Hundreds of people turned out to watch 2010 X-Factor winner Matt Cardle perform in Burnham-On-Sea town centre on Saturday evening during a special Christmas event.

The singer performed in front of over 350 people at the Christmas Spectacular in Burnham High Street for 30 minutes.

The evening show began with a performance by talented up-and-coming singer Harrisen Larner-Main from Weston before Matt Cardle took the stage to loud cheers from the spectators.

The performance came at the end of a day of entertainment that was aimed at encouraging shoppers into the town centre and included a mini fun fair.

Organised by Burnham Events Social Team, the event was funded with a £3,000 grant from Burnham and Highbridge Town Council.

Organiser Craig Peters told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We’ve had lots of positive feedback for this first event and it’s something we hope to build on, coming back with something even better next year.”

Shop owners in the town centre reported mixed trade during the day. Carrie Davies at Inspiration gift shop, where the fun fair was located, said: “Trade has been up with lots of extra visitors – the fair was in a great position for us and we’d like to see here every Saturday!”

Sweet Shack’s Kirsty Isom said: “It’s good to something different going on, but it’s not really helped our trade beyond what we’d usually expect on a Christmas Saturday.”

Colin Morris at GW Hurleys said: “It’s nice to see the kids enjoying themselves but I do think this event is far too big. The closure of the whole of the High Street was completely unnecessary when nothing happened on the stage at the Cross Street junction until the evening. I’d prefer to see the fun fair held in the coach car park, allowing access to the town centre on a busy shopping weekend – I just don’t think it works in the High Street.”

Liz Loze at Anthony James added: “It’s been a great day – a lot busier than normal and we’ve seen lots of extra shoppers buying from us.”

Sandra King at the RNLI charity shop said: “It’s been a good day for us – we had over 500 customers and that was good for trade.”

Charlie Dicks at Boots The Chemist said: “We had a very busy daytime – it was really busy at times with queues building, but then it went very quiet in the evening with just five customers an hour after 5pm.”

Julian’s gift shop said they had experienced a “good day’s trade, higher than we’d usually expect on a Saturday at this time of year.”

Julie Dean at Flowers and Things added: “We had a busy day but we’d usually see that anyway just two weeks before Christmas – overall, it was nothing special.”

And Les Barber at Bessies Sweet Shoppe added that it had been “an average Saturday overall” for his High Street business.

The organising team, pictured, during the event. The fun fair’s five rides set up along the southern section of the High Street were helped by dry, mild weather. The organisers say they intend to hold another event in December 2016.

 
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