THE queue across High Cross proves the popularity of Truro Cathedral's Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols services.

The concert, to be held on December 23 and 24, at 7pm, has been a tradition of the Christmas season since it was devised by the first Bishop of Truro in 1880.

And this year it will filmed for release on DVD in 2015.

Bishop Benson, the first Bishop of Truro, devised a Christmas Eve service of nine lessons interspersed with nine carols, the format of which has now spread across the world.

The Dean of Truro, The Very Reverend Roger Bush, said: "We know that not everyone can make it to these services each year, so we are creating a DVD so that people can share in our wonderful tradition and see where it all started."

Anyone wanting to attend the service on December 23 should be seated by 6.45pm and be aware that seating is restricted to the nave and side aisles of the cathedral.

The side aisles will also have restricted view as the televisions that usually provide CCTV coverage will be removed for that night.

Those who attend may be filmed and have their voices recorded for potential use on the DVD.

The service on Christmas Eve will be "as normal". See www.trurocathedral.org.uk for details.

GEEVOR Tin Mine will be holding its annual carol service this Friday at 2.30pm in the Hard Rock Gallery.

There will be free admission from 1pm, with free gifts from Santa, carols sung by local choir members, mince pies and refreshments.

ENJOY some good old fashioned carol singing at Pentillie Castle, near Saltash, on Wednesday at 6.30pm.

Warming winter refreshments will be available, and no booking is required.

This is a free event, but a donation in the charity pot would be gratefully received.

Proceeds will go to the Cornwall Young Carers Project.

VISIT Cotehele this Christmas and admire the 60ft flower garland which yet again hangs in the Great Hall throughout the festive season.

Every year staff and volunteers at the National Trust house, near Saltash, create the giant garland from thousands of flowers grown on the estate.

This year featuring 36,160 dried flowers, the garland hangs in the Great Hall from late November until the end of December and is the backdrop for many festive events including the annual garland supper. Other traditional decorations made from natural materials and winter foliage grown on the estate are also on show.

Warm up by the fire this Christmas and admire the garland's beauty, every until the end of December, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Winter entry is £5, and members and under 18s free.

NEAR TA Theatre is bringing its seasonal favourite show Christmas.Time back to The Poly in Falmouth for one night only next Monday.

Set in a prison cell, we join the two hapless cons Toby and Charlie as they reenact the rituals and traditions that we associate with the festive season. Join them on a fantastic adventure through Dickens, pantomimes, musicals, Christmas dinner and festive films. This is a fun family show that puts the cell back into celebration.

Directed by Simon Harvey and starring Daniel Richards and Lewis Howard, Christmas.Time will be at The Poly on Monday at 8pm. Tickets at £9 and £7 for concessions are selling extremely fast, so book early to avoid disappointment. Visit www.thepoly.org or call 01326 319461.

A FALMOUTH pub is once again hosting its Christmas singing event, featuring Angus's Angels, who are back by popular demand.

Last year's event at the Seaview Inn saw more than 150 people join in with carols and Christmas songs, including a spirited version of Fairytale Of New York.

"This will be the third time we've led the festive singing here. Everyone joins in and it really boosts your Christmas spirit," said organiser Ruth Hills.

Go along to the Seaview Inn on Monday 22 December at 8.30pm to enjoy the musical treat. The Angels will also be in The Chainlocker on Christmas Eve at 1.30pm for more Christmas community singing.

THOUSANDS of people lined the streets in St Ives last Friday evening for the arrival of Father Christmas.

Crowds cheered as he arrived into the harbour on St Ives' all-weather lifeboat before being transported to the inshore boat to reach the shore.

Performers from Swamp Circus entertained with their flame-throwing tricks while the pesky Pirates of Penzance tried to kidnap Father Christmas when he reached dry land. Kidz R Us also staged performances in the procession.

Grotto

St Ives Concert Band provided the music.

Able to fend off the pirates, Father Christmas was then carried along some of the route along the harbour front on the way to his Christmas grotto.

He arrived to a snow-covered scene on Fore Street to take up his seat in The Glass Tree.

St Ives BID manager, Jess Golding, who helped co-ordinate proceedings, said: "It was a great event. It was lovely to see so many people turn out for it. People were all the way down The Wharf. I was blown away by the community spirit people show."

She thanked the BID directors, road marshals, volunteers and The Glass Tree for their help with the event.

