Christmas comes to Hamilton!
Last Saturday we hosted the annual Hamilton Our Town Christmas Light Switch on event that took place on Quarry Street and Townhead Street, our 2nd event on the festive calendar. We would like to thank you, the town centre businesses for your ongoing support, which enabled this hugely successful event to take place, providing the community with a valued and memorable free to attend festive experience in their hometown. At this event we also proudly crowned the deserving winner of the Hamilton Hero award, May a volunteer of 31 years with St Andrews Hospice who switched in the town centre Christmas lights after receiving various prizes for her service.
On the day, based on footfall information kindly provided by the Regent shopping centre, we estimate that in the region of 8,000 additional visitors came to the event between 10:00 and 17:30, helping showcase the areas’ excellent local businesses within the BID area.
Check out our photo album of the event on our facebook page.
Christmas Parade, Market and Panto – This Saturday:
We’re back this Saturday with the 3rd event of the season with the Santa & the fire performing elves parade taking place on Quarry Street. For the first time we are also hosting a free to attend community panto on our stage next to the Christmas tree. Halo Arts fantastic production of Cinderella will take place following the parade at 15:15 and we hope that this new element of the event provides a new draw alongside delivering additional value for the local community. Smith’s funfair will also be in operation on Townhead Street.
As usual the road will be closed between 6am and 6pm on the day.
Crime support open day – Beefeater Hamilton: 11th December 10:30–14:00 (Drop in anytime between these times):
We are hosting the Scottish Business Resilience Centre who will be attending a drop-in open session on Monday 11th December at the Beefeater on Townhead Street. This event, attended by our local officers has been organised to provide businesses with advice and support regarding crime in the run up to Christmas. The team is keen to pass on safety advice especially in terms of retail workers being subjected to violence and disorder from offenders who are also engaged in thefts.
Whilst this is a drop-in session – we are keen to understand the numbers attending. If you are planning to drop into this session please email malcolm.thomasharley@hamiltonbid.org
What’s app crime prevention group:
In order to enhance communication among businesses and facilitate the sharing of information regarding issues such as crime / anti-social behaviour in the town centre, we are organising the launch of a WhatsApp group exclusively for businesses to join. If you would like to join this group please compete this short form https://forms.gle/Zgw6yRKSbPjScj6KA. We will launch this group if / when enough businesses sign up.
