The spirit of Christmas past

This photo shows the town’s light switch-on event.

The two chosen to flip the switch for the lights were Lisa Clarke, aged 11, and David Boyes, seven. Both were pupils at the Grange Junior School.

They are pictured with the Mayor of Daventry Alf Goodridge, and chairman of Daventry District Council Cllr John Shephard.

The paper at the time reported that large crowds gathered in Bowen Square to witness the lights being switched on. That year’s display involved some 2,300 new light bulbs.

The lights were put up around the town centre, and on the Christmas tree in Bowen Square, by John Hall Electrics, at a cost of £12,500 to the taxpayer, helped along by donations from shopkeepers.