 DERBY Rotary CLUB UK and Derby Rotary Satellite are busy working hard to bring Santa to the children of Derby this year, adapting the annual Santa Sleigh to spread joy and excitement to even more children this year. They are hoping, subject to the localised COVID restrictions in place, and of course, weather permitting, that it may be possible for Santa and his sleigh to make an official appearance. This year they are raising money for two charities through the Santa Sleigh and Derby Santa initiatives. Safe and Sound Group and Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre, two charities who support some of the most vulnerable local young people. Thanks to the expertise of Derby digital agency Think3 and Purely Digital Limited, families across the county and beyond can visit http://www.derbysanta.co.uk to book a personalised letter from Santa sent by email or post or a personalised recorded video from Santa. On the website you can - Order personalised letters from Santa - Order personalised video messages from Santa - Donate a personalised letter from Santa to a child supported by one of the supported charities. - Make a donation to the nominated charities via JustGiving Book your message now and make your child's Christmas this year!
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 In the lead up to Christmas, each weekend of December, visit Markeaton Park for a variety of fun, pre-bookable workshops run by many of the tenants of the Craft Village. Make models with Jumping Clay, paint wonderful winter landscapes with Art in the Park or make a variety of Christmassy decorations to hang up at home with Suzy Blues Flowers, Minoan Mosaic and Esmary Fused Glass, in some of the brilliant workshops on
offer between 5-20 December. Everything has been planned to put public safety first whichever tier Derby goes into following the national lockdown and in the run-up to Christmas. Visitors to the park are reminded that we can all play our part in doing the right thing for Derby by following the guidelines, wearing a face covering when indoors if we can, observing social distancing at all times and following guidance about who we can be meeting with. For full details about each workshop, check out the listings below: Also in the Craft Village, every day from 5-20 December, is the usual dazzling Christmas Tree for you and your family to enjoy and take pictures in front of. Or, you can bring your letter to Father Christmas to post in the Markeaton North Pole post box. Experts have consulted and determined that it is safe for Father Christmas to travel this year to deliver all of his presents, so make sure to write to him to let him know what you want! You should write your letter before coming to the park - you can download a template from our website at inderby.org.uk/parks/news/christmas-in-markeaton-park. The popular free Elf Trail will also be returning, which will take you exploring around Markeaton Park on the lookout for little elf houses! See if you can spy the elves moving in and settling down for a festive Christmas living in Markeaton Park. Download your map from our website from 23 November and submit your completed entries between 5-20 December to be in with the chance of winning some treats, including a voucher to spend in Studio Gift Shop in the Craft Village. Find out more at derbylive.co.uk/whats-on/elf-trail/. Or you can wrap up warm and enjoy the fresh air with a walk, bike ride or scooter around the many pathways at Markeaton Park. The park is beautiful at this time of year, with lots of winter wildlife to see. Derby Adult Learning Services are also offering as series of free, bookable, socially distanced walks for people aged 19+. These guided walks will be led in French, Italian and Spanish this festive season. Cycle Derby are offering sessions for new riders aged 3-16. For £10.50, your child will be provided with a bike (or you can bring your own) and will be taught all the basics in these fun bike riding workshops. Or why not download the free Love Exploring App and have an adventure while walking around Markeaton Park, discovering all the fun facts and secrets on offer? The Mini Golf will also remain open in the lead up to Christmas for you to enjoy a festive family game together. Put on your hats, scarves and gloves and have a little family competition and see if you can score a hole in one! The Orangery Café is also open for hot take-away drinks or for a festive snack to keep you warm and energised this winter. Plus, each weekend from 5-20 December, the first 20 customers each day will receive a free mince pie! Get creative this Christmas by joining in these workshops: Wreath Making Workshop with Suzy Blues Flowers Create a stunning Christmas wreath with help from Suzy Blue Flowers. All materials needed to create the wreath will be provided in the two hour workshop. Sat 5 - Sun 6 Dec | Markeaton Park Craft Village £30.50 per person, for ages 18+ Christmas Crafts with Jumping Clay Join Jumping Clay to make a Gingerbread man model and build an elf cuddly toy to take home with you that same day! Sessions are for one household with prices starting at £25.50 for one adult and one child. An extra adult is an additional £10 and an extra child is a further £15. Sat 5, Sun 6, Sat 12, Sun 13, Sat 19 & Sun 20 Dec | Markeaton Park Craft Village £55.50 - £25.50 for one family/household Painting Fun Workshop with Art in the Park Come to this one-off class to teach you and your child how to paint a wonderful winter landscape on canvas this winter. Prices start at £15 for one canvas and £20 for two canvases. Sat 5, Sat 12 & Sat 19 Dec | Markeaton Park Craft Village £20.50 - £15.50 for two