Westbourne’s Very Victorian Christmas has begun and will continue throughout December with Victorian-themed festive fun, including captivating street theatre performers on hand to entertain visitors.
A spectacular opening two days have marked the start of Christmas celebrations in Westbourne. The festivities we’re declared under way on the 30th November by Westbourne’s town crier along with a little early Christmas magic as ‘snow’ fell over Westbourne arcade before the annual Choirs by Candlelight event entertained visitors and late-night shoppers. This was followed on the 1st December with the the arrival of Santa in Westbourne arcade. The Victorian-themed festive fun will now continue throughout December.
This includes a whole cast of Victorian characters who will be greeting visitors to Westbourne this Christmas. From December 7th, a Very Victorian Christmas in Westbourne will be conjuring up an atmosphere familiar from Charles Dickens’ celebrated novella A Christmas Carol – when Christmas was the most wonderful time of the year, filled with carol singing, gift wrapping, decorations, magic, and story-telling.
Shoppers will get a taste of ‘Christmas Past’ thanks to a cast of Victorian characters who will be wending their way around Westbourne on Fridays and Saturdays in the run up to the big day. The mesmerising street performers will be delighting visitors on Friday December 7th between 2pm and 6pm and on Saturday December 8th between 9am and 4pm. Along with Victorian walkabout characters, acts on the first weekend will include Victorian Storyteller Trisha Lewis, Street theatre from the renowned ‘Bureau of Silly Ideas’, Southbourne Community Choir and children’s entertainer Jamie Jigsaw.
Many of the acts will be returning on Friday 14th between 2pm and 6pm, and on Saturday 15th 10am – 4pm. Other treats for visitors to Westbourne this weekend will include the cheeky but playful Spiced Satsumas performance artists plus the talented Canford Cliffs Community Choir and Sing Now Choir.
Westbourne’s Very Victorian Christmas will reach its finale on the weekend before Christmas with two more days of festive fun on Friday 21st, between 2pm – 6pm, and on Saturday 22nd December, between 9am and 4pm. Set to wow Westbourne visitors, there will be Victorian Stilt Walkers on both days plus the incredible magician Man of Magic, the Salvation Army Brass Band, along with the Cantamus Choir and more on the Saturday.
Coastal BID Chairman Paul Clarke said:
“With its charming and eclectic mix of shops, businesses, cafes and restaurants, Westbourne is always a fantastic and popular destination – but we at Bournemouth Coastal BID hope this year’s Christmas attractions will make it even more magical.
“Taking a stroll through its stunning Victorian arcade, it isn’t too hard to imagine how Westbourne might have been back then. We’re sure visitors will love taking a step back in time and getting a taste of a real Victorian Christmas.”
To find out more about the Bournemouth Coastal BID, visit www.coastalbid.co.uk.
