Christmas light switch-on in 1989
Biggleswade’s 29th Christmas light switch-on took place 25 years ago this week drawing the biggest crowd ever – around 3,000 people. And Mayor Charles Cook challenged anyone to argue that Biggleswade was boring.
The lights were switched on by Anglia TV personality Paul Lavers and Biggleswade Carnival Queen Tracy Dorrington. Singing was led by the Salvation Army Band and St Andrew’s Church choir with a procession by the Sea Cadet Corps.
Holmemead schoolgirl Hannah Gray, who had captured hearts that year with her Remembrance Day poem ‘A Day to Remember’ was presented with some book tokens on stage just before the countdown.
An extra £2,000 had been spent on the lights that year by the Biggleswade Chamber of Trade and Mayor Cook said that it had all been worthwhile.