Celebrate Christmas with festive entertainment
Celebrate Christmas with festive entertainment from the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement Districts An Ice Rink, Santa’s Grotto, visiting Christmas characters and an exclusive meet and greet with Paddington™ will sprinkle Derby with festive cheer this year. Family-friendly entertainment, including ice king and queen stilt walkers, naughty elves on motorised sleighs, gingerbread men and a visiting snow globe, has been funded by the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District (BIDs). Gemma Pindard, Deputy Manager for the Cathedral Quarter BID and St Peters Quarter BID said she is delighted to bring a full programme of activities to the city in the run up to Christmas. She said: “We have worked really hard to create a family-friendly Christmas atmosphere in Derby during November and December and we have some wonderful entertainment for shoppers coming to Derby.” What’s on: Irongate Walk through Irongate’s Ceiling of Light – a display of thousands of lights glowing above one of Derby’s iconic streets – and enjoy the welcome return of the Cathedral Quarter ice rink. The ice rink is being sponsored by the Cathedral Quarter BID and opens on Saturday, November 29, until New Year’s Eve. Last year, more than 12,000 people donned their skates and enjoyed the Cathedral Quarter Ice Rink but there’s so much more to enjoy this Christmas in Derby. Brad Worley, Manager for the Cathedral Quarter BID and St Peters Quarter BID, said: “Our ice rink is always very well attended, and we know how many families love to come skating. We have kept prices as low as possible so people can enjoy some festive fun.” Christmas Lights Enjoy the city’s dazzling Festive Derby Light Trail, a display brought to you by the Cathedral Quarter and St Peter’s Quarter Business Improvement District (BIDs) and Derby City Council. Explore the city centre and find your picture-perfect moment at every turn as the trail leads from St Peter’s Cross to Irongate. The trail begins under the Rudolph reindeer arch (complete with his red nose!) at St Peter’s Cross. In Osnabruck Square, you can sit among twinkling gonks, reindeer, and a polar bear, before heading into Derby Market Hall, walking beneath the towering golden star. You can snap a selfie with the giant teddy bear overlooking the Ice Rink, before walking through the light-up presents on the Market Place. Derby Market Hall Santa makes a welcome return to the Cathedral Quarter Grotto in November – and this year you’ll find him in the Derby Market Hall. Santa’s magical grotto opened on Saturday, November 29, and each child will receive a special gift from Santa. Families can take their own photographs with Santa and his elves and afterwards, why not take a stroll and visit all the new and independent stalls in Derby Market Hall. Tickets cost £4.50, which includes the booking fee, and prices have been kept to a minimum so families can enjoy some special time together before Christmas. Santa’s Grotto opens every weekend from Saturday, November 29, to Sunday, December 21. It will also open on Friday, December 19, from 10am to 12pm, Monday, December 22, Tuesday, December 23 and Wednesday, December 24. Times do vary on the weekends. To find out more about all the events happening in Derby and to check availability and book, visit https://buytickets.at/stpetersquarterderby/1918932 00
GROUNDWORK FIVE COUNTIES – Vacancies & Volunteering
Groundwork Five Counties is a regional charity, looking after dozens of green spaces around the East Midlands. There are lots of ways you can get involved… There are lots of ways you can get involved and contribute to what we do! Each person that supports us, positively impacts their community. Whether it’s through volunteering, partnering or joining us as part of your career journey, we have all sorts of opportunities. Take a look below at our current vacancies and volunteering roles. Volunteering It’s no secret that volunteering is a great pastime and we have plenty of opportunities to get stuck in. Learn outdoor skills from our skilled environment team, and get to love nature even more! From planting and coppicing to litter picking and weeding, there are tasks for people of all abilities and knowledge levels with lots of training opportunities. It’s also a great way to meet people and boost your mental health, all while giving back by looking after outdoor spaces for your whole community to enjoy. Take a look below at our upcoming volunteering days. Derbyshire Bolsover: Every Monday 10am at 1pm we’re at the Clowne Greenway and every other Wednesday from 9:30 at 1:30pm, at Archaeological Way Hayfield, High Peak: Every other Wednesday from 9:45 at the Pennine Bridleway. Matlock: Every Thursday 9:30am at 12pm, we are looking after Denefield Meadows Heanor & Loscoe: Every second Saturday of the month from 10am at 12pm at Red River Local Nature Reserve Amber Valley Ready to make a difference in your community? Sign up via the Groundwork website: https://www.groundwork.org.uk/fivecounties/get-involved/ 00
