Review of 2018 events

It’s been another busy 12 months for the volunteers on the events sub-group from the Bishop Auckland Town Team.

It began in March with the Easter Eggstravaganza where an Easter Egg hunt too place around the town centre mixed with entertainment and fun inside the Newgate Shopping Centre.

Over 20 local independent shops and businesses got involved with the town team initiative ‘Shop Local‘ over the Bishop Auckland Food Festival weekend in April.

June 2018 saw Bishop Auckland transported back to an era of wartime rationing, tea dresses and swing dancing when it held its first 1940s day. There was live entertainment, performances and much more and was certainly a fantastic feel good event!

On Sunday 15th July, the Bishop Auckland Town Team held its first ever Vintage & Classic Car show in Bishop Auckland Market Place. The Big Brass Bus was in attendance and on board there was ‘Jazz Royalty’ in the all female Shake Em Up Jazz Band and the talented lads from ‘Back Chat Brass’.

Bishop Buskers Day returned in both July and August where a selection of the buskers performed at various locations around the town centre. Buskers included Ami Leigh Boorman, Bradley Thompson, Jimmy Robinson, Chloe Smith, Alice & Emma Jordan, Matthew Tippey and Kenny – The Bishop Piper.

The biggest event of the year took place at the end of September, with Bishop Celebrating Together. Around 3,000 people turned out to enjoy a variety of singers and performers on the main stage and the children enjoyed the grassed play area with giant toys and games. There was free face painting, children rides and visit from Gaunless Gateway Big Purple Play Bus! The Bishop Auckland Town Council held their annual Horticultural and Produce show in the Town Hall and St Anne’s Church hosted a photographic art event called ‘Faith in our Future: Blooming in Unexpected Places’. Over 1,000 people had a sneak peak inside the new Auckland Tower where they had ‘Taking Root, a day of floral art and music.’

The popular Hallowe’en event Monster Saturday took place on the 27th October, with magic, illusions and spooky dancing and skating.

December ended the year in style with over 30 local shops and businesses joining in with Small Business Saturday by putting on a special offer on the 1st December.

Advent Windows once again saw Bishop Auckland Town Centre was once again turned into a giant advent calendar. A total of 24 shops and businesses all took part offering space in their windows for 24 schools, community groups and organisations to create an advent display. This year’s theme was ‘Christmas Stories from around the World’ each day the window was opened by a special guest from around the world including Mexico, Denmark, Greece, Syria, Iraq, Italy and France.

December also saw a record number of 612 children come to see Santa over the 3 Saturdays in the Kings Cafe & Retail and the Newgate Shopping Centre. There was some festive entertainment from the Sound Waves Community Choir, vocalists Steven Berry and Charlotte Forman and the Salvation Army. Festive stilt walkers, Rudolph and FREE face painting also entertained the shoppers.