October 2022

Derbyshire Strikes Gold in National Visitor Attraction Accolades

Derbyshire has struck gold in the national accolades designed to showcase visitor attractions that go the extra mile to provide a high-quality day out.

Three local tourism businesses have received recognition in the VisitEngland 2021-2022 Visitor Attraction Accolades which celebrate the quality and diversity of visitor experiences across the country – with Derbyshire taking home two of three Gold accolades for the East Midlands.

Derby Lantern Parade: Lighting up City’s Diversity

More than 500 people of all ages and cultures are expected to join Derby Lantern Parade ahead of the city’s Christmas light switch on event on Saturday November 12.

The lantern parade is a key part of the Derby Season of Light festival, organised by city-based South Asian arts organisation Surtal Arts.

Christmas Lights Switch-On 2022 Ushers in the Festive Season

Watch as Derby is illuminated for the festive season as the Christmas Lights Switch-On event returns on Saturday 12 November.

Join us from 3.30 pm on Corporation Street, outside the Council House, for a stage show showcasing local talent alongside our headline act The Overtones. Enjoy the Derby Lantern Parade from 4pm, and more free entertainment before the light switch-on at 6pm along with the fireworks finale.

Red Lion Restaurant at Peak Edge Hotel to host exclusive Wine Journey series

  • The historic Red Lion Restaurant, at Peak Edge Hotel and just eight miles from Chatsworth House, is kicking off a series of Wine Journey evenings on November 9th.
  • The limited series of dinners with wine pairings will be hosted by suppliers, wine makers and wine educators, who will take attendees on vinous journeys across the globe, sharing their expert knowledge in a light-hearted, relaxed fashion.

Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire invests in a sustainable future

Derbyshire farm shop Croots is continuing its pledge to become more environmentally friendly after installing new counter display fridges that will reduce energy use.

Last year the farm shop near Duffield replaced six open display fridges with one open display cabinet fridge and three doored fridges that use the latest technology and are much more environmentally friendly.

Wathall’s Expands Counselling Support For Local Families

Family-owned Wathall’s, Derby’s longest established independent funeral directors, have expanded their unique Dandelions Bereavement Support service to help more local families come to terms with losing a loved one.

Having established a bereavement counselling service for adults last year, the professional help available has now been extended to children and young people aged eight and above.

Event Celebrates Charity’s Milestone Anniversary

More than 120 people gathered at Reach Events in Pride Park to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound.

Young people and families who have been supported by the charity joined Safe and Sound staff and trustees, representatives from key partners including Derbyshire police, Derby City Council and local businesses who have supported the charity to mark the milestone.

Memorial Garden Unveiled

Construction and Horticulture students at Derby College have contributed to the creation of a memorial garden at Heanor Miners’ Welfare which was recently unveiled.

Belper Fair is Back!

The Fair is back this Thursday (27th), Friday (28th) and Saturday (29th)!  On Saturday the Fairground Model show returns to No28 with miniature working models whizzing and whirring.  There's fairground art and artefacts, the history of Belper Fair, books to buy and the lovely No28 cafe... good fun for all ages!

Did you know that Proctor's Fair has been coming to Belper for over a 100 years!

The Full Aladdin Cast has been Announced – Oh Yes It Has!

Three wishes are bringing you a trio of talent for this year’s Derby pantomime. Joining Cold Feet star John Thomson and the British Panto Awards ‘Best Dame’, Morgan Brind, will be Little Wolf favourite Kristian Cunningham.

It won’t be long before Aladdin hitches a magic carpet ride to Derby Arena ahead of this year’s annual pantomime. Therefore, we are proud to announce this year's cast who will be taking to the stage to bring audiences some festive magic between Fri 9 - Sat 31 Dec.

Timms Wills and Probate Team Wins National Recognition

Timms Solicitors, which has offices in Derby, Burton, Ashby and Swadlincote, have been hailed the Midlands Solicitor Firm of the Year in the British Wills and Probate Awards.

The Wills and Probate team from Timms were presented with the prestigious award at the 5th annual gala event in Birmingham in recognition of all round excellence, client engagement, technology transformation, commitment to staff development and providing an outstanding service to the local community.

