‘THE LITTLE BIG CLUB™’  - LIVE IN CONCERT’

“A little imagination can make BIG things happen’

The Little Big Club Live in Concert is a fantastic new 70-minute theatrical and musical extravaganza from Hit Entertainment and Premier Stage Productions, which brings together an ensemble of the world most popular preschool characters in one exciting adventure!

In this unique production Bob The Builder™, Barney & Friends™, Angelina Ballerina™, Fireman Sam™ , Fifi Forget-me-not™ and Pingu™ feature on stage together for the first time ever!

The Little Big Club Live In Concert made its UK premiere in January 2010 followed by an extensive tour across the country .

The live show also introduces the UK to The Little Big Club Band, who encourage the audience to join in and have fun with each character as they perform their own ‘set’. In the grand finale, all of the characters come together on stage to sing a reprise of The Little Big Club songs and celebrate with their new friends in the audience.

Premier Stage Productions is one of the leading players in the UK Children’s Theatre circuit. The company has built a fantastic reputation amongst theatre managers the length and breadth of Great Britain for their highly inventive and accessible children’s shows.

Sun 5 September @ 2pm
BUXTON  OPERA HOUSE
Box Office 0845 127 2190

Buxton Opera House
Water Street
Buxton
Derbyshire
SK17 6XN

TOUR LISTINGS
SEPTEMBER 2010

Fri 3 September @ 1pm
SKEGNESS EMBASSY THEATRE
Box Office 0845 674 0505

Sat 4 September  times tbc
LINCOLN THEATRE ROYAL
Box Office 01522 519999

Sun 5 September @ 2pm
BUXTON  OPERA HOUSE
Box Office 0845 127 2190

Sat 11  September @ 1.30pm & 3.30pm
STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE
Box Office 01785 254 653

Sun 12 September @ 2pm
NEW BRIGHTON FLORAL PAVILION
Box Office 0151 666 000

That new chappie Prime Minister David Cameron has called for more to be done to market Britain as a destination for foreign visitors as well as those at home.

Apparently, Mr Cameron has urged people to be “more proud” of the UK, its natural assets and its history.

He also said that more is to be done so that the UK can break into the top five most visited destinations in the world.

I applaud the urge. Most encouraging. And with the media harping on about the first 100 days of office, I wonder if our new elected MP will soon be sharing his thoughts by echoing his leaders calls of importance placed on the role of tourism – for Buxton and its surrounding areas?

Given the number of coaches parked everyday of the week near Spring Gardens (?) and outside the Buxton Opera House, there seems to be no let-up of tourist sightseers’, however I find it incredible that compared to other ‘tourist’ attraction destinations such as Bakewell or Matlock, Buxton must be the bottom of the pile when it comes to promoting itself as ‘a serious tourist attraction’.

Lets look at some facts.

Compared to these other examples, Buxton has equally marvellous appeal but isn’t pulling out all the stops to promote or encourage the ‘all year round tourist’ or ’seasonal tourist’. It relies too heavily on the Buxton Fringe Festival month, and up to 8 market stalls on Tuesdays and Saturdays, a fact which for the highest market town in England, is disgusting in my opinion, and of course the ‘Buxton Water’ fountain.

With no visible work being carried out on the Crescent Hotel, this weeks biggest attraction to Buxton was the felling of a tree. That actually attracted more audience than the recent Morris Dancer showcase, believe it or not, but I guess the ‘Buxton Stump’ will have an appeal as it is something new and different…cue digital cameras for another of Buxton’s memorable sights.

Actually, whilst I mention Buxton sights, could someone prod our new MP to take a moment to reflect on the following snaps (courtesy of Mr Grumpy’s Grandson!)

Here is the George Hotel. It’s pretty close to the Buxton Opera House and quite closed. What a shame. Not that Buxton really needs anymore hotels or guest houses, in my opinion, but isn’t it a shame that another business / premises in the heart of Buxton has succumbed to being a derelict graveyard, and now literally just waiting for some oiks to cause a nuisance, mischief and misery.

