Tadley Christmas lights big switch on tonight

Fairytale occasion with pantomime prince and princess

THE COUNTDOWN has started for the big switch-on of Tadley's Christmas tree lights this evening (Fri).

A prince and princess will turn on the lights and make it a fairytale occasion.

Stars of The Anvil’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty, are set to light up the town, including Katrina Bryan, who takes the leading role of Princess Briar Rose.

Ms Bryan is a familiar face to children, as she takes the part of Nina, in Nina and the Neurons, on the children’s channel CBeebies.

Ben Harlow, who plays the prince, will make a return visit to Tadley, as he also helped turn on the lights in 2014, when he played Prince Charming in Cinderella at The Anvil, Basingstoke.

The occasion starts at 6pm, with a Christmas market in the Ambrose Allen Centre, next to Tadley Town Council offices in Franklin Avenue, where the big switch-on takes place.

Entertainment and refreshments will be available at the family event, which is organised by the town council.

Burnham Copse Primary School choir will sing carols at 6pm and at 6.30pm, Tadley Band and the Hurst singers will join them, followed by the countdown to the lights switch-on at 7pm.

For full coverage of this event pick up a copy of next Thursday's Newbury Weekly News