What I love about this time of year is that there are so many events taking place…there’s no excuse to be stuck for things to do!  Here are a selection to tempt you…

Bluebells Dairy – A Taste of Christmas
Thursday 11th November, 5.30-8.30pm
Celebrate the opening of Bluebells Christmas Marquee with a warm glass of mulled wine and tastings on many festive goodies such as Goose, Roast gammon, Christmas Puddings, Bluebells Homemade Christmas cakes and Mince Pies. Get Christmas off to a good start by placing your orders for your Christmas Turkeys, Chicken, Goose, Game +Poultry, Bluebells Hampers, Meats, Meat and Veg Boxes and cakes.  Click here for more information about Bluebells.

Christmas at Bow Boutique
Thursday 11th November 2010, 4pm – 8pm
An opportunity to see the beautiful new Christmas ranges, enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie…and take advantage of an exclusive 10% off!  Click here for more information about Bow.

The Bottlekiln presents ‘Carols at the Kiln’
Thursday 25th November, 6.30pm – 9.00pm
A wonderful evening of shopping and carols.  Enjoy a complimentary glass of mulled wine when you arrive.  Candlelit singing at 7.30pm and 8.15pm.

Shopping Evenings at Cachepot
Thursday 25th November and Wednesday 8th December, 7pm – 9pm
Cachepot (in Draycott, Derbyshire) are inviting you along to festive shopping evenings where you can indulge in mince pies, mulled wine & shopping.  Click here to find out more about Cachepot.

Girls & Boys Night Out at Colston Bassett in Nottinghamshire
Wine tasting, shopping & festivities at the gorgeous village shop that is the Colston Bassett Store. Click here to find out more about the Colston Bassett Store.

I have received some great news from Bluebell’s Dairy…they have been nominated for BBC Farmer of the Year 2009 and are down to the last 3!  This is amazing news and we wish them luck!  The Brown Family are very passionate about the farm shop and dairy and were blown away by the news.  I will keep you updated on how things go for them…fingers crossed for Bluebells!

To find out all about Bluebells please click here.

This morning there was an entire radio show on BBC Radio 4 all about Bluebells & to listen to is please click here.

I don’t like to wish away time, but I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the Christmas Market!  The planning is going great and there will be a wonderful selection of places and producers from the fabulousplaces.co.uk website.  There will be something for all the family and will be a fabulous start to the festive season!

Christmas Market
Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd November 2009
11-5pm
Blackbrook House, Belper, Derbyshire

Here are the fabulous places and producers attending to date:

Quirky Cookies & Cakes – novelty cookies, biscotti & much more
eco eco – ethical & eco friendly gifts for home & garden
Studio 61 Gallery Boutique – ceramics, bath & body, cards & more
the loaf – amazing artisan bread & festive handmade food.
Anney Grace Jewellery – handmade unique jewellery
The Blossom Tree - festive flowers & fresh door wreaths
The Beetroot Tree – hand crafted gifts and art
Housley & Co – handmade cushions pictures, bags & more
Bow at the printworks – home accessories & gifts
Vintage & Cake – homemade cakes
Elaine Lim-Newton – East Asian inspired ceramics
Lavender grey – home accessories & gifts
I Should Cocoa – artisan chocolate gifts
Jack Rabbits – gorgeous home cooked food
HWR Designs – handmade textile accessories
Havoc Jewellery – handmade jewellery
Usborne Books – fab books for little ones
Bluebells Dairy & Farm Shop

Blackbrook House will also be offering an outdoor German-style food market with hot offerings. You will also be able to preorder your Christmas Tree.

As with the Summer Fete, there will also be lots to keep the little ones entertained, from face painting to craft corner.

The Christmas Market is all about the fabulous independent places and producers featured on the website, so you can be rest assured that the quality and array of products on display will be the best Derbyshire has to offer.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Anyone who has a dog or two will agree when I say that I’m delighted to see the signs of spring….slightly warmer, snow drops, sunshine….and the dogs don’t get caked in mud, well not all the time anyway! The weekend showed us some lovely sunshine, so what could be more perfect than getting out in Derbyshire to visit some fabulous places!

New fabulous places!

Receiving the Stamp of Approval recently are:

	Bluebells Dairy, Locko Road, Derbyshire   If there’s ever a good reason to eat ice cream in March it has to be the delicious ice cream they make on the farm at Bluebells Dairy. Bluebells is also a cafe and farm with great facilities for little ones. I recommend the bacon and poached egg on toast, yum! Click here to view Bluebells Dairy fabulous places page.
	Helen Meakin   Helen Meakin is a textile artist who produces some truly beautiful items ranging from framed pieces to cards and candles. Click here for more information about Helen Meakin.

Join us on our fundraising Crocus Walk!

I’ve decided to organise a Crocus Walk and would love for you to come along too! The walk is open to everyone and please feel free to bring your dogs, I’ll be taking my dogs, Molly and Toby.

Click here to be taken to the Crocus Walk page.

fabulousplaces.co.uk events

With the success of the website’s first event in January, my task this month is to start working on the next one. I have lots of ideas, but the first step is to find the perfect venue, so I’ll keep you posted!

The events are always planned with the website’s users in mind and I would love to hear your feedback regarding the first event and any thoughts on what you would like at the next one? Click here to contact me.

Coming soon…

fabulous places to stay in Derbyshire!

Do you know a B&B, hotel or self catering accommodation worthy of the FP Stamp of Approval? Click here to let me know all about it. Thank you!

Well, it seems I’ve been given my orders……

off out to walk the dogs….bye!