Beaulieu residents enjoyed their very own Christmas event again this year, held in the Beaulieu Community Centre. Hosted by Beaulieu Estate Management, on behalf of the residents, the star of the show was of course Santa Claus himself! He arrived on his sleigh with his two little helpers and spent time with each of the children, taking note of their Christmas wishes.

It is estimated that around 200-250 residents came to see Father Christmas throughout the day, and to take part in the various festive activities on offer for all the family, making it the perfect prelude to Christmas. Jesters nursery were on hand, to provide calendar making with the children, who were soon busy filling the calendars with stickers – as well as placing some of the stickers on unsuspecting adults!

Kip McGrath Education Centre ran a competition to design the best-looking Christmas decoration. Needless to say, this became one of the most popular activities and led to some magnificent glittery creations.

And for those looking for inspiration, a selection of handmade jewellery and Christmas decorations were available, making ideal gifts for friends and family.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the perfect lead-up to Christmas without some festive goodies and Coffee Squared, the popular coffee shop in Beaulieu Square, brought along a selection of cupcakes, and biscuits for the children to decorate, some of which were boxed up and taken home, but many never made it out of the community centre!

Adding to the Christmas cheer and celebrations, St. Frances Community Church sang some beautiful carols, including the much-loved classics “12 days of Christmas” and “Silent Night”.

Martin Payne, Beaulieu Estate Management’s Community Engagement Officer, who brought everyone together to celebrate Christmas, says: “There was a lovely atmosphere throughout the day and it was wonderful to see such a large group of residents socialising and getting their Christmas spirits fired up. I would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who played their part in supporting the residents Christmas event. It would not have been possible without the generosity of the businesses at Beaulieu as well as the continued support of Countryside and L&Q. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to Longacres Garden Centre for providing the Christmas tree and to St Frances Community Church”.

As the day drew to a close, residents left the Community Centre with their Christmas spirits high….just in time for Christmas.