TOWNSFOLK refused to let strong winds and heavy downpours stop them getting into the festive spirit as an annual Christmas street fair celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Organisers said the weather was the 'worst they'd seen in 25 years' as they battled to hold the event in Didcot on Thursday.

Thousands of visitors from the town and surrounding area defied the conditions to watch a winter wonderland themed parade and enjoy stalls, food and a fun fair.

Jeanette Howse, chair of Didcot Events which organises the fair, said: "I think we'll certainly remember the 25th year. It was extremely windy during the set-up and at one point we didn't think we'd be able to put up the stalls at all.

"Then we had the rain at around 5pm and the whole street looked like a swimming pool.

"But it's all's well that ends well and we still had thousands of people come out.

"It looked as packed as we expected it to be along the parade route and we've had some good feedback.

"We had to go to some great lengths to make sure it all went ahead."

One of the biggest events of Oxfordshire's festive calender, performers in elaborate costumes entertained the crowds on the parade.

A more traditional theme was requested for this year and giant puppet snow cats were led by women decked out in white fur and silver crowns.

Father Christmas was pulled on his sleigh down Broadway, joined by ice stilt walkers and white horses.

The town's Market Place became a Christmas market, with mulled wine and cider, mince pies, hot chestnuts, Christmas trees and Christmas gift stalls.

Children were given the chance to go inside a snow globe and were treated to presents from Father Christmas.

The town's Christmas lights were also turned on for the first time with glittering globes and fairy lights lighting up the shops around the Orchard Centre.

It was the first year since the shopping centre was expanded in March and shops stayed open late to mark the occasion.

Didcot’s Mayor Bill Service said: “It is just a fantastic event. The people of Didcot and the surrounding villages all come together meaning there is a real mix of stalls, so many different charities and lots of events going on."

Among the stalls lining up at the event was Play2Give which is organising the annual Sleigh2Give campaign to collect thousands of presents to be handed out to ill children.

Organiser Andy Baker said: "It was another success. We ran out of all our tombola prizes by 8.30pm.

"A big thank you again to everyone who supported us and to all my volunteers on my team who helped all night long.

"It was a long seven hours and not in the best of conditions. All the hard work and effort was worth it."

The event was the last big event of the year for Didcot after the food festival and gin and craft festival.