Strong community spirit

Despite being originally planned with Christchurch’s retail businesses in mind, the Festival went on to have huge benefits for the local community too. Paul enthused: “Local organisations found a new way to work in partnership and local people enjoyed spending time (and money!) in their town centre. It helped to mark Christchurch as a special place that people have pride in and talk about with their friends and relatives. Someone even commented that there hadn’t been so many people in the town centre since VE Day was celebrated in May 1945! There was a wonderful atmosphere in the town that night and the evening was so successful that it wasn’t difficult to decide it would be repeated as an annual event.”

Freshly cooked food was served throughout the day on the stalls of the Christmas Market.

Since its inception, the event has grown in size and popularity year on year, and Saturday’s Festival was no different – attracting an estimated 10,000 visitors to the streets of Christchurch. A whole host of activities and events to please adults and children of all ages were on offer during the Festival which kicked off at 10am and lasted right through until 7pm. For those with shopping in mind, or people looking to sample festive food and drink, a Christmas Market spanned the entire length of the High Street. In addition, traders on the High Street, Saxon Square, the Priory Quarter and Bargates treated shoppers to special offers and events throughout the day, giving them plenty of opportunities to discover extra items to fill their Christmas stockings.

Something for everyone

Children had the rare opportunity to pet reindeer in a special pen next to the Priory.

For both youngsters and adults alike, there was plenty to keep visitors amused in a specially erected marquee in Saxon Square. The marquee and events were arranged and planned by the Christchurch Community Partnership, which was approached by the Council to chair Saxon Square throughout the day. Special treats for the kids ranged from face-painting and storytelling sessions right through to entertainment from IVO the Clown and fairground rides. For the adults and older generation, entertainment was provided in a variety of ways. Music lovers were treated to live bands playing day-long in the marquee – including live sets from bands CODA Rock Academy, the Lighthouse Band, Not Just Sax and The Funky Little Choir. Or for the fashion-lovers amongst the crowds, a fashion show featured designs from Signature, Habit and New Look – showcasing the latest looks for the festive season.

Live bands played throughout the day in a marquee erected in Saxon Square.

Terry Darch is Chairman of the Partnership’s Cultural and Lifestyle Action Group. He headed up the activities and was extremely pleased with the reception they received. He said: “It was a tremendously exciting day. People were literally crowding outside the marquee – it was so popular that we had to open up the sides to let more people in. It was the first time we’ve had a marquee at the Festival and everyone commented that the activities were the best they’ve enjoyed so far. We really appreciate the tremendous hard work of the entertainers and volunteers and very much hope that we are approached to manage the activities there again next year.”

The reindeer proved a popular attraction.

Following the spectacular lights switch-on, hundreds of families next queued to view the reindeer. The beautiful animals – which were coloured white and brown – were housed in a large pen in the grounds of Christchurch Priory Church and children had the rare opportunity to feed and stroke them. Reputed to be the longest parish church in England (at just under 95 metres) and dating back to the 11th century, the Priory was the perfect place for families to gather after the day’s festivities. For those wishing to continue the experience, a Christmas Fayre inside the Priory offered more gift ideas and tasty treats, whilst visitors also had the opportunity to walk around the church or even take a trip to the top of the tower for an aerial view of the Christmas lights.

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1. Introduction
2. Strong community spirit
3. True sense of occasion
4. Photo Gallery
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