!

The only down side during the show was some idiot threw something at Graham, he was OK with it but did disappear off stage for a few minutes. The item in question actually landed right in front of me between the stage and the audience barriers, it was a "Happy 40th birthday" badge about 8" across. The crowd shouted "out out out", you know who you are !

At the end of the gig I got a Set List (see below). Apparently after the gig had finished someone fell off the balcony in The Darwin Suite!, The Paramedics were going up the stairs on the way out onto Derby Market Place. Not sure how that happened. Apparently hes going to be in hospital for some time.

Photograph of Graham Sampson as Morrissey:

Photograph by colour blind bob.

There is a set of photographs of both RE:Order and The Smyths taken at this Derby gig by Graham :
Smyths and Re:Order Photos at Derby.

Here is the Set list for Derby's gig on Friday 25th November 2011 by The Smyths:

The boy with the thorn in his side
Sheila
Half a person
Stop me if you think you've heard this one before
Heaven Knows
Handsome devil
Still ill
This charming man
Pretty girls make graves
Reel around the fountain
What difference does it make?
Miserable lie
This night has opened my eyes
Hand in glove
These things take time
You've got everything now
William
Some girls are bigger than others
Panic
Shoplifters of the world
Girlfriend in a coma
Ask
Everyday is like Sunday
How soon is now
Meat is murder
---- oncore ---
First of the gang
There is a light that never goes out
Bigmouth strikes again
End




The tickets for The Smyths and RE: Order gig in Derby:

The Smyths Set List as used by Morrissey aka Graham Sampson at the Derby gig :

The Smyths will be performing yet again at Derby's Flowerpot in 2012 on Friday May 4th (note the year is wrong on this flyer !) :

If your not in Derby then there are plenty of opportunities to see The Smyths elsewhere as you can see.


List of upcoming gigs for The Smyths 2012:
Friday December 16th 2011 - New Cross, South London, The Venue
Saturday December 17th 2011 - Kilburn, The Good Ship
Saturday January 7th 2012 - London, Feeling Gloomy (Islington Academy)
Tuesday January 10th 2012 -  Club Babylon in Istanbul, Turkey
Saturday January 28th 2012 - Darlington, The Forum
Saturday Februray 18th 2012 - St Albans, The Horn Reborn
Friday February 24th 2012 - Wakefield The Black Flag
Saturday February 25th 2012 - Manchester The Ritz
Friday March 9th 2012 - Portsmouth The Wedgewood Rooms
Thursday March 22td 2012 - Putney, The Half Moon
Saturday April 14th 2012 - Blackburn King George's Hall
Friday April 20th 2012 - Sheffield O2 Academy
Saturday April 21st 2012 - Liverpool O2 Academy
Friday May 4th 2012 - Derby, The Flowerpot
Friday May 11th 2012 - Newcastle O2 Academy
Saturday May 12th 2012 – Glasgow O2 ABC
Saturday May 21st 2012 - Liverpool O2 Academy
Friday June 1st 2012 - Bristol O2 Academy
Saturday June 2nd 2012 - Oxford O2 Academy
Friday June 8th 2012 - Birmingham O2 Academy 3
Saturday September 15th 2012 - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
September 2012 - Leeds The Brudenell Social Club
Saturday November 3rd 2012 - Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
November 2012 - Derby, Assembly Rooms


Videos of The Smyths:
Interview with Graham Sampson by Paul Morley at Derby's Flowerpot!


The Smyths perform at Feeling Gloomy (The O2 Academy in Islington, London):


Hope you enjoyed my review.

Did you know that The Smiths actually performed at Derby Assembly Rooms back in December 1983?
There are over 30 videos on YouTube of this gig from 28 years ago.

Here is a 37 minute clip of the 83 gig by The Smiths.

Whistle Test on the Road video clip at Derby Assembly Rooms.

The Smiths Room in Salford Lads Club, Manchester.
If your a fan of The Smiths then I'm sure you will have been to the Salford Lads Club in Manchester where there is a dedicated "Smiths room".
Google Streetview of The Salford Lads Club.

We visited there a few times and on the last visit in 2006 a really nice guy called Leslie took the time to show us around the entire club including the Smiths Room. In 2007 Leslie was on Channel 4's Secret Millionaire when Chek Whyte gave some money and help towards restoring the building.
You can still watch this episode on the 4od website. Fast forward to 19mins 32secs (you have to endure 3 short adverts first !)

My Photographs in The Smiths Room, Click to view large versions.


There is more information about The Smiths Room here.

More information :
The Smyths website :
www.thesmyths.net

The Smyths on Facebook.

The re:order website :
www.thieveslikeus.co.uk

Re:Order on Facebook.

If you are a Smiths fan go and see them now, go on what you waiting for!!

P.S. You will soon be able to see Graham on this years Christmas edition of Come Dine With Me !
The 2011 Christmas Special Come Dine With Me will be aired on Friday 23rd December, keep an eye out for their performance as guests on this show.

Andy

The new Derby Casino Genting Club at Riverlights, Morledge, Derby Bus Station opens on 19.11.11

Derby's new casino opens at 9:30pm on Saturday November 19th 2011.or 19.11.11 as it says on their adverts.

My dedicated guide to it is here....
Derby Genting Club Casino, Derby Riverlights.


I'm sure if you live in Derby then you will definitely have seen the adverts for the new Casino that is opening in Derby. These adverts are everywhere even on buses. If you've managed to miss it well here is one such advert for it.

I have created a dedicated guide to this Casino here :
Derby Genting Club Casino, Derby Riverlights.
I have provided all sorts of information for people wanting to visit here such as opening times, very accurate mapping for smart phones and even a virtual reality 360 degree photograph showing the location of the Casino entrance.



