CHOBHAM officially gets into a festive mood tomorrow evening (Friday) when the village Christmas tree is lit up.

The illuminations will be switched on during a Light Up Chobham community celebration on Benhams Corner Green.

The event starts at 3pm with the arrival of Santa and leads up to the lights twinkling for the first time. Father Christmas will be meeting children in a grotto constructed in the bus shelter on the green until 6pm.

The entertainment begins with Radio Woking DJ Steve Bowles playing festive music until 5pm, when the choir from Coworth Flexlands School takes over. At 5.30pm, Chobham St Lawrence Morris Dancers perform.

The Megan Jones Performing Arts Choir will sing from 6pm, followed by the tree lights being turned on by Surrey Heath Mayor Pat Tedder.

Seasonal entertainment continues in St Lawrence Church at 7.15pm with a performance by the church handbell ringers.

Shops and other businesses in and around High Street will be opening late. They include the Basil & Blue café at Cannon Corner, which hosts festive gift stalls in its courtyard and will be selling bubbly. The former Betty & Claude boutique is opening a pop-up shop in Pasha’s Turkish Kitchen at the other end of the street.

There will also be festive cheer at Motive Agency, Chobham Rider, Mucky Cow Play Café, the Woking & Sam Beare Hospice boutique, Bray Wealth Management and The Cutting Room hairdressers.

Light Up Chobham is being co-ordinated by parish councillor Amy Moqbel. 

The Christmas tree is a Scots pine that was located on Chobham Common by members of Chobham Commons Preservation Committee, and cut down with permission from Surrey County Council and conservation managers Surrey Wildlife Trust.