Holt late night shopping Thursday 15th December 2011!

Come and celebrate christmas with us! Mulled wine and mince pies get in the spirit and enjoy what holt has to offer. The shops will be open between 5 – 8pm.

  • Holt Wine Cellar & Kitchen Adnams – Wines Spirits & Beer
  • Moochi Modo contempory design, accessories and presents - we sell Purdey and Ralph Lauren and also cashmere Moochi Modo blankets
  • Peccadillos goodies, delightful gifts and enchanting treats
  • Decorum Menswear
  • Gun Hill Mens and Womens clothing
  • Morston Country Clothing for outdoor clothing and accessories
  • Froncois Bouttier Womens fashion clothing, designer clothes and fashion accessory items
  • Co Co`s Affordable Ladies Fashion
  • The Tannery specialises in stylish European leather goods selling quality handbags, briefcases, gloves, wallets.
  • Pollard and Read Womens Lingerie
  • House and Garden Shop, Holt · Hooks · Doormats · Key Rings · Kitchen Garden · Cat & Dog · Metal Signs · Wooden Signs · Kitchen · Lighting · Clocks
  • Christmas shop

Holt Christmas Lights 2011 – We need your photos!

If you managed to take any great photos on the switch on night (or any time thereafter), please send them in to us (email design@josh.biz) and if we receive enough, we’ll place a gallery of all the photos online.

From the Committee, 2011

Holt Christmas Lights Committee would like to thank everyone who donated toward the 2011 event. Several of the businesses in the town and also out of town gave toward the Lights fund and local people also contributed. Donations go towards the cost of the lighting of the Community buildings in town and also the Switch On event. This year shops who contributed to the Fund also received a 7 foot tree at no charge for tree holders and also received a thank you on the much visited Christmas Lights website.

The Christmas Lights Committee is a small band of volunteers who meet every month and then nearer to the switch on event, every week. Each member has a role to play with the lighting of the town for the 6 week period. Committee members take it in turns to pay for the coffee which keeps them going at their early morning meetings in Bakers & Larners Coffee Shop.

The Committee is always looking for volunteers. New ideas are also very welcome. The challenges are many, but the triumph of seeing the town lit for 6 weeks and the businesses thrive as a consequence is very important.

Seen here in the photo are Committee members Joshua Dyball (Josh.Biz) who has set up the Christmas Lights website and manages it; Nina and Duncan Baker (Nina is the Treasurer), Town Councillor Maggie Prior who is Community Liaison Officer; Chris Lambert (from Smith & Pinching) – Chris manages the trees; Tom Dick who manages the Street Stalls on Switch-on Night; Simon Gresham, who manages the Lighting displays, Jen Barker who arranges the Entertainment on the Switch-on Night; Esme Bagnall Oakeley who is Committee Chairman. Unable to be in the photograph were Sue Landers and Alexa Kings from Bakers and Larners who arranged the quiz, raffle and collecting tins in the town. Also not in the photo, Di Dann who undertakes road closure and arranges bucket collection.

Full details relating to the receipts and payments for the event will be published on the website in the New Year.

“Its been harder this year to raise funds for lighting the community buildings” said Esme “but its so important to keep our lights display going as it brings people into the town in the six week run up to Christmas”

Gentleman Jim, the stilt walker, leading the lantern parade through Appleyard on Christmas Switch on Night

 

Holt Christmas Lights switched on!

Last night saw our Christmas lights switched on. Thanks go to Ed Parker for doing the honours! The night was a great success. Now it’s time to enjoy the lights…

Read more about the Holt Christmas Lights Switch on, 2011 at the EDP online.

Please send in any great photos you have. We’re always on the look out.

Woodrows putting up the Christmas trees!

Woodrows Builders are currently erecting the three 18 foot trees for the Holt Christmas Lights display. It is a routine for the local family building firm who operate out of Hill House Farm in Bodham. Woodrows are now in their 20th year of doing this strenuous task for the town. Lights Event organiser Chris Lambert from Smith & Pinching says “the town looks magnificent with these trees and our thanks go out to Woodrows for doing this for the community for so many years”.

Edgefield Nurseries deliver the trees late in the evening and the Woodrows team put all the trees up before starting their normal days work. The trees are positioned on Shirehall Plain, near to the War Memorial and Jubilee Plain and they have to be wedged into place and roped to ensure they are safe and secure against all the weathers of this magnificent six week event.

Lighting up the trees follows – with C & O Electrical scaling the heights to make sure they look the brightest and best!

Wedging the tree into place

Holt now has its own Christmas cards

With so many wonderful photographs of the Christmas Lights in Holt collected, it was decided to print a selection of these and make them into cards.

The cards come in packs of 6 with each pack having two different town scenes. They are available from the Town Council office at the Community Centre or the Holt Book Shop – they are also being sold on Switch – on night.

Proceeds from the sale of the cards will go towards the Christmas Lights Fund – which helps light the community buildings in the town for the 6 week period.

The photograph (right) is one of the four Christmas scenes showing the firework spectacular as it rises behind the Old School building of Greshams.

 

 

Stalls still available at the Holt Community Centre

We still have a few remaining places for stalls at the Community Centre on the day of the Holt Christmas Lights Switch-on.

To book, contact Di Dann - holttown@tiscali.co.uk, 01263 712149 (downloadable booking form here).

 

Alberts Fish Bar in Holt comes to the rescue

After a recent appeal through the EDP names have come forward to help man the road closure barriers at the Christmas Switch on event in Holt on Wednesday 23rd November 2011. Members of the Holt Round Table, Holt and District Rotary, Town Council and also the Holt Farmers Club, as well as residents have all offered to support the event. “It’s quite a grueling task” says Di Dann who helps organize this part of the event.

The Chairman of the Christmas Lights Committee, Esme Bagnall Oakeley had the great idea to offer Fish and Chips to the stalwarts who man the barriers. When the Committee approached Alberts Fish Bar to see if they would be able to cater for the volunteers the reply came back that they would be pleased to offer this. “It’s a wonderful boost for our efforts” said Esme.

Holt Christmas Lights are being switch on at 6.45 this year instead of the usual 6.30 p.m. This is being followed by a Firework Display. Various entertainments will go on in the Yards and on stage, including Fakenham Town Band. There is fun for all the family and there will be the usual Craft stall in the Community Centre from 2.00 p.m..

The event marks the start of the 6 week period when the town becomes a white light spectacle. “Its essential to have this festival” says Esme “to promote the businesses in our town – it just makes Holt such a lovely festive place to visit”

The Ukulele Troubadours are coming!

Booked at the last minute, the *E*L*F* – Ukulele Troubadours are joining us in Holt for the switch on evening. Look out for them!

They sing! They dance! They wander!

They’re musical! They’re funny! They’re ….

a bit Naughty sometimes!

They can’t help it – it’s just the way with Elves.

Read more about the Ukulele Troubadours at their website.

 

Tony Hall Cartoon up for auction

Tony Hall cartoon for Holt Christmas Lights 2011Place a bid for this ORIGINAL TONY HALL CARTOON!

Tony has been the EDP’s cartoonist for several years and this is truly a one off collectors piece.

Bids can be made at the Bircham Gallery, 14, Market Place, Holt – where the original can also be viewed.

  • Reserve price: £60
  • Bids close 17th December 2011
  • All in the aid of the Holt Christmas lights appeal