Thousands see Festive lights switched on

Helped by Father Christmas and massive crowd for the count-down, Town Mayor Cllr Stuart Earl pressed the plunger on the top of Happy Harold the open-topped trolley bus in Devonshire Road last Friday evening.

The action set Christmas lights which have been augmented by a another successful appeal among town traders into twinkling action.

The "Welcome to Bexhill" signs signalled an illuminated welcome to shoppers to come into Bexhill.

And come in they had. Devonshire Road was packed from piazza to Marina with people. Western Road, Sackville Road, St Leonards Road and to a lesser extent Sea Road brought in the Christmas shoppers.

They were not disappointed. Fireworks Connections laid on a superb show, thanks to major sponsorship from Scott Sutton of estate agents Chris Campbell Associates.

There was hardly a chance for a corporate "ooh" or "aah" to be heard above the thunderous crashes as salvo after salvo of air-bursts lit the night sky with a kaleidoscope of colour.

The piazza was the scene of mass carol-singing and of an evening of seasonal music by Battle Town Band.

Nearby, Bexhill Rotary Club's new leaping reindeer display, built by Rotarians Ray Dixon and Stuart Keen were providing Santa with transport - and acting as one of many charity collecting points.

The aroma of hot chestnuts, hot dogs, hot soup, mulled wine and mince pies was on the chilly air, as shoppers scoured the five town centre streets for the odd man out in shops taking part in the Spot the Stranger competition and enjoyed hospitality away from the cold.

Long-held late-night festival tradition was upheld by Observer staff who, aided by volunteers, served mulled wine and mince pies and dispensed gas-filled balloons during a busy evening.

Busier still were the gang at the Sure Start/Learning Link centre in Western Road. The omnipresent Santa saw a succession of wide-eyed tots in his grotto. Children In Need Night was not forgotten. The centre also held a Pudsey face-painting session.

Sure Start also dispensed 300 flyers for their 12.30pm-2.30pm second-Saturday-of-the-month Dads' Group at Bexhill Leisure Centre.

A band kept shoppers entertained at the corner of Sea Road and St Leonards Road. A live group directed their music from a marquee up the southern end of Devonshire Road. A duo brought Motown to Sackville Road.

Eastbourne Pipe Band marched around the town. The Eastbourne Kingfisher band seemed to be holding a session at every turn and Spinning Jenny danced their clogs off for the crowds in a variety of venues.

The Mayor summed up the spirit of the occasion. Thanking the army of organisers, but principally Philip Morris and Brian Storkey, he told the crowds: "If only Bexhill were like this every night...

"Having lived in Bexhill all my life, I have seen some great events but I thing these light that we have had over the past two or three years really are the best."

*Jolly Santa's figure alongside the (equally jolly) Mayor owed not a little to 18-year-old Mark Elms.

By one of the coincidences of history, Happy Harold is one of the trolley buses his late great grandfather, Jim Elms used to drive in their heyday.