The fact that this establishment is so close to the Buxton Opera House and Pavilion Gardens reminds us that if businesses located in main tourism areas are not immune to downturns,  recessions and changes in social trends, what chance does the established business have in the outta and non-tourism areas of Buxton?

Here’s the Liberal Club in Waterswallows Road.  Quite closed.  Not even subsidised beer or the community status tag of ‘the club’, supposedly “underpinning the local community” managed to keep the doors open.  I wonder which club or Pub in Buxton will be next to fall victim to the change in social trends?  Buxton Working Men’s Club perhaps?  The ‘19th Hole’ perhaps?

There are some strange and peculiar mindsets in Buxton which seem to pour scorn on anything that is positive or bettering the community or Buxton tourism.  I’d include common sense in that statement too, but having just visited a recently rejuvenated business in Spring Gardens which is apparently “a charity”, common sense here seems to be thrown out of the window.

It seems that the establishment desires a particular type of customer which someway goes to explain why this newly decorated tea room is as empty as the heads of its new management.

It never used to be like this and was always ‘busy’, especially when it rained, as customers (my self included) would dash in and naturally partake in the friendly service and wares.

Of course the establishment needed an overdue makeover and the previous management (from own experience) were as patronising and nutty as the owner of Fawlty Towers, but that was part of the charm and appeal of this local business!  You knew what to expect and the staff were most accommodating.

With management change and the ‘new broom’ philosophy, one would still expect that all customers would be welcome.  Apparently, not so.

I have nothing but admiration for those that manage and run a local charity (is this a local charity?), but if my face does not fit, my money is obviously not good enough, consequently it’s not rocket science to see how others will view this establishment.

Not in the same league as a restaurant to attract the business and culinary advice of Gordon Ramsey, nor a guest house or hotel to welcome the recommendations of Alex Polizzi, perhaps Andrew Bingham can work his MP magic and offer this Buxton business / charity needy pointers before it too becomes a derelict business.

The cost of living from January 2011 will be getting higher for everyone and businesses in Buxton need to focus ahead.

Like the ‘new ’stump’, Buxton has deep roots but I fear that without scrutiny and a little concentration in the right places now, especially during these difficult times and apparently ahead, Buxton will fall far behind it’s neighbouring tourism areas, will lose the appeal as the highest market town with attractions.  It’ll be just another town on the landscape.

In a society as paranoid as the UK most people will have heard of the CRB Checks and have probably encountered some form of CRB Checking or have known somebody who has. Well, in the last month, a friend of mine has also experienced it within his employment. Why would he need a CRB Check? Does he work with vulnerable elderly people, or is he in contact with Children? Neither actually, as it happens he is a self employed tradesman, employed to work in many different environments including the occasional trip into a School or Old Folks’ home in order to carry out remedial or installation work.

Non of this work directly involves contact with, or actually working with vulnerable people or children. It just involves him working inside a building where such individuals may frequent, yet local legislation and the usual pen pushing ‘Jobsworths’ require him to be CRB Checked before he can gain contract work for and enter such an environment. This is where the problem begins.

First of all, its almost impossible for somebody working for themselves to obtain a CRB enhanced disclosure check to the level and satisfaction required by many local schools and other council run establishments which require it. Upon calling those entities who have implemented this regulation, my friend has been told to get his employer to provide the checks via an umbrella organisation, a little impossible when you are self employed and have no employer! Upon calling the Umbrella organisations directly, he was told that they are unable to provide individuals with CRB Checks, and to get his employer to make contact with them…….and around and around it goes.

What’s wrong with this picture? Suddenly we have a situation where a hard working, self employed individual is prevented from carrying out his trade purely through a piece of legislation. My friend is perfectly willing to obtain the requested certification and pay the relevant fees to become CRB checked, however he is prevented from doing so because nobody can supply him with this CRB checking service. His only crime and reason for refusal – being self employed!