Donated

Father Christmas is in The Glass Tree every Saturday between noon and 3.30pm, on Sundays between 2pm and 4pm and on Christmas Eve between noon and 2pm.

A visit costs £5 which will be donated to this year's Glass Tree charity of choice, Penhaligon's Friends, which supports bereaved children, parents and carers throughout the county.

Children will receive two presents, a balloon and a photograph of their visit with Father Christmas.

HUNDREDS of Santas gathered in St Austell's White River Place on Sunday to raise money for the Children's Hospice South West by taking part in the annual Santas On the Run event.

This is the fourth year the event has happened in St Austell and the fundraising team from the Little Harbour children's hospice at Porthpean pulled out all the stops to make it as festive as possible.

Runners were entertained by St Dennis Youth Band as well as the Cornwall Rock Choir before a warm-up accompanied by some upbeat Christmas songs.

Entrants were treated to a spectacular send-off as they ran through snow and past Disney characters Elsa and Olaf from Frozen.

On their return the Santas were congratulated with a medal and festive treat, and welcomed back to the Eden Square by the real Santa seated in his sleigh.

The team said they were absolutely delighted with the success of the event and in particular by how much money was pledged by the participants.

Sarah Stott, events fundraiser for CHSW, said: "It was brilliant to see White River Place fill up with friends, colleagues and entire families – including little ones in buggies and their dogs too – all dressed as Santa.

"There was a lovely atmosphere as all of the Santas gathered and everyone really got into the festive spirit.

"I'd like to thank every single person who took part in the run and shared their festive cheer with us.

"They've helped raise a fantastic amount of money which will help us provide expert care and support to families in our community who are facing uncertain futures, and we can help make this Christmas a special one for them to remember."

Once the Santas have rested up after their run, the team from Little Harbour is encouraging everyone to send in their sponsorship money in as soon as possible.

The person who raises the most and sends their sponsorship money to Little Harbour before January 16 will win a complimentary Sunday carvery for two people at the Pier House in Charlestown.

Money raised from Santas On the Run will go towards the care and support which CHSW offer families with children suffering from life-limiting illnesses. Little Harbour is a haven for these families who can take some time to relax and be a family again in a "home from home" environment.

PLANS for a new housing development on the outskirts of Truro are to be debated today.

Developer Living Villages has applied for outlining planning permission to transform an 92-acre site on the edge of the city into a new suburb with 155 houses.

Living Villages has teamed up with the Cornwall Food Foundation and Duchy College for the Higher Newham Farm and Village scheme.

It will be brought before councillors of the strategic planning committee this morning from 10am.

The debate can be viewed live from this page.

Cornwall councillors will decide at a meeting today if outlining planning permission should be granted.

Truro City councillors support the scheme in principle but have raised a number of concerns, including the style and location of the homes, vehicle access from Morlaix Avenue and the junction proposal, which they describe as dangerous.

CORNISH Pirates' hopes of British and Irish Cup success came to an end in dramatic style at Goldington Road as Bedford Blues secured a 41-40 victory.

The Pirates needed a positive result, with games elsewhere going their way, but they were unable meet their part of the requirements, despite a Tom Riley hat-trick and a spirited performance from the rest of the men in black and gold.

The lead changed hands seven times as both sides sought five points to save their place in the competition. It was perhaps a period in the first half, while down to 14 men, that cost the Pirates. Blues took full advantage while Kieran Goss was in the sin bin to score two tries and set up a 24-16 lead at the interval.

Although Pirates fought back superbly in an extraordinary second half, it wasn't to be. Director of rugby Ian Davies was pleased with his players' endeavour despite them falling short by a point.

He said: "I though the boys performed really well in the second half, especially. We messed up a line-out and they countered very well in the lead-up to Kieran's yellow card in the first half.

"They scored two tries then and that gave them a lot of confidence going into half time. We spoke about how we would need to come out and respond in the second half and we did that. All I wanted, right at the end, was to get in their half and give Kieran Hallett a chance to kick us to victory because he was flawless all afternoon.

"We needed that little bit of luck, but fair play to Bedford, they defended really well. Our boys kept hammering away but we weren't able to do it."

Pirates got off the mark within two minutes through a Hallett penalty after Bedford infringed while trying to run the ball out of defence from the kick-off. The visitors' scrum also looked strong initially and drew another penalty, which Hallett kicked superbly to double his side's lead in a dominant opening five minutes.

