With Christmas fast approaching, seasonal lighting and decorative features are the main priority for the council’s team which includes not just six electricians, but also four craftsmen, labourers and even a blacksmith .

And they don’t make up the full team of council officers, operatives and administrative staff behind many other large-scale events staged by the council, including the fireworks display, Remembrance Sunday service, civic Sunday and Douglas carnival.

’It’s about advance planning and teamwork,’ said assistant electrical services manager, Andy Butterworth.

’For the fireworks display we start a good month or so in advance, liaising with council colleagues, the Department of Infrastructure and third-party suppliers.

’Ahead of November 2, when the display was held, there were barriers, 18 traffic signs and some 270 road cones to be put out along Douglas promenade.

’And throughout the event itself Paul Davies (electrical operations supervisor) and I, along with three others from our team, were on site to attend to any traffic and crowd control issues and then remove all the cones, signs, etc, after the event.’

Mr Davies said: ’The procedure’s largely the same for the Remembrance Sunday service.’

’Our role is essentially traffic and crowd management, but we’re also responsible for positioning the dais and lectern at the war memorial and the saluting base opposite the Sefton Hotel, although this year, there’s been the added consideration of the promenade refurbishment project in relation to the Sefton island.’

Mr Butterworth said: ’Christmas is the biggest event electrical services is involved in. We’re out on the streets taking down decorations in January, then around May or June orders are placed for any new decorations needed.

’The team are out in all weathers, putting the lights up from the beginning of October.

’This might seem early, but there are lots of lighting schemes to be installed - and this year we’ve also had to be mindful of the regeneration work taking place in the town centre.’

Among the schemes are nine projector lights to illuminate some town centre buildings including Douglas town hall, 35 post-mounted ’snowflake’ and ’star’ features, and more than 80 red ’pyramid’ trees.

Many lamp post decorations around St George’s Church and along Athol Street and the North Quay will need bespoke brackets, fabricated by the electrical services blacksmith.

Mr Butterworth added: ’We’re also responsible for the five large Christmas trees in the town centre: natural trees at the town hall and in Market Hill, an artificial tree outside Trinity Church, the "string" tree on North Quay at the junction with Ridgeway Street, and the "symphony" tree in Regent Street. Then there are the lights in Summerhill Glen and the festoon lighting along Douglas promenade, where more than 10,500 lamps have to be maintained, Santa’s grotto to be illuminated and the trees inside the town hall and the Henry Bloom Noble Library to be set up.’

The lighting is controlled by around 70 time clocks to switch the features on and off, while another 60 features are controlled by a central management system.

The switch-on ceremony is a major undertaking for the team. About two hours before the official switch-on, all the systems are checked to make sure everything’s working.

And contrary to popular myth, it is the mayor pulling a mechanical switch on the stage that turns on the Christmas lights.

’There’s a perception it’s all done remotely, but that’s not the case, though we do have a failsafe alternative, just to be doubly sure,’ said Mr Davies.

’It’s hard work but very rewarding. All of us in electrical services take great pride in decorating the town for Christmas and delivering a scheme in accordance with members’ wishes.’