CAWSAND and Kingsand were glowing with festive cheer as families gathered for the much-loved annual Christmas lights switch-on, complete with lanterns, carols and the unmistakable scent of mulled wine drifting through the evening air.

After a day of heavy rain, the skies cleared just in time for the children’s lantern parade. Little ones, carrying their handmade lanterns, wound their way from Cawsand Square up to the Maker with Rame Community Hall, where the celebrations got fully underway.

The villages’ Christmas lights – funded by the Parish Council and installed each year by the dedicated Christmas Lights Committee – were officially switched on by two very excited young residents.

All children attending received tickets for the traditional draw, and this year’s lucky winners were seven-year-old Noah and two-year-old Daisy, who proudly lit up the villages to cheers from the crowd.

Hundreds of local people packed both inside and outside the hall to soak up the festive atmosphere. Entertainment came from Halfway Harmony, decked out in their seasonal best, while the choir from Fourlanesend School delighted the audience with beautifully sung and signed carols. Villagers later joined in for a rousing community sing-along, helped along by warm mince pies and cups of mulled wine or cordial.

The event, organised by the Maker with Rame Hall management committee, is held each year as a thank-you to local residents who support the hall and its activities.

This year marked a remarkable 33 years of serving the now-legendary mulled wine, brewed from a secret recipe passed down to Stephen and Pam Michael from Sir John Gray. The mysterious infusion, guarded under lock and key, is prepared by Pam before being blended with 36 bottles of red wine and three bottles of brandy.