The festive season came to Whitehill & Bordon last Friday (November 25) when town mayor Cllr Leeroy Scott switched on the Christmas lights at the top of Chalet Hill.

Also illuminated were the Christmas trees in the planters at either end of the town and the Christmas stag outside SiGNAL in Camp Road.

Cllr Scott said: “I’m so excited to welcome you all here tonight, either in person or watching online. Last year’s lights displays were a real success and so we wanted to mark the beginning of the Christmas period again, with our new town tradition of our Christmas lights switch-on.

“We realise that times are hard and people are struggling this year, and you could help to support one of my chosen two charities which are the Bordon Food Bank and Chloe’s and Sophie’s Special Ears Fund.

“If you would like to help these charities in some way and you have some spare money, The Bordon Food Bank is asking for Tesco vouchers in preference to food donations.

“Please give these to Sian Manning at the Whitehill & Bordon Community Trust – they would appreciate your donation, however small, as every little helps.”

The lights, provided by Whitehill Town Council, are unchanged from 2021. But council leader Cllr Andy Tree said: “We specifically did not go for extra this year, given the cost of energy and the cost-of-living crisis, and that we did a lot more for 2021 to carry into 2022. However the stag, which was out of action by the end of last year, is now fully lit!”