The casino opens to VIP's on Thursday 17th and to the general public on the 19th.

The Overtones
The singing decorators who hit the big time with their doo-wop style will officially open Derby's newest venue. The Overtones, a five-part vocal harmony group who have had a meteoric rise in the last 12 months, will be the star attractions at the Genting Club, Derby's new casino and entertainment venue.

The club opens on Thursday at 9:30 BUT only to VIP members, the rest of you will have to wait until Saturday. On Thursday Suzanne Shaw and Maria Fowler (The Only Way Is Essex) will be there.

If you think I've missed anything please drop me a line.

Facebook page for this Casino.

Thanks
Andy
www.derbyphotos.co.uk

New music videos by White Town from the album Monopole - Missing Her Again, Till I Die and Invisible Elastic .

Do you remember the band "White Town" from 1997, most famous locally for the worldwide hit "Your Woman". The video featured local Derby footage. Well 14 years later and a new album has just come out and there are several new music videos, again featuring local scenes.

The new album by White Town is called Monopole.

 

These are my personal favorite tracks from it...

White Town - Till I Die


Did you spot Iron Gate, Cathedral Green and Derby Quad?


White Town - Missing Her Again:

Did you spot Elvaston Castle Old English garden and Swanwick junction at Butterley?

White Town - Invisible Elastic:

Did you spot the Cathedral Green Swingbridge

Hope you enjoyed these new tracks.
Andy

The 2011 Derby's Christmas Lights Switch on by Gareth Gates and Joe McElderry, Saturday 19th November 2011. Derby Ice Rink and Victorian Christmas Market.

Gareth Gates will turn on Derby Christmas Lights on Saturday 19th 2011 on Derby Market Place. While Joe McElderry and Dale Diva will be switching on Westfield Derby Christmas lights.

Remember - That's two seperate Christmas switch-ons for Derby.
Joe McElderry inside Westfield Derby at 4pm and then Gareth Gates on Derby Market Place at 6pm.


If you are a new visitor to Derby then see my smartphone drop pin links below.


This is the  very same night that the New Derby casino near the bus station opens.

The show will begin at 3.30pm, on stage in the Market Place, on Saturday, November 19th.
Join a festive parade from Sitwell Street (just off Babington Lane) at 4.15pm or head down to the Market Place and enjoy a variety of entertainment, including DaleDiva, Trinity Band, pantomime stars Linda Robson and Mike McClean, Santa and headline act, Gareth Gates, leading up to the big switch-on event at 6pm.

This year the Derby Xmas light switch on will be done by non other than Gareth Gates !!!
The Pop Idol runner-up will join Birds Of A Feather star Linda Robson for the Derby switch-on, the show is hosted by Captial FM presenters Dino and Pete.

Map location for Derby's Christmas Lights Switch-on 2011:

View Derby Christmas Lights Switch on 2011. in a larger map

Smartphone mapping pins for smartphone owners:
If you are a new visitor to Derby then you will find my smartphone naviagation pins of use. Simply view this blog on your smartphone and follow my instruction below.

Gareth Gates on Derby Market Place.  <-- Tap this link for accurate location.

Joe McElderry in Derby Westfield.  <-- Tap this link for an accurate location.

When you tap one of the links above, it will launch your mapping application and place a "push pin" onto the map with the exact location of the switch on.
You can then use this marker to get walking directions from where you have parked.

For example on an iPhone you tap the "Directions" button at the bottom and this will pre-fill in the start location with your current location and the end location with the switch on location.

So all you need to do is just tap the "Route" button at the bottom then tap the walking icon and it will show you walking route. If you tap the bottom left icon 3 times then this will turn on follow mode, Centre mode and direction mode. What this means is that a blue flashing dot which represents you will stay in the centre of the screen and orientated in the direction that you travel in.

If you tap the middle button at the top, this will even show you which bus number and when the next bus to Derby from your nearest location.
My push pins are far more accuare than any other map as its not based on the postcode which most maps are. My map is based on local knowlege of the locations.

Parking
If you are looking for somewhere to park in Derby for these two switch-ons then best to get here early as this is going to be popular. This site shows all the local car parks
www.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/derby/

The Derby Victorian Christmas Market
A couple of weeks after the xmas lights are switched on, a Victorian Christmas fair will be held in Derby Market Place. About 30 huts will be in the Cornmarket from December 1st to 24th and will open from 9am to 5pm, except on late-night shopping days, when it will stay open until 7pm.

Useful Links :

Westfield Derby Store Guide Leaflet.



Derby Ice Rink
This year there will be an Ice Rink on Derby Market Place from December 1st until January 8th.
It will be open for skating every day except Christmas Day. This year it will be a real ice rink with proper ice rather than fake ice.

Westfield Derby:
2009 X Factor winner Joe McElderry and DaleDiva will be switching on Westfield Derby Christmas lights from 2pm onwards. He will be turning the lights on at 4pm.




On Saturday 12th November Santa will be opening his brand new Wish Kingdom Grotto with some very special friends including Rastamouse and Sam and Mark.

Derby's Westfield awaits Joe McElderry to turn on this years Christmas lights.

Rastamouse is in da house meeting families and children throughout the day. See the CBeebies favourite for free, make sure you don’t miss out and pick up a free wrist band from Westfield Derby Concierge on the day from 9am.
Plus a free super-glittery craft workshop where kids can make their own tree decorations. All hosted by TV and Gem 106 boys Sam and Mark!

Joe McElderry Poster in Derby Westfield :

Joe McElderry

---------------
Belper:
Belper's Christmas lights will be turned on : Friday November 25th.
This is also the night that the Scouts ping pong ball race will take place on King Street at 7pm.

