Mansfield - At Christmas
w/e 21 December 2008
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
Our two eldest grandsons were part of a song, dance
and drama adaptation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"
last week and naturally we travelled to Mansfield to see them
on stage. With half an hour to spare before the production started
I decided to take a look around the town centre and see how Christmas
is being welcomed.
The venue for the amateur production was the Old Library Theatre
which is in the building on the right of this image but maybe
one day some of the children who took part may well be treading
the boards as professionals in the Palace Theatre on the left.
The poster in the window is advertising "The Jungle Book"
which will be staged in the new year but currently a pantomime,
"Sleeping Beauty" is the main event. Between the two
theatres is Mansfield's award winning museum in what can truly
be called a cultural corner of the town.
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Leeming Lane leads down from the theatres to the Market Place
and many of the buildings were displaying Christmas decorations.
We are accustomed to seeing hanging baskets in the summer months
but I thought the use of poinsettias and greenery made an attractive
addition to the usual displays at Christmas.
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Near the bottom of Leeming Street an A-board proclaimed the obvious
with a message that "Christmas Is Coming" and further
evidence could be seen in the Market Place with a Christmas Tree
in front of the Town Hall.
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As if anyone was still in doubt another A-board outside a butcher's
shop on Leeming Street was even more assertive with the bold
statement "It's Christmas" with turkey joints and gammons
listed to back it up. Also on Leeming Street at a florist's were
some novel and attractive flower snowmen with price tags that
did not seem quite as attractive. Much more reasonably priced
holly wreathes were on sale on the market.
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In the middle of the Market Place, the Bentinck Memorial had
been decorated with a large candle to add to the festive feeling.
The memorial to the memory of Lord George Bentinck, younger son
of the fourth Duke of Portland was built in 1849.
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As well as the tree and the market stalls, the local police were
conducting a PR exercise in front of the Town Hall and although
I didn't get any closer then shown in the image above, I wouldn't
be surprised if they were advising about drinking and driving.
The market stalls were also much in evidence along most of Westgate
and many traders were doing a brisk business. Spare a thought
though for the staff at Woolworths who face the prospect of a
new year searching for alternative employment. With over 800
shops closing across the country it may seem a little insensitive
to be wishing them the season's greetings but we can only hope
and pray for a better future and as Tiny Tim said "God bless
us, every one!" Now didn't that come from "A Christmas
Carol"? Yikes - time I was heading back to the theatre or
I'll be in bad books with the grandsons. Merry Christmas!
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