Hamza Yassin:
My Life Behind the Lens May 11th 2026 at 7.30pm. Theatre Royal Nottingham Join wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin on a new adventure as he takes to the stage for his first nationwide theatre tour ‘My Life Behind the Lens’. Hamza will share his infectious sense of wonder and most precious memories both in life and in nature. ‘My Life Behind the Lens’ promises to be an unforgettable show filled with adventure, storytelling, and stunning wonders from the natural world. Hamza brings a fresh perspective to the natural world, and he truly believes that by engaging people in the joy of Mother Nature and what she has to offer, we can all gain a fresh perspective on the world around us and how we can protect it together. Hamza shares behind the scenes tales from his epic filming expeditions across the globe. Packed with breathtaking footage, fascinating insights, charming personal stories, and with a deep passion for nature, he invites audiences of all ages to reconnect with the wild world around them. This unique live experience offers a rare glimpse into the life and work of one of Britain’s most beloved natural history storytellers. Tickets available from www.trch.co.uk 0115 989 5555 00
Thousands of listeners wake up to the cheerful sound of Andy Twigge on their local BBC radio station at weekends
Thousands of listeners wake up to the cheerful sound of Andy Twigge on their local BBC radio station at weekends. He admits he’s very lucky to be in a job that many people would love to do. And despite being in broadcasting for more than 30 years, Andy reckons he still has plenty to give. I met Andy at BBC Radio Derby where he told me he didn’t get into radio until he was in his thirties; how he was petrified when he joined the BBC; how radio cost him his marriage; and his descent into a bad place when he was suffering from depression. Andrew Charles Twigge who was born in September 1956 confesses he was rubbish at school. He thinks if pupils in those days were tested, he would have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). “I lose interest very quickly, apart from four hours when I’m doing a radio programme. So if you bore me, I tune out.” “If I start reading a book, by the end of the first page I’m thinking ‘what am I having for my tea tonight?’ or ‘what am I doing tomorrow? When am I playing golf again?’ And I don’t even know what I’ve read.” After leaving school Andy went to South East Derbyshire College at Heanor. “I always remember the lady who was our tutor for English literature. She said to me: ‘this essay you’ve written is one of the most descriptive things I’ve read. But grammatically it’s the worst I’ve ever read.’ ‘My spelling was atrocious. But that doesn’t make me a bad person.” The son of a farm worker, Andy naturally enough went to work on a farm for his first job. It lasted four hours! “They tried to get me to carry these telegraph poles sawn in half, carry them down a field. I said there was a tractor and trailer, why didn’t I use that? I lasted half a day. I had my lunch and went home.” A succession of jobs followed. He joined a mate who was working for Rightwear Fabrics making material for bras. “It was a boring job but the camaraderie was good. I’m a people person. I never forget where I’ve come from.” Andy then became a milkman “he was sacked when he spilt milk destined for a school. He says he was Derbyshire’s worst bricklayer, a lorry driver, a greetings cars salesman and a market trader.” “If there’s a destiny and a calling, I had it for a long time but I didn’t know about it.” That calling was being a radio presenter. He started at the commercial station Radio Trent 945. His first job? Sweeping the car park! When someone was needed to do other jobs, they called on Andy. He began putting commercials together and then became the event manager for Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. “We put some big shows on. I used to book all the bands. We did Westlife and we did Take That loads of times. When Take That were starting off in 1992 they appeared at the Pavilion Bandstand in Matlock Bath. It was teeming down with rain and about 400 girls turned up. It was incredible. Take That got changed in the back of Trent FM’s Transit van.” Andy’s hopes of progressing to the