This week is week 24 of my Year of Reasons to Visit the Moorlands and I am delighted to highlight the fantastic Christmas events taking place in Leek and Biddulph and across the constituency.
This year the Christmas Lights event in Leek will take place on Friday 17th November and in Biddulph on Saturday 25th.
It is always good to see people out and about, packing the streets, supporting our local shops and traders, enjoying the fairground rides, Santa’s grotto, the food stalls and the music and showing that very special Moorlands community spirit that brings us all together on occasions such as these.
As your MP, I have been honoured to join the Scouts and Guides, local schoolchildren and other civic guests in the Lantern Parade and the following celebrations in previous years. Over the years, we have had real reindeer, artificial snow, fantastic music from the Salvation Army band, Stormtroopers, a wonderful disco and music and just so much Christmas cheer.
Writing this column, I am thinking about the first event we had in Leek following the pandemic. Many Christmas events in the Moorlands were inevitably cancelled and I remember how seeing so many people in town again was such a wonderful thing. It is only November but our towns and villages are starting to look festive, the Christmas trees and decorations are going up and there is such anticipation in the air as we approach the Christmas festivities.
I know that many local people are really looking forward to this year’s Christmas Lights celebrations. There is an incredible amount of work that takes place before these events and I would like to say a huge thank you to all the organisers and everyone involved – they are such special events and a great Reason to Visit the Moorlands!
