Christmas-lovers in Northampton have been putting up their trees weeks earlier than usual to bring some much-needed festive spirit to a second national lockdown.
Northampton town centre's main shopping streets are now aglow with sparkly white lights, freshly cut huge Christmas trees and illuminations wishing passers-by in St Giles' Street and Abington Street a Merry Christmas.
This year there are four 40ft Christmas trees to look out for, all fixed with six tonne concrete bases. Ten lorry drivers and workers work through the night while they shut the roads to put them up.
One of the trees adorn the Guildhall, another stands tall outside Ask restaurant, while the other two return to All Saints Church and the Market Square. Smaller trees line the neighbouring streets, lighting up the way above head.
Usually, each year, Northamptonians would turn out in their droves to watch the Christmas lights switch on at the Market Square on the last weekend in November.
This year the celebrations have been scaled back because of coronavirus and the lights were switched on by Northampton Borough Council on Saturday, without any spectators.
In previous years, it's typically been the panto stars at the Royal & Derngate and sports stars who are given the opportunity to make the town appear magical at the touch of a button.
Those stars, in recent years, have included famous faces like Darren Day and Northampton's very own sporting gem, paralympian Ellie Robinson who had the lighting up honour we all will miss being a part of this year.
Councillor Anna King said the preparations for the displays start in January. She said: Over the past two years now we have gone for more neutral lighting so we can add colour if we want a theme and our Christmas trees are put into place the weekend after Remembrance Sunday, as a mark of respect."
The 40 ft trees take three to four hours, typically, to put up and they each have 6,000 lights on - which take two people a whole day, on a cherry picker, to decorate.
