Touch of feel-good Hollywood glamour comes to Derbyshire

"...and a portion of mushy peas please."

Just like a bunch of dedicated twitchers hoping to catch a glimpse of the ultimate rare bird out of its natural environment, social media has been a-buzz as people check in to see when the mysterious creature will land in Derbyshire

More commonly known as Tom Cruise, the movie star’s progress around the country has been well charted, after numerous sightings up in Yorkshire.

But the news that he is expected to arrive any day now in Derbyshire’s own Stoney Middleton, has turned the spotlight on our county.

To be honest, news that film crews will be shooting a spectacular train crash stunt here for the latest fim in the Mission Impossible franchise has come as some welcome light relief after the last year we’ve all had to endure.

Of course, Derbyshire is no stranger to the movie cameras.

Locations like Chatsworth have featured in big-screen productions like Pride and Prejudice and The Duchess.

Subury Hall has been used for a number of period pieces and scenes for The Full Monty were shot in Shirebrook.

Meanwhile, Chesterfield FC’s old Saltergate ground should have won an Oscar after portraying not only Derby’s Baseball Ground and Carrow Road in Norwich, but the famous old Wembley Stadium in the Damned United film about Brian Clough. Now, that is acting versatility.

It’s great that a touch of Hollywood glamour is coming to Derbyshire following the pretty dark and dismal 12 months we’ve been through.

Even if that glamour is only throwing a train into a quarry, there’s definitely a feel good factor around the news that the likes of Tom Cruise and his Mission Impossible co-star Hayley Atwell will be heading to Derbyshire.

And it’s in celebration of that slice of silver-screen fun that we’ve teamed up with the award-winning Toll Bar fish and shop in Stoney Middleton to offer a free portion of chips for every reader.

So make sure you make the most of the voucher you’ll find on page 29 of this week’s edition – you never know who might be in the queue in front of you ordering haddock and chips...