Long Eaton :
Long Eaton's Christmas lights will be switched on by the Mayor on Friday 2nd December at 7.00pm.

Bakewell:
The Bakewell Christmas Lights Switch on takes place at 4pm on Saturday 26th Nov 2011.

Ilkeston:
The Ilkeston Christmas Lights switch on will take place on Friday 25th November 2011, The lights will be switched on by the Mayor of Erewash at 7pm.

Ashbourne:
Ashbourne's Christmas lights will be switched on Friday 18th November at 6.30pm, in the Market Place.

Swadlincote:
Swadlincote's Christmas lights switch on will take place on Friday, November 25.
Seven-year-olds Jack Benton and Phoebe Johnson, both pupils at the town's Belmont Primary School, won a competition organised by South Derbyshire District Council.
An array of entertainment will be taking place as part of the celebrations from 11am.
It will include special performances from schools, dancers, cheerleaders, singers and a Santa stilt-walker.
Rides and stalls will be set up along Swadlincote's High Street.

Burton-on-Trent xmas lights
Burton's Christmas lights switch on will be done by Chesney Hawkes on Sunday 20th November 20 at 5pm. This will take place at Burton Market Place and will be followed by a Spectacular Fireworks show !
If your too young to know who Chesney Hawkes is well his song "The one and only" was heard as the ring tone in the 2011 film Source Code
.

Video of Chesney Hawkes:


Andy

Derby of the Dead - Derby zombie walk 2011 videos. A unique event raising money for a good cause.

Shoppers looked astounded as the 150-strong army of zombies invaded Derby on Saturday. This was "Derby of the Dead". Here are some videos of the first ever Zombie walk in Derby. The horror began in the Market Place at noon on Saturday. There is a Facebook page dedicated to the Derby Zombie Walk.



Video of the Derby of the Dead around the Strand, Derby.


The Derby Zombies as seen on Sadler Gate, Derby.


Were you on this walk?

Derby and Derbyshire webcams updated.

I maintain a list of all the current webcams I have found that feature content from within the city of Derby and the County of Derbyshire as well as Staffordshire webcams.
I have just updated my Derby webcam list as quite a few have now gone offline but I have included some new ones that you may not have seen before.

See my local webcams here :
Webcams in Derby and Derbyshire

For each webcam I have listed what type of webcam footage it offers and if you need to install a Browser plug-in to view them and if they work on an iPhone. Live webcams are great for checking out the weather if you are about to travel somewhere as you can see for yourself if its raining or snowing etc.

The most popular webcam in Derby is of course the Peregrine Falcons on Derby Cathedral, this webcam has been in place since 2006 and attracts online visitors from around the world and is extremely popular.

Derby needs some more webcams, can you help by providing a webcam stream for the city?
We only have 2 webcams in Derby, that's very poor ! I'm sure we can do better than that !

Just think of how many people out there in Derby who have permanent broadband connections and a computer that is "always on" and have a nice view out of their window.
Also lots of businesses around Derby that could have a webcam to generate publicity for their company, How about a pub cam?

Its so easy to setup a webcam these days it would be great if we could put Derby on the "webcam map". In recent years it has become possible to buy what is known as an IP Webcam which is the simplest method of getting a webcam online.

All you have to do with an IP Webcam is connect it directly (via Ethernet cable) or wifi to your Broadband Router, it has its own web server built in. you just configure the camera via a webpage and thats it ready to go live !


I have had to remove several webcams as they have gone offline, I will add them back again if they return. The following have been removed.

1) Mercia Marina in Willington. Dead ! UPDATE 31/10 Reinstated as link now updated and working.
2) Ram FM, Iron Gate, Derby. Taken over by Capital FM
3) Broomfield College bird feeders. A real shame this one has gone as it was one of the best webcams.
4) Hathersage, Gone !

If YOU know of any webcams in Derby or Derbyshire that I have missed or one that you have just set up and want promoting then please get in touch with all the details and I will add it to my list for you.

While looking for other local webcams I found a new one in Derby but then realised its actually a Derby in the USA.

Live streaming webcam in Derby, Wichita, Kansas.
This is a view of their New Derby Public Library at 1600 E. Walnut Grove. A pity we don't have a live webcam of Derby library !

I have added a few new local webcams, I will let you see if you can spot them.
On my Stafforshire webcams page I have added a live webcam of Burton on Trent, this has a great view of High Street where the infamous Burton Bollard is located.

See my current webcams list here :
Webcams in Derby and Derbyshire

Thanks
Andy
www.derbyphotos.co.uk

Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds gig in Derby on Saturday 12 November 2011.

Did you know that Adrian Edmondson has a band called The Bad Shepherds? Well I saw them in London at the Great British Beer Festival and really enjoyed them so much that could not wait to see them again, And thankfully they happen to have a gig in a few weeks in Derby.

Adrian Edmondson &The Bad Shepherds perform in Derby on Saturday 12 November 2011.
The show starts at 8.00pm
Tickets are £17.50 from Derby Assembly Rooms Box Office or the old way by phone 01332 255800

If your old enough then I'm sure you will remember Ade Edmondson as Vyvyan in the early eighties TV show The Young Ones. If your not so old then you may know him as the star of the ITV series The Dales.

The band have a couple of Albums out, the last one was Hook Or By Crook in November 2010.


