PEOPLE in the North-East are eager to get out for some festive fun with an app for a Christmas snowdogs trail seeing thousands of downloads.
An app launched to support The Snowman and Snowdog Trail across Tyneside has snowballed in popularity, with over 2,000 downloads during the first couple of days.
There are 12 Snowman sculptures, based on the 12 Days of Christmas song, and eight uniquely decorated Snowdogs dotted around Tyneside for residents and visitors to find whilst doing a spot of Christmas shopping.
- What will a Covid Christmas look like? Everything we know so far
- Revealed: Most reported crimes in Darlington neighbourhoods in September
- Christmas wonderland coming to North-East just days after lockdown
The interactive app, which you download to help you along the trail, also reached number 1 in Travel apps on iOS and Android, and number 3 in Paid Apps in the UK store on the launch weekend too - showing just how eager families are to get out and do something Christmassy.
The snowdogs sculptures proved popular in 2016 when they first popped up in and around Newcastle so this year's visit along with snowmen should provide some lockdown cheer.
The Snowman and The Snowdog trail is available from Saturday 14 November through to the end of January 2021 in Wallsend, North Shields, Killingworth, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay.
Newcastle-based software house Nebula Labs developed the app for the trail, organised by North Tyneside Council, in collaboration with Wild in Art, and supported by North of Tyne Combined Authority.
Local artist Lisa Kirkbride’s Partridge in a Pear Tree Snowman will be found outside retailer For The Love of the North at the famous Spanish City in Whitley Bay.
Dylan McKee, founder and CEO of Nebula Labs, said, “It was great fun and a real privilege to be asked to develop this app, which will help raise awareness and funds for such a great cause.
“We’ve been blown away with the number of downloads it has already had, and hope the popularity keeps snowballing to help raise even more money for St Oswald’s Hospice.
"The app is easy to download and use on any mobile device, and will help families have safe and socially distanced fun finding and keeping track of which ones they have found – the challenge is finding them all."
The Snowman and The Snowdog app costs 99p to download, you can get it here:
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1535540575
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.nebulalabs.SnowdogsNTC.Snowdogs
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here