LINDA SKIPPER

I’ve lived in Manchester all my life. My dad worked for Manchester City Council in the Street Lighting department. He worked for them all his life. He was a fitter and was also a Union Steward for a while. When he first worked for the Street Lighting department, it was gas lights and then it switched over to electric.

He was involved in the Manchester Christmas lights as well, so he did the Christmas lights all around Manchester. All the staff that were involved in putting up the lights used to get invited to the Switch-On reception at the Town Hall.

My dad took me a few times and I didn’t realise until I was speaking to my husband, that my husband also used to attend the receptions. My dad was presented with a glass from the Town Hall on his retirement, from the City Council. By this time, he was working for the City Engineers and Surveyor’s Department.

Manchester Town Hall is a lovely old building and over the years it has seen so many Christmas Light Switch-Ons. I was a teenager when I first went with my dad, and now I’m part of the Manchester Show Choir, and have been able to take part, performing at the lights Switch-On party with them! It was nice to think that I’d come full circle, back to the Town Hall at Christmas time.