LoL_Jephsonworkers_personal archive Wendy Shear(edit).jpg

The Stories

Switched On Stories are indebted to all the people who shared their memories and mementoes from the original Lights of Leamington Festival.

You can discover more here

Photo credit: Wendy Shear - personal archive

The Storytellers

Switched On Stories held a series of community workshops and invited everyone with memories of the original festival to share and contribute to this important archive.

To hear the individual stories, click the name to link to the film

Reg Boucher

He was a scamp with a reputation for being at every event and getting into places for free. He discovered a genius way of entering the lights festival past the floral clock and illuminated Hitchman Fountain, dancing the night away and not paying a penny.

Pam Cowper

When Coventry was bombed Pam’s family were billeted to Leamington Spa which was drab and dirty and a bit bleak. Going to the lights took her to a wonderland of illuminated trees and squirrels running up trees, a variety show and was bright and cheerful in what was a drab world.

Anne-Marie Insley

Anne -Marie was aged 3 when she travelled from Birmingham with her family to the lights which was a big adventure after the austerity of the war. It was all very magical, unusual, entertaining and enterprising and their visit was captured on film by her father who had a passion for photography.

Dalbir Kaur Khaira

Dalbir’s father left his family in India and moved to Leamington in search of work which he secured at Lockheed’s, five years later he sent for her and her mother to join him. The village she came from had no electricity, so seeing the lights was a magical mystery to her and the firework displays was a spectacle to behold.

Christine Kenny

She was born and bred in Stratford where her father ran the local fishmongers and used the fish van for special surprise trips to see the fairyland of lights. Christine shares special memories of Andy Pandy and Muffin the Mule and pictures of her in a handmade dress at the light’s coronation celebration.

Wendy Lucey

Wendy’s father was a local florist and grocer, her mom worked at Milverton laundry and has lived all her life in Leamington Spa. She has fond memories of dancing the night away with her cousin from Chesterfield and got into a lot of trouble for using the household sugar to starch her petticoat with unfortunate consequences!

Maria & Jim Murphy

Maria and Jim moved to Leamington from Ireland and would meet up with family, friends and visitors at the lights. Although their parents knew each other, they went to the lights separately and it was the fairytale tableaux and Guinness clock which made a visual impact on them.

Wendy Shear

Wendy worked at the telephone exchange and met Pete an apprentice electrician at the electricity board. She regularly met Pete at work in Jephson Gardens, so got to know the inner workings and the mystery behind the big lights switch on.

Val Steele

Val went to the lights when she was 11 with her older brother and parents who were members of The Salvation army and keen ballroom dancers. The big bands and ballerinas captivated her and as soon as she was old age, she too was ready to make her own dresses and take to the dance floor.

Colin Todd

Colin was born at the Warneford Hospital and achieved his childhood dream of joining The Grenadier Guards. He found the lights a marvel, a revolution and was in awe of everything from the New York Skyline to the musicians on the lake and then rock and roll came along.

Whittle Productions would like to thank everyone who generously gave their time to share their memories and mementoes of the Lights of Leamington Festival. Special thanks go to the people above for providing oral history interviews.

Discover more

We have created a film and series of podcasts that will be available soon

Switched On Stories - the film

The full film will be coming soon.