Yep - hot on the heels of last year is a New Year - 2019!!

Not a lot will be different - there will still be 365 days in the year - 24 hours in each day - four seasons - Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter - usual weather - rain, sun, fog, snow etc.

So what have you got planned for the New Year that stretches before us from today?

Here at Old Bolsover Yard, we are looking forward to our first full year & to carrying on with developing the Yard into one of Bolsover's major tourist attractions, and working with others in the town to make Bolsover - the place to visit in 2019.

Our Courtyard Programme will begin in April and run through every Saturday until the end of August. We have published the first Calendar of events on the website page and you can see that there are lots of spaces that need filling.

​So - if you or a group have a craft skill eg. woodturning etc. and want 76 square metres of space to promote your business for one of the vacant dates, then get in touch via our Contact page, and tell us what it is you can 'bring to the party'. Or perhaps you are a member of a craft group, or a choir, or similar then get in touch and we will see what we can do to 'put you on the map'.

We still have some craft workshops available to rent - 

Get in touch if you are interested.

Since we opened The Gallery in November, we have had a steady stream of people come in to see us, and we would encourage anyone who hasn't been, to put it on your - "I must do this" list for 2019.

So, that will do for now - don't want you to get too excited so early in the New Year!

Don't forget - we publish a new blog post every Wednesday - so that you can keep up to date with what is happening.

Just off now for a New Year tipple - see you next week!

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......it will all be over!

Yes, just one week away and the presents will have been unwrapped, the turkey will have been cooked, the mince pies eaten.

And we will be looking forward to the last week of this year & to 2019.

For Old Bolsover Yard, it promises to be a year of ongoing development. Since we first got the keys to 2 Castle Street in April, we have had highs & lows, progress & hold-ups. We have seen OBY grow before our very eyes and slowly the plan has become a reality.

OK! so depending on which way you count it, there are 12 or 13 'sleeps' left until Christmas & here at OBY we are looking forward to the arrival of Santa, laden with presents - 

And don't forget that The Gallery at OBY is open every day Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm right up until & including Christmas Eve, for those last minute presents that you have forgotten to get!

On a non-Christmas front, all of the Units have now been registered with Bolsover District Council, and we are now just waiting for the Rateable Values to come from the Valuation Office Agency.

I am sorry to have to tell you that since last weeks blog post, we have had an attempted break-in to the Gallery, but the locks held firm & nothing was stolen.  Just another example of what we have to put up with - but hey-ho! And yes we did report it to the police & no they didn't come and visit the scene of the crime!

Our bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund is almost complete & I am meeting with the team next Monday to cross the final T's and dot the final I's.

Other than all of that, we are 'jogging along' nicely, looking forward to lots of exciting new developments in 2019, but before then we  have the festivities to get through.

Just off now to wrap a few presents - more news next week - for what will be our last blog post for 2018.

Last Saturday dawned overcast & raining, and in the streets of Bolsover the town was waking up to - Bolsover Christmas Festival & Lantern Parade!

Tractors were roaring round bringing market stalls onto the streets, local businesses were opening up, hoping for a busy day, and people in hi-vis jackets were everywhere, making sure that visiting stallholders knew where they had to go, that barriers were in place to close off the streets & that all in all everything was ready for a cracking day - and still it was overcast & raining - but were we disheartened? 

And in Old Bolsover Yard, things were much the same - well we didn't have any tractors, we didn't have any hi-viz jackets & we didn't have any road closure barriers. But we were opening up, we were hoping for a busy day, and it was overcast & raining!

Slowly, we got things in place - Santa was 'blown-up' well not literally!, but was inflated & tied up so that he didn't blow away, Humpty Dumpty - part of the Scarecrow Festival - was put in his chair, and told to 'sit still in case he fell out!' - doesn't sound the same when you say -

                                        "Humpty Dumpty sat in a Chair,
                                                     And fell out!"

It was the day of our Christmas Craft Fayre & our stallholders started to turn up & get set out. The Marquee was put up ready for Creswell Colliery Brass Band later in the day

Sadly, two of our stallholders didn't bother to turn up, or tell us that they weren't coming. But even without them, a good time was had by all.

Here are some photos taken on the day - 
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So what now? Well we still have bits & pieces to get OBY really ready & how we would like it. We have just arranged for an accountant to work with us & keep us on the right side of the taxman!! The Valuation Office Agency has been informed of our new Units & lots of other bits of 'bureaucracy' that need to be done.

The Courtyard Programme planned for every Saturday from April through to August is gradually filling up, and I will write a blog post about that before Christmas.

And then of course, there is the small matter of Christmas - a time of fun & frolics, of eating & drinking, of family & friends, of carols & merriment, and much much more. Don't forget that our Gallery is now open every day from Monday to Saturday 10am to 3pm - full of lots of present ideas. So, why not pay us a visit, and since if you can find that gift for 'Uncle George' or 'Auntie Florrie - who are always so difficult  to buy for!!

Me? I'm looking forward to spending Christmas with my family, seeing the look of excitement of the faces of my grandchildren as they open their presents, giving thanks for the last year, hoping for health & happiness in the coming New Year.

And then? - ah yes! helping to clear up the mountain of wrapping paper that took hours of love & care to wrap, but seconds to be ripped off & thrown on the floor!!

But before all of that is another couple of issues of the weekly blog post featuring the life of Old Bolsover Yard.

​Until next week then ......