General Enquiries:
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Town Hall
Hall Plain
Great Yarmouth.
NR30 2QF.

Tel:
01493 856100

E-mail:
enquiries@great-yarmouth.gov.uk

PR 288

For Immediate Release

21 November 2006

Christmas is Coming to Great Yarmouth

Sunday November 19 saw Christmas trees being erected in Great Yarmouth Market Place and Feather’s Plain, Gorleston.

The trees, both more than 30 feet tall, and freshly transported from Elveden Forest in Norfolk are in place to begin the count down to the Christmas lights switch-on in both towns.

The Great Yarmouth tree has been sited at the south end of the market, a return to a practice of many years ago, so that more people can enjoy it. For several years it stood at the north end in the hope that it would entice people to walk down there to see it.

This year it is resplendent in new white (energy efficient) lights as the latest phase of a scheme to upgrade the Christmas lighting in the Borough, Gorleston was the first last year.

In Great Yarmouth King Street also has new energy efficient lights.

“As we replace decorations around the Borough energy efficiency will be a high consideration when choosing Christmas lighting,” said Environmental Strategy Officer Michael Stephenson.

Gorleston will switch its lights on at 6pm on Friday November 24, when Radio Norwich’s Helen McDermott is joined by ITV’s Wendy Hurrell to pull the switch.

It will also hail the beginning of late night shopping in the town.

In Great Yarmouth the ceremony will be carried out on Wednesday November 29, again the beginning of Christmas late night shopping.

Town centre car parking in Great Yarmouth will follow its tradition of being free after 4pm every Wednesday from November 29 to December 20. It will also be free on the four Sundays in December up to and including Christmas Eve.

For further information contact Environmental Strategy Manager Michael Stephenson on 01493 846439, or Parking Services Manager Michael Chillingworth on 01493 846404.

Picture captions:

1 The tree being decorated in Gorleston.



2 Great Yarmouth’s tree in its new position at the south end of the market.



3 It’s more than 30 feet to the top.



Issued by:
Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513