Christmas begins in Connaught Village with the help of Halogen
Residents and visitors to Connaught Village in London W2 were treated to an evening of song, lights and Santa as the upmarket shopping and dining area - formed by the ‘triangle’ of Connaught Street, Kendal Street and Porchester Place - held its Christmas Festival on 27 November 2008
The festival, for which Halogen provided media and PR support on behalf of landlord the Church CommissIoners for England, featured a choir procession from St John’s Hyde Park Church. Halogen also helped organise students from local schools to take part in the singing and the evening’s free events which included face painting, a crafts workshop and the chance to visit Santa in his grotto. In addition, parents, carers and other visitors had a choice of around 70 stores, galleries, restaurants and cafés to chose from in addition to the 17 luxury gift stalls supplied by markets specialist Cabbages & Frocks
Halogen also worked with the local pub, the Duke of Kendal, to encourage the development and sale of a branded Connaught Village Christmas Ale which went down a storm
Reverend Stephen Mason and Father Christmas switched on the Christmas lights for the three streets with the support of two local children who were picked from the crowd of young singers
One very special visitor to see Santa Claus in his Grotto was 11-month old Tallulah Phillips. Last year, on a whim, Tallulah’s mother Lucy had gone with her husband to visit Santa in the Connaught Village Grotto event when she was pregnant with Tallulah
“It was the end of the evening and we were strolling through the Festival. My husband looked at me and said with a grin, 'let's take the baby to see Santa', even though the baby hadn't even been born yet,” Lucy recalled. “We came in to the Grotto and told Santa that our baby was due on Christmas Day. He gave us a beautiful smile, and with a perfect twinkle in his eye told us that that we would have the most wonderful Christmas present of all. Tallulah was born on 22 December. My husband and I were both so touched by his words and spirit on that quiet night that we came back this year to properly introduce Santa to Tallulah."
The nominated charity for the night was ‘The Friends of St. Mary’s Hospital’