Two hundred school pupils are preparing to take part in an
exciting spectacle celebrating Christmas shopping in
Lincoln.
Young people from Cherry Willingham Community School - about
five miles from the city - are looking forward to December 9 when
they willform a Torchlight Procession, which will wind its way from
the city centre to Uphill Lincoln.
And it was a chance meeting between Lincoln Business Improvement
Group's events and promotions manager Michael Armstrong and the
school's music co-ordinator Michael Flowers that gave birth to the
idea.
Mr Flowers said: "We got chatting at a private event and Mr
Armstrong said he would like to get some young people to take part
in a special torchlight parade.
"I mentioned that we had suffered a fire at the school in
April and how everyone had expected it to really hit us. However
the students worked very hard, achieving the school's best-ever
results.
"As a result we changed our school badge to one depicting a
Phoenix. I said it would be great if 200 of our pupils could take
part in the parade.
"We are close to Lincoln and a stream of pupils carrying torches
up Steep Hill would celebrate the Christmas season and also
symbolise how the school had risen like a phoenix from the ashes,
following the blaze."
Mr Flowers said that he is now gathering together a mix of
pupils, aged between 11 and 16-years-old, who are keen to be part
of the event.
Mr Armstrong said: "Each year we try to do something new and we
were determined to highlight the start of Late Night Shopping in
Bailgate in a different way.
"The procession will start off from the Cornhill at 6pm, after
the school pupils, carrying lanterns (containing LED torches), will
line up behind two donkeys and make their way up the High Street
and Steep Hill into Castle Hill.
"They are due to arrive there at 6.30pm in time for a Carol
Service and Nativity, which runs until 7pm. We think the procession
will add a touch of magic to the festive season," added Mr
Armstrong.
Lincoln BIG has organised this event with the help of partial
funding from the European Regional Development Fund.