The Bad Shepherds play punk songs on folk instruments. Not as a gag, but because they really like the noise. They think the songs are better than people remember. They love folk instruments. It works.
They do songs by The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Stranglers, The Jam, Sham 69, The Undertones, The Ramones, The Buzzcocks, The Specials, Talking Heads, Squeeze and others, even Kraftwerk! Alright, they're not all punk, but they come from roughly the same era.
They've mostly given the songs a kind of Celtic feel, and they've stuck in the odd reel and jig here and there. But occasionally they just thrash!
They've always thought the excitement of a reel taking off is the nearest thing to the excitement of watching punk live in the 70s.

Here is my video of them performing Rise by Public Image Ltd at the Great British Beer Festival.

More info on the band on their website :
http://www.thebadshepherds.com/

Hope you enjoy the show.
Andy

Derby Feste 2011 Videos. If you could not make it then see what you missed.

Here are my Derby Feste 2011 videos for you to enjoy, as seen in todays Derby evening Telegraph.

Part 1 - Derby Feste 2011


The next three videos feature the amazing Sarruga street parade with the massive animated puppets of sea creatures as they made their way through Derby. Starting on Derwent Street, Market Place, Iron Gate, Full Street and onto Cathedral Green where there was a firework finale which I have also captured on video.

Part 2 - Derby Feste 2011, The Sarruga street parade.


Part 3 - Derby Feste 2011, The Sarruga street parade continues.


Part 4 - Derby Feste 2011, The Sarruga parade ends at Cathedral Green followed by the Fireworks.


Subscribe to my video channel to get notified : www.youtube.com/comedyhunter

Were you there?
Did the Shark get you?

Thanks
Andy

Derby Festé returns for the fifth year on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th September 2011.

This weekend see the return for the fifth time of Derby Festé.
There are lots of different events taking place in the city on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th September 2011.
Here is a link to the complete brochure for whats going on this year - Derbyfeste brochure.

You can pick up a leaflet from Derby Tourist info on the market place.


Derby Festé 2011 - Trailer, What you can expect to see at this years event in Derby.



Photographs from previous Derby Feste events.






For more details on Derby Feste see their website www.derbyfeste.com

Thanks
Andy

The Derby Big Wheel returns to the City Friday September 16th to Sunday October 30th 2011.

Remember its only in Derby until 8pm on Sunday 30th October 2011.

The Derby Big Wheel returns to the City on Friday September 16th for six weeks. I have tried to supply as much information about it as you could possible want to know such as dates,Times,Prices,Location,smart phone drop pins and even a VR photograph of the ferris wheel on the Market Place!
YOU can help too by posting your reviews of the Derby Big wheel in a comment to this post. Feel free to link to this blog post from Facebook, Twitter etc.

360 degree Virtual Reality Photograph of the Derby Big wheel
The link below will take you to my large interactive 360 degree photograph. You can control the view with your mouse (just like Google Streetview). This photograph will allow you to see exactly where the big wheel is located in Derby Marketplace. You will need a broadband connection to view it.
This was the wheel that was in Derby in 2009, its the same one in 2011.

The Derby Big Wheel full screen 360 degree interactive photograph.<-- Click me now !

The Derby Big Wheel officially opens to the public at 10am on Friday 16th September 2011 and will continue to open 10am until 8pm daily until Sunday 30th October 2011.
The wheel is 60m (197 ft) tall in the Market Place, has 40 observation pods and weighs 365 tonnes!

The silent ride lasts for 12 minutes so there is plenty of time to take in the great views it has to offer.
The Derby Big Wheel was known as the Cathedral Quarter Wheel in 2009 when it was last in Derby. 

The Big Wheel Derby opening times
10am to 8pm 7 days a week. 16th September - 30th October.

Costs
£5 for adults
£4 for Student/Senior Citizen with I.D. Cards.
£3 for children under 1.4 metres, and free for children under three.
£14.50 for a Family Ticket: 2 Adults / 2 Children
£27.50 Private Gondola is for your own group/party of guests etc: 1 - 6 people prevents sharing a gondola at peak times (may not be necessary at non-peak times).

There is also a VIP Gondola which takes up to 4 people for £40.00. The VIP Gondola has tinted glass and 4 higher standard seats.

If you book online then you can get 10% of the gate prices listed above. Book your Derby Big Wheel Tickets online by using this website here : www.bigwheelderby.co.uk So If you want a discount then book your ticket online to save money.

You can buy a photograph when you finish the ride on the Big Wheel, not sure how much these cost perhaps someone can leave a comment and I will add it to this page.

Map Location
Map Location of the Derby Big Wheel :

View The Derby Big Wheel. in a larger map

Smartphone mapping
If you own a smartphone such as iPhone/HTC etc then you can use my drop pin below to get very accurate mapping for your phone.

Drop pin for Derby Big Wheel <-- Tap this link on your smartphone to get directions.

When you tap the link above, it will launch your mapping application and place a "push pin" onto the map with the exact location of the Derby Big wheel. You can then use this marker to get driving, walking or bus directions from your current location.



For example on an iPhone you tap the Directions button at the bottom and this will pre-fill in the start and end locations so just tap the Route button at the bottom and it will show you either the driving route or the walking route. If you tap the middle button at the top, this will even show you which bus number and when the next bus to Derby Market Place departs !

Hope you enjoy this and get a chance to have a go on it.
Please leave your reviews of it in my blog. How far could you see?
If you have taken a video while on it then please post a comment with a link to it.

You can see the location of the Big wheel in this driving video I made in 2009. Should give you an idea of how big this is and where its located in Derby City Centre.

Thanks
Andy

Video of Derby from the top of the Cathedral in 1994, take a Nostalgic look back at Derby.

I took this video footage way back in 1994 on one of the Derby Cathedral Tower open days. I posted this YouTuebe video in June 2009 before I started my blog so thought I would give it a plug in case you have not seen it before. I have put lots of information below this video about points of interest you can see in the footage.