New Exhibition in QUAD, Derby, Explores Virtual Worlds

Lawrence Lek presents ‘Nepenthe (Summer Palace Ruins Edition)’, an architectural installation and video game revolving around the ruins of Beijing’s Old Summer Palace. This installation is part of his ongoing open-world game ‘Nepenthe’, which is set on a mysterious island named after the fictional medicine for sorrow from Greek mythology.  

New exhibition in QUAD Extra Gallery Spaces

Ashley Holmes We Came The Long Way, And I Thought You Knew

19 November 2022 to 5 February 2023

We Came The Long Way, And I Thought You Knew is the presentation of a recently made body of work by Ashley Holmes that will be displayed across QUAD’s Extra Gallery Spaces. This collection of sound sketches, works on paper and sculptural objects draws on his ongoing research into music from Jamaica and the African Diaspora. 

Workshops Shine A Light on Traditional Willow and Diwali Arts

A series of workshops will be held over the half term holiday where families can make their own traditional lanterns and then join hundreds of others in the Derby Lantern Parade next month (November).

The workshops are part of the Derby Season of Light festival of activities, events and performances taking place between September and December coincides with Diwali, Bonfire Night, Hanukkah, Christmas and the preparations for Chinese New Year which all share the common theme of light.

Wathall’s Helps Light Up Heritage Wood

Family-owned Wathall’s funeral directors have continued its support for Heritage Wood in Ednaston by contributing towards the sponsorship of their annual illuminated Woodland Walk.

Visitors to the natural woodland and lake over two weekends in November and December can follow a beautiful trail of sparkling lights, see a rainbow of lasers and delight in a musical  light show on the lake and then enjoy refreshments and stalls.

Urgent call out for culture sector response to the Energy Bills Relief Scheme Survey'

ACE have asked CHWA to get this survey on the energy bill relief for organisations out to as many people as possible. This is crucial to make sure the cultural sector is represented when it comes to the government’s planning for energy relief. It won’t apply to everyone - it’s not for freelancers for example (see below) - but if it does please do complete it, or pass it to whoever might tackle this internally, and of course please do circulate to anyone you think this is relevant to: 

 

Danish homewares store, Søstrene Grene, to launch in Derby’s Derbion Shopping Centre this November

To celebrate the launch of Søstrene Grene at Derbion Shopping Centre on Friday 4th November, the store will be offering a free rug and exclusive goodie bags for the first 100 customers.

 

Danish homewares store, Søstrene Grene, is set to open its fifth British store in Derby, Derbyshire, this November. Joining four locations across the Northwest and Midlands, the 4000 sq ft store will be located at the Derbion Shopping Centre.

 

Oberoi Foundation Makes First Award

A charitable foundation, set up by Derby-based entrepreneur Kavita Oberoi OBE to improve the lives of women and girls, has announced its first support pledge.

The Oberoi Foundation has agreed funding for Maggie’s - the Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust - to develop training and support services for women who are experiencing early onset menopause as a result of cancer treatment.

Walking Together completed – final 13 miners commemorated

We were delighted to gather at Markham Vale on Wednesday 12th October 2022 to officially unveil the final 13 figures as part of the Walking Together trail and to celebrate school and community activity through the engagement project ‘10 Years of Walking Together’ supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The event was attended by relatives, members of the voluntary Markham Vale Heritage Group, sponsors, supporters and local schools.

MAGICAL DISPLAYS TO ‘SHINE A LIGHT’ ON HISTORIC CROMFORD MILLS THIS OCTOBER HALF TERM

The historic Cromford Mills near Matlock will host two nights of magical displays combining special effects and live music when ‘Shine A Light’ returns for the second year this October half term.

Providing an after-dark experience for the whole family to enjoy, the events will transform Arkwright’s mills with cutting-edge projections, awe-inspiring animations, and live music in the heart of the UNESCO Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site on 27 and 28 October 2022.

High Flyers Soar Through Timms Solicitors’ Pathway Programme

Three young lawyers at Timms have successfully completed the firm’s innovative Pathway to Associate programme – paving the way for further career development.

The ten-month programme has been specially-designed by Timms to help progress individuals into more senior and management roles across its offices in in Derby, Burton, Ashby and Swadlincote.

