City Hall staff with a few of the inflatable snowballs which will be thrown out for the crowd to enjoy at the City Christmas Lights switch on. From left, Sharon Page, Sarah Jacotine, organiser liz Wimms, Lewis Cook, Sara Crowley and Richard Balls. Picture: Denise Bradley
Former Norwich City star Dion Dublin to switch Christmas lights on in Norwich
Lucy Wright
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
6:30 PM
Ukulele elves, fire performers and a former Norwich City footballer will be launching Christmas in Norwich this week with the annual lights switch-on event.
Former Norwich City and England striker Dion Dublin will switch the lights on at 7pm on Thursday, November 17 in front of City Hall.
The evening of entertainment gets under way from 6.15pm with a host of family fun including a children’s fancy dress competition, candle-lit lantern procession, Christmas carols, an inflatable snowball fight and firework burst at 7pm.
At 6.15pm more than 50 year-seven students from the Hewett School will form a magical candle-lit procession of paper lanterns, joined by stilt walkers, a band, Father Christmas and human snowballs choir who will lead the carol singing.
The procession will leave The Great Hospital on Bishopgate walking along Cathedral Close, Queen Street, London Street, Castle Street, Davey Place and Gentlemans Walk to City Hall.
From 6.45pm to 7pm in front of City Hall there will be a fire performer, an inflatable snowball fight and a children’s Christmas theme fancy dress competition with a prize for the best dressed.
Norwich City Council’s culture and events officer Liz Wimms said: “We have a great evening planned including an enchanting candle-lit procession winding its way through our beautiful city, traditional Christmas carols, fancy dress and the big countdown and firework burst at 7pm from City Hall and the Jarrold store. We are delighted that Dion Dublin will be kick-starting Christmas in Norwich and we hope to see lots of families enjoying a magical evening of free festive fun.”
The event has been organised by Norwich City Council’s events and culture team and supported by BBC Radio Norfolk, Norwich Evening News, Jarrold and Virgin Money.
There will also be real snow at the new Virgin Money lounge.
Customer director at Virgin Money Caroline Marsh said: “Virgin Money are proud to support the Norwich Christmas switch-on and fireworks burst. It should be a colourful and fun evening and comes on the eve of the Virgin Money Lounge opening on Castle Street, our very first high street presence.”
There will also be a wealth of activities happening in the city centre. From 5pm to 9pm Norwich Lanes are holding a street fair on Upper St Giles which includes a Christmas market, choirs, street theatre, the Christmas tree trail, seasonal mulled wine and mince pies and some ukulele elves.
The Forum will be open until late and will host a craft fair selling charity Christmas cards and gifts. Fusion, the giant digital screen will show IMPACT – creative photography and sounds from Norwich City College and Great Yarmouth High School, and outside there will be a simulator ride.
*Are you planning a Christmas event? Contact reporter Lucy Wright on 01603 772495 or email lucy.wright@archant.co.uk
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11 comments
your all so cute with your little annoyances, the council tax is frozen for next year and you moan all the bloody time about cuts, maybe there is a conection. As for self interest of councillors, well whether you agree with what they are doing or not they earn £5000 a year which doesn't even cover the fact most take their work down to part time in order to be a councillor. This isn't about one particular party either i'm talking all of them. If you feel you can do a better job why don't you take your hours down stand as a candidate and take all the fun, culture and life out of the city, just as long as council tax doesn't go up a few pence. Oh and since when do the council pay for heating, not really sure how this event is going to affect peoples heating bills. Might want to check with the con-dems on that one they are the ones cutting the winter fuel allowance and the budgets of councils .
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Lucy Christie
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Yes cancel xmas--thanks for putting it in print "a fine city".Lets do that and spend money on heat and food and council tax. bet u put your xmas decos up in September.
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bookworm
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
What on earth is a ukulele elf? Surely this is offensive to people of such stature - & has nothing to do with Christmas.
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Dick Turnip
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Is DD also going to unveil Norwich City`s latest signing. Like he so modestly did with Craig Mackail-Smith? Fireworks probably only cost a couple of years worth of Winter fuel allowance for Norfolk`s elderly anyway. As long as the Councillors get to flounce about in their finery, that`s fine. Surely???
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Mad Brewer
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
a fine city, since when have local authorities become entertainment managers???......lets all look at the pretty fireworks, everything is fine and dandy...sheeple.
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nrg
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Sounds great. We could cancel Christmas and be even more miserable or have a pleasant evening out in town. It's likely to be good fun and for the children it will mean Christmas is on the way. Those with a more miserable disposition should stay at home and write more moaning posts on EDP24.
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a fine city
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
fireworks and lights are a total waste of the tax pound. these seat polishers at the council should be forced to re think.money should be used for essential services like care for the elderly and repairs to pot holes.
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bookworm
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
To save real money, the council should re-evaluate staff salaries and put them all on performance related pay, in addition the removal of the vast amount of 'managerial' staff on ridiculously inflated salaries. Too much cronyism, stuck in their ways, waiting on a huge pension, power grabbing monsters at City Hall.
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Yojimbo
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
D'oh!!! Lucy C, I think there is big difference between sponsoring and supporting. We're paying for this waste of taxpayers cash....blown up in the sky....As for nuLabour or any other tribe of colours , Politics is all about self-interest; In a true democracy, the people are in charge, not the elected officials. Elected leaders are public servants and should do the will of the public..... These so called public servants, spend much of their time and our money serving themselves and their party or crony pals.
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nrg
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Chabram71, actually reading articles before you post might be a good idea in future. The Norwich City Council isn't paying for the fireworks etc the sponsers are hence why they have sponsers. Also you don't elect politicians to do what you ask, you elect them because you believe their opinions are similar to yours and they will do the best by the residents if they just did what the people asked there would be no point in politicans. There might as well just be a survery for every decision. Also as opinions are so diverse how are the leaders surposed to please everyone. I can assure you Brenda Arthur is honestly doing what she and the party fell is best for the city in terms of decent housing, growth environmental issues and she honestly wants to the do the best she can for the residents. There is no secret plan here. I would also like to point out however that the City Council is listening to the public hence they are cutting the things the public minded the least being cut and not cutting things such as tolilets in parks which the public said they didn't want cut in the consultation, so to sum up none of your points make any sense.
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Lucy Christie
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
A Firework burst to celebrate the switching on of the Christmas lights??? And I thought the council said it was going to make savings, really what a waste of money, when repairs have been outstanding for years they insist on blowing the council tax payers money into the sky !!!!!!!! Lets get rid of the leaders of this Council. They seem to forget we elected them to do as we ask, not for them to say to us, do what we say or else! or simply we will ignore everyone cause we really know better !!!!!!!
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chebram71
Tuesday, November 15, 2011