Pictures: 2023 New Milton Christmas lights switch-on and parade
Shivering crowds braved the chill to throng New Milton town centre for the Christmas lights switch-on and parade – after a late insurance wrangle threatened to spoil celebrations.
Organiser Chris Clarke of New Milton Lions club said Saturday’s event was a great success, with traffic barred from much of Station Road as well as Elm Avenue and parts of Old Milton Road and Ashley Road for the parade and for pedestrians to roam freely around the stalls and shops.
But he revealed the big parade was nearly stopped before it even started – by a newly introduced insurance requirement just days before the show.
“Under a fresh review, our policy, which is arranged by Lions nationally, was deemed not unable to cover an event including a road closure order.
“This had not been an issue in the past but it meant we would not be able to go ahead unless we put together additional cover at the last minute. The premium cost nearly £800 but we got it sorted to meet our needs,” said Chris.
That cleared the way for a worry-free day of fun, drawing thousands of shoppers into the town centre.
It was made possible by sponsorship from New Milton Town Council, New Milton Sand & Ballast and New Milton Residents Association, as well as manpower support from the Freemasons who helped the Lions members.
Chris said: “We were incredibly fortunate with the weather, which was dry and even sunny – if rather cold – so that we started the day scraping windscreens in sub-zero temperatures and it barely crept above three or four degrees.”
But he said the good spirits of the festive season abounded with the 60-plus stalls along Station Road doing a brisk trade, together with the eight from the French market section which were set up by 7.30am.
Adding to the atmosphere were the aromas from the hog roast and ‘Silly Sausage’ stalls as well as the coffee stands offering welcome beverages doubling as hand-warmers.
And then came the big parade with the Ringwood Pipe and Dolphins Marching bands, Santa in his sleigh, energetic Zumba exercise dancers, vintage tractors, cadets and care home residents snug in their minibuses.
At the southern end of the pedestrianised Station Road, a larger funfair was a popular attraction with the children – and there was another humorous diversion there when the parade arrived.
Chris explained: “For some reason when the parade turned from Station Road into Elm Avenue, the tail end of the cavalcade including the Friendly Dogs club contingent peeled off into the car park! Fortunately they were all back in line when it arrived at the finish in Ashley Road.”
There, town mayor David Hawkins pressed the plunger to switch on the town council’s festive illuminations for the town centre and the show went on, with stage acts including the seven-piece Six & Sax band and vocalists.
The festival also proved the perfect shop window both literally and for groups staging events.
For the 10 year the best dressed shop windows were honoured, with prizes presented on the festival stage by competition organiser Gill Hepburn and Lions vice president Alan Watson.
In the charity shops section Mind won for the second year running, with runner-up Scope, winners in 2019.
Victorious in the fiercely contested retail category was PMG Schoolwear, which last won in 2021, followed by the 2019 winner Mower Services from Old Milton Road.
Using the parade to promote their forthcoming events were Barton Court Studios’ dancers giving a taster of their show ‘At the Hop’, to be presented at the Forest Arts Centre in New Milton on 12th and 13th January, and New Forest Players dressed for their Dick Whittington show on 28th-31st December at Ballard School.
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