CHESTERFIELD CHAMPION: The town is full of helpful, friendly and skilled workers

My name is Chris Radford. I'm 47 years old and am married with two boys aged nine and seven.

I’m proud to be Chesterfield born and bred. Almost nine years ago I re-kindled Brampton Brewery as a small micro-brewery with a handful of like-minded friends. Now as well as the brewery we also operate two pubs on Brampton and a specialist off-licence next door to the brewery.

We employ three people in the brewery, while each pub is run by a manager and a small team of dedicated bar-staff.

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1. What do you like best about living in Chesterfield and why?

The location is perfect. We have excellent road links being so close to the M1 and great rail links where we can be in London in less than two hours.

For the busy city life we are almost equi-distant from Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham.

For some relief we have the beauty of the Peak District on our doorstep.

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The other great positive of course is the people – so much more friendly, resourceful, hard-working and skilled than some of our neighbours.

2. What are your favourite ways to spend your free time in Derbyshire?

Out with the family walking or cycling in the Derbyshire Peaks – seeing your breath in the cold fresh air, soaking in the beauty of it all, before ending the day in a quaint pub beside a roaring fire with a pint of ale and home-cooked food.

3. Where is your favourite place to shop locally and why?

There are a number of great craft and farmers markets in the area now.

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It’s a great to get away from the corporate high street world and meet people with real passion for what they do – who truly care about their product and whose dedication to their customers is unparalleled.

4. What is your favourite hidden gem in Chesterfield and why?

I’m reluctant to tell you in case it catches on and spoils it!
It has to be the Chesterfield &

District Model Engineering Society next to St Peter and St Paul school at the top of Hady Hill.

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A number of miniature-gauge railway tracks wind their way through the trees that run alongside the school on one side and Tapton Golf Course on another. Hand-crafted model steam and diesel locomotives give public rides once a month. The kids love it – however old they are. The real beauty is just the innocence of it. Oh and the tea and hand-made cakes.

5. The positives about running a business here?

There is an enormous range of highly-skilled tradesmen that exist in and around the business parks of Chesterfield. 
Each with a different story and background, but common in their dedication to quality and service.

6. What new development in the area excites you?

Both the canal-basin development by the railway station and The Peak Resort development have similar potential for the whole area.

7. What do you believe Chesterfield needs but doesn’t yet have?

A Premier League football team.