Festive Long Melford overcomes Storm Arwen to deliver Christmas cheer to village

The arrival of Storm Arwen could not dampen the joyous festive spirit flowing through Long Melford, as the community gathered for their signature Christmas event.

Festive Long Melford, the village’s annual Christmas shopping event, took over on Saturday, to help celebrate local businesses and what they have to offer.

Shops with giant red bows on their doors welcomed visitors with special Christmas offers, while families enjoyed a variety of festive activities, such as Santa’s Grotto and an interactive reindeer enclosure.

Although heavy rain and winds struck throughout the day, visitors were not deterred from turning out in large numbers, having missed out last year due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Jess Brown, from the Long Melford Business Association, told the Free Press: “Despite the terrible weather, we had a really good turnout. People were really resilient and still came out on the day.

“The shops and the tea rooms did really well, and we had an amazing group of volunteers. We had to deal with adversity on the day, but it ended up being a great success.

“It was a great team effort from the business association and all the various community groups, including Friends of Long Melford Primary School and the Long Melford Library.

“For both the community and businesses, the event is huge for them. It draws footfall back to the village, and from a community perspective, we’ve not been able to do much in the past two years, so it was great to bring people together.”