Christmas light displays have become an essential part of the festive calendar. Once those lights are illuminated above our streets, the mince-pie eating, cracker pulling, gift-giving and mulled wine drinking can officially commence.
But all that electricity ain’t cheap. And this year, Medway Council in Kent has made the ‘sad and difficult decision’ to cancel its Xmas light display in a bid to avoid bankruptcy. It’s hoped that the sacrifice will save £75,000 and reduce the council’s potential £17 million overspend for the financial year. Yikes.
Locals aren’t best pleased. One took to social media to call the decision ‘disgraceful’, another labelled it a ‘mess’ and a third said it was ‘cancelling Christmas for the many kids who only see the magic outside of their home.’
Medway’s Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival is still going ahead on the first weekend of December, as well as a Christmas market in Rochester Castle Gardens.
Vince Maple, council leader, said: ‘We are making these incredibly difficult decisions to reduce the potential overspend and to ensure we can continue to provide essential services that we are required to provide by law.
‘I am pleased local ward councillors are still able to fund a Christmas tree in each town. We will continue to work closely with our town centre businesses to explore further ways to support them this Christmas.’
Time Out’s take
It might be hard to make up for the lack of local Christmas lights, but there are alternatives. A little over an hour’s drive away, Medway residents can experience the dazzling lights of RHS Glow at Wisley in Surrey – which are so good they made our list of the most magical festive light trails in the UK.
Did you see that this pumpkin patch has been named the best in the UK?
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