NEWS

Christmas Fun in Ringwood

Ringwood is already swinging into the Festive Season with the 'switching on' of the new Christmas lights, the magical reindeer parade, and a Christmas tree festival and plans to have four late night shopping days this Christmas.

With the co-operation and financial support of the Ringwood Town Council and the Ringwood Chamber of Trade & Commerce, the town is able to greatly upgrade the Christmas lights. On Friday November 25th the Ringwood Mayor Danny Cracknel will be formally switching them on at 6.00pm. There will follow a late night shopping evening for the whole town with the Ramsey pipe band, Big Little Theatre Choir and fairground entertainment.

As usual there will be the fantastic Christmas Reindeer Parade and late night shopping, sponsored by the Furlong Shopping Centre on Friday December 2nd at 6.00pm – 8.30pm. The Parade around the town will start from the Furlong at 6.30pm and then Santa and his Reindeer will return to the Furlong where they will remain to be photographed until 8.30pm. A snow machine will guarantee a White Christmas, and mulled wine, mince pies, burgers and snacks can be had from Frampton’s Mill and Café Nero.

There will be all the old favourites, Santa and his reindeer, with Mary and Joseph on donkeys, wise men and angels, Daleks, wonderful floating carnival objects plus the Spiderman band. Fairground fun will be in the Market Place.

The theme for the evening is Elves and Fairies, so please polish up your wands and straighten out your tutu. You too could be one of Santa’s little helpers or adorn the top of the Christmas tree. Most of the Furlong and Ringwood shopkeepers will be dressing for the occasion to win prizes from the Ringwood Chamber of Trade & Commerce.

The traditional Christmas shop competitions will be taking place. The Chamber of Trade will award prizes for the best shop window and the best fancy dress for the shopkeepers and staff. There will also be the odd man out competition with Lorraine Tarrant asking you to put something strange in your shop window, so that the children can pick out the odd item which is out of place in your window and win a prize. The judges, who are Ringwood Mayor Danny Cracknell, the ex deputy mayor Christine Ford, Journal journalist Karen Bate and Nigel Welsh from Ringwood Brewery. The judges will be inspecting the costumes and the windows between 6.00pm until 8.00pm. The winners will be photographed and pictured in the press.

There are two additional Late Night shopping evening events scheduled for the Furlong Centre and for the town on Friday December 9th and 16th - 6.00pm to 8.00pm with some fun and music to go with them.

On December 9th Giles Talbot from Liberty’s Raptor & Reptile Centre will be having a large exhibition of his birds of prey around the town for the late night shopping. There will be carol singers and model pottery demonstration in the Furlong.

On December 16th Chamber members and youngsters from the Big Little Youth Theatre choir will be going around the town and the Ringwood pubs and restaurants, carol singing to raise money for additional Christmas lighting. A new shop will be opening in the Furlong, the fashion store Jaeger will be welcoming the Big Little singers. Let us know if you want us in your premises - 01425 473813.

Extra Christmas fun this year is the Trinity Church Christmas Tree festival which starts at 6.30pm on Tuesday December 6th and ends at 6.00pm on December 11th. There will be 35 Christmas trees entered which have been decorated by local groups such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Red Cross, Happy Dogs and schools. Each tree will be decorated to a theme. The exhibition lasts until 6.00pm on Sunday December 11th. Said the Church Elder David Daniels: “This will certainly be a sight for sore eyes. The trees are in the church and in the foyer. We give the groups the trees and the lights and leave the rest up to them.”

From Belinda Charlton 01425 473813 www.bcamarketing.co.uk