SANTA came to Slade Green as residents celebrated the start of the holiday season with a Christmas festival.

The Howbury Centre was the venue for Slade Green Big Local partnership to host an ice rink and 25 stalls from local sellers.

With all the traders selling arts and crafts and sweets you would have thought youngsters wouldn’t need to go and see Father Christmas.

But 400 of them still lined up to meet Santa who was on hand with specially wrapped gifts.

Organiser Carol Read was delighted with the 1,000-strong turnout for the event in Slade Green Road on November 23.

She said: "The ice skating rink was really popular and it was busy all day long.

"It was just a really nice atmosphere and it brought money into Slade Green instead of everyone spending it elsewhere.

"We had some really good feedback from the stallholders who said it was the best one they had ever done."

Visit Slade Green Big Local at localtrust.org.uk