The fourth Darnhill Christmas Festival took place in and around Argyle Parade
on Monday 18th December 2006.

The Chronicles of Darnia was a new story, created for the Festival, through workshops organised by Cartwheel Arts. It was written by Just Poets and St Margarets Primary School’s Year 5 children. Artists Emily Greenwood and Sophie Postlewaite worked with the children to create a visual wonderland for the festival.

The Keeper of Stories visited the festival to share with the people of Darnhill the Chronicles of Darnia. Because the people of Darnia had not looked after their world, the resulting rising temperatures had meant that Darnia had had no winter for 100 years. The children of Darnhill were asked to help make winter return to Darnia in the hope that maybe Christmas would return too.

Artists worked with children throughout the afternoon to make wintry items to take to Darnia. The children were very successful in helping winter return to Darnia and live music and carol singing heralded the return of Christmas and Father Christmas himself, Hoorah!

Cartwheel Arts would like to thank all who made this year’s festival possible, especially all the local volunteers, some of whom worked so hard they didn’t get to visit Darnia themselves! Sorry.

The Christmas Festival is organised in partnership with the Darnhill Festival Association, which meets on the second Monday every month and is open to all who live and work on Darnhill.

The Chronicles of Darnia event was supported by Tell Us Another One, Cartwheel’s storytelling project. Tell Us Another One also runs Darnhill Story Group which meets on the third Monday of every month to do creative writing and storytelling activities with local adults.

For more information on the festival or the story group, please contact Cartwheel on 01706 361300.