Lewes Forum thread

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Christmas lights

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On 19 Dec 2011 at 6:53pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
I know we moan about them every year, but this weekend a friend came to stay and on the way into town I jokingly said "You can see our Christmas lights". By the time we got up to the bottleneck from the bottom of town, he finally gave in and said "Where are they then?" and thought I was joking when I said we'd just passed them all.
Where are the stars and things that used to go on some of the lamposts? Couldn't they afford new bulbs for them?
Credit to the town and district councils for making the town hall and Lewes House look really nice, and a lot of the shops have really put a lot of effort into their windows, but the overall effect is just sad.
If I won the lottery I think I'd stump up for decent lights. It would cheer the town up no end.
 
 
On 19 Dec 2011 at 10:46pm mickyboy wrote:
must be because britian is a mainly an agnostic country
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 12:06am SHS wrote:
It's great to see the castle lit up every night for Christmas, too. Fantastic display.
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 9:18am Cllr Ashley Price wrote:
If memory serves me correctly, a lot of the Christmas lights were lost some years ago in the fire that was in the building where East is now. (I believe they were stored in the loft of the building).
I will be happy to take this issue up, because on trips to other towns you see displays that far outshine (every pun intended) even the displays we used to have and this is an annual complaint from residents of Lewes.
I will speak to the powers that be in the new year and see what can be done to make Christmas 2012 a brighter one.
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 10:10am Cllr Ashley Price wrote:
Okay, I've now done a poll on my blog so you can vote whether you think the town should invest in Christmas light displays, or you think the money would be better spent elsewhere.

Check it out here »
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 12:57pm Mr Forks wrote:
Surely spending money on Christmas decorations in these times of financial woe is a complete waste of money? I'd rather the council provided services rather than spend my money on decorations.
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 1:04pm Mr Forks wrote:
Anyone spot a bandwagon being jumped on. Also Cllr Price as a member of the Green Party how can you support the vast amount of electricity wasted by Christmas lights and the like and the carbon footprint produced by this seasonal tat?
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 1:57pm Cllr Ashley Price wrote:
Rather than a bandwagon being jumped on, this is an issue I've felt strongly about for some years, but I only became a Town Councillor in May this year. So before now, I have not had any "power" to do much about it.
From your phrase "seasonal tat" you are obviously against Christmas decorations and would rather not see them in the town at all. However, there are many people that like to see the lights.
As for the concerns over the carbon footprint of the lights, you could also request that all the bonfire nights be stopped because of the amount of carbon that is released by the fireworks, rookies, torches, etc. (Actually, bonfires, if only burning wood, are carbon neutral).
Many sets of Christmas lights are now LEDs, so they take a fraction of the electricity while producing a brighter light.
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 3:14pm Cllr Ashley Price wrote:
Okay, here's something you don't always hear from a councillor, an apology.
I have just come from a meeting with the Town Clerk, who has explained the situation with regards to the lights. The displays are under Chamber of Commerce. The old displays that used to be attached to the lampposts became too old and were scrapped a while ago.
However, the Chamber of Commerce has since been contacting local businesses in the high street and trying to get them to purchase the "strings" of lights that you see outside some of the shops. The businesses get to purchase these at a preferential rate, and the Chamber has done a great job so far in the businesses that have taken up the offer.
However, there are premises that haven't done this and this is where there are a number of gaps in the high street.
For more information, see the "new" Lewes Christmas Light Displays page on my blog, as below:

Check it out here »
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 4:56pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
They're still sad though. If you go to Rye, they have lovely lights criss-crossing the streets and it looks really pretty. Even dismal Caterham in Surrey has quite a good display - a big illumination on the roundabout in the centre and loads of suspended strings of lights.
I realise this may not be possible in Lewes, because some of our street lights are attached to buildings and we have double decker buses, but I'm sure we could do better than the present sad effort.
Even the Christmas tree is dull, with just its blue-white lights and naff all else on it. I'm all in favour of splashing out a bit more on them, if it makes the town look even nicer for a few weeks.
It makes you wonder about the Chamber of Commerce's commitment to the town if they can't stump up a few quid each to attract more trade.
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 7:14pm Dee Sapointyd wrote:
It's a sad state of affairs. Show me another town as dismal as ours this time of year. COC, You should be ashamed!
 
 
On 20 Dec 2011 at 7:27pm Snow drift wrote:
The chamber of commerce look after their own little clique, they're not interested in anything else but themselves. They're like a sub division of the masons.
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On 20 Dec 2011 at 8:42pm numberjack wrote:
Snow drift, try looking at what a chamber of commerce is -
A chamber of commerce (also referred to in some circles as a board of trade) is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses.
Yes they are there purely for their own benefit.
Dee sap.. Why should they be ashamed? Why don't you spend some of your hard earnt on a string of lights and donate them, thats what the members of the COC do in effect.
I guess the majority of households in Lewes would be a bit miffed if we saw an entry on our council tax bills for £20 for Christmas lights next year!


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