Meet Santa at Christmas festival

Organisers are promising this year’s Eckington Christmas Festival will be “bigger and better” than ever.

Highlights at the seventh such festival include food and drink stalls, children's rides and entertainment, craft stalls, face painting, Christmas singers and music.Presented by Eckington Town Team, it takes place on Friday, December 6, from 1-9pm – with motorists warned the town centre will be closed to through traffic from noon-9pm.

Margaret Fry, team chairman, said: “Starting at 1pm in the Civic Centre, the craft and gift fair will give many opportunities for shoppers of all ages and pockets to purchase some last-minute Christmas gifts.

“There are 28 stalls offering everything from preserves to books, jewellery, to photographs, upcycled furniture and many different crafted items.

“The young enterprise group from Eckington School will be showing off their business skills as part of their involvement with other schools in the local young enterprise project.”

Stalls and rides will be spread around the streets and pavements, along with music and entertainment for all ages

The chairman said: “The shop window competition is a Christmas special and this year's theme is the 12 days of Christmass. Each shop has chosen one of the 12 days and the Eckington & District Rotary Club has the unenviable job of choosing the winning window.

“Sigmund, the singing reindeer, will arrive at 4pm and will be trotting around talking to children and causing mayhem, before, at 6pm, Santa arrives.”