Craig Revel Horwood joined residents in Stalybridge to switch on a spectacular festive display, and revealed his own family's links to the area date back almost 200 years. The Strictly Come Dancing judge travelled to Grey Street in Stalybridge to join residents for a special Christmas celebration as part of Fox's Burton Biscuits' festive generosity campaign.
Family History Revealed
But the visit was also something of a family-history moment for Craig, who revealed that his three-times-great-grandfather was born in nearby Ashton-under-Lyne in 1840. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said: "For me, it's quite a big deal because I've never been here before, and this is where my three times great-grandfather was born. In 1840. So there's a long family history, yeah. There's something to celebrate, isn't there?"
Craig joined residents to help transform seven homes on Grey Street into a festive spectacle, before taking centre stage to switch on the Christmas lights. The event also featured Christmas songs from Prestwich Community Choir, bringing the neighbourhood together for an evening of festive celebrations.
Community Spirit and Christmas Traditions
And Craig was delighted to be part of a campaign which he believes captures what Christmas should really be about. He said: "Personally, I think because I live away from my family, who are all in Australia, I don't have a family over here, so it is about community. It is about encouraging friends and people to get together. Fox's have really supported that idea and that's why I put my shoulder against the campaign, because I think it's a really good one to support."
The campaign celebrates the importance of generosity, togetherness and sharing special moments, with Craig particularly keen to encourage people to make time for one another during the festive season. He added: "There's a lot of things happening in the world that we sort of want to forget about at Christmas time and a little bit of sparkle, a little bit of bedazzlement really does take you into another world. It just puts a smile on your face, and I think that's really important."
Manchester Affection and Festive Plans
Despite spending much of his career in London and travelling around the country for work, Craig also revealed a particular affection for Manchester, recalling a previous Christmas spent in the city. He said: "I did do panto up in Manchester and I loved it. I'm trying to get back here. One of the best Christmases I've ever had was in Manchester. All my friends came up to Manchester, and we just decided to have it here, and it was absolutely amazing. Everyone was so friendly. And I prefer it to London in that way, because it's a bit smaller, more compact, and it's easier to get around. It was a really good sense of community."
And that sense of community is exactly what he hopes people will take away from the Grey Street celebrations. "I'm hoping that they'll take a sense of community, a spirit of joy, of making memories, and trying not to think too much about all the things in life that we get down about," he said. "When you've got all sorts of stuff to deal with in life, it's nice just to have a couple of days to enjoy, no matter where you are in life."
The festive magic doesn't stop at Grey Street, Fox's Biscuits is also giving one lucky homeowner the chance to bring the Christmas sparkle home, with a festive makeover designed to transform their property into a show-stopping Christmas wonderland, just in time for the big day.
