Date issued: 23 November 2020
Present themed Christmas decorations will light up Colchester this Christmas, thanks to Colchester Borough Council’s new festive display, as part of a planned approach to maintaining Colchester’s Christmas lights.
There will be a variety of new ‘present’ themed lights popping up across the town centre. The new lights will be displayed across Head Street, High Street, on lampposts in St John’s Street and in trees in Crouch Street.
The Covid-19 pandemic means there will be no big switch-on event this year, with the lights being turned on when ready, after 25 November. The council is working with the Our Colchester Business Improvement District (BID) to create a virtual light switch on video, which will be premiered on social media at the beginning of December.
Cllr Martin Goss, Colchester Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Waste, Environment and Transportation, said: “This year has been difficult for everyone, with so many changes already and a very different Christmas on the cards, it’s more important than ever to show that Colchester’s festive spirit is alive and well.
“We will still be turning the Colchester lights on, albeit with no ceremony because encouraging a large crowd into the town centre during a pandemic would be inappropriate, and hope families will visit the town centre to see them in the run-up to Christmas when it is safe to do so adhering to social distancing and government guidelines.”
This year there will be more lights than ever before, as the Our Colchester Business Improvement District are investing in additional light installations across the town, including Crouch St, St Johns St and Eld Lane.
Sam Good, Our Colchester BID Manager, said: “During the never ending doom and gloom, our town centre businesses are ready and waiting to give you that warm nostalgic feeling of Christmas. With the cancellation of the annual Light Switch-on event that we normally organise, we have invested in a wealth of fun, socially distanced activities for residents to bring their families to.
“The new Christmas lights are a very exciting addition to our wonderful town centre this winter and we look forward to welcoming you all in”.
Follow @YourColchester on Twitter, @EnjoyColchester on Facebook and @BetterColchester on Instagram to see the unveiling of the Christmas lights video in early December.
Page last reviewed: 23 November 2020