NAILSEA
PEOPLE
Christmas lights 2024
Nailsea Town Council community wellbeing officer Hayley Orchard is based at 65 High Street where she works usually on Mondays and Tuesdays.
She said: "We had approximately 400 people attending the pumpkin hunt, so I have decided to run a reindeer hunt at the Christmas Light Switch on Friday, November 22.
"I will be placing reindeers around the high street for families to hunt and then come to No 65 for a prize and a mince pie."
In traditional festive legend and popular culture, Santa Claus's reindeer are said to pull a sleigh through the night sky to help Santa deliver gifts to children to open on Christmas morning.
The number of reindeer characters and names given to them differ but those frequently cited are the eight listed in Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas.
In the original poem, the names of the reindeer are given as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem before Rudolph came along with a nose so bright it could guide Santa’s sleigh.
COLD WIND: Which blew over the latest addition to Somerset Square several times hope all is okay for grand light switch-on Friday evening, November 22, update, workman confirmed that it has had lots of sand put in its bottom to act as ballast!
Nailsea Town Council is excited for the Christmas 2024 light up for our High Street and village green.
This will include lovely Christmas lighting using energy efficient lights made out of recycled plastic bottles along the road.
As well as the lighting, the High Street illuminations will include a community Christmas tree on the village green donated by Quality Collectables, motifs on the lighting columns, giant globes and a stunning winter wonderland vision of snowflakes projected onto the green, as well as other Christmassy lighting delights.
The Christmas Tree Light Up ceremony is on Friday, November 22.and this is the tinsel timetable:
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5.45pm people encouraged to gather at village green
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5.55pm merry Christmas speeches and winner of Christmas bauble competition announced
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6pm Christmas lights switched-on and reindeer hunt begins
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6.05pm VDUBS parade down the High Street
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6.15pm VDUBS will be parked in Station Road car park
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7pm time to find nearest watering hole for some more Christmas cheers and the reindeer hunt ends
The winners of the competition for the best Christmas tree bauble will switch on the lights on the Christmas tree and then the Christmas Vee Dubs vehicles adorned with fairy lights will parade down the High Street.
As well as the town council illuminating the town centre, Praxis, owners of Crown Glass Shopping Centre will be also be adding lights and Christmas decorations to its Somerset Square and Collier Walk areas to help make the shopping centre look really special for the season.
All the baubles will be displayed on the Christmas tree on the village green over the festive period with the two competition winners receiving a £20 voucher. There are two age groups for the competition.
Up to eight years and eight years and above.
To enter the competition please deliver your lovely, weather proof, beautifully designed Christmas bauble to No 65 High Street by an extended deadline of Monday, November 18, for the attention of manager Trudy Hollow.
Please attach your name, age and contact details to your bauble.
You will get a yummy chocolate for delivering the bauble.
Trudy said: “We are really pleased to be supporting Nailsea with a seasonal display of lights.
"A great Christmas display in the High Street and the town centre is beneficial for us all as it brings visitors into the town to shop and support local businesses at their often most important trading time of the year.
Nailsea Town Council lighting the way
"It also adds a real sense of community for Nailsea, cheering everyone up, and making Nailsea feel festive. This is lovely at this time of year and is a real morale booster for the town and people.”
PHOTOS: From 2023 more in a slideshow in our gallery HERE
Getting ready for the big switch-on on Friday
Nailsea Town Council images from Friday, November 22
More Nailsea People photos from Friday, November 22
CHRISTMAS BAUBLE WINNERS: Inspirational schoolgirl Enid Steel came up with the idea of a community tree on the village green decorated with baubles made by Nailsea people. This is the second year of the competition and for 2024 Enid helped with the judging. The winners get to turn on the lights on Friday evening.
Big Christmas cheer for Hadley for under 8 eight-years and Amber for aged eight and above. Enid is pictured holding the winning entries at No65 where the reindeer route maps can be collected.The reindeers were made by Nailsea Shedders and the village green tree donated by Quality Collectables the Colliers Walk antique shop owned by Enid's parents James and Nina Steel.
GETTING READY: The bollards have got their bobble hats and other festive outer wear all along the High Street thanks to Nailsea Knitters who did similar good jobs for important occasions. The knitters meet at No65 for art and craft afternoons on Mondays. The tree arrives on the village green and anticipation is high...