Well done to our very own Richard Rodway, organiser of the Henley Living Advent Calendar, and all those involved or who attended the event for breaking last year’s record and raising £11,000 for local charities and good causes.
The annual event ended on Christmas Eve after 24 nights of entertainment at different venues across the town, each in aid of a good cause and sponsored by a local business.
Richard Rodway said he thought the final night, outside St Mary’s Church in Hart Street, attracted the biggest crowd of almost 300 people and he has noticed it becoming a tradition for the town on Christmas Eve.
He said: “The crowd stretched out to the first set of traffic lights opposite the Hart Street Tavern. Then there were people on the other side of the road as well. Although, I don’t think it was replicated in terms of sales of raffle tickets for that night because people couldn’t get to the raffle ticket table.
“Outside St Mary’s on the last night is almost an event and a tradition in itself now as people know that there are carols outside the church on Christmas Eve. They might not go to any other calendar performance but they know that there are carols conveniently at 6.15pm.”
The total raised bettered the previous record sum of more than £10,000 that was set in 2023.