What a fantastic night that was!

We’re still coming down from the ceiling, after last night’s Christmas Lights Switch on with JLS.

ON: The moment JLS switch on the lights.

It was definitely the biggest event we’ve ever held at The Trafford Centre, and I’ve spoken to so many people who said they had the time of their lives.

I was in charge of media and celebrities, so I have some great images of myself with Stavros Flately, Fe-Nix, Chris Fountain and even Gary Wilmott!

The press were blown away by how popular the event was, and I have to say once the lights went on I have never seen the Centre look so magical.

We did have some traffic issues, mainly because of two accidents that occured off site which blocked the roads. At one point, these jams even blocked our star act JLS – but luckily they managed to make it through on time, and stunned the Orient with a breath-taking version of Umbrella, plus their new single Everybody In Love.

The JLS fans were out in force – the hardcore JLS forum members all seemed to have “JLS” written on their faces, so they were easy to spot.

At one point I stood with my cameraman on the ship and waved at 7,000 people – and 7,000 people waved back. What a crazy feeling!

If you made it to the show, let me know what you thought of the acts. Send me your pictures too!

Oh, are we excited over this one!

Construction has begun on the newest jewel in the Trafford Quays Leisure Village crown, and that’s the incredible Airkix attraction that’s taking shape next to the indoor ski centre ChillFactore.

DARING: TV's Bear Grylls enjoys an Airkix moment.

Airkix is an indoor skydiving experience, which uses enormous air-fans to suspend flyers above the ground, and give them the sensation of freefall – but without the need for an expensive airplane! The attraction is set to open in 2010, and we suspect it might just cause a stir amongst the daredevils of the region.

There’s a short list of things that can stop you from flying – for example, if you weigh more than 18stone, or are wearing a hard cast.

But for the most part almost anyone can have a go, and the Airkix people are also very experienced in helping those people living with disabilities to experience the joy of flight.

I remember seeing these things on TV years ago, but I would never have believed they would be created especially for public use. Celebrities have been queuing up to fly, including ace adventurer Bear Grylls (pictured) – and I can imagine a few Corrie stars taking the leap when the fans start spinning next year.

I hear on the grapevine that a large percentage of people who visit the first Airkix in Milton Keynes are real-life sky-divers, who use the facility for flying practice because it is so close to the real thing. How cool is that?

Watch this space for more news on Airkix as it happens, get your helmets ready for the ride of your life!

WILL you be taking a flight on Airkix? Tell me about it!

AWARD: (l-r) TV's Tina Hobley, TTC's Caroline Hall, The Mall Rat, and award presenter Anna Warrilow, from sponsors West Midland Safari Park.

I had a lovely evening in Birmingham recently, as The Trafford Centre picked up another award for our work on groups visiting the Centre from all over the UK.

We were at the Hilton Metropole near the NEC, taking part in a sparkling ceremony that bigs up the best destinations in the UK for coach parties.

Coach travel is big business in Britain, as more and more tourists opt for one-day, or short-stay vacations to explore the hot-spots.

We welcome hundreds of coaches throughout the year, and we try to ensure that we give each coach the same kind of personal service you can expect if you visit us on your own, or with family. These efforts were rewarded last week, when we won the award for Best Shopping Venue in the UK, from the readers of Group Leisure magazine.

It’s the second time in two years we’ve won the award, and that’s a tribute to all the hard work our staff do in welcoming huge groups to a safe and fun stay at the Centre. Because this award was voted for by readers, it’s extra special to us, and The Trafford Centre marketing team and I were only to eager to go and bask in the glory, and meet a few industry leaders along the way.

So a huge hello to everyone we met that night, including TV actress Tina Hobley who presented our award, and the folks from Charity on Wheels, who will be bringing a coach-load of people to see us in a few weeks time for a mega-shopping trip!

I was also bowled over by the amazing staff from Group Leisure magazine, who were so excited at this, their biggest event of the year. Their enthusiasm for the group travel market was so obvious, and I soon found myself looking at brochures for coach trips to the Highlands.

Now that’s marketing!

HAVE you visited The Trafford Centre as a coach party? What did you think?