MORE than 100 people braved a chilly evening for a village Christmas lights switch-on - and Santa even turned up in a lorry. 

The little village of Burn near Selby celebrated the beginning of festivities on Saturday, November 25.

Minster FM’s Victoria Charles, assisted by the cuddly Minster Monster Mascot, kept the crowd entertained with seasonal music and games and lay-preacher Ann Wilson offered some more serious thoughts on the meaning of Christmas.

VIP ‘switcher-onner’ for 2017 was Paul Mudd, Divisional Commander of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the village collected more than £100 on the day for the ambulance service’s charitable fund.

The fund supports community first aid training and community defibrillators and will be Burn village’s nominated charity for the year.

Paul follows local postie Myles Boothman who did the honours in 2016 as part of the village’s commitment to honour local heroes. In true Burn tradition, Paul received an honorary title of “Chief Medical Officer for Burn” and the freedom of the village.

Santa arrived in style as his sleigh apparently broke down on the M62, so he hitched a lift, courtesy of Phil Barton, on Burn’s equivalent of the Coca Cola truck.

Earlier there was a chance to win a prize on the traditional tombola or the toy tombola, browse cards and crafts, stock up on bakery items or Christmas plants at the Christmas market and admire the entries in the Tree Festival in Burn Methodist Chapel.

Morrisons Selby attended with a taster stall and the ‘name and win the giant bunny’ game attracted kids young and old.

Parish Council chairman Chris Phillipson said: “Burn lights event marks the beginning of Christmas for so many people and it was a pleasure to see faces old and new this year. We’re only a little village, with under 400 residents, but we know how to put on a show!

“I’m delighted we’re supporting Yorkshire Ambulance Service this coming year and look forward to planning various events which will all help raise funds for YAS’s charitable fund.”