6th December 2024
Thame's Town Centre was transformed on Friday night as hundreds gathered to witness the switching on of the Christmas lights.
The stage, sponsored by Lightfoots Solicitors, was positioned in front of Mountain Warehouse facing the High Street, which gave the crowd a full view of the tree and easy access to the food vendors and gift/community stalls.
Free Rides Welcomed by Parents
Children's rides were provided free of charge thanks to the sponsorship of Thame Cars, and both the Helter Skelter and chair ride were filled with children from the moment they opened until closing. Many parents have since thanked the Council for the money-saving gesture.
A selfie-station outside the Town Hall was another popular attraction. Sponsored by Your Dentist in Thame, selfies sent to [email protected] are in the running to win 4 tickets to see The Further Adventures of Peter Pan at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.
Reverend Paddy Harris and Pastor Anthony Taylor did a great job hosting the main show which included entertainment from the Thame Concert Band (whose Journey to Christmas concert is this Saturday), the Thame Players, and Philippa Mummery, who had the crowd bopping along to Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree and Shakin' Stevens' popular Christmas song, Merry Christmas, Everybody.
Local Hero a Highlight
The highlight of the evening was, of course, the switch-on itself. Local hero and humanitarian, Chris Hurdman, was invited to the stage by Mayor, Cllr Andy Gilbert, who highlighted some of Chris' achievements, including his recent English Veterans Community award, how he has single-handedly organised the Thame Market Community Day for over 20 years, raised thousands of pounds for his chosen charities, volunteers for both UK and international deployments, has trained as a remote medic, and is also trained to work in hostile environments.
After the traditional countdown from 10 to 1, Chris did the honours, and after a few heart-stopping seconds delay, the tree and Town Hall finally came to life, illuminated by thousands of tiny lights. This year's tree once again kindly provided by ASM Auto Recycling.
In 2025, Chris will attempt to summit Aconcagua in the Andes to raise awareness and funds for Helen & Douglas and REACT disaster response. If you would like to make a donation to Chris' fundraiser, click here to visit his Give Wheel page.
Thame Town Council thanks all those who attended Friday night's event and wishes everyone in Thame and surrounds a very Merry Christmas.
