Some comments we heard about the Christmas Lights Switch-On in Rayleigh tonight:
“Wonderful – never been before”
“A tremendous night for the town”
“There must be thousands of people!”.
Well done to all those involved in arranging it.
If you have any photos of the evening you’d like published here, please send ’em to us….
Highlights for me were:
– eating some bratwurst….
– the ‘snow’ coming out of the Spread Eagle and Crown …..
– and most of all, the young lady from the Mushroom Theatre singing “I dreamed a dream” from Les Miserables
Love Rayleigh Christmas Lights.
It is so easy to have a moan about things that are wrong about our town but Rayleigh Christmas lights are a chance to celebrate what is good about our town. The magic in our children’s eyes when the lights switch on is amazing. The pride in all the faces of friends and families of those that sign. The colouring competition which children from so many schools entered and the fact that there is a chance that someone that you know has their picture displayed. The opportunities for fundraising local groups – we went and bought our Reindeer food 😉 Our girls were not keen on the chestnuts but they certainly enjoyed the Scouts Hot Chocolate 😉 (So did Mummy n Daddy…).
Can’t speak from experience re. the bratwurst being a veggie;-) but I wish I’d taken some photos of Spread Eagle’s snow but daughter no.2 was tired and grumpy and we were on routed to look at the competition colourings. Daughter no.1 needed a lot of encouragement to keep going up the road.
Abbie’s singing is beautiful and both of our girls idolise her.
Mushroom Theatre is great it gives everyone the opportunity to feel special and celebrate all they can do and each other.
It’s great that we get this opportunity to celebrate our town and community at Rayleigh Lights.
Thank you from all my family, to all the people that worked together to make this event happen.
Jane
PS I’m biased about Mushroom daughter no.2 was up there singing to and my fingers are crossed that daughter no.2 will have the opportunity to sing with her school KS2 choir next year.
That was me who sung ‘I dreamed a dream’.. Glad you liked it!