Festive fun gripped Wycombe last night as thousands of people filled the streets to enjoy the true start of the Christmas season in town.

The all-important plunger was pushed by lovable sloth Sid, from the Ice Age series of films, on the event’s main stage in a packed-out Frogmoor.

The whole town heaved with people as families visited to town to get into the Christmas spirit.

Helping pep the celebrations up were Scrat, the tenacious nut-hungry squirrel from Ice Age and Sarah the Cook from the Wycombe Swan’s panto Dick Whittington, which this year stars Shane Richie.

After the lights were lit, Sid and his on-stage cohorts got dancing to ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ (see video).

Also there to see in the switch-on was Wycombe District Council chairman Lesley Clarke and High Wycombe Town Mayor, Cllr Khalil Ahmed.

Cllr Ahmed told the BFP: “It was fabulous to see so many people there, journeying to see the switching on of the lights.

Bucks Free Press:

“The atmosphere was electric and the funfair made all the difference. There were little children and adults, all with smiles on their faces. And we were very pleased to see all the (panto and cartoon) characters – they all made a big difference.

“I’d like to personally thank everyone who came. All communities were represented and it was a pleasure to see.”

And there was plenty more to enjoy at the event, organised by the HWBIDCo, which works to boost the fortunes and profile of the town centre and its businesses.

Also keeping the crowds entertained were a host of performances on the main stage, including The Glee Club Choir, the Wycombe Cheerleaders, the Martial Arts Club, Bucks Voice of the Year, the XCS Reggae Soca Band, Castle Street Dance Studio, Hartbeats African Drummers, Songbirds, and youngsters from Stagecoach.

There was lots to enjoy at the community stage as well, as will welcome performances from the Hannah Ball School Choir, Tiger Martial Arts, the UGM Academy, Stagecoach and the Salvation Army, its brass band also did a fine job in capturing the Christmas atmosphere with some festive renditions along the High Street.

Gemma Carver, a Booker resident, was at the event with husband Dave, and children Jack, 4, and Emma, 7. She said: “It’s really nice, actually, there’s so many people here – it has a nice buzz and it’s okay to start thinking about Christmas now. It’s nice to have big events like these, there’s lots going on and it’s definitely worth coming out to.

“There are so many people about, though, and there’s plenty going on– we’re just having to make sure these the kids don’t get distracted and wander off.”

Food stalls lined the streets offering people a range of cuisines, from Burmese to stone-fired pizzas, while funfair rides kept busy with a steady stream of children looking for festive excitement.

If that wasn’t enough there were live reindeers delighting youngsters, performers and a Santa Claus was also out on the street doing the rounds.

Oliver O'Dell, chief executive of HWBIDCo, said: "HWBIDCo is really pleased that so many people had a good time at the Christmas event on Thursday. It was lovely to hear lots of people talking about how it was the busiest in years and how good both the food market and roaming acts had been.

"So many children had their picture taken with Sid and Scrat that they struggled to move more than a few metres at a time. Send your photographs of the night to either our facebook page or tweet us and there might be a spot prize for the best one."

Last night also marked the opening of the BFP’s Santa’s Grotto at the Chilterns Shopping Centre.

The Grotto will run every Saturday from 11am to 4pm until Christmas.

Entry costs £3 per child and includes a present from Santa.

Anyone visiting up until, and including, December 13 can have their picture taken with Father Christmas himself.

One-third of all the money raised will be donated to Helen and Douglas House.