Musical backing as traditional Lantern Parade launches town’s Christmas
Shrewsbury’s shopping centres will be alive with music and spectacular festive fun tomorrow as they play their part in the launch of the town’s Christmas Cracker event.
The traditional Lantern Parade begins from the Darwin Shopping Centre at 6.15pm but long before that shoppers will be getting into the spirit of things with a lineup of musical entertainment.
Children have prepared their lanterns in the former BHF unit in the Darwin Centre’s Middle Level under the supervision of artist and Shopping Centre Community Co-ordinator Maggie Love who was again delighted by an excellent turnout.
She said: “The Lantern Parade through the Town and down High Street will again be a magical part of the Christmas Cracker festivities help everyone get into the festive spirit.”
The Mayor, Councillor Beverley Baker, and the Town Crier, Martin Wood, will lead the parade from the Darwin Shopping Centre up onto Pride Hill and on its way to the Square for the switch-on of the lights at 6.30pm.
In the meantime the musical entertainment will begin in the Darwin Centre at 5pm with young singer-songwriter Megan Kelsey performing a half-hour set and she will be followed by an impressive and varied lineup of local talent.
Redkix, Halfway House Ladies Choir, Shrewsbury Youth Gospel Choir, Sonja Smith, St Chad’s Church Choir, Of One Accord and Hannah and Brian will fill the malls with music while over at the Pride Hill Centre Almost Bluegrass, Sandghosts and Neil Kristopher will provide the Christmas party accompaniment.
Then the Mayor will return to the Darwin Centre for 7pm for another Shrewsbury Christmas tradition, the Rotary Club’s Tree of Light Switch-On.
This is the 18th year that the Tree of Light has been erected in the Darwin Centre by the Rotary Clubs of Shawbury and Mid Shropshire, Shrewsbury and Shrewsbury Darwin, to invite dedications in memory of loved ones – for a minimum donation of £5 – to be pinned up around the tree while it stays illuminated for three weeks.
Over the years it has raised well over £100,000 for Rotary charities and Kevin Lockwood, Manager of the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside Shopping Centres, said: “We’re happy to be able to help such a good cause. “The Rotarians have done an incredible job in raising so much money for charity and we’re just delighted to play our part here at the Centres.
“Christmas in Shrewsbury is very special and Wednesday night promises to be a wonderful and spectacular celebration of the start of the Christmas period.
“The Tree of Light is a wonderful part of Christmas here and it attracts around 1,000 dedications and thousands of pounds in donations.”
Shrewsbury’s Christmas shopping experience and festivities with late night shopping will take place every Wednesday until 8pm and from Thursday, December 18, to Tuesday, December 23, except for Sunday December 21.
-- Yoland Brown Brownhill House B&B, Ruyton XI Towns, nr. Shrewsbury SY4 1LR ShACC - Shropshire Alternative Car Club www.eleventowns.co.uk www.eleventowns.com www.ShACC-uk.org Tel: 01939 261 121 Fax: 01939 260626 Yo's blog: http://yo-emails.blogspot.co.uk