My video footage of Derby as seen from the top of Derby Cathedral in 1994


My video is best watched in 480p mode and fullscreen.

Until recently I had forgotten that I had taken this, it was on an old Hi8 analogue video tape,
The camcorder I had shot it with had gone faulty many years ago but thankfully eBay came to the rescue where I was able to buy a cheap second hand camcorder that supported playback of analogue Hi8 recordings.

Information about the old footage:
Watching this footage you forget just how much the City has changed in the last 17 years.
This was a time before The Westfield, The Quad, The Cathedral Swing Bridge, Pride Park, Cockpit island car park the new Derby bus station etc.

Do you remember "The hole" as it was known opposite the Council House?

Some points of interest (with time code):
0:10 The view we see here is looking towards where Joseph Right college is located today. As you can see back then it was just a triangle
of land with trees on it. Also in this view you can see Brookbridge apartments on Brook Street (then it was Rykneld Tean Mill).
Chapel Street car park with BBC radio Derby (yellow building) behind it.
0:21 At the top of the hill you can see Mackworth Water Tower.
0:27 The white building centre of screen was the Greyhound Stadium, today this facade is the entrance to Vernon Gate.
0:34 This is looking down onto Iron Gate following it down to the Corn Market.
0:55 The Corn Market
0:57 Gates at the end of the Corn Market, they took these down a few years ago.
1:00 The bottom of Babington Lane (Waterstones building)
1:03 Notice that there is no Westfield, instead its C&A.
1:05 At the end of Leopold Street ,there was an Indian Restaurant "Shabuj Bagan" that was demolished a few years ago when the Westfield was being built.
1:10 Looking down on Iron Gate
1:19 Looking towards the Assembly Rooms.
1:32 "The Hole" as it became known, This large area of land opposite the Council house was boarded up for many years, Today this is the site of The Quad and the memorial gardens.
1:55 On the left you can see parts of the old Bus Station.
At the top of the view you can see the glass footbridge that used to connect the Eagle Centre Market
to the bus station. You could either goto the top floor of the bus station or walk down the two ramps down to the Morledge.
1:50 As you can see there was no cockpit island car park back then, it was still cockpitt Hill car park.
2:07 Looking down on the Electricity substation next to the Industrial Museum.
2:15 Here you can seethe old St Marys Goods yard on Mansfield Road. Landau Forte College is on the right of the view.
2:26 View looking down on the junction of Queen Street, it would appear that everyone used to drive RED cars!
2:37 The old Cathedral Green before the 2008/2009 makeover.
2:58 Derby Evening Telegraph offices on Meadow Lane
3:21 The famous "Derby in Bloom" flower bed on Full Street.
4:40 On the left is St Peters House on Gower Street on the right is the Hippodrome Theatre.
4:46 That church on Normanton Road/Burton Road corner.
--------------------------
If you spot a building thats changed in my footage then please comment on it with a timecode.
Hope you enjoy this unique vision into the past of Derby.

Photographs from the top of the Cathedral in 2001:
http://www.derbyphotos.co.uk/areas_city/cathedral.htm

My 360 degree photograph inside the Cathedral :
http://www.absolutelyandy.com/derbyphotos/wwp/607/

If anyone out there has any old footage of Derby then do please get in touch.

To take in the view from the very same location but in 2009, watch :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P73VM6bE7FY

I hope it stirs some memories for you.
Thanks
Andy

Pot Fest - Beer and Cider festival at The Flower Pot, Derby 26th-29th August 2011.

There is a Beer and Cider festival starting a week on Friday (The Bank Holiday weekend) at The Flower Pot pub in Derby. It runs from Friday 26th August until Monday 29th August 2011.

There will be Live music, an Ale Garden with 40 Real Ales and Ciders to try. This is to celebrate 40 years of CAMRA.

Here is a flyer for The Flower Pot Beer Festival 2011 :

Their flyer lists two websites but it would appear that neither of them work or have ever worked. They do have a Facebook page but you have to join to see anything. I think I have provided as much info as you could need here anyway. The only reason I'm aware of it taking place is because of a flyer I got from The Derby Beer Festival in July, there does not seem to be any info on the internet about it. There IS now !




The Flower Pot is located on King Street (A6) very near the new Jurys Inn Hotel. You can see The flower pot in this Google Streetview. I did a post on The Flower Pot last year when I saw Midge Ure perform there.

If you have a smartphone then you can use my drop pin below to find your way to the pub using the mapping application.
Smartphone mapping drop pin. <-- Tap this link on your smartphone to get accurate directions.

On Sunday 28th live music will be provided by Lil' Jim's Big Squeeze. The five-piece band were one of the acts to play to thousands of real ale lovers at the Assembly Rooms festival, which took place in July.

They will launch their debut single Cheatin' and Creepin'
Lil' Jim's Big Squeeze website.

Hope you found this of interest.
Andy

New Driving video - Derby Streets by car. Pear Tree to Costco on Pride Park.

Here is the latest video in my series of "Derby Streets by Car". I started doing these videos back in 2007 and they seem quite popular. See my first Derby Streets by car video. Filmed before such things as HD video on YouTube.
Yes I know you can use Google Streetview to see streets but thats out of date (Derby streets captured by them 3 years ago!). Also its not quite the same as seeing the places as though you were driving yourself.
Perhaps you used to live in Derby and wondered what the place looks like today well now you can see!

This video was recorded on Sunday 31st July 2011, Its recorded at 1080p HD so if you have a very fast broadband connection and a fast PC then you can view it at 720 or 1080 at full screen mode.

