SHOPPERS from around the North Cotswolds descended on Chipping Campden at the weekend for the annual Christmas Market.

After a wet morning with people came out in large numbers to browse the stalls, watch and listen to the entertainment and take their young children to visit Father Christmas.

The event was opened by Town Crier Chris “Rooster” Rouse and Lord Mayor of Chipping Campden Michael Allchin.The event was run by the Chipping Campden Rotary club, with the highlight being the lighting of the Tree of Life (and all the town’s lights).

Entertainment on the stage was with some superb dance routines from Rozie T Dance Academy, and energetic keyboards/vocals from Andrew James.

This became a singalong with crowd participation and he was joined on stage with some young children dancing to his tunes.

The stalls included one from the Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpicks with their first joint newspaper The Campden Tablet giving news and history about next year’s Cotswold Olimpicks and Scuttlebrook Wake events.

These historic events, including the world shin kicking championship, have been going for hundreds of years with the Cotswold Olimpicks traced back to 1612.

The Scuttlebrook Queen for 2019 will be selected at an event at the Lygon Arms on February 8, with local girls 11-17 being eligible to enter. The Queen will appear at both events.

Entries for the Cotswold Olimpicks for Championship of the hill, Champion of the Hill and Shin Kicking among others are open now and for more information contact Grace at media@olimpickgames.co.uk

The outside stalls included several for food and drink (including mulled wine) and a variety of craft stalls included candles, wreathes, jewellery and paintings.

There was also a fundraising stall from Chipping Campden scouts, a stall from St Catherine’s Parent Action Group with raffle items, a treasure seekers gift shop and face painting from Catherine Bellew.

Now Chipping Campden and its shops will hope for a busy Christmas period before an exciting line-up of events in 2019.

CHRIS ROBERTS