Barnard Castle looked a little closer to home to usher in the festive season this year as members of the town council dressed up in panto style for a short skit when the Christmas tree illuminations were lit.
It featured town crier Cllr Ian Kirkbride in traditional costume, Cllrs John Blissett and Mark Wilkes in drag and mayor Cllr Sandra Moorhouse as a fairy godmother.
Narrated from a safe distance by Cllr Judi Sutherland, ugly sisters Blissett and Wilkes raised a few laughs as both claimed the right to switch on the lights – before standing to one side to allow three-year-old Rupert Lewis and five-year-old Annabelle Jackson to join Santa in performing the ceremony.
Other attractions at the switch-on included the chance meet a trio of reindeer, wander through a garden of festive trees and listen to Barnard Castle Band as they played a selection of seasonal tunes.
Also during the ceremony, the town council received a copy of town’s charter.
This had been organised county councillor Ted Henderson and his County Hall colleagues Richard Bell, George Richardson and James Rowlandson.
Cllr Henderson said: “At the beginning of the year, we heard the town council would have liked the original charter that hung in the former Teesdale District Council offices until it was taken over by Durham County Council.
“I set out to find the charter and see what we could do. The original charter is in the archives at County Hall,” he said.
“We asked if we could have it back, but they said no, but said we could have a copy. I spoke to the other three county councillors and agreed to get a framed copy and give it to the town council to hang in the Dawson Room at Woodleigh.”
Accepting the copy, Cllr Moorhouse said: “We would have liked to have had the original – anybody would – but it is good that the county council has provided this replica.
“At least the original is in a safe place.”
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