Volunteers light up town with bigger festive display
PORTISHEAD is twinkling once again this Christmas thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers.
Major changes have had to be made this year to the way the illuminations are strung up along the High Street, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rather than a team of more than 100 volunteers working over a weekend in November to get the display ready, a much smaller team has taken on the job
Due to social distancing rules, two teams of four volunteers have been working over the past two weeks to erect the display, which this year features 15,000 bulbs.
The changes were agreed with North Somerset Council to ensure volunteers and the local community remained safe during the work.
Planning for this year’s display has been going on for weeks, with cables for the lights and many of the bulbs being replaced.
The lights, which have been a feature of Portishead for the past 50 years, are lit from 3.30pm each day.
This year’s display stretches from the Whitecott stores along the High
Street and up to Wyndham Way, Station Road and the Waitrose piazza. There are also lights at West Hill.
This year’s display features more bulbs spaced half a metre apart rather than a metre.
Portishead Christmas Lights Committee chairman Stuart Hamer said: “It’s been really hard work this year.
“We have had to reduce our volunteer team massively to two teams of four working on different sections.”
This year’s display, heralded as the best in the South West, has cost between £22,000 and £25,000 with money coming from Portishead Town Council and local fundraising efforts.
“The generosity of the people of Portishead has been incredible,” said Stuart.
This year’s switch-on event, usually attended by thousands, has had to be cancelled.
Another casualty of the pandemic is the annual Victorian Evening, a highlight in the festive calendar and a major fundraiser for the lights.
A crowdfunding page has been set up atjustgiving.com/crowdfunding/ ptownchristmaslights.