Spotlight on Ramsbottom - Christmas in Ramsbottom

Reporter: Kevin Burke
Date online: 01 December 2010

Santa Claus is coming to Ramsbottom, sleighing down Peel Hill and sending Christmas merriment across the village.

And Ramsbottom is celebrating the festivities with St Nick, with a full schedule of Christmas events going the whole way through the Yuletide season.

Throughout every weekend before Christmas the town will bustle with activity, as a myriad of markets and fairs come to sell seasonal goods.

On the 5 and the 19 December, Bridge Street will be full of traditional Christmas craft and slightly less traditional food. Thai food and German sausages nestle amongst cakes and chocolates, with jewellery, ethic clothing, cards, crackers and all sorts of presents sold in the sleepy rural village.

Also on 5 December, children can get their faces painted in Market Place, and the Civic Hall will hold a traditional fayre.

On 6 December the Civic Hall will host another fair, fundraising money for Bury Hospice.

On 12 December, the Christmas Farmer’s Market will sell locally-produced eggs, meats and cheeses, as well as Christmas gifts and beauty products. This will be all over the town centre - in the Civic Hall, Market Place and Bridge Street.

The Emporium Craft Fayre will be in the Civic Hall between 11am-4pm on 19 December, selling arts, crafts, fine food, and handmade gifts for Christmas.

Carol singers will appear in the town several times over the month. Between 11am-11:45am on 5 December, St Mary’s and Hawkshaw Primary School will be carol singing on Bridge Street, with rosy cheeks and icy noses.

Bury’s cleverly-named Acapeelers will sing all styles of music, from African and Gospel to Rock and Pop, in a capella harmony. They can be seen between 12:30pm-1pm on 12 December.

On 5 and 19 December, ecumenical group Churches Together will hold a Nativity in St Paul’s, Bridge Street, before carolling outside. This will be between 1:30pm and 2:45pm, both days. These afternoon singing sessions allow for Silent Nights.

For animal lovers, it may be hard to pet Donner and Blitzen, but Lancashire Hawks and Owls will spread their wings in Market Place on 5 December. Get up close to these wonderful birds.

The Elizabeth Svendson Trust provides riding therapy with donkeys to children with special needs and disabilities. This gives them the satisfaction that comes from close contact with these beautiful animals and from learning how to ride. They will be in Ramsbottom as well, on 5 December.

Youth Panto that packs a punch will be at the Ramsbottom Theatre Royal on 3 and 4 Decemeber. The genre-defying ‘Scrooz’ tells the story of when the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy meet the world of Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim.

Fantastic Mr Fox will also be showing at the Theatre Royal, with a matinee performance on 19 December by Reel2Reel Cinema, Ramsbottom’s premier cinema and film society. This film adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic is a joy for the family.

Reel2Reel will also be showing The Blind Side (12A), a sports-drama film about the rise of a football star from humble beginnings, at the Theatre Royal on 8 December.

East Lancashire Railway has pulled out all the stops for their Santa Special train, on weekends throughout December. Over 200 Christmas trees line the magical walk-through grotto, with decorated carriages, brass bands playing Christmas music, and festive costumed characters. Rumour has it that Father Christmas will take some time from his busy schedule to go on the train too. Presents for every child and a mince pie and sherry for the grownups are included in the ticket price.

Father Christmas will also be in Market Place all day on 19 December, taking last-minute present requests from children.

So make sure you get out to Ramsbottom this month, and enjoy the festivities in this picturesque, Christmas-card town. 

For more Christmas events click here