Carol’s in the Park — In pictures

Friends of Hotham Park, supported by the Rotary Club of Bognor Regis, hosted the event which proved to be a ‘great success’. according to Sue Harris, event co-ordinator. She said: “A massive and heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers, who give their time freely to support and raise money for the park. We couldn’t put on our events without them. Carol’s in the Park was a great success and Friends of Hotham Park are already looking forward to next year. The reference to Carol will be better understood if you have seen the ‘Carol’s in the Park’ poster which generated a lot Facebook comments about the incorrect use of the apostrophe, when, of course, Carol was in the park, so the apostrophe was correct. The poster was designed for us by Mike Jupp and reflects his wicked sense of humour.” A spokesperson said the Friends of Hotham Park were ‘delighted to welcome Carol’ who introduced the ‘fantastic fire fairy’, Zoe Fuller, ‘who started off the event with a skilled and magical fire-dancing performance’.They added: “The Bandstand Lawn was transformed into a winter wonderland, the trees were bedecked with fairy lights, and the atmosphere was one of happiness and excitement. As the Chichester City Band struck up the notes of the first Carol, the RAFA Choir led a huge crowd of carol singers whose voices filled the air and floated through the park. As the singing drew to a close, it began to snow and squeals of delight could be heard from the children as Father Christmas arrived, his path lit by a Twinkly Fairy. The snow continued to fall as Father Christmas said his goodbyes to the crowd and Carol said it was the most wonderful start to the Christmas season. Some lucky children had won tickets to ride on the Hotham Park Miniature Railway with Father Christmas, kindly sponsored by Reynolds. The Elf who accompanied Father Christmas described the ride through the park on the Reynolds Express as truly magical.”