In the last Big Read of 2020 John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, reflects on how a turbulent year may yet end in hope.
Picture the scene.
Outside, it’s a cold, dank and dark January morning.
Inside, over 500 people gather at the warming Derby Theatre.
With just days to go until Christmas Day, Festive Derby will be sparkling in the background, helping to make the city a safe and enjoyable place to be while buying those last-minute gifts.
Derby Market Place will be the scene for six days of trading by artists and makers for the Make & Trade Market, curated by Mainframe. Open from 10am to 4pm from Fri 18 to Wed 23 Dec, the market is the ideal opportunity to support local creatives and browse and buy some unique gifts.
Derby's new Museum of Making will be opening to the public for the very first time in Spring 2021 and to make this exciting new visitor attraction even more exceptional, Derby Museums has launched a new recruitment campaign across the region to find people to join its Visitor Experience Team. The roles available include a wide range of part time and flexible positions with permanent contracts.
A total of 32 cherry tree saplings have been planted at Bass’ Recreation Ground in Derby to mark the partnership between the city, Derbyshire and Toyota city.
Property firm Staton Young has completed its biggest acquisition of the year after securing a deal to buy Derby’s former tax office building.
A joint venture featuring the owners of Ward Recycling has revealed plans to build a huge logistics hub on the former Stanton Ironworks after securing a deal for the site.
Verdant Regeneration, which is made up of the owners of Ward, along with Trust Utility Management, has bought the 192-acre former steelworks at Ilkeston from St Gobain.
A local business which specialises in creating and renovating graveside memorials across the Midlands is offering to step in and lay wreaths and flowers on the graves of loved ones whose families cannot visit this Christmas due to Covid restrictions.
Artstone Memorials celebrates its 10th anniversary this December. It was set up by stone mason Oleksandr Burlaka who leads a team of three craftsmen at their workshop in Drakelow alongside showrooms in Stapenhill and Alvaston.
The developer behind a £37 million project to create more than 250 new apartments in Derby city centre has reaffirmed its commitment to the scheme.
Elevate Property Group has said it is currently putting the finishing touches to its Castleward Boulevard plans, which would see 258 apartments built in two phases across a 1.55-acre site between Liversage Street and John Street.
‘Wilf Goes Wild’ is a new digital interactive musical for primary-school aged children written by Sarah Middleton, with music from Grammy nominated musician Josh Sneesby and directed by Matt Powell.
Presented as a free 15 minute pilot episode online, ‘Wilf Goes Wild’ follows the adventures of self-proclaimed explorer Wilf, and his older sister Willow, as they learn about the world around them, meeting memorable characters along the way and teaching children they don’t have to leave the house to have an adventure!