Lights at the End of the Tunnel?

There are some pictorial records of some wonderfully quaint, even eccentric, Christmas lights in Sutton High Street, around a century ago.

Some of the messages made in lights will bring a wry smile to modern faces: ‘Sutton’s Cheery Christmas Welcome,’ read one; ‘Long may Sutton prosper,’ stated another; yet another acclaimed: ‘Sutton the great shopping centre.’

The recent economic decline has taken its toll on Sutton’s High Street, just as it has done on many others across the country and the present town centre management could do far worse than to recapture that mood of uplifted spirits and joie de vivre that Brocks Fireworks displayed when they erected those lights. ‘A fireworks company?’ you ask, in an unbelieving, voice. Yes, Brocks was one of the area’s largest employers at the time and in funding the Christmas lights the company was reflecting the town’s optimism for the future and enthusiasm for new technology. It utilised the fairly new technology of mains electricity – which had come to Sutton in 1902 and was supplied by the South Metropolitan Tramways and Electric Light Company, which ran the tramline from Croydon to Sutton.

Over the Cock crossroads was suspended an ‘Aeroplane, 1910 Brock’s Model’ – a ‘realistic structure carrying as skipper the children’s old friend, Father Christmas’. The plane celebrated the achievement of Louis Blériot, who had made the first flight across the English Channel in 1909 and a banner suspended from it bore the proud motto ‘Sutton aspires’. Brocks’ Christmas lights of 1910 didn’t explode or go up in flames, but they did get damaged by high winds. It mattered not a jot. Times were good and hopes were high for the future. In retrospect, with a Great War looming on the horizon, Sutton was right to enjoy the moment. The only wars we will fight in the next few years are likely to be economic ones and we would do well to at least brighten up and enjoy our Christmas - and our fireworks - too!

For date and time of this year’s Sutton Christmas lights switch on visit www.sutton.gov.uk

Chris Wood is resident composer with Guest House Opera and editor of Epsom, Sutton and Cheam Time & Leisure.

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