The drive starts on St Thomas Road in the Pear Tree area of Derby and ends at Costco which is on Pride Park.
Some points of interest (may be !)
0:02 -That yellow shop used to be Terry J Aquatics.

0:05 - The Pear Tree Inn pub on the left.
0:11 - Lister House Surgery on left.
0:22 - Former Sherwood foresters pub on right (now a Sikh temple)
0:28 - Silly Sids on left
0:43 - The Oasthouse pub, a Whitbread Table Table restaurant.
0:57 - Pear Tree Railway Station on left.
1:04 - On the right here is a large B&Q and a recently expanded Sainsburys.
2:20 - Spider Bridge Island, Also The Mitre Pub ahead
2:26 - Allenton Market, Soon to be a large Tescos!
3:11 - New Ascot Drive fire Station being built on left.
3:16 - B & M store on left
3:27 - Birds Bakery on left
3:44 - Arriva Derby bus depot on right
3:51 - Former B&Q being demolished (after many years!)
4:29 - Ahead is Pride Park Stadium, Home of Derby County (The Rams)
5:24 - Entering Costco Car park.
In costco I got two large Jacket Potatoes with two fillings for £2.50, How can they do it for that price !

The Driving video - Pear Tree to Costco Derby:


In the video you will notice I have indicated each road name as we drive around, this should help you get an idea of where things are. If not then you can also use my detail driving route map below :
Of couse its not the most straight forward route to get from A to B but I was trying to capture some roads that I have not recorded before.

Here is the driving route for this video:

View YouTube Driving route - Pear Tree to Costco on Pride Park in a larger map

The Music I've used in this video :
Night Lights by Astrum used under creative commons license
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The track - Night lights Astrum :
http://www.audiotool.com/track/night_lights/

Hope you find my video of interest.
Andy

Videos of the Bombardier march in Derby, Trying to save the UK's last train builder.

I have now completed uploading all of my video footage I took at the Bombardier March that took place in Derby on Saturday 23rd July 2011. Including the speeches Bob Crow, Margaret Beckett etc.

Bombardier March in Derby - Part 1
In this video I have captured every single person that was part of the march near the start on Station Approach. It takes over 16 minutes for it to pass by.
If you were in the march at the start then you will be in this video !



Bombardier March in Derby - Part 2
In this video I have joined the march and this video starts at The Morledge near Derby Bus Station, I follow it on its way through the Corn Market and up Full Street to Derby Cathedral Green.


Bombardier March in Derby - Part 3
In this video I have captured the speeches at Cathedral Green.


Bombardier March in Derby - Part 4
In this video I have captured the speeches at Cathedral Green by Bob Crow.


Thanks
Andy

Videos of the Bombardier March in Derby will be posted soon.

I was at the Bombardier March in Derby on Saturday 23rd July and captured the entire march on Video as well as the speaches at Cathedral Green.
It was great to see such great support for this, I have never seen so many people in Derby join together.

I will be uploading my videos very soon so keep an eye on my blog and my YouTube Channel.
Its all in 1080p and rather a lot of footage for me to edit together so may be end of week before its all uploaded.

My Videos :
Bombardier Derby March Part 2.

Andy

The Bombardier march on Saturday 23rd July 2011 in Derby. Show your support by joining the march.

This is not just a local issue, its a national one !
SUPPORT THE MARCH & RALLY TO SAVE BOMBARDIER
I have tried to answer all questions that you could want here such as What time does the march start, where does the march start from and end up, What is the marching route map and what roads are going to be closed in Derby during the march.

You don't have to be from Derby to know about this as its been on all major news channels. Bombardier is the UK's last train builder so this is very important.

The protest, which calls on the Government to reverse its decision not to award the £1.4 billion Thameslink contract to Bombardier, promises to be one of the largest events of its kind here for a generation.

Those who feel that the Government has made the wrong decision not to back city train-maker Bombardier are being urged to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with workers whose jobs have been put at risk.

Since losing out on Thameslink, Bombardier has already shed 1,429 jobs at Litchurch Lane. And the firm is carrying out a full review of its UK operations.
A further 1,500 job losses could be in the offing in Derby if Bombardier decides to pull out of the UK.
There is also the impact this would have on Bombardier’s supply chain. Conservative estimates believe around 12,000 jobs could be affected. Unions are saying the figure is more likely to be about 20,000 across the East Midlands.
The RMT union claimed that more than 500 train maintenance and cleaning jobs in London and the South East are now under threat as a result of the Government awarding the contract to Siemens. The union said that as well as train manufacture, the contract covered train maintenance.

Join the The Bombardier March in Derby on Saturday 23rd July.
The protest will begin at 10am when participants start gathering at Bass’s Recreation Ground.
At 10.25am, the crowd will be addressed by speakers introduced by Julia Long, national officer at the Unite union. The marchers will then set off at 11am following the route I have marked on the map below, reaching Cathedral Green at noon.

The Bombardier Protest March is 1.2 Miles from the start at Bass Recreation Ground to the end at Derby Cathedral Green.
Bass Recreation Ground does not have any parking places so you will need to walk to the start of the march. The main entrance to it is near the newly built Skate Park on the corner.
Cathedral Green does not look like its shown in Google Maps or streetview due to it being revamped after they captured it. But you can see the new look of Cathedral Green in my Virtual Tour.

Below is a route map showing the exact route that the rally is going to take. I have based this on the information from Derbyshire Police and the Derby Evening Telegraph.
If you click the link below the map then you can print out a large version. Or if you own a smart phone then use my smart phone GPS drop pin locators to get to the march.

The Bombardier marching route map for 
Saturday 23rd July 2011.

