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Under-threat festive lights event goes ahead

We Love Peterborough A Father Christmas dressed in red suit with white beard standing next to Mrs Claus, also in red suit with hat and cap and white hair. They are both smiling and looking straight at the camera. They are in front of a fence with businesses behindWe Love Peterborough
Santa came to town (the city of course) with Mrs Claus

Hundreds of people braved the freezing cold to see the turning on of a city centre's Christmas lights - which had been in jeopardy due to lack of funding.

Cathedral Square in Peterborough was packed with visitors to see the festive switch-on on Friday night.

Peterborough City Council had said in September that the event needed £56,000 from sponsors and it might have to be called off due to a £22,000 shortfall.

The event was saved in October when the extra money was raised.

Chris Brudenell Photography/ESP Magazine A large crowd of people in Cathedral Square, Peterborough. You can see people wrapped up in coats and hats with shops, the Guildhall and St John's Church in the backgroundChris Brudenell Photography/ESP Magazine
Hundreds came to see the festive switch-on in Cathedral Square

People who attended the event said on the We Love Peterborough Facebook page that the switch-on was "fantastic, awesome, brilliant" and had "great turn-out".

However, some people said the Christmas tree was "hideous", was not well-dressed and needed more decorations.

We Love Peterborough Cheryl Fergison dressed as a fairy godmother, complete with crown, sparkly makeup and dress, standing outside a building in Peterborough, a man can be seen smiling in the background to the right. We Love Peterborough
Cheryl Fergison made an appearance with Cinderella and dancers from the pantomime she is due to star in

Cheryl Fergison, the former BBC EastEnders star, who is from the city, sang a song at the event.

She is due to play The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the city's Cresset theatre from 14 until 31 December.

She said on a social media post that although it was "freezing" the crowd was amazing.

"They just filled that Cathedral Square to the brim, it was incredible," she wrote.

"It was just brilliant, to be back in my hometown, and what a homecoming I had, it was great, thank you so, so much."

We Love Peterborough Crowds of people slightly blurred at a lights turn on, with a child's head, with a red bobble hat saying, Ho Ho Ho, and a Santa on looking at a stageWe Love Peterborough
Young and old had a Ho Ho Ho time!

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