Extreme Ironing in the Peak District

July 12, 2012 - PRLog -- Each Year for the last few years the small Primary School in Peak Forest (in the Derbyshire Peak District) has held a fundraiser. Rather than the usual table top sales and tombolas the organisers decided that a something bigger, better and more fun was required, and so was born the Peak Forest Beer Festival and Summer Party.
During the day time there are all sorts of things you would expect at a village party such as sporting competitions, produces shows, craft shows etc which are open to children and adults alike, and in the evening, loose the kids and its over to the Beer and Music!
Each year there is always a competition just for dads. This year's topic was Extreme Ironing. Always up for a challenge this is one that Anthony Knox, owner of a Derbyshire Wedding venue - Hargate Hall, could't refuse.
After considering a few options he decided to abseil of a nearby viaduct at Millers dale. This was an old railway line and is now part of the Monsal trail. The abseil is 77ft directly over the river below. When setting up, there were several other groups abseiling there as well, but we have plenty of space for what was needed. There were also plenty of other spectators, who paused while taking their morning walk to watch the peculiar goings on.
Really the pictures say it all from now, and and others can be seen on the Hargate Hall blog http://blog.hargate-hall.co.uk/extreme-ironing/ .
Thanks are due to Mick Earle of Wild Track, without whom the abseil would not have been possible, and to Tim Hensel of Tim Hensel Photography, without whom there would be no evidence of it being done.
On a final note, this year the Beer Festival is likely to have raised around £11,000 for the school and local community. Quite an achievement for such a small community.