View Bombardier march in Derby July 23rd 2011. in a larger map

Smart phone GPS Locator points:
If you have a smart phone (iPhone,HTC,iPad etc) then you can use a navigation drop pin I have made for you. While viewing this blog on your phone tap the links below to get very precise locations for the start and end of the march on Saturday:

The Bombardier march Staring point  <--- Tap this link on your smart phone.
The Bombardier march Ending point  <--- Tap this link on your smart phone.

When you tap a link above, it will launch your mapping application and place a "push pin" onto the map with the exact location of the start or end of the Bombardier march . You can then use this marker to get driving, walking or bus directions from your current location.
For example on an iPhone you tap the Directions button at the bottom and this will pre-fill in the start and end locations so just tap the Route button at the bottom and it will show you either the driving route or the walking route. If you tap the middle button at the top, this will even show you which bus number and when the next bus departs !



Of course this protest march is quite a major thing in Derby so some roads are going to be closed due to the amount of people expected for this rally.

These are the Road closures and times so you know where to avoid.
Station Approach - 10.30am to 11.45am.
Siddals Road - 11am to 12.15pm.
Traffic Street - 11.30am to 12.30pm.
The Morledge - 11.30am to 12.30pm.
Albert Street - 11.45am to 12.45pm.
Full Street - 11.30am to 2pm.

You can print out your own Banner for this march HERE.

Want to learn more about what this is about then follow these links :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-14019992
http://shirazsocialist.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/march-to-save-bombardier-jobs/
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/events/support_the_march_and_rally_to.aspx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-14249116

Some videos about the Thameslink contract:
Another stitch-up for our railway.
ITN News - 1,400 jobs go at last UK train factory.
Sky News - Bombardier Cuts Over 1,400 Jobs In Derby After Losing Key Government contract.

See you at the march! I will hopefully be recording the march so subscribe to my Youtube Channel and you will get notified when I upload my Bombardier March video at some point in the next few days.
Andy

Derby Caribbean Carnival Saturday 16th July 2011 with Procession Route Map.

Update Sunday 17th - I found a video of Saturdays procession 2011.

Here is my complete guide to this years Derby Carnival. Complete with detailed route map for the procession so you know where the best place to stand along the route to get a view of the dancers and their great costumes. I have also provided a smartphone mapping pin. The procession generally moves very slowly so if you have trouble getting here and parking then don't worry as you can soon catch up with the front of it.

On Saturday 16th July 2011 the 36th Derby Caribbean Carnival Parade will take place, show your support for this annual event. Its always very popular and attracts lots of people. Derby's annual Caribbean Carnival has been running since 1975 !

The Procession starts at 1pm from Pear Tree Street in Derby. After leaving Pear Tree Street, it turns right onto Portland Street, right onto St Thomas Road, Left at the mini round-a-bout onto Pear Tree Road, right up Normanton Road to very top where it meets Lara Croft Way/Mercian Way, Down Babington Lane, left onto St Peters Street, down The Corn Market and finally onto Derby Market Place at about 3pm.

If you are a car driver and are around this area then expect to have to wait while the carnival passes through.

Samantha Glasgow from Normanton is the 2011 Derby Caribbean Carnival Queen, she will lead the procession through the streets of Derby.

Here is a HD video I took last year of the Derby Carnival:


I have taken quite a few photographs at these events over the years but have only got around to uploading photographs I took at the 2005 Derby Carnival. Have a look at my photographs here - 2005 Derby Carnival Photographs on www.derbyphotos.co.uk.

Derby Carnival Procession Route Map
Here is a detailed map showing the complete route that the 2011 Derby Carnival Parade will take on 16th July 2011. Click the link below the map if you want a large version you can print out:


View Derby Caribbean Carnival Procession Route Map. in a larger map

Smartphone mapping pin.
If you have a smart phone (iPhone,HTC,iPad etc) then you can use a navigation drop pin I have made for you. While viewing this blog on your phone tap the link below :

Smartphone push pin <-- Tap me on your smartphone to get exact location of the start of the Derby Carnival.

Smartphone push pin <-- Tap me on your smartphone to get an exact location of the end of the Derby Carnival.

When you tap the link above, it will launch your mapping application and place a "push pin" onto the map with the exact location of the carnival parade start. You can then use this marker to get driving, walking or bus directions from your current location.
For example on an iPhone you tap the Directions button at the bottom and this will pre-fill in the start and end locations so just tap the Route button at the bottom and it will show you either the driving route or the walking route. If you tap the middle button at the top, this will even show you which bus number and when the next bus departs !



360 Degree Views of the Carnival route, use your mouse to look around.

360 view of Pear Tree Street where the parade starts at 1pm.
360 view of St Thomas Road where the parade turns left up Pear Tree Road.
360 view at the bottom of Normanton Road.
360 view at Lara Croft Way (note that this no longer looks like this since the Derby inner ring road was completed)

The Derby Carnival 2011 Poster that you may have seen posted about Normanton.

On Sunday 17th July 2011, the Caribbean Carnival will descend upon Osmaston Park, where music acts will perform on stage. There will also be a fun fair, catering stalls selling Caribbean and European foods and arts and crafts stalls.

The weather forecast for the Derby Carnival does not look that good at the moment but hopefully the rain may go for the procession. If you are driving in from another city then you can always have a look at my local webcams to see for yourself if its raining right now.
 
Thanks
Andy

At the Derby beer festival again

Its day 4 of the Derby summer beer festival. This is a live post from the Beer festival, perhaps you are here too. There is only one more day of the festival to go now.
After being here for a couple of hours I got the rather devastating news that "Pickled Pig Porkers Snout" had run out !!

