York's hopes of a merry Christmas today won a triple boost.

The Lord Mayor, determined to light up the city centre with its best-ever display of illuminations, received a £1,500 donation from York rail freight wagon manufacturers Thrall Europa.

Traders in York's premier shopping street, Coney Street, confirmed that they intend mounting a sparkling Christmas lights display for the first time.

And Great North Eastern Railways and York Tourism Bureau revealed that they will promote York as a Christmas shopping destination to passengers at nine stations along the East Coast line, including Durham, Newcastle, Peterborough and Darlington.

The Thrall Europa cheque, handed over to the Lord Mayor, Councillor Derek Smallwood, by general manager James Macfadyen, takes the fund total to £12,500, following earlier donations of £1,000 from the Evening Press and £10,000 from BAA McArthurGlen, owners of the new Naburn Designer Outlet Village.

Coun Smallwood said he was "over the moon" about the latest donation, and revealed that more donations are probably in the pipeline. The money will help light up parts of the city not covered by individual street lighting schemes.

Mr Macfadyen said Thrall, now part of the York community, was happy to support the Lord Mayor's appeal. "We believe that lighting up the town at that time of year will make it more pleasant for residents, who now include our employees, and also more attractive for visitors."

Meanwhile, Coney Street retailers have drawn up plans for a £4,200 lighting scheme, hoping that the City of York Council will meet at least half the cost under a partnership funding agreement.

Co-ordinator Stephanie Brennan said it was planned to install 27 Christmas trees, lit up by white chaser lights, on brackets outside premises along the street.

The lights would be switched on on November 26, during the first late-night opening this Christmas.

Meanwhile, GNER said thousands of leaflets would be handed out by GNER and tourism bureau staff at stations in the late autumn, encouraging passengers to travel by train to York to do their Christmas shopping.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.