I have to say I miss CITN’s Parade of Lights when it was removed from its George Town Hog Sty Bay Harbour home to its new one at Camana Bay.

Despite the blurb to the contrary, the George Town venue was a more picturesque setting and more importantly was easier to view by the public.

A six thousand plus crowd cannot see the Parade of Lights without some difficulty at its new venue and I know this personally.

Parade Marshall, Tim Bradley’s comment that it’s easier at Camana Bay’s Crescent to provide a “controlled path for boats that is easier to maneuver” does hold water (excuse the pun) but his “making for a safe and enjoyable event” doesn’t. There is nothing enjoyable when you can’t see what is happening and the cries from children with flooding tears yelling, “I can’t see, Mummy,” is evidence to that. No doubt Mr. Bradley hasn’t witnessed what I have witnessed every year from 2009 when it was moved.

As for the safety point, he is probably taking the side of the boat owners who did not like the long journey for them to travel from their North Sound docking station to Hog Sty Bay. When it was rough they did not venture out their craft for “safety reasons” even though rougher seas did not deter them on a weekend sail in the sun.

When a barrier broke at Camana Bay a few years ago there was real concern for safety because the crowd couldn’t see. Joan Wilson, who used to own CITN, was one of the hundreds that were pulled along by the throng to move down to a docking pier so they could view an event they had come to view. Then she was pushed and shouted at by not only some security guards (that were inadequate to control such a crowd) but by the two commentators of the event!

I hope this year event organiser, Monique Hather, will have in place stadium type seating but all I have read from her is to say (and quite rightly) grateful thanks to “the event sponsors WestStar, Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital, Fidelity, and new sponsors Hurley’s and Diamonds International.”

I am fully aware of one of the other reasons the event was moved and that is Camana Bay. They are so much easier to deal with than the multi government entities one encountered at Hog Sty Bay that also included the police and the utility company. And strangely, too, some of the waterfront shops actually complained about the Parade of Lights being there when they should have contributed funds to keep it there. Now they complain it has gone!

This year, The Parade of Lights is on Saturday 1^st December and this will certainly start Christmas off with a bang. First Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir and Suite Elite will perform live starting at 6pm and then around 7pm the show really starts.

Competing for a prize of $2,000 the boats are placed in two categories – Private boats and Watersports operators. Judges will be looking for creativity, use of colour, overall impression, and wow factor. WOW!!

And did I just say Christmas will start “off with a bang”? It most certainly will. WestStar TV, as they have done every year, are paying for one of the Islands most spectacular fireworks display.

If that is not all, Camana Bay is hosting a Food and Craft Christmas Market and most of the shops there will be open.

Mike Martin, WestStar TV’s General Manager, who is soon to retire, is to be congratulated for coming up with the idea. He had seen other boat parades, especially in the USA, and envisioned a family event that incorporated the Cayman Islands’ seafaring heritage, along with holiday festivities. This is something he should always be remembered for and perhaps there can be some way the new owners of WestStar can make sure it is not forgotten it was HIS event?

At least there is plenty of parking at Camana Bay. I only wish I could actually see it.

Maybe I’ll have to rely on the live televised broadcast, although that didn’t happen last year. I believe it was for technical difficulties but at the time it was scheduled to be on there was no notice up to that affect. This year Mike says we can watch it on our computers via their website: Cayman27.com.ky