Postie Sam chosen to light up Falmouth this Christmas

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http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/resources/images/7118442/?type=responsive-gallery-fullscreen Sam Weight - a postie with a heart of gold - has been given the honour of switching on Falmouth's Christmas lights tomorrow evening after she was nominated by 20 local businesses.

Keeping with recent tradition, people were asked to put make suggestions as to who should join the town's festive parade and then turn on the lights and Sam's name kept cropping up.

By the deadline, she had been nominated by 20 businesses in town in recognition of her "tireless community spirit." People spoke of her "caring and happy nature and her ability to treat everyone in town like a friend." She will sit with people while they read potentially life-changing news, will help anyone who needs it and on a lighter note, she sings Happy Birthday when delivering cards.


Sam, who has worked for the Royal Mail for almost 20 years, nine of them in Falmouth, is still getting over the news she has been chosen. "It just's absolutely amazing," she said. "I'm absolutely overwhelmed by it - just thrilled to bits. I feel very honoured."

She doesn't quite understand why people have been so supportive, though. "If anybody is in trouble, I will just try to help them," said Sam, who's married to Trav and lives at Rame. "I'm a people person and if I see something I will stop and help out. I don't do it for anything like this, I just do it because that's me."

Falmouth's Christmas festivities kick off tomorrow with a parade of school children carrying lanterns and accompanied by Father Christmas, which will leave Events Square at about 5.30pm and make its way through the town centre to The Moor where Sam will take to the stage and switch on the lights at 7pm.

School pupils will perform Christmas songs and carols before the switch on and there will be further performance by Pixie Dust Princess Parties, Miracle Theatre, Scruffy Mutt Theatre, Victoria's Dance Academy, Viva Voice Chamber Choir and The Suitcase Singers. Santa will also be in his grotto in Falmouth library between 5.30pm and 8pm.

Thursday is also the first of two late night shopping events in Falmouth - the other one being on December 21 - when many shops will be open until 8pm.

There is a full programme of activities in Falmouth in the run up to Christmas, including The Poly Christmas market until December 24, crafts on The Moor and Frozen in Falmouth on the 9th and the live nativity on the 10th.

Falmouth's Christmas Tree Festival opens at the Princess Pavilion at 5.30pm on Sunday and will run until December 31; Cornwall Hospice Care's Santa Fun Run will leave The Moor at 1pm on Sunday, December 16; and the Harmony Choir will be performing throughout the town between 10am and 1.30pm on Saturday, December 23.

For a detailed run down of all the events planned go to falmouth.co.uk.