In which The Simpsons switch on the festivities

Thursday 15th November

I know it's only half way through November, but in a very significant way, today began my Festive Season. At around this time of year, towns and cities large and small across the UK begin switching on their Christmas lights. Yes, I know it's too early. Yes, I Know it's only the middle of November. But it's time to turn on the lights and everyone wants a skin character as part of their festivities, so that means it Boon Time for Rainbow, which is all good for me.

So my Festive Season began today. In this business (whatever business I can be said to be in), work is seasonal, so from now until the end of the year I need to work as much as I can, because January and February will be a wasteland. First Switch-on of the year was in Welwyn Garden City with Bart and Homer. They're good characters to take to events like this, because they're mobile and easy to animate and the artists can go to town and have fun with them. We had a pretty full-on evening, with an appearance in the shopping mall, one outside in the town square, a trek across to John Lewis for the third, back for the fourth, to switch on the lights and a final fifth appearance in the shopping mall to finish. It took a little bit of negotiating, as these things often do, especially when they involve a change of venue during the day, but everything went really very smoothly. Well, from our end of things they did; the Christmas Lights failed to switch on when the button was pushed, but everyone had had a fun evening so no-one minded too much. It was a late finish though, by the time I'd been back to Rainbow and then home, and the winter nights are starting to become a little chill.