City getting ready for Christmas with a full calendar of festive fun

FESTIVE cheer has been sprinkled across Derby, with the help of the famous bear Paddington.

- By TELEGRAPH REPORTER

Readers are being invited to 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.

Family-friendly entertainment, includes the 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 and we have some wonderful entertainment for shoppers coming to Derby.”

WHAT'S ON:

Iron Gate

Walk through Iron Gate'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.

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.