Chesterfield's landmark Christmas 'Dents star' will come back brighter

James Hopkinson was among those who wanted to see the big star that shone on top of Dents chambers for more than half a century burning bright in New Square again this year.

He said: “The Dents star is a bit of a Chesterfield institution, I always remember it as a child and when I saw a post saying it was no longer going to be put up and seeing how disappointed people were it got me thinking.

"David Tate, owner of Copelands Chartered Surveyors, is a friend of mine. I know he is the owner of Markham House and I thought if we could move the star and try to put it over KwikFit everyone would see it entering town from the roundabout, it’s a major route into town. David made some calls, and we managed to get permission from the Dents landlord but logistically within a sensible timescale prior to Christmas we couldn’t make it happen this year.

“We want to do it properly so David has decided to reach out to some of his contacts and we are looking into a brand new bigger star being made. Our aim is to get it all completed by late summer next year so we can get it in place for Christmas 2024.

“In terms of cost, we need to fabricate a new metal frame, then there are the lights which we are going to use LED ones so they’re nice and bright. I’d have thought it’s going to cost about £1,500 to £2,000 to get it all located properly and made.”

James, who lives near the town centre, is national sales manager for Pod Point, an electric vehicle charge point supplier. He posted on social media: "Long live the Chesterfield star.”

The illumination was a festive fixture on the rooftop of Dents Chemist which moved out of its prominent premises on the corner of New Square in 2021 after 118 years in the town centre. The following year the star was lit up by the building’s landlord after several people voiced their dismay at not seeing it.

The Derbyshire Times has reached out to the landlord for a comment on the star’s no-show this year.