P E O P LE
MY CITY CHRISTMAS
Mayor of Winchester Councillor Eleanor Bell shares a
few of her favourite things…
M
ayor of Winchester Councillor Eleanor Bell has had a busy
year, attending events across the district. At Christmas, she's
busier than ever, supporting charities of all kinds and enjoying
her own family festive celebrations and traditions.
Most festive landmark Christmas services
I love the big Christmas tree at the
Butter Cross, where youth bands and
other charity groups perform over
Christmas. I like the way that live
music draws people together to stop
and listen in the middle of the busy
High Street. In the run-up to Christmas we usually
go to All Saints Church in Hursley,
but as mayor I will attend services in
Winchester Cathedral and all around
the district this year. The cathedral carol
service is a particular favourite of mine:
the choral singing is superb.
Favourite
Christmas event For family fun
The lights switch-on, which is 14
November this year. Winchester’s lights
have an almost lace-like delicacy about
them. The switch-on marks the start
of the festive season in the city and
the added delights of the cathedral
Christmas market. When my children were little we would
go to the pantomime at Theatre Royal
Winchester every year. I remember
the first show we attended was called
Christmas Cat And The Pudding
Pirates, and it was brilliant. My
granddaughter will be two next year
and that gives me a perfect excuse to
do pantomime again.
Celebrating
Christmas In the great
outdoors
I may be engaged on Christmas day
itself, so it’s likely that I will celebrate
it before or after the big day, with
my husband and daughter, plus my
son, who will be home from San
Francisco. The family focus will be on
our first grandchild this year and there
will definitely be turkey and all the
trimmings. By then I will have done
lots of Christmas events with local
charities and organisations. Living just south of Winchester, our
favourite walk into the city is along
the water meadows and the weirs to
City Bridge. Another lovely walk is
through Kingsgate village and its little
independent shops to the Cathedral
Close. For a coffee afterwards, I like
Patisserie Valerie or Rick Stein on the
High Street, particularly if there’s a
charity coffee morning on too.
To find out more about the mayor’s charity events, which support The Fire
Fighters Charity, Winchester Hospice, The Children’s Society and Winchester
First Responders, visit www.mayorofwinchesterscharities.co.uk
www.winchestermag.com
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