Aiming to brighten Barnet High Street with contest for best Christmas shop window display

High Street window displays promoting Halloween will soon be replaced with Christmas themes — and this year there is a £300 prize for the best festive window display.

Hopscotch Essentials traditional sweet shop – which is proud of its informative display about the traditions and customs of Halloween – is planning an equally imaginative theme for the run up to Christmas.

At the other end of the High Street, staff at Wanders Shoe Shop are working on their seasonal display – possibly based around the classic Christmas tale of The Elves and the Shoemaker.

When Barnet Council dropped the idea of running a window display competition this Christmas, Chipping Barnet Town Team stepped in and is offering a £300 prize for the best display.

Hopscotch’s proprietors Alice and Michael Kentish are delighted that the Town Team has intervened to help encourage shopkeepers and traders to brighten up the High Street.

Their shop selling traditional sweets and other essentials finished third in last year’s borough wide Christmas window competition.

“We did get a plug in the Barnet Council magazine but the prospect of winning a £300 prize is going to spur us all on,” said Alice Kentish.

“What we have in mind is a display which will build on the history of Christmas. I already have some props in mind but I’m not going to give anything away. It will be a surprise.”

The Kentishes are certainly resourceful: the pumpkins in their Halloween display were grown on their plot in the Clifford Road allotments.

At Wanders shoe shop Kayleigh Doherty said the sales team would have to put  their thinking caps on – at which point one customer interrupted to say the answer might be to come up with a display around the story of The Elves and the Shoemaker.

This traditional Christmas tale revolves around the adventures of two sneaky little elves.

Next door staff at Boutique and Bakes were sure their Christmas display would be equally eye-catching and imaginative.

In previous years High Street outlets of the national retail chains have often been reluctant to get involved, but that could change once sales staff are aware that a prize is on offer.

The prospect of winning £300 – which would represent a sizeable donation – might encourage volunteers at the many charity shops along the High Street and in The Spires shopping centre to brighten up their shop windows.

A display of Christmas books would be an attractive proposition for the free book shops in The Spires which was opened earlier this year by the Global Education Trust.

In its appeal for traders and shopkeepers to take enter the contest, the Town Team says it is an ideal opportunity to present a magical display that will showcase the holiday spirit and help attract customers.

The contest will be judged by members of the Town Team who are supported in their initiative by the Barnet Society, Barnet Residents Association and the Love Barnet website.