It’s been another busy year for the hardworking volunteers of Cockfield’s Christmas Lights committee, as Stuart Laundy discovered
PRETTY much everyone loves a party at this time of year and one of the best takes place in mid-December at Cockfield Primary School when the village’s older folk are invited along for a special tea.
It’s fair to say highlights of the afternoon are the performances by pupils of their Christmas shows.
This year, a young lad in a chicken costume stole the show as other members of the young cast implored: “You’ll wake the baby!”
The party is made possible thanks to the efforts of Cockfield’s Christmas Lights committee, who have been hard at work throughout the year raising funds not only for the village’s spectacular illuminations but also for a number of other events.
Christmas lights committee stalwart Christine Watters said the group had been buoyed this year by the recruitment of five new – and younger – members which had given added impetus.
This has meant the burden of organising fundraising activities has been shared around and it may also allow some of the longstanding members to take a back seat come the next annual meeting, she added.
This year, the committee has run a series of car boot sales at the village workingmen’s club; quiz nights at the Queen’s Head; and a midsummer strawberry fair at the Methodist church hall.
Anthony Carter, another veteran of the group, said the Christmas lights lottery was also going from strength to strength, with more than 350 people now taking part in the monthly draws.
Christine added: “We have had an excellent fundraising year and we have been really well supported by people in the village.”
The committee also received support from Teesdale Action Partnership who gave a grant for £12,000 towards the cost of a new junction box.
With plans for a second junction box, the committee hopes to add illuminations to two more greens in the village.
As well as arranging the lights and old folks’ party the annual Christmas fair attracted crowds of families as children queued to see Santa and events for the year concluded on Friday, December 15, with a bingo night, bottle raffle and December lottery draw.
Then after a short breather in the new year, the committee will reconvene and begin plotting events and activities for 2024.
