My Chicken slices are from Thailand. What has happened to this country?

Your going to want to read this !
Do you really know what's in your Sandwiches ? I threw my Chicken Slices away because of what I read.

Since the current Horsemeat scandal that's hit the UK I'm sure we have all been a bit more careful about what meat we are buying. I normally have Ham or Chicken slices in my cobs for dinner and having bought some Chicken Slices from Asda at the weekend I thought I would have a closer look at the ingredients.
I was amazed to see on the packet it says :

Produced in Thailand, Chicken from Thailand, packed in the U.K. for Asda stores Limited. As you can see here :

As you can see this Chicken is from Thailand, Six thousand miles away !

Oh my God, what on Earth has happened to this country that we have to import Chicken six thousand miles around the globe? I was expecting it to say Produced in Norfolk or somewhere closer to home.

Notice how the "Chicken from Thailand" text is very small and has been placed near the barcode in an attempt to make it not obvious.

Also looking in the ingredients we have some things called Di, Tri and Polyphosphates and Lactose. I'm guessing all this stuff it to stop it rotting away due to the ridiculous distance this meat has travelled around the planet.
I wonder just how long it took from the point of slaughter to the point when its available in Derby, Asda?

It makes you wonder if it really is Chicken in those slices doesn't it !
By the way these are NOT the cheap value range of Chicken slices

At what point in the past did we start using Chicken from the other side of the world? You understand that exotic fruit and vegetables have to be imported from around the world because of our cold climate but Chicken !!!
Have you checked your Ham and Chicken to see where its from ?

From now on I will be paying a bit more to get Wiltshire Crumbed Ham or maybe a proper Butchers, Do you remember them? I'm sure that because of the Horsemeat scandal there will be a major revival of traditional Butchers and also a great boom for Farm Shops.

Wafer thin Chicken slices from ASDA.

Next time I visited Asda I looked at some other meats I could have in my cobs and saw "Finely Sliced Topside of Beef". Again in the barcode area this said in tiny font "Produced in Brazil, Beef from South America".  That's five thousand miles away !

I wonder if Asda will follow Tescos commitment to source its meat from the UK?
I think all supermarkets are going to have to follow as the consumer has lost their trust.
Get your meat locally !

Thanks
Andy

Videos of todays Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game 2013

If you Love Derby and Derbyshire follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndySavage1969

I have split my footage into 6 smaller parts rather than watching a really long video.


The Up'ards won todays game, David Spencer scoring a goal at 9.12pm  in the bitterly cold weather.
The Down'ards won Wednesdays game, James Carter scoring a goal at 7.45pm.

Feel free to tweet, blog, Facebook etc.
If you spot yourself then mention it on YouTube etc.

Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2013, Tuesday 12th February - Part 1 : 


Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2013, Tuesday 12th February - Part 2 : 


Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2013, Tuesday 12th February - Part 3 : 

Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2013, Tuesday 12th February - Part 4 : 

Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2013, Tuesday 12th February - Part 5 : 


Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2013, Tuesday 12th February - Part 6 : 


Thanks
Andy Savage

video Derby streets by car - Sinfin, Sunny Hill, Normanton, Littleover, California, New Zealand.

If you Love Derby and Derbyshire follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndySavage1969

This is a driving video at x2 speed around the Streets of Derby :
Sinfin, Sunny Hill, Normanton, Littleover, California, New Zealand


Andy's Driving videos around Derby, Derbyshire, UK :
Are you an ex-pat of Derby, feeling homesick? Or perhaps you just want a clear way of giving someone directions to a location in Derby or just want to show people your Derby Street. Well in this video and the many others I have made, you will be able to take a virtual drive around the city of Derby's streets as though you were in the driving seat. I use a dash-mounted camera, Traffic lights and heavy traffic have been edited out.

Best watched at 720p/1080p fullscreen (if your system/net connection is up to it).
Thanks
Andy

Video "Lets go to ASDA, sinfin". Derby streets by car.

Here is one of my latest driving videos around Derby.

Follow me on Twitter if you Like my stuff : www.twitter.com/AndySavage1969

If you are from Derby then you may recognise the many streets I am driving along here, if not ask.


