By Julie Morgan

Published at 11:49, Thursday, 29 November 2012

FIREWORKS and Christmas lights will be brightening the skies of Egremont this Sunday.

light boost: Coun David Southward presents a cheque, on behalf of Egremont and St Bees Neighbourhood Forum, to Egremont Amenity Committee which includes Coun Elaine Woodburn, town clerk Margaret Woodburn, Coun Sam Pollen and Coun Lena Hogg

The town will be marking the start of the festive season with a switch-on to showcase its new £24,000 lights.

Starting at 2pm with the dedication of the town crib, visitors can follow Egremont Town Band as they play carols and march to the Market Place.

The festive event will include over 25 stalls selling chocolates, cakes, preserves, wood craft, jewellery and Christmas gift ideas. There will also be a variety of food stalls and Frasers Chip shop will be open from 4.30pm.

Geraldine Pritchard is a member of the Egremont Amenity Committee which has organised the event. She said: “We have worked hard to provide this free, local event for the community and we hope everyone supports it by coming down on the day.

“We are asking everyone to wear a Santa hat to create a lovely Christmas atmosphere to celebrate what Egremont has to offer and to show that together we can do something positive.’’ The lights will be switched on at 4.30pm.

She thanked all those who have supported the event, including funders. “We are very appreciative of their agreement to fund this event and a special Christmas ‘sponsor tree’ has been created so everyone can see who donated,’’ Geraldine added. Those who attend are asked to donate £1 to help fund next year’s event.

“This event is our first year as the recently-reformed Egremont Amenity Committee and we have come up with what we believe to be a really good community event and we hope everyone attends.’’

Also performing at the event will be CFM, Joanne Dougan’s Step by Step, Judith Jones Rock Choir, Moky and singer Tom Taylor.

A caricaturist, subsidised by Egremont Amenity Committee, will be out sketching so pop along early, while children can leave their Christmas lists in the event’s Santa’s Post Box. Cheeky Charlie, children’s entertainer and magician, will also be wandering through the crowds.

Local schoolchildren who entered a Christmas story contest will be presented with prizes by the mayor of Copeland. Bookwell’s Ethan Riley, who designed the front of the Christmas programme, will also see his design switched on as a light.

My Best Christmas Ever story winners were: Ellie Gordon (Bookwell School); Connor Fox (Orgill School); Louis Drumm (St Bridget’s School) and Evie McKeating (Moor Row School).

My Best Christmas Ever drawing winners were: Kaiden Block (Bookwell School); Sam Dixon (St Bridgets School); Milly Law (Moor Row School) and Rubie Thompson (Orgill School).

Egremont and St Bees Neighbourhood Forum has presented a £1,500 cheque to Egremont Amenity Committee towards its Christmas lights fund. The committee also raised £1,861.50 towards the event following a recent festive raffle.

Elsewhere in Copeland, Millom’s lights switch-on takes place in the Market Square tomorrow (Friday). A 20ft Christmas tree will be lit-up, along with the town’s lights, from 5pm to 7pm.

And the lights go on in Frizington tomorrow at 6.30pm, followed by a Christmas fair in the White Star Club.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk