Season Update.

It has without doubt been an absolutely manic end to 2011 for the SGI team. With the festive period looming large and many celebrations on the horizon we were first given a sobering task and hit the streets of County Durham for the Safe Durham Partnership’s Alcohol Awareness Campaign. For Alcohol Awareness Week (yes, it really does exist!) we helped Durham Council and the NHS by raising awareness of just what you are doing to your body, wallet and life in general when you have that cheeky mid week tipple…and then some!

Continuing the onslaught with quite literally a bang was the Nissan Fireworks evening at their car production site. We’re proud to say our 7th event for the car manufacturing giants. A crowd of several thousand were wowed by an amazing firework display and kept entertained with a fairground full of rides, inflatables for the young at heart and copious amounts of candy floss and toffee apples!

A week later we celebrated the region’s entrepreneurial talent with the 12th annual WIN Awards held at the Gateshead Hilton. The glittering ceremony recognised the fantastic work that the North East’s women are doing and you can find out more about the evening and the worthy winners here.

With Christmas fast approaching we were bringing the festive cheer to both cities of Sunderland and Edinburgh. But to get the festive mood flowing we started closer to home with the Carols of Light Concert at Durham Cathedral. The Cathedral was full to the brim as the service raised funds for the Durham Cathedral Music Endowment Fund and SAFC Foundation in the presence of HRH The Countess of Wessex. A host of celebrities were also in attendance with Joe McElderry, Rick Wakeman, Niall Quinn MBE, Steve Cram MBE, Sir Tim Rice and many others performing throughout the evening.

Onwards and upwards to Edinburgh where before Edinburgh's Christmas 2011 could even start, SGI took care of the country’s patron saint celebrations. There were spectacular scenes up at Edinburgh Castle over the weekend of November 26th and 27th for St Andrew’s Day. The castle esplanade was transformed into a patriotic arena of Ice Sculptures, Pipers and Poetry, lanterns, Fire Drawings and the customary awe-inspiring Firework displays for a fantastic finale.

Sunderland was transformed into a Winter Wonderland for the second year running by SGI, and in a much similar vein to Edinburgh, we ran the Sunderland Christmas Festival for a total of 5 weeks leading up to Christmas. With a “Fairytale” Theme, there was a whole host of great stuff happening in Mowbray Park and around the City Centre too. Mowbray Park hosted a herd of Reindeer for everyone to visit, whilst housed in her own Fairytale Village the public could listen to magical stories and tales as narrated by the Snow Fairy. Shoppers were kept entertained and in the festive mood by a series of themed street performances based in The Bridges Shopping Centre and surrounding area.

It was the 5th year that SGI took over most of central Edinburgh for six weeks creating the magical Christmas experience for all with the German Markets, Ice Rink and Fairground on Princes St Gardens as well as numerous performances. As is tradition, Edinburgh’s Christmas was opened with Light Night when the SGI team battled the prevailing gales to turn on the Christmas lights. A superb performance of frost and fire thrilled the gathered crowds whilst still remaining upright before The Frost Queen lit up the tree signalling an army of pipers to lead the crowds for a fantastic show.

St Andrews Square was later transformed into the biblical scenes of the nativity with the traditional Nativity Carol Concert in tow to cap off a truly special evening.

With thousands of shoppers flooding the market on a daily basis it wasn’t long before Santa himself made an appearance. Over 6,000 excited parents and their children lined the streets to see Santa make his grand arrival to visit the people of Edinburgh. Led by his reindeer and elves Santa’s sleigh paraded Princes Street whilst astonished children looked on.

As has been the tradition of late almost 2,000 Santa Clause wannabes descended upon central Edinburgh for the Santa Fun Run on December 11th. People of all ages and running abilities pounded the streets emulating the big man himself and creating scenes more like a festive “Where’s Wally” than a fitness event!