Rehearsals are well underway for the children's show at the annual Barnet Christmas Fayre on Sunday 5 December -- a welcome return after the loss last year of the town's festivities due to the Covid.19 lockdown restrictions.

“The Elves Who Saved Christmas” has been written by 15- and 16-year-old pupils at the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School and they will be presenting two afternoon shows on Saturday and Sunday 4 and 5 December at The Bull Theatre.

Once again Barnet High Street will be closed all day Sunday for the fair which will be officially opened at 12 noon by the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Alison Cornelius, after a march past by the band of the Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association.

A wide variety of events and stalls have been booked for locations around the town centre.

As usual the High Street children’s funfair will be staged close to the junction with St Albans Road and there will be an array of food stalls plus a display of classic cars.

There will be more stalls within The Spires shopping centre, Punch and Judy in the Barnet Museum Shop and performances by several choirs.

Across Stapylton Road there will be craft stalls and a Christmas café in the Wesley Hall.

A dance marquee and more food stalls will fill the Christmas courtyard of Barnet and Southgate College.

At the Parish Church of St John the Baptist, a Christmas carol concert will be presented by 11- to 13-year-old pupils from the Susi Earnshaw Theatre school – seen here rehearsing under the direction of music director Sean Kelly.

Performances of the children’s show at The Bull, “The Elves who Saved Christmas”, are at 1.30pm and 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday (tickets £5 from www.thebulltheatre.com)

There will also be a free Santa’s Grotto at The Bull from 1pm to 4pm. Children (and their parents) can take selfies with Santa and then make a wish for the world – a wish to help make the world a better place.