people (One child and one adult) Mosaics Workshop with Minoan Mosaic Design and create your own mosaic Christmas Decorations in these 60 minute sessions. Your decoration will be suitable for indoor use or outdoor use when grouted. Have fun and make a creative, personal addition to your Christmas tree this year! Sun 6, Sun 13 & Sun 20 Dec | Markeaton Park Craft Village £40.50 for one household of up to four people Introduction to Glass Fusing with Esmary Fused Glass Come and learn how to fuse glass during the festive period. You will create a glass Christmas decoration or coaster during the 2hr 30 min session. Your glass creation will be available to collect seven days later, once it has been fused. Sat 12 - Sun 13 Dec | Markeaton Park Craft Village £45.50 per person, for ages 16+ And get outdoors this winter with these sessions: Ditch those stabilisers…and more with Cycle Derby Gain confidence on your bike this festive season with sessions from Cycle Derby. They have three different sessions on offer - Learn to Ride, Balance and Early Skills, and you can attend as many of the session as you like. Bikes can be provided, and two trainers will support the learning environment with fun and games on the bikes. Sat 5, Sat 12 & Sat 19 | Markeaton Park - The Train Sheds £10.50, for ages 3-16 Walk in French with a Christmas Theme with Derby Adult Learning Services Take a gentle Promenade en francais around the park with opportunities to stop along the way to learn about Christmas in French speaking countries. Suitable for all levels of French from real beginners to those with more knowledge. Sun 6 Dec | Markeaton Park Craft Village Free, for ages 19+ Walk in Spanish with a Christmas Theme with Derby Adult Learning Services Take a gentle Paseo en españolis around the park with opportunities to stop along the way to learn about Christmas in Spanish speaking countries. Suitable for all levels of Spanish from real beginners to those with more knowledge. Wed 9 Dec | Markeaton Park Craft Village Free, for ages 19+ Walk in Italian with a Christmas Theme with Derby Adult Learning Services Take a gentle Passeggiata in italiano around the park with opportunities to stop along the way to learn about Christmas in Italy. Suitable for all levels of Italian from real beginners to those with more knowledge. Sun 13 Dec | Markeaton Park Craft Village Free, for ages 19+ All the workshops have been planned with Covid safe measures in place and put public safety first. We remind participants to wear a face covering where required if possible and follow social distancing guidelines. If you begin to show symptoms, please remain at home and get in touch with us in advance of your workshop to let us know that you are unable to make your booking, and we will arrange a refund for you.  Sutton on the Hill Preschool is a wonderful rural community preschool with a passion for outdoor fun and learning. They are particularly focused on outdoor learning and play and have three wonderful outdoor spaces complete with a special forest school area. They are located a very short drive from Mickleover, Hatton, Hilton and Etwall and have spaces available now. Their voluntary Committee have set up a YouTube Channel to share free story time and singalong sessions with their lovely families and anyone else who would like to join in! 'This is pure amateur, no frills, home videos aimed at Preschoolers who want to make some noise! It has been inspired by the restrictions put upon us by the Coronavirus Pandemic at a time when we all have to find more activities to do at home. We hope these videos will help to put smiles on faces whilst having fun with words and sounds and encouraging some outdoor activities.' www.youtube.com/channel/UCZBk1AO213lAYhp54mbHreg They also hope it will help to raise their profile and give them a fundraising platform at a time when small charities like theirs are unable to run their usual events. Please visit their Go fund me page here: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/25jnp48dtc You can find out more and get in touch with them via: their web page: www.suttononthehillpreschool.org.uk/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/SuttonotHill.P or contact the Manager, Veronica, directly on 07969 368599 or email suttonpreschool@hotmail.co.uk
Christmas is still coming to Derby, just a little later than planned due to the new Government restrictions. Plans for Festive Derby will be going ahead in December, with attractions that were due to happen this month being put on hold until the current lockdown lifts. While all events and attractions will be subject to any further new guidance from Government, everything has been designed to be as COVID-secure as possible. Citizens are reminded to play their part and do the right thing for Derby by following the guidelines, wearing a face covering if they can, following social distancing at all times and following guidance about who they should be meeting with. The Council is working with partners to transform the city into a bright and attractive place to be if you are visiting. To discourage people from gathering in large crowds there won’t be the usual large-scale events, but there will be Christmas trees, lights and two trails to follow – Window Wonderland and an Elf Trail.  Window Wonderland, a celebration encouraging shops and businesses on city centre streets to dress up their windows with a creative, seasonal display, will now begin at the start of December – previously scheduled for mid-November. Entrants are being asked to include a Christmas rainbow in their design to remember NHS staff and key workers, many of whom will be working over the holiday season.
