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Derby ???? Is there anything cool there....?????

Derby is great, if your used to the South East I think you ll be shocked at how warm & friendly people are.

Its got galleries, an arthouse cinema, a museum. Great countryside nearby & great pubs.

However if your used to a City being 24/7. On a Monday to Friday its pretty quiet in the evenings. Thats what kind of drove me back down south

I noticed more youths walking around in tracksuits with cheap lager & the amount of pawnbrokers has shot up sevenfold. This is weird as there are big local emplyers. Rolls Royce, Bombardier, Toyota etc.

Theres a good Bus link between Derby & Nottingham on the Brian Clough Way or A52 as its also known. 2 fast trains an hour to London. Rail Links to North, Scotland, Southwest etc. your in the middle of the fucking island.

Friendly & not so friendly rivalray with Notts. but on the whole East Midlamds People are great.
 
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Is derby not about half an hour from Sherwood Forest? That is a lovely place, you can go and see all the stuff dh Lawrence wrote about, probably find the village from dead man shoes
Thats Matlock (village from Deadmans shoes) I know that one because you can see Rhyber castle on the hill in it !!!
 
I wouldn't say it's posh. If anything the standard of living has dropped. More drunken reprobates and nasty sorts, less community spirit.

The bookshop you mention might be the Derby Rainbow which was on Abbey Street. I used to live opposite it but unfortunately it's long gone as it's the wicked house I used to reside in. Soundbites is the local knitted yoghurt shop and there's a good amount of revolutionary and hippy movements to be tapped via them.
Soundbites sounds like it could be a good place to meet up with some possibly like minded people, where abouts is that ??
 
Soundbites sounds like it could be a good place to meet up with some possibly like minded people, where abouts is that ??
There's the bus station and the court at you look at it on the left of it with the city centre behind you and then Soundbites is opposite the court. It's on the Morledge.


ETA their website https://soundbitesderby.org.uk/wp/


You can usually smell it before you can see it because the cafe next door to it seems to be permanently boiling onions.
 
There's the bus station and the court at you look at it on the left of it with the city centre behind you and then Soundbites is opposite the court. It's on the Morledge.


ETA their website https://soundbitesderby.org.uk/wp/


You can usually smell it before you can see it because the cafe next door to it seems to be permanently boiling onions.
Cool thanks will try it out when i`m next passing by....
 
the scenery is a poor man's cousin to the rest of the county

Are you saying Westfield isn't the most beautiful building you've ever seen? :eek:

I lived there until a couple of months ago. The Peak District is an obvious attraction and easy to get to on the Transpeak. Also worth a mention is The Quad, the art house on the market place, where they show some decent foreign language films.
 
Is derby not about half an hour from Sherwood Forest? That is a lovely place, you can go and see all the stuff dh Lawrence wrote about, probably find the village from dead man shoes
andy.c Matlock is the start of the peak district. Sherwood Forest is the dogging woods just north of Nottingham. Try not to get them mixed up innit.
 
I grew up in Derby and my main ambition in life was to get the fuck outta there - which thankfully I managed a long time ago. But I still go back there to see my mum occasionally, so I know it's still not got a lot going for it, although I've been to worse places and I reckon it's better these days than it used to be... but not much.

The one thing I'd recommend anyone to go there for is to see the collection of Joseph Wright of Derby paintings they have in Derby Museum & Art Gallery. It's a small museum but Wright was one of the great painters of the 18th Century Enlightenment and Derby museum has a whole room of his works, including his masterpieces A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery and The Alchemist in Search of the Philosopher's Stone. And it's free!
 
It's got two decent indoors markets too, and a velodrome now. There's also Bennetts, which claims to be the oldest department store in the country.
 
It's got two decent indoors markets too, and a velodrome now. There's also Bennetts, which claims to be the oldest department store in the country.
I hate to diss ya but the velodrome isn't open yet, the Eagle Centre Market is dismal cos Intu own it and want it empty so they can sell the space to John Lewis or similar, the Guildhall market is not quite so desolate but getting that way and Bennetts used to be ace but now it's mostly a weird posh jumbo cosmetics counter and upmarket boutique place with all the cool stuff squashed at the back.
 
