Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
DOYLE XMAS LIGHTS
The switch-on was a real family occasion Alistair Doyle canvassed opinion from two beloved Coatbridge sporting heroes on his 14th annual extraordinary Christmas lights display – and the verdict is they are more than punching above their weight.
Kirkwood’s answer to Santa Claus attracted dozens of families as he unveiled the latest incredible illuminations at his Sharp Avenue home with the help of Coatbridge boxing champion Ricky Burns and local legend Rab Bannan of the Barn Boxing Club.
The dynamic display is open daily, from 4.30pm to 9.30pm, until Saturday, December 31, for families to sample the superlative sights and sounds – and people of all ages turned out for the big switch-on.
Proceeds from the festive spectacular will be donated to the Ronald McDonald family house at Glasgow’s Yorkhill Hospital for Sick Children, with Alistair looking to add to the £38,229 he has handed over since he began back in 2006.
He said:“I’ve been doing the lights for 12 years – starting to raise funds for the first time in 2006 – and the kids really enjoy them.
“It’s a lot of work and takes seven weeks to build and uses six months’worth of electricity in just one month.
“But I don’t care, there are always a lot of happy faces.
“Yorkhill is a cause close to my heart, and I’m hoping to raise even more money for them this year.”