January 2016

Cyclists Gear Up For Sportive Challenge

A record number of early bird entrants have signed up for Derby’s Spring Classic Sportive event this May. More than 300 people have already signed up to take part in the event on Sunday 1st May, starting and finishing in Markeaton Park. Riders will take on one of three routes – 40km, 80km or 160km around Derbyshire and East Staffordshire.

Buxton Festival of Opera, Music and Books 2016 Programme Announced

The internationally renowned and award-winning Buxton Festival, featuring opera, music and books, will take place from 8 to 24 July. Much anticipated opera performances include Beethoven’s Leonore, Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Handel’s Tamerlano. The impressive opera programme also includes a concert performance of Vivaldi’s La Senna Festeggiante and a UK Premiere by Music Theatre Wales of The Golden Dragon by Peter Eotvos.

Hope Valley Adventure Film Festival

Don’t miss out on this inspiring day of adventure films and activity!    The 7th annual Hope Valley Adventure Film Festival will be held on Saturday 27th February 2016 at Hope Valley College and is sure to excite and inspire with a collection of award winning films from around the world.    

Derbyshire farm shop Croots lines up offers to celebrate Breakfast Week 2016

Derbyshire farm shop Croots is marking Breakfast Week with a series of special offers and promotions.

The farm shop, at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, Duffield, regularly supports the annual national event, which aims to raise awareness of the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast and demonstrate the wealth of wonderful breakfast produce available around the country. This year Breakfast Week runs from 24th to 30th January and the award-winning Croots Farm Shop has lined up a string of deals and offers to mark the occasion.

Cathedral Quarter Showcases Events

Derby’s Cathedral Quarter has published a programme of events, street entertainment and performances to showcase the diverse offer available in the leisure and cultural heart of the city centre. The leaflet will be available at Cathedral Quarter businesses, in Art Boxes across the city and county as well as online at www.derbycathedralquarter.co.uk

Live Entertainment in St Peters Quarter

Three local singers will make a welcome return to Derby city centre in the coming weeks as part of the St Peters Quearter Live programme of street entertainment. The musical entertainment will be staged at St Peter’s Cross, the busy crossroads of St Peter’s Street, East Street and St Peter’s Churchyard.

Classical Works Are Re-Mastered For Derby Concert Audience

The work of Pinxton musician Graham Hall will take centre stage at Sinfonia Viva’s ‘Timeless Classics’ concert at Derby Cathedral on Wednesday March 2 with the premiere of  orchestrations of two well-known pieces. Graham is Sinfonia Viva’s Principal Timpanist and an accomplished arranger and orchestrator.

New Fringe Artwork Shows Oranges Are The Only Fruit

Buxton artist Helen Mint has had her exciting work chosen to illustrate the cover of this year’s Buxton Fringe programme.

Each year the Fringe considers artwork from a variety of sources and Helen’s unusual, three-dimensional design, based on the Fringe’s own juggler logo, fulfilled the committee’s brief to have something really striking and different for 2016.

Fall in Love With Dancing At Valentine’s Social Event

Derby-based regional dance house Déda will hold a special Valentine’s event on Saturday February 13 to inspire people of all ages and abilities to fall in love with dancing. The Social Dance event will be held at the Chapel Street studios starting at 8pm and hosted by Déda’s team of tutors who specialise in a wide range of dance styles from Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rumba to Argentine Tango and Foxtrot.

CQ Saturdays Towers, Tunnels and Tales Tour Returns

Derby’s Cathedral Quarter has re-launched its popular tours of the area as part of the CQ Saturdays programme of events following the completion of refurbishment work at Derby Cathedral. The CQ Saturdays Towers, Tunnels and Tales tour was postponed during last year’s £670,000 refurbishment programme at the Cathedral. It will be re-launched next month with the first tour held on Saturday February 6 and then the first Saturday of the month throughout the year.

Derbyshire author launches new children's book

Allison Pennington grew up in the Derbyshire countryside and after spending some wander years experiencing the world, returned home where she has based herself ever since. She has written stories and poetry for children since her her early teens, which often include glimpses of her own childhood immersed in nature, humour and commentary on the quirkiness of life as seen through a child's eyes. She resides in a Derbyshire village with her husband, two gorgeous teenagers  and an over friendly labrador.

Cathedral Quarter Welcomes Research Findings

Derby’s Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District has welcomed research declaring Derby as the UK’s business start-up capital.
Business leaders in the area, which is the city centre’s central business district, say that the research findings further strengthen its work to attract new businesses into the area.

JWC Celebrates Achievements

The achievements of students at the Joseph Wright Campus at Derby College have been officially recognised with a celebration evening attended by more than 100 people.

Students who have either graduated from or are continuing their studies for A levels, vocational and Creative Arts programmes based at the Joseph Wright Campus were presented with subject prizes at the annual event.