It seems yet again we have a piece of rushed through legislation which is so ill thought out that its costing people money and stopping honest hard working people from earning a living. Surely, if legislation is introduced, there has to exist an easy and nationally accessible means of applying for and obtaining such CRB certification and by ‘accessible’, I mean available to everybody of which it is likely to affect including those not directly employed by the council or care home, or doing voluntary work. So far, my friend is unable to accept work in any of these institutions and that is a great loss of business which, in a recession, may actually result in the total loss of his business and him joining the UK’s only remaining growth industry – Unemployment.

I can understand and applaud the need for those whose entire employment description involves work with children and the elderly, day in – day out to obtain such obvious security checks, but even in this case, I’ve heard stories of people declined JSA and various other benefits whilst they wait for the CRB Check to complete after being offered full or part time employment.

A friends partner told me they’d waited over 8 weeks for a CRB Check to be completed by her employer before she could start work there, and in the meantime, because she couldn’t actually start the job meant that she was not entitled to benefit payments as she was ‘technically employed’. Obviously, without any income in the interim, she fell behind with bill payments and nearly lost her home. How ludicrous is that? Clearly, the CRB Checking infrastructure is not in place, so it cannot cope with the load. Perhaps its the same people dealing with CRB checks as deal with the issuing of passports?!

Its amazing that hackers can literally clone somebody’s life, background and identity from their ‘facebook’ profile in minutes, yet it takes the powers that be anything around 8+ weeks to carry out what is basically just a glorified Police background check.

Do they need more staff working in the CRB Checking environment? If so, I can recommend many of the 2.2 Million people currently unemployed. I’m sure most of them would be able to do the job, so go fill your boots.

So, do CRB Checks actually work? Does CRB Checking actively prevent more of the tragic instances that we read about in the papers? Did CRB Checks stop the death of ‘Baby Peter’? How about the needless and tragic deaths more recently of Augustino, Gianluca, and Cecilia Riggi? Did it prevent the violet death of 15 year old Zac Olumegbon from London? It seems from the stories in the media that more Children suffer and are at risk as a direct result of abuse, neglect and violence at the hands of family members and even their peers, than they do from outsiders or Electricians and Plumbers carrying out work in their school.

Society has reached a point now where people fear that if their neighbours’ house goes up for sale, that Jon Venables might be moved in next door. They view anybody stopping to assist a lost child with great suspicion and lose sleepless nights worrying that their children’s school bus driver might turn out to be a modern day Myra Hindley. In reality, those who embark on such crimes against Children and the Elderly are few and far between are still the same minority amongst the millions of normal individuals out there, just as they were 20 or 30 years ago, however, with the press hysteria, its now more heard about and has been hyped out of all proportion, and so its the majority who are constantly under the suspicion. Its a sad, but glaringly true fact that in the recent case of the Riggi children that with the law of averages, they probably would have been much safer and would still be alive today had they have been in the company of a random stranger passing in the street, rather than living with their Mother! There does seem to be a growing and very alarming trend for parents to commit acts of violence, neglect and even murder their children, and no CRB Checks are going to call a halt to that.

Seems what is needed is better observation, training and interest by those who are in contact with children and who could spot early signs of neglect taking place, and are in the best position to do something about it, and that includes professional individuals such as teachers as well as neighbours and other family members.

In fact, in relation to CRB Checks in the School Environment, already this year there has been a large number of media stories relating to children being attacked and murdered in their own school during the day, often in full view of the adults who have a duty of care towards them. Is this the work of some serial killer? Perhaps some 2010 version of ‘Jack the Ripper’ on the streets and stalking the playgrounds? No, this is children attacking other children with knives! It seems to me that in the current day and age, the growing trend of young teenagers carrying weapons actually places the Teachers more at risk from their Pupils than the other way round. Certainly, I cannot remember any multiple instance of a Teacher recently attacking a pupil, however there are plenty of media stories in relation to stabbings and fatalities resulting from teenagers attacking each other, and even turning violent against their teachers, so who is most at risk from whom?

