LEDBURY traders are hoping for a big festive boost after a Guardian article listed the town as one of the ten best Christmas shopping experiences in Europe, alongside cities such as Lisbon, Munich and Copenhagen.

According to a feature in the national newspaper, the Herefordshire market town is listed at number 6, above Glasgow, Vienna, Naples and Amsterdam.

The article said: "There may be more obvious places for a festive UK shopping spree – Bath, with its Georgian backdrop and artisan quarter; Brighton for its fun vibe; Manchester and London for the sheer choice – but little Ledbury in Herefordshire is a picturesque, stress-free option.

"With its stilted 17th-century Market House, timber-framed buildings, great independent shops and arty vibe, the market town has bags of atmosphere. Plus it’s in a particularly lovely part of the country, should a winter walk beckon."

Helen Moody of New Street's "Enchant and Allure", who is organising a Tudor Christmas event in New Street for December 2, called the article "fabulous".

And Cllr Annette Crowe, chairman of the town's Christmas lights committee and owner of "Past and Present" in The Homend said: "It's fantastic news. The article was a real surprise to me. The Guardian has recognised that we are not a clone of every other High Street in England, Ledbury is very special. Most of our shops are individual to Ledbury and the service we offer is second to none.

"It has been a difficult year, but this shows that the hard work that's been put in by our traders is paying off, and I hope the support the traders give to the town will be reciprocated."

Cllr Crowe said it was "too early to tell" if the article would bring in more visitors, but she added: "The article will sit in people's minds."

The remarkable listing also led to extensive comments on the social media.

Posting on the Voice of Ledbury Facebook site, resident Pauline Spenceley said: "There has been a lot of comment - some positive and some negative, such as Ledbury isn’t a city, the shops are expensive, and so on.

"Personally I think it’s great publicity for a lovely little town which I had the pleasure of moving to nearly three years ago."

Vivien Carter added: " It’s such a pleasure to have so many independent retailers."

But the listing of Ledbury as a city also provoked comment.

Gill Kilmurray said: "I love Ledbury and it's shops. It's a beautiful market town, - not a city."

And not every comment was so positive.

Joyce Millichip wondered if April 1 had come early, and Thomas Stocking suggested that the "so-called" Guardian Reporter had never actually been to Ledbury.

Ledbury's Christmas credentials will be on show this Saturday (November 25), with the switch-on of the town's Christmas Lights. Father Christmas will arrive by Westons dray at 1pm, and afterwards he will hand out presents to children in the panelled room of Ledbury's town council offices.

The lights will go on at 5.30pm, and shortly afterwards there will be a children's candlelit procession to the parish church, where there will be a Nativity service.

The town's Christmas tree has been sponsored this year by Ledbury traders, to the tune of £200.

Cllr Crowe said: "The Traders' Association are committed to providing the best service they can to the community, and traders have been coming regularly to the Christmas lights committee meetings.

"It is all about everyone working together, for the people of Ledbury."