Announcements

A DIAMOND Jubilee window competition could be the first step towards giving Upper Parkstone’s mile-long high street a major boost.

Ashley Road’s shops are being urged to decorate their windows and stump up a £10 entry fee in the hope of paying for Christmas decorations this year.

And organisers hope the initiative will bring traders together to regenerate the road.

Residents and shoppers have been disappointed not to have Christmas lights along the road in recent years.

Cllr Marion Le Poidevin of Branksome West, who has been involved with turning the area’s former chamber of commerce into Ashley Road Traders Association, said: “All the shops are being asked for to pay a £10 entry fee. That will go towards lights and decorations and we’ve already got an offer of a Christmas tree.”

Students at local schools were asked to design a poster for the competition and around 50 art entries came in from St Aldhelm’s Academy and Heatherlands First School.

Overall winner was Tabitha Barrett, 13, a year eight pupil from St Aldhelm’s, with her design featuring the Union Flag with a diamond at the centre.

Runners-up from St Aldhelm’s were Victoria Messenger, 13, and Kelsey Galpin, 13, whose work was specially commended; and from Heatherlands, Sara Donnellan, aged seven, and Leyla Brooking, five.

The Ashley Road Jubilee Window Competition will run from May 24 to June 6, with a potential 200 shops eligible to take part. The contest has been sponsored by Breeze VW.

Prizes for the window dressing competition will be presented at St John’s on June 9. Extra coverage for the Jubilee

The Daily Echo will be also be marking the special event with two supplements, free with the newspaper. We look at the royal history of Dorset and our local connections with the Royal family on Saturday June 2 and there will be a round-up of street party celebrations included in the newspaper on the following Wednesday