A Paisley Christmas. River and Lights Gallery.

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I haven't felt Christmas at all this year until one moment. Normally I don't bother that much with Christmas until the last minute as I have that luxury, present wise, but the place I've been all month that feels the most like Christmas is definitely this town, above. Paisley. It didn't really inspire Christmas thoughts making up parcels or sending cards away as that was going through a set list.... it happened wandering round Paisley on an icy Sunday night just as the lights came on then completing the town trail in the dark, up and over the brae to the Coat's Observatory. That's when Christmas arrived for me. That special moment of sparkle to round off a great short walk.

As I lived a bus ride away, growing up, I used to come through here often and was always impressed by the range of Christmas lights and the unique features within this large town. For a start the White Cart Water pours through and over these falls before disappearing right under the town centre via a dark tunnel. In flood or when iced up these falls are impressive and set the backdrop to the mills, the Abbey and the massive Town Hall. Paisley has a long proud history and you can really get a feel of that wandering around the place with its ancient buildings, unfamiliar statues to Renfrewshire heroes, ( a certain William Wallace, among others) and spacious pedestrian areas. Free parking at weekends is available beside the falls and around the Abbey district. Well worth a visit and great for children.

You may have noticed I have taken to stamping my photos. Both Alex and myself have had several photos taken recently and passed off on other blogs as that author's own work so reluctantly I'm going to stamp mine from now on. As it's Christmas I might as well promote something and have fun with it as well. It's early days yet but future photos will have very discreet stamping, sometimes invisible to most viewers.

Paisley's lights are a wonder as they form several different groups, well spread out from each other along the river bank.

Some actually made me laugh and that is when the spirit of Christmas arrived inside me. Free parking, no presents to buy, a lovely Dickens themed walk around an ancient series of buildings and better than expected lighting effects. For years Glasgow's Christmas lights in George Square have been somewhat overshadowed and modernized by space sharing money spinners like an ice rink, flashing fairground rides and food stalls parked around them.
Here, in Paisley, there is a pleasing purity involved. Nothing else going on other than traditional style lights in a fantastic setting and families taking young children around the river front area to see them.

The three wise men. (The code just says "and a happy new year.")

The main street. Paisley.

Paisley Town Hall.

View across the river.

Santa in town.

Lights across the river.

Christmas Tree on Main Street.

Paisley Shopping District at night. Best time to visit for walking is between 3:30 and 6:30pm. Better to find a parking spot in daylight then wander round as the lights come on. £1 for 2 hours Mon to Fri. Sat Sun Free parking.

It pays to advertise....

Angels gather.

Well worth a visit. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Makes not a bad set of DIY Christmas Cards either.
Book link here.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Blue-Sky-Scotland-Adventures-Beaten-Track-ebook/dp/B017Z6CSQU/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450873172&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=Bob+Law+The+best+of+Blueskyscotland.


And a Christmas treat to end on. Danny MacAskill in sunny Gran Canaria.