David Pittam

1 week ago | bbc.com | David Pittam

Shh... the rise of the silent book clubDavid PittamBBCThe founders of the club say it's a chance to unplug and stop scrollingA bell goes off. Chatter dies. The only sound is rustling pages and creaking chairs. The silent book club is in session. Members of one of many new chapters of this growing trend have gathered in an annex of the Board & Bean board game cafe in Chesterfield, in Derbyshire.

2 weeks ago | bbc.com | David Pittam

Boy discovers Jurassic fossils in his own gardenDavid PittamBBCElliott says he thinks fossils look "cool"A budding palaeontologist has dug up fossils in his garden dating back 140 million years. Elliott, seven, moved into his new home in Matlock, Derbyshire, three months ago. During work in the front garden, he dug limestone rocks out of the ground after they had become exposed. On cracking them open, he and his parents discovered they were full of Jurassic creatures. Elliott said: "I love fossils.

3 weeks ago | bbc.com | David Pittam

Worshippers seek Vatican help as masses end at churchDavid PittamBBCCampaigner Tom Govan said he considers it a closure because "the mass and the sacraments are the foundation of our belief as Catholics"Parishioners feel their "faith is being taken away" by a decision to stop holding regular masses at their church. According to congregants, The Holy Spirit Church in Sinfin, Derby, still has between 50 and 100 worshippers at its weekly services.

4 weeks ago | bbc.com | David Pittam

David PittamBBC News, DerbyRefurbished trains have started to be rolled out in the East Midlands as part of a £23m investment. Some of the Class 170 trains which run on East Midlands Railway (EMR) local routes have not been refurbished since 1999. Upgrades include re-upholstered seating, WiFi, USB charging and new carpets, as well as signage and CCTV throughout the trains. One train is already in operation and was launched at an event at Derby Railway Station on Tuesday.

1 month ago | bbc.com | David Pittam

David PittamBBC News, Derby"A lady with a nice pair of cream slacks isn't going to sit on a mossy bench."Making sure people can sit down in nice clothes is part of what motivates 79-year-old David Jennings and his wife Pauline to spend several days every year repainting and repairing their local benches. They said the wooden furnishings on the banks of the River Derwent, in Derby, were looking run-down and mouldy before they decided to step in five years ago and "spruce them up".