fabulousplaces.co.uk is all about local independent places, producers and services.  I am delighted to launch the new logo for the wonderfully talented producers who hand make their products.  All fabulous producers now have this great new logo to display on their website and promotional materials.

Why not take a look at the amazingly talented producers on the fabulousplaces.co.uk website…click here to visit the search page.  Many of the producers will be attending the upcoming Autumn Fair…why not pop along and see the talented people behind the products!

To celebrate their fabulous new look (and of course any excuse for a party), Red Square Photography are having a charity Open Studio Day on Saturday 4^th September. We would love for you to come along and visit. You can have a photograph taken in their studio (with the option to buy a print, and all profits going to the Ashbourne Breast Cancer Charity), take advantage of their half price shoot fee offer, and enjoy some fizz and cupcakes!

11am – 3pm
Studio 2, Ednaston Home Farm, Ashbourne, DE6 3AY
01335 360103
Click here to visit their page on fabulousplaces.co.uk.

I’ll be going, so hope to see you there!

Say hello to Amanda Hamilton Interior Design!

Amanda offers a full interior design service in addition to a gorgeous range of deckchairs rescued from a beach hire hut and lovingly restored with a fabulous range of canvas complete with head cushions. I absolutely love the deckchairs…each one has its own beach history and has been given a fabulous revamp. Deckchairs are a new addition to Amanda’s range and have quickly become very popular.  Amanda’s other ranges include gorgeous beach shelters, windbreaks, floor cushions…all available in a wide range of fabrics. Another string to Amanda’s creative bow is bespoke curtains, blinds, floor cushions.

Click here to visit Amanda Hamilton’s page on fabulousplaces.co.uk.  You can browse Amanda’s gorgeous products at the upcoming fabulousplaces.co.uk Autumn Fair on Sunday 26th September at Makeney Hall.

After speaking to lots of producers and visitors who have attended past events I’ve held, the feedback was that they would like an additional event around September…so here it is!  The Autumn Food & Gift Fair will be held on Sunday 26th September (11am – 5pm) at Makeney Hall Hotel (just off the A6 near Belper).  Entry is £1 (free for under 16s and fabulousplaces.co.uk Derbyshire Card Holders).

Exhibitors include Lucy Sheeran Cards, Created Gallery, Stately Brides, Happy Spaces Ltd, Tattered Rose, Bow Boutique, Amanda Hamilton, Cachepot, Just Lily Jewellery and many more!

If you have any questions about the Autumn Fair please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I was delighted to hear from the lovely people at The Derbyshire magazine who asked to do a feature on the website.  The feature is in the current (September issue) of The Derbyshire magazine and can be found on pages 43-45.

The article takes you through why I decided to launch the website, includes a selection of the places and producers and also includes some great pics, most of which were taken by the lovely Claire Sutton (click here to visit Claire’s blog).  I was also really pleased to see that they have used one of Claire’s photos for the front cover too!!

It was fantastic that a Derbyshire publication wanted to feature fabulousplaces.co.uk…I feel incredibly flattered that something I started as a hobby has now become a valuable resource for so many people.  If you see a copy of The Derbyshire magazine flick to page 43 for a read!

The feature also mentioned the upcoming fabulousplaces.co.uk Autumn Fair at Makeney Hall (Belper) on Sunday 26th September 2010.  The event will bring together a great selection of places and producers featured on the website, giving you a unique opportunity to browse some truly fabulous gifts and food.  The flyers for the event will be making their way around Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire from next week.

Hope to see you there!

Debs

Autumn Food & Gift Fair
Sunday 26th September 2010, 11am – 5pm
Makeney Hall, Belper, Derbyshire
£1.00 entry (free for under 16s)
Free entry for fabulousplaces.co.uk Derbyshire Card holders.

fabulousplaces.co.uk Christmas Market
Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st November 2010, 10am – 5pm
The Roundhouse, Pride Park, Derby
Full information coming soon!
Click here to take a look at the venue!

If you have any questions regarding these events please click here to contact Deb.

