The Grinch brought joy to the crowds who were in Cowes, for the Christmas lights switch-on last Saturday.

Despite non-stop rain, the weather failed to dampen anyone’s spirits with The Grinch (Alex Watts), delighting children and adults.

Cowes town mayor, Stuart Ellis, who helped The Grinch switch on the lights, said: “The Grinch was fantastic, and brought out the spirit of Christmas. He went around town and was chatting to everybody.

“It was the town council’s first attempt to put on something like this and was a huge success. The local businesses really brought into our ideas.

“We produced a booklet for the first time, which included advertising and special offers and competitions. We wanted to reconnect the town with the town council and I think we did a good job.

“More than 30 children took part in a glow walk, and there was a real buzz about the town. It was great to see the people of Cowes out supporting the event – even if it didn’t stop raining!”