Christmas countdown starts here
The shopping countdown to Christmas starts tonight when Cabot Circus and Broadmead will be lit up with 127,000 lights.
Master of ceremonies will be circus ringleader Giovanni Caboto, who will switch on the lights at a ceremony under Cabot Circus's glass roof at 6pm.
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The event will include glowing angel stilt walkers and a gospel choir.
A procession of children from Christchurch Primary School, all bearing lanterns, will lead the way through Broadmead to Cabot Circus and there will be entertainment throughout Broadmead, Quakers Friars and Cabot Circus.
Fireworks will light up the sky as the lights are switched on.
The Bristol Alliance has paid for the Christmas lights.
Centre director Richard Belt said: "The Christmas lights will provide a spectacular display for the people of Bristol and the switch-on event is set to be dazzling – a real 'celebration of light' involving many members of the local community, including 100 children and teachers from Christchurch Primary School and a breathtaking gospel choir based in St Paul's.
"We are particularly excited about the return of Giovanni Caboto, who will take centre stage once again as master of ceremonies as the celebrations come to a crescendo under the glass roof.
"Cabot Circus has performed beyond our expectations and the retailers have been delighted with the response from shoppers.
"On average, we are attracting half-a-million visitors a week, which is a tremendous achievement given the current climate.
"Our retailers continue to report strong sales and are looking forward to a successful first Christmas at Cabot Circus."
On Saturday a special recruitment event was held in the shopping centre. Hundreds of jobs are expected to be advertised at Cabot Circus during the next few months.
Michelle Poulter, Bristol Alliance liaison manager, said: "As well as temporary jobs, there are also lots of permanent positions currently being advertised, and we expect this to continue into 2009."
A second recruitment day will be held in Bristol on Saturday, December 6.
98 Comments
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by AL, St Phillips
Tuesday, November 11 2008, 9:38AM
“One last comment to Steven; try and be a little more accepting of others beliefs, if you are not able to accept the Christians of this country how will you ever accept other religions?
I get the feeling that half of our problems stem from narrow minded attitudes like your own. Different faiths are not necessarily right or wrong, just different! You imply that it is a bad thing to have faith!!
Glad the lights look good by the way!!”
by AL, St Phillips
Tuesday, November 11 2008, 9:23AM
“Steven,
Whoa!! what's with all the agro? All I have ever said is that I hope we can continue to call the lights 'Christmas', as at the moment PC seems to have gone mad.
Also, as I said, whether you believe or not, we are a Christian country, and I find it a little sad that we are tippy toeing around try not to upset other religions, when maybe our own feelings are being put on the back-burner! Doesn't mean I don't appreciate or respect their beliefs, it just feels sometimes that their feelings are more important than ours.
God bless you Steven!”
by Stan Fermunder, Central Bristol
Tuesday, November 11 2008, 8:30AM
“Imagine if all the lights were green in colour. From space, it would look like someone had sneezed over Bristol!!!
Paul, Planet Splog
Imagine if they were all red - Alex wouldn't know which one to ride his bike through first!!!”
by Shelly The original (and the best) one, Bristol
Monday, November 10 2008, 9:12PM
“GR. Never fear that post was really mine. Can't vouch for the lovely Knell though!”
by kaz, bristol
Monday, November 10 2008, 8:55PM
“I actually love going down to cabot circusand doing abit of window shopping,catching a movie in the directors hall and having a posh cake in valeries.i prefer it to the mall,and as i do not drive,the free carparking does not come into the picture.LONG LIVE CABOT CIRCUS AND THE BETTER SHOPS THAT RIDE WITH HER. ps,i'm gonna check the lights out tomorrow night in the cc when i buy my boyfriends birthday pressies for the weekend!”
by GingerRog, Bristol
Monday, November 10 2008, 7:48PM
“Here we go again ~ Knell followed by Shelly.
ADMIN ~ BEP ~ Please sort out the imposters.”
by Shelly, Bristol
Monday, November 10 2008, 6:11PM
“Bit harsh Steven.
I think you will find that mostof people have a faith of some sort even if they don't attend a religious gathering on a weekly basis. Yet more beleive in 'something' but are not sure what (i.e are agnostic).
You humanists and your ilk are still in the minority
oh and BTW I am not a church goer but evolution seems a little too random to me...!”
by Knell, Outer Wedlock
Monday, November 10 2008, 5:25PM
“Steven , North Bristol
Are you saying that angels do not exist?
Wrong! Listen to Robbie Williams.”
by JoJo, Bristol
Monday, November 10 2008, 5:22PM
“Hogwash Steven, I know what I read.”
by Steven, North Bristol
Monday, November 10 2008, 5:10PM
“Al, St Phillips and JoJo, Bristol. The stories you may have read in the papers are not true. Re-read them and contact those concerned directly and you'll find out the truth behind the scare stories.
Al, I do not celebrate christmas in the way relgionists would have everyone celebrate it (singing to and worshiping to an invisible friend) and I do not accept your assertion that we live in a christian society. The percentage of the population who attend religious services is dwindling and we are no more of a secular country than religious. Being moral and lawabiding is not the sole realm of religionists.
The religionists are being outnumbered by rational free-thinkers and their godwhacking shown for what it is - supernatural hokum and hogwash.”