Sparkle without Markle!
THE wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was not the only royal knees-up taking place recently – there was one in Skelmersdale too.
The kings and queens of the Concourse Shopping Centre’s Market Hall held their free Fun Day which promised an afternoon full of fun and entertainment.
And it did not disappoint. The event, organised by Paul Davies (owner of The Sweet Stall in the Market Hall), saw excited children with beautifully painted faces (courtesy of Angels Children’s Parties), waiting patiently for the arrival of the much-loved cartoon characters Marshall and Cat Boy, as well as the enchanting princesses Ariel, Snow White and Elsa - provided by Party Time Friends Character Hire.
Kicking off the fun was the talented Danny Fellows who doubled as singer and DJ.
While he was entertaining the Market Hall Kevin the Clown, aka Kevin Rafferty, wowed the crowds with some balloon modelling and magic tricks which had everyone wanting more.
Children from Becky Lou’s Dance school impressed with their routines and the event ended with an impressive martial arts display from Sparta.
As well as fun and entertainment, shoppers also had the chance to win some fabulous prizes kindly donated by traders.
Skelmersdale mum and daughter Vanessa Ingram and Charley Ainsworth were all smiles as they both won a prize, with Vanessa winning a personalised bay vest and hat from Bobbie’s Boutique and Charley scooping the top prize of £50 of shopping vouchers to spend in the Market Hall.
Other prizes included £10 vouchers from The Coffee Pot and Murphy’s Butchers, a £45 watch from Adams Corner Jewellers, a bath bomb gift set from Bathroom Heaven and a large personalised pizza treat box from The Sweet Stall.
Anne Peters, interim retail marketing manager at The Concourse Shopping Centre, said: “Markets are a vital part of our nation’s high streets and town centres, and that’s no different here at the Concourse.
“And it’s more important than ever we help support our local independent traders in this tough economic climate which is seeing national companies face local branch closure.
“The idea for this event was borne out of the Love Your Local Market national campaign.
“We wanted to work with the traders to create something that would be exciting for the children but would ultimately benefit them too.
“We held the event in the Market Hall, as opposed to our usual promotional space, in order to drive footfall into the area.
“And even despite the royal wedding and amazing sunny weather, we still saw a fantastic turnout.”