Sunday 27 November 2016

Christmas Lights Switch On

It's years since I've been to watch the Christmas lights switch on in our little town. We used to take Daniel and Eleanor when they were little but when Eleanor joined the youth theatre group, their big show of the year, which they performed in one of the Leeds theatres, always coincided with the event so we stopped going. The switch on for this year was last night and Mick and I decided that we'd go to see if it had changed at all.

We're lucky that we have some wonderful, independent shops here and most of them go out of their way to be involved in community events. The shop windows are looking very festive at the moment. This is the Post Office window, they won 1st prize in the Christmas window display competition.


This is the display in the window of our local flower shop.


A fabulous coffee shop and delicatessen, they've got baubles in their window.


This is the local undertakers, I just love what they've done with their windows.



There was a small funfair with a big thrill ride and hook a duck stall etc.


Many of the shops stayed open and some of them set up stalls selling their wares from there. I love this American school bus which was selling pizza and hot beverages.


No event would be complete at this time of year without the main man in red dropping by in his sleigh.


Our local radio station, Radio Aire, was there and there was entertainment throughout which was provided by the community choir, the local dance school, the secondary school band and one of the primary schools, amongst others. The special guests were the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Leeds, the Olympic bronze medalist, Katy Marchant, who's a local girl, and Leeds Rhinos mascot, Ronnie the Rhino.


Unfortunately, the switch on didn't go to plan and only half the lights worked, Blackpool Illuminations it was not.



There used to be fireworks after the switch on in previous years but many people were disappointed to find there were none this year. Instead, funding was given for a two day market to make it in to a weekend event. There were some lovely craft stalls and I may have made a small purchase. I couldn't resist this hand-painted mug.


How cute are the cats, linking their tails in to a heart.


It was a shame that there was a mishap with the lights and that lots of people missed the fireworks this year but it's a lovely event for the community to come together and nice to see local businesses making an effort to be part of it.

42 comments:

  1. I love it when a town makes an effort at Christmas........we have the usual lights switch on at the end of November, a barrow selling hot chestnuts, the big horse's carousel and the Cathedral choir........it's always lovely to be part of it all.

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    1. Your celebrations sound wonderful, how lovely to have the Cathedral choir singing. It is nice when an effort is made to celebrate the season, it brings everyone together.

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  2. Loving the scene painted? On the funeral directors window. Communities need to keep these sorts of things going as it brings people together.

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    1. I think the funeral director's window was my favourite of all, it's such a lovely scene. I love the buzz around these type of events when the whole community comes together.

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  3. Nice event, I prefer the Christmas market to fireworks.

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    1. I prefer the Christmas market to fireworks too and I know Archie definitely does, he doesn't like fireworks at all.

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  4. I loved seeing theses fabulous pictures you shared. It looks like a most charming place. And, your mug is adorable! Pat xx

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    1. I'm lucky to live in a place where we have lots of community events, so many towns and villages are losing these traditions. I couldn't resist the mug when I saw those cute cats.

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  5. Sounds like it was a nice event Jo, I haven't been to our christmas light switch on in many years. It doesn't seem to have the festive cheer about it that it used to in days gone by, maybe I'm getting cynical in my old age but nowadays it seems more centered around how much money can be made as opposed to the festivity of the season. Our lights i think are being switched on today....I really don't like the fact that lights are lit before December now...I feel sorry for the young children as it is such a long wait for them.

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    1. What a shame your own lights switch on isn't more about bringing the community together. We have brilliant councillors and a very active Lions group who bring about many community events which are always well attended. Our lights have always been switched on the last weekend of November so nothing's changed there, only four weeks till the big day.

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  6. It looks and sounds like you had a good evening even though half the lights didn't switch on. I like the hand painted mug. Flighty xx

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    1. It was a shame about the lights but unexpected events can happen. I love my new mug, it's a little small but I don't really drink many hot drinks so it will be just perfect for me.

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  7. Even wit hthe mishap it sounds like a wonderful event. Love your new cat mug.

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    1. It was still enjoyable even with the mishap. It's nice for communities to come together in events such as this.

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  8. Your new mug is adorable, Jo. Just the thing for a nice hot drink at this time of year! :o)

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    1. I liked it as soon as I saw it, it was those cute pussy cats that did it for me.

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  9. It looks very festive, I love the mug.

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    1. It certainly got me in the Christmas spirit, though I've hardly done anything towards Christmas myself yet.

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  10. Looks like a great event Jo. I love all the window decorations, it's lovely when businesses make an effort to join in. I especially love what the funeral directors did with their window.
    Sorry the switch on didn't go as planned, but the tree looks lovely anyway, and you got a cute little reminder of the night :-)

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    1. We're so lucky that we still have lots of community events here, it's a different story in so many places these days. I love seeing all the different shop windows at this time of year, also that people still make such an effort.