Citibase Derby Celebrates First Anniversary in St Peters Quarter

A business centre in Derby’s St Peters Quarter is celebrating its first anniversary with the launch of special deals for new customers.
Citibase, the UK’s largest independent operator of fully-serviced business centres, opened its 29,000 sq ft centre in Colyear Street just over 12 months ago and is now over 75% full.  Businesses based there range from web design and journalism to engineering, recruitment and health care.

Derby College Announces Apprenticeship Vacancies

Derby College is holding its first apprenticeship and jobs recruitment event of the year with a bumper crop of vacancies available for young people looking to start an apprenticeship or job in the New Year.

The College has been appointed by a wide range of businesses and organisations across the East Midlands to recruit apprentices in a wide range of roles.

These include Administration, Agriculture, Business Support, Childcare, Customer Service, E-Commerce, Engineering, Hair and Beauty, Hospitality and Catering, IT Support, Manufacturing, Motor Vehicle and Web Design.

Community Project Appeal


Derby College is looking for community-based projects to involve young people on the Prince’s Trust programme, which is celebrating its 40th year of supporting young people back into education and work.

The College-based team will be running six programmes for young people aged 16 to 24 this year, based in Derby and Ilkeston.

As part of the 12-week programme, young people carry out a community project – raising funds for materials and then carrying out the work.

Derby College Course Ideal For Dog Lovers Looking For Change in Career

Derby College is offering the chance for people to embrace their love of animals and re-train to work in pet grooming.
The 18-week International Professional Groomers Course will be held one day a week at the Dog Grooming salon at the College’s Broomfield Hall site in Morley starting next month (February).
It will cover a wide range of skills including practical grooming skills, pet health, canine behavior and handling.
Dog Grooming and Animal Care Lecturer Sue Oliver explained: “There are extensive career and self-employment opportunities for professional groomers.

Fencing Champion Gears Up for International Competition

A Derby College student will represent Great Britain in an international fencing competition in Switzerland this month.

Owen Jordan (17) lives in Watnall near Kimberley and is studying to be a personal trainer at Derby College’s Johnson Building campus in Pride Park.

Owen continues to make a name for himself in the fencing world and is on the British Fencing Talent Pathway with his sights set on competing in the Olympics in 2020 and becoming a professional sportsman.

Business opportunities across Derbyshire

Local businesses are being urged to look at commercial opportunities that Derbyshire county council are offering.

There are a large number of sites across the county including large country parks, picnic sites, canals and woodlands where businesses could trade. Activities could include catering, shops and retail, events, weddings, festivals, paintballing or other leisure activities.

Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Councillor Dean Collins, explained:

Music Project Celebrates Famous Works by Roald Dahl

Derby-based regional orchestra Sinfonia Viva has launched an innovative music-making education residency which celebrates the work of celebrated author Roald Dahl who was educated at Repton School.
About 100 young people from Becket and Firs Estate primary schools, St Benedict Catholic Academy and Derby College will join the project in the New Year entitled ‘Marvellous Musical Medicine’ – a take on Dahl’s book ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine.

Derby College Apprentice In Regional Competition

A Derby College apprentice has qualified for a prestigious national apprenticeship competition

Tom Smith (20) is a Plumbing apprentice with Derby Homes and is studying his Level two qualifications at Derby College’s Roundhouse campus.

He will take part in one of six regional heats in February 2016 at Stephenson College in Coalville for a place in the national finals of the UK Heating Apprentice of the Year competition which will be held in April.

The competition is organised every year by HIP Magazine with the winner receiving a £5,000 prize.

Dancers Announce Final Pudsey Total

Fifties-style dance fans from Déda in Derby and Ilkeston-based Hopfrogs Dance School have raised £4,300 for Children in Need after appearing on the live East Midlands show for the popular annual appeal.
Over 100 people who attend the Rock ‘n’ Roll classes at Déda in Chapel Street as well as Hopfrogs Dance School classes and events – all run by teacher and ‘all things’ Fifties enthusiast Heather Clements – took part in the Children in Need event at the Derby Arena in November.

Derby Enterprise Growth Fund Support Paves Way For Future Business Growth For Entotem

A Derby company, which has developed an innovative high-tech home entertainment system, is planning further growth and job creation less than a year after its launch.
Entotem was supported with £80,000 grant and £150,000 loan from the Derby Enterprise Growth Fund (DEGF) earlier this year.
The Fund is part of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund and administered by Derby City Council. DEGF aims to provide a catalyst for growth and job creation in businesses in the city and surrounding area through a mix of loans and grants.

Poem a Month for January 2016

What could be nicer to waking up to toast and marmalade on a winter's day?  Viveka Bowry's sensual poem captures her joy in making her own marmalade - you can almost smell and taste it. It brings the warmth and light of the Mediterranean into all our lives on the first day of the New Year.