Ilkeston - Christmas Festival
w/e 11 December 2011
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
Ilkeston's Christmas Festival began on December 3rd
and was set to run for three consecutive Saturdays with various
attractions and activities in the town centre. All these images
come from the middle Saturday, the 10th.

One of the events advertised to run through the term of the Festival
was a "Town Centre and Market Hunt" where participants
had to locate ten Christmas symbols on the market stalls. This
obviously was only possible on market days and I only spotted
two yesterday but wasn't really searching for them. A similar
competition could be found every day in the windows of various
town centre shops where anagrams had to be solved.
|

In addition to the market stalls an Arts and Craft Fair where
many unique products could be purchased perhaps as Christmas
gifts, was held in a marquee that had been erected outside the
library.
|

On Saturday morning though on the stroke of eleven o'clock one
of the main events of the Festival was the reason for many excited
children to gather at the Co-Op to await the arrival of Santa
Claus. He had given the reindeer a day off however and pulled
up outside the Town Hall on an old fire engine.
|

He spent a few moments in his busy schedule chatting to those
admiring his mode of transport before climbing down from the
machine to cross the road to the Co-Op where he was greeted by
many more expectant people at the main entrance awaiting Santa's
arrival.
|

After lunch two more of the Festival's attractions, the Climbing
Wall and a Children's Ride were joined outside the Moon and Sixpence
pub by Top Brass who played a selection of Christmas tunes.
|

Also nearby a lady was engaged not only in Face Painting but
also extended her talents to create designs and pictures on the
back of hands.
|

And still in the same corner of the Market Place, the local radio
station, Erewash Sound were conducting an outside broadcast playing
music and interviews with local people. The "Live Roadshow"
was billed to take place between 10am and 2pm with Top Brass
performing between 11am and 1pm but I think the times must have
been varied so that they did not compete with each other - that
just wouldn't have worked at all!
|

A little further away on the Lower Market Place again from 10am
until 2pm were the birds of prey from regular visitors to the
town, Kilton Pet and Raptor Rescue.
|

On Bath Street outside the Albion Centre Ilkeston Brass were
providing their own selection of Christmas melodies with another
four hour stint from 10am although I do believe there was a change
of personnel during the day.
|

And as soon as Ilkeston Brass finished the music continued with
a charming selection of Christmas songs by the Chaucer Infants
School Choir. Their choir mistress and teacher advised the surrounding
proud families and other onlookers that there were many more
children in the choir but a limit had been placed on their number
by the council. Although few in number their enjoyment and enthusiasm
in entertaining was a credit to all involved.
|