THREE big prizes are up for grabs in the town's annual festive challenge.

The Magical Music Trail involves finding Christmas songs in Hexham’s shop windows.

Janie French from Visit Hexham said: “Roya Manouchehri, who owns Ralph & Mimi on the marketplace, put in a lot of work on the Christmas trail again this year and persuaded 71 businesses to take part. Every business donates a prize, so that means that three mega-hampers are up for grabs this year.”

The prizes combined are worth around £3,000.

Free entry guides are available from all participating businesses and entries must be in by midnight on December 18. A downloadable map is available from Visit Hexham.

Hexham Marketplace businesses include Ralph & Mimi, Small World Café, Ashley Matthews, Ten Green Bottles, Save the Children, Pure Plants, Geoff Stevens, Grape Tree, The Card Shop and Galleria.

Market Street’s participants are Mr Wolf, Bohemia, Little Mexico, Robinson-Gay, Petals Lingerie, Stranger's Things, Pretty Flamingo, Penfax, The Grateful Bread, Vintage Emporium, Bouchon, Twenty-First Century Herbs and Bradleys At Bridge End. The clue for the latter is in the window at Mo’s Barbers.

Along Battle Hill, Cattle Market and Priestpopple, the trail is supported by Saks, The Natural Grocer, The Hairdressers, the Coach & Horses, Vercelli, Cranstons, Tynedale Hospice At Home, Stait Photography, Artful, Green Bee Crafts, Oxfam Bookshop, Oxfam and Stalida Greek restaurant.

Fore Street has Clarks, Seasalt, Millets, Dawson & Sanderson, Superdrug, Waterstones, Card Factory, Hays Travel, Fonehouse, Skipton Building Society and Andrew Coulson participating.

Sarah Hickey Jewellery, Queen’s Hall Arts, the Queen’s Hall Café, Rising Café and the Hexham Abbey Shop are in the Magical Music Trail on Beaumont Street whilst St Mary’s Chare and Meal Market have Elev8 Records, Hexham Sweetie Jar, French & Wilder, Cogito Books, Beautiful Betty, The Wynd Gallery, Beauty Spot, Buongiorno, Jewellery Studio, Transcend, the Hextol Tans and Robson & Sons Butchers.

Jo Anderson Hair, Premier Kitchens and the Forum Cinema are on the trail on Pudding Mews as are Matthias Winter, Hair By Mantra and Sorella on Hallstile Bank, and Bunters Café on Hallgate.

Janie said: “Why not have a day out in Hexham, grab an entry guide and have a walk around town singing songs when you spot them? It’s free to take part and you might win one of the three mega-hampers just before Christmas.”