EastEnders star and TV actress Anita Dobson is set to turn on Burnham-On-Sea’s Christmas lights today (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 in ‘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’, to be held 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 light up the town at 6pm with Mayor Cllr Lesley Millard, best-selling Burnham author Damien Boyd and Town Crier Alastair Murray.
An afternoon of entertainment in Victoria Street starts from 1pm with local choirs, performers, fairground rides, stalls and a visit by Santa at 3pm.
Burnham’s Hillview Carnival Club will also be displaying their seven-times winning carnival cart called ‘Sweet Dreams’ in Princess Street for one last time. There will also be a chance to meet the carnival team and support them at their fundraising stall with face painting, glitter tattoos, hair braiding and tinsel, and festive glitter!
Times & performers at today’s lights switch-on:
- 1.00pm Chantelle Lake: Singer on main stage in Victoria Street
- 1.45pm Burnham Infants School: Choir on main stage in Victoria Street
- 2.15pm Unroyal Community Choir on main stage in Victoria Street
- 2.45pm Brent Knoll School Choir on main stage in Victoria Street
- 3.05pm Santa arrives on Santa Train thanks to Burnham Lions Club followed by a free treat for all children
- 3.15pm Mary Lawrence – on main stage in Victoria Street
- 3.45pm Lisa Jane School of Dance in front of stage in Victoria Street
- 4.15pm Rock Choir – at main stage in Victoria Street
- 4.45pm St Andrew’s School on main stage in Victoria Street
- 5.00pm Mudlarks Choir on main stage in Victoria Street
- 5.15pm Chantelle Lake – singer on main stage
- 5.20pm Lantern Parade gathers outside Lloyds Bank in High Street
- 5.50pm Switch-on countdown with Anita Dobson (actress of ‘Christmas at the Holly Day Inn’ and ‘EastEnders‘) plus Damien Boyd (best-selling Burnham author) and Lesley Millard (Mayor) plus Alastair Murray (Town Crier) and Scarlett Puddy (Carnival Queen)
- 6pm The Big Switch-on! The countdown and light-up by Anita Dobson and the VIPs
- 6.02pm-6.30pm Burnham Brass Band to play a line-up of traditional festive tunes in Victoria Street
NB: All times and schedule may change at short notice
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, Silver Spur Events, local retailers and 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.
Also look out for Funtasia Christmas Circus performers appearing in the town centre through the day.
There will 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.
‘Christmas At The Holly Day Inn’; is a new romantic comedy film featuring Rich’s Cider Farm in Watchfield near Highbridge and also the Christmas shop in Cheddar among other local locations. It stars Anita Dobson and former Doctor Who actor Colin Baker.
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 are welcome to join.
Road closures in place:
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 and diversions will be in place.
