So what was new in 2022?

Greetings from the Lights Brigade!

So everyone asks the same question - what is new this year?

The biggest item is the “Twelve Days of Christmas”, which is located across the front the the gym area of the Bromyard Centre, at the top of town.  Another big creation by Roo Evans (with help, of course) this consists of fourteen separate panels suspended from the front of the building.  Each end panel is of musical notes, whilst the others are, of course, depictions of the Twelve Days.  The sequence (if you haven’t already spotted it) is to the time of the song, and is all operated from a computer controller (built by Kevin Lovell) which works through two seven core cables, with plugs and sockets for each panel (a big job in itself).  You need ten minutes to see the whole sequence!

To the right, of course, is Cruxwell Street, where we have extended the festoon lighting down from the Bromyard Centre to the Public Hall.  This was a bit of a challenge owing to the low height of the buildings on the right, so special brackets were needed either end of one building from high up on the gable ends, and indeed further on the lights are suspended from a strap around a chimney!  A little star at the end completes that installation.

In the square, we used to have lighting nets over the left hand trees.  These have been replaced with uplighters in all the trees, which shine up into the branches and change colours - David W was the creator of this.

The owners of the old Crown and Sceptre were keen to have some displays, so here we have mounted the Four Candles which used to be up the top of town, plus two bells and, over the entrance to the left, a new Catherine Wheel (by Roger W with controller from Kevin) which replicates a long-gone Catherine wheel which used to be by the old HSBC bank, but now in it’s new incarnation, is in bright ropelight.

Finally, another recreation is Santa’s Sleigh, which used to be in the square, which has been completely stripped to the bare frame and rebuilt in new 24 volt ropelight and a new controller.  It now graces the right hand side of the leisure centre.

Someone did ask if we could move the displays around, but in fact it is almost impossible without a great deal of work; each item has supporting cables to suit, dependent upon size and weight, and electrical feeds to match.

There have been many repairs as well, with substantial work done on the Snowmen (there is an alteration here - have you noticed it?), the Angel, the tree on the Dentists and “See the Lights” in particular.

Despite the extensions and new work, we still only consume just over 13 amps in total, for the entire display - such is the efficiency of LED lighting.  There are no longer any filament lamp bulbs, and everything is now at the low 24 volts.  So our coloured lights are truly green!