Switch on celebrities

A long list of luminaries

Although Lights displays were staged in 1879, 1912, 1913 and then 1925 through to 1933, it was not until 1934 that a proper Switch-On ceremony was devised to launch the Summer Season's Grand Finale. Lord Derby did the honours, followed by an impressive roll call of celebrities.

1930's & 1940's
1934 Lord Derby
1935 Audrey Mossom (Railway Queen)
1936 Sir Josiah Stamp
1937 Alderman Ashton (later Duke of Kent)
1938 Councillor Mrs Quayle
1939 Cancelled when war broke out, no display during War years or indeed until..
1949 Anna Neagle

1950's
1950 Wilfred Pickles
1951 Stanley Mathews
1952 Valerie Hobson
1953 George Formby
1954 Gilbert Harding
1955 Jacob Malik (Russian Ambassador)
1956 Reginald Dixon
1957 John H Whitney (American Ambassador)
1958 A E 'Matt' Matthews
1959 Jayne Mansfield

1960's
1960 Janet Munro
1961 Violet Carson
1962 Shirley Ann Field
1963 Cliff Michelmore
1964 Gracie Fields
1965 David Tomlinson
1966 Ken Dodd
1967 Dr. Horace King (Speaker)
1968 Sir Matt Busby
1969 Canberra Bomber

1970's
1970 Tony Blackburn
1971 Cast of "Dad's Army"
1972 Danny La Rue
1973 Gordon Banks
1974 Wendy Craig
1975 Tom Baker (Dr Who)
1976 Carol Ann Grant (Miss United Kingdom)
1977 Red Rum
1978 Terry Wogan
1979 Kermit the Frog and the Muppets

1980's
1980 Cannon and Ball
1981 Earl & Countess Spencer
1982 Rear Admiral "Sandy" Woodward
1983 Cast of "Coronation Street" (Doris Speed)
1984 Johannes Rau (Minister-President, North Rhine Westphalia & David Waddington, QC, MP (Minister of State, Home Office)
1985 Joanna Lumley, BBC "Children in Need"
1986 Les Dawson
1987 Frank Bough, Ann Gregg & Kathy Tayler, BBC "Holiday" programme
1988 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman
1989 Frank Bruno

1990's
1990 Bet & Alec Gilroy "Coronation Street" (Julie Goodyear & Roy Barraclough)
1991 Derek Jameson and Judith Chalmers
1992 Lisa Stansfield
1993 Status Quo & Radio One
1994 Shirley Bassey
1995 Bee Gees & Radio One
1996 Eternal & Radio One
1997 Michael Ball & Radio Two
1998 Chris De Burgh & Radio Two
1999 Gary Barlow & Radio Two

2000's
2000 Westlife & Radio Two
2001 Steps & Radio Two
2002 Ronan Keating & Radio Two
2003 Blue & Radio Two
2004 Geri Halliwell & Radio Two
2005 Chris Evans & Radio Two
2006 Dale Winton & Radio Two
2007 David Tennant & Radio Two
2008 Top Gear Team & Radio Two
2009 Alan Carr & Radio Two

2010's
2010 Robbie Williams & Real Radio and Smooth Radio