Lights fail to dazzle

Newark’s Christmas lights have failed to inspire the festive spirit in many people this year.

People have complained about both the lights in the town centre and the event to mark the switch-on.

In previous years a charity market and funfair rides accompanied the switching-on of Newark’s Christmas lights, but this year they were part of a Christmas carnival, held on Sunday.

The hiring and installation of the lights cost Newark Town Council just over £40,000, under a contract with a Lancashire company, Lite.

A town and district councillor, Mrs Gill Dawn, said the town council had let people down with this year’s Christmas celebrations.

Mrs Dawn said those who went to the Market Place for the switch-on found the atmosphere was flat and were disappointed both by the lights and the firework display.

A market trader, Mr Steve McCarthy, of Nottingham, said: “You wouldn’t know it’s Christmas here.”

Mr McCarthy, who has been trading at the market in Newark for 30 years, said there did not seem to be much Christmas atmosphere and trade was poor.

The owners of Galerie antiques shop on Kirkgate, Mr and Mrs Peter Jennison, said some people had complained that the switch-on and the Christmas