Some element of common sense has to be applied here, after all, we have reached a point now where you have to obtain a CRB check in order to drive friends of your own children to school, or voluntarily offer to help run a school trip. I’m not surprised that parents are being accused of not showing an interest to PTA activities and in their child’s schooling. More recently, one school decided to make its own policy that parents had to be CRB Checked in order to attend sports days, and even after the story hit the national press, common sense still trailed in last as the biggest loser.

When my friend asked the local council why he was required to obtain a CRB check, he was told that it was because he worked in places where there were children. Well in that case, we are all going to require CRB checks just to walk around the supermarket or walk the dog in the local park. Have you also eaten at a local pub recently? These days, there seems to be more children running riot in these places than at an average village school playground. Are staff and their regulars in these places CRB checked?

In the meantime, if anybody could comment on this story with information as to where a self employed individual can obtain a full CRB Check without being directly employed by a council run establishment or having an ‘employer’, neither of which allow him to obtain the paperwork required to continue to earn a living, my friend would most certainly be interested.

See Fringe diary here.

Here’s another article from our resident Mr Grumpy of Buxton!

I have to laugh when I read “Buxton…. has a thriving twice weekly market” or “Number of stalls: 50-70″ or “that appeal to residents and attract visitors to High Peak.”

There I am, in my shorts, cotton shirt and sandals (not a pretty sight) ready to peruse the wares and offerings of

Buxton’s Market stall traders during one of the recent most glorious weather days, when all there is to find is a handful of stalls…..and a burger van.

Call me sceptical, but at the time of count, there were less than TEN market stalls, or to be precise, some 44 short of the

number ‘Information Britain‘ boasts about!  If I were a visiting tourist keen to sample the many delights “Buxton Market” offers, I’d feel short changed.

Undoubtedly, tourists go stir crazy during off-peak times of the year because the scope of things to see, do or buy in “Buxton Market” is as seasonal as, well, Mrs G getting her flip flops out.  That’s unless tourists wish to navigate the Buxton shopping centre and sample its many offerings as they would in their own local shopping centre….er, de ja vu?

So what actually encourages traders to cough up £60.00 – £100.00 a week for a semi/permanent pitch in Buxton Market, because when you have empty shops as side-attractions, a coach stop so far away from Upper Buxton it might as well be sited at Morrison’s, I can not see any justification or desire for anyone to invest in a market stall pitch.  In fact, while the rates for a semi or permanent pitch might not appear to be unreasonable, consider at least 100 burgers have to be flipped and sold before any other overheads are considered which, going on the number of stalls to peruse, must be increasingly difficult if not soul destroying when customers are in dwindling numbers….ooer, just like the trading stalls!  How many pairs of knickers, sun-hats or bric-a-brac have to be sold week in, week out to justify a pitch in Buxton Market?

Let’s be honest, it’s probably right that a market stall is not in direct competition with a local shop, but come on, it’s unlikely that a few more clothes stalls will cause major upset to Upper Buxton trade.?!

So what do other markets and stalls offer whilst still managing to compete with the superstores…and remember, Buxton isn’t dominated by the likes of Tesco and is supposedly the highest market town in England?  Where are all the stalls, i.e.

• Tools and Hardware
• Womens Fashions
• Mens Fashions
• Footwear and socks
• Bedding
• Nightwear
• Underwear
• Swimwear
• Camping / Army Surplus / All weather clothing
• Baby Goods
• Arts and Crafts
• Pet Food
• Fishmongers
• Butchers
• Fruit and Veg
• Health Foods
• Plants and Flowers
• Jewellery and Collectables
• Household Goods, CDs, DVDs and Videos
• Vac spares
• Rugs and Mats
• Mobility Equipment
• Car Accessories

Hmmm?  Just a few examples there.  It’s not rocket science to foresee further vacant pitchs appearing in “Buxton Market” if there’s no drive to attract business.  Still, the parked cars will benefit from the empty pitches and eventually “Buxton Market” will become another decayed memory along with its ‘highest market town’ title.

