Hull Christmas lights switch-on 2018
Hull's Christmas lights switch-on will take place in November.

This is what it takes to install Hull’s Christmas lights

With the festive season fast approaching, you may have spotted the city centre’s Christmas decoration displays starting to appear ahead of November’s big switch-on.

And this year, Kingston Square next to Hull New Theatre will be given a “merry makeover” for the first time.

But did you know just how much work goes into the installation of the lights?

For Hull firm KWL, which carries out the installations, it takes almost a month of day and evening work at more than 230 sites.

Some of the more simple decorations will contain about 300 LEDs each, though larger sites are more likely to run into the several thousands.

Hull’s Christmas lights take almost a month of work at more than 200 sites to install.

And that doesn’t include the 50ft tree adorning Queen Victoria Square, which has more than 3,000 individual LED lamps plus icicle drops.

Streets adorned with lights include Ferensway, Paragon Street, Jameson Street, King Edward Street, Prospect Street, Bond Street, Lowgate and Market Place, High Street, Scale Lane, Whitefriagate, Silver Street, Rose Bowl of Queens Gardens, Princes Dock Street, Alfred Gelder Street and Albion Street.

Councillor Dave Craker, Hull City Council’s portfolio holder for culture and leisure, said: “The city centre is incredibly busy with Christmas shoppers and visitors during the Christmas period so it’s important we add to that festive feeling by lighting it up.

Queen Victoria Square in Hull

Hull’s Christmas lights will be switched on in Queen Victoria Square.

“For the first time, Kingston Square, outside Hull New Theatre, will also be given a merry makeover with festoon lighting to guide visitors safely into the theatre for this year’s pantomime.”

This year’s Christmas light switch-on takes place in Queen Victoria Square on Thursday 14 November.

And spare a thought for the KWL teams who will start their New Year with a two-week project of disassembling the displays – we all know how miserable taking down the decorations can be.

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