Father Christmas came to the village today at the start of the Victorian Christmas Weekend. He arrived by horse and carriage and walked to his grotto.
There were many people and children dressed in Victorian costume awaiting his arrival and a procession followed him through the village centre. He would return to light the Christmas tree.
The Christmas Tree will be lit by Father Christmas at 4pm on Saturday 5th December. The event is part of the Victorian Christmas Weekend that is being held in the village centre.
Consett Brass will be playing music, next to the tree, at 4.30pm, in support of this charity fund raising event. Collection boxes for the North of England Children’s Cancer Research Fund can be found in local business premises.
The Victorian costume competition will take place at 4.15pm, with prizes for both adults and children donated by the participating businesses.
The first community Christmas tree to be ‘planted’ in Shotley Bridge has now been installed on the village square and dressed with 300 LED lights, in readyness for the official switch on during the Victorian Christmas Weekend.
A big thank you to County Councillor Stephen Robinson, who has funded the installation of the electrics, lights and tree from the Members initiative fund.
The leaflets about the Victorian Christmas Weekend on the 5th & 6th December are now being distributed to local residents.
The timetable of events for the weekend includes the Victorian Costume Competition, which is being organised by the Trust.
Prizes, which have been donated by participating local businesses, will be awarded each day for the best dressed adults and children. Judging will take place in the village square at 4.15pm on Saturday and 2.45pm on Sunday.
The three newsletters that have been published so far this year are available to read [see the Pages column]. You will need to have Microsoft Word software on your computer.
The February newsletter gives information about the Trust’s Design Awards, the proposed development at Shotley Spa, the new Neighbourhood Partnership and traffic and highway issues.
In May the newsletter mentions the Derwent Valley Partnership, action on litter and an update on the planning application at The Spa.
September’s issue deals with the village centre Open Weekend, ‘The Parking Lot’ study and a suggestion to enter the Northumbria in Bloom competition.
Shotley Bridge Village Trust 