Update: Local radio station ‘Breeze’ have announced this morning that they will be sponsoring the lights: https://wearesouthdevon.com/local-radio-station-save-christmas-in-torquay/
After an earlier announcement by Torquay Chamber of Commerce that there will be no Christmas lights in Union Street, it looked like the town centre would have little cheer but it has now been announced that there WILL be light thanks to a sponsor who has stepped forward to save Christmas.
An online fund to pay for the lights set up by Susie Colley raised just a few hundred pounds out of the £25,000 target.
With Christmas fast approaching, Torquay Chamber of Commerce then announced that there would be no lights this year. More details here: https://wearesouthdevon.com/25198-2/
But in a turn of events, the lights will now be funded by an unknown sponsor.
Following the news that there would be no lights, the chamber of commerce were offering donations from many businesses and individuals, pledging from hundreds to thousands of pounds but it seems one sponsor will fund the lot.
So who is the mysterious sponsor who has saved Christmas in Torquay – we don’t know!
Local business man Ashley Sims told us:
“Hallelujah! Let’s hope it happens, we literally could have looked like we were stuck in the dark ages if we hadn’t any Christmas lights up, it is a family thing at this time of year and a lot of parents were feeling upset that they couldn’t take their kids around a festive town.
“I do keep seeing people however blaming the Mayor and council but it’s nothing to do with him, or them it’s purely down to the Chamber of Commerce this job, in fact it was the Mayor who guided us in the direction of the Plan B investment fund after I contacted him.
“What I am surprised at though is the £25,000 cost to do it as Torbay Display have quoted £17,000 for the job, if people are being charged £8,000 to put up new bolts and wires when they were already in place two weeks ago AND could be put back up in two days, there might be a few eyebrows raised. But let’s focus on the positive shall we, Christmas is saved,”
Gala lights will be contracted to supply the lights and it is hoped the lights will be up in time for the Christmas carnival on 19th November.
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