ST Breward switched on its Christmas lights for 2019 on Saturday, November 30.

The event, which is a highlight of the village’s calendar, is thanks to a number of fundraising events which have taken place over the last few months to ensure the Christmas lights are as dazzling as ever.

The event wouldn’t be possible without the dedication put in by the Christmas lights committee, which saw a regeneration this year with new members Bridie Croft, Megan Arnold, Shannon Davey, Wayne Davey, Finlee Davey and Teresa Moger.

Since new members joined the committee, they started off with a quiz night at the Old Inn and Restaurant in St Breward, where they raised £466.

In November, the team held a coffee morning in the village band room and raised a further £323, and then the committee also received a lovely donation of £500 from St Breward Carnival.

The fundraising and support from the community has yet again ensured another outstanding event for St Breward with its Christmas lights switch-on, making sure the village looks magical throughout the festive season.

Committee member Bridie said: “The support we have had from the community has been so overwhelming, they have really got behind us.

“The light switch-on went perfectly. We had an ‘ice your own biscuit’ station, Santa’s grotto, a storyteller and a gazebo set up for mulled wine, mince pies, hot chocolate and mulled cider, and we had St Breward Silver Band play Christmas carols for us — they were fabulous!

“However, we wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help from Darren Wills, who owns the Old Inn and Restaurant as he donated our beautiful Christmas tree for the village; the Teague family for helping us set up the lights the week before; Jonny Allen who also helped with the lights going up; Veronica Stansfield who has helped us throughout the whole planning; Christine Dennis for helping us with the mulled wine station; and the carnival committee for letting us use their gazebo for the refreshments.”

Bridie continued: “We have also done a Christmas window advent calendar that starts tonight [December 2] right up until Christmas Eve. People have paid £5 to enter, they pick a number out of the pot and whatever number they get given is the night they turn their window lights on. This is something that hasn’t been done before in the village, so we were very nervous whether we were going to sell all the windows, but we sold the last two numbers last week! The winner of the advent calendar will be picked after Christmas and will win £50.”

The St Breward Christmas lights committee raised £268.17 on the night of the switch-on.