Christmas Lights

   And so it begins not that it hasn't been around for several weeks, nay months! As we enter December the first Sunday marks the start of Advent and with Ilkeston's Christmas lights being switched on last Friday evening, the build up to Christmas is well and truly under way.

   On Friday we were treated to a visit by not one but two Santas. Whilst one appeared on the Town Hall balcony and then came down to distribute sweets to the children, another similar figure clad in red and white sat in a Grotto (left) to greet another queue of juveniles. I suppose with the additional work at this time of year the real Santa has to spread the load and it no doubt reduces the jobless total. I wonder if he can claim all the additional suits as a business expense and just where does he pay his taxes? He'll have the Chancellor after him soon.

   You know sometimes I write a load of rubbish here - will have to give it some serious thought come the New Year. Suggestions?

Final Preparations

The Market Place was taken over today by fairground rides and other stalls as final preparations were made for tonight's switching on event.

The signs eventually appeared on the Town Hall and Santa appeared to every child's delight as the lights finally lit up the town. People again turned out in their thousands as the build up to Christmas Day began in earnest.

Just In Time

Work was going on around the town centre today as the cherry picker manoeuvred its way around the market traders making final additions to the decorations and testing the Christmas lights. But later this afternoon there was still work to be done erecting signs to the Town Hall frontage so it looks as though the work will be completed just in time for tomorrow's official switch on.

Two Themes

The themes of the last two days came together today when I was in the right spot at the right time to see a Royal Mail van parked on the Lower Market place as the driver made his deliveries whilst in the distance a cherry-picker was outside the Town Hall presumably to facilitate the addition of decorations there.

No Time At All

Well yesterday I was wondering whether the Christmas lights would be added to the front of the Town Hall this year as the façade was still covered by scaffolding but in no time at all it looks as though my question has been answered. The lights aren't up yet but the scaffold has already been removed and there's still more than a week to go before the switching on ceremony.

Foggy Lights

The fog this morning took its time to clear but it didn't stop workmen returning to the town centre to continue to erect the Christmas lights. Work was taking place adding lights to the trees around St Mary's Church and another display was being strung across Wharncliffe Road but front of the Town Hall is still scaffold covered so whether the usual decorations get added before the switch on ceremony later this month only time will tell.

Smells Like Christmas

The workmen who have been putting the Christmas lights up in the town this week were nowhere to be seen today but others were erecting scaffolding in front of the Town Hall. I was told last week the the balcony on the building was not safe so I'm assuming that repairs are being carried out before the Christmas decorations are fixed. The leaves are still on many of the trees and many are now showing their autumnal colours but that Christmas feeling is already making its presence felt not only with lights across the streets but also in the shops.

There was another feeling of the upcoming Festive Season today as our two younger grandsons came for a baking session where they helped make three cakes - one for us, one for our son and one for my birthday in January. As they cooked this afternoon there was a smell of Christmas even though it is still only October. 

Turning

It was all quiet on the Market Place today as the activities of recent days seemed to have reached a conclusion. All the tubs are now empty of plants and soil and the lighting column now stands in its new position. I expect work to resume soon as preparations for the Charter Fair continue but as today was a quiet day, I had to find something else to photograph. And here in Wharncliffe Road just a few steps from the Market Place, it was the changing colours of the leaves on the trees at the back of the Town Hall that caught my eye. By the time the Fair arrives the town centre should be awash with autumn colours.

Mobile Information

Just when I thought this "information" trend had reached a natural conclusion, a green MacMillan bus took up a position outside the Town Hall in the Market Place and offered a whole load of information about cancer.

Although the information boards seen so far are permanent or semi-permanent  fixtures the information provided here is most definitely of a mobile nature and will soon move on to some other location but the work carried out by the dedicated MacMillan nurses is priceless.
Link

Election Day

Part of the Town Hall was transformed into a Polling Station today as the country elected a new government. Three men representing the main political parties in the country will be hoping to be Prime Minister when the votes are all counted but with the prospect of a hung parliament, perhaps the phrase on the MacMillan Cancer Support poster attached to the bus shelter is more than a little prophetic for at least two of them and possibly all three.

Just For The Record

Contractors excavating outside the Town Hall this morning coupled with a couple of Central Networks vans brought back a few disturbing memories of my former employment.


I gave them a wide berth so I'm not sure what they were doing but I can hazard a good guess. Experience tells me too that there's a high probability that a record of the alterations they make to the electricity distribution system are unlikely to reach the Records Department any time soon. Unless of course, things have changed drastically since I was there - but I very much doubt it!