The Blues responded well and won a penalty themselves when the two packs collided again deep in Pirates' territory. They opted to kick for the corner, and the second of two catch and drive attempts resulted in a touchdown for No8 Paul Tupai, converted by captain James Pritchard. However, Pirates retook the lead when centre Riley scored his side's first try after an opportunist break and Hallett then added the extras.

The impetus shifted decisively in Blues' favour as the half reached its midpoint when a superb break was halted at the last moment by a determined tackle from Goss, but the wing's decision to not release his opposite number Pat Tapley earned him a yellow card.

It didn't take Tapley long to get his revenge, as he released full-back Pritchard to score in the left corner for Bedford's second try in the minutes that followed. The former Plymouth Albion man then added the conversion to his own try.

The cost of being a man down was brought to the fore again when Blues' wing Dean Adamson exploited another gap to burst clear for his side's third touchdown in just the 31st minute. Pritchard's conversion stretched the hosts' lead to eight points as Goss returned to the pitch.

Happier

Pritchard and Hallett traded a penalty apiece in the run-up to half time, but it was the Pirates who would have been happier to hear the whistle for the break, despite slowing Blues' progress a little when back to a full complement.

Indeed, Pirates emerged from an evenly contested start to the second half to score their second try, again through Riley, but created by some slick handling from Goss and scrum-half Tom Kessell. Hallett's conversion brought the Cornishmen back within a point of their hosts with more than half an hour still remaining.

Pirates' comeback was completed in the 53rd minute when Max Bodilly squeezed over for their third try and Hallett added an excellent conversion from close to the left touchline to establish a six-point lead just short of the hour mark. But just as in the first half, momentum continued to shifted, and Bedford took over the lead once more with Tupai scoring his second try of the day in similar circumstances to his first, finishing a powerful drive for the try line with Pritchard adding the conversion.

Pirates responded with Hallett kicking over a penalty after a dangerous tackle from Hayden Thompson-Stringer on Kessell saw the Blues man earn a yellow card.

Being down to 14 failed to stop Bedford, however, with Tupai charging down a Pirates kick and Tapley helped himself to a try. Pritchard then added his second penalty with five minutes remaining to put the game seemingly beyond Pirates, with a nine-point difference between them and less than two minutes left.

However, a hat-trick score from Riley and a quick-fire conversion from Hallett set up a breathless finish.

In the end, a pass from Hallett hit replacement Dean Brooker in the chest deep in stoppage time and the knock on allowed the Blues to finish the game as victors. However, results elsewhere meant neither side advanced.

DANCERS struck a power pose in Cornwall when they used moves to highlight the impact of domestic abuse on children.

The Big Dance Company brought their moves to the city centre yesterday (Thursday) as part of series of flash mob dance routines around the region over the next few days.

The troupe, run by Fiona Richardson who was herself a victim of domestic abuse, is supporting the Devon and Cornwall Police Shatters Lives campaign.

"We are really proud and honoured to be involved in this campaign," said Mrs Richardson who added that the group took to the streets to reach more victims of violence.

"If we manage to help out just one person affected by domestic abuse then it's worth going out on the road for."

The dance group's artistic director was just 17 when she took her small child and fled an abusive relationship.

She was supported by Refuge for women and children, calling the charity a 'life saver'.

"I saw posters about domestic violence around when I was going through this but was too frightened to tell anyone," she said.

"I was brainwashed into thinking that something would happen to me if I did.

"So with this flash mob we want to try and reach as many people as we can. I want to tell them that I never dreamed at the time that I could go on to have a fantastic life."

The series of flash mobs taking place across the county as part of Devon and Cornwall's domestic abuse awareness campaign.

Shatters Lives aims to show the trauma some children go through when living at home with domestic abuse.

The campaign coincides with the Christmas and New Year period, which is a time when domestic violence incidents are higher, the scheme hopes to offer more support to victims and children.

The Force are keen for members of the public to join in with the spontaneous hip hop routines, take photos and video and share the Shatters Lives message through social media.

Flash mobs will also be taking place in St Austell on Saturday and Plymouth, Exeter and Torquay on Sunday.

One in four women and one in six men experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives. An estimated 750,000 children in the UK also witness domestic abuse in their own home with research suggesting this can lead them to become victims or perpetrators in later life.

