Clitheroe Chamber of Trade and Commerce has preparations well under way for a spectacular evening of entertainment this festive season. The Chamber has joined forces with East Lancs Hospice to create Clitheroe’s first St Nick’s Night Santa Dash through Clitheroe town centre on Friday 2 December.

The evening’s entertainment will begin at St Mary’s Church Clitheroe, where Rev Andy Froud has been on a mission seeking young ‘angels’ and ‘shepherds’ from local schools and churches to create a record breaking Walking Nativity.

Musical entertainment will enhance the festive atmosphere along with Pendle Productions panto stars from Jack and the Beanstalk including BBC Radio Lancashire’s Sally Naden.

Families and children in costume will be welcomed with mince pies, refreshments and glow bands at St Mary’s from 4pm.  The Walking Nativity sets off at 5pm narrated by Clitheroe’s own story teller Simon Entwistle telling the ‘Secret History of Santa Claus’.  The parade will continue up through town to the Crib at the Castle Gates ready to cheer the first Santa Dashers setting off at 6pm.

Ian Lloyd, President of Clitheroe Chamber of Trade and Commerce is delighted with the way plans have come together for Clitheroe this year:

“The Chamber Christmas Campaign Team started planning early on in the year.  When East Lancs Hospice approached the Chamber to ask if they could join in our Christmas event we knew Clitheroe was in for something special.  

We are also delighted to announce, as part of Clitheroe St Nick’s Night shops, restaurants and cafes will be buzzing with great atmosphere throughout the town. 

 Judging will also take place for the winner of Clitheroe’s Best Dressed Festive Shop.

 There will be live music on the street, hog roast and many shops offering complimentary mince pies and mulled wine.  We welcome everyone from across the region to enjoy Clitheroe’s festive celebrations.”

It’s not too late to take part in Clitheroe St Nick’s Night Santa Dash, go to Santa Dash 2011 Registration on www.eastlancshospice.co.uk

For more information on how to get involved in the event contact samturner@ferncourt.co.uk

Saturday 13th August 2011

The historic market town of Clitheroe is nestled between the famous Pendle Hill and the grandeur of the Forest of Bowland, lying at the heart of beautiful Ribble Valley.

In 2010 Clitheroe was named ‘Lancashire’s Food Town’ due to the area’s long heritage of farming and range of high quality food businesses, many of which have been run by the same families for generations. More recently, Clitheroe and the food offer in Ribble Valley has been celebrated as part of the award winning Ribble Valley Food Trail, which has attracted thousands of ‘foodies’ from across the UK and abroad to come and sample our local delicacies.

photo courtesy of Andrew Hale Photography

The “Shop Clitheroe” project is aimed at promoting the ethos of people shopping in our town and being rewarded for their loyalty. As part of their investigations the consultation team are looking for input and responses from any business that might be interested in participating in such a scheme.

Please complete the simple form on www.visitclitheroe.co.uk to register your views…

If you think you need more space to leave us your comments or would like to contact us for any other reason, please feel free to email us at shopclitheroe@visitclitheroe.co.uk

photo courtesy of Andrew Hale Photography

Clitheroe Chamber of Trade and Commerce have been successful in securing funding through Lancashire County Developments Limited to design and develop a town centre website: www.visitclitheroe.co.uk

The website will be open to all businesses in Clitheroe and Clitheroe Chamber of Trade and Commerce are seeking your help with ideas for the new website.  They want everyone to get involved and give feedback.  With work due to start in May there is now a four week consultation period where everyone is encouraged to submit as many ideas as possible for consideration on the website.

Ian Lloyd, President of Clitheroe Chamber of Trade and Commerce said, “Securing this funding is a massive bonus for both the Chamber and the Town Centre. We have been looking at developing a website for some time and with the support of the LCDL we can finally start to work towards this goal and really highlight what Clitheroe has to offer as a shopping and tourism destination.”

VisitClitheroe.co.uk is going to be a global showcase for the town and there are already plans to not only feature the diverse array of local businesses but also local events, tourist attractions and transport links in a bid to become the focal point for both tourists and local residents.

Daniel Williams of Whitesands Media commented, ‘VisitClitheroe.co.uk is a great name with massive potential and we need as many people as possible to get involved and tell us what should be included on the site. There are the obvious shop and business listings and many events planned for Clitheroe but with so many reasons to visit the town centre we need to make sure we include as much as we can on the site and really showcase Clitheroe.’

Comments are being encouraged through a simple online form that can be found at www.visitclitheroe.co.uk or email comments can be sent direct to email@visitclitheroe.co.uk. The consultation period is due to run from 12th April to 16th May and the website is due to be launched on 30th August 2011.

Clitheroe Chamber of Trade & Commerce organise and coordinate Town to be  adorned with 120 Union Jack Flags.

The event will be marked by the signing of an illuminated scroll by civic dignitaries in the Ribble Valley Civic Suite, after which the scroll will be presented to Brigadier Mike Griffiths CBE by Ribble Valley Mayor Lois Rimmer in Market Place, Clitheroe, following a parade through the town centre by 130 soldiers from the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and Band of the King’s Division.

The parade will start at 10.45am, when the 1^st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, will march from the bottom of Moor Lane to Castlegate, down Castle Street and into Market Place.

Between 11 and 11.20am, Ribble Valley Mayor Lois Rimmer will take a general salute from the battalion. The regiment’s commanding officer will then invite the mayor to inspect the troops. The mayor will ask Brigadier Mike Griffiths CBE to accept a scroll conferring Freedom of Ribble Valley on the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. The mayor will then invite onlookers to give the regiment three cheers.

 At 11.20am, the battalion will continue its march to the bottom of York Street, where the soldiers will fallout and disarm.

Road Closure & Information

The following town centre roads will be closed to non-essential traffic from 8.45am and all traffic from 10am to accommodate the historic event: Moor Lane, Castlegate, Castle Street, Market Place, York Street, Church Street, King Lane, King Street, Woone Lane (between Eshton Terrace and Moor Lane), Queensway and Lowergate (between Highfield Road and the Emporium).

Residents are also being asked to move their cars from the road closure zone by 8.30am, otherwise they will be towed away free-of-charge to the Highmoor Park Car park in Pendle Road.  Residents can leave their cars at the following car parks: Whalley Road, Peel Street, Lowegate (exit Lowergate by Highfield Road only), North Street, or Chester Avenue.

 Lancashire Constabulary is asking shopkeepers and members of the public to watch out for unattended bags or packages, or any suspicious activity, during the parade. Anyone who sees anything suspicious is asked to inform a police officer or steward immediately.