Are you planning to put Christmas lights up outside your house this year? Then make sure you join the Brightlingsea Christmas Lights Trail and help the town light up the festive season.

The plan is to make a trail of Christmas lights from All Saints’ Church to the Town Hard with illuminated Christmas trees, decorated windows, flashing Santas and spectacular snowmen. Dozens of local residents and businesses have already indicated they’ll be taking part by signing up on our Christmas Lights Trail page now, ready for the list of entries and the Trail map to be unveiled on December 5.

The main Trail will start at All Saints’ with a display in the churchyard, taking in the lights in shops around the High Street and Victoria Place, ending at the Hard where you’ll find even more specially-made illuminations. In between the church and the Hard you’ll be able to plan your own route to take in the lights of Brightlingsea residents, shops and businesses.

If you’re missing the usual Christmas Tree Festival and the decorated trees you can still see them here on Brightlingsea Info – and take part in our Virtual Festival competition. We’ve moved the usual competition online – find out more and enter your trees here. The online festival is helping to raise funds for the redevelopment work at All Saints’ Church.

And from next week you can see more illuminations at houses featuring in the Brightlingsea Advent Windows event. Those taking part will be revealing illuminated windows every evening in the run up to Christmas. Find out more on the group’s Facebook page.