A quiet day at our peak district cottages with no arrivals or departures.  With another good day forecast we had decisions to make.  The Chatsworth Country Fair had opened, it is on for three days,  we have been before but it has been a few years since we last went, but in the end decided to leave it for another year.  It started cloudy but by lunchtime it had brightened up and was turning into another warm day.  We had known for a long time that the Red Arrows were displaying at Chatsworth this year, but until a few days ago we hadn’t known at what time on Friday they were scheduled to appear.   With an ETA of 4.15 (on the dot) we had decided we would go for an afternoon walk.  The plan was to park at the old Bakewell Railway Station and walk along the Monsal Trail for a bit before crossing the golf course. Up through Manners Wood and across Calton Pastures (from where you can glimpse Bolehill Farm in the distance) and through New Piece Wood to Chatsworth providing the footpaths were open as a number of concessionary paths were to be closed during the course of the Fair.  Well parking and the walk went to Plan A (we had a number of alternative options) so we arrived at Chatsworth about an hour before the Red Arrows were due.  There were already a number of other people there with the same plan in mind and we found ourselves a spot not far from where we had sat a few weeks ago.  This gave us a good view up and down the Derwent valley and over head so we hoped it would be a good spot to see the display.  We had time to observe the scale of the Fair and cold hear the popping of guns and the general hub bub.  At 4.15 suddenly I could see them approaching straight ahead so we got to our feet and armed with our cameras enjoyed the display.  A number of times they flew (what seemed very low) right over us and disappeared behind us only to pop up somewhere else.  So I resorted to what I called RAF speak when we were waiting to see where they would reappear.  ‘Red Arrows at 3 o’clock’.  The dogs woofed at them as they flew over.  The display lasted about 30 minutes and I think I was exhausted by the excitement of it all!  For a few moments after they had gone there was utter silence before activities at the show recommenced.  We had brought a picnic tea with us so we had that as we watched the crowds disperse from the first day.  As we set off back to cross through the wood we spotted a hot air balloon taking off from Chatsworth so we stopped and watched for about an hour as about 20 balloons took off.  Plenty more woofing from the dogs and Smudge was running up and down so much that it made Chris laugh!  So more photographs.  The noise the balloons made as the burners were on sounded like a heavy breathing dragon!  We then set off back to the car and with it being about an hours walk we wanted to get back before it got too dark.  I made Chris ring the bell at the golf course. It was a lovely sunset.  We got back just as two other cottages did they had also been to the Fair so we all swapped stories.  Now to sort out the 200 plus photos I have taken…