Information on Loughborough

Loughborough Christmas Lights

Posted on 25/11/2007
P. Klein

Posted on 25th November 2007

R.Reed

Basil Brush on stage in Loughboroughs Market Place

Loughborough town centre saw a double celebration this evening (25th November 2007) as the finals of the Charnwood has Christmas Talent Contest took place and that exalted fox, Basil Brush, switched on the Christmas Lights.

Earlier in the day Basil Brush was chauffeured to the Town Hall where he had a quick nap whilst various band and acts performed on the stage at the High Street end of Market Place. By 4pm, which was Basils appointed time to appear on stage to host the finals of Charnwood has Xmas Talent the crowd had swollen to approximately 10,000 people and stretched back to Market Street. With distinctive banter Basil and Dave James from Oak 107fm compared the final rounds of the talent contest keeping both children and adults in the crowd amused, if for no other reason than the awfulness of the jokes whose punch lines could be seen coming from Shepshed. An hour after the event peoples ears no doubt would have still been ringing from the amount of "Boom Booms that reverberated around the town centre.

The penultimate round of the competition involved the selection of one person from the best of the runners up to go through to the finals. Doing battle against each other were Lloyd Vitols (our favourite who teased both the judges as the crowd), Olivia Ellis Thorne, the Motion Dance Company and Shaena Walsh Bell. Whilst all four acts received great cheers from the crowd it was Shaena who the judges selected based on the response of the crowd, to go through to the finals.

Alongside Shaena in the finals were Kieran and Astin Sutcliffe, Christian Bell Young and Laura Norton. All provided the assembled crowd with magnificent performances and gave the judges a hard choice to make. However with help from the crowd Shaena was selected as the overall winner of Charnwood has Christmas Talent 2007 and received the prize money of £500. No doubt her mother will be helping her look after that as she is only 9 years old.

All the performers, including many from the 2nd round heats that had been held previously took stage to give a bravura rendition of Do They Know Its Christmas with Shaena taking centre microphone.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Charnwood then joined the gathered ensemble on stage (we will not repeat here what the recalcitrant Basil said) and to a countdown shouted out by all gathered in Loughboroughs Market Place the Christmas Lights were turned on at 5:25pm throughout the town making a spectacular illumination to be proud of.

It seems that Christmas is finally upon us!

P.S. Can we have Rolland Rat next year Charnwood Borough Council?

END 

If you missed the days events there are more pictures in the photograph albums and there are also videos of the proceedings in Loughboroughs Market Place below.

Kieran and Astin Sutcliffe

Christian Bell Young followed by Laura Norton

Shaena Walsh Bell

Do they know its Christmas followed by countdown and switching on of Christmas Lights.

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