Maidenhead & Windsor

Maidenhead will be going 'lights-headed' on Friday November 17 when the town gets switched on for Christmas 2006 – and it promises to be a night to remember.

A specially-constructed stage around The Boy and the Boat statue at the top of Maidenhead High Street will be the centre of attention from 5pm when TIME 106.6 FM rings up the curtain on local entertainment for all the family, including Redroofs Theatre School Choir and Jamie and the First Class.

Lucky Maidenhead Advertiser competition winner, 10-year-old Oldfield Primary School pupil Francesca Corcoran, will be the star for the night when she teams up with Santa himself to switch on the lights at 6.30pm.

Late shopping and French market: Shops will be staying open late for the evening and shoppers will be able to say 'bonjour' once again to the French traders as they bring their charming 'ambiance Française' for another market in the town centre, setting out their stalls on Friday and Saturday (November 17 and 18).

The 30-plus traders will have a large variety of produce from bath oils to ceramic pots and tagines – but the big Maidenhead crowd-puller is the opportunity to sample French cuisine and shoppers will be following their noses to freshly baked bread and patisserie and to the new stall selling melt-in-the-mouth brioche from the Vendee province and hand-made chocolates. Also on offer will be bouillabaisse, anchovies and Corsican sausages, not to mention the choices in charcuterie, cheeses, mustard, and olives. Hunger pangs can be dealt with by a take-away plate of paella or a fresh crepe with a topping of Grand Marnier with chocolate!

For those keen to have a go at the French language as well as food, help is at hand thanks to French phrase books on every stall – free of charge.

More entertainment for all ages: As well as enjoying the Christmas lights ceremony, children can look forward to the Fairy Belle Wheel and Octopus rides which will be operating on the Maidenhead High Street throughout Friday and Saturday.

Shoppers on Saturday November 18 will also be able to enjoy entertainment around The Boy and Boat statue between 12am and 5pm. The line up for the day includes Exit Tahiti, Steph Willis, Her:Enemy, Hustle and Version 88

And for all would-be Brian Mays, there's an Air Guitar competition on the stage at 3pm.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead