MORE than a thousand people welcomed in Christmas by singing carols in Romsey Market Place on Monday evening.

The event, organised by the Rotary Club of Romsey, raised around £1,500 for charity and was double the amount collected last year, when it was icy underfoot.

There were concerns that Monday afternoon’s cold and wet conditions might put people off, but these fears were unfounded as folk flocked to the Market Place for the open-air carols, which included O, Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, In the Bleak Midwinter, Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, Good King Wenceslas and Silent Night, which closed the service.

High Steward of Romsey, Lady Brabourne, Test Valley’s mayor, Zilliah Brooks and town mayor and mayoress, John and Christine Burgess, took part in the community carol singing event. Michelmersh Silver Band, Lockerley Church Choir and Romsey Male Voice Choir were also there, along with the town’s clergy.

Organiser, Richard Butler, said: “It was a very successful evening. The amount raised this year was double last year’s. This year, it stayed dry and we had a turnout of well over a 1,000 at the carols. We had two very wet years previously and people just didn’t come along.”