Billericay gets an early festive boost as families take over the High Street

CHRISTMAS kicks off early in Billericay this year. After the big lights switch-on comes Christmas Family Fayre, the late night shopping and festivities to be held on December 3.
The event will follow the pattern of fun nights staged by the Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower for the past 15 years but aims to capture its most successful themes and to build on them.

The High Street is to close from 5.30 pm to give time for organisers, entertainers and shopkeepers to prepare for a 6 o’clock start. It is then Santa takes centre stage in his procession from the Police Station to his grotto in the Reading Rooms opposite St Mary’s Church where he will meet hundreds of children during the evening. His sleigh will have “outriders”, miniature horses and the Newfoundland dogs which have been such a hit with children in past years.

With kiddie rides and other attractions, the accent will be on young children. But the theme will again be Dickensian or Victorian with family visitors and shopkeepers encouraged to dress in traditional costume.

Although there will still be 21 shopping days to Christmas, the early date has been set after taking the views of traders and supporters. It gives the town the first bite of gift-buying before the big towns cash in and is timed to avoid the office parties that crowd the pre-Christmas diaries and prevent people from attending.

Local organisations will be staging displays and craft stalls along the centre of a High Street free of traffic and a full programme of entertainment will take place on a stage set up outside Somerfields. From here music and commentary will be relayed the length of the town.

Libby Holden, a hit with the crowds last year, is to perform again with some of her own original material as one of the attractions

The appearance of two routemaster buses and a vintage steam lorry will help in the nostalgic view of the past.

Attractions will also include a large Balinese handicraft stall, a favourite with the large crowd two years ago.

Then at 9pm the Fayre ends, the road opens at 9.30 as the town returns to normal and during the night a Basildon Council team moves in to sweep the street clear of litter.

Member of the organising Rotary team Ifor Roberts said: “The return to the family atmosphere of the event last year without the more excitable elements of young Billericay was clearly a success and we were congratulated on this. We will build on this aspect even more strongly this year. A great deal of work has gone on into the planning of the event and we want it to be the best yet.”