The Queen Victoria Inn in Priddy, Somerset, is known as one of the most Christmassy pubs globally, and it’s set to illuminate the holiday season once more for a charitable cause.
Landlord Mark Walton, assisted by his wife Debs and a committed crew of volunteers, has decked out the establishment with a jaw-dropping display of over 55,000 lights.
Having been at the helm of the inn for 14 years, Mark, together with his helpers, dedicate countless hours to festooning the charming country pub in twinkling lights in anticipation of their annual lights switch on, which took place on Friday, December 6 this year.
The festive spectacle includes a remarkable 16ft Christmas tree fashioned out of wine bottles, engineered by Ben Selway; it sports an impressive 1103 empty bottles consumed at the pub throughout the year.
In addition, this year will feature the return of the towering 26ft snowman adorned with an additional 2,500 wine bottles placed outside the Queen Victoria Inn, reports Somerset Live.
“There’s not much of the building that hasn’t got a light on it,” Mark notes, sharing their efforts which involve plenty of time spent climbing ladders in preparation for the main event.
“Every year we try to add something new to the display,” Mark said.
The festive display draws thousands of visitors to Priddy each year, with people travelling from all over the UK to admire Mark and his team’s work. “I love Christmas,” said Mark, a grandfather of nine.
“It’s such a special time of year. And although the exterior display is pretty expansive, we do decorate slightly more subtly inside.”
In previous years, Mark and his team transformed the pub once ranked among the top 10 Christmas displays worldwide – into a Gingerbread House for the holiday season. The design, which involved cladding the old stone building in wood, attracted attention and admiration from around the world.
Mark and his team have also constructed an illuminated ‘Polar Express’ train that sits outside the pub.
Additionally, the pub will be hosting its annual Santa Run on December 15.
This festive event involves participants running a 5 or 10-mile course around The Mendips. Now in its third year, the run starts at 11am from the pub, with runners returning to the Queen Vic to finish.
This year’s festive lights and Santa Run will raise funds for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW), a cause that Mark and Debs have supported for several years.
Visitors who come to see the lights at the pub can make a donation in one of the collection buckets or tins, or by scanning a QR code displayed at the pub.
Over the years, Mark and his team have raised more than £25,000 for CHSW and are hoping this year will bring in a record amount.
Mark heralded the start of festivities in Priddy, saying: “When the lights are switched on at the Queen Vic, it’s the claxon that Christmas has begun in Priddy,” adding “Christmas is all about children and when you see what incredible work CHSW does with young people and their families, it spurs us all on to make the display bigger and better each year and raise as much money as possible.”
Kylie Gallagher, an Area Fundraiser, expressed her thanks: “We are so grateful to have the continued support of this popular and well-loved local Christmas lights switch on.”
Kylie went on to extend gratitude to the community, stating, “A huge thanks must go, as always, to Mark, Debs, Dave and all involved in making this happen including friends, staff and people volunteering their time working hard to get it all together the week before and the three weeks the display will run. We are looking forward to joining them on the night of the big switch on.”
The dazzling display will illuminate the evenings from 4pm-9pm throughout December, with the grand finale on New Year’s Eve. Enthusiasts can join the Santa Run for £10, with details available on the Queen Victoria’s Facebook page.