I hate to diss ya but the velodrome isn't open yet, the Eagle Centre Market is dismal cos Intu own it and want it empty so they can sell the space to John Lewis or similar, the Guildhall market is not quite so desolate but getting that way and Bennetts used to be ace but now it's mostly a weird posh jumbo cosmetics counter and upmarket boutique place with all the cool stuff squashed at the back.
Scratch Derby then:D
Had a couple of good weekends there when they have the music in the park.
 
Scratch Derby then:D
Had a couple of good weekends there when they have the music in the park.
We have beautiful countryside nearby and there's quite a few good music festivals. It's not all bad. I've always meant to go to the Darley Park thing but never got round to it.
 
We have beautiful countryside nearby and there's quite a few good music festivals. It's not all bad. I've always meant to go to the Darley Park thing but never got round to it.
Got relations down there ( hasn't every bugger) found it a good night out, friendly people and a good base for exploring the area, deer everywhere, but it has a genuine 'Northern edge' which some of our southern cousins might be uncomfortable with:D
 
Got relations down there ( hasn't every bugger) found it a good night out, friendly people and a good base for exploring the area, deer everywhere, but it has a genuine 'Northern edge' which some of our southern cousins might be uncomfortable with:D
According to my Sussex family I am now Northern. Entirely inaccurate. If anything I am a Midlander but not until the balance tips later this year and I will have been in residence longer here than dan sarf. But I do recognise the slight Northern tendencies. Just a short trip up the road to Belper or even Bakewell really shows it up.
 
According to my Sussex family I am now Northern. Entirely inaccurate. If anything I am a Midlander but not until the balance tips later this year and I will have been in residence longer here than dan sarf. But I do recognise the slight Northern tendencies. Just a short trip up the road to Belper or even Bakewell really shows it up.

Gannon, shake them to their roots and tek yersel a holiday in Berwick, Shake loose those southern ties, show the softie southerners where midlands loyalties lie!!!
Or have a quick week in Benidorm:D
 
I hate to diss ya but the velodrome isn't open yet, the Eagle Centre Market is dismal cos Intu own it and want it empty so they can sell the space to John Lewis or similar
The velodrome looks very impressive from the outside but I wonder how often it'll be used (and what for?) - I get the feeling it could well be a white elephant in a few years time.

That market is indeed dismal and really should be redeveloped - I don't wish the stall holders any ill but it's had its day. Whether John Lewis would be interested is another thing, but Derby could certainly use a Waitrose, and that would be an ideal site. It amazes me when I'm up there that the nearest ones are in Asbourne or Nottingham (I think) - both about 15 miles away in opposite directions! Also the Assembly Rooms needs redevelopment, and probably not as another concert hall as it was never a popular venue after it's first few years.

And I've always felt that Derby really doesn't make the best use of its best natural asset - the river Derwent that runs right through it. For instance I can only think of 2 pubs that overlook it, and neither of those are on the town side (iykwim). It has lots of potential and could be great for nightlife, but it's just ignored.
 
I played a gig in Derby, loved it! it was at the Old Bell...there was an old-school reggae sound system setting up as we were, in another room of the pub or maybe next door, so we went there after we finished playing. this was a sunday night!! i left thinking Derby was much more happening than london.
 
I played a gig in Derby, loved it! it was at the Old Bell...there was an old-school reggae sound system setting up as we were, in another room of the pub or maybe next door, so we went there after we finished playing. this was a sunday night!! i left thinking Derby was much more happening than london.
Wish I'd known, I might have popped along! The Old Bell is wicked. They've been doing it up too and it's rumoured to be very haunted.

If you hit the right places in Derby it can be a very pleasant time but there's still a beer 'n' tits culture in much of the city. That end of town, where Sadler Gate is and the waterfall is far more pleasant. If you're hanging round the city that's the end to go to. The Old Bell, The Flowerpot, Ye Olde Dolphin Inn, The Silk Mill and a few pubs by the train station like The Alex and The Brunswick. I know Stig and rich! are frequenters or have been in the past so they might have some more suggestions.
 
