flanerie.org

I don't know what the score is in other countries, but in this emerald and sceptred ship of fools there is a big deal about civic Christmas lights. Or at least it's the turning on of the lights that is the big event, and the significance of the town is reflected in the level of celebrity that turns them on.

This year High Wycombe was blessed with the attendance of Todd Carty and Basil Brush - a hackneyed soap actor and a glove puppet. Cheltenham scored big with G4, a group that didn't win a Pop Idol-style talent show.

Bourton is too refined for such nonsense. And way too small. I visited the Bourton post office this afternoon and had to park 50 yards away. As I was mincing towards the PO I witnessed some people erecting the Bourton Christmas tree in the middle of the river (try not to picture a magestic flowing river, this river is literally six inches deep and the water is slower than molasses. The many ducks that live on the river actually walk more than they paddle.) The tree was a good size and was being set up with the help of a cherry picker which was parked in the river, which underlines the depth somewhat.

In the post office I mailed 13 UK Recorded Delivery letters plus 4 International Recorded Delivery, which took about 20 minutes, and on my way back the tree was finished, the lights were on and the workers had buggered off. It is possible that there was a major turning on ceremony in the interim, but given that the average resident of Bourton needs a zimmer frame to walk, there would have been plenty of evidence by way of geriatrics fleeing the scene.

I vaguely recall that Times Square does something special, but does it also apply to towns large and small across the US?