Get set for Christmas! … Cottingham lights show to be biggest yet

IT MIGHT seem odd to be gearing up for Christmas at the start of February.

But if you are in charge of the East Riding’s biggest festive lights show, not a day can be wasted.

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   LIGHT SHOW: Charlie Rawlings, chairman of the Christmas Lights Committee, who is appealing for funds to help with this year’s festive lights in Cottingham. Picture: Peter Harbour

Charlie Rawlings, 37, is the owner of the John Ford menswear shop in Cottingham and has been involved with the village’s Christmas lights since 1986.

He said: “It started in 1981 with just a few shopkeepers decorating their shops and it has escalated to what we have now.”

Mr Rawlings – whose father was one of the founders of the light show – said it had been difficult to raise funds for the display in recent years.

Every shop in the village is asked to contribute £50.

“Most of the independent shops are appreciative,” he said.

“Obviously, with the multi-nationals, it’s more difficult to get to speak to the right people.

“Lloyds and the Co-Operative Pharmacy are on board now, but it is a struggle.

“I hope traders realise what community support is, and that if we don’t get the support, things eventually will wrap up and we will run out of money.

“It’s not a never-ending pot.”

Maintaining the display is an expensive business.

The lights use wiring installed in 1984 which has cost £11,000 to upgrade.

“As we’ve been replacing things, we’ve had to bring it up to current standards,” Mr Rawlings said.

“We’ve had to install new units, everything from scratch.”

Power costs for the switch-on alone came to £1,500 last year.

“The cost of electricity goes up every year and there are always hidden costs,” he said.

Mr Rawlings spends at least ten hours a month organising the display.

The Lights Committee, which he chairs, will focus on structural repairs for the next two months.

In March, they will start designing the new decorations.

And Mr Rawlings hopes to allow schoolchildren to create one of the displays after last year’s successful competition.

“Last year, we had a gingerbread man with a candy cane designed by Oscar Fisher from Westfield Primary,” he said.

“He got to turn on the lights as well.

“It was great and we’ll look at doing it again.

“It will be bigger this year than ever,” Mr Rawlings said.

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