Castleton Christmas lights switch on

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Scores of people filled Castleton for the annual switching on of the Christmas lights on Monday (26 November).

Rochdale in Bloom Chairman Roy Down and Ann Marie Kent had the honour of switching the lights on for the festive season, as crowds gathered excitedly around the village Christmas tree.

 

 

A choir from St John’s and St Gabriel’s will sang Christmas carols and 12 children from The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy: Oldham & Rochdale, which meets each Saturday at St Martin’s Church, performed two Christmas poems as part of the festivities. For several of the children, it was the first time that they had performed in public.

Refreshments, including mince pies, were provided courtesy of Bubbles & Barley, What’s Your Beef, Commic Candy and the local Co-op store.

Organiser Claire Rea, of Forget Me Not, said: “I want to say a huge thank you to our entertainers, The Wheel Bar, Bubbles & Barley and What's Your Beef for providing food and drink, to Commic Candy and Co-op for the sweet stuff, Tommy, aka Billy, for the technical side of things and our guests who switched the lights on.

“There were more attendees than last year, which was really good. There were some positives and some negatives so next year will be slightly different, but for a second year, I think it was successful.”