Christmas time is almost here, and in the spirit of this 'time for sharing' celebrated by Christians, Knowsley Council had a bit of a show in Kirkby Town Centre yesterday afternoon (19 Nov) afternoon as the lights were switched on.

The event apparently had a few local kids singing traditional Christmas carols, so if you were just there to see the sights it was in effect free. (Apart from the fact your council tax paid for it) But there were small mechanical children's rides there, and the charge was £1 per child. Also reported were vendors selling some sort of handheld lights for £4 when the clever Kirkby shopper could have slipped in the £1 shop and bought a big torch, for, you guessed it - £1.

The Kirkby lights are always pretty poor in comparison to Huyton, our 'better cousins'. Huyton somehow manage to grab the biggest slice of the funds for Christmas decorations, because Knowsley Council see it as the 'Mecca' of Knowsley. Some houses in Kirkby spend more on lights than can be seen in Kirkby Town centre. The two famous houses on the corner of Harleston Road & Quarryside Drive get more visitors than Kirkby Town Centres light display. People come from miles around to visit this Winter Wonderland, and if you do visit, you can donate to the electric meter fund! Donations can be given at Quarry green post office also, perhaps local pubs if you ask.

Here's how Knowsley Council describe the 'great' event...........

"The Mayor of Knowsley, Cllr Tommy Quirk, will officially press the switch to light up the night skies. (The lights in Kirkby barely lit up the immediate surroundings, never mind the sky) Town Centre Manager, Adrian Murphy, commented: "These three light switch on's across Knowsley will get people into the Christmas spirit as well as providing lots of entertainment for all the family as well as plenty of prizes and giveaways."

Making money out of the spirit of Christmas.

The 'giveaways' were thin on the ground up here and as stated, local people were forking out money just for the pleasure of joining in another Knowsley Council 'new labour' Christmas, as the rides alone were charging £1. The 'entertainment for the family' actually cost poor working class families more of there already depleted funds. There are often people in Kirkby Town Centre who are allowed by the Council to charge for various 'entertainment'. This is a lucrative earner, as kids pester parents and all those £1's add up to a fair old sum. Did Knowsley Council charge the ride owners to 'rent' a small space in the Town centre? - or do they just let these people make this money because of the kindness of there hearts? Sadly, the 100% new lab control of Kirkby means that answers, like giveaways for the honest locals, are thin on the ground. But, you could hazard a guess and say the Council or the Town Centre management might have had a few extra coins in the till after the day was done.

Even at Christmas, Knowsley council manage to turn it into a profit making venture. You can be sure that the local councillors in Kirkby will have a happy Christmas with all the easy money they rake in. Lets hope that like Santa, they get the sack sooner rather than later.

The light of Kirkby lives on

If you want to enjoy the real Kirkby Christmas lights display - head to Harleston Road & Quarryside Drive, just past the Peacock Public House, as you head up towards the Sonae chimney. Follow the light. Other houses in Kirkby also have some big displays, bigger than the Town Centre. But when it comes to light displays, the combined efforts of two working class Kirkby Families in Northwood has received Worldwide recognition. We can only salute the families of those two houses on Harleston Road & Quarryside Drive for being 'leading lights' in showing Knowsley Council how to celebrate Christmas in style.