This video is twice the normal speed.

Its a car journey from Osmaston in Derby to ASDA Sinfin. Filmed on Friday 8th February 2013.
It starts on Russell Street where the old RR buildings are currently being demolished and ends in the car park at ASDA Sinfin.
Russell Street, Derby was where Henry Mosley Stevens Inventor of the Hot Dog lived with his wife Mary.



Enjoy the drive.
Andy

2013 Belper Farmers Market, 2nd Saturday of every month.

Belper Farmers' Market takes place this Saturday 9th February 2013 and on the second Saturday of every month. The market runs from 9am to 2pm on Belper Market Place, Belper, Derbyshire.

Photograph of Belper Farmers Market :


The next Belper Farmers Market will take place on Saturday, 9th Feb 2013
You will find all sorts of local food for sale here such as Cheese,Eggs,Pies,Meat etc.
The Pudding Room, Lime Tree Pantry, Heage Windmill, Amber Ales, Yorkshire Crisps, Honeypot etc.




Here are some websites of producers who are often at Belper Farmers Market :
www.localhoney.co.uk
www.limetreepantryfoods.com
www.amberales.co.uk
www.thepuddingroom.com
www.heagewindmill.co.uk

Dates in 2013 for the Belper Farmers Market.
Saturday 9th February 2013
Saturday 9th March 2013
Saturday 13th April 2013
Saturday 11th May 2013
Saturday 8th June 2013
Saturday 13th July 2013
Saturday 10th August 2013
Saturday 14th September 2013
Saturday 12th October 2013
Saturday 9th November 2013
Saturday 14th December 2013

Belper Market Place is located at the very top of King Street where it meets the A609.

Location map for Belper Farmers Market :

View Belper Farmers Market. in a larger map

Thanks
Andy

Royal Derby Hospital, How to avoid parking problems and costs by using the Hospital Hopper bus.

This post will be of interest if you are a patient or visitor to the Royal Derby Hospital and want to know then best way to avoid the major parking problems at the Hospital and prevent getting caught up in the heavy traffic around that area.

When the new Royal Derby hospital opened up a few years back, the problems with parking there was often highlighted in the Derby Evening Telegraph. Due to a fractured arm, I myself have now realised how ridiculous the parking situation actually is at the Derby Royal. Because the hospital is so large there are often times that the car parks get so full that you will not be able to find a single space unless you are willing to queue at a barrier and wait for someone to leave the car park. On one occasion I got to the hospital 30 minutes before my appointment but then took 35 minutes to find a parking space! If you are lucky enough to find a space then the next problem is the price for parking, if you go over 1 hour then it will cost £2.50 !
Lots of people miss appointments at the Royal due to this problem so what can you do?

Did you know that there is a dedicated very frequent bus service that runs between Derby city centre, London Road Community Hospital (D.R.I.) and the Royal Derby hospital. It stops at many places along the route so you can always catch it out of the city centre (see my detailed map).

The Derby Royal Hospital Hopper Bus is quite distinctive, I'm sure you will have seen this bus at some point

Photograph by Matt Burley.

During the week the first bus of the day is at 6:25am from the London Road Community Hospital. The last bus leaves the LRCH at 9:20pm.
On Saturday the first bus of the day is at 6:20am from the London Road Community Hospital. The last bus leaves the LRCH at 8pm.
It only takes 15 minutes to get from the Spot in Derby to the Royal Derby Hospital.
There is no bus service on a Sunday.
This service is operated by Trent Barton so unfortunately you can't use a Day saver ticket from Arriva on this service but you can save money by using a Mango card.

Now another thing worth noting is that this bus stops at many places along this route so you don't need to park in town, you can then avoid city centre car park charges by parking on a side street along the route and walking to one of these stops. Doing this will save you lots of money and time and you won't be late for your appointment.
I have done this and it seems the best option. The cost of a single ticket from the bus stop on Burton Road near Whitaker Road to the Royal Derby Hospital will cost £1.50
If parking on a side street obviously show some consideration to local residents and make sure you're not in a permit parking zone otherwise you will end up with a parking ticket.

