BULBS have been tested, tableaux tickled up and Blackpool's brightest night is just STEPS away as the town gets ready for the big switch-on.

All week the resort has been treated to taster sessions of the new 2001 Illuminations and The Citizen can show you some of the new features which which stretch all along the prom from Squires Gate to Bispham and beyond until November 4.

BBC Radio 2 will once again host the event on Friday from 8.30pm with presenter Janice Long.

And catch this space next week to get the highlights of the night of nights which includes Baby Spice Emma Bunton, Marti Pellow, Lisa Stansfield, Roxette and Bjorn Again and of course the poptastic STEPS themselves throwing the big switch around 9.30pm.