John Cleese to switch on Christmas Lights
7th October 2011
The actor and performer, John Cleese is to switch on the Christmas Lights in Bath on Thursday 17th November at 6.30 pm. Now living in Bath with his partner Jennifer Wade, Cleese says 'Jenny and I love Bath - it's such a beautiful and interesting city, and we're amazed by the range of top class shops.’ ‘We are excited and privileged to be turning on the lights,’ he continued.
Cleese and Wade will be pressing the button on stage at the bottom of Milsom Street to illuminate this historic shopping street and mark the official start to the Christmas shopping season in Bath. He follows on the heels of Nicolas Cage and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall who have also pressed the button. Other highlights of the evening programme which commences at 5.00 pm includes an impressive line up of home grown talent. First on will be X Factor contender, Lascel Wood who wowed the judges with his recent performance. Born and raised in Bath, he is one of many successful graduates from the City of Bath College where emerging talent is nurtured and developed.
The line up includes Gabrielle Aplin; Tallis Morris; Largo Embargo; Shauna Hutchinson; Laura Doggett and Georgie Vale. Bath favourite, the Stocking Tops will join forces with some of the Bath Rugby Players and Bath’s most famous choir leader, Grenville Jones will get everyone singing carols. A guest performance by Hugh Cornwell of Stranglers fame will round off the festivities. Bath & North East Somerset Council champion young performers through the Bath Music Plus initiative. Bath Music Plus is working with BA1 records, which is the City of Bath College Music department label, to develop exceptional young musicians.
The switch on ceremony is supported by the Bath Improvement District (BID) and Bath and North East Somerset Council. According to BID Manager Andrew Cooper, “Bath is one of the top destinations for gift shopping in the region. We are lucky in Bath to have such a comprehensive range of shops so our visitors can literally find something for everyone, a one stop shop. Switching on the lights traditionally marks the start of the festive season and late night shopping and we are honoured that John Cleese has agreed to perform the ceremony”.
Bath has gained a reputation as the “Christmas Capital of the West” with its high profile celebrity switch on a week before the start of Bath’s picturesque Christmas Market which operates from 24th November until 11th December 2011. With its magical setting next to the Abbey, more than 130 wooden chalets sell a wide choice of unusual and hand crafted gifts. For Christmas shopping there can be few more attractive cities in the country. With its winning combination of independents and high street names, in a World Heritage setting, Bath offers a magical shopping experience.
The Christmas lights, designed like glittering chandeliers pay tribute to Bath’s glamorous past. Milsom Street was one of Jane Austen’s favourite haunts and is home to the oldest department store in the country; Jolly’s and won the Google Street view poll in 2010 as Britain’s Best Fashion Street.
Watch out for festive surprise appearances by Bath’s Natural Theatre Company who will be putting on promenade performances in and around Stall Street and Union Street to entertain late night shoppers on Thursday evenings leading up until Christmas from 17th November. Expect to bump into gentlemen with twinkling Christmas trees instead of heads, past-their –sell-by-date fairies, hilarious housewife shopaholics, naughty gnomes (and even a couple of nasty old Scrooges to put the damper on things). In an empty shop window you might come across an ordinary chap transforming himself into an extraordinary pantomime dame…and back again. The magic of Christmas as only the Naturals can deliver!
The Park and Ride bus service will be operating an extended service for this special occasion and up until Christmas for late night shopping on Thursday evenings and on Sundays.
For further information on shopping in Bath go to visitbath.co.uk.
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Notes to Editors:
For further information please contact Nicky Hancock at Hancock Communications on 01225 332299 or nicky@hancockcomm.com. For media accreditation for the press area on 17th November, please contact Lynne Locker on 01225 396181 or lynne_locker@bathnes.gov.uk
About The Bath Improvement District:
The creation of Future Bath Plus grew out of a desire both the private and public sectors, represented by Bath Chamber of Commerce and Initiative and Bath and North East Somerset Council, to work together to achieve improvements for the benefit of business, residents and visitors. The Future Bath Plus Board provides strategic direction to three key areas, City Centre Management, Tourism and Culture, ensuring that these sectors work in partnership.
City Centre Management was established in 2008 and appointed Andrew Cooper as Bath City Centre Manager. The three year business plan of the City Centre Management Board identified the need to asses the viability of a Business Improvement District (BID). The Bath BID will run for five years and began on 1st April 2011.For further information on its activities and achievements visit www.bathbid.co.uk
Bath Tourism Plus & Bath Christmas Market:Working with the public and private sectors, Bath’s destination marketing organisation, Bath Tourism Plus, takes full and the marketing of Bath and the surrounding area to leisure and business travellers. Bath Tourism Plus is the company responsible for the marketing and operation of Bath Christmas Market, which attracts approximately 300,000 visitors per year to Bath. Dates for 2011: 24 November to 11 December. For more information about Bath Christmas Market, visit: www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk.
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