Walking Together completed – final 13 miners commemorated

We were delighted to gather at Markham Vale on Wednesday 12th October 2022 to officially unveil the final 13 figures as part of the Walking Together trail and to celebrate school and community activity through the engagement project ‘10 Years of Walking Together’ supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Henry Moore exhibition opens at Derby’s Museum of Making

A fascinating exhibition of Henry Moore’s work opens at the Museum of Making in Derby this Saturday (15 October), on tour from the Sainsbury Centre until January 2023.

Spanning Henry Moore’s career, the exhibition, entitled Henry Moore: Threads of Influence, demonstrates the multiple facets of Moore’s practice, from early life drawings and carvings to iconic drawings and late prints.

Young Campaigner Recognised With City Award

A 16-year-old sixth form student has been recognised for her work to raise awareness of the
impact of sexual harassment and assault on women and young girls across the city.
Amelia Roe, a pupil at Allestree Woodlands School, was nominated by local charity Safe and
Sound for the Outstanding Contribution to the Community award, sponsored by Derby City
Council at this year’s Derby Youth Awards which are organised by Sporting Communities.
With the help of Sporting Communities, she has developed and delivered a series of

The East Midlands Railway Community Fund

The EMR Community Fund is available to a range of organisations, including charities, sports clubs, schools, which are within a 15km radius of an EMR managed station. The fund has various aims including, bringing communities together and supporting diversity and inclusion.

Comic Relief Community Fund - Opens 31st October 2022

This Fund's aim is to create change at the community level, via projects which align with four strategic themes, including:

  • Children Survive and Thrive: Supporting Children uo to the age of 11 to grow, play and learn.
  • Mental Health Matters: Supporting good mental health in communities and tackling stigma and discrimination.

Grants up tp £10k.

OPUS Music CIC Vacancy

OPUS Music CIC (OPUS) is a Community Interest Company specialising in the use of music within health and social care, for the benefit of the health and wellbeing of patients, carers and health/care professionals. OPUS was created as a constituted, non profit-making organisation in 2000, established a specialism within Music in Healthcare practice in 2010, and became a Community Interest Company in 2012.

OPUS’ vision: Music as an intrinsic part of health and social care, everywhere.

Four Tell at Spital Arts

Spital Arts has a special event on Saturday October 29th at 7.30pm when we welcome 'Four Tell' from Buxton. Four Tell are very talented musicians, singers and storytellers and will be bringing their unique blend of harmonies, music and stories to St Leonard's, Spital.

Further Accolade For Timms’ Solicitor

A high-achieving Family Law solicitor at Timms Solicitors has won the Rising Star award at East Midlands Chamber’s Enterprising Women Awards.

It is the second award in just a few months for Jessica Barnett who was previously named Junior Lawyer of the Year at the Derby and District Law Society’s annual awards in May.

Derbyshire Sings

During the COVID 19 pandemic Derbyshire Libraries submitted an ambitious bid to Arts Council England for the project Derbyshire Sings. The project sought to engage with current library customers, sharing their experiences and thoughts around the importance of libraries. These then would be crafted into song that could be used to promote libraries and their impact to the wider community.

Royal Family Intrigue Helps Get Derby Book Festival’s Ticket Sales off to a Strong Start

Organisers of the Derby Book Festival say tickets for a forthcoming talk with author Valentine Low are selling strongly after his book lifting the lid on life in the Royal Family was serialised in a Sunday newspaper.

Valentine, whose book, The Courtiers, was launched last month, has been lined up to talk at the festival’s autumn edition, which takes place from November 4 to 6.

The book is described as the inside story of the power struggles within Buckingham Palace, through the eyes of the members of the vast team of courtiers who act as advisors to the Monarch.

St. Agnes Fountain Return to Belper



Christmas, as they say, starts with......St Agnes Fountain...

The albums of St. Agnes Fountain accompany the putting up of thousands Christmas trees throughout Britain and around the globe as their reputation reaches further afield, it is, without question, their magical live performances that have endeared them to an ever-growing audience.

Belper Welcomes Operababes in Concert

For over twenty years soprano Rebecca Knight and Derbyshire born Karen England  have performed across the world as the OperaBabes. Having taken a break, the duo return to the concert stage at St. Peter's Church, Belper on 19 November.