OUR TEAM

Anne Cawthorn

Trustee and runs the Film Club

Prior to her retirement in 2017, Anne enjoyed a long and varied career which included nursing, psychotherapy, and lecturing healthcare professionals at Manchester University. She decided to join Chapel Arts as a way of immersing herself in community projects.

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After attending a number of concerts, she soon realised that there was a place for a film group as part of Chapel Arts and was encouraged by the then chairman, Alan Gamble, to set one up. Support to buy the equipment came from local Councillors, and Gareth Jones kindly offered the upstairs room at Rems. Anne also joined the Chapel Arts creative writing group, which has produced booklets and has presented at Buxton Festival Fringe for the past four years. She has contributed to a number of nursing textbooks and co-edited a hypnotherapy book entitled Integrated Hypnotherapy: An Integrative approach in clinical care. This year will see the publication of another book to which Anne has contributed: Tales from the Medicine Cabinet. It comprises mainly humorous anecdotes illustrating the professional lives of a number of healthcare professionals. Having worked as a Macmillan Practitioner at Blythe House Hospice, Anne continues to be involved there as clinical trustee and board member. She has lived in Chapel since 1970 following her marriage to Alan and has two grown up children, Matthew and Sarah Jayne. Since being blessed with five grandchildren their life has become extremely busy, but never boring.

Mark P. Henderson

Trustee and Writing Group lead

After a career in medicine and university teaching, Mark P. Henderson retired to North Derbyshire in 2002 and started to write fiction, edit manuscripts, teach creative writing, and collect and tell Peak District folktales.

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His publications, through five different publishing houses, comprise an anthology of short stories (Rope Trick, 2008), a children’s story (Fenella and the Magic Mirror, 2009), a study of the evolution of a local legend (Murders in the Winnats Pass, 2010), a collection of 62 traditional stories (Folktales of the Peak District, 2011), a collection of puns in verse and prose (Cruel and Unusual PunNishments, 2016), a one-act play (Forget it, it’s History, 2017), five novels and a novella (National Cake Day in Ruritania, 2018; The Engklimastat, 2019; Perilaus II, 2021; Con, 2022; Black Harry, 2023; and The Cat of Doom, 2020), and a novelette (The Definitive Biography of St Arborius of Glossopdale and his Thin Dog, 2019). His compilation of folktale films, recorded in situ in collaboration with Tim Knebel of “Peak in the Past” and his colleagues (http://www.peakinthepast.co.uk; scroll down to “Folktales”), is available for free download, though the set is yet to be completed. However, a second folktale collection, Elusive Tales of the Peak District, was published in September 2023. In May 2024, the ten-author collection of medical anecdotes that he edited, Tales from the Medicine Cabinet, was released by Stairwell Books, with a book launch at Rems

For further details see http://www.markphenderson.com/ or https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mark-P.-Henderson

Carol Jones

Trustee and Treasurer

After a career in office management, with the same company for 21 years, I retired early to meet pension requirements. I moved from Hertfordshire to Chapel-en-le-Frith in 1995.

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When my husbands health declined I became his full time carer until he sadly passed away in 2003. I went on to focus my time on carrying out voluntary work. After training I became a general advisor at Citizens Advice for twelve years . For fifteen years I also volunteered at the Opera House in Buxton. In recent years I have taken on the role of Treasurer for both Chapel Arts and another local charity, overseeing the organisations financial status and acting as the financial reference point for the chair and other committee members . I am enjoying my retirement with my lovely Granddaughters and Great Grandson keeping me busy.

Julie Harratt

Secretary

Following a long career in the Health Service and Health Care regulation, I finally retired in 2023.  Having worked predominantly in Primary Health Care I have travelled all over England investigating and risk assessing complaints and incidents with both NHS and private medical providers.  When we moved to Whaley Bridge in 2010, having always enjoyed creative writing, I joined the Chapel Arts..

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In the last few years I have contributed short stories to charity booklets, Buxton fringe performances and even had a story broadcast on local radio.  In May 2024, some of my stories were published in the ten-author collection of medical anecdotes: “Tales from the Medicine Cabinet”, released by Stairwell Books. 

I live with my long-time partner Mike and three adorable dogs (who keep us very busy.)

Fred Pickering

Trustee, Chairman and runs the Performing Arts Group

After a career in teaching and senior management across secondary and tertiary education in North Notts and South Yorkshire, Fred retired to Chapel-en-le-Frith, the town in which he grew up.

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Keen to continue his community involvement after retirement and after serving for 25 years as a Governor and then Chair of Governors at the Rotherham school attended by his two children, he became involved in the development of Chapel Arts from its inception in 2014. A fan of music, particularly folk and folk rock, he leads the Performing Arts strand of Chapel Arts. Amongst other acts, he was particularly delighted to bring Ashley Hutchings, co-founder of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band to Chapel.
Fred, has a keen interest in natural history and environmental conservation. He served a nine year term as a Trustee of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT) and is the current Chair of the High Peak Group of DWT. He also co-leads the Birds & Botany Group and the Photography Two Group of New Mills U3A.
Fred has been happily married to Fran for over 50 years. They have two adult children one of whom lives and works in Paris, and love spending time with their two adorable granddaughters.

Simone Pottage

Trustee and runs the Spoken Word Group

Simone worked at the TSB bank as a Customer Service Officer for 30 years. She left in 2015 to finish writing and self publishing her first novel Under a Greek Spell.

In 2016 she joined the Chapel Arts Creative Writing group gaining confidence with various aspects of writing. Since 2019 the group have self published 3 booklets locally containing their work. Since 2020 the group have also participated in the Buxton Festival Fringe.

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As she grew up at the Old Pack Horse pub her roots are firmly set in Chapel. In 2016 she became a volunteer at the Mustard Seed community cafe in Chapel.

In 2016 she attended the local Open Mic. When the opportunity arose for someone to run the group for Chapel Arts Simone decided to give it try and became a trustee at the same time.

Simone and husband Chris enjoy walking and cycling locally and they both enjoy dancing and singing in a local choir.

Chris Sizeland

Trustee and Committee Member

Born and raised in Buxton, Chris met his future wife Kath at the Old Pack Horse Inn in Chapel. They initially lived in Buxton and for the last 38 years in Chapel. They have two children and a grandson. Kath is a highly regarded local Borough Councillor.

Chris is now semi-retired after starting his own business from scratch and now has sites in Chinley and Altrincham that are run by his son Joe.

He is a strong County standard Chess player. In his sixties he taught himself to play the piano to a modest standard, something he had always wanted to do.

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He can be frequently seen around the High Peak on his electric bike. He asserts that he needs the extra power for the all the steep hills and still has to pedal!

Chris likes to get involved in Community Projects in the area, and during a term as a Parish Councillor he was instrumental in bringing the first ever Green Flag Environmental Award to the town for his and Kath’s work with the Canal Trust on projects around Combs Reservoir. The Trust asked them to accept the award on their behalf at the ceremony at Doncaster Racecourse. They continue to work with the Trust on projects..