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Bristol in Pictures: Just a few more lights...

Simon Boddy/Ambitious PR A house is covered in illuminated Christmas lights, many of them blue and purple. In the foreground is a bright sparkling reindeer made of lights and wire and all of the windows in the house have Christmas symbols in them. It is the Winterbourne Wonderland display near BristolSimon Boddy/Ambitious PR
The Winterbourne Wonderland raises money for the Grand Appeal every year

Braving jokes about their electricity bills, the households in Bristol which have become must-visit destinations for fans of Christmas have flicked the on switch with spectacular results, as ever.

The term "superstar" may be overused but a genuine global phenomenon signed for the Bristol Bears Women this week.

Elsewhere, the teams behind festivals from across the UK gathered in Bristol for their annual awards and there was an important day for the future of the youth of the city.

Bristol Bears/Rogan Thomson USA rugby player Ilona Maher stands on the pitch at Ashton Gate, smiling at the camera as she holds her Bristol Bears club crest on her shirt. In the background the stadium's main stand can be seen. The picture is taken on a clear dayBristol Bears/Rogan Thomson

Star quality: Bristol Bears made headlines around the world this week when the club signed USA superstar Ilona Maher who has more than eight million followers across her social media platforms. She will play for the women's rugby club from January.

Simon Boddy/Ambitious PR A house covered in illuminated Christmas decorations, including multiple reindeer, snowmen, Father Christmases and strings of multicoloured lights. It is the Brailsford House in Bristol which raises money for the Grand AppealSimon Boddy/Ambitious PR

Dazzling: The Brailsford Christmas lights in Brentry draw huge numbers of visitors every year, raising money for the Bristol Children's Hospital Grand Appeal charity in the process. First started in 1994, the display has grown over years and so far the Brailsfords have raised more than £110,000 for the charity.

Simon Boddy/Ambitious PR A house is covered in illuminated Christmas lights at Winterbourne near Bristol, many of them blue and purple. There are lit-up letters on the roof that spell out Ho Ho Ho.Simon Boddy/Ambitious PR

Sparkling: The Winterbourne Wonderland, with more than 100,000 lights, raises money for the same cause, as do other illuminations in the city.

CHSW A man dressed as Father Christmas stares down at a toddler at Children's Hospice South West in Wraxall. The child, who is being supported by their father, is also wearing a Christmas-style red and white and black outfit.CHSW

A special moment: Children and their families at Charlton Farm in Wraxall got to meet Father Christmas this week, the big man arriving by air thanks to a helicopter crew from RNAS Yeovilton. The Children's Hospice South West hospice looks after little ones with life-limiting illnesses.

First West of England A large group of people, most of them wearing Christmas jumpers, stand on the Blackthorn End terrace at the Memorial Stadium in Bristol. They are smiling and waving at the camera. They are part of Operation Community Hamper which distributes Christmas gifts to families in the Bristol area.First West of England

Tis the season: Volunteers from Operation Community Hamper are currently on an eight-day tour of the West, handing out some 1,000 hampers from an open-top bus. The project, launched in Bristol in 2020, is aimed at families - even some in work - who are struggling financially. The vehicle was donated by First West of England.

Pippa Cope A white and grey greyhound stands on the grass of the Northern Slopes in Bristol, with the Knowle West housing estate visible in the background. Above the dog the sunrise has created light and dark orange shades in the cloudsPippa Cope

Southside (good) boy: Rocky the rescue greyhound pauses during a walk on the Northern Slopes on the edge of Knowle West. Sunrise and dusk are often busy times for dog walkers in the city's parks and green spaces.

Getty Images Ross Byrne of Leinster practice his kicking as the players from his team train on the pitch at Ashton Gate ahead of their game with Bristol. The stadium lights are on but the stands are empty behind him as he sends the ball through the air in the direction of the camera. He is wearing a training kit that is a mixture of light and dark blue, including a blue bobble hatGetty Images

Eve of the big game: Ross Byrne of Leinster goes through his kicking routine as the players from the Irish side got a taste of Ashton Gate ahead of the clash with Bristol Bears in the Investec Champions Cup on Sunday.