airwaves were soon dashed. “People used to say to me you’re too old to become a presenter because everybody used to pigeon-hole presenters into young Radio 1 types, even though they had Simon Bates on at the time.” “But I was infatuated with radio. I always have been. I just didn’t realise it until I was in my thirties.” Despite that Andy did become a presenter. Trent FM was taken over by Global Radio which became Capital and Andy worked on both the breakfast show and Drivetime. He teamed up with Jo Russell at Ram and Trent. Jo and Twiggy won several awards including European best breakfast show at a ceremony in Barcelona. “Then they made the right call, I was too old for the brand. They were very kind to me. I didn’t regret one minute of having to say goodbye because I knew it was right.” Andy then moved to Oak FM, a small station in Leicestershire, and was astonished at the difference in salary. “But they were really happy times. It was a tiny little station that broadcast to Hinckley, Burbage, Loughborough, Hathern and all round there and we were nominated for an award. That was a massive achievement for us to get nominated. They were great days.” Andy was there for about three years. At that time he received permission from his bosses to do some work at Radio Derby to increase his income because he was struggling on his Oak salary. He and a colleague tried to buy Oak FM but when that didn’t materialise, he had to go to Radio Derby “with my tail between my legs” and ask for a job. He’d already turned them down twice. Andy, who sounds exactly the same off air as he does on it, loves talking and rarely stops to take a breath. He explains he was doing a lunchtime show at Radio Derby but Covid came and presenters were given longer, four-hour shows. The lunchtime programme was axed. Much to his surprise, he was offered the breakfast show. “They wanted to have a little change around. I was gobsmacked. I thought: “me, a clown, doing the breakfast show on a BBC local radio station? You’re kidding me. I can’t do that! But they said yes, you can.” “We went a little bit lighter with the show but as I grew into it the serious stuff excited me. I find it a challenge, I love challenges. You’ve just got to put your mind to it.” So what’s the secret to Andy’s success? “I think listeners connect with me. I don’t class myself as a presenter. I’m a farm worker’s son with a microphone and
Kinemagic proves ideal for Almshouse renovations
When a historic Derbyshire almshouse charity needed a faster, safer way to modernise its bathrooms, Kinedo’s Kinemagic walk-in shower cubicle from Saniflo provided the perfect solution. The Etwall Almshouses, founded in the 1500s by Sir John Port, are managed by a charitable trust that provides homes for residents aged over 50. To minimise disruption during refurbishments, the trustees wanted a shower solution that could be installed quickly and safely, with grab rails and a seat included as standard, but they wanted one that was also aesthetically pleasing. Working with local plumbers’ merchant Willbond and installer Etta Plumbing, the trust selected the Kinemagic Serenity. Thanks to its striking design, integrated tray, glass panels and door system, Kinemagic delivers a watertight, low-maintenance showering solution with no need for tiles, grout or silicone, making it ideal for rapid installations with minimal mess. The first installation was completed in just one day with support from Saniflo’s technical team. A second, smaller model followed soon after. Trustee Graham Wale said: “Our tenants love the Kinemagic units and they save us valuable time during refurbishments“ it’s a win-win.” 00
Country & Equestrian Photographer Of The Year
Derbyshire-based luxury equine and dog photographer Imogen has been awarded the prestigious title of 2025 Country & Equestrian Photographer of the Year, following an exceptional performance across multiple categories in The Training Barn’s annual international photography competition. This year, Imogen submitted ten images’ all created during real client commissions, and nine of them received awards, including multiple golds, bronzes, merits, and a silver. The competition, known for its high standard and selective judging, recognises artists who demonstrate excellence, storytelling, and technical mastery within the equestrian and country lifestyle photography genres. Award Results * Merit * Gold • Overall Title • Country & Equestrian Photographer of the Year 2025 The highest-ranked image, a portrait of Grace & Yoshi, captured at the end of an October family session, went on to win the entire competition. Authentic, Real-Time Equine Imagery All submitted photographs were created entirely in-camera, without Photoshop manipulation or composite work.