Rudolph in town parade despite disease controls
REINDEER will be in Malvern again this year to help create the magic of Christmas, despite restrictions on animal movements around the country due to bluetongue and foot-and- mouth disease.
Organisers of this year's Christmas lights switch-on celebrations involving Father Christmas and reindeer, searched within the West Midlands bluetongue restriction zone to find a new company to supply the animals.
In previous years the reindeer have come from Kent, but Malvern town centre manager Anthony Collis said: "There was uncertainty about whether the blue-tongue restrictions would be lifted in time, so we had to trawl around and we found a firm in Stafford-shire with reindeer for hire."
The Defra bluetongue protection zone still applies to East Anglia, Kent and East Sussex, and the West Midlands falls into the surveillance zone, while the department has this week named the same zones regarding the movement of animals to protect against the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
The reindeer visiting Malvern will take part in two parades on Friday November 30. Both start from the Abbey Hotel and proceed along Grange Road and up Church Street, then back to the Abbey Hotel and along Grange Road to the Coach House Theatre next to Malvern Theatres.
The first one starts at 3.35pm accompanied by Father Christmas, while the second one at 5.45pm will be with actress, singer, writer and comedy performer Su Pollard.
She will switch on the Christmas lights at 6pm. Children from local schools have been invited to take part in a lantern parade.
Santa's grotto will be at the Coach House Theatre, rather than the Malvern Town Council offices in Belle Vue Terrace. The grotto will be open on Friday, November 30, and every Saturday until Christmas.
Friday night's celebrations will include an arts, crafts and food market, a village fete along Graham Road, carol singing at the Priory Church, late-night shopping, music from Malvern Male Voice Choir, charity stands, a samba band and a performance at the Theatre of Small Convenience.
There will be more family fun on Saturday, December 1, including a firework display, jazz band, a birds of prey display and music from a team of handbell ringers.
The following Saturdays will have more entertainment, such as bands, horse and cart rides and Bjorn the polar bear.
For a full list log on to www.christmasinmalvern.
co.uk
7:00am Saturday 24th November 2007
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