Fenwick Christmas window a return to tradition

The city centre department store's festive display has been a fixture for generations of families since 1971

The countdown to Christmas has begun, with the unveiling of Fenwick's festive window display.

This year's theme at the Newcastle department store is A Christmas Carol, featuring scenes from the Dickens classic and what is a return to tradition after more modern offerings in recent years.

Designers selected fabrics that mirrored the original sketches and sourced vintage treasures including pottery, Christmas cards and carpet.

Store director Kieren McBride said that the preparations, which involved a huge attention to detail, had begun as soon as last year's display at the Northumberland Street site was taken down.

The city centre department store's festive display has been a fixture for generations of families since 1971.

For 2025, Fenwick teamed up with former Children's Laureate Chris Riddell, who also worked on last year's display.

The author and illustrator said: "The theme of A Christmas Carol was so rich and resonant with the ghosts and Scrooge and a host of Dickensian characters, I couldn't resist the challenge.

"The amazing team went to work on my drawings and have turned them into 3D tableaux that are breathtaking."

A dedicated seamstress spent four months making the costumes

For the fourth year running, a specially composed score has been composed in partnership with the Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead and performed by the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

A unique arrangement of the classic carol God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen accompanies the display.

Mr McBride said: "The amount of time and planning and dedication that goes into a window of that scale is incredible.

"It has been a year in the making, with the costumes alone, by a dedicated seamstress, taking four months."

Fenwick teamed up with former Children's Laureate Chris Riddell, who produced designs for the window

He said that feedback had been "positive, because it's a great story, and a tradition".

"It is already a great success."

The reveal, on Sunday evening, took place in front of invited guests, including families from store's partner schools, hospitals and charities, along with winners of a ballot. It was also shown online.

Many of those there told BBC Radio Newcastle how much they enjoyed the classic aspect, saying how good it was to have something traditional after more modern displays.

One tableau depicts Scrooge confronted by the ghost of his business partner, Marley