Latest News | 8 July 2021
Moo-ving gesture by Derby doughnut firm
Doughnut firm Project D has helped immortalise a Derbyshire town’s quirky daily lockdown ritual in a new book.
The Derby-based bakery has sponsored the book, called The Belper Moo, which features a funny rhyming tale penned by local writer Carol Brewer all about the daily ‘moo’ practised by town residents during the three Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
The ‘moo’ took place in Belper every evening at 6.30pm during the lockdowns and saw residents take part quite simply by mooing loudly.
The aim of the daily moo was simply to raise spirits during the dark lockdown days when the virus was sweeping through the UK.
Becoming a symbol of hope, it attracted considerable media attention, was featured on BBC Breakfast, and was praised by the likes of comic Russell Howard. TV presenter Jeremy Vine even joined in on one occasion.
Illustrated by Mair Perkins, the new book features a poem about Project D, which, during the first lockdown, delivered eggs, flour and yeast because of a general shortage of bakery supplies.
The company went on to make donations of ingredients to food banks and gave away more than 10,000 doughnuts to NHS and emergency services staff across the county.
Project D co-founder Jacob Watts said: “We were really pleased to be able to sponsor this excellent book.
“Everyone at Project D had to think quickly to stay on our feet during the virus and it was fabulous that the residents of Belper thought about what they could do to keep people’s spirits up.
“Both the Belper Moo and Project D doughnuts helped provide a little bit of positivity during such a bleak time.
“We’ve even got our own poem in the book – and we love to think our own lockdown journey has been immortalised in print.”
Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to The Mental Health Foundation.
It can be purchased online from the Belper Fringe website www.belperfringe.org, the Belper Moo Facebook page @thebelpermoo and Carol’s own website www.pencilpoised.com.