Communities across Derby are also being encouraged to follow the spirit of Window Wonderland by creating their own trails in their neighbourhoods, decorating windows in their homes, businesses and community buildings, during December. Find out more at visitderby.co.uk/communityww. There are some changes to the original programme. The Christmas Market planned from Friday 27th November to Wednesday 23rd December will not be going ahead. Instead a series of Festive Markets are planned for Derby Market Place, giving Christmas shoppers the chance to support local and regional businesses by buying some unique gifts. Dates will be confirmed at visitderby.co.uk/festivederby as soon as possible. Elf Encounter, a 15-minute family show by Guildhall Theatre favourites The Babbling Vagabonds, will play in the Market Place for households or small groups from Friday 4th to Wednesday 23rd December. From Thursday 17th to Wednesday 23rd December, The Lost Boys are set to perform a one-hour show based on A Christmas Carol in the River Gardens, to a socially distanced audience seated in groups of up to four. The River Gardens is also the backdrop for the traditional sound of Christmas, with performances by a brass quintet from Sinfonia Viva, the orchestra of the East Midlands, accompanied by a choir from Derby Cathedral, on Saturday 19th December and from Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd December. The Salvation Army Brass Sextet are due to use the River Gardens space to bring you Christmas Carols and Seasonal Music on Sunday 20th December. Outside the city centre, enjoy Christmas in Markeaton Park with a series of weekend activities and workshops planned to run throughout December. Although the park’s usual Family Festivities event can’t go ahead in the normal way this year, there are lots of attractions to be announced soon. Derby City Council, Derby Museums, Derby Cathedral, Derby Theatre, Sinfonia Viva, Quad, Cathedral Quarter and St Peter’s Quarter Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), and Intu are among the partners involved in bringing Christmas to the city, and Smooth Radio is Festive Derby’s media partner. An updated Festive Derby guide, including a map of the Elf Trail, key features to enjoy and entertainment sites, will be online at www.visitderby.co.uk/festivederby from the end of this week. Details of the Window Wonderland trail will be online from Friday 4th December.  As part of the Festive Derby plans for this year, Derby City Council is calling on all residents to get involved in Window Wonderland and create beautiful seasonal displays in the windows of their homes, as well as those of local shops and businesses.
