WEST Somerset plans for Christmas, seriously affected by the coronavirus pandemic, were given a boost this week when the West Somerset Railway announced it would be running Santa Express services throughout most of December.

They will be the first trains on the WSR tracks since services were suspended in March. Tourist bosses hope the trains will help to bring visitors into the area during the festive season to help bolster the local economy, hard hit by the crisis.

Many pre-planned festive events will still take place throughout the district although in a more limited form than usual. But some have been cancelled because they would not have conformed to the latest government health guidelines.

For instance, Minehead’s Christmas festival, planned for November 28/29. has been cancelled by Gateway Events. The organisation has also put off the scheduled visit of Leigh Danter’s funfair to the town centre on December 5-6.

It had been hoped to build on last year’s successful event when 5,000 visitors and residents enjoyed late night shopping, visited Father Christmas, a lantern procession, fairground rides, street entertainment and a wide range of stalls and attractions.

At their meeting on Monday, Minehead town councillors voted “with sadness” not to support any festive events in the town, but agreed to provide the traditional Christmas lights in the main streets and on Christmas trees in Wellington Square and at Alcombe.

But there will be no ceremonial switch-on when the lights go up at the end of November.

Minehead’s BID business organisation plans to go ahead with the town’s Eat Festival, scheduled for December 12 and intends to stage a number of small music and entertainment events throughout December.

“No-one wants big groups of people coming together in the middle of the town,” said BID chairman Graham Sizer: “That’s why we are spreading the outdoor entertainment over several weeks. We still want to bring the festive feeling to Minehead but sadly we can’t do it in the way we had hoped.”

Read more about Christmas 2020 in West Somerset in tomorrow’s Free Press.