FROM giant twinkling reindeers towering over shoppers to a singing moose and a magical cruise with Santa – it seems cities across the country have Christmas well and truly wrapped up.
In Liverpool youngsters can get up close to a family of penguins, while Birmingham offers the largest and most authentic German market outside Germany, and in York families can enjoy a unique boat ride with Father Christmas.
Sadly, this is all a far cry from what Southampton has to offer those eager to get into the festive spirit.
Here, Christmas seems to be an afterthought that even the Grinch wouldn’t bother to steal.
The city’s neighbours have a firm grip on the festivities, with tourists flocking to Winchester’s Christmas market and ice rink set within the historic grounds of the cathedral, and hundreds heading for the big switch-on in Portsmouth, where X-Factor’s Kitty Brucknell had the honour of lighting up the city.
Thousands also descended on Andover to see the fireworks mark the start of the season and next week Basingstoke’s Festival Place will see an animatronic polar bear stop shoppers in their tracks as Santa’s Parade kicks off.
In years gone by, Southampton’s Above Bar used to be the heart of the city’s Christmas celebrations, when families would pack the precinct to see which famous face would be flicking the switch to illuminate the streets.
But that is all a far cry from what residents have to look forward to in Southampton now, where no such big event takes place.
Even the city’s council leader, Simon Letts, has voiced his disappointment with Southampton’s festive German market, telling them to buck up their ideas or they won’t be invited back next year.
Then there are the controversial items on sale at some of the stalls, with one offering smoking accessories, including an array of flavoured tobacco and pipes – not the most traditional of festive gifts.
And while festive cheer is aplenty at the heart of the little wooden huts, where shoppers take a break for a German beer and a bite to eat, it quickly evaporates just a few yards down the precinct, where the Christmas music and festivities come to an abrupt end.
It is a complete contrast to the festive cheer on show in Liverpool, for example, where there is a whole host of events, sights and activities to keep the festive spirit going right up until the big day.
The shopping centre boasts its very own urban ice experience with its enchanting Ice Festival that has a covered ice rink, an Après Cafe Bar for those wanting a hot tipple and an Ice bar for those desiring something a little stronger.
There is a host of rides and attractions for the little ones – many more than the two Southampton has to offer – as well as the country’s largest ice slide and there was even a visit from some penguins.
Shoppers also can look forward to weekly parades through the streets, including Jack Frost animation, live camels and reindeer and beautiful lanterns.
And new for this year, the city will host a snowflake trail, which has seen Jack Frost transform the city centre into a magical winter wonderland by scattering snowflakes for a unique treasure hunt.
Meanwhile, Birmingham boasts the largest and most authentic German market outside of Germany, with up to 180 stalls offering shoppers a range of goods for five weeks. They have their famous singing Christmas moose – known as Chris Moose – to guarantee festive fun for young and old, while bands fill the air with Christmas music, plus the festive ice rink and big wheel all lit up to give the city a cheery glow.
York is hosting a “rolling programme” of different market stalls throughout the St Nicholas Fair, which for the first time in its 23- year history, has been extended.
All stall-holders jump into the spirit and dress in Dickensian costume, while Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland returns complete with ice-skating at the Ice Factor – the north of England’s largest outdoor ice rink, boasting a gigantic Christmas tree and an illuminated forest.
Families can also hop on board a YorkBoat Santa Cruise, the city’s most unique Santa experience, which cruises along the River Ouse for a magical hour. Lights and activities in all three cities are partly funded by the respective councils, and partly by traders.
So, when it comes to Christmas, it seems Southampton is left feeling like it must have been on Santa’s naughty list.
City used to welcome stars to turn on Christmas lights.
MATT Le Tissier, Lionel Blair, Postman Pat and Frank Bruno.
It’s not the line-up for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, but some of the names who have turned on Southampton’s festive lights in the past two decades.
Actor Brian Conley, who was appearing in panto at the Mayflower, was the last famous face to turn on the city’s lights in Above Bar, back in 2002.
Before him, the names to have pressed the switch at the annual event included Hampshire comedian Jim Davidson (2001), Only Fools and Horses star John Challis (1999), boxer Frank Bruno (1998) and Postman Pat (1997).
The unusual double act of actor and dancer Lionel Blair and Saints legend Matt Le Tissier did the honours in 1996, while Gladiator star Scorpio did it in 1995 and figure skater Robin Cousins and actress Helen Hobson teamed up to turn on the lights in 1994.
Business scheme could help us glitter again.
IT COULD be the plan that puts the sparkle back in Southampton’s Christmas celebrations.
Business leaders and civic chiefs hope a new business initiative could fund the return of the city’s Christmas lights and tree.
A Business Improvement District (BID) could see city centre firms club together to fund a better festive offering to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the country.
While lights were once a regular fixture in the city centre, the festive market is currently the only festive presence in the city’s main shopping precinct.
And one of the biggest reminders that Christmas is around the corner is the huge billboard advertising Winchester’s festive market on Harbour Parade.
Southampton’s business leaders are looking to Winchester’s festive bazaar, which is managed by the city’s BID and expected to bring in almost 400,000 visitors, for inspiration.
And Liverpool’s BID team have also contributed to the £180,000 cost of the city’s Christmas lights.
The BID plans are at a very early stage, but would follow BIDs brought in elsewhere in the country – such as Winchester and Bournemouth – in seeing businesses pay part of the rateable value of their premises towards new services.
A levy of one per cent of business’s rateable value could bring in more than £250,000 a year, and be spent on initiatives to improve the city centre, such as security guards, graffiti and litter removal teams and events.
It is not the first time the plans have surfaced.
In 2009 a majority of the 400 businesses that would have been part of a city centre BID in Southampton rejected the plans.
The new proposals do not yet cover a specific area of the city centre, and the plans are set to be formally launched next year.
But the team behind the plans are optimistic they will be successful this time.
When asked why a BID would be successful now when it wasn’t in 2009, Trevor Thorne from the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce said: “There are now challenges facing the retail sector which have created a much greater need for BIDs, such as the challenge of online retailers and the need to keep footfall up in the city centre.
“A BID could help both the larger, multiple firms and independent traders. Marketing is a part of most BIDs now and we are looking at Winchester and Salisbury, which are going headto- head to become the Christmas capital of the country.”
And chamber chief executive Stewart Dunn believes a BID could allow Southampton to put on a special show for Christmas.
He said: “It would allow retailers to work together to put on a better offer, similar to what is happening in Winchester where they have been able to put on Christmas street lighting and trees, and is an example of a marketing offer that would enhance Southampton’s retail offer to the public.”
Council leader Simon Letts said: “The decision is obviously down to the businesses, but the BID could be a way of making Southampton’s Christmas offering a bit more special.
“We don’t make enough of our beautiful Victorian parks and other spaces such as Guildhall Square, and I think we’ve got to be a bit more creative.”
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