HOWEVER , by far the strangest place I've ever had to be in was in the peaks. It was probably the mid 90s , maybe as early as 92 or 93 and being one of those student types with short pockets I needed a job in the holidays. Upon visiting the Job Centre , (you know when you could actually go inside and LOOK FOR JOBS and someone would help you follow up there and then) I spotted a live in bartending job in Ashbourne, Derbyshire and was told they are DESPERATE (thanks) and it would last for the two weeks holiday period at least. They phoned the place and I was accepted and urged to rush home and pack and I seem to recall somebody actually gave me a lift to Ashbourne , it was bloody miles away , the employer I think . So much later I arrive at the hotel in Ashbourne and it turns out it wasn't there ,it was even further away , a place called Hadfield. Yes. But years before it was ,ahem , FAMOUS.... So after waiting about for another two hours or more I was driven to Hadfield and delivered to this pub ,the name escapes me. I was told to put my bags in the workers sleeping quarters and come behind the bar to start. Ok. I kid you not , the sleeping quarters was LITERALLY a large old barn/stable with no lock on the door (this was on one of the streets of a small market town)and stairs that you went up to be greeted by a few beds and that was it. Despite being a tad disconcerted, I dumped my bags on a bed and went back to the pub. The owner was quite stand offish ,not demonstrably cheery at my presence apparently despite my filling some "desperate need" but took me behind the bar and showed me the basics for now. I don't recall another barperson , there was me and he was here and there and the kitchen was open. It was a Friday evening.About half 6 I think. Not particularly busy. But it was early doors as they say. I can't put my finger on it but it was just.... I dunno. Most pub or restaurant places have some kind of atmosphere , staff dynamics , people wanting to know a little about you , banter , a sense of THIS IS US THIS IS OUR LITTLE PLACE but in a good way . But this place was just flat and soulless. I served a few people I think , some locals and this young couple who came in that were obviously out of towners...I can't remember if it was before or after they came in that the owner sidled up to me and announced "You do know you're not being paid for tonight ??!! You don't start until tomorrow..." and I just kind of shrugged and accepted the brazen cheek of it all !! The out of town couple didn't stay too long and left . I was then told by the owner to have a half an hour break , it was probably about half 7 , so I told him I needed to get something out of my luggage and I went to the barn bit and I'd already decided before I reached it that I wasn't hanging around here for a moment longer. I'm no snowflake ,I'm not one of these overly sensitive types but this place was creeping me out big time. The great escape was on. I grabbed my two large bulky holdalls (to this day I am stupidly incapable of traveling light ) that mainly contained my boombox and about a million heavy metal cassettes so they weighed a bloody ton. And I hurried into the street and headed towards the main road . I even saw that couple walking around, probably headed to their car to get the hell out too and they looked at me walking to the main road laden down and they had this look of "Didn't we.....?? Didn't he ....?? Wasn't he...??!!" on their faces. I almost called out to try and beg a lift but I think their expressions kind of put me off , so I smiled and carried on to hitchhike home... Which took bloody hours but eventually I made it back for about midnight ish. Maybe before.
But anyway , years later I thought I heard that the league of gentlemen filmed there but I was a little unsure and thought I was possibly trying to fit my weird narrative into it. But turns out it was true. They filmed the bulk of it in Hadfield and I can't remember if they had strange memories of the place too but it was by far the creepiest place I've been to and I don't regret my hasty retreat one bit . Then again, I wasn't LOCAL