Christmas lights switched on at Franklin Rd for 25th year

Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy kept a festive Ponsonby tradition alight with the 25th switching on of the Christmas lights on Franklin Rd last night.

Dame Patsy switched the lights on at nightfall to a crowd of hundreds including long-time Franklin Rd resident, writer Hamish Keith, who told the Weekend Herald her special role this year reminded him of the time, 17 years ago, when Dame Patsy gifted him a scooter for Christmas.

Image 1 of 6: Hundreds turn out for the turning on the Franklin Road Christmas lights event. 01 December 2017 New Zealand Herald Photograph by Dean Purcell.

The pair have been friends for many years - Dame Patsy and husband Sir David Gascoigne have been heavily involved in the arts communities - and gifted Keith, then 64, the silver push scooter "as a prank".

"And (at Christmas) I just scooted up and down the road with four elves, handing out sweets," he said. "Patsy and David have been friends for a long, long time and thought it was a nice prank. I don't think they imagined it would serve a practical use."

Kids play in the snow during the turning on the Franklin Road Christmas lights event. Photo / Dean Purcell

Keith said the Franklin Rd community was excited to have Dame Patsy turned the lights on. Previous famous guests have included former Prime Minister Helen Clark, America's Cup skipper Dean Barker and musician Dave Dobbyn, and the guest's name is always kept secret until the night.

It's the quarter century anniversary of the first time the popular tradition was begun by the residents of Franklin Rd, and wasn't even halted by this year's intensive roadworks.

"You don't often get the head of state turning the Christmas lights on. I think it was very generous of her," he said.