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.
Entrants were given artistic free rein in how they chose to decorate their windows but were all asked to include a Christmas rainbow this year to remember NHS and key workers, especially during the holiday period. Together, the displays around the streets of the city centre make up the Window Wonderland Trail for Festive Derby, which can be seen right up until Christmas and beyond.
Many participants are also joining in the Elf Trail, where younger visitors can spot stickers of cheeky elves hiding in shop doors and windows, using stencilled elves on pavements to guide them. Download a map showing both trails, and see profiles of each business and photos of their displays, on the visit Derby website. When enjoying the trails we should continue to do our best for Derby by being mindful of the general government guidance for Tier 3, following social distancing, and wearing a face covering if we can.
The judges scored each business on quality, innovation, diversity and overall impact. Déda Derby in Chapel St was chosen as the overall winner, taking the £250 top prize. The judging panel loved the colour, creativity, community and joy in its eye-catching hand-crafted display, featuring multi-lingual greetings alongside festive cheer.
QUAD Café Manager, Cat Ward, said:
We wanted something to brighten up Derby’s day and after a team meeting and ideas about dancers and rainbows and well wishes in different languages and a long search for ribbon during lockdown, this is what we created.
It feels like the resilience of the arts will always shine through and come out on top. It is a really positive way to sign of an upside-down year.
NatWest Bank in St Peter’s Street won the prestigious People’s Vote title, with an award of £200. This prize was voted for by members of the public through the visit Derby website. It was highly commended by the judges who felt the time and effort put into the display made it a worthy winner in the public vote. NatWest have decided to donate their prize to the Prince’s Trust charity.
Karina Adams, Senior Manager at NatWest, said:
We are overjoyed to have taken part in Window Wonderland, and the whole team at NatWest are so grateful for receiving so much positive feedback from both the public and judging panel, then successfully winning the Public Vote award. Our displays were completed over a number of hours and the designs were all drawn by our resident artist Vicky Godrich, with the whole team involved with the colouring.
2020 has been a challenging year for all communities, but seeing families visit the city and really enjoy the wonderful Christmas displays has been lovely to watch. The whole team at NatWest would like to wish all the communities and businesses in Derby a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.
The runner-up across both categories, which won £100 and was decided across all the nominees by the judging panel, was Nationwide Building Society in Albion Street. The judges highlighted the many intricately crafted festive buildings, portraying a whole community in one window.
Derby City Council worked with the two Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) - Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter - to run the competition, which was open to all shops and businesses within the city centre, including those based outside the BIDs.
Members of the judging panel were Councillor Robin Wood, Derby City Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism; Mo Suleman, Director of Resources at Derby Museums and Cathedral Quarter BID board member; and Annie Spaziano, founder of Annie’s Burger Shack.
Councillor Robin Wood said:
The sheer time and effort that each business has obviously put into their display made it difficult to choose our very worthy winners. It’s been a difficult time for small businesses, so it was a delight to see so much creativity on display, especially the Christmas rainbows which were cleverly done. Arguably the biggest winners are the people of Derby who get to see and enjoy these windows.
Martin Langsdale, Chair of Cathedral Quarter BID, and Helen Wathall, Chair of St Peter’s Quarter BID, said:
The Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter BIDs have invested heavily over the years to maximise the Christmas lights and decorations in the city centre.
These displays have been beautifully supplemented by individual businesses' window displays which not only attract customers but add to the overall sense of joy and festive spirit - which we all particularly need in the approach to Christmas 2020.
Businesses in both BID areas have engaged brilliantly with this project and their efforts have been greatly appreciated by everyone who lives, works and visits the city centre over recent weeks.
Communities outside the city centre are also being invited to take part in Window Wonderland, by creating their own festive window displays. These could be residential communities or district shopping centres and could include places like churches, libraries and leisure centres.
The businesses taking part in Window Wonderland are:
- Deda Derby, Chapel St
- The Wonky Table, Sadler Gate
- Nationwide Building Society, Albion St
- Selena’s Contemporary Flowers, The Strand
- Brigdens Country, Sadler Gate
- Shooz 4 Kidz, Green Lane
- Holiday Inn Riverlights, Morledge
- Studio One Tattoo, Iron Gate
- The Palfrey, Old Blacksmith’s Yard, Sadler Gate
- The Olive Tree Café, Albion St
- Waterstones, St Peters St
- Nat West Bank, St Peters St
- Padley Group, East St
- Derby Museums, The Strand
- Cancer Research UK, Albert St
- Home Start Derby, St Peters St
- Young Ideas, Iron Gate
- Red Box, St Peters St
- Milk & Honey, Sadler Gate
- Joules, Strand Arcade
- Deesh Dhindsa Hair, Strand Arcade
- Foulds Guitars, Strand Arcade
- David Sebastian Salon, Strand Arcade
- Tiffany Jordan, Queen St
- Cathedral Hair, Queen St
- Blend Salon, Queen St
- Zak Dler Salon, Victoria St
- Cats Protection, Wardwick
- Everyday Loans, St Peter St
- KH Hair, Sadler Gate
- George Brigdens, Iron Gate
- Smith Partnership Solicitors, Norman House, Friar Gate
- Birds, Albert St
- Kaspas, Osmaston Rd
- Portobello, Queen St
- Pound Bakery, St Peters St
- John’s Framing, Cathedral Rd
- Alice and the Hair, Sadler Gate