Plaster Communications Two women are seen from behind walking towards Park Street in Bristol at night. They are both wearing black dresses and one, who is also pushing a bicycle, has her arm around the other. In the distance the Wills Memorial Building can be seen, lit up in purple light. Cars can also be seen on Park Street, driving in both directions with their headlights onPlaster Communications

Safe from harm: A new 'safe space' is being trialled in Bristol this weekend to reduce violence against women and girls. The Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID), in collaboration with Avon & Somerset Police, will have a mobile unit in the city centre where people can seek help, wait for friends or family or charge their phones.

A large group of people, many of them teenage children, stand together wearing white hard hats and high-vis jackets at the site of the new youth centre for Knowle West in Bristol. Three of the children at the front are holding spades and England and Bristol rugby player Ellis Genge is visible in the group

For the future: Construction has begun on a new £11m youth centre which, when finished, will support abut 4,000 young people. Being built on the edge of Knowle West, it will be called the 224 Youth Zone and should be open by the spring of 2026.

Colin Moody Dozens of people are seen seated at tables at the UK Festival Awards, held in Bristol.Colin Moody

Creatives assemble: The UK Festival Awards were held at Document in Bristol on Tuesday, bringing together teams from across the country who put together major events. Bristol had its moment in the spotlight with Boomtown, based in the city, winning an award along with Bristol Pride.

Kevin Sinfield and his support team run down a road in Filton, Bristol, as part of his 7 in 7 charity challenge from Gloucester to Bristol. The runners are wearing blue tops and behind them is a car and then a bus

Running through Filton: Kevin Sinfield brought his 7 in 7 challenge to the West on Monday, running from Kingsholm in Gloucester to Ashton Gate, via the Memorial Stadium. His epic effort - 230 miles in seven days - is raising money to combat Motor Neurone Disease.

Ashton Vale Together A group of volunteers from Ashton Vale in Bristol stand facing the camera for a group shot. They are a mixture of men and women and are smiling at the camera, with two of them holding up paperwork associated with an award.Ashton Vale Together

Community effort: Alan Pratley, who set up Ashton Vale Together in 2013, was presented with a Lord Mayor's Medal this year and accepted it on behalf of the group, which carries out litter pics, creates pocket parks and runs social events. On Friday he was able to bring the medal back to celebrate with his fellow volunteers.

University of Bristol Dr Edson Burton stands facing the camera outside a University of Bristol building. He is wearing a grey woollen-style jacket with a blue jumper, a brightly-coloured yellow shirt and a grey cloth cap.University of Bristol

A chance to learn: University of Bristol academic Dr Edson Burton is leading a new course, beginning in January, called Black History Revisited, which will be held at the university and the St Paul's Learning Centre.

"Most of what I learnt about Black history came through informally, through TV shows like Roots and Black musical culture like reggae and dub poetry. It wasn't until my PhD that I realised how little I really knew," said Dr Burton, a writer, historian and poet.

Plaster Communications A group of people stand facing the camera at the Bristol Beacon during the launch of the Impact Alliance, a campaign against loneliness. Five of them are women and two are men and they are all smartly dressedPlaster Communications

Issue of our time: Broadcasting legend Jonathan Dimbleby was the guest of honour as a new campaign to tackle loneliness was launched at the Bristol Beacon this week. The Impact Alliance is bringing together several organisations to 'make loneliness a stranger' in the city and also in North Somerset, Bath and South Gloucestershire. With £500,000 annual funding already pledged by the St Monica Trust, organisers hope to raise £1.5m a year to reduce social isolation.

Plaster Communications A huge dinosaur painted by Bristol street artist Andy Council is seen on the side of a wall in the Cabot Circus shopping centre. As is typical of his style, the dinosaur is made up of different elements of the city including colourful houses and the city hallPlaster Communications

Making his mark: Bristol artist Andy Council has celebrated 20 years of his iconic Bristol Dinosaur by unveiling the latest version at Cabot Circus. The 60 sqm design is, as ever, made up of buildings and sights in the city and was made with the support of Cabot Circus and Upfest.

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