Actually, with the boy-racers cruising the night time roads, drunken youths urinating in the street and empty shop doorways, yes, the ones with England shirts and flags wrapped round their frames, it’s so nice to see Buxton finally levelling out with the rest of the UK’s state of decaying municipalism.  A town charactarised like all the others…which eventually ends in “—- hole”.

Far removed from the ‘Tourist Attraction’ area it supposedly is, Buxton has become a Dinosaur Town and there’s little evidence to support positive change.  Ask anyone over 50 in Buxton where the market is and the word ‘extinct’ will undoubtedly crop up, coupled with the younger expressive faces of puzzlement, bewilderment and “Dime Bar?”

R.I.P. Buxton Market 2010.

The big risk:

Dehydration and heat stroke

There is an increased risk of dehydration during a heat wave.

Dehydration is the loss of water and minerals which affects the vital roles and functions of the brain, heart and kidneys.

When the core body temperature climbs to a dangerous level, it can lead to ‘heat stroke’ or ‘exhaustion’. Heat stroke and exhaustion can eventually lead to organ damage / failure and death without medical aid.

Exercise in hot weather

Vigorous exercise during the hottest times of the day is not sensible! Instead, run, jog or exercise closer to sunrise or sunset.

Take things slowly and adapt to the pace of life in the sun. If you feel breathless or your heart is pounding, stop what you are doing and try to cool your body down, for example, by taking a cool shower. Rest if you feel faint or dizzy.

If you over-exert during extremely hot weather, the body’s ‘cooling system’ (sweating) can fail. Muscle fatigue (cramps) dizziness and headaches are symptoms of heat stroke and can come on very rapidly.

Example temperature scale

20C (68F) Usually comfortable. Heart rate normal

25C (77F) Light sweating

30C (86F) Discomfort: Blood cools at skin surface. Concentration affected. Moderate sweating

40C (104F) Heat exhaustion: Heavy sweating. Rapid heart rate. Tiredness. Nausea

45C (113F) Heat stroke: Sweating stops. Hot, dry skin. Core temperature rises. Fainting. Danger of organ damage and death

Keep the fluid levels up – keep hydrated

During hot weather, the body will lose more fluid than normal. Keep your fluid levels up by drinking water (sipping). This is extremely important, however excessive drinking of water can cause problems.

Alcohol consumption during hot weather should be kept to a minimum as alcohol dehydrates the body.

Non-carbonated drinks may be preferred as an alternative to water but should be consumed in moderation.

Stay out of the sun

On extremely hot days, the best place to be is in the shade. If you must sunbathe, then ensure that it is for short periods, and that you use sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.

The sun is at its most dangerous between 11am and 3pm.

A sun-tan may look nice, but it is actually a sign of damage to the skin. Not only is sunburn painful, it can accelerate the ageing process, and increase the risk of skin cancer, including the potentially fatal form, melanoma.

If you start to feel queasy or ill then get out of direct sunlight as quickly as possible.

Protect the head!

Wear sunglasses with UV protection for your eyes. It is also a good idea to wear a wide-brimmed sunhat, preferably with vents.

Keep cool

Dark, heavy clothes absorb heat and body sweat needs to evaporate, so try to wear light, loose-fitting clothing, such as cotton.

Some thin materials do not provide a sufficient barrier to the sun’s dangerous UV rays.

Take a cool shower, bath or body wash. Sprinkle water over the skin or clothing, or keep a damp cloth on the back of your neck.

Ventilate your home

If the external temperature is close to or less than internal temperatures, all windows, and internal doors should be fully opened. This helps the natural ventilation to remove heat and increases internal air movement.

Windows and internal doors should be left open overnight in a secure manner.

Turn off nonessential lights and electrical equipment as they generate heat.

