The other night I drove back to Heswall from Liverpool via Hoylake and West Kirby.

It was striking that the latter two towns have been able to stage very impressive Christmas lights displays: Hoylake has a mini-Blackpool Illuminations feel about it that would delight small children, while West Kirby has a slightly more restrained vibe that adds seasonal prettiness to its already attractive centre.

Heswall, on the other hand, is not in the same league - put it this way, our Christmas lights will not be attracting the attention of the astronauts of the International Space Station as it traverses our skies over the next few days.

I have to be honest, I have lived here for more than 30 years and always assumed Wirral Borough Council was responsible for most of the display that in the past has brightened up much of Telegraph Road every Christmas.

Not so. Stephen Atherton, Chair of the Heswall and District Business Association, explains:

"The lights around Heswall have never been supported, supplied or funded by the Council. It is always the local businesses who donate and sponsor and then we as HDBA arrange for them to be put up and then taken down and stored.

"This has been the case since 1982. Last year we came in at a loss and, with everyone struggling this year, we decided initially we weren't in a position to do anything.

"However, we managed to get some funding from the Councilors Community Fund this year, which has allowed us to do the lights outside Castle Buildings, the lights on the Christmas tree near the Fire Station, the tree itself, and the lights outside the library, along with those on the trees up by Earth Florists."

So, what's the glaring difference - apart from light and darkness - between Heswall and, say, Ho Ho Hoylake?

Says Stephen: "In a nutshell, Hoylake has over 30 volunteers all helping with fundraising and putting some of the lights up. They have residential street collections also, and therefore it doesn't all fall on local businesses.

"They raise in excess of £30k a year to do what they do. We are lucky if we raise £4k and usually there are only three of us organising the whole thing!"

But all is not lost. Far from being defeated by this strange year, the Light Up Heswall campaign has bounced off the ropes and come out swinging.

George Cain, who's driving the campaign, hopes to raise £25,000 so next year Heswall can take its place alongside West Kirby and Hoylake.

He says: "Our goals and objectives for 2021 will really need the help of local residents and businesses of Heswall and the surrounding areas to spread the word about