Wiltshire in pictures: Presents, bats and meerkats

Rachel Candlin - BBC News, West of England and Ben Marvell - BBC Wiltshire
·2-min read
8 people standing for a photo in a hospital corridor - the women in the middle wearing christmas jumpers and a bald man pointing on the right to the Christmas bag held by one of the women
[BBC]

People across the county have been really been getting into the festive spirit this week, with surprise visits to sick children from Swindon Town footballers.

And with some decorated tractors and merry meerkats, there was a lot of Christmas cheer.

Here's a selection of some joyful pictures from around Wiltshire.

two Swindon Town footballers leaning over a hospital bed with a child in it - child wearing a comic book hero jumper - woman slightly hidden in background
[BBC]

Festive Cheer: Swindon Town were in attendance at the Great Western Hospital this week, with manager Ian Holloway and players Will Wright and Ollie Clarke giving out presents to hospitalised children.

An arm holding two metal lanterns in a dark town
Amesbury's lantern parade has taken place [BBC]

Lighting up the streets: The Amesbury Mid-Winter Lantern Procession brought a crowd on Friday evening as people walked between the town and Amesbury Abbey Spring, with the Solstice Lantern being lit.

a family takes a selfie in front of Salisbury's light-up star
[Salisbury BID]

Shiny happy people: Salisbury is celebrating its status as 'the city of stars' with family friendly attractions including the Sunday festive markets and Christmas on the Square drawing in the crowds.

A lady in a blue top smiling to camera in front of a banner saying 'The Yorkshire Pudding Wrap' and standing behind a food counter
[BBC]

Carry on smiling: Meanwhile, some traders were making the best of it in Swindon despite the lack of footfall at the town's Christmas Market. Kate Andrews, who runs the Yorkshire Pudding Wrap stall said the situation was "shocking".

A young woman with long blond hair wearing a headset and Wiltshire Police lanyard and smiling to camera, sitting in front of a computer in a call centre with a blurred background
[BBC]

Call handler: Wiltshire Police have hit the national target for answering 999 calls for the first time after being labelled in March the "worst force in the country" for how quickly they responded to emergency calls.

Around 150 tractors, decorated in tinsel and lined up in half a dozen neat rows on a field next to a road, ready to parade
[Devizes Young Farmers]

Tinsel sparkle: Around 150 decorated tractors are descending on Devizes and nearby towns this weekend for the Young Farmers' annual Tractor N' Tinsel run to raise money for charities including Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

A yellow-tinged bat with wings outspread flying through a night sky
[Longleat]

Cave reopening: Longleat Safari Park has confirmed the reopening of its popular Bat Cave, which visitors to the estate will be able to walk through from February 2025.

A small meerkat popping its head into a large Santa hat, in an enclosure with a large tree trunk lying on the ground behind
[Tom Anders]

Festive enrichment: Animal keepers at Longleat Safari Park have been keeping the meerkats happy with food hidden inside Santa's hat.

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Photographer, Tom Anders, was able to capture the animals looking as if they were trying the hat on for size.

A row of houses with an enormous blow-up snowman outside one of them, almost to the roof, and half a dozen or so smaller ones, all in the front garden, with a woman standing by the gate post
[BBC]

Warm welcome: This family of snowmen were keeping passers-by amused and slowing down traffic past the home of Claire Cox in Kingshill Road, Swindon, who is raising money for the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity.

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