Littleborough Lights Up the Night Despite the Rain

Photo:  Littleborough Events and Associations Forum

Littleborough’s Christmas Lights Switch-On went ahead in true community spirit on Saturday 29th November, as volunteers, families and festive visitors braved relentless rain to celebrate the start of the Christmas season.

What should have been a bustling evening of entertainment faced major last-minute challenges when the fairground and several planned stalls were forced to withdraw due to the severe weather. But while the rain never eased, neither did the determination of Littleborough’s volunteer team.

Zoe Attwood, Chair of the Littleborough Events and Associations Forum (LEAF), praised the dedication of those who made the event possible, describing the conditions as “challenging” but the volunteers as nothing short of resilient.

“Our volunteers didn’t bail – they showed true resilience and demonstrated why we are the best local events volunteer team around,” she said. “I can’t thank them enough for giving up their time so freely to make these events work.”

Music played a vital role in keeping spirits high throughout the evening. Wardle Junior Blast opened the celebrations with a lively performance, Ben Metcalfe followed with a mix of Christmas classics and contemporary pop, and Littleborough Brass Band rounded off the musical line-up with traditional festive melodies that carried across the square.

The honour of switching on Littleborough’s Christmas lights was given to three local schoolchildren recognised for their exceptional achievements.

• Oliver Ashworth-Walsh, winner of R17’s Literature Award for his moving story about family and memories.
• Dylan Harwood, part of the team who won R17’s Engineering Award for creating an inventive wild animal feeder designed for local parks.
• Ava Dawson, winner of the Littleborough Lions Peace Poster competition.

Their achievements and their big moment on stage were proudly celebrated by families, teachers and the Mayor of Rochdale, Janet Emsley.

Santa and his elves made a dramatic entrance thanks to Fireground Rochdale who provided a vintage fire engine for the occasion. Zoe jokingly described the volunteers as “stunt elves” as they clung to the side of the vehicle in the driving rain.

Local support also ensured the event could still shine. Nomis Installation Ltd and R17 Investments generously sponsored the switch-on, while Littleborough Co-op supplied sweet treats handed out by the elves to delighted children.

Though scaled back by the weather, the event once again showcased Littleborough’s unwavering community spirit. With music, smiles, umbrellas and festive determination, residents turned out to welcome the Christmas season proving that even relentless rain can’t dampen Littleborough’s Christmas cheer.

Photo: Caty Culshaw