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Durham’s Christmas Wish
Friday 2nd November 2007
Santa Claus may have to appear at the Durham Storybook Christmas Festival next month (December) without his two reindeer, it has been revealed today.
Restrictions on the movement of animals, imposed by
DEFRA, could result in Santa having to forgo his usual
reindeer powered transport for a more conventional method
to get to Durham City for the two day festival.
eet for your delight
Over the first weekend in December, the City will host
many other Christmas characters for the 'Storybook
Christmas' festivities, including the Clockheads,
Ebeneezer Scrooge, the Snow Queen, her Snow Elves and The
Jacks of Frost, but Santa Claus may still be forced to
leave his four-legged friends behind..... in Kent.
The outbreak of Blue Tongue disease across South East England has resulted in all animal movement from that region being stopped. It was from The Reindeer Centre, near Ashford, that Santa had planned to employ Triumph and Mic-Mac for his long journey to Durham.
There is, however, still a chance that the restrictions may be lifted and local children are keeping their fingers crossed a solution will be found. The situation is under constant review and DEFRA is putting out updates on a regular basis.
Children from Chester-le -Street County Durham are hopeful that the two reindeer will still be visiting the City's Market Place as part of the Christmas event. Stone Wallace, aged six said: "It wouldn't be right if Father Christmas had to come in a taxi or on a bus. My Christmas wish is the reindeers can bring him here instead." Triumph and Mic-Mac will only travel together; in fact reindeer must always travel in pairs because the Christmas creatures can become distressed if they travel alone. If they do make it to Durham, they will be staying at a nearby farm when they aren't posing for festive photos. The children have promised to send the two reindeer a Christmas card to wish them well.
And even if Triumph and Mic-Mac don't make it to this year's Durham Christmas Festival, Santa Claus will definitely still be there. Santa will be setting up his grotto at Prince Bishops Shopping Centre the Market Place, where with the help of his Elves he'll be using the latest Elf technology to test how good children have been with his Christmas machine, the Goodometer.
Durham Storybook Christmas takes place across Durham City between December 01 and 02. It is a themed celebration of Christmas time and Christmas literature with displays and activities in Millenium Place, Walkergate, Market Place, Palace Green and both The Gates and Prince Bishops shopping centres. Activities will take place between 10.00am - 5.00pm on Saturday 1 December and 10.00am - 5.00pm on Sunday 2 December.
At Millennium Place the entertainment walkabout performances will be courtesy of Dr Southall, the Victorian inventor and his amazing Flatulator. This machine could revolutionise wind-powered transport as we know it and makes very funny sounds! A Christmas carriage pulled by A Christmas Carol's Bob Scratchitt and Scrooge will also feature.
A sensory Christmas delight will be hosted at Walkergate, a Victorian marquee for mulled wine and roast chestnuts with array of food provided by the restaurants in Walkergate.
Over at the Gates shopping centre the Snow Queen will provide entertainment walkbout performances with a Globe Walking Snow Elf and the stilt-walking Jacks of Frost.
Clockheads will be walking around the City acting as a walking programme, making sure visitors to Durham City don't miss out on activities.
As well as the variety of festive characters making
appearances, there will be a Traditional Christmas
marquee with over 150 craft and sift stalls. Also
happening on Saturday is the St. Nicolas lantern
procession when local school children will carry handmade
lanterns in a procession culminating on Palace Green at
the magnificent Durham Cathedral.
Christmas Traditional Market with over
150 craft and
Durham Christmas Storybook Festival is being organised by
Marketing Durham in conjunction with She's Gott It! the
Durham based events company and is supported by Durham
City Vision.
Jacqueline Wallace, Senior Project Manager of She's Gott
it! said: "We're still waiting to hear whether the
reindeer will be able to join us for the weekend's
festivities. There will be plenty of other things going
on, but it will be such a shame for Triumph and Mic-Mac.
We're keeping everything crossed."