Isadora McCarthy, Niamh Hood and Yarnisa Maneechak with Cllr Troy Gallagher

SCHOOLCHILDREN took part in a competition to design a poster to promote Whitecross Street’s first Christmas lights switch-on in seven years.

Nearly 30 pupils from Prior Weston School and nearby St Luke’s Primary School and Richard Cloudesley School entered the competition. The winners were announced at a Prior Weston school assembly by Bunhill councillor Troy Gallagher on Tuesday.

Yarnisa Maneechak, a year 5 pupil at Prior Weston, won with her eye-catching artwork of Father Christmas flying over London in his sleigh. The creation is now on posters lining Whitecross Street and Central Street. Yarnisa said: “I am really pleased to have won the competition. I spent a long time working on my drawing so it is great to see my work on a poster. I’m looking forward to the Christmas lights switch-on.”

Fellow Prior Weston pupils Niamh Hood, in year 5, and Isadora McCarthy, in year 4, were runners-up. Cllr Gallagher said: “The quality of artwork was excellent and choosing from the entries was very difficult. There was a fantastic atmosphere at the school and it really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”

The Whitecross Street Christmas lights switch-on takes place on Thursday from 4-6pm in Roscoe Street and Whitecross Street. There will be live music, a food market and Santa’s grotto. Bunhill councillors have repeatedly called for the return of the Christmas lights switch-on to bring some festive spirit to the area.