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Equinox Celebration Planned for Castle Lights Switch-On

09/03/2010

Barnard Castle Vision and Barnard Castle Town Council have announced a joint celebration to mark the official switch-on of the town’s new Castle Lights on Saturday 27th March, from 7:30pm to 8:15pm. 

Members of the public are invited to assemble on the grassed area of Scar Top adjacent to the Castle Gates at 7:30pm for the official Switch-On event, which will be carried out by a famous local historical figure coming back from Barnard Castle’s past. Refreshments will be served in by the Methodist Church Hall from around 8.15pm until 9.00pm. 

“We’d like to invite as many people as possible to come along and help us celebrate”, says Mayor of Barnard Castle, Cllr John Yarker. “The perfect chance to view the newly floodlit castle in all its splendour – a truly spectacular sight!”  

“We’re delighted that the new Castle Lights are ready to go and are very much looking forward to the official event,” says Deborah Jenkins, Chair of Barnard Castle Vision. “Just as the Equinox marks the end of the winter and looks forward to the light of spring, so we are also marking an end to the darkness around the castle with the lights becoming a symbol of hope for the future.  

“Many thanks indeed to Durham County Council’s street lighting team for installing the lights, Urbis for the supply of the lighting equipment, and to all our partners for all their hard work and commitment to bringing this project to fruition.” 

“Each floodlight is highly energy-efficient and very low maintenance, made up of 36 number one watt LEDs,” comments Steve Keetley, Head of Technical Services at Durham County Council. “It is the first time we have worked with this new lighting technology on this kind of scale. Being LED-based, the lights are controllable in both direction and colour. On special occasions, the lights can also be used to provide special effect colour washes, turning the castle anything from spooky green to warm red as required.” 

As part of the celebrations, 50 children are being sought to take part in the official ceremony, which involves attending a workshop in the morning or afternoon on the day itself, and also attending the event on the night as part of a parade. A variety of local groups have also been approached to be involved with the event. Anyone else who would like to be involved should contact Annalisa Ward on 01833 696263. 

About the Lights:

The new floodlighting scheme has been brought about by Barnard Castle Vision and Barnard Castle Town Council in partnership with English Heritage, Durham County Council, the County Durham Economic Partnership and One North East.

Following the removal of the aged ground-based lighting system around the base of the castle, new lights, commissioned and supplied by Urbis and installed by Durham County Council, have been mounted on street lighting columns along the pathway from Scar Top to the County Bridge.  

The castle will be bathed in subtle light during the early hours of darkness in the winter and throughout the evening. In order to save electricity, the lights will be switched off during the small hours each night. Maintenance and electricity costs will be met by the Town Council.