WORKSOPBLADE
Well-Known Member
That's my ex-bird you're talking about!And it isn't a tattoo. She doesn't have any tattoos that high up. It's her exoskeleton. Those are real bones on the outside -she can't help it that she was born inside out - it affects a lot of folks in that area. Have you never heard of "Creswell Crags" ? - there's lots of them around there - she's one of them. What I mean by that is, in common with many folk in that little corner of North East Derbyshire, she is descended from Neanderthal man. They are simple folk, good at making tools and boy do they like to rumble.
I grew up not far from there. My first ever competitive game of football was playing for the junior school team at Creswell. I still remember it when I drive through there - the football ground is still there. I don't think Creswell has much to commend it, but it is the gateway to much nicer places, like Welbeck, Cuckney and Clumber Park. As a kid I'd cycle out that way regularly - and in October time, a cycle trip to Welbeck was customary to harvest some chestnuts. There's a small forest about a mile beyond the Greendale Oak pub, which has an abundance of chestnut trees and it was a great place to "go nutting". I hear that some couples go nutting there all year round.
I found myself in Whitwell a few months ago. I obviously must have been lost as there was no real reason to go there. In fact, I think I was passing through on my way back from Clumber Park, on our way to a little country pub called The Elm Tree at Elmton, for lunch. I had a little walk round. It wasn't too bad to be fair. Some nice properties and seemed a bit more "well to do" than poor lickle Creswell. But I can't imagine living in a place like that. You are so far away from access to a decent range of shops and facilities.
As for Clowne - well now we are talking "metropolis". It's a big place is Clowne, compared to the other two. Ugly with it as well. I went last year to have a neb at a little microbrewery called "Heist Craft". Aye. NBFD - Not Bad For Derbyshire, but I've not been tempted to return. There's been a lot of new stuff gone up in Clowne in the past few years. A big new Tesco superstore and a Wilko's dominate the centre. The long-standing, "Fred's Cafe" has been turned into an Indian take-away. Such is the progress made here in the little village that always had a good local football team when I was a kid - and in more recent years, produced a fine player called Matty Lowton.
Ahh....Creswell, Whitwell, Clowne. The St Kitts, Nevis and Antigua of North East Derbyshire. It's always surprised me that Kuoni don't have them in their travel brochure.
Greendale and Elm Tree ... both decent food and beer. Was the micro brewery in the Village Bar in Clowne?
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