On their timetable they list six "main stops", these are
London Road Community Hospital.
The Spot, Osmaston Road.
Burton Road, Breedon Hill Road.
RDH, Main Entrance.
RDH Children's Hospital Entrance.
RDH, Main Entrance.

On my map I have used a RED line for the route from Derby city centre out to the Derby Royal Hospital and a BLUE line for the route from Derby Royal Hospital back to Derby city centre. I have marked every single bus stop that the Derby Royal.
My map is compatible with smart phones. Tap the link here : Royal Derby Hospital Bus Route Map.

Look out for these Royal Derby Bus Stops

 Hospital Hopper stops at so you can see which is the best stop to get on or off at. The bus stop makers match the colour of the direction of travel. (red for TO hospital, blue for TO Derby city centre.)

You will notice that there are actually several bus stops around the hospital site, the first stop is near the main entrance to the hospital. Look at the Derby Royal Hospital Map to see if you are better getting off at one of the other stops.

Bus Stop C at the Royal Derby. Use this stop for A&E, Childrens hospital, Therapies.

For example if you are wanting the Hydrotherapy department then stay on and get off at stop C. Once the bus has gone around the hospital site it stops again at the main entrance stop before it leaves the Royal Derby hospital site and heads off to Derby via Uttoxeter New Road (A516)


There is a map on the Trent Barton website but its not been updated since 2009 so has many errors on it and does not show any of the bus stops. In my map here I have marked every single Royal Derby bus stop along the entire route back and forth so you can see which is the best stop for you to catch the bus from.

My accurate Route map for the Royal Derby Hospital Hopper Bus including all bus stops :

View Royal Derby Hospital Hopper Bus Route Map in a larger map

Click on the link above to view my map full screen.

The cheapest way to pay for your fare on the Royal Derby hospital hopper bus is to use a Mango card, this will give you 25% off your fare price and means you don't have to carry change with you :
MANGO Card.

If you do really desperately need to park your car here then here are the current charges (7th Feb 2013)
Parking Charges at the Royal Derby Hospital Car Parks:
Valid from 5th Jan 2012
Upto 1 hour £1.70
Upto 2 hours £2.50
Upto 3 hours £3.40
Upto 4 hours £4.00
Upto 5 hours £4.50
Upto 6 hours £5.50
Daily rate/over 6 hours £8.50
Weekly Ticket £9.00
Monthly Ticket £25.00

If you would like to know more about the Royal Derby hospital hopper service then see : Royal Derby HH.

If you found my information of use then please comment or tweet it.

Thanks
Andy

2013 International Festival of Beer 15th -17th Feb at the National Brewery Centre, Burton.

The International Festival of Beer will take place the National Brewery Centre, Burton-on-Trent from Friday15th February to Sunday 17th February.

This is a different Beer Festival to the Burton CAMRA beer festival.

This event will take place at the National Brewery Centre, in Horninglow Street, Burton and will allow punters the chance to sample some of the 800 beers and ciders entered from 40 countries, including Russia, Brazil, Kazakhstan and South Korea.

The International Brewing Awards (this beer festival celebrate this award) was held in Burton back in 2011 and has returned in 2013.

Tickets £3 per person day-time ( 10am - 6pm). £5 per person evenings (6pm - 11.30pm)
Book tickets for this event here.
There are even Guided tours and Shire Horse rides available for a small extra charge.

Live Entertainment:
Dr. Busker entertains Friday night.
Dennis Clayton Saturday. Folk Band 'What's The Point' on Saturday night
The Paul Matthews Trio on Sunday.

This beer festival takes place at :
The National Brewery Centre
Horninglow Street
Burton Upon Trent
DE14 1NG

Here is a Google Streetview of the NBC:


View Larger Map

For more information see these links :
www.brewingawards.org
www.nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk

Thanks
Andy

Burton Beer Festival 2013 - Thursday 14th March to Saturday 16th March at Burton Town Hall, Burton-on-Trent.

