WITH December’s arrival thoughts turned to Christmas festivities.

We brought you photos from the big light switch ons in the city.

The Garden Quarter Christmas festivities had a real community feel, the highlight being local celebrity Jenny Challinor who switched on the lights with a wave of her brightly illuminated lollipop.

Jenny, who has been the school ‘Lollipop Lady’ for an impressive 29 years, said to the crowds: “I am so proud to be here with my family to switch on the lights this year. I love the Garden Quarter community.”

We also covered the spectacular Saturnalia and Winter Watch parades, both unique to Chester, that saw a Roman Legion as well as fire skeletons, devils, angels and Victorian cooks parade through the city to the delight of young and old.

The last month of 2018 also brought the Christmas present that thousands of people had been wishing for - confirmation that the new state-of-the art special baby unit would be built at the Countess of Chester Hospital after years of planning and fundraising.

It took just half an hour for members of the council’s planning committee to unanimously approve plans for a new £2.6m neonatal unit. The decision came after a nervous two months for health chiefs following the shock rejection of the plan’s first incarnation in October.

Niamh Hocking, whose son Jasper was born 11 weeks premature, said “I’m just glad that everyone at the hospital can now carry on doing their jobs without having to worry about this.”

The month also saw animal lovers rally to donate funds to Chester Zoo after a devastating fire tore through the Monsoon Forest area. Orangutans and gibbons were led to safety by keepers tempting them with bananas.

Finally, in Helsby, the occupants of a house in Chester Road will be spending Christmas with friends and family after a council gritter lorry ploughed into their home.