Residents will be treated to a trio of festive events this year: an outdoor show, the lights switch-on and a Christmas market. Elaine Atkins of the South Woodford Society reports
There’ll be plenty of festive cheer in South Woodford this November and December, with not one, not two, but three wonderful community events for all to enjoy.
We’ll have our annual switch-on ceremony and the Christmas market, of course, but before all that, Vision RCL will be treating us to a special touring show, bringing Santa to South Woodford. This new Christmas event will take place outside South Woodford Library on 23 November from 4pm to 6pm. Details were still being finalised at the time of writing, so visit the website for more information.
Then – following the resounding success last year – the South Woodford Society is planning to repeat its ‘Switching On of Festive Lights’ on 2 December between 3.30pm and 5.30pm. As last year, the switching on will be followed by a jolly singalong of Christmas songs, accompanied by a brass ensemble and buoyed by community voices of all ages singing with all their heart! We’ll be holding the switch-on event at the central seating area in George Lane, by the roundabout. There will be warming ‘after school’ food available and mulled wine to keep out the cold. As well as local dignitaries, we’ll also have panto people mingling to add to the magic!
The monthly George Lane market will go ahead on 18 December as a Christmas Market (11am to 4pm). It will be a family friendly event with Christmas fayre, activities and entertainment. The South Woodford Society will be fully supporting market organiser Ace Events, but we will have less direct involvement, partly because of restricted funding, but also because it’s been a really busy year for the Society, with exciting projects that have swallowed up our wonderful volunteers!
We’ve been re-greening South Woodford; as well as the community orchard, we’ve adopted Eastwood Green (by the George Lane roundabout) and Bell Green (opposite the Railway Bell), and an enthusiastic team has also adopted The Grove (the planted area behind Waitrose on Eastwood Road). This is all as well as the amazing efforts of the South Woodford Gardeners who continue to maintain our flower beds on the bridge over the A406, outside Regency Court on the High Road, and in the central planted area in George Lane.
The Neighbourhood Plan team has been focused on developing a Design Code for South Woodford – a fascinating national project that has welcomed essential input from our community. And we’ve continued to support our businesses through the South Woodford Business Forum and have been grateful for sponsorship that has helped us to fund our social events. We’re committed to encouraging people to ‘shop local’ and continue to promote our monthly market – on the third Sunday of every month – which helps towards our aim of making South Woodford a ‘come to’ destination.
The South Woodford Society continues to grow, with lots of new members. We’re all about making South Woodford a better place to live, work, learn and visit, and this year’s Christmas events will be a celebration for all! I do hope you can join us.
The Christmas show will take place outside South Woodford Library on 23 November from 4pm to 6pm.
The Christmas lights switch-on event will take place on George Lane on 2 December from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.
The Christmas market will take place on George Lane on 18 December from 11am to 4pm.
