The final preparations for a new festive event are being made, aimed at bringing the community together at Christmastime.
The monthly farmers market is coming into the village centre next week for a special Alderley Edge Christmas Fair and Market on Sunday 11th December.
All their homemade food, cards and lots of gifts will be on sale and there will be fairground rides, bouncy castles and Thomas the Tank Engine will be joining the celebrations to give children rides around the village.
Father Christmas will be also be making an appearance and a fancy dress dog show will be held at noon. All dogs and owners must go along to Costa Coffee to enter, where the judging will take place with a special prize for the winner.
Entertainment will be provided by country band 'Love in the Mist' and Canalside Radio will be broadcasting announcements about what is going on in the village, so hopefully people won't miss anything.
West Street and Chapel Street will be closed for this special festive event and lots of the village traders will be taking part, many of whom will be opening their doors especially on the Sunday - offering free samples and special offers.
Panacea will be hosting a Little Elves Christmas Ball and Disco between midday and 6pm and Santa will be joining the party, for which the dress code is fun and festive fancy dress.
Organiser Christine Munro said "I feel so pleased that all the traders have taken to the idea and will open their shops and join in the day.
"I am hoping the event will be enjoyable for the customers and people of Alderley Edge, for the traders, and also for the loyal farmers and producers who support our Farmers Market each month."
The Alderley Edge Christmas Fair and Market will take place on Sunday 11th December from 10am until 4pm and every one is welcome to join the celebrations.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Indeed we have agreed with Christine to have the Mr Simms vintage van on sight at our own expense in order to add to the occassion (it has to be brought on a trailer from Staffordshire). The sweet shop's only objection was to be informed by Christine that we were required to pay to advertise the event. The business objected to this request when Christine informed us that there would be stalls selling chocolate, truffles and fudge, which of course we sell. I fully appreciate we are in a free market and these confectionery stalls operate on a monthly basis at the AE farmers' market. However, Mr Simms did not feel like paying to advertise to bring them to operate outside the shop, which we feel is not unreasonable from a business person's persepective. Mr Simms has NO objection whatsoever to the stalls, or to the market, ONLY to paying to advertise it in the circumstances. We welcome the market and look forward to sharing in the event as we stated from the onset.
Since then I have been given a copy. Apologies for my mistake regarding it's contents. However, I'm sure you'll agree it can be a little confusing. The Parish Council and those at the Council meeting where a 'complaint' was discussed, Cheshire East and George Osbourne must have all been similarly confused. In fact, the Parish Council are still of the opinion that you object to the event and those attending and have been in contact.
Maybe if I quote the part of your letter that seems to be causing all this confusion and you'll understand why I made the mistake of believing you weren't wholly in favour of the forthcoming Christmas event.
'I have also discovered that there will be a fudge seller, a chocolate seller and a truffle seller at the market... I feel that it is not equitable for direct competitors to be brought to trade outside our door.'
The chocolate seller you mention in your letter also was presumably mistaken when given what they mistakenly believed was an ultimatum of no longer being able to have your shop stock their delicious chocolate if they attended the event.
May I thank you for clearing up the matter as you have in your above post.
Many thanks to Christine for putting on what must have been a logistical nightmare, it was well worth the effort. Thanks very much indeed.
The venture was the local farmers market relocated to London Road, and the through traffic was not diverted. Local residents have complained to me, as their local Cllr, that they could not access the Bar and Grill for lunch, without getting soaked. The lady was disabled and nearby parking was all taken up.
I passed through London Road at 10 am and the parking was already full - it looked like the stallholders had already parked up, leaving no room for customers.
Personally, I think there was a safety issue yesterday in bad weather because pedestrians could not properly access the pavements and I had to walk on the road at several points. There needs to be an analysis in the new year after the dust has settled to examine what was achieved versus what was the objective of the event.
I am sorry you had some adverse comments.
I cannot understand why you think that it was the fault of the market that the disabled lady could not park near the Bar and Grill for lunch. Our event ended at the Library and none of our stallholders parked past Chapel Street, so maybe the Bar and Grill was busy on Sunday with a lot of their customers parking directly outside because of the rain.
Regarding the safety issue, Jim Newns walked the length of the village with me and told me he had no problems at all and in fact thought it was a great idea and we should consider doing it again.
When I attended a Council Meeting in September I mentioned that I had applied for a road closure of London Road for the day, and if you remember you said you would help me with organising this. I did contact you by e-mail and phone to ask for your assistance but unfortunately I didn't receive a reply.
Regarding walking on the road because pedestrians couldn't access the pavement. I walked up and down London Road many times on Sunday and the only place there was a problem for pedestrians was outside Running Bear and when we realised this we moved the stall to another location. This stall was moved about half an hour after the market had started.
Throughout the day I received some very complimentary comments from traders and customers alike. Despite the weather the atmosphere was great and I would like to thank everyone for all they did to make it so successful.
Prestbury has got it right. The Parish Council and Church together organised a great Christmas event, that in my personal opinion is the best in the area. It was a real good old fashioned community event where they shut the main road and majority of the village turned out.
Take a look through the photos from both this and last year's Prestbury Christmas Street Party over on prestbury.com at http://bit.ly/sKG10V and http://bit.ly/h75iAx - thousands gathered on the main street, though of course the rain had stopped by then.
Knutsford Town Council also helped organise a great event for the Knutsford Christmas light switch on, where several roads were closed and crowds lined the street to watch Santa parade through the town on a sleigh pulled by reindeer.
I'd have thought a road closure and diversion in Alderley Edge would be more straight forward to organise than in both these places - maybe next year we could combine the lights switch on with a Christmas market down London Road?
The only thing I would question is do we need bouncy castle and win a goldfish stalls?
As I said in my earlier post I did try to close London Road for the event but unfortunately the Council would not give me permission. Mr Keegan did say he would help me, as I said earlier, but unfortunately this did not happen. Although the road is a B road and not an A road as the council thought initially when I discussed it with them, they still would not give me permission to close it. They did tell me that they were closing the roads in Prestbury and gave me the impression they had too much to do with this event so couldn't help with mine.
Had the road been closed it would have been much easier to organise and would have been a more successful event I am sure.
The atmosphere at the market yesterday was wonderful and we congratulate the organisers for their hard work. Well done!
The idea of the fairground, bouncy castle, Thomas Train and Father Christmas was to give something for the children as well as the providing the market for the grown ups. Perhaps I was being too ambitious for my first venture into the village and I should just have stuck with what I knew, the Farmers Market. I thought the farmers and producers did us proud, wonderful foods and crafts, and such brave faces against all odds. Also thank you to Canalside Radio for providing the PA System and festive music in the village for the day. I can't say thank you enough.
You knew that CEC wanted to charge £3,500 in order to close the road - advertising legal notices plus Policing costs - because it was a relocation of the Farmers Market which is a business operation.
Parish Council last night voiced approval for a village boost at "Lights turning on" next year by moving the whole thing to London Road and closing the road to through traffic. Could include Traders staying open and ending in fireworks finale.
Yes I did know that Cheshire East Council wanted to charge me £3,500 to close the road, and you knew because I told you at the Parish Council meeting held in September. At that meeting you said you would sort it out for me and not to worry. I e-mailed you on 23rd September to enquire how you were getting on. I received no reply. I e-mailed again on 28th September. Again received no reply. I left a couple of phone messages on your answerphone and then decided I had to sort it out for myself.