The Tipping family lights switch-onThe Tipping family lights switch-on
The Tipping family lights switch-on

The Tipping family's annual Christmas light show in celebration of three-year-old Jacob from Cottam

Around 2,000 people turned up to the see annual offering in Valentines Meadow, Cottam, from Mark and Nicola Tipping and their children Sam, 14, Joe, 13, and 10-year-old Isaac, for all to see.

For the eighth year, they have collection buckets for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, Derian House Children’s Hospice, Preston Headway and the Jordan Grant 18 Memorial Fund (CRY - Cardiac Risk in the Young). A total of £700 was raised on the night, with secured buckets out the rest of the month. But this year is specially poignant as the family installed a green heart to celebrate a three-year-old boy, known locally as Jacob and were able to perform a special switch on for him before he died last Monday.

Mark said: “This year, we were approached by a friend who told us about Jacob, so we let him have his own private showing, which he enjoyed. The family wanted to celebrate his life, so we installed a green LED heart in the sky. His parents came to our switch on and thanked us. It was very emotional.

“We had fireworks, which everyone enjoyed, and a countdown before the big switch on.”