Festive cheer for Princes Street thanks to pupil Christmas cards

Jude xmas card

Christmas cards designed by Edinburgh school pupils will brighten up Princes Street this festive season by being displayed on all digital bus shelter screens.

Hundreds of pupils from across the city entered the competition to design the cards for the Communities & Families Services of the City of Edinburgh Council.

In total nine designs will be shown on the screens, with three of them - chosen by Education Convener Councillor Ian Perry, Vice Convener Councillor Alison Dickie and Executive Director Alistair Gaw as their official Christmas cards - unveiled at a special event today (Friday 6 December).

The winning designs were created by Baillie Rowley (Wester Hailes Education Centre), Jude Cruikshank (St Crispin’s School) and Nida Afrean Patel (Tynecastle High School).

The Christmas card competition is an annual event and this is the fifth year that JCDecaux UK has offered nine lucky pupils the chance to have their designs shown on digital screens in Princes Street.

Cllr Perry said: “Every year it gets more difficult to choose the winners and I was delighted once again to see such a high quality of entries. Choosing nine overall for the digital bus shelters was not an easy task so huge congratulations to Baillie, Jude and Nida Afrean whose designs will also feature on our Christmas cards.”

Cllr Dickie said: “It must be really exciting for the pupils and their families to see their designs on public display and all the entries deserve special mention. I’m delighted the cards are being promoted on the digital bus shelters in Princes Street - it will definitely bring festive cheer to shoppers!”    

Lisa McCart, Partnership Manager at JCDecaux UK, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council for the fifth year, bringing these beautiful Christmas cards designed by local children, to our digital screens on Princes Street. I always look forward to this annual partnership that showcases the talented young artists in our city.”

The designs will be displayed at a special viewing on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 December on all of the digital screens on Princes Street.

Published: December 6th 2019