Use a fan or air conditioning if you have it.

Avoid heat traps – plan ahead

Try to avoid anywhere where shelter is minimal, and ventilation poor. Parked cars can be a particular hazard.

If you can, try to stay in an air-conditioned environment.

If you have no alternative, but to travel in a hot, stuffy environment – for instance on the Tube – then make sure you carry a bottle of water with you.

If you face a long journey, it may be wise to plan breaks to go above ground for some fresh air.

Take care of the vulnerable

Those most at risk from the sun include children under four, people over 65 whose bodies adapt more slowly to the change in temperature, overweight people whose bodies tend to retain heat more and people who are ill.

Babies are particularly vulnerable to heat as their sweat glands are not well-developed.

It is important not to wrap them up in blankets or heavy clothing when it is hot – but it is equally important to ensure that they are not exposed to direct sunlight.

Sensible eating

During hot weather, salads and fruits are good food sources with water content.

Try to avoid hot, heavy food.

Read more here:

Sun burn – guide

St John Ambulance – Effects of heat & cold

health experts warning

Deaths linked to hot weather

Naturists enjoy feeling natural and enjoy the environment, so if you like-minded and wish to mix with people of all backgrounds who are naturists, why not contact British Naturism about further naturist activities.

Some weeks ago, I wrote my column highlighting the introduction of Average Speed Cameras on the A537 Cat and Fiddle Road. It got a mixed response from all readers of ‘About Buxton’, ranging from those opposed to Speed Cameras to those who want to sleep with them and have their babies. However an online story recently caught my eye, concerning the A537 Cat and Fiddle Average Speed Camera section in particular, and of which appeared in a national publication.

What if I was to tell you that doing that riding within the speed limit along the A537 Cat and Fiddle road could still potentially land you with a £60 fine and 3 penalty points from these wonders of modern technology introduced by the crème’ de la crème’ of Road Safety ‘experts’?, for doing little more than taking a short cut off the main A537 and then rejoining it further along?

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/General-news/2010/April/apr2510-800000-speed-camera-cock-up/

Yes, even by Buxton standards this is a huge and monumental cock up of cringe worthy proportions, and means that anybody on two wheels who chooses to take a well known and well mapped short cut (which has a higher NSL limit than the A537 Cat and Fiddle) could end up getting wrongly fined and having their license endorsed purely through obeying the local posted speed limits.

But I suppose that is ok in the interests of road safety, after all its nothing about making money is it?

The Motorcycle News story alone goes to show just what little planning and thought goes into these things, such is the (gold)rush to roll them out and get busy milking the motorist that little facts like this one go un-noticed until £800k has been wasted on what is now little more than a white elephant and it only gets mentioned when it starts being publicised in the national press. How long before the daily’s catch on and it gets highlighted on TV programs like Top Gear? Buxton makes the headlines yet again, but not for anything positive.

Who exactly is responsible for this ‘oversight’ in any case, can’t they use simple everyday tools like Google Earth?, don’t they have access to detailed road maps and other documents and more to the point is he still employed? Given this story it may as well be Mr Bean. Big Brother may indeed be watching our roads, but who is responsible for watching the ‘watchers’? Had this oversight have gone unnoticed, how many people would have been wrongly convicted, faced higher insurance premiums through license endorsement or even lost their license through having an additional 3 points WRONGLY added to an existing 9 penalty points on their license?

I can see what will happen now its been made public in the press. In order to cover up embarrassed red faces, either the speed limit on the short cut will be drastically cut in places, probably to 50, 40 mph or whatever conveniently happens to be the nearest round figure once the speed councils have carefully driven and timed the route, or additional pairs of cameras will be fitted to the route in order to maintain continuity – wasting even more money than the original £800k budget.

According to the article, the cameras are still not ‘live’ now that the mistake or rather oversight has been discovered, but I can’t imagine that such a lucrative tool, especially one which cost us £800k will remain decommissioned for long, so they’ll have to do something, and Mr G’s lottery money this week is riding on the first option. Watch this space!

