Santa lights the way to Gainsborough’s countdown to Christmas

Santa lights the way to Gainsborough’s countdown to Christmas

20 November 2007

Gainsborough's countdown to Christmas is firmly underway, after a double Christmas lights switch on event which brought thousands of visitors to the town.

With the biggest ever switch on the town has ever seen, the festive fun started in the market place at 6:30 pm before moving to Marshall's Yard at 7 pm where the centre celebrated its first ever Christmas in true seasonal style.

Over 2,000 people gathered in Marshall's Yard with the 10m high LCD Christmas tree being the centrepiece of this year's illuminations. Santa arrived on a horse drawn carriage before starting the all important countdown. 

Joined by presenter Ed Bretton from Lincs FM and head students Helen Scarf and Lloyd Curtis from Queen Elizabeth High School, Santa got everyone at Marshall's Yard to join in the countdown, which led to the entire centre being lit up in a dazzling array of blue and silver twinkling lights.

After the exertion of the two switch ons, Santa retired to his grotto next to the Marshall’s Yard arched entrance.  But if he thought he was going to get a rest he was mistaken, as little ones queued for the chance to tell him they'd been good this year and let him know what presents they were hoping for as a reward!  But don't worry, for any youngsters who didn't get the chance to speak to him, they will have the opportunity to visit the grotto at Marshall’s Yard in the run up to Christmas. The grotto will be open Fridays & Saturdays from 10:30 until 6 pm and Sundays from 10 am until 4 pm.

Santa will also be working extra hard in the week before Christmas with grotto visits available every day from Monday 17 December until Christmas Eve, 10:30 am until 6 pm – he will definitely be ready for his mince pies after all this hard work!

Young musicians from Queen Elizabeth High School sang carols and classic Christmas records to entertain visitors throughout the evening, while hot mulled wine and mince pies were given out to the crowds to help everybody get into the festive spirit.

Reigns of Elegance, who provide the carriage rides at Marshall's Yard, once again joined in the fun, with their elegant Christmas carriage and their helpers arriving in Christmas fancy dress.

This year’s sparkling display of lights in Gainsborough were provided by one of the country’s leading display and animation specialists Imagination, whose other projects include the Burlington Arcade, London and the Picadilly Arcade, Birmingham.

Richard Hill, centre manager at Marshall's Yard, said: "This has been an absolutely fantastic evening and it has been great to see people of all ages joining in the fun.  Everyone seems delighted with the Christmas lights at Marshall's Yard and they have certainly helped to get everyone into the spirit of the season.  A big thank you to everybody who took part and helped to make the first ever  Marshall's Yard Christmas event a very special evening."

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk