Switching on the Christmas Lights

The big event in Petworth this week was the switching on of the Christmas lights in the Market Square. There had been lots of rumours going around the town about who the celebrity was who was going to switch the lights on. It had at one point going to be local resident John Sargent - who had agreed to do it long before he became a household name and national treasure. Some people had said it was going to be Michel Pierre White, others thought that some elves had been approached from the Pantomime in Chichester. On the day itself Ricky Gervais was spotted in town and word went round that he was the mystery celebrity. (He has mentioned Petworth in his blog, see Week 40, but doesn't confirm this story.) In the event, nobody could have predicted the actual surprise in store for the people of Petworth, none other than Julie Stardust wife of the actual Alvin Stardust. To get Scrooge from the pantomime at the same time was yet another coup. Speculation on who will be next year's celebrity will probably start as soon as the lights come down again in January. See the lights being put up in Petworth here.