Decorations are adorning shops, trees are going up and lights are starting to appear on houses across the Southern Downs and Granite Belt as we all try to find Christmas cheer after another year that has tested so many of us.
The search for that little something special for friends and relatives has become even more important than ever before as we seek to overcome a difficult year and search for joy.
And so we are all hitting the shops to find the trappings and trimmings for a great Christmas day celebration, as well as the perfect gift, or arts and crafts materials to create the perfect gift.
The nicest thing is we don’t really have to leave the region to do it.
The Granite Belt and Southern Downs offer a unique shopping experience that many big-city shoppers would envy.
In fact, this year, with overseas travel out of the question, tourists have been flocking to the region sampling just what it has to offer and browsing the many shops.
Across the region, there are shops that have been in operation for several generations, many still in the same family, along with new and emerging businesses that make our shopping experience so unique.
Shops that stock all sorts of weird and wonderful things that you may not find in cities.
While many capital cities now seem to have all the same stores selling all the same thing – this region has a rich mix of independent stores, fresh local produce as well as chain stores.
There is also all of the latest styles and colours – things imported from overseas or made in the region just waiting to be found, gift-wrapped and placed under the tree!
From all the team at the Warwick/Stanthorpe Today, we would like to wish you, our valued customers, a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. We appreciate your patronage in 2021 and we look forward to serving you again in 2022. We will be taking a break over Christmas, with our last paper of the year hitting the shelves on 23 December and returning again on 13 January.
