The Secret Supper Club

I posted a while ago that my mate Mac Burnham the butcher from High Street, Buxton was appearing in the Channel 4 show the Secret Supper Club. Well it was shown yesterday and if you missed it you can watch it on line at http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-secret-supper-club/4od where you can also find some of the recipes. Enjoy.

This almost made me weep!

Earlier today this Tender Invitation fell onto the [porthole] desk; HPBC are offering an invitation to tender for a company to sell advertising on council assets!

To quote HPBC: “High Peak Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council are looking for suitably experienced companies to engage and work with them to identify and adminster a project for income opportunities through the sale of advertising space on council assets and to ensure the councils receive a percentage income of the revenue generated.”

HPBC can’t open a swimming pool, HPBC have virtually closed down our “traditional markets”, Buxton is haemorrhaging small businesses with shops closing down almost weekly, Buxton risks loosing a Fire Engine and the silence from HPBC is palpable, I won’t even mention the Crescent fiasco or Nestle. All this and HPBC want to sell advertising on their assets – what assets?

Well if you want to get into bed with this bunch, here’s the link: http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/tenders/index/view/ref/2011|S%2056-091312/previous/ and may your God have mercy on you and your staff team!

Opening of Buxton Swimming pool?

But it's ok! Is'nt it?

Well I wrote the following entry a couple of weeks ago **With April 4^th is just around the corner and [porthole] waits with baited breath to see if High Peak Borough Council (HPBC) can keep to their word and reopen the much delayed and greatly anticipated swimming pool in the Pavilion Gardens.

HPBC commented via their website that “a revitalized Buxton Swimming Pool will be handed back to the Borough Council on Monday, April 4, to be followed on Tuesday, April 26 by a state-of-the-art fitness gym: a first for the town.”**

Imagine [porthole’s] “surprise” when last Tuesday, the 15^th HPBC announced at the Council Meeting that they had been informed by the Brown Construction Group that they would need a further month (no be fair, stop laughing) to finish the job (If you want a proper laugh take look at this case study published by Browns http://www.bcgl.co.uk/Case_Studies/Hotel_Leisure/cs_buxton_swimming_pool.php)

Words seldom fail me, but all I can come up with is what a FARCE!

Buxton may lose reserve team fire engine

DERBYSHIRE Fire and Rescue Service is planning a “restructuring” that could lead to 50 firefighters being axed - along with four engines. The proposals have been agreed by the fire authority as a way of slashing their budget by £5 million over the next four years.

The four engines that could be withdrawn from the 42-strong fleet are second fire engines in Ashbourne, Buxton, Clay Cross and Shirebrook. All four are crewed by “on call” firefighters who respond to calls from their homes or where the work.

However, during the consultation period - which will start on April 1 - alternative options will be considered including flexible working; early retirement; and voluntary redundancy as well as “natural wastage”.

Chief Fire Officer Sean Frayne said: “These are very difficult times. We believe that this new structure will enable us to reduce our expenditure as required by the Government’s comprehensive spending review, but will also enable us to keep the people of Derby and Derbyshire safe.”

Derbyshire Police Award Nominations

Derbyshire Chief Constable, Mark Creedon, is asking anyone who has had dealing with the police during the past 12 months to nominate their favourite police office, best Safer Neighbourhood Team and the best Police Community Support Office (PCSO) within the county.

Nominations need to be in by Friday April 8^th and can be submitted either by www.derbyshire.police.uk or by post to Chief Constable. Police HQ. Butterley Hall. Ripley. DE5 3RS.

Time to get your nominations in and reward those who serve Buxton. And for more information about the Buxton Safer Neighbourhood Team check out their website http://www.derbyshire.police.uk/My-Local-Police/BDivision/BCentralSection/Buxton/Buxton.aspx

The Secret Supper Club visits Buxton

The inimitable wine and food expert Olly Smith has been filming his Channel 4 program The Secret Supper Club in Buxton recently.

In a conversation with porthole's favorite butcher, Mac Burnham of High Street, Higher Buxton he excitedly tells porthole he has provided his [excellent] beef for the main course and is a guest at the supper club.

As soon as porthole has broadcast dates they will be published here along with a 'watch again' link.

Buxton Festival 2011

With the festival approaching in July, now is the time to check out the program and book your tickets. Click the logo to visit their site and fill your diary with culture.

porthole is especially looking forward to seeing some of the Peak Districts best chefs hold cookery demonstrations - A Taste of the Peaks on the 10th, 18th & 26th of July at 3pm in the Devonshire Dome.