THE STREETS of Ipplepen will be alight again this weekend as the annual lantern procession wends its way through the village.

Saturday evening will see a myriad of brightly lit lanterns of all shapes, sizes and guises parade through Ipplepen heralding the start of the Christmas season, and for the second year running the village’s history group will be combining this event with a Window Wonderland.

‘Over the whole weekend from Friday to Sunday windows in the village will be displaying creative and visually arresting images, while in the gardens there will be the bigger lantern installations,’ explained John Marsh, chairman of the Ipplepen Local History group.

‘The event takes place each year on the last Saturday in November and it refers to the annual St. Andrew’s Feast and Fair from the Middle Ages.

‘The lanterns, which get get bigger and more elaborate each year, are created with the help of Judy Dewhirst, and it is a testament to the community spirit of the village that the event has continued and adapted through the lockdown period.’

The rendezvous point for the event is the Village Hall at 6pm and the procession leaves at 6.30pm. There are prizes for the best lanterns and window displays and a cup for the best in village.

‘We have managed to keep this event going even though we have not been able to prepare in the Village Hub or the school and we are unable to gather in the church at the end,’ continued John.

‘In the end it’s a matter of finding a way and relying on the community spirit!’