"These crimes have a profound and often tragic affect not only on the victims but also on their families including their children," said Detective Superintendent Paul Northcott from the Devon and Cornwall Police Public Protection Unit.

"We always aim to protect the community's most vulnerable people, striving to help families and safeguard children where there is domestic violence."

For information and advice call the Domestic Abuse 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

A £5 BILLION deal will be announced today by the Government to tackle poor mobile phone signals in rural areas including much of Cornwall.

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid will reveal an agreement with phone companies EE, O2, Three and Vodafone.

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister spoke of his trouble with getting a mobile phone signal in Cornwall when on his annual holiday.

Asked if his signal had ever disappeared on a call to President Barack Obama, Mr Cameron said: "As I go down a hill into Polzeath, I know exactly which bit of the road I lose my signal. So it is a problem. I know where to go to get a signal, but it can be very frustrating."

The deal will also guarantee voice and text coverage across 90 per cent of the UK by 2017, halving the areas currently blighted by partial 'not-spots'.

Plans to tackle 'not spots' are already moving forward in several areas and the downside is that it will mean more phone masts.

Cornwall Council has already been approached for pre-planning advice for 100-foot high lattice towers at points across Cornwall to eliminate the 'not spots'. One example includes just outside Ruan Minor on the Lizard.

It is expected that full coverage from all four operators will increase from 69 per cent to 85 per cent of the country by 2017. The deal will be legally binding and enforceable by Ofcom.

Youngsters at Victoria's Dance School in Falmouth had a special treat when professional dancer Kieran Ashley Brown paid a visit.

He has danced with artists including Jessie J and The Saturdays as well as in West End Shows.

Eleven students from the school took part dancing commercial jazz and learning how to dance like their favourite pop stars.

Victoria Keast, who runs the school, said: "They were completely engrossed thanks to Kieran's fantastic energy, you could have heard a pin drop.

"After completing the masterclass, the children performed for their parents. The children had an amazing time."

THE year has ended on a high note for Cornish duo Gareth Lee and Annie Baylis.

Folk Radio UK has made their A Little Light EP one of their albums of the month, which then led to the pair recording a filmed session for veteran music broadcaster Bob Harris's Whispering Bob TV.

Gareth said: "We recorded three songs for the session in his home studio at his house in Oxfordshire.

"It was all very surreal being in Bob's house, having a coffee in the kitchen with his son Miles, who produced the sessions.

"The CD collection in the studio was incredible. Racks and racks of CDs. I was in heaven – my favourite thing in the world is to go through people's CD collections but it would have taken me a year to get through this lot.

"Then we got to business and recorded the three songs. Two from the EP and one Christmas cover."

The songs from the EP were A Little Light and the beautiful Everchanging, which you can see here

Curated by Bob Harris himself, the Under The Apple Tree sessions are intimate performances recorded live in the studio of Whispering Bob, which just happens to be situated under an apple tree.

If that wasn't enough, Gareth and Annie have won Revel Records' Emerging Artists competition too.

To mark ten years of the label, owner Tom Rose – manager of Lau (2013 Radio 2 Folk Band of The Year) – offered ten days of his time to support emerging artists in 2015 and the Falmouth-based duo were one of the selected acts.

Gareth added: "We are going to take some downtime in Jan and write the next EP and then get back to non stop gigging."

For more details see www.garethandanniemusic.co.uk

A five-storey tall, 75 bedroom Premier Inn hotel could be built in Truro city centre.

An outline planning application has been submitted to Cornwall Council for a site on Malpas Road in between the West Briton offices at High water House and BBC Radio Cornwall's offices.

According to a covering letter submitted alongside the plans, the new hotel would be five storeys tall, with the upper four floors containing the reception area, restaurant and bedrooms.

The ground floor level would provide parking for 33 cars.

The site is currently occupied by the Old Bakery Studios, providing offices, retail space and studios for a number of businesses and artists.

The planning application was submitted on behalf of Premier Inn owners Whitbread PLC last week.

A TRUCK driver has escaped without injury after veering across the A30 at Zelah and plunging into the bank on the other side of the carriageway.

Emergency services were scrambled to the single-vehicle crash at approximately 12.30pm today.

The driver of the Nissan NT 400 cabstar, registered to Scotland, is uninjured.

