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Lights displays were staged in the years of 1879, 1912, 1913 and then 1925 through to 1933, it was not until 1934 that a proper Switch-On ceremony was devised to launch the Summer Season's Grand Finale. Lord Derby did the honours, followed by this impressive roll call of celebrities:-
- 1934 Lord Derby
- 1935 Audrey Mossom (Railway Queen)
- 1936 Sir Josiah Stamp
- 1937 Alderman Ashton (later Duke of Kent)
- 1938 Councillor Mrs Quayle
- 1939 Cancelled when war broke out, no display during War years
- 1949 Anna Neagle
- 1950 Wilfred Pickles
- 1951 Stanley Mathews
- 1952 Valerie Hobson
- 1953 George Formby
- 1954 Gilbert Harding
- 1955 Jacob Malik (Russian Ambassador)
- 1956 Reginald Dixon
- 1957 John H Whitney (American Ambassador)
- 1958 A E 'Matt' Matthews
- 1959 Jane Mansfield
- 1960 Janet Munro
- 1961 Violet Carson
- 1962 Shirley Ann Field
- 1963 Cliff Michelmore
- 1964 Gracie Fields
- 1965 David Tomlinson
- 1966 Ken Dodd
- 1967 Dr. Horace King (Speaker)
- 1968 Sir Matt Busby
- 1969 Canberra Bomber
- 1970 Tony Blackburn
- 1971 Cast of "Dad's Army"
- 1972 Danny La Rue
- 1973 Gordon Banks
- 1974 Wendy Craig
- 1975 Tom Baker (Dr Who)
- 1976 Carol Ann Grant (Miss United Kingdom)
- 1977 Red Rum
- 1978 Terry Wogan
- 1979 Kermit the Frog and the Muppets
- 1980 Cannon and Ball
- 1981 Earl & Countess Spencer
- 1982 Rear Admiral "Sandy" Woodward
- 1983 Cast of "Coronation Street" (Doris Speed)
- 1984 Johannes Rau (Minister-President, North Rhine Westphalia & David Waddington, QC,MP (Minister of State, Home Office)
- 1985 Joanna Lumley, BBC "Children in need"
- 1986 Les Dawson
- 1987 Frank Bough, Ann Gregg & Kathy Tayler, BBC "Holiday" programme
- 1988 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman
- 1989 Frank Bruno
- 1990 Bet & Alec Gilroy "Coronation Street" (Julie Goodyear & Roy Barraclough)
- 1991 Derek Jameson and Judith Chalmers
- 1992 Lisa Stansfield
- 1993 Status Quo & Radio One
- 1994 Shirley Bassey
- 1995 Bee Gees & Radio One
- 1996 Eternal & Radio One
- 1997 Michael Ball & Radio Two
- 1998 Chris De Burgh & Radio Two
- 1999 Gary Barlow & Radio Two
- 2000 Westlife & Radio Two
- 2001 Steps & Radio Two
- 2002 Ronan Keating & Radio Two
- 2003 Blue & Radio Two
- 2004 Geri Halliwell & Radio Two
- 2005 Chris Evans & Radio Two
- 2006 Dale Winton & Radio Two
- 2007 David Tennant & Radio Two
- 2008 Top Gear & Radio Two
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