The Year of the Rat may not have got up to a very good start as health fears grow over the new virus - but shoppers forgot their worries on Saturday as traditional Chinese lion dancers brought oriental glamour to Slough.

The dancers descended on Queensmere Observatory shopping centre to celebrate the Chinese new year.

It was the first of a series of mini melas due to be staged at the centre throughout 2020, in conjunction with local stakeholders and businesses such as the Hulutang group who provided the authentic lion dance.

Chris Shaw, centre manager at Queensmere Observatory said: “We are thrilled that our Chinese New Year celebrations were enjoyed by so many of our shoppers. As a centre we want to celebrate our local community and the diverse mix that makes it so unique, which is why we will be hosting multi-cultural community events throughout 2020. Our next mini melā will be taking place in the coming weeks and we can’t wait for shoppers to see what we have lined up.”

The term melā comes from the Sanskrit word for a gathering or village fair and traditionally members of the community would contribute everything from food to entertainment.

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