FANTASTIC FESTIVAL OF FOOD AND FUN AT TEDDINGTON LIGHTS UP
This year’s Teddington Lights Up event promises to be one of the biggest and best ever with a festive feast of entertainment including carol singing, dancing, choirs, gift and craft stalls, street food, a lantern parade, an elf hunt with prizes, BBQ’s, a kids’ funfair, Santa’s Grotto……… and plenty of mince pies and bubbles.
Local traders in Broad Street, High Street, Church Road and The Causeway have shown massive support for this year’s event on Thursday, November 27 by funding the purchase of two big Xmas trees, 20ft and 25 ft in Broad Street and High Street and fifty-seven 4ft tall trees for individual stores from Pines and Needles.
Director Mel Franke told Teddington Town said: “We are absolutely delighted with the response and support we have received this year. It really shows how much the community really cares about where we live and the quality of life we are lucky enough to enjoy here. This will be one of the best Teddington Lights Up events ever.”
The key sponsors are The Lensbury, estate agents Chase Buchanan and the Mayor of Richmond Penny Frost who will perform the actual Lights On ceremony at 6pm outside the Christmas tree at the Post Office in the High Street. Other sponsors include, Ruba Restaurant, Nix Academy, Holmes & Daughters, Parsonage & Co, The Kings Head, Savills, Lyes Electrical, LEYF Nurseries, Kindred Nurseries and The Teddington Lottery.
There will be live performances on a small stage from Daniel James from 80’s pop duo Yell who will sing Silent Night as well previous hits like Instant Replay and Let’s Go Round again and Xmas favourites like Love is in the Air and Merry Christmas Everyone.
Well-known professional singer Katherine Ellis, who lives in Teddington, who has sung backing vocals with Belinda Carlisle and Robbie Williams will also be performing with local pianist Tim Parsons and there will be a combined choir from the Landmark Singers, Landmark Sound and Mansong.
A total of 82 traders have helped fund the events and for the first time The Causeway linking Park Road and Broad Street will be closed to traffic to allow various stall offer street food and live music from the 18-piece St Margaret’s Elastic Band outside Sims, the opticians between 6pm and 730pm.
Teddington Lights Up is the biggest Xmas event across the whole of the Richmond Borough.
The new Elleray Centre will be open for the first time offering pony rides with Park Lane Stables, a small Christmas market, a choir from RUILS charity and the Stanley School Choir will sing near the Broad Street tree between 4.30pm and 5pm and then the choir from Clarendon School will also perform. The Mayor will join the Lantern Parade.
The Lion Pub, which has been saved by the local community and is due to open in early December, will have a pop-bar and gazebo serving beer and prosecco in The Causeway. A band called TV200 will also be playing live at The Hogarth pub in Broad Street at 8.15pm.
Free wraps and nibbles will be available from Sidra in Church Road and Vidatherapy will run a lucky dip, a raffle and competition to win a Xmas hamper.
Many of the Teddington shops will open late and offer free glasses or prosecco and mince pies and the RNLI will be represented an inflatable boat near the King’s Head and there will be a fire engine parked near Sainsbury’s. A strong police presence will also be visible to reinforce community relationships.
The Teddington Memorial Hospital’s League of Friends will be based at the High Street wine bar Shambles offering Christmas drinks between 6pm and 8pm while the choir from Sacred Heart school perform and the children’s funfair will be based in the Cedar Road car park with roundabouts and rides.
Café Benedict is showing its support by providing mulled wine, pancakes, hot chocolate, popcorn and a BBQ at their three outlets in the High Street, the main Cafe Benedict restaurant, Parsnips Deli and the coffee shop. The new Teddington Pantry, which opened on Saturday, is also supporting the event, There will also be a BBQ outside the Teddington Arms, supported by Turing School.
Teddington Together is run by a group of local volunteers including Mel Franke and Ciara Curran, who work for Coversure insurance company and are both directors and committee members Sharon Brewer from Teddington Carpets, local resident Gemma Rainbird and Rhys and Miles Jervis-Denison.
To learn more about Teddington Together or get involved in the community group go to Teddington Together