Summer’s here and plans for Stratford’s Christmas lights are in place

A SUMMER heatwave may be in progress, but thoughts have already turned to Christmas and the need for more volunteers to make sure Stratford’s lights are among the region’s best.

The switch-on event – one of the biggest in the West Midlands – attracts thousands of people but the event is not always 100 per cent guaranteed as it relies on funding and countless hours of work by volunteers on Stratford Christmas Lights Company.

Former lights committee chair, Matthew Combes, who stepped down this year because of work commitments said: “Stratford Christmas lights are huge. They are one of the biggest displays in the UK for a town our size and last year we celebrated 40 years of the lights, but it’s very hard to find volunteers willing to give up their time to put the lights spectacular on each year.