I am incredibly excited to announce that the fabulousplaces.co.uk Village Shop is open!  The Village Shop is a marketplace exclusive to the places and producers featured on the website.  Here you’ll find some truly wonderful products from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Click here for a browse!

Enjoy

Deb

Here are a handful of events I’ve spotted and some other things, which, if you’re looking for something to do in August, might just be your cup of tea!

fabulousplaces.co.uk Search Page!
If I’m going to promote what’s going on around Derbyshire, then of course I’m going to promote the places featured on the website! August is a great month to head out and enjoy independent shops, cafes, delis, farm shops…sounds like a perfect day out to me! Click here to visit the search page.

Summer at Chatsworth
Up until the 2nd September.
I love Chatsworth and what could be better than lots of summer activities to take part in around the Estate.
Click here for full information.

Bluebells MegaMaze
Brand new to Bluebells is the MegaMaze, a truly wonderful activity for the whole family.  I can’t wait to borrow my niece to go play and eat ice cream.
Click here for full information.

Crich Tramway Museum
Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th August 2010
Like lots of others, I’m sure Crich Tramway Museum brings back lots of great childhood memories.  A visit on any day throughout Summer is perfect, but if you’re looking for an event then they have a 1940s Weekend at Crich Tramway Village Crich, Derbyshire.
Click here for full information.

Wednesday Night is Pizza Night at the Loaf
I love the Loaf in Crich and I love pizza…enough said!
Click here for full information.

Ashbourne Show
Saturday 21st August 2010
A great family day out. Click here for full information.

180th Bakewell Show
Wed 04 Aug 2010 to Thu 05 Aug 2010
Perfect family day out – champion livestock, delightful dogs, horses, mammoth vegetables, fantasic flowers, delicious specialist food. This year’s attractions include Titan the 8ft talking robot and The Flying Gunners.
Click here for full information.

Picnics and Walks in Derbyshire
We are blessed to live in a county of stunning landscape…why not pack a picnic and head off with some friends.  Some of my favourites are Black Rock, Shining Cliff Woods (links to a 6 mile walk), Carsington Water, Ladybower Reservoir and Castleton.

Hopefully there’s some inspiration here for you to head off into Derbyshire this month. Oh, and to see the absolutely gorgeous ducks in the photo above pop along to Caudwells Mill in Rowsley.

Thank you to the following people for being so wonderfully supportive:

Shottle Hall for kindly donating a wonderful venue.
Rudd Moncrieff Lifestyle Workshops for providing delicious cakes and sandwiches.
Northern Tea Merchants for donating coffee, tea tasting and lovely samples for each of the goody bags.
BeauShabby for stepping in and kindly donating the vintage china hire…I’m sure you’ll all agree that it made the event truly authentic.
Simon Partridge for providing wonderfully perfect music and donating a CD to each of the goody bags.
Clipper Tea for donating tea.
The Lavender Patch for donating Derbyshire lavender for the goody bags.
Artisan Biscuit Company for donating lots of gorgeous biscuits for the goody bags.
Dorset Cereals for donating their wonderful cereals bags to each of the goody bags.
Delightful Living for letting us use some of their fabulous signs to decorate the tables.

Thank you to the following fabulous stand holders…Carol Cummins, Just Lily Jewellery, Amanda Hamilton, Housley & Co, Jamie at Home, Ribbon, Jay Designs and Quirky Cookies & Cakes.

It was so exciting to hear about the new MegaMaze at Bluebells Farm.  The Maze opened on Wednesday 14th July  and will remain open daily until Sunday 5th September.  The Maze is carved out, using GPS, in the shape of the Bluebells logo, from the forage crop Maize.  If you are looking for a different type of walk in the countryside away from the hustle and bustle of normally daily life then the MegaMaze is for you. The Maze is something different which is good for mind and body but also great fun.

The MegaMaze is also an eco-friendly tourist attraction with the whole thing being harvested at the end of the Summer to feed the Bluebells cows.  The Maze is a wonderful addition to Bluebells Farm making it a day out for the whole family.

The Maze is open from10:00am to 5:30pm (last entry at 4:30pm) and admission is £5 for adults and £4.25 for children.  Click here for full information.