Light Up the Night: Bristol and Clevedon host bereavement events

All Saints Church in Clevedon was one of the venues lit up

Public spaces have been lit up by tens of thousands of candles as a way of remembering people who have died.

Light Up the Night, which first took place in 2019, returned this year to multiple venues.

This month candles were lit in Clifton, Bristol and Clevedon in Somerset.

The series of events culminated in spectacular displays on Saturday at St Paul's Church in Bristol and Bangor Cathedral.

St Paul's in Southville, Bristol, hosted the first event in 2019 and was a venue again this year

Light Up the Night organiser George Grace said the idea for it came from traditions from places like Mexico and Eastern Europe where All Souls Day and the Day of the Dead see people gather in churchyards to remember loved ones using candles.

Visitors to this year's events were given a candle they could light in memory or to celebrate the life of someone special to them.

Visitors to Light Up the Night events were each given a candle to place in memory of someone

About 3,000 candles were lit and placed in the churchyard at St Paul's in Southville, Bristol

All four events raised money for bereavement charity Cruse, which helps people with grief counselling and other support.

Mr Grace said holding the events had become more important after people had been isolated because of lockdown and often had to grieve away from family and friends.

Birdcage Walk in Clifton, Bristol, was lit up by thousands of candles

Mr Grace said abut 500 people had attended the event in Clifton alone and the feedback had been "100% positive".

"In year one we had one venue, in what is effectively year two because Covid-19 made us skip a year we have had four, and who knows - maybe next year we can get 10.

"Personally I'd love to see it happen in 100 places within a decade because I just think it's very important. It gives people that sense of peace that you can really feel."

Visitors to Light Up the Night events were each given a candle to place in memory of someone

People donated to bereavement charity Cruse before taking a candle to light and place in the various venues