Festive start at The Parade in Shrewsbury

What better place to make a start on your Christmas shopping and to get the festive season off to a great start than at The Parade Shopping Centre on of November 19 and 20. Once again the shopping mall will be a buzz with Christmas cheer as it hosts its now annual special two-day 'A Christmas Carol' event. Inspired by the Dickens novel of the same name, the 1984 film version was shot mostly in Shrewsbury and recreating the ice-skating scene from the film, a synthetic rink will once again be installed on The Parade's car park. It will be even bigger and better than before offering twenty-minute skating sessions, including adult only sessions from 5pm to 7pm for all to enjoy. Mulled wine, hot baps, jacket potatoes, mince pies and lots of other goodies to eat and drink should evoke the smells of Christmases past and present.

Once again, our shop-keepers and staff will be donning the authentic Victorian costumes supplied by Blist's Hill Museum. Father Christmas and his sleigh will also be in residence as Christmas carols ring out across St Mary's Place.

The Parade Shopping Centre in the heart of Shrewsbury, located behind the charming St. Mary's church, is home to a stunning selection of Shrewsbury's independent shops. This stylish Grade II listed building once housed the Royal Salop Infirmary and has now been home to 22 individual shops for over 30 years! Each and every shop is different and all take pride in the level of customer service offered.

The Parade is an absolute treasure trove if you are looking for Christmas presents with its independent shops selling an extraordinary range of gifts, which include collectables, men and women's clothing, oriental products, costume and silver jewellery and handmade shoes. Inside you will also find some excellent services such as a pottery painting studio, photography, hair, make – up, holistic therapies and clothing alterations and if you fancy a new party frock or need to hire a dinner suit you'll find those too.

To add to the already extensive range of goods available, during the event a number of local businesses' will also be "setting-up shop" within the Centre selling a range of seasonal goods from Christmas decorations and crafts.

Full details of the weekend can be found on our website www.paradeshops.co.uk and Facebook page.

So why not make a day of it; get your Christmas off to a cracker of a start and join the fun at The Parade!