ROAST chestnuts will be available for the first time as a Cotswold town turns on its Christmas lights.

Annual Christmas festivities are about to begin starting with turning on the lights and Moreton is no different.

Moreton Christmas Market and Light Switch on will take place on November 23 including more than 75 stalls, mulled wine and Father Christmas arriving on a fire engine. 

Andy Everson from the Moreton in Marsh Christmas Lights Committee said: "Similar to previous years the annual market will take place on the High Street on November 23. 

"The market will have over 75 stalls who will all be artisan makers and everything will be Christmas themed.

"There will be bratwurst, mulled wine and for the first time ever there will be roast chestnuts.

"We will also have a new act called Splanky which is a four-piece all-female saxophone group who will be playing Christmas songs and songs through the ages."

The order of events is as follows: 
- 10am: Christmas Market opens

- 10.45am: Father Christmas arrives

- 11am: Santa moves to the grotto in the Redesdale Hall

- 12am: Live music starts 

- 4.30pm: Choral service 

- 5pm: Lights switched on 

- 5.30pm: Market closes

Mr Everson continued: "The lights will be switched on by a young lady called Paighton from St Davids. 

"Every year we run a competition with Kitebrook and St Davids for pupils to design a Christmas-themed picture that we use in our advertising posters and the winner gets the chance to turn on the lights.

"The lights stay installed on the High Street year-round and as you can imagine they go through a lot a wear and tear. 

"Last year, after four years of fundraising' we managed to replace more than 2km of lights and they are much brighter.

"Last year the lights were very well received, we must have had visitor numbers in the high thousands and fingers crossed this year will be the same. 

"The new lights to make the town look very quaint."

Two large Christmas trees will have been erected at either end of the High Street and the lights will run along the top of the buildings on both sides of the street.