An-off duty paramedic came to the driver's aid. 

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: "It is a one vehicle crash. The vehicle was travelling along the eastbound carriageway and has somehow ended up on the bank balancing in a fairly precarious position on the westbound carriageway."

Traffic is beginning to build up on both stretches of the carriageway.

FOOTBALL

Friday:

CARLSBERG SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE

Premier Division (7.30pm): St Austell v Plymouth Parkway.

Saturday:

EVO-STIK LEAGUE SOUTHERN, Premier Division (3pm): Truro City v Histon.

CARLSBERG SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE

Premier Division (3pm): Bovey Tracey v Bodmin Tn; Cullompton Rgs v Callington Tn; Exmouth Tn v Elburton Villa; Newquay v Ivybridge Tn; Stoke Gabriel v Saltash Utd (2.15); Torpoint Ath v St Blazey; Witheridge v Godolphin Atlantic.

Division One West (2.15pm): Dobwalls v Penzance; Mousehole v Helston Ath; Penryn Ath v St Dennis; Perranporth v Holsworthy; Sticker v Illogan RBL; Vospers Oak Villa v Porthleven; Wadebridge Tn v Liskeard Ath (3pm).

CORNISH GUARDIAN EAST CORNWALL PREMIER LEAGUE

Premier Division (2.30pm): Elburton Villa v Bere Alston Utd; Fowey Utd v St Dominick; Morwenstow v Tavistock; Plymstock Utd v Edgcumbe; Polperro v Torpoint Ath; Saltash Utd v Launceston; St Teath v Liskeard Ath.

cornishguardian.co.uk Division One (2.30pm): Bude Tn v Wadebridge Tn; Camelford v Lanreath; Holsworthy v Roche; Mevagissey v Pensilva; Millbrook v St Austell; Probus v Nanpean Rov; St Blazey v St Stephens Borough.

JOLLY'S CORNWALL COMBINATION (2.30pm): Falmouth Tn v Mullion; Hayle v Penryn Ath; Helston Ath v Newquay; Illogan RBL v Porthleven; Ludgvan v Perranwell; St Agnes v Goonhavern; St Day v Redruth Utd; St Ives Tn v St Just; Troon v Wendron Utd.

JJ JONES BUILDERS DUCHY LEAGUE (2.30pm):

Premier Division: Lamerton v St Newlyn East; Looe Tn v Lostwithiel; Saltash Utd v St Dominick; St Columb Major v North Petherwin; St Stephen v Pelynt.

Division One: Biscovey v St Mawgan; Godolphin Atlantic v AFC Bodmin; Grampound v Altarnun; St Cleer v Edgcumbe.

Division Two: Callington Tn v Sticker; Gerrans & St Mawes Utd v St Neot; Lifton v Holywell/Cubert Ath; North Hill v St Dennis; Packhorse Ath v Stoke Climsland.

Division Three: Boscastle v St Breward; North Petherwin v Gorran; Queens Rangers v St Cleer; Tregony v St Stephen; Veryan v Tintagel.

Division Four: Godolphin Atlantic v Tregrehan Mills; Pelynt v Delabole Utd; Southgate Seniors v St Merryn; St Minver v High Street; Standard Inn v Mevagissey.

Division Five: Kilkhampton v St Teath; Padstow Utd v Week St Mary; St Dennis v Boscastle; St Mawgan v Roche; St Newlyn East v Saltash Utd.

WHIRLWIND SPORTS TRELAWNY LEAGUE (2.30pm):

Premier Division: Carharrack v Threemilestone; Chacewater v Holman SC; Gulval v Mousehole; St Buryan v Gwinear Churchtown; St Day v West Cornwall; St Keverne v Constantine.

Division One: Halsetown v St Ives Tn; Lizard Argyle v Hayle; Newlyn Non-Ath v St Agnes; Trevenson Utd v Praze-an-Beeble; Wendron Utd v Perranporth.

Division Two: Frogpool/Cusgarne St Buryan; Illogan RBL v Pendeen Rov; Marazion Blues v Goonhavern Ath; Mullion v Redruth Utd; Penryn Ath v Trispen; St Just v Sennen.

Division Three: Camborne Park v St Day; Cury v St Agnes; Holman SC v Lanner; Mawnan v Marazion Blues; Wendron Utd v Newquay.

