7 December 2017 – Trip to Chesterfield

Chesterfield is a market town in Derbyshire which has traced its beginnings to the 1st century AD and the construction of a Roman fort, which became redundant and was abandoned once peace was achieved.

Later an Anglo-Saxon village grew up on the site. The name Chesterfield derives from the Anglo-Saxon words caester (a Roman fort) and feld (grazing land).

The town’s best known landmark is the Church of St Mary and All Saints, popularly known for its “crooked spire”, which was originally constructed in the 14th century. It is a mystery why the spire is crooked but it is probably the weight of the lead tiles.

We discovered a rainbow bench donated by the trade union “Unison” in the church gardens.

     

We also found an old fashioned outdoor market – we searched for treasures on the bric-a-brac stall (50p an item or 3 for £1) but without success. It was bitterly cold and we even had hailstones briefly so we sheltered in the indoor market hall where we had a warm drink and a snack.

30 November 2017 – Trip to Smithills Hall, Bolton

Smithills Hall is a Grade I listed manor house, and a scheduled monument in Bolton. The oldest part of the structure is the Great Hall in the north range which was probably built in the early-14th century and once was surrounded by a moat,

There are also a consecrated chapel and Victorian extensions including The Poppin Tea Rooms, where we enjoyed a relaxing tea and coffee.

Later we enjoyed fish and chips at the Olympus in Bolton town centre.

24 November 2017 – Pitch to Enrich

The AXM Foundation held an event – Pitch to Enrich (a bit like Dragon’s Den) – in the New York, New York pub and Out In The City was awarded the top prize of £500.00 following a vote by the audience.

     

The AXM Foundation was set up to help LGBTQ+ groups and individuals in Greater Manchester in the areas of Health, Poverty, People, Community and Entrepreneurialism.

The Foundations’ aim is to raise over £10,000 each year from various fund raising activities such as sporting events, club nights, a village calendar and AXM Foundation nights.

To find out more go to http://www.axmfoundation.org/ or the Facebook page.

The large cheque was presented to Out In The City on the night but was shown to group members at the following meeting:

We are very appreciative of the support from AXM Foundation as the money will help with running costs for the group including trips out.

23 November 2017 – Meal at Bury College

Students work in the college’s professional industry standard kitchen and restaurant facilities and gain experience in all aspects of catering and hospitality.

We certainly enjoyed the meal and it was very reasonably priced.

16 November 2017 – Trip to Nantwich

Nantwich is a market town near Crewe, dating back to Roman times. The town is believed to have been a salt-producing centre from the 10th century or earlier.

We visited the museum which featured shoes and cheese making as well as salt production.

We found a very good fish and chip shop where the service was as excellent as the food.

There are are many old buildings in the town including the church which we also visited before coffee and cake on the way home.