WHEN BRIGG TRADERS FIRST ORGANISED CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING

Brigg Town Council can take pride in the fact that it continues to provide Christmas lights while many other local authorities in the UK long since gave up offering illuminations because of the expense, time and trouble involved.
Today we have lights on various streets and a centrepiece Christmas tree in the Market Place. Some businesses have also chosen to display smaller illuminated trees on their frontages - Wallhead's having THREE.
But when did the town first see an organised scheme to put illuminated Christmas trees on shop premises?
The answer is 1963, when keen members of Brigg Chamber of Trade put a scheme in place, having admired what was being done in some other northern towns.
Edward Dodd mentioned this in his 1973 book Brigg and went on to reveal how the shops' Christmas trees that year were hit by "the energy crisis" resulting from a strike affecting electricity generation.
The government introduced severe restrictions on illuminations in 1973/4 which stopped Brigg's Christmas tree lighting scheme going ahead, despite the trees being "earmarked" and a local electrical contractor having workers "ready to move in and start wiring up."
However, local businesses would not be beaten and did their level best to make the inside of their premises as attractive as possible.
"The assistants rose to the challenge and shoppers reported an even more cheery reception than usual," Ted explained.
"People refused to be intimidated by the crisis and went on a spending spree.
"It could have been that an accompanying petrol shortage restricted travelling but the fact remains that in the majority of cases the tills totted up record takings."
The unusual picture above was taken by Bryan Robins in 1964 and shows some of the illuminated Christmas trees then being displayed by shops at the eastern end of Wrawby Street.

Christmas lights after dark on Bridge Street, Brigg - December 2019.