THOUSANDS of people lined the streets as Oxford kick-started its Christmas Light Festival in style.

Families watched on as a parade of bands and schoolchildren with lanterns lit up the historic streets of the city to mark the start of the festive period on Friday night.

A lantern procession featuring 180 children from eight of the city’s primary schools paraded from Bonn Square, Cornmaket Street, and around the Radcliffe Camera before finishing in Broad Street.

Youngsters made their lanterns from recycled materials and marched with several brass bands whose sounds echoed around the street.

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Aga Ward from Rose Hill, mother of 10-year-old daughter Alicja, [cor] said she attends the lighting of the city every year.

She added: “It’s great for the children. I think it’s also great for bringing the community together.

“The children get involved and enjoy themselves which is brilliant. It really sets up the Christmas period.”

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Violet Bourne-Taylor and dad, Will, at The Story Museum to watch Nick Cope

The parade was the start of a weekend of events, which included entertainment and a Christmas Market which took place on Saturday and Sunday.

Two centrepiece light shows followed the procession on Friday night, which saw festive images projected on to the Clarendon Building, in Broad Street, by Anomic Multimedia, a firm which has previously been behind dazzling displays at the Tower of London and stages at the Glastonbury Festival.

Pupils from Wood Farm Primary School also took part in the parade. Teacher Ruth Shama said children from Year 4 to Year 6 had been enjoying workshops to build their lanterns.

She added: “The children made the lanterns themselves in school.

“We take part in it every year. The children really enjoy the evening. It’s so exciting and a great atmosphere.”

Oxford Mail:

Lily Finn and her dad Steven Finn with Santa in Yarnton

Many of the city’s landmarks opened their doors to visitors throughout the festival, including Oxford University’s Ashmolean, Natural History and Pitt Rivers museums, along with the Bodleian Library, Modern Art Oxford, the Story Museum, the Oxford Playhouse and Oxford Ice Rink.

About 100,000 people visited. It was organised by Oxford City Council and partly funded by a £15,000 grant from the Arts Council England. The final performance at 9.30pm on Saturday night had to be cancelled because of “technical issues”.

Janet Willis, from central Oxford, who was watching the parade with friends on Friday night, said she attends the event every year. She added: “The lantern procession is the best thing about it.

“It lights up the streets and it’s great to see everyone come out and get together.”

Nick Cope, former lead singer for Oxford-based rock band the Candyskins, was helping more than 100 people get into the spirit during the making of the video for his song The Same Old Christmas on Saturday.

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Nick Cope records his music video at The Story Museum

More than 100 people joined him at the Story Museum in Pembroke Street to help with the song which will raise money for children at London’s Great Ormond Street hospital.

Mr Cope said: “I thought this would be a nice thing for people to do together, and would be a simple way of involving the fans and families.”

On Saturday Father Christmas made a guest appearance at Yarnton Nurseries garden centre arriving in a helicopter. Eight-year-old Lily Finn from Kidlington joined him after winning a competition run by the centre.

She said: “It was really exciting. I was a bit nervous at first though. It was really good to fly over our house too.”

Oxford Mail:

Debbie and Martin Scarrott from Barton in their garden decorated to raise money for charity

Meanwhile, in Barton, Martin and Debbie Scarrott turned on their famous Christmas lights display, which they have now put on for the last seven years.

This year’s winter wonderland features more than 5,000 individual lights, and has taken nearly a year to plan.

The couple are also using the display to fundraise for Oxford-based charity SSNAP, which supports sick and premature babies in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Mr Scarrott, 50, said: “The first year we put on the display we raised £75, and every year since then the money has gone up and up.

“People keep coming back every year and we always like to do our bit for charity.”