News from producers around Derbyshire

A brass quintet from Derby-based Sinfonia Viva – the East Midlands’ award-winning professional orchestra – has performed two outdoor concerts of Christmas favourites in Ilkeston and Derby.

The concerts, for care home residents and staff, aimed to help everyone get in the Christmas spirit despite the ongoing pandemic.

The winners of Window Wonderland 2020, where retailers and businesses in central Derby transform their shop windows with creative displays for Christmas, have been announced. The competition’s third year has attracted more entries than ever before – 38 in total. 

There are few things nicer than receiving a letter in the post and colleagues at one firm have been putting pen to paper to help combat loneliness over the festive season.

Staff at various Lubrizol sites including Derby and Huddersfield decided to take part in an initiative called Give a Few Words, which provides letter writers with the name of someone who would appreciate some post and positive messages.

Staff at a Mickleover school have been delivering emergency food parcels to pupils’ families who are struggling financially in the run up to Christmas.

The PRIDE Response Team was set up at Murray Park Community School during the first lockdown when staff and friends of the school collected donations of non-perishable food, toiletries and household items to distribute to needy or vulnerable families.

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.

A Derbyshire entrepreneur is feeling flushed with success after handling pre-Christmas orders for more than 12,500 fizzy bombs - for the toilet.

Danielle Dunn runs toiletries firm Divine Box from her Swadlincote home and makes a range of luxurious handmade bath bombs, soaps, showergels and shampoos with a team of eight staff.

But her best-selling line of 2020 has given the 33-year-old’s bottom line a boost after she received orders for 12,732 toilet bombs in the last month alone.