The spirit of the festive season was alive and well in Buckingham this weekend as the community came together for the annual Christmas Parade. Crowds gathered to watch a spectacular procession of 35 ‘games’ themed floats travel through the town centre spreading joy and positivity.
Leading the parade was the Banbury Pipe Band and Drums followed by the Devil’s Horseman and the Mayor of Buckingham, Cllr. Anja Schaefer, accompanied by the Mace Bearer and Freeman of Buckingham, Mr. Terry Bloomfield.
The parade featured creative vehicle floats and walking groups with wonderful interpretations of traditional games all decorated by local groups, organisations, and businesses. Highlights included Operation, Chess, Scrabble, Monopoly, Pass the Parcel, and Mr and Mrs Claus which drew awe and applause from spectators.
Floats: 1st Place: Lace Hill Academy 2nd Place: Field House Nursery 3rd Place: Buckingham Primary School
Congratulations to this year’s Parade Winners:
Adult Walkers: 1st Place: Bernese Mountain Dogs 2nd Place: Sealed Knot 1640
Junior Walkers: 1st Place: Thornborough Infant School 2nd & 3rd Places: Buckingham Scouts
Chairman’s Cup: Buckingham Stagecoach Performing Arts
Commendations were awarded to: Bourton Meadow Academy, 1st Maids Moreton Scouts, Buckingham RUFC Minis and Juniors, Ian Beckett Aerials, the National Trust, and The Motor Spa.
Best Dressed Window Competition
The Christmas Parade Committee also celebrated the winners of the Best Dressed Window Competition:
Retail: 1st Place: Buckingham Cavavin & Wine Shop 2nd Place: Pasha Fashion
Eateries: 1st Place: The Larder Café, Manor Farm 2nd Place: Cornwall Place Kitchen
The Buckingham Christmas Parade once again brought joy and creativity to the community, making it a truly festive success!
The event was organised by the Buckingham Christmas Parade Committee with significant support from the Town Council, which help fund the festivities and managed the road closures.
Cllr Robin Stuchbury Chairman of the Town Centre & Events Committee said “on behalf of the events committee I’d like to thank everyone who helped to make this year’s parade a great success. Including the volunteers who came out to marshal the event – without their support it would be difficult to oversee a large road closure order. It’s also important that we thank all the Town Council staff who worked hard on Saturday to make sure everything ran smoothly, creating a safe environment for everyone. We also would like to thank the Parade Committee and most importantly all the people who came and took part, be that as a walker or a float within the parade. The Town Council and events committee have invested to support our local economy over the Christmas period through the diligent work of our Town Centre Manager and the use of our Tourist Information Centre to support our economy and encourage people to shop locally. Lastly thank you to everyone who came along on Saturday. We sincerely hope that you had a good time and had the opportunity to catch up with friends and family and enjoyed being part of a fun community event in our Buckingham”.