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  11. The scene in the window is very Lowryesque. It reminds me of a painting I did one Christmas in my school entrance hall. I used to create a display each Christmas. It was destressing as I worked on it quietly alone whilst the rest of the staff spent breaks in the staffroom arguing about hall time for rehearsing Christmas plays etc.
    Our local small town is dying a slow death as some time ago the council starting charging for parking. The charges are not high but people dislike the principle when the nearby small town - with a parish council - have free parking. If it wasn't for the twice weekly markey it would already have died.

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    1. I can see the similarity to a Lowry painting. I think you did the right thing taking yourself off to have a bit of art time alone, especially at that time of year when things are manic in schools. I don't know why councils can't see what charging for parking does to a town. We're lucky here, we still have free parking which definitely makes a difference to small businesses. I wish we had a market here, that's something our little town is missing.

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  12. It sounds like a good event even with the mishap, love the display in the funeral directors window x

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    1. We had a lovely time. The display in the funeral director's window came third in the Christmas window display competition, I think I'd have given it first place myself.

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  13. It does seem like a lovely event, for both young and old. I remember going downtown (Toronto) to see the Simpsons department store window every Christmas - it was such an amazing display, just filled with Christmas spirit. I was so sad when they closed down. "Modern" Christmas displays are often so understated that you barely notice them.

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    1. You're right, there was a real mix of people there. I love it when shops make a proper effort in the run up to Christmas, not just piling their windows with things they want you to buy but entering in to the real spirit of Christmas.

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  14. I just love it when towns and villages come together like this ... and it is so important that we do our best to support them too!

    I've always loved hook a duck stall's as a young child and now as a 'young child at heart' LOL!

    Lovely Christmassy post Jo and I liked your photo's too.

    Yes, it was a shame about the mishap ... but these things can happen.

    Enjoy these last few days of November the 12th month will soon be here.

    All the best Jan

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    1. I agree, people give their time to arrange these community events so it's important that people turn up to them otherwise, as is the case in so many towns and villages these days, they're lost forever. I remember Daniel and Eleanor winning goldfish on hook a duck at the lights switch on one year. I thought we'd get up the next morning to find them floating on the top of the water, but no, they ended up outgrowing three tanks, they lived about ten years. I didn't realise just how much those turns on hook a duck would end up costing me. Hard to believe that we're nearly in to December.

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  15. Looks like it was a lovely night Jo, even if it didn't go to plan. x

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    1. It got everyone in the Christmas spirit and brought everyone together as a community, so I think it was a success despite the mishap.

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  16. That's so nice, Jo. I love looking at Christmas lights. We have a few small events like that here, but I've never attended one. It's still hard to be out at night because my daughter needs an early bedtime, but she's getting older and maybe we can do it soon. We do love to go out for a drive around the neighborhood to look at the houses lit up; we try to do that every year.

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    1. Things start to get easier regarding night events as children get a little older. There's a few houses round here where they go all out with the Christmas lights and decorations so we like to visit them each year.

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  17. A great community event, love the window displays, what a treat to wander around and enjoy such a nice time.
    Great mug - perfect for wrapping your hands round a warm drink on a cold day.

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    1. It was such a lovely atmosphere with everyone celebrating the coming festivities. I really couldn't resist the mug as soon as I saw those pussy cats.

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  18. It looks so lovely and festive. The shop windows are fantastic. A lot of effort made there, and even the undertakers! Love the hand painted mug. What a shame about the lights but a great event anyway. X

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    1. It was lovely to see that so many shopkeepers had made such an effort with their window displays. It was a shame about the lights but I think everyone enjoyed it nevertheless.

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  19. What lovely window displays. I always enjoy the village light switch on too, funnily enough the same thing happenedhere with the lights.xxx

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    1. How funny that there was a mishap with the lights in your village too. I was really impressed by the window displays, it's nice to see that an effort's been made.

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  20. What a lovely evening and so nice that the whole community gets involved. My daughters would have loved this. We must have something similar here in Sheffield, I'll find out. Shame about the lights not going to plan but people can enjoy them the rest of the festive holidays and having the weekend market would be more beneficial for local businesses and community as a whole. x

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    1. My kids loved the lights switch on when they were young, it marked the beginning of the Christmas season for them. I agree about the weekend market, it's good to have an event that lasts the whole weekend and as you say, it will benefit everyone.

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  21. I like to go to local events, I think it's lovely when people get involved and really commit to doing things with a bit of festive oomph.
    I love your new mug, those cats are very cute.
    Lisa x

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    1. It is. We're lucky to have such lovely events to go to so the least we can do is support them. The cats are so cute, I couldn't leave the mug behind.

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