MORE than 250,000 people around the world watched department store Fenwick unveil its Wind in the Willows-themed Christmas window.
The Newcastle city centre store unveiled its display virtually via Facebook Live last night, due to the coronavirus lockdown, and viewers tuned in from as far afield as Australia, America, Thailand, UAE, Canada and across Europe to watch.
The event regularly attracts a crowd of 2,000 on Northumberland Street, and last night's film featured a host of festive surprises including dancing elves, Santa himself on the Fenwick store roof top and a nostalgic look back through the extensive Fenwick Christmas window archive.
Last night, Kieran McBride, Fenwick Newcastle Store Director, said: “Fenwick has created a magical Christmas window display every year here in Newcastle for almost fifty years.
"This year, it was really important for us to be able to reveal our Christmas window in a safe manner.
"Tonight, we were absolutely delighted to see over a quarter of a million viewers tune in to watch the reveal of our ‘Wind in the Willows Story’ from all four corners of the globe.
"We’d like to give a special thank you to Newcastle City Council with who we’ve been working closely to ensure we can continue to bring the joy of Fenwick Christmas to the community and beyond this year.
"We’re asking everyone to please continue to follow the latest guidelines and not to make a special trip to see the window while the current guidelines remain in place.
"The window will be in place throughout the festive season and into January so there is plenty of time for people to see it safely over in the coming weeks.”
This year’s window theme ‘A Wind in the Willows Story’ is a festively reimagined display of the popular and beloved classic children’s story, The Wind in the Willows written by Kenneth Grahame.
Staying true to the original themes of friendship and adventure, it the popular animal characters Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad from the classic children’s book and takes the audience along on a thrilling festive journey with Toad and Santa as they work together to save Christmas.
The story begins at Mole's house with a visit from his cousin Winston who arrives at The Burrows in his traditional Fenwick van, bringing Christmas gifts and joyful stories to tell around a cosy, warm fire.
After enjoying a winter warmer with old friend Rat on his boat, Mole, Winston, and Rat all set off for a visit to the Wildwood to share some festive cheer with Badger.
But disaster has struck and Santa needs help to deliver all the Christmas presents in his sack.
Along comes Toad who takes the Fenwick Express train where he hopes to borrow the Fenwick van at Mole End to help save Christmas.
Santa makes the Fenwick van fly and, with the help of Toad, magically delivers the Christmas presents to all the sleeping girls and boys during the night.
Christmas day has arrived, the table is set, and Mole, Winston, Rat, Badger and Toad are all gathered for a festive banquet at Toad Hall.
With a ‘hip hip hooray’, the animal friends all cheer to Toad for helping save Christmas this year.
Finally, A Wind in the Willows story ends with Santa giving Toad a gift a special Fenwick thank you for a job well done.
In line with latest coronavirus guidelines, Fenwick has asked people not to make a special trip to see the window, which will be live until January.
Enhanced safety measures have been put in place on Northumberland Street for the duration of the Christmas period.
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