Children’s favourite to turn on Christmas lights at the Willow Brook Centre

Heart FM’s breakfast team of Bush, Troy and Paulina are to broadcast live from the Willow Brook Centre this Thursday (26th November) as part of the shopping centre’s Christmas lights switch on event.

Family entertainment from 3pm in the Town Square will include Santa’s reindeer, children’s rides and a stilt walker.

The centre is promising that “snow will be falling in the square to give that traditional Christmas feeling”. [Ed: If you want to know what the Town Square looks like covered in snow, see our Bradley Stoke Snow photos from February].

There will also be a very special guest appearance from popular children’s TV character Peppa Pig, who will be meeting shoppers at regular intervals and turning the lights on at 5pm.

The Heart Angels will be there too, with free face painting for the kids and the chance for you to give them your Christmas message, which may be read out on air.

The radio station is also staging a competition that will see a lucky Willow Brook Centre visitor win £250 cash to help with the Christmas shopping [terms & conditions apply].

Link Romania Christmas Shoebox Appeal Update

Local shoppers, businesses and students donated a grand total of 475 Christmas shoeboxes in the Kumon Educational / Link Romania charity appeal that has been running over the last few months.

The boxes were collected from the Willow Brook Centre by the Link Romania van last Friday (20th November).

The celebratory event was attended by Bradley Stoke Town Councillors Ronnie Conway-Haskins and Ben Walker, Town Clerk David Chandler, as well as centre managers, staff and instructors from local Kumon centres. A cheque for £950 was also presented to Link Romania.

More photos of the Christmas Shoebox collection event: album; slideshow