BIGGER and better than ever was the verdict when a village turned on its Christmas lights last Thursday.

The Wheathampstead Christmas Lights Up event was supported by new and established retailers in the village, offering everything from complimentary mulled wine and mince pies to beauty treatments and children’s balloons.

Despite the time of year, The Bull ran a barbecue on the Jessamine Garage forecourt rivalling queues for the busy candyfloss stall opposite.

Additional fairground attractions were added this year and many village organisations provided entertainment. Wheathampstead Churches Together and MacIntyre Care Homes sang carols and Wheathampstead Top Hat Stage School treated the large crowds to various medleys and featured 12-year-old Shaniah Williams, winner of this year’s Hertfordshire’s Got Talent.

Father Christmas arrived in spectacular style in his sleigh thanks to Harpenden Village Rotary Club which collected money for charity.

The Lights Up event is co-ordinated by Norman Whitwood, ex-chairman of Wheathampstead for Enterprising Business (WEB). He said, “This fantastic event keeps getting bigger. It is all thanks to a magnificent combined community effort from WEB, the traders association which mobilised the businesses, the Harpenden Village Rotary Club, and Wheathampstead parish council who organised and paid for the road closure.

District councillor Annie Brewster added, “The remarkable thing was the increased involvement by village shops, businesses and residents who all thoroughly enjoyed celebrating our Christmas Lights Up in a rarely-pedestrianised Wheathampstead.”