We thought we should explain a little about what we're up against and what we have been up to. Pudsey lights used to be a really great evening. Sadly over the years it has declined somewhat. We're not here to apportion blame nor can we change the past but in all honesty, we are faced with an uphill struggle this year because we have been left with virtually nothing to build on from previous years.

We visited the Leeds lights warehouse in July (when we made the decision to form a committee and take the event over) The warehouse was amazing and I attach photos of what was there. What wasn't there was a storage area for Pudsey's own lights - other towns have purchased and stored lights over the years and a few towns actively encourage local business and schools to have their own lights. Pudsey has nothing.

The people who run the warehouse gave us an A4 sheet of paper detailing what had been "picked out for Pudsey already" as that's what used to happen. - we basically got what was left over. I must say that the staff at the warehouse were very supportive of us having our own storage area and helping us to build up our own lights. Unfortunately we don't have the time to do that this year, but we will however be looking at schools and businesses and local groups to do that next year.

So... (get out the glitter) We have moved the venue (out of the car-park) and onto the street. We are closing Lowtown from the Pudsey Town Hall to the petrol station. We will be buying 120 4ft Christmas trees and Jonathan Ambler and Cllr Mark Harrison have combined forces to make us 100 metal brackets to hang on every shop and business in Pudsey and we will be hitting the town in force and making that happen. Such are their skills that the brackets can be re-used for hanging baskets and flags throughout the year.

There will be small fairground rides dotted around the route and we will have local bands on stage playing Christmas songs. We have organised the Farmers and Craft Market to coincide with the day/ evening so there will be stalls on the street selling Christmas crafts and the main market will be a food market. Pudsey House will have it's first Santa's grotto and there will be colouring activities to keep the little ones occupied as they wait. The Leisure Centre will still have the table-top crafts that they have traditionally had - organised by the Calverley Rotary club (all profits go to their chosen charity which in previous years has been to give Christmas day lunches to the elderly)

We have put an appeal out for local groups to assist with street entertainment/ singing. We would like Christmas carols in every area.

The fireworks will still be happening but we have asked for no bangers. The fireworks will go off at 6pm and we anticipate that the event will close just after then. We hope that you will support the start of this and we aim to make it bigger and better every year. Any money we raise will go right back into Pudsey's Lights and with that in mind we have opened a bank account specifically for the lights. All funds and accounts will be transparent and all surplus money will roll over for the next year and not just disappear! We hope that each year the event will be bigger and better WE WANT TO BE SEEN FROM SPACE!!!! Hope to see you there!!