By Desmond FitzGerald
In its first weekend alone, the Leicester Square Christmas Fair in Central London was already drawing in celebrities alongside the local and visiting crowds. Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell were reportedly seen on Sunday; and Jonathan Ross with his screenwriter wife Jane Goldman and their children, continuing their support onhe fair on Saturday, as they have for many years at Hampstead and Brent Cross.
Also attending was at least one pair of Eastenders stars. The easygoing atmosphere makes for the famous to mix with everyone else here over the festive season, a trend set to continue in the coming weeks.
This year the opening took place last Friday December 5, following a trial run of the rides on the Thursday. The natural high platform of Stuart Danter's 'Insania' Miami, here for the first time, made the perfect stage, fitting snugly into the position backing onto the West End half price ticket booth, where Wilsons' Storm Booster successfully spent two winter seasons.
A quartet of students from the Sylvia Young Theatre School's years 6-11
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confidently sang popular carols and Christmas songs, as others performed choreographed dance routines in seasonally themed costumes, under a very effective snowfall effect that Wilsons had added to the fair for this year.
The Town Crier to the City of Westminster, and to The Mayor of London & The Greater London Authority, Peter Moore, officiating at the event for the 19th time, called the growing crowd of shoppers, commuters, local families and tourists to order and introduced lessee William Wilson MBE.
After speaking of his pride at organising the seasonal event for nearly a quarter of a century on behalf of the family firm, William handed over to The Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Westminster, Cllr Louise Hyams, to speak on behalf of the community. Cllr Hyams spoke of the fair being one of the occasions in the calendar that she looked forward to most, with its traditional family focus and simple charm, that everybody could enjoy.
The Lord Mayor was pleased to accept a generous contribution to her chosen charity, 'for dementia' from William Wilson. Later, prizes that several of the official party won on the tour of the fair that followed went to local causes.
Among the se'leral other Westminster councillors supporting the launch was Cllr Robert Davis, Deputy lieutenant of Greater London. Also joining the party later, |
was Sir Simon Milton, Leader of Westminster City Council and Deputy Chairman the Local Government Organisation and now Deputy Mayor of London for Policy and Planning.The Rev Dr John Tudor, former Registrar of Westminster Central Hall and current Showmen's Chaplain, was on hand once again, with his wife, to bless the fair, the showmen and the audience.
David Wallis, Jr Vice President of the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain, who also presented the seasonally appropriate double decked Ice Maze attraction at this year's fair, joined the official delegation along with the Pearly Kings and Queens Society with the 'Royal' couples representing Highgate, Crystal Palace and Finsbury with the youngest member "prince' Harris.
The crowd and the official party were led by the Town Crier in the countdown from 10-1 to switch the lights on at 5.30pm precisely. When the lights ceremoniously came to life, with the rides starting up, the crowds gasped as the trees in the square were suddenly illuminated, for the first time, by thousands of tiny blue lights, right to the top of the highest branches and the result of seven weeks of work and doubtless many planning meetings.
The day following the opening saw nearby Regent Street and Oxford Street become 'car-free' (reminiscent of the annual Regent Street Festival that
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