Sparkling lantern parade shines a light on Rugby town centre

Rugby’s Christmas celebrations continued with an enthusiastic and noisy candle-lit procession around the town centre at the weekend.

The event organisers, Rugby First, set up a lantern-making workshop in Saint Andrew’s Church gardens earlier in the day, which encouraged many families to brave the winter weather and join the parade.

The procession – led by the pounding beat of the Leamington-based percussion band, Sambassadors of Groove - included schoolchildren and toddlers with their parents, teenagers who swayed to the samba beat and members and supporters of Rugby’s Ukrainian community who proudly marched behind their flag.

Jo Kemp, Rugby First Operations Director said: “The parade is a perfect opportunity to bring together Rugby’s communities to share the magic of Christmas and to remember those we have lost.”