EastEnders star and TV actress Anita Dobson is set to turn on Burnham-On-Sea’s Christmas lights tomorrow (Saturday) during a day of festive entertainment.
The actress played landlady Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera plus many other film and TV roles including ‘Casualty’, ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Holby City’, ‘The Bill’ and as a contestant on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
She will be in Burnham for the first cinema screening of the new locally-filmed movie, ‘Christmas At The Holly Day Inn’, at The Ritz Cinema.
Burnham-On-Sea Chamber of Trade, which is organising the Christmas Lights Switch-On, says it is delighted to be welcoming Anita to formally light up the town at 6pm with Mayor Cllr Lesley Millard, best-selling Burnham author Damien Boyd and Town Crier Alastair Murray.
The new romantic comedy film features Rich’s Cider Farm in Watchfield near Highbridge and also the Christmas shop in Cheddar among other local locations. It stars Anita and Doctor Who star Colin Baker.
An afternoon of entertainment in Victoria Street starts from 1pm with local choirs, performers, fairground rides, stalls and a visit by Santa at 3pm leading up to the 6pm switch-on.
This year’s community event is being led by Burnham Chamber of Trade with the support of Burnham and Highbridge Town Council, Burnham Lions Club, Burnham Carnival, local businesses and many local groups and schools.
A stage will be set up near the Victoria Hotel, which will see music from the Town Band, Rock Choir, local community groups, choirs, schools and singers.
There will also be a chance to meet Santa and receive a free child’s gift when he arrives at 3pm in Victoria Street, helped by Burnham Lions and their new-look land train.
Burnham’s Hillview Carnival Club will also be taking part, with a section of their award-winning carnival cart on display at the event.
There will also be a chance for families to have their photo taken with Santa. There will also be fun from festive circus entertainers, plus stalls and more.
A lantern parade for families will also be held in the town centre before the switch-on, gathering outside Lloyds Bank at 5.20pm for a short walk via Chapel Street and ending next to the stage in Victoria Street. All families will be welcome to join.
Several roads at the northern end of the town centre will be closed through the day to allow the event to go ahead safely. Roads closed will be Victoria Street; the northern end of the High Street from the junction with College Street; Regent Street; Chapel Street and Princess Street. Businesses and shops will be open as usual on the day and diversions will be in place.
