GANDY STREET COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS
on the 22nd of November, great time and offers are on!

Start at 5.30 - 8.00 PM!

Looking for a festive family fun, treat or the perfect gift for your family?!

On that day Gandy Street Traders will once again take to the cobbled street, spilling out onto stalls to welcome shoppers to an evening of Festive Fun and this year looks to be bigger and better than ever as Gandy Street's Countdown to Christmas starts the season off with a spectacular Christmas party.
 

Shoppers can expect a winter wonderland with all kinds of treats, fudge and chocolate samples; prosecco, mince pies and mulled wine, cider and gin, not to mention offers and promotions up and down the street. There will be SNOW, a children’s craft workshop, street musicians from MIDI - Music In Devon Initiative, a choir, a return of the wonderfully endearing Victorian Fairy, Betty Twinkle on her giant Robin and Oz Symons Man of Magic performing as a Magical Santa!

New for this year, will be a Santa’s Grotto in Coolings’’ Cellar bar.
There will also be a Charity Tombola with an exceptional array of prizes, donated by the businesses and mini-massages to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West. Keep an eye on the Gandy Street Exeter facebook page and the website gandystreetexeter.com to see what is up for grabs!

This event is funded by InExeter and the Gandy Street businesses in order to showcase this special street with its eclectic and artisan independents and this year we will be joined by some amazing stores from Queen Street. It's a great opportunity to celebrate and thank our wonderful customers and see in the festive period together, with a Christmas extravaganza!

Some of the offers during the evening of festive

JoJo Maman Bebe, our store is an absolute delight to shop in. It’s bright and beautiful with a friendly and welcoming team to assist you.
We cater for everything you will need throughout your pregnancy and beyond, stocking a fantastic range of maternity wear, gorgeous baby and children’s clothing as well as great products and gift collections. A free maternity and nursing bra fitting service is also available.
 

Mantis is an independent, family-run Boutique Jewellery, Accessories and Gift shop, specialising in the contemporary sterling silver jewellery set with the finest gemstones. They design and hand-make their own "Mantis" range of sterling silver jewellery in their workshop in Exeter, and also stock a superb collection of imported jewellery, costume jewellery, scented candles, luxury handmade soap, Vegan leather handbags, scarves and unique gifts."

During the event, we will be offering a 15% discount on all our handbags and offering mince pies and prosecco.

Coolings & The Cellar Bar on Exeter’s Gandy Street is an independently owned city centre bar serving lunches, hot drinks and a full bar offering. We also have the amazing Coolings Cellar Bar in the old vaults of Exeter tunnel maze. Recently extensively refurbished Coolings opens from 10 am Monday-Saturday and 11 am on a Sunday. On November 22nd we are joining the Gandy Street Christmas night offer tasty treats, festive goodies and a discounted full menu. 
 

John Gandys boasts Exeter’s best weekend party bar and for those looking for an alternative to the ‘clubs’ with live music every Friday and bank holiday Sunday, Live DJ's on Saturdays and always FREE entry. Served by a team of mixologists, late-night openings on Friday and Saturday and great music where else would you want to be?!
We will be selling Mulled Rum at £3.50 and Christmas cocktails on, buy one get one free.

The Mugglers Inn aims to give people an experience that is fun and interactive and where you can escape; using state-of-the-art augmented reality software; the magic from fantasy books is brought to life in an immersive, interactive experience.
This spectacular dining experience enables guests to enjoy great food and drinks whilst the unique surroundings are brought to life with the help of stunning special effects. Be amazed as all around you there are moving paintings, floating candles and jars filled with all manner of curious contents.

Join us for Gandy Street’s Countdown to Christmas and warm yourself up with a FREE glass of mulled cider plus 2 for 1 takeaway pizzas ALL night, shop ‘til late and have a very merry evening!

Roly's Fudge Exeter is a handmade fudge pantry in the heart of Queen Street, Exeter. We have been based in Exeter since 2013 but it all stems back to an old family recipe for traditional fudge passed down by the founder's grandmother over generations. Roly's Fudge has been established since 1987, with boutique fudge pantries across the country making traditional fudge every day in full view of customers. Our fudge is made using the highest quality and natural ingredients, carefully sourced from responsible suppliers. Pop by the shop to try a free taster of our crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth fudge!
 

The Hair Boutique is one of Exeter's finest hairdressers. We are a hair salon based in the beautiful Gandy Street in Exeter city centre. 
Everything we do revolves around your experience with us from start to finish. Our hairstylists will go out of our way to ensure you will receive an incredibly personal service. From the minute you walk in to our salon, up to the time it comes for you to leave, we will be do everything to make your experience unforgettable. 
We will be offering the following 
> FREE Goodie bags with products samples, haircut and hair colour vouchers
> Drinks and Nibbles
> Prize draw to win a hair cut and style with our salon owner; Nicky Mills

The Shop at RAMM is a haven for retail therapy. You can be sure to find something for everyone with our selection of perfectly hand-picked gifts, alongside books and children’s souvenirs.

