THE man in red turned out to turn on the Christmas lights in a North Yorkshire Yorkshire village this weekend.
The little village of Burn, near Selby, has had some big names to switch on its Christmas lights over the years.
But this year, the honour went to the biggest name of all – Santa Claus.
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He arrived at the small village green in his tractor-drawn illuminated sleigh and delighted the dozens of children who had turned out in the pouring rain to see him.
The switch-on on Saturday (November 29) followed a Christmas Tree Festival in Burn Methodist Chapel where there were hot drinks and mince pies on offer as well as carols and Christmas songs led by The Vintage Vocalist, Paula Marie, from Barlow.
Santa was introduced on the green by Burn Parish Council chairman Alice Houlden, who welcomed everyone and said: “It’s lovely to see so many people braving the weather to join us for our 2025 switch-on – but then Burn never lets a little bit of rain stop play!
"I’d like to thank Santa for being with us today and also give a big thumbs-up to our group of stalwart volunteers who willingly got very wet and chilly to make all this happen.”
Alice said that the collection to follow the switch-on would be in aid of Spirit of Christmas, Burn’s chosen charity for the coming year. This is a Selby-based initiative that promotes education, family and community interaction through the projects that they run not just at Christmas but throughout the year.
She also made an appeal for paracetamol for Ukraine which will be delivered by Selby-area man Stuart Davison who is making his final trip of many to the war-torn country later in December.
After the switch on, in a local tradition, Santa, as the switcher-onner, was photographed pulling a pint with landlord Andy Howdall in Burn’s Wheatsheaf pub.
Santa’s picture will join those of previous celebrity guests and charity leaders such as Jean Alexander, Hilda Ogden from ‘Corrie’, BBC’s Harry Gration and panto dame Berwick Kaler, on the pub’s ‘Wall of Fame’.
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