By Michael Holden MBE

A nighttime photo of the Christmas Light Trail

I went to visit the Castle Gardens, Lisburn Christmas Light Trail at the start of the month and it was a lovely family experience with my wife and two children (1 of whom has autism). Convenient parking is at a premium around Lisburn’s Castle Gardens, so I only had to push myself a short distance in my wheelchair to the entrance. I did notice there was one accessible parking space in front of the gardens, but this was already taken. That said, it was really worth the effort as we spent a lovely evening in the gardens.

Staff at the gate welcomed everyone and were happy to provide information. The lights themselves were visible as we approached and we could hear the music being played on the speakers. Our son had his headset with him, just to dampen the noise, and to be fair they do tell you that there is loud music being played as well as flashing lights.

The trail itself is via a smooth walkway, but there are hills to navigate. Again not arduous and as you are moving slowly to enjoy the lights, it really wasn’t noticeable. As well as the lights and music there are plenty of stalls, food shacks and coffee wooden huts to enjoy the evening with a meal to break up the experience. The council has built two covered dining areas in the gardens, both of which are accessible (although the stage area does have some cobbles) and one of which was showing live music, which meant we could all sit down and enjoy together.

Covered dining area at Castle Gardens Light Trail

There are some funfair rides for children in the gardens to enjoy as well, which is great but not accessible for any children without core strength. One of the fun events was being able to toast marshmallows over an open pit fire. This was entertaining not least because we laughed at not trying to burn them, whilst enjoying the warmth of the fire too much.

After all of the food and drink, I was impressed to see that the gardens had proper toilet facilities near the exit, which were complemented by the provision of  a full AccessoLoo Changing Places near one of the picnic areas. This meant we could all enjoy ourselves without having to rush home to find a toilet.

For a free entrance event, this was a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours together as a family, in the hustle and bustle that is Christmas. Well done Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.