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‘Do you really think that many people will turn up?’ Linda asked. ‘Surely some people just click they are going, and don’t turn up. It’s not like a proper RSVP, is it?’

Nick nodded slowly. ‘That’s true, but I think more will turn up than won’t. And numbers will probably increase too, as people tell their friends about it, and it gets shared more. And not everyone who will come are on social media.’

‘So that’s what this meeting is for? Trying to figure out how the heck we manage this?’ Linda nodded in understanding.

‘Exactly.’ Nick nodded too. ‘Jake and I already started looking at some options. We looked at some of the cities in the region and the numbers they get, and how they manage their visitor figures. Some of the themed events – like the big Victorian Christmas Market had around two hundred stalls and a hundred and fifty thousand visitors last year.’

‘But cities are different,’ Linda argued. ‘Obviously they’d get more people.’

‘That’s true, Mum,’ Evelyn replied. ‘But Broclington’s fundraising events are already pretty well known locally – you know how fast the Spring Fling dance sells out – and this has novelty value, right?’

Nick nodded. ‘And the feel-good factor. If you’ve got a choice that weekend of a normal summer fete – or Summer’s Christmas – a lot of people will choose Broclington just for that feel-good element. Especially because there are probably normal summer fetes going on the weekends before and after.’

‘So here’s what we’re thinking.’ Jake pulled out a notepad. ‘And what some other places do. Nick thinks he’s got enough interest from stallholders that we could extend the fete across two days, which would thin crowds a little bit. We think only the locals would bother to visit twice. And for the non-locals, we could get coaches and run a shuttle service from somewhere. I’m sure one of the farmers won’t mind lending a fallow field for cars, to make some extra cash.’

‘I’ve already looked up the long-range weather forecast,’ Linda added. ‘It’s looking really, really good for three weeks’ time. If we could get hold of a bigger marquee, we could move the ball to the park and work out of the cricket pavilion instead of the village hall.’

‘What if we went even bigger?’ Nick grinned, and Jake wondered what on earth he was thinking. ‘What if, instead of just a little marquee stuck on the side of the cricket pavilion, we got a huge one that we spanned across part of the park. We could put one over the top of the bandstand, and run it all the way back. And then open the far end up to the evening and have a Starlight Dance too. We could even black the marquee out and fill it with fairy lights. And light all the trees in the park.’

‘Wow. You don’t think small, do you?’ Jake had known what to expect from Nick, but even he was impressed with his best mate.

‘Not if I can help it.’ Nick’s grin had now reached the level of Cheshire cat.

‘If we could even get permission to do something like that, we don’t have anywhere near enough decorations.’ Evelyn sighed into her coffee.

‘We don’t.’ Linda tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the table. ‘But I bet we know people who do.’

‘Who are you thinking?’

‘Well, we already work with other WI groups across the region. I bet they have Christmas decorations they aren’t using. And come to think of it, most people won’t be using them right now.’

‘I think this is going to take a bit more than people’s tree lights, Mum,’ Evelyn argued.

‘I know that. I was thinking about the neighbouring councils and businesses. And I bet Nick has some useful contacts.’

‘You know it.’

‘In fact,’ Linda mused aloud, ‘I wonder if we might not be thinking big enough still. We could decorate the whole park and square, and the main street. If we closed it off to cars for the weekend, we could turn it into a proper street festival as well as the fete in the park.’

‘What about power for everything?’

‘Let me worry about stuff like that.’ Nick waved away the concerns. ‘If we can set up multi-stage music festivals in the middle of fields, we can manage a few lights in a park. The only thing potentially stopping us would be permissions.’

‘Which I can’t see being a problem,’ Jake replied. ‘The village council are already backing you. That’s not going to change.’

‘So we’re going to go for expansion?’ Nick asked, as he looked around the table.

‘Yes!’ Summer was the first to answer, filled with excitement. ‘The bigger the better!’

‘You heard her.’ Jake raised his mug. ‘The bigger the better.’

The others clinked their mugs in agreement.

Chapter Fifteen

Evelyn laughed as Summer twirled in front of the mirror, swishing her skirts back and forth. The bridal boutique had called a few days earlier, offering to provide Summer with a dress for the parade and Mistletoe Ball. Initially, Summer had worried and wanted to wear her princess dress, but as Evelyn watched the final dress fitting, she knew she’d been right to insist Summer at least look at the dresses.

The one she picked had a silvery white lace bodice, a pale blue chiffon skirt that was embroidered along the bottom with more lace, and sequins that sparkled as she moved, matching the detail on the blue satin sash.