AS the light started to fade, and nightfall descend so did the magical atmosphere in Tenbury.

The police closed Teme Street and children started to gather for a memory that will stay with some of them for many years.

It was a magical end to a day of magic in the town.

The Mistletoe Festival and Santa Parade has become a feature in Tenbury.

Children formed up to parade to St Mary’s Church to visit Father Christmas in his grotto.

It had been a long and tiring day for many of them who had taken part in activities throughout Tenbury.

This had included many things to do with a link to childhood.

There had been people in costume throughout the town and storytelling in the Library with popular children’s authors selling their books and telling their tales.

People had also been able to enjoy music and Morris dancing throughout the day, including at Tesco.

The Round Market had served as a mini theatre for some of the activities.

Tenbury Mistletoe Festival had included a market in the Pump Rooms, the home of Tenbury Town Council.

Some people had taken advantage of the chance to buy mistletoe theme gifts from a shop at SENSE. This gave local craftsmen and women an opportunity to show off their skills and also to make a bit of money.

One of the high points of the day had been the crowning of the Mistletoe Queen and Holly Prince on the Burgage - the roles taken as is traditional by the head girl and head boy from the Tenbury High School Ormiston Academy.

Mistletoe also had a strong association with the Druids who were back in town, as they are every year, to carry out their mysterious special ceremony.

The Festival and Santa Parade also hopefully helped the shops and other businesses in Tenbury by bringing more people into the town centre at a very important part of the year.

For young people there was also a chance to learn a bit about the history of the town and surrounding area.

Tenbury is known as the ‘Little Town in the Orchard’ as a result of comments made by Queen Victoria.

Tenbury and the Teme Valley is an agricultural area that for a long period was highly dependent upon its hops and apples.

It is the apple trees that are so inviting to Mistletoe and this is why the town became the Mistletoe capital of England with buyers coming from all over the United Kingdom and Europe for the sales that still happen at the end of November and in early December. Mistletoe is a parasite that can take the life from the trees that serve as its host.

It has long been associated with fertility and so has become the ‘kissing tree’ under which people, even in these PC days, will grab a kiss from their amour.