The 12 Days of Christmas is being told through a window spotting competition in the town of Ventnor this December. Many people know the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ – it’s a cumulative song in which more and more gifts are given by ‘my true love’. If you count up the individual gifts it comes to a grand total of 78 items. That’s a lot of presents – especially if you are 1 of the Island Storytellers involved in Ventnor’s Community Christmas window spot competition. The storytellers have been beavering away making figures and animals to hide in upwards of 50 shops and business windows about the town. Islanders are being invited to take part with the chance to win a prize by completing and returning the entry form. Sue Bailey, one of the local storytellers, has said:
“It’s been great fun creating milkmaids, geese, lords a-leaping and myriad other figures. There has been a little team of knitters creating eleven pipers piping and while some people have been knitting, another storyteller, Sue Clark, has been adding the finishing touches to the pipers giving them bagpipes and sporrans”.
All the items will be in place by 9th December, ready for the competition which runs from 9th-16th December, with the winner being announced on Sunday 17th December. The window spot competition is only 1 of many things being coordinated by Ventnor Carnival Association, with a festive day being held in Ventnor on Saturday 16th December. This will include a craft fair, music, a Santa’s grotto and a lantern parade, all culminating with a carol concert in Ventnor Park. The Island storytellers will be offering 2 performances of stories connected to characters in the song. The 1st is at Ventnor Exchange at 11:30 and the 2nd is in St Catherine’s Church Meeting Room at 13:30. There will be tales about swans, golden rings, drummers, hens and more. Entry is by donation on the door of something (such as cans, cookies, crackers or cash) to Ventnor Community Foodbank. Financial assistance for materials and venue hire has come from the grant awarded to the Island Storytellers as part of their Somewhen Storytelling initiative. This year-long project has seen traditional storytelling appearing at places like Chale Show and Ventnor Fringe, bringing internationally known storytellers to the Island, as well as providing performance opportunities for local storytellers. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/islandstorytellers.