“I strongly believe that equine photography should reflect real moments,” said Imogen. “Every image was taken on a genuine client shoot, in real time, with real emotion. To have this approach recognised across so many categories is incredibly meaningful.” About Imogen Moon Imogen is a specialist equine and dog photographer based in Derbyshire, specialising in equine and dog portraiture, families with horses, and children and ponies sessions. Her work focuses on creating timeless artwork pieces that celebrate the connection between people and their horses and dogs. About the Competition The Training Barn’s Country & Equestrian Photographer of the Year is one of the most respected competitions in the UK equestrian photography industry. Each year, hundreds of entries are judged on technical skill, creativity, authenticity, and storytelling. 00
Belper’s Buzzing Hotspot For Winers and Diners
The Bottle Bank’s name is an enigma. Bringing your glass jars to participate in the recycling drive is a noble gesture. However, arrive in the heart of Belper, and you’ll leave stuffed, a little tipsy and buzzing more than those Christmas tree fairy lights! The Bottle Bank sits inside the old Royal Bank of Scotland building on King Street, a site that spent decades trading under names such as Williams Deacon’s and Williams & Glyn’s. After the branch closed in 2019, it briefly operated as Bank at Belper from 2022. New owners, Kirsty and Sam took over in 2024 and carried out a five-week refurbishment, turning the former vault into a wine cellar, adding a kitchen and creating a garden courtyard, before relaunching the venue as, you guessed it, The Bottle Bank. They allowed us to follow them online as photos showed everything from sparse walls to a rather lonely-looking toilet bowl sat in the middle of a stripped bathroom. Without a doubt, their tale embodies a stoic Derbyshire rule: starting from scratch is always the most rewarding route. When we arrived, luckily, there were no fraying pipes or floor tiles scattered about. The outside retains a staunchly rustic aesthetic. Stone-built, with sharp fascia branding, it is recognisable to the locals without being excessively gaudy. Inside, the low-key pattern remains. Chandelier lighting, tall light-inviting windows and well-spaced tables all encourage a home-from-home feel. The long, sofa-like seating at the back is offset by individual tables and chairs, giving privacy while ensuring you don’t feel isolated from the rest of the room. The bar, we are very happy to say, could be classed as the gold standard that all surrounding pubs should strive for. It is broad, well-staffed and stocked with a solid lineup of beers, ciders, wines and cocktails, from staple classics like the Aperol Spritz to signature creations such as the aptly named Banker’s Delight. Speaking of atmosphere, we would be remiss not to mention the Christmas trees? More seriously, how about the eclectic live-event setup that The Bottle Bank proudly celebrates. Their Cocktail Masterclass is a terrific example of them sticking to their guns, including a welcome glass of prosecco, the chance to shake two cocktails of your choice and a selection of food ranging from pizza to a dairy-stacked cheese board. If music is more your scene, they have hosted everything from jazz jams to 80s discos and even an open mic if you dare. To run with a tag-line like wine bar is fair enough. Boasting over 40 wines, from crisp Italian Pinots to lively Spanish Purgatoris, they have every palate catered for. Need we wax on Provence’s gold-tier Whispering Angel rosé, or take a similar fruity summertime stroll with Portugal’s Espadeiro Vinho Verde? The most surprising feature, and something even the top brass in the wine industry neglects, is the installation of Le Verre De Vin technology. Ensuring you are not sipping from a dud tipple, this system preserves the quality of opened sparkling and still bottles, guaranteeing a just-popped freshness. Now, how is that for customer care? Non-boozers are not left out either. Around 60% of their drinks menu can be offered as non-alcoholic, with soft drinks and low-alcohol options served too. But we are being reductive. While oenologists and sommelier wannabes can absolutely get their fix, The Bottle Bank also indulges in something more gastronomic. Enter their expansive menu: seasonal, all-encompassing, and driven to cater for even the most pernickety of diners. Instead of a conventional three-course menu, The Bottle Bank employs a more forward-thinking approach. They offer a series of meal options arranged in dedicated sections. For example, pizza