Who wouldn't want to go on holiday to beautiful Derbyshire?

I blame my former primary school headmaster who told us in assembly every single week that we lived in the best country, in the best county, in the second-best town (he came from Darley Dale!) in the whole world.

There may be just a touch of hyperbole in those claims, but he was right that we live among some stunning landscapes.

And with the chances of any of us getting away for a foreign holiday any time soon still looking very uncertain, Derbyshire has a great opportunity.

Centrally located – and having the glory of the Peak District here – we should be in the perfect position to become THE place to go, as Brits look for a staycation get-away.

In normal times (remember those?!) Chesterfield attracts millions of visitors each year and it’s ideally placed to take advantage of even more people who are holidaying in the UK this year.

With the Crooked Spire and the market, alongside hidden gems like Barrow Hill Roundhouse, as well as Revolution House, there are plenty of attractions in the town itself.

Throw in the stunning countryside of the Peak District and the magnificence of Chatsworth just down the road and there is a real opportunity to capitalise on Derbyshire as a staycation destination.The problem we’ve had before lockdown has been converting day visitors into tourists who stay here overnight.

Getting them to do that hugely increases the amount of money they spend in the local economy, as they have an evening meal here in one of our pubs and restaurants as well as obviously paying for accommodation in a hotel or B&B.

It’s just a shame that the Peak Resort isn’t ready to open, along with the rest of the county, when lockdown lifts. The eagerly-awaited, multi-million pound scheme – on the 300-acre Birchall Estate near Unstone – would be the perfect place from which to introduce thousands of staycation visitors to all that Chesterfield and Derbyshire has to offer.

But even without that, encouraging visitors from across the UK – once it is safe to do so – will provide a massive boost to the local economy. And who wouldn’t want to spend time in stunning Derbyshire?