This band are performing in the Darwin suite. They are The Little Giants.





These Ladies performed in the Main Hall then again in the Darwin Suite.


Tomorrow (Sun 10th July) the beer festival is open from 12.00 to 14.30 and is FREE.
For more details on the festival see my post - Derby Summer Beer Festival 2011.

I managed to find a video of Derby Beer Festival that was filmed from the balcony.

-- Post From My iPhone

Location:Market Pl,Derby,United Kingdom

Thanks
Andy

The 2011 Derby City Charter Summer Beer Festival, On until Sunday 10th July.

This years Derby summer beer festival opened on Wednesday 6th of July and is ongoing until Sunday 10th July. So there is still time to go along and enjoy the real ales and ciders.
This is at Derby Assembly Rooms which is on Derby Market Place near the Quad.

If you have never been to a beer festival before then you are missing an experience, there are not just beers on sale there are ciders and Perries.  You can get some hot or cold food too. T-shirts and glasses are available to buy. And live music to watch each day.

Its best to arrive by foot, there is plenty of parking outside for your Beer Scooter :)

If your looking for a downloadable pdf guide to this years festival then click the link below. It lists all the beers and ciders along with their location in the hall :
Complete Beer list and guide by CAMRA.

When you pay the entrance fee, you go up the stairs and turn left to either hire a glass or buy a glass.
Its £2.50 for glasses which you can redeem at the end if you like.

Here are the opening times for the three remaining days of the festival.

• Fri 8th July - 11.30 to 16.00 then 17.00 to 23.00
• Sat 9th July - 11.30 to 16.00 then 18.30 to 23.00
• Sun 10th July - 12.00 to 14.30

Admission Prices

• Fri Lunch: £2 17.00-18.30: £3 Eve: £6
• Sat Lunch: £3 Eve: £6
• Sun Lunch: Free

Admission is free to CAMRA Members.

I love the ciders they had on.
The best one was "Pickled Pig Porkers Snout" a Med Sweet cider at 6.5% but we also tried "Three Cats" a local brew, "Old Goat" and "Westons Old Rosie". There was a cider called Woodthorpe Hall Ruby Suzie which was 10.5% which I did not try !!

Here are a few photographs I took on Thursday afternoon.

the stage at Derby Summer Beer Festival 2011


This is The Bill Bailey Jazz Band who were performing on Thursday afternoon.


This was the view in the Main Hall on Thursday 7th July. I'm standing near the ciders.


I found this review of the Cider I liked..
Pickled Pig Porkers Snout.

Pop along and enjoy the real ales and ciders.
Leave comments of which Beers and ciders you liked.

Thanks
Andy

Where to Pick Your Own Strawberries near Derby. A Time-Lapse drive to Scaddows Farm, Ticknall.

One of the best things about Briitish summers is being able to pick your own Strawberries. Here in Derby you don't have to drive too far out of the city to get to a farm where you can pick your own fruit.
Just in case you did not know about this farm I have created a time-lapse driving video below of a drive from Osmaston Road in Derby to the PYO farm.

Do you like the taste of freshly picked English Strawberries with cream?
There is nothing quite like the taste and its cheaper than buying them from the supermarket.

Here in my video I have recorded a time-lapse car journey from Derby to Scaddows Farm near Ticknall in Derbyshire.
As you will see its not too far from Derby City to this "pick your own" fruit farm and well worth the drive.
As well as Strawberries they also have blackcurrents, Raspberries, Redcurrents and Gooseberries, also locally produced fruit and veg etc available in their farm shop.

The PYO Season is June to late July and its open 7 days a week from 9.30am to 7.30pm. Because you can collect so much fruit its great for those people wanting to make Jams or cakes but I just like to eat them with cream.



Driving Details:
The car journey starts on Osmaston Road (A514) in Derby and ends at Scaddows Farm, Ticknall, Derbyshire.
The ENTIRE journey from start to end is on the A514 road so very easy to drive.
It starts in The Osmaston area of Derby then through Allenton, Shelton Lock, Chellaston, Swarkestone, Stanton by Bridge and Ticknall.
This trip is 9.3 Miles and takes about 17 minutes if there is no traffic.

When you arrive at the farm entrance you need to turn left and follow the track along and down to the parking area.
Here you can get your plastic punnet or basket with a handle (you pay for the basket when you weigh in your Strawberries). Speaking personally from experience I find that the best quality Strawberries are found furthest away from the entrance to the field as  most people are lazy and just walk to the nearest plants but of course those plants tend to have been picked the most of all.
Also you can find some good crops of berries near weeds and Thistles as people don't like picking near them.
Because you are picking the fruit yourself it means you can select the best of the crop, no point in picking fruit thats not quite ripe or fruit that has started to go mushy. Remove as much of the stalk as possible and don't leave discarded fruit in the walking areas as it ends up all over your shoes!

If you don't want to pick your own Strawberries then you can also buy punnets of Strawberries in the farm shop but seems a bit silly going all that way only to get some picked by someone else.

Costs:
As of July 3rd 2011
We picked 7lb 15oz of fruit and it cost £7.10 (including price for two baskets).

Here is my video:


Music :
Mighty by Olaf used under creative commons license
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
This Track
Olafs music channel.


Driving Route Map
Detailed map of Scaddows Farm

Time-Lapse details :
The driving video is made from 1115 photographs (at 2272x1704 pixels) taken using a modified Canon Ixus 430 camera. Sequenced using Sony Vegas 10 Pro. Video rendered in 1080p (519Mb uploaded video file).

Hope you found my video of use.
Rate and comment if you enjoyed it.

Thanks
Andy