fans have a strong roster of toppings to choose from, while those more interested in drinks and a natter can choose from the Sharers and Platters or the Feeling Picky selection. And you really want to channel your inner Dionysus and add a touch of Bacchus. In that case, we recommend the Bottomless Brunch: a choice of meals including burgers or pizza, accompanied by selected alcoholic or soft drinks. But we haven’t even touched on the headline yet: The Smoke House Menu. It might be their boldest move yet. It’s a simple setup: when it’s gone, it’s gone! Written fresh each week on the blackboard by the door, and sometimes covertly alluded to on Facebook, it rolls through a changing line up of smoked cuts. On our visit, it was chicken thigh brisket and pork belly. It runs Thursday to Saturday and sets the tone the moment you walk in. You have heard about the atmosphere and the setting. The real question is what the food actually delivers. Why fight the British winter and tuck yourself away inside The Bottle Bank? The answer is best shown by the plates we devoured. Keeping to the flagship smokehouse, we opted for the pork belly. Served with a portion of fries and corn to, quite frankly, literally die for, the meal was a raging success. My partner chose the charcuterie board with meats, cheese and crackers, the whole French spread, all put together with delicate arrangement. As it’s a wine bar, we thought we’d test the waters with a glass of Pinot Grigio and their special wine-taster flight board. Boasting a white, red and orange, all were strong choices, and the Italian Famiglia Pasqua Valpolicella Ripasso stood out immediately. Service was sharp from the moment we arrived. Manager Lisa and her staff were attentive without hovering, and owner Kirsty took time to speak with us. Her pride in the venue is clear. Starting out in Wetherspoons with co-owner and husband Sam, she has worked her way up through sheer graft, and she is a genuine inspiration for anyone who wants to build something from the ground up. By the way, she also let us in on a little venue secret… An exciting new chef, and a menu entirely smoked? Our breath is certainly baited! Christmas is fast approaching, and The Bottle Bank are gearing up
Tree specialists fined after worker falls from height
An arboriculture company based in Derby has been fined £20,000 after an employee suffered life-altering back injuries when he fell over 30 feet from a MEWP basket. An employee of AP Tree Specialists Ltd had been carrying out tree surgery from the basket of a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) at a mobile site in Derby on 25 January 2024. When the machine stopped working while elevated, there was no one on site who could bring the basket safely to the ground. The employee attempted to abseil from the basket, resulting in a fall to the ground. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that AP Tree Specialists Ltd failed to plan, appropriately supervise and carry out work at height in a safe manner. The company had not completed a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for work at height activities, and employees were not appropriately trained in the use of lifting equipment. The director, Matthew Scholes, was acting as site supervisor at the time and was directly involved in decisions and actions that led to the injuries sustained by the employee. The Work at Height Regulations require employers to ensure that work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out safely. Where lifting equipment is used, HSE guidance states that operatives must receive appropriate training, and that rescue planning, equipment and personnel must be considered as part of site assessment. Further guidance is freely available in HSE’s Safe Use of Lifting Equipment (LOLER) Approved Code of Practice. AP Tree Specialists Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £6,956 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 3 December 2025. Director Matthew Scholes pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £400 in costs. HSE investigating inspector, Kerry Scott, said: “This incident could have been avoided if AP Tree Specialists Ltd had planned the work at height with suitable and sufficient risk assessments and safe systems of work, including a rescue plan. They should have provided the employee with the correct information, instruction and training for working at height and for using the lifting equipment. HSE will not fail to take action where companies and directors do not ensure the health and safety of their employees.” This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and supported by paralegal officer Thomas Smith. 00
