GRASMERE'S shopkeepers and villagers are busy putting the finishing touches to this weekend's traditional celebration of Christmas.

Brass band music, roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and carol singing will all help to spread yuletide cheer during the Grasmere Welcomes Christmas event this Saturday and Sunday.

Visitors are being encouraged to dress up in the fashions of 1770 to 1850 - when poet William Wordsworth was alive - as they enjoy the seasonal atmosphere and browse the village's independent shops and businesses.

There will be clog dancing, open-air brass band performances, Grasmere Glee Club in the church, and storytelling in Taffy Thomas's garden and Sam Read's bookshop.

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Businesses will be open for late-night shopping on Saturday, and there will also be children's activities over the two days, such as treasure trails, pomander making, face painting and Santa's grotto in Stock Lane.

Pantomime characters from this year's Grasmere Players production will be welcoming visitors in the centre of the village, and William and Dorothy Wordsworth - who came to live in Grasmere at Christmas 1799 - may even be glimpsed passing by in traditional attire.

"Ours will be a traditional celebration of this joyful time," said David Marshall, who owns Grasmere gift shop Honeybee Meadow.

Organisers hope that Grasmere Welcomes Christmas will become an annual event, and a silver trophy will be awarded to the most welcoming business, as voted for by visitors.

Parking will be free all weekend at the Wordsworth Trust car park, with reduced all-day parking at the South Lakeland District Council and Lake District National Park Authority car parks.

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