Division Four: Falmouth Tn v Gulval; Gwinear Churchtown v Madron; Mousehole v Mabe; St Ives Mariners v Carharrack.

Division Five: Camborne Ath v Camborne Tn; Falmouth Ath DC v Mabe; Madron v Newlyn Lions; Newquay v Probus; Railway Locomotiv v Storm; St Erme v Newbridge Ath; Stithians v Wendron Utd.

RUGBY

Saturday:

National League Two South: Cornish All Blacks v Redruth (2.30pm).

Tribute South West One (West): Camborne v Cleve (2.30pm); St Austell v North Petherton.

Tribute Western Counties (West): St Ives v Penryn; Truro v Okehampton; Wadebridge Camels v Kingsbridge.

Tribute Cornwall & Devon League: Bodmin v Bude; Liskeard-Looe v Withycombe; Paignton v Hayle; Pirates Amateurs v Falmouth; Saltash v Exeter Saracens.

* Tweet your scores: Every Saturday we are running a latest scores service on our website and on twitter and you can join in by tweeting your team's latest scores and put #cornwallscores at the end of your tweets.

* Follow us on Twitter: @SportCornwall

* Read more: For match reports, pictures and reaction from the top weekend action, pick up a copy of next week's Cornishman, Cornish Guardian and West Briton.

The latest stage in the proposed development of Truro City's Treyew Road Ground has been announced, with the news that developers Helical Retail are to submit plans on Friday to Cornwall Council for a proposed new "Truro City Shopping Park" on the ground, which they say will will create 180 full time jobs, with £22.5 million per annum added to the economy

 And, if approved,  it will see the  Southern League premier division club move to a new ground, with  part of the  proceeds from the scheme .

The plans Include 90,000 sq ft of retail, food and leisure facilities and will also feature 75,000 sq ft of ground floor, non-food retail space

Helical Retail say they have already had interest from furniture, electrical, home store, kitchen and fashion retailers who are keenly looking for space in the area.

There will be 5,000 sq ft of cafés and restaurants and an 11,000 sq ft gym or other, similar leisure facility. The scheme will provide 305 car parking spaces.

 Philip King, development manager for Helical Retail, said: "We are delighted with the outcome of the consultation process and feel we have made considerable improvements to our proposals. We are in discussions with a number of retailers, all of whom are keen to come to Truro but cannot find suitable accommodation elsewhere in the town."

Truro City chairman Pete Masters said: "This is a massive step in the resolution of the club's future, when ultimately we will be able to have our own full time Truro City youth academy and enjoy playing football on our own ground to Conference standard. 

"This is the goal we are striving to achieve and, with their impressive track record nationally, we have every confidence in Helical's ability to deliver this strategy."

It is anticipated that the Truro City Shopping Park planning application will go before the Planning Committee in March 2015.

A RETIRED caretaker is hoping to raise a record-breaking amount of money for the RNLI through his Christmas lights display – which includes pieces from the Blackpool Illuminations.

More than 50 people, including RNLI mascot Stormy Stan, turned out to watch Mick French turn on his impressive Christmas lights display in Carharrack.

The 68-year-old granddad, who has been decorating his home for almost two decades, has collected dozens of lights and this year added new reindeer and a train to his display.

Several years ago he successfully bid for five pieces from the Blackpool display – including a 4ft robin and a rocking horse – on the auction website EBay.

He has also sourced a nativity scene from New York.

Mr French said: "I have always supported the RNLI.

"I was born in St Ives so I was brought up around lifeboats and the RNLI, so it is a cause close to my heart. I always wanted to put lights up, but we couldn't in our house in Falmouth at the time. Eighteen years ago we moved to St Ives and I saw my uncle's display and thought, 'I can do better than that', and I did.

"I started out with a small display and it has just got bigger and bigger each year.

"It has been said to me that there are more lights on my house than in the rest of the village, but I don't know exactly how many bulbs there are, but there must be thousands."

Each display takes several weeks to organise and people travel from across the mining villages to take in the lights.

"We get a lot of lovely comments and we always like to hear the 'ooohs and ahhhhs'. One of our neighbours brings her children up to look at the lights most evenings and our grandchildren, who are aged 10 and nine, love it.

"It does brighten people's lives up a bit, as well as mine – I just love doing it."

Mr French's lights will be switched on between 5pm and 10pm every evening until January 5 and all donations will be given to the RNLI.