With December just around the corner, the festive season has already begun to take over high streets, shopping centres and restaurants. In Orpington, the annual Light Up Orpington event has families gathering on the high street to watch the Christmas lights being turned on every year, and this year was no exception.
The lights were turned on at the start of the evening at 4pm, on all of the lamp posts on the high street and on the Orpington War Memorial, and part of Orpington High Street was closed off for the evening as people celebrated the start of the Christmas season. Light Up Orpington saw a massive turnout, with the high street completely packed with people eagerly anticipating the firework display later on in the evening at 7:30. The wait was filled up by entertainment in the form of live music, as well as interactive activities on the high street itself. The combination of traditional fairground rides, such as a helter-skelter and a Ferris wheel, the numerous food and drink stalls, and the craft stalls selling everything from baby clothes to wood carvings came together to form a miniature of London’s Winter Wonderland. This was only made more spectacular by the extravagant firework display, which gave those who were sitting on the Ferris wheel at the time a breath-taking view.
On the whole, the event was greatly enjoyed by those who attended, and whole families and groups of friends walked away at the end of the event having had a wonderful evening. Merry Christmas!
by Sanga Arivanantham
