GREEM MILE

Our first stop was the Buxton Opera House,a glorious building with stained-glass windows and a cast-iron frontage. Opened amidst great celebration in 1903,it is one of Britain’s leading theatres . Anna Pavlova performed the Dance of the Dying Swan in 1925 under its roof. Today it holds over 400 performances each year including comedy,drama,musical concerts and opera. Touring Shakespeare companies,West End successes,ballets and musical comedy have also had their openings here.

A beautiful summer’s day is best spent in the Pavilion gardens that lie adjacent to the Opera House. We walked through the domed pavilions that dominate the gardens and went to the bandstand,the lakes and bridges. With the green grass and flowers in bloom,it was not hard for us to imagine ourselves as Victorian gentlefolk .

The garden hosts scores of fairs each year and an antique fair was being held on the day of our visit. In tourist terms,the antique trade represents all that is good and traditional in English life — as British as Beefeaters and Anne Hathway’s cottage or the royal family and cream teas. A staggering variety of furniture,paintings,silver card cases,clocks and ceramics were on display. Including a bench that I almost plonked myself on—300 years old and on sale for £5,500.

We checked out carved dressers,big tables,papier-mâché art,fine porcelain,unusual sofas,display cabinets and exquisite Japanese vases. Although there were hundreds of bargain hunters,hardly anyone bought anything. The antique trade might be,but it does not have a preservation order on it. Business has suffered tremendously because of the recession.

After a quick lunch at the Pavilion Gardens café,we climbed to the Slopes,one of two parks in the middle of town and enjoyed a great view of a group of old Victorian buildings. At its heart was a splendid crescent,built by the Duke of Devonshire in the late 18th century to rival Bath’s. Next door we popped into one of the thermal baths,now transformed into the chic Cavendish shopping mall for some retail therapy among the magnificent original Minton tiling.
Just round the corner is the huge dome of the former Devonshire hospital,now part of the University of Derby. Over 200 years old,it is now home to cafes,restaurants and study spaces. Visitors pop in for coffee and sit and watch the gentle swing of the Foucault pendulum in the centre. Time ticked by slowly. What better way to end a day.

FAST FACTS
Getting there
Take a National Express coach or train from London to Derby. Buses available from Derby to Buxton.
Best time to visit
April-September
Accommodation
Wheeldon Trees Farm holiday cottages at Earl Sterndale is a group of eight luxurious but eco-friendly holidays. It has magnificent views of the nearby mountains. For more information,visit,www.wheeldontreesfarm.co.uk. Buxton’s charmingly eccentric Old Hall Hotel has doubles from £85 a night (www.oldhallhotelbuxton.co.uk)
Eating
No 6 The Square Tea Rooms is an award-winning restaurant in an arched arcade opposite the Opera House. It is ideal for home-made soups,sandwiches and platters of local cheese.
Shopping
Buy herbal teas and wines at The Wild Carrot on Bridge street.