Corrie star goes back to his roots for switch-on

16/11/2007

CORONATION Street actor Jack Shepherd could be coming back to his family roots when he switches on Durham City's Christmas lights on Sunday.

Mr Shepherd, 19, who plays "devil child'' David Platt in the ITV soap, will perform the ceremony with co-stars Tina O'Brien, who plays his sister, Sarah, and her partner, Jason Grimshaw, played by Ryan Thomas.

The young actor comes from Leeds but his mother, Janet, revealed that her family has North- East connections.

advertisementMrs Shepherd has been researching her family tree and has discovered that her son's great great great great great grandfather, Robert Wilson, was born in Houghton-le-Spring, which was part of County Durham until 1974, in 1811. After marrying, he moved to Catcliffe, near Sheffield.

"I thought, How spooky, Jack is going back to his roots'','' said Mrs Shepherd.

However, he has only been to Durham twice.

Mrs Shepherd said that her son had a fan who was a student in the city who sent him a toy bear in the university's colours.

The switch-on will take place in the Market Place at 5.30pm and will be preceded by entertainment including an appearance by the stars of the panto at Durham's Gala Theatre and Irish band The Wildcats of Kilkenny.

Father Christmas will arrive at 2.30pm and will move into his grotto in the Prince Bishops shopping centre.

At 1pm, the fifth annual Duck Race will take place on Elvet Bridge, when 20,000 plastic ducks will race up to Kingsgate Bridge.

The event will raise money for Northumbrian Water's adopted international charity, WaterAid, the Mayor's Appeal, Durham City Christmas Lights, and Butterwick Hospice Care in Bishop Auckland and Stockton.

"We are raising the bar this year," said Richard Toynbee, manager of the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre.

"In recent years, we have gone from having one celebrity to two, and now three.

"They have got the top storylines for Christmas, so hopefully we will get even more people turning out.

"The police estimate the crowds are between 5,000 and 6,000 now, which is great.

"It is an excellent day for the city's shops having so many people about."

* Romanian pop singers Monica and Gabriela Irimia, better known as The Cheeky Girls, will switch on the Christmas lights at Seaham, also in County Durham, today at 4.30pm at the town's new £12.5m Byron Place shopping centre.

8:19am Friday 16th November 2007

The Northern Echo - www.thenorthernecho.co.uk