Children from ten Camborne schools proudly showed off their handmade lanterns last night when they followed Santa through the streets to switch on the Christmas lights.

Accompanied by the Combined Schools’ Samba Band and the Combined Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade Band, the parade set off from Rectory Road and wound its way through Commercial Street, Cross Street, Union Street and Trelowarren Street before ending up in Commercial Square for the official Christmas tree and Christmas lights switch-on at 6.30pm.

It was the culmination of a day of festivities organised by BID Camborne working with Camborne Town Council and Camborne Parish Church.

This included Camborne Produce Market taking place in the town square during the morning, Master of Ceremonies Keith Sparrow relating a selection of Cornish mining stories before a performance from Camborne Youth and JC Band, music from Holman Male Voice Choir and stilt walkers dressed as the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future for a dramatic enactment of Charles Dickens’s A Camborne Christmas Carol.

The Churches Together Choir also performed at Camborne Church, where a Christmas tree festival was underway.

The festivities do not stop there, however. Father Christmas will be back in the town for the next three Saturdays, welcoming accompanied children free of charge to his grotto in Camborne Library from 10am to 1pm on December 7, 14 and 21.

When Santa is off-duty, BID has arranged for his little helpers, the 2D Cornish selfie creatures Pysky the Penguin and Lowen the Snowman, to welcome any visitors during opening hours.