A NEW winter festival has launched in Wigtown, complete with its own Christmas single.
The month-long festival will have an abundance of events and activities for all running until January 1, including a Christmas market, movies, carol singing, Santa’s grotto and an ice rink.
To accompany the event, Joyce and Ian Cochrane, right, have written and recorded a theme song entitled ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas Time Again’, which has just been released online.
It recalls Christmases gone by when there was an annual parade down the main street, a silver band playing and hot chocolate served in the County Buildings.
The couple, who run the Old Bank Bookshop, have been writing and performing for many years but only started recording and releasing after they were selected to play live for a national radio show.
Joyce said: “We decided to start off with I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas Time Again.
“A couple of people heard it and liked it, then the Wigtown Wonderland organisers asked if they could use it to promote the event – we were so pleased and said yes straight away.
“It’s a song that’s so full of memories of wonderful Christmases in Wigtown, which has such an incredible community spirit, so we were really happy to help.”
And they are donating 25 per cent of the money raised from downloads to Wigtown Book Festival.
Thanking the couple for their efforts, Anne Barclay, of Wigtown Festival Company, said: “Wigtown Wonderland is a real community effort, with so many people getting involved, it’s just great.
“The aim is to make the festive season as special as possible for people who live in the area and for visitors coming to Scotland’s National Book Town.
“Joyce and Ian have been incredibly generous by letting us use their song – and it’s perfect, completely capturing the spirit of Christmas and of our community.”
