'We want to show people our thriving High Street'

Stephen and Laura Brownsteele opened their gift shop in Hexham last year

A town's independent traders have made their own Christmas advert showing off how much the High Street has "bloomed" in recent years.

The video, which has had thousands of views on social media, was created by and stars 15 independent business owners from Hexham, Northumberland.

Laura Brownsteele opened gift shop Lore of Hexham with her husband Stephen in 2024 and said she was among a number of new independent traders in the town's business community.

She said: "We were discussing ways that we could get the knowledge out there for people who maybe used come to Hexham and haven't been for ages because it wasn't particularly exciting, and let everybody know how much it's changed."

About £1.5m of government funding was allocated to the town in 2023 to help revitalise its town centre.

Hexham's High Street has seen new businesses arrive recently

Ms Brownsteele said, like in many other towns across the UK, a lot of shop fronts had been left empty after the pandemic.

"It was a bit soulless," she said.

"Then there seemed to be this just this little burst of energy filling the town centre as some new shops opened, and then it seemed to snowball and more and more new shops opened.

"There's a real difference in the feel walking around [from] when we first moved here four years ago."

She said the response to the ad, which had its premiere screening at the local Forum Cinema, had been "fantastic", with a recent Christmas trading night in the town being "much busier" than previous years.

'A vital time'

Lindsey Birney, owner of Hexham's Mr Wolf Toy Shop, was behind the idea for the advert, which is a retelling of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

She said it was the first time the town's businesses had undergone such a project, which she described as "a joy from start to finish".

"The businesses came together to create something truly special — a Christmas message that celebrates community, creativity, and the unique magic of shopping local in Hexham," she said.

Lindsey Birney, who owns Mr Wolf Toy Shop, also stars in the ad

Reshma Begum, from the Federation of Small Business, said Christmas was a "vital time" for small retail and hospitality businesses, who relied on the season's trade as their "golden quarter".

Chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association Andrew Goodacre added: "When shoppers choose to buy from independent businesses, they're not just purchasing gifts.

"They're investing in their community, supporting local jobs, and helping to keep the unique character of their town centre alive."