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Alvaston guide: The sound of a tram bell is what turned a sleepy Victorian hamlet into one of the most popular areas of Derby.

Alvaston owes its popularity to the tram. The village boomed during the mid-19th century thanks to the end of the horse drawn carriage and the arrival of the tram tracks.

Bosses and managers wanted to live out in the country but still be within easy commuting reach of the city; Alvaston, right at the end of the track and set in stunning rolling countryside, was perfect.

The suburb grew enormously, and street after street of Victorian houses were built, followed by hundreds of new homes after the last war.

According to statistics from the last census, Alvaston has maintained its position as a popular commuting district with managers and professionals, and continues to attract many of the city's better-paid workers.

It’s basically a self-contained suburb, with a big shopping centre, a good mixture of junior and secondary schools, doctors' and dentists' surgeries, and a library.

And it is a picturesque place, with the River Derwent flowing to the north, running alongside Alvaston Park which features a playground, a lake and a skate park.

Train: The nearest mainline station is in Derby.

Roads: Excellent for commuting. The A6 takes you into the city centre, two miles away, in minutes, although it can get busy. Going the other way leads to the cross-country A50, with easy links to the M1 and M6.

Buses: Good regular bus services cutting through the suburb and into the city.

Shopping: Both Alvaston and neighbouring Osmaston have their own good shopping centres. There is enough for day-to-day living and more, including some big superstores.

Eating and Drinking: Plenty of pubs but not much in the way of restaurants. Alvaston has The Blue Peter pub, which was built in 1935 and looks like something straight out of Agatha Christie’s Poirot novels. There's also the Round House pub, a half round pub built in 1891 on the London Road. Stacks of takeaways offer every type of food.

Sports: \There are lots of clubs, including the very popular and successful Alvaston and Boulton Cricket Club in Raynesway, and indoor and outdoors bowls clubs.

Entertainment: This generally revolves around the pubs, but there is a range of organisations, including a long-established amateur radio club and some men's societies and clubs. There is a very busy community centre at Nunsfield House in Boulton Lane, home to everything from angling to radio and from indoor bowls to tea dancing.

Open Spaces: Alvaston Park has a skateboard circuit, cricket pitch, nine football pitches, a putting green and eight tennis courts, with the picturesque River Derwent running next to it, providing fishing and water sports.