SANTA will be coming to Helensburgh for Winter Festival – and will be arriving on a high powered RIB driven by Royal Marines.
The VIP ride has been organised by Helensburgh and Lomond Chamber of Commerce through board member Gail Broadhurst and, weather permitting, Santa is expected to arrive at Helensburgh Pier at around 10.45am on Saturday, November 28.
The red-coated gent will then make his way to the Buffet Shop in Colquhoun Square where a special festive grotto has been set up for him. It is hoped that another form of transport will be arranged for the short shore bound trip but details have yet to be finalised.
The Grotto will open at around 11am and Santa will be meeting youngsters until about 4pm. On Sunday the Grotto will open at noon and close again at 4pm. All proceeds will go to a children’s charity.
THE Winter Festival Penguin Crew have lost some of their penguins.
The cheeky birds disappeared when backs were turned and now the hunt is on and local children are being asked to help out.
A number of local shops have been harbouring the escapees and youngsters are being asked to visit the hops, take a note of the penguins hiding there and fill in the Penguin Hunt form on the back of the small Winter Festival flyers which can be picked in in a number of places around the town.
Once all the penguins have been found the entry forms will be put in a bobbly hat and the winners will receive lovely prizes donated by Helensburgh’s Grasshopper Toys.
Entries for the competition can be handed in at Grasshopper Toys or at Helensburgh Pet Shop. Entry is free.
A FULL programme of entertainment and demonstrations will add to the fun in Colquhoun Square over the two days of winter festival.
The programme, organised by Yvonne Sloan of Performance Theatre School, will begin at 10.30am on Saturday with a demonstration of Hatton Boxing by the team from Argyll and Bute Leisure Services at Helensburgh Swimming Pool and that will be followed at 11am by a more gentle Tai Chi and Quibong demonstration organised by Ken Simon.
The Donna Martin Dancers will take to the performance area at 11.30 and Native American White Eagle will perform native song and music from noon.
More boxing is scheduled for 12.30pm and singer Bethany Rose will follow at 1pm. A band called Jigsaw will be providing the music at 1.30pm and they will be followed by the Claire Burns School of Dance, the Bethesda Band and Moe’s School of Dance.
The Saturday entertainment will be brought to a close at 4pm by the youngsters of the Performance Theatre School.
Noon on Sunday will be the start of the ever popular Santa Dash and the entertainment will begin again at 1pm with Moe’s School of Dance and followed by White Eagle at 2pm.
The a cappella group Tartan Harmony will provide the musical entertainment at 2.20pm and they will be followed by the Neptune Volunteer Band at 3pm, the Bethesda Band at 3.30 and Donna Martin’s Dancers at 4pm.
ONE of the most popular events at Helensburgh Winter festival is the annual Santa Dash organised by Helensburgh Round Table
The gathering of between 300 and 400 “Santas” in Colquhoun square ready for the off is spectacular and the 2k and 4k races have proved popular with participants of all ages and especially with families who like to take part together often including the family pet!
The runners, who pay £11 or £6 each according to their age, all receive a Santa suit to run in and these can be collected prior to the event at Helensburgh Swimming Pool between 6.30pm and 8pm on Friday, November 27, between 11am and 1pm on Saturday, November 28 and from 9.30am until 11am on the Sunday, November 29.
The event will begin at around noon on Sunday with a warm up in the Square before the race begins at 12.30pm.
The Round Table are only accepting online registrations this year and entrants under the age of 16 years can only do so if they are accompanied by an adult. The web address for registrations is: santadash2015.eventzilla.net
PETROL heads will find something for their particular tastes at this year’s Helensburgh Winter Festival.
The members of the MG75 and ZT Owners Club will be bringing along their superb classic cars and giving enthusiasts the chance to see them up close and under the bonnet.
Nine cars owners have confirmed they will be attending with another two possibles and included in the line-up are a unique MG ZT 260 which was MG’s press car and the only one in the colour known as Caledonian Purple.
Only 700 ZT 260s were built in total, each fitted with a 4.6 litre V8 engine from the Ford Mustang.