Several readers have asked me, that if I’m so opposed to Speed Cameras, then what would I do to alleviate the problem?. My answer is always…… ‘Elect me and find out’.

But joking aside (and politics are one huge grin), I personally would have spent the £800 earmarked on the A537 Cat and Fiddle average speed cameras to something more productive. After all, you are never going to escape born again 40-something bikers trying to recapture their lost youth before a mid life crisis sets in, all these brilliant well thought out and positioned cameras do, is to move the problem to another area – it never actually solves it.

So my £800k would be spent building a track which is open to the public for a nominal and affordable admission fee. A bit like the highly successful Nürburgring in Germany but where Bikers of all ages and experience levels can visit on a whim, pay an admission fee and ride in a non competitive environment, once they have taken out relevant ‘track day’ insurance and have produced a license with the relevant motorcycle entitlement of course.

This would allow fully grown, rational thinking adults to calculate the risk to themselves and others, evaluate their own riding skills and for like minded individuals to risk maiming or killing themselves in a controlled environment well away from public roads!. Then all of the other road users / sheep / little fluffy kittens etc can use the A537 Cat and Fiddle road with fewer risks.

Having such a Buxton based track would eventually gain fame and publicity and also continue to bring in visitors to Buxton from all over the world (Just like the Nürburgring attracts visitors from all over Europe to use its track) meaning the tourist industry is given the much needed kick up the backside which has not been forthcoming from elsewhere *cough*, new jobs through catering, trackside staff, first aiders, funeral directors would also be created through the new business(es) created behind the track and everybody would be happy. I bet there would also be change from the £800k too!

Then again, this is plain old fashioned common sense, which there isn’t exactly a monopoly of in certain circles – see the above Motorcycle News story!

I will also point out that Mr G is not against speed cameras per se, just those which are miles away from schools, houses and other built up areas, and those cameras which will never pick out and prosecute Gravel and Stone HGV drivers and Coach drivers cheerfully chatting on the phone whilst driving past our children through the centre of Buxton.

Oh, and isn’t it also UK law that for the past several years, parents of Children under 11 have to strap in their kids into suitable and approved child safety / booster seats in order to legally ride in a vehicle?. Well why isn’t this being policed and tickets to irresponsible parents issued also?, because at 3.10pm on most school days I’m willing to bet that this area of road safety law is also being flouted and unchallenged daily – probably in greater numbers than a few ageing bikers on the A537 and the law is the law? right?, even when its not raising revenue? I for one would like to see this aspect and road safety law and saving lives given just as equal priority as fitting speed cameras to Derbyshire Roads.

The number of people unemployed in the UK rose by 43,000 to 2.5 million during the three months to February, official figures have shown.

The jobless total is now at its highest since 1994.

East Midlands: Up 13,000 to 180,000

North West: Up 11,000 to 290,000

West Midlands: Down 6,000 to 253,000

Read more at the BBC here

Labour – 41.1% vote

Conservatives – 37.3%

Liberal Democrat – 19.4%

Others – 2.2%

2010 Candidates

Note: You may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view manifesto PDF documents.

Andrew Bingham – Conservative – Conservative manifesto (pdf)

Alistair Stevens – Liberal Democrat – Liberal Democrat manifesto (pdf)

*NEW * Caitlin Bisknell – Labour – Labour manifesto (pdf)

Sylvia Hall – UK Independence Party – UKIP manifesto (pdf)

Peter Allen – The Green Party – Green Party manifesto (pdf)

Constituency Profile

The seat was represented by the Conservatives, apart from four years, from 1945 to 1997, when it was won for Labour by current MP Tom Levitt. At the 2005 general election he retained the seat, but by just 735 votes.

At the election, boundary changes have made the seat co-terminous with the High Peak Borough Council.

UPDATE

Congratulations to Andrew Bingham, MP