A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley

They say that some books just have a lasting and timeless appeal. For me, one of those books is A Traveller in Time by Derbyshire born author, Alison Uttley. The book, first published in 1939, tells the story of teenage girl, Penelope, who is sent to live on her aunt and uncle’s farm, once owned …

April’s #PhotoFriday Digest

It's time once again for our monthly round up of #PhotoFriday tweets, where we look at images from the local studies collections across the county, which you can find on http://www.picturethepast.org.uk . We started off the month with the History Begins at Home theme of Money by looking at this beautiful building in Buxton. This …

April’s Twitter Digest

Welcome back to the Twitter Digest. It's a bumper edition for April. In this month we celebrated the Archives 30 campaign. Organised by the Archives and Records Association for Scotland, the campaign offers a way to celebrate archives, archivists, and the collections that we care for. Different topics and themes were posted every day throughout …

“Wish you were here”…

Our local studies collection is vast and we are constantly adding more to it - in most cases by buying new books, maps, newspapers and periodicals and adding freebies such as posters and leaflets. However one of the most exciting ways to get new material can be when members of the public come forward with …

A Kick-about down Memory Lane

When looking for a suitable subject for an Archive of the Week over tweet, I came across a collection of typescript volumes entitled "Looking Back: Football in North Derbyshire in time gone by" by S. B. Fox (Reference D5693/1/1-38). In amongst the impressive record of match results and league tables you'll find an array of …

An Easter bake.

With the Easter weekend around the corner I delved once again into one of my favourite Derbyshire recipe books to find something traditional to bake. I used Peter Grayson's Recipes from the Peak District from our local studies collection and this time my eye was caught by a recipe for Easter Cakes. Looking at the …

March’s #PhotoFriday Digest

It's time for our monthly round up of #PhotoFriday tweets, where we look at images from the local studies collections across the county which you can find on http://www.picturethepast.org.uk . To celebrate World Book Day we remembered a much loved Derbyshire author, Deric Longden. Deric was famous for books such as Diana’s Story and Lost …

Twitter Digest for March 2022

Good day to you all, and welcome to March's Twitter Digest! Once again, our Archives of the Week stream has been busy. After all the stormy weather this year, we featured a letter written in 1822 by the poet Eleanor Porden to her future husband, arctic explorer John Franklin, about the unseasonably mild winter, terrible …

‘More of a palace than a place for bathing’

Many people, perhaps you as well, enjoy the luxurious experience of a day at the spa.  The practice of pampering oneself or treating others to a treatment or two is big business. 2020 saw the Buxton Crescent Health Spa and Hotel open to the public as a 5-star establishment offering luxury accommodation and spa treatments. …

A Female Stone Manufacturer and her Derbyshire Connection

In the Georgian period, women could be business owners, but usually if they were widows who had inherited their husband’s business, or in stereotypical female environments. Yet, there are some examples of women pushing the boundaries that were expected of them. One of these women was Eleanor Coade, who owned an artificial stone factory in …