Just down the A38 from Derby is the town of Burton, and this is where you will find Burton's 34th Beer Festival in March 2013.
The CAMRA Burton Beer Festival 2013 runs from Thursday 14th March to Saturday 16th March.

This is a great venue for a beer festival. In the main hall beers are located all around in the archways (see in the video).

There is a large stage where Martin Atterbury will perform on Friday/Saturday lunchtimes and live entertainment in the evenings by retracting the Wurlitzer organ into the opening in the stage wall.
Ciders and more beers are located down two short corridors in the Lingen room. There is also a food area serving meals and a quiet room too.

Here in my video you can watch a few tunes played by Martin Atterbury at last years Burton Beer Festival.
It features Martin Atterbury on the Wurlitzer at Burton Town Hall.

This Wurlitzer organ is from Cleveland Ohio where it was manufactured in 1921. After a fire in the Cinema, the organ was shipped to England in 1939 and installed in The Forum at Northenden, Manchester.
In 1971 the organ was purchased by Burton Council and installed in Burton Town Hall where it has been ever since.


Or use this link : Video of Martin Atterbury on the Wurlitzer at Burton Beer Festival 2012.

Here is what Burton Beer Festival looks like :


Location :
Burton Town Hall, King Edward Place, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.

Date and times :
Thursday 14th March 2013  6pm - 11pm
Friday     15th March 2013 11am - 11pm
Saturday 16th March 2013 11am - 11pm


Admission Prices:
Thursday Free to Camra members, £1 non-members.
Friday lunchtime £2 (free for CAMRA members)
Friday Evening £6 (£2 for CAMRA members)
Saturday lunchtime £2 (£1 for CAMRA members)
Saturday Evening £4 (£2 for CAMRA members)

Entertainment:
Friday and Saturday (Lunchtime)  Martin Atterbury on the Wurlitzer playing popular classics.
Friday (Evening)     The Nuts A rock/pop band covering the 1950s to present day, including Chuck Berry, Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Oasis, The Kaiser Chiefs, The Killers, The Enemy, Kings Of Leon.
Saturday (Evening) "What’s The Point" A Ceilidh band who play various styles of folk music from upbeat jigs and reels to gentle waltzes. Songs range from well known traditional folk songs to ballads written by the band.


Glass hire for all sessions is £2 returnable on departure from the festival if required or you can keep it as a souvenir.



Beer and Cider List for the 2013 Burton Beer Festival :

2013 Beers List

2013 Ciders list :
Day’s Cottage     Cider
Green Valley     Rum Tiddly Tum
Gwatkin     Kingston Black Dry Cider
Gwynt Y Ddraig     Happy Daze
Gwynt Y Ddraig     Ancient Warrior Scrumpy
Lyne Down     Roaring Meg
Millwhites     Rum Cask
Original Cider Co     Bristol Port
Original Cider Co     Moonshine
Rosie’s     Wicked Wasp
Ross-On-Wye     Cider
Sarah’s     Cider
Thatcher’s     Cheddar Valley
Scropton Cider     Doris Stokes
Woody’s     Cider
Hecks     Perry
Newton Court     Perry
Oliver’s     Perry
Original Cider Co     Broadoak Premium Perry
Ross-On-Wye     Perry
Troggi     Perry
WM Watkins     Blakeney Red

Google Streetview of Burton Town Hall :

View Burton Beer Festival. in a larger map
Post Code for the venue :
DE14 2EB



Getting to Burton Beer Festival by Train:
If you are thinking of going to Burton Beer Festival by Train from Derby then it will only take around 9 to 12 minutes and will cost £7 for a day return. (or £6.50 off-peak day return)
On Friday, The very last train back from Burton to Derby is at 23:40.

Depending on where you live the cheapest option may be a Derbyshire Wayfarer as this only costs £11.10 for unlimited travel all day on train and bus over the area below :

Derbyshire Wayfarer routes covered by train and bus.

Map Location for Burton Beer Festival :

View Burton Beer Festival. in a larger map


To find the Beer Festival simply turn left out of Burton station and walk down Borough Road. You will see the Town Hall directly in front of you, a fine Gothic looking building here :

Photograph of Burton Town Hall


Thanks
Andy