Mosley Common gets ready to celebrate and host their Lights Switch On event.
Mosley Common Bloom is a community-based group that will be preparing and making today’s Lights Switch On event in the Borough of Wigan.
The event has its history of already six years and after last year’s Covid situation, the group had to cancel all events, this becoming one of their first ones after the pandemic.
Louise Cook, 56, and vice-chair of Mosley Common in Bloom will be one of the main organizers of the event, and when speaking about the event’s history she said: “The first Switch On was a huge event because Mosley Common had never had a tree, never had lights before, and each year we sort of tried to make it bigger and bigger.
This year it is not as big as it was before Covid — For obvious reasons — as for example we do not have as many rides, but it will still be a fantastic event.”
The event will follow Covid regulations, and with previous years having an average of 400 to 500 attendees, their mission will be to maintain everything safe and up with regulations.
The event upbringing came from the small community’s joy to have more Christmas decorations around. But with lights adorning the streets just before and after Mosley Common, they decided to light up the rather black patch the park represented.
She said: “We raised money, we got some help from the council, funded the tree, funded the lights, we wanted to make it a big event.”
This year, just like the past two, the event will be helped with the community’s effort to bring their own stalls, with even their own inflatable pub.
Louise stating that: “It’s just so everyone gets together, more now that they have been denied that for the last year.
“I think it’s a focal point for people to gather, for example, people from that end of the village to the other might not have met before and now they can get friendly, and in these events, everyone tends to talk to each other.”
Barry John Taylor, 65, local councillor to Mosley Common is participating in the Switch On, making sure that everything goes safely and giving his own speech at the event.
He said: “We are quite excited because obviously we had two years with Covid, and this would be one of the major events we managed to arrange.
Mosley Common in Bloom group, they are a fantastic group, they do amazing work in the community and as a councillor, I got to say… we got groups like these and they know what to do.”
Mr Taylor worked in the council for 12 years and is one of the representatives of Mosley Common, so his involvement in the event while not as heavy as that of organizers brings safety and security to the event.
“If there are any problems with the event we’ll hopefully get it on to the councillor at Wigan and try to sort out any problems that arise.”
Dorothy Greenhalgh, 77, is a local and has lived in Mosley Common for six years, being a volunteer for multiple local campaigns, and while she is not helping with the event she will be coming just for the enjoyment of the event.
When being asked what she looks forward to the most she said: “The pub and generally looking around the people that have the stalls and see anything there that catches my eye.”
The event will take place today from 2 pm till 7 pm, and with everything ready, this will be the highlight of Christmas for the Mosley Common community.
