The Christmas lights around Melksham Town Centre will be switched on for the festive season this Saturday.

The town’s lights are all designed, installed and maintained by a group of 10 volunteers, who work tirelessly in all weathers to get the town looking its festive best.

Saturday’s celebration will start at 2pm in the Assembly Hall, with a Christmas grotto set up inside, and a range of stalls out in the Market Place.

Hundreds turned out in torrential rain last year to watch the group’s long-serving accounts manager Jean Harris turn them on, and the organisers already know who they want to have the honour this year.

Paul Weymouth, leader of the Christmas Lights group, said: “Jean has done so much over the years, it was great to see her do it.

“We have got a really strong belief that it’s a bit naff to get a fairly low-key celebrity to switch them on. We’d much rather spend the money on the lights, and get someone who we feel was worthy to do it.

“We’ve got a good one lined up for this year, which should go quite well, but as they don’t know yet I can’t say who we want.”

The lights are entirely funded by donations from the public, with donation points set up in the Town’s Tourist Information Office, Kingstons Estate Agents, The Cobblers (corr) Bench and the Town Hall.

As well as the main lights in the High Street the residents of Longford Road also like to put on a show, and this year will again see several of the houses on the street illuminated with festive decorations, to raise funds for local good causes.

For further information visit www.melkshamchristmaslights.com