BLUE skies and seasonal chill added to the festive feel last Saturday as thousands gathered to enjoy Ambleside’s Lantern Procession and Christmas Lights switch-on. The town buzzed with activity all day, starting with the first of two sell-out Santa cruises to Bowness, with Lantern Princess Rowenna Hamilton, 10, and Santa’s elf Zeke Sumner, six.

As more people poured in, crowds flocked to the skating rink, to Ambleside Cancer Care’s Christmas Fair at the Kelsick Centre, and to the craft fair at the Parish Centre, or enjoyed live street music performed by Panikatak, Paper Crane and Charnock Richard Brass Band.

As temperatures struggled to stay above freezing, visitors sought the welcome warmth of shops, cafes and restaurants or made for the charity stalls at the Market Cross where Rotarians did a brisk trade in mulled wine and mince pies.

Santa’s fully-laden afternoon cruise then set sail, and as twilight fell, 300 candles were lit to illuminate the interior of St Mary’s Parish Church.

Just as the moon rose and the stars began to twinkle, waiting crowds gathered at the start of the lantern procession to welcome back Father Christmas on his sleigh, this time with Lantern Princess and Elf, Jessica Benson, 10, and Roan Saunders, six, heralded by the beat of drums from Kookaburra All Stars’ samba drumming band. The procession was headed by eight spectacular winged figures, each costume created by 90-year-old Dorothy Johnson. More than 200 individually made candle-lit lanterns of every shape and size followed Santa as he travelled round town, lighting up the streets as he went, and the day ended with a spectacular firework finale in Rothay Park.

The Community Christmas Lights Committee volunteers were joined by helpers from Mountain Rescue, St John Ambulance and both Rotary clubs, and the firework display was mounted by Windermere & Ambleside Lions.