The ranges we stock are directly inspired by RAMM’s collections and exhibitions. Many items will not be found elsewhere in Exeter.

The Artist Makers’ cabinet showcases an eclectic range of work by top local makers as well as bringing in some of the best craft from around the country.

When you make a purchase at the Shop at RAMM all profits go back into supporting the museum.

Sebastian Christopher Photography, a local photographer. I am passionate about photography and I"m adding the artistic spark into it. Capturing and preserving our most precious memories, products in the most creative and evocative way takes exceptional skill, dedication to detail and a passion for perfection.
I will create a set of images of you and those you love that are as unique as your own fingerprint.
You will want to forever cherish a special set of photographs that reflect the very essence of your DNA.
During a festive family fun, I will be taken the photographs.

& much more offers with the local businesses from Gandy Street.

That's all places with offers during the event:

JoJo Maman Bebe, Mantis, Coolings, Erin Cox Jewellery, John Gandys, The Mugglers, Roly's Fudge Exeter, The Hair Boutique, Shop at RAMM, Moko, Crocketts Exeter, Cavern, The Vaults, ShowBitz, Chococo, Massage and Wellbeing, Bills, Seasalt, Solicitors Title, Exeter Phoenix, Lefroy Beauty Therapy, Georgie and Flo, Sebastian Christopher Photography.
 

I invite you cordially to participate in the festival, there is always a great warm atmosphere, fun, as well as a time of good promotional opportunities!

Have a great time!
 

"The Trench, The Missing of the Somme" created by artist Rob Heard.

I highly recommend, the image of the figurines gives a bigger picture of the war losses but really about the losses that each war is suffering.

This exhibition encourages to thinking and memory of people who are gone forever. Where are we heading?

The Battle of the Somme (French: Bataille de la Somme, German: Schlacht an der Somme), also known as the Somme Offensive,

was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British and French empires against the German Empire.

This is the new art installation to commemorate 100 years since the end of World War One.

Tens of thousands of shrouded figures stacked, one on top of another, in a free-standing wooden representation of a trench. Each one represents a Commonwealth serviceman killed at the Somme with no known grave, many of whose bodies were never recovered and whose names are engraved on the Thiepval Memorial in France.

The battle was one of the largest of World War I, in which more than 1,000,000 men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history.

British casualties on the first day were the worst in the history of the British army, with 57,470 British casualties, 19,240 of whom were killed.

This was the worst day in the history of the British Army, which saw 19,240 deaths of a total of 57,000 casualties, mainly on the front between

the Albert–Bapaume road and Gommecourt, where the attack was defeated and few British troops reached the German front line.

In the original "layout" form, the Shrouds provide dignity and attention to detail, representing the individuals who perished. The Shrouds in "The Trench" represent the mass loss, a more uncomfortable and oppressive image, a huge number of people crushed together.

"The reality is that literally thousands upon thousands of men perished together, en masse. The 72,396 represent only those with no known grave,

a fraction of those who died in the whole battle."

Rob Heard

The original Allied estimate of casualties on the Somme, made at the Chantilly Conference on 15 November 1916, was 485,000 British and French casualties and 630,000 German. 

"All these men are laying on the battlefield to this day and in some small way I would like to bring them home."

Rob Heard

"The most remarkable First World War commemoration you will ever see."

Dan Snow

Historian & Broadcaster

It is the hope of the project team that after the final installation at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in November all the 72,396 individual figures

which make up the Shrouds of the Somme will make their way to new homes; the team feels that it is a fitting tribute for each and every one

of the shrouds to rest in individual homes.

The shrouds are available to purchase now HERE ONLINE and at the installations in Salisbury, Exeter, London and possibly Liverpool.

All buyers have the opportunity to select a specific serviceman to be represented by their shroud before purchasing.

Please note that individual shrouds will continue to take their place in the installation and will be shipped to you between January – June 2019

once they have been dried out and framed.

The money raised from the on-going sale of the shrouds helps to sustain the project itself and profits will be donated to SSAFA The Armed Forces Charity

and Commonwealth War Graves Foundation.

 An artist, Rob Heard on the photograph above

Shrouds Of The Somme

Remembering those who gave their all.

To find out more historical facts about The Somme and about an artist Rob Heard and the whole project click on the name above.

To see more of my photographs go to my own gallery.

Thank you!

Sebastian Christopher