HUGE crowds gathered in Crosby Village on Friday evening as Olympic Opening Ceremony writer Frank Cottrell Boyce switched on the village’s Christmas lights.

Mr Cottrell Boyce, who lives on The Serpentine, in Blundellsands, won plaudits from around the world for his spectacular collaboration with director Danny Boyle.

Named the Isles of Wonder after a speech in Shakespeare’s Tempest, the work was so popular that the BBC rebroadcast the ceremony in full at the request of viewers.

Over 15,000 volunteers, including David Beckham and Daniel Craig, took part in the performance, which had cost £27m and six months to rehearse.

Although there was no appearance by a parachuting Queen, Crosby’s streets did host a procession of giant puppets, fairground rides and a variety of different stalls that made for an equally impressive display of what makes Britain great.

Christmas in Crosby organiser Peter Harvey, of community group ABetterCrosby, said: "Crosby families again supported the switch-on wonderfully.

“We estimated there were around 1,000 people in the village.”

BBC Radio Merseyside linked up live to spread Crosby's Christmas cheer even wider as the large crowds listened to local boy Jamie Summers perform a selection of seasonal hits.

"There is real scope for Christmas in Crosby to grow into a key part of the town's marketing strategy,” said Peter.

“Some of the shops in the village and Cooks Road, Endbutt Lane, Coronation Road and especially College Road are setting a great example with their festive window displays.

"Positivity along with creative ideas, graft and investment will help Crosby achieve future success for businesses, organisations, individuals and families."

Saturday afternoon saw the action switch to Seaforth, where hundreds of residents attended Christmas lights switch-on events at the Expect Centre, in Bowersdale Park.

In Another Place, Gospel Choir led a procession of performers, the Mayor of Sefton and pupils from Rimrose Hope, Our Lady Star of the Sea and Holy Family schools to the community Christmas tree at Stella Precinct – where the Mayor and the children led a countdown to the big Christmas lights switch- on.

Paul Heery, housing services manager at Crosby Housing Association, said: “It was a wonderful day and we heard a lot of people say that it was the best switch-on event ever.

“I’d especially like to thank the members of Merseyside Combined Cadet Force who did such a good job marshalling the events.”

On Thursday evening, Waterloo kicked off three days of festivities with a spectacular lights switch-on by local Paralympian tennis player Jamie Burdekin.

Waterloo and Crosby Theatre Company helped provide the entertainment.