Paul Toole, king of Christmas lights
Monday, December 19, 2011 at 9:15 Don't miss tonight's Cutting Edge documentary on Channnel 4.
Described as "heart-warming, quirky and entertaining", King of Christmas Lights explores the world of "extreme Christmas decorating".
One of the stars of the film is Paul Toole, 36, from Somerset, who "has one of the biggest and best Christmas light displays in the country - on which he spends around £5000 each year".
I met Paul in 2007 shortly after the introduction of the smoking ban when he and fellow DJ Chris Elliott organised not one but three marches in protest.
We met in Wells, Somerset, the day before the second march. (See Paul and Chris walk tall.) After the third march, in recognition of their efforts, I invited them to the Forest reception at the 2007 Labour conference and wrote about it on this blog:
The theme of the evening was how the nanny state is being replaced by the bully state. I said a few words along those lines and then introduced special guest Paul Toole. Paul and his partner Chris Elliott have - bravely, in my opinion - stuck their heads above the parapet and organised two marches in protest against the smoking ban. The first was in Wells, Somerset, where they live; the second was in Glastonbury. Next month they are taking to the streets again, this time in Bristol.
I was struck, recently, by something Paul had written. Essentially, he pointed out that, as a gay man, he had experienced discrimination and intolerance. Now, just as society is becoming more tolerant of the gay community, he is experiencing similar discrimination and intolerance because he's a smoker. I asked him to make this point and he did so with some passion. We need more people like Chris and Paul to stand up and be counted. I am delighted they were able to come.
See Another dose of hard Labour.
As you will see tonight, Paul subsequently found a more appreciative audience for his entrepreneurial drive. In common with smoking, however, not everyone shares his passion for, ahem, "extreme Christmas decorating".
Warmly recommended.
Reader Comments (3)
Watched the entire series of Ken Burns's excellent documentary, "Prohibition" on one of the digital channels over the weekend. Lasted for 12 years and for a while it looked as if booze would never be available legally in the US again. But it was eventually overturned.........so more than five years (I'm from Scotland where the ban was introduced in 2006) into freezing near to death if you fancy a fag and a pub pint, perhaps there is still hope.
Spot on Kenny - wasn't it a great programme - recorded the whole series, and to me this gives us hope. If one looks at it carefully we will see (hopefully) a way out of the dilema we now find ourselves in.
@Kenny
Not only was alcohol Prohibition in the USA passed by both the Senate and Congress it was also enshrined in the American Constitution too, making it especially hard to repeal. 49 out of the American states ratified it with the exception of Maryland.
Hat tip the USA's Public Broadcast Service and Chris Snowdon's 'The Art of Suppression: Pleasure, Panic and Prohibition since 1800.'
http://velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com/2011/09/art-of-suppression.html