High winds failed to stop the Sheerness Market and Lantern Parade from going ahead.

Organisers had feared bad weather would scupper their plans but as the day turned into night the winds dropped allowing the parade to go ahead.

Frozen Princesses Anna (Bethanie Jones) and Elsa (Courtney Buckley) helped turn on the lights at the clock tower after the crowd had counted down from 10.

Organiser Chris Reed said: "Despite the wind, the day went very well. It would have been so sad to have cancelled the procession as we had spent the past six weeks building the lanterns.”

Special favourites were stilt-walking jugglers Alan Swan and Samantha Lambkin from Faversham. They kept the children amused and when the light faded, the pair started juggling with fire.

The day also featured the first Sheppey Santa Run organised by Minster-on-Sea Rotary Club. Organiser Kevin Hoffman admitted: “It wasn’t actually a run. Although some of our younger members sprinted ahead, the rest of us were content to exercise a leisurely stroll along the High Street. Well, it would be wrong for Santa to exert himself too much before Christmas Eve!”

Two reindeer called Sven and Prancer were the star attractions at the Island's Tesco Christmas Fun Day.

Children queued to pat the pair, which were housed in a temporary paddock where the supermarket’s trolleys are normally stored, as they prepared to pull Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.

They were provided by former Islander Mark Stribbling-Williams who also brought his family of James, seven, Luke, five, Faith, three and eight-months-old Ben to act as elves.

Mark said: “I grew up on Sheppey and wanted to share the reindeer with Islanders.”

The animals, which are 18 months old and live in Maidstone, will be back on the Island on Sunday December 20 for a Frozen event at the Sweet Hut on Minster Leas.