Regency Ball at The Whitworth

Join Danielle Burton, a historian, author, and history blogger known as Voyager of History, for an evening full of dances from the Regency era. 

Doors will open at 7pm, giving you time to arrive, and enjoy a free welcome drink before the dancing begins. Dancing will start at 7:30pm. This event will be beginner friendly, so don't worry if you've never attended a Regency Ball before. The dancing will suit all abilities, so whether your an experienced dancer, or a complete novice, you'll find a dance to suit you. Dress code will also be Regency attire, but black tie will also be permitted, if you wish to use this event to see if you'd like to commit fully in the future.

Hopefully all the information you need is listed below, but if you have any queries, please contact Danielle at xdanielle2012x@yahoo.com, or contact The Whitworth team at events@thewhitworth.org.

Picnic

The Whitworth is surrounded by a lovely public park, which it would be wrong not to make use of! A picnic has been organised for the afternoon of Saturday 26th June 2027 between 12pm and 3pm. The use of the park will be weather permitting, but in case of extreme weather (such as excessive heat or rain), The Whitworth will arrange the use of space inside for us to have an indoor picnic.

Bring your own picnic, or pre-order from The Whitworth themselves. Picnic options from the venue will cover either 2 or 4 people and can be upgraded to a prosecco version if required. To order these, please contact The Whitworth team at the following email address: events@thewhitworth.org.

Ball Highlights

Live Music by Caperbility, with experienced Dance Caller
Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer of Caperbility will provide the perfect accompaniment for your dancing. Danielle has personally attended other balls where they have provided the music, so can testify that they bring so much talent and atmosphere to proceedings.

You can find more about Vicki and Jonny at their website here swan-dyer.co.uk

Whether you are an experienced dancer or a complete beginner, Rhodri Davies, from nearby Manchester, will offer expert dance calling guidance and will ensure everyone feels confident as we dance the  night away. 

Photography
You will be permitted to take your own photographs to help remember this wonderful evening. We also have our own local photographer, Matt Armett, who will be milling around taking photographs as well. If you would like one specifically taking of you, or your group, please ask him on the evening. You can find Matt's previous work on his website here. mattarmett.com/

Refreshments during the Ball
Begin the evening with a welcome drink of your choice, either an alcoholic or soft drink. There will also be a a break to enjoy cake and a hot drink in the Library Room before being ready to return to the floor.

A Fully Stocked Bar 
For those wishing for additional beverages, a bar will be open throughout the evening.

Raffle

The Whitworth is a charity, so there will be a raffle to help raise extra funds for them at the end of the evening. Tickets will be £1 each and can be purchased before dancing commences, or in the break.

Tickets & Booking
Please note that all tickets are non-refundable. We greatly appreciate your understanding. Your ticket and further information will be emailed once payment has been received.

Location

The Whitworth, Darley Dale, Derbyshire, DE4 2EQ. There is onsite parking, which will be free for those attending. For this you will have to enter the car registration on arrival via a tablet provided by the venue.

Accommodation and Other Things To Do In The Area

For anyone looking for accommodation, there is a Premier Inn located on the outskirts of nearby Matlock, which is a 3 minute drive away from The Whitworth venue. The popular towns of Bakewell (fifteen minute drive away), and Matlock (ten minutes drive) are also close, so there should be enough accommodation where needed.

If you are looking for things to do whilst you are also visiting the area here are some recommendations that are close to The Whitworth, with an estimated driving time from the ball venue: Chatsworth House (fifteen minute), Haddon Hall (nine minutes), Hardwick Hall (forty/forty five minutes), the fabulous town of Buxton, including the Buxton Crescent (thirty five minutes), the gorge village of Matlock Bath, famous locally for its fish and chips and seaside feel (twelve minutes), Cromford village, including Cromford Mills, the first cotton factory (fifteen minutes), National Tramway Museum (twelve minutes), Kedleston Hall (fifty minutes), Bolsover Castle (forty minutes), Thornbridge Hall (seventeen minutes) and the plague village of Eyam (twenty five minutes). Hope there's some things you might be interested in there.

P.S. The Whitworth have already said that if this event is a success, they would like to continue doing these in the future. There may be an opportunity for you to leave some feedback on the day to help them decide if they would like to do this.