The names of the 12 giant Nutcrackers to appear in Southport this Christmas have been revealed!
Southport BID ran a fun competition to name the fun festive figures, which will soon be appearing on streets throughout Southport town centre.
Hundreds of superb names were suggested by local people, giving judges a very difficult task to narrow them down to just 12!
One of the winning names – Sir Tom – was inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore, the former British Second World War Army officer who was knighted earlier this year for raising over £30million money for charity in the run-up to his 100th birthday during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Others have strong Southport links such as Sutton, Old Duke, Hesketh and Meols while some, such as Fredrich and Hans, nod to the figures’ German roots.
The winning Nutcracker names for 2020 are:
Peanut
Sutton
Old Duke
Fredrich
Hesketh
Meols
Hans
Sir Tom
Marmaduke
Rufus
Noel
Rutherford
Southport BID CEO Rachel Fitzgerald said: “Thank you to everyone who contributed name ideas and for getting involved.
“There were some superb names and it was hard to narrow it down.
“Circumstances have obviously changed, but we hope the Nutcrackers spark some joy and provide some fun for children in a safe way – with families able to complete the trail as part of their outdoor recreation time.”
The iconic 6ft tall Nutcrackers figures, which resemble giant toy soldiers, will be placed at strategic points throughout Southport town centre to recreate the popular Nutcracker Trail.
There will be more to find this year with 12 figures instead of last season’s 10.
The Nutcrackers brought real magic to Christmas shopping in Southport town centre last year, with families from across the North West enjoying finding all the figures in between trips to local shops and restaurants.
In German tradition the dolls are symbols of good luck, frightening away malevolent spirits – ideal as the BID continues to help Southport businesses recover from the continuing impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and urges people to shop local this Christmas.
The Nutcrackers are a safe attraction people can still enjoy, even during the November lockdown restrictions.
As soon as the restrictions end, on 2 December, people can come back to town and support local businesses.
This year the popular Nutcracker Trail Guide will be a single page.
This will be a downloadable document so people can have it on their phone or print it off rather than collecting it, to make the trail even safer.
There will also be an iPad Mini for one lucky winner completing the trail and a £50 Southport Gift Card for the best Nutcracker selfie to be posted in the Stand Up For Southport Facebook group.
Southport Business Improvement District CEO Rachel Fitzgerald said: “We are delighted to be bringing the Nutcrackers back to Southport this year for people to enjoy.
“They were a huge success last year with families making repeat visits into Southport so they could complete the trail in stages.”
For more details about the Southport BID, please visit their website at: southportbid.com or Like the Southport BID page on Facebook, Follow them @SouthportBID on Twitter and at southportbid on Instagram.