Many areas of the city already create some fabulous trails, so Window Wonderland is hoping to build on this by encouraging more people to mobilise their local communities and get involved. Christmas is going to be different this year, but it is community spirit that has brought people together over the last few months – and this is a chance to pull together once again and provide a festive display for everyone locally to enjoy. You can take part individually, or give your local community a call to action by going online, making the most of local social media groups, or by spreading the word however you can without meeting face to face. You don’t have to have a theme, but we’re asking everyone to include a Christmas rainbow to send a Thank You message to our NHS and key workers, who may be working over the Christmas period, for their care and dedication throughout the pandemic. If you’re already creating a window trail where you live, we’d like to inspire you to incorporate a Christmas rainbow to bring communities together across the city. Councillor Robin Wood, Derby City Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “Our priority at the moment is to do what we can to reduce the impact of the rise in COVID cases. But while we’re urged to stay at home as much as we can, we can make the most of this time by creating a beautiful festive window display and sharing that connection with our friends and neighbours.” To join in, go to the Visit Derby website at visitderby.co.uk/communityww to find an online pack for you and your community to download to inspire you to get creative. The pack includes a template stencil for you to use to create a rainbow in your window, as well as a downloadable colouring sheet for children. The stencil can be used with bathtub/window crayons or washable window markers. You could create a rainbow with different coloured tinsel or coloured sweet wrappers, or use Christmas decorations – we’re sure you’ll have plenty of creative thoughts of your own! If you have any bigger plans for your community window trails, please share them with us by emailing sally.greatorex@derby.gov.uk and using #windowwonderland20 to share your displays on social media. We’re suggesting 5 December as the start date, but don’t feel you have to change your plans if you are launching a trail before or after this date. It is hoped that the Window Wonderland trail planned for shops in the streets of Derby city centre can still go ahead in December, when the new national Government restrictions are due to end. The Visit Derby website will be kept up to date with Festive Derby activities that are going ahead at visitderby.co.uk/festivederby  A group of local to Derby businesses who work in the wedding industry arranged a war-time wedding photo shoot drawing parallels between what happened during the world wars and the heartache experienced this year due to the pandemic. The biggest lessons we can take from the war are that, no matter what happens, hope is never lost and LOVE WILL ALWAYS WIN! The items shown in the photos (including the dress, the veil, the artwork, the banners, the shoes, the flowers, the jewellery and more) have ALL been put forward into two separate raffles to raise money for this year's Poppy Appeal with tickets being sold for just £2 each. https://raffall.com/rhymes_to_remember With Covid restrictions limiting fundraising options for the Royal British Legion, we are determined to help with the appeal and to spread some positivity.The poppy is not only a symbol of remembrance but also of hope! So how can you help? Buy tickets. Share the link to the two raffles. Shout from the roof tops that LOVE IS NOT CANCELLED. Let's come together and do something great!   The website to buy raffle tickets to win the items featured in the Poppy Appeal photo shoot is: https://raffall.com/rhymes_to_remember Tickets are £2 and there are 2 raffles on the site to choose from - The first is for the beautiful dress and poppy veil and the other for the other items (listed below) Concept & co-ordination plus poetry and quotes - Rhymes To Remember Charity - Royal British Legion Venue - Great Central Railway Photographer - Ellen Sear Photography Videographers - TTS Media Dress - Ryley & Flynn, Vintage•Boho•Bespoke HMUA - Adele Coxon Make up Artist & Semi Permanent Makeup Veil - Sash + Veil Cake - Lesley Walter Cake Design Hand-lettered banner - The Handmade Sign Company Silk poppy bouquet - Unfauxgettable Framed poppy painting and face masks -Inked by Hand Silver pendant - Bish Bosh Becca Handkerchief - Extra Special Touch Poppy headpiece and brooches - Bunny Loves Evie Vintage jacket and poppy wash bag - Raven Gifts and Interiors Painted shoes - Inanna Bespoke Shoes Wooden poppy clock - Sophie Rebecca Printed supplier t-shirts - Print Spin Location: Quorn Woodhouse Great Central Railway
  As the new national restrictions around COVID-19 come into effect, the team at Derby Parks hope the public will continue to enjoy the city’s parks and open spaces for exercise and mental wellbeing, just as they did during the spring lockdown.
Derby has around 400 parks and open spaces, and there is much to discover at this time of year. We remind you to follow the new guidance and visit only with members of your own household, or to meet with just one other person from outside your household if you are alone. Remember to follow social distancing at all times, and please help us to keep the parks attractive for everyone by taking your litter home with you. In line with Government guidelines there will be changes to some of the activities available. Cafés will stay open, but will offer a takeaway service only. Opening times may vary depending on the weather:
Toilets will be open at:
For more guidance on the use of facilities in parks and open spaces, please visit the Government website: gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-on-accessing-green-spaces-safely Further updates will be put on the Derby Parks website at inderby.org.uk/parks |
Laura TrethowanEditor of Lots for Tots Derby Archives
April 2021
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