Blackpool family's fantastic Condor Grove Christmas light display to return for 2021

[Rob Thompson]

Blackpool family's fantastic Condor Grove Christmas light display to return for 2021

Source - LancsLive

By - Rebecca Lockwood

Dare -  17-09-2021

A Blackpool family has announced the switch on date for its famous Christmas light display in aid of poorly children.

The spectacular Christmas light display is set on the Condor Grove house with a large percentage of the lights being donated and then fixed up by the creator, Ashley Forward.

The family has collected the light display over the last eight years.

Ashley told LancsLive: "We've been given donations from kind people, even if they don't work, I'm quite good at changing the light and making them work again."

Out of all of the lights, Ashley said his favourite is an old 'Merry Christmas' light that he said the family have kept for around 11 years that is still 'going strong'.
A key feature of the display is a Santa Claus that sits on a swing. Ashley made it himself which he said took "ages". This year, visitors can enjoy a great photo opportunity on the self-made sleigh which visitors can sit in at the switch on.

Every year, Ashley and the family raise money for Brian House Children's Hospice. Last year they donated £603.05 to the charity from the light switch on.

Ashley said: "I always raise money for them because a family member we knew, she was young and she had cancer, she only found out this year that she was clear after fighting for her life with it"

With the fantastic family news, Ashley believes this year's light switch on will be better than ever.

He said: "I'm hoping to get more people coming down, we didn't have much people last year due to the Coronavirus, but it's the more the merrier for us."

Ashley said he loved seeing "children's faces light up when they see them (the lights) being switched on" and told LancsLive that the fundraiser will be passed on to keep up the family tradition, Ashley said "I'm never going to give it up"

"I've had people say last year that they had been miserable in the pandemic, but after seeing the lights they've gone out and above to put up their own decorations which they weren't going to do. "

The light switch on takes place from 6pm until 9pm on November 15. The lights will remain switched on from 4pm until 10pm each night, for seven days a week until January 7 2022 where they are switched off until next November.

The switch on event will host free tea, coffee and juice for everyone in attendance as well as £2 hotdogs.

All money raised at the switch on will be donated to Brian House Children's Hospice, Blackpool.

Ashley will continue to host livestreams on their Facebook page and YouTube channel twice a week "so the people who can't get down to see the lights can see them on their phones"

 

 

[Rob Thompson]

I really love this sort of stuff.

There is a really small village a few miles down the Dale from me and every home owner set up illuminations, including the Church and the bus shelter.

I'll get some pictures this year   

[Santa Timothy SC]

Yep me too!

Our house is always the favorite of our neighborhood, so they say, but we have had  several homes turned over in the past two years so we shall see!

 

[Rob Thompson]

1 minute ago, Santa Timothy SC said:

Yep me too!

Our house is always the favorite of our neighborhood, so they say, but we have had  several homes turned over in the past two years so we shall see!

 

You'll have to share some pictures Timothy  

[Santa Timothy SC]

1 minute ago, Rob Thompson said:

You'll have to share some pictures Timothy  

Sure will 

I might start my Halloween display this weekend we'll see