Christmas tree in Middleforth Pic: Keith Sergeant

We’d like to take a moment to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas.

Preston falls quiet today for a day of unwrapping presents, turkey dinners and chilling with the family.

We hope you get a chance to spend it with those you love.

And we’d like to say thanks for reading throughout 2016.

Blog Preston has never reached as many people as it now does, during November 190,524 unique users logged onto the site more than 400,000 times.

We’ll be slowing the updates down a little during Christmas we take time to recharge our batteries, and hopefully the weather doesn’t take a turn on Boxing Day like it did last year.

Read more: Egyptian restaurant in Preston is offering free food on Christmas Day

2017 promises to be a big year for the city, and therefore a big year for the Blog Preston team – and for all of you. Without your pictures, stories, acts of kindness and more we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

So thank you, and a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each and every one of you.

Olivia, Luke, Ben, Ed, Gill, Paul and Tony

Love from Ed, Luke, Paul, Gill, Paul, Tony, Olivia, Ben, Charlotte, Jade, Claudia and James