SHIPLEY residents have launched a living advent calendar to rival neighbouring Saltaire after they clubbed together via a WhatsApp group.
Inspired by the Saltaire Living Advent Calendar, which has become an annual tradition in the village since 2006, residents in Shipley decided to do a similar event of their own featuring quirky window designs.
Participating residents in Shipley have decorated one of the front windows of their homes with a host of different designs. Some of the creations honour the NHS, while others have opted to use more traditional Christmas scenes and some have been designed by children.
A group of residents on a neighbourhood WhatsApp group, which started during the first lockdown to give support and mutual aid to anyone who needed it, decided to spread a little festive cheer.
The group represents a small area, mainly Birklands Road, Hall Royd, Manor Lane, Birklands Terrace and Castle Road in Shipley, where most of the advent calendar designs are on display.
Esther Derbyshire, of Birklands Terrace who organised the Shipley event, posted a message in the WhatsApp group, asking if anyone would be interested in decorating their windows and the idea received an immediate response.
A total of 28 houses volunteered to do a window, which are unveiled each day up to and including Christmas Eve. The response was so positive that organisers had to double up on some days during this month.
Locations of all the Shipley Living Advent Calendar windows:
- 1 6 Birklands Terrace
- 2 51 Birklands Road
- 3 7 Hall Royd
- 4 19 Birklands Road
- 5 10 Birklands Terrace
- 6a 20 Hall Royd
- 6b 21 Birklands Road
- 7a 5 Birklands Terrace
- 7b 7 Cross Banks
- 8 44 Birklands Road
- 9 9 Castle Road
- 10 10 Hall Royd
- 11 37 Birklands Road
- 12b 158 Manor Lane
- 12b 5 Castle Mews
- 13 18 Hall Royd
- 14 11 Birklands Road
- 15 20 Birklands Road
- 16 75 Manor Lane
- 17 55 Birklands Road
- 18 42 Birklands Road
- 19 43 Hall Royd
- 20 18 Birklands Road
- 21b 67 Manor Lane
- 21b 162 Manor Lane
- 22 57 Birklands Road
- 23 2 Birklands Terrrace
- 24 1 Castle Road
But Esther insists the Shipley version of the event has brought people closer together, but the Shipley event is not a rival to Saltaire's.
She said: "It started as a spontaneous thing this year really.
"It has built on the community spirit shown during lockdown. It's really nice.
"We're opening new ones every day. Kids have done a few of the designs and we have had ones on the NHS too.
"We have asked people to keep them open until December 31.
"It's definitely an amateur production compared to Saltaire's.
"I think this amazing response is testament to how much people need to feel a sense of community and togetherness at the moment.
"It's been a nice bit of communication between people. It's really nice to have that and that everyone is helping out with each other.
"The WhatsApp group has about 45 people in it now.
"Hopefully it turns out to be an annual tradition. I put the initial message round on WhatsApp and got everyone's details."
Meanwhile, the Saltaire Living Advent Calendar – which is this year revealing a record number 55 of advent windows throughout December – has opened four ‘partner’ windows created by friends in Shipley, Stromness and Sweden.
For the second year, Rydals Museum (formerly a Mill) in Sweden have created a window for the event, which will open at 16 Mary St.
In 2019, as part of an ongoing cultural exchange, members of the Living Advent Calendar visited Sweden to meet staff at Rydals, to help them set up their own Living Advent Calendar event in their Mill, which was built by Sven Erikson in 1853 – the same year that Sir Titus Salt built Salts Mill in Saltaire. Saltaire Inspired has also sent a window to be included in Rydal’s event.
Meanwhile, Shipley Town Council is encouraging residents to "Shop Local in Shipley for Christmas", which is the message of a beautiful hand-drawn poster designed by local artist Allan Brack and donated to the Town Council.
When looking for last-minute gifts, food or decorations in Shipley, shoppers can still vote for their favourite festive window display.
The competition opened on Wednesday, December 2 and has just three days left to run before the results are announced on Christmas Eve.
Voting is free and easy: just e-mail the name of a favourite shop window display to Shipley Town Council at shipleytownclerk@gmail.com, before 5pm on Thursday 24 December.
Councillor Mike Connors, Chair of Shipley Town Council, said: "It’s now less than one week to go until Christmas Day and we need to support our local businesses more than ever in what has been a very challenging year for them.".
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