Other confirmed cars include an MG ZT 160 which is one of only three built with Sunspot Yellow pearlescent paint and is the only survivor in this colour. This belongs to a member travelling up from Essex and another member is coming to the festival from Dorset.
And Helensburgh Subaru will be bringing along a classic car of the future to show off at the Festival while down at the pierhead a variety of emergency vehicles will be on hand to let people see them close up.
SANTA is coming to Helensburgh Winter Festival to set up in the special grotto at the Buffet Shop for the two days but he really needs some help.
The poor man is having a few problems with elf staffing levels and needs a few volunteers to give him a hand.
If you can offer a bit of your time over the weekend please let Anna Curley at the Buffet Shop know.
Santa will be on duty from 11am to 4pm on the Saturday and from noon to 4pm on the Sunday.
The entry fee will be £3 per child or £6 for a family and each child will receive a present and a photograph. The photographs will be taken and supplied by West Highland Photography.
All proceeds will go to a children’s charity.
THE stars of the Disney cartoon Frozen will be spending two days in Helensburgh for Winter festival.
Elsa, Anna and Olaf will be spending their days in the square meeting their fans young and old and posing for photos and selfies with them.
And photographic memories can also be made with the amazing giant snow globe which will be erected in the square for the festival … gather your family together and capture the best ever Christmas card photo or just grab a memory to share with the rest of your friends.
THE hugely popular skating rink which attracted hundreds of enthusiasts at last year’s Winter Festival is coming back this year.
The rink will be erected in Colquhoun Square on Friday, November 27, and will be open for a skating disco that evening from 5pm to 7pm.
The skating rink is open to all ages and there are even special supportive penguins for those less sure on their feet and other for wheelchair skaters. The rink will be open throughout the weekend.
TWO local businesses have joined forces to being a bit of crafty fun to Helensburgh Winter festival.
Join the Dots and the Craftroom Scotland will be taking over part of the Logie Baird in James Street between 10am and 4pm on Sunday, November 29 to offer craft sessions for four to 12 year-olds and for adults.
Everyone taking part will leave with a wonderful souvenir they have made themselves.
For more information contact gill@jtd-arts.co.uk or thecraftroomscotland@gmail.com
WINTER Festival 2015 offers visitors a musical extravaganza not just in the Square but at various venues around the town.
A wide range of music and dance performances are scheduled on both days of the festival bit it doesn’t end there.
To get people into the festival spirit on Friday evening, November 27, the Neptune Voluntary Band and the Military Wives Choir will be teaming up at the Tower Digital Arts Centre for a full programme of music and song.
The concert begins at 7.30pm and FREE tickets are available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/thetowerhelenburgh
The same evening, from 8pm to midnight a chance to dance is on offer at the Commodore Hotel with a family Ceilidh Dance to the music of the Stephen Carcary Scottish Dance Band.
If you fancy tripping the light fantastic you can get tickets by emailing johngill@johnston 257.fsnet.co.uk or by calling 01436 675191 Tickets are £8 for adults and £4 for children.
The Lomond and Clyde Community Orchestra will be offering a free gift of music at the Victoria Halls on Saturday morning, November 28 at 11am when they perform their Winter Concert. Entrance is free.
Anther local group, the Dorian Choir, will be offering Coffee and Carols at the United Reformed Church on West Princes Street between 2pm and 4pm. Tickets costing £3 (children are free) are on sale at First Class Stationers or at the door.
Later, at 7pm, the ladies of Tartan Harmony will be singing a cappella in their Winter Festive Concert at the Guide Hall in John Street. Tickets are £8 and £6 for concessions and are available by calling 01436 675676.
And in the evening when the Market in the Square is over the Helensburgh Orchestral Society will be giving their Winter Concert at the Victoria Halls. Adults are £10, students £6 and accompanied primary school pupils are free For more information visit www.h-o-s.co.uk
The next day fans of Frozen can visit their favourite characters in the Square, have a shot on the Frozen bouncy castle and then at 3pm head up to the Tower Digital Arts Centre for a Frozen Sing-along. Tickets are available here.
And finally – at 7pm Scottish Opera Emerging Artists will be showcasing their talents at Helensburgh Parish Church.
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