Recording Weekend 2006

This year's Recording weekend and AGM was held in the picturesque Peak District.

The weekend was a practical one including a talk at the hotel and three excursions into Derbyshire, visiting the National Tramway Museum, Pipes in the Peaks for a Cinema Organ concert, a Cable Car ride and venture underground to see the countryside from the inside!

The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with a social get together and dinner at our base, The Sandpiper Hotel, just outside the Crooked Spire town of Chesterfield.

Saturday 13^th May.

Our day commenced with a talk from Terry Meadowcroft, an experienced television documentary and outside broadcast sound recordist with extensive experience of wildlife recording in many countries around the world. This was followed by morning coffee and the now infamous BSRA Auction. The AGM started a bit after 11:00, after which we had the award presentation and playback of winning entries in the BSRA Recording Contest. After a buffet lunch we set off for the first of our tours.

The National Tramway Museum

The National Tramway Museum features a street scene from bygone days with buildings rescued from various parts of the UK and restored to their former glory. Trams were running all day and our pass included unlimited rides. The tram took us up into the quarry around the Museum and the back to the main site. Several trams from various parts of the UK and Europe were running during our visit.

We were greeted upon arrival by our personal tour guide, Wesley, for our tour, after which we were able to visit the restoration workshop, depôt, exhibition area and many other areas of interest. For those who wished to stretch their legs, there was a stunning woodland walk and sculpture trail. The site includes an old fashioned sweet shop selling all the old favourites, Rita's Tea Rooms and the Old Red Lion Pub. For the enthusiasts amongst us, Scothern and Williamson's model shop is packed with the latest products.

In addition to the full size vehicles at the museum, on the weekend of our visit the Tramway Village was hosting a special models weekend featuring models of trams, railways, road transport and Meccano. We met and interviewed the people behind these amazing models and compared them with the real thing.

Saturday Evening

Was spent in the beautiful valley of Dovedale listening and recording the majestic sounds of the mighty Compton Organ courtesy of our hosts, Pipes in the Peaks.

The home of the ex-Regal Derby Compton Cinema Organ. The organ is housed in a working car showroom and the concert is just for our members with permission to record this superb instrument with its piano attachment, (a real piano plays from the organ console it even has a piano accordion and its many other effects). The concert was given by one of the UK's top cinema organists, Christian Cartwright, resident at Pipes in the Peaks.

After the recitalg, supper was laid on in the Dog and Partridge Public House over the road. After de-rigging our equipment it was back to the hotel for a nightcap.

Sunday 14^th

Following a leisurely breakfast we set off to our final destination, The Heights of Abraham in Matlock Bath.

Our visit commenced with a cable car ride from the valley floor to the heights of Abraham. The views of the Peak District National Park are quite amazing and the photographers amongst us had some spectacular scenery to work with despite somewhat misty conditions.

Once at the summit we were met by our guide for a tour of Derbyshire from the inside. In the Masson Pavilion discover how the sea, volcanoes and ice shaped the caverns, and then walk underground along the well-lit passages into the Great Masson Cavern itself. In the Great Rutland Cavern-Nestus Mine you can experience what it was like to be a 17th Century lead miner.

For those not wishing to venture underground a number of walks to and from the summit were available, as well as the visitor centre and Hi Café. The zigzag paths that cover the hillside are now tarmaced and make enjoyable walks through the mature woodlands.

Our Accommodation

The Sandpiper Hotel was our base for the weekend. The hotel is situated just five minutes away from the historic market town of Chesterfield and had many attractions for partners not taking part in the weekend's activities. The hotel has a large car park and all rooms are en-suite with plenty of workspace for editing our recordings.