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The velodrome looks very impressive from the outside but I wonder how often it'll be used (and what for?) - I get the feeling it could well be a white elephant in a few years time.

That market is indeed dismal and really should be redeveloped - I don't wish the stall holders any ill but it's had its day. Whether John Lewis would be interested is another thing, but Derby could certainly use a Waitrose, and that would be an ideal site. It amazes me when I'm up there that the nearest ones are in Asbourne or Nottingham (I think) - both about 15 miles away in opposite directions! Also the Assembly Rooms needs redevelopment, and probably not as another concert hall as it was never a popular venue after it's first few years.

And I've always felt that Derby really doesn't make the best use of its best natural asset - the river Derwent that runs right through it. For instance I can only think of 2 pubs that overlook it, and neither of those are on the town side (iykwim). It has lots of potential and could be great for nightlife, but it's just ignored.
Only today in the local paper someone is commenting about the lack of use of the Riverlights area in the city.

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Vit...rlights-site/story-25892256-detail/story.html

What happened was that when the Westfield centre (now Intu) was built the original intention was to make it vast so that it covered most of the city and incorporated the riverside areas. I'm glad it didn't because we would have lost some great architecture but at the same time it left the city in a half hearted state. At the start of the Westfield plans the recession hadn't kicked in and so the plans were huge but then finances ran lower and lower and it's been a damp squib. We were supposed to be getting an Olympic pool down by the Derwent which would be amazing, but I can't see it happening. And the velodrome? I would LOVE for it to be a great thing for the city but I too fear it might be a white elephant.
 
There a great Indian restaurant called Anoki too.
Yep although it's been a few years since I was in there. My dinner looked like a filled nappy which is good for Indian cuisine in my book as it's not swimming in ghee and artifical colours. Bloody expensive mind so I need to find a date with a big wallet to visit again :p Some of the other Indian places around the train station area are pretty good too I'm told. I usually opt for the Harvester or the all you can eat world buffet place which is Cosmos.

And where are all the proper Derby urbs?? Am I really the only one? Is it just Derby urb visitors here? *stares at inbox*
 
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Yep although it's been a few years since I was in there. My dinner looked like a filled nappy which is good for Indian cuisine in my book as it's not swimming in ghee and artifical colours. Bloody expensive mind so I need to find a date with a big wallet to visit again :p Some of the other Indian places around the train station area are pretty good too I'm told. I usually opt for the Harvester or the all you can eat world buffet place which is Cosmos.

And where are all the proper Derby urbs?? Am I really the only one? Is it just Derby urb visitors here? *stares at inbox*
Looks that way Mogden, all visitors and no locals!!!
I have been to Shakespeare's for nights out a few times in the past (nice out door area for music) but that closed down at christmas which seems to be the way of all the good places. Have heard from friends that there is a new place for music opening around Curzon street ????
Whatever happened to the havannah that was cool in the 90`s, now somebody seems to have put a road on top of the place it was at !!!
 
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Looks that way Mogden, all visitors and no locals!!!
I have been to Shakespeare's for nights out a few times in the past (nice out door area for music) but that closed down at christmas which seems to be the way of all the good places. Have heard from friends that there is a new place for music opening around Curzon street ????
Whatever happened to the havannah that was cool in the 90`s, now somebody seems to have put a road on top of the place it was at !!!
Yeah the Havana club got demoed along with Freddies when the new road came in. There's the comparatively plush looking Bosnian club in roughly the same spot but it's not the same. I never went in the Havana club but remember thinking you had to "know" someone to get in, it had that air about it. Not sure about the new spot around Curzon Street unless someone means the Hairy Dog which is the backside-ish of Curzon Street.
 
Apparently it`s a new (old) spot opening ??? one to find out about i guess.
The Havana was a great little place but you were right maybe not knowing someone to get in but knowing the right nights to go to, they did great house nights at one time. The rest of the time it was a caribbean place that was better known for it`s drugs and firearms...
 
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