News
Friday, 18 November 2011
Roger Bannister to switch on lights at Christmas Light Night!
Sir Roger Bannister will be switching on the Christmas Lights in Oxford this year as part of our countdown to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics
The switch on is part of the Christmas Light Night celebrations which has become a regular fixture in the Oxford Christmas calendar attracting more than 20,000 revellers last year.
Highlights of this year’s event, which takes place on Friday 2 December will include the children’s lantern procession supported by MINI Plant Oxford, the St Giles’ Stage with live singing, dancing and celebrations, and Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night Promenade.
The event, which is one of Oxford’s largest community celebrations, also features late night openings of some of the city’s best loved cultural venues, offering local arts and cultural organisations, as well as community and voluntary groups, the chance to be involved.
The venues that are involved include Oxford Town Hall, Oxford Castle, 03 Gallery, Radcliffe Square, Gloucester Green, Story Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, Museum of the History of Science, The Bodleian Library, The Old Fire Station, St Ebbe’s, and St Michael at the North Gate Church.
The event will run this year from 5pm to 10pm with the lantern procession starting at the Old Fire Station in Gloucester Green at 6pm and the Christmas lights being switched on in St Giles at approximately 6.30pm by Sir Roger Bannister.
Kathelene Weiss, Director of Oxford Inspires, says: “We are delighted that Sir Roger has agreed to switch on the city’s Christmas lights.
“We are now counting down to the Olympic Games and it is fitting that Sir Roger can start that off with the light switch on.
“Christmas Light Night is a fantastic event with many cultural venues open throughout the city as well as the entertainment from the main stage in St Giles.
“The event gets bigger and better each year and I hope that people will enjoy this year’s celebrations.”
At St Giles, there will be a display of poems that Oxford’s first City Poet, Kate Clanchy has been working on with over a hundred local children. They were encouraged to write on the theme of ‘light’ inspired by the Japanese forms of Tanka and Haiku. The display will be there from 5pm until 10pm.
Christmas Light Night in Oxford is being co-ordinated by Oxford Inspires, Oxford City Council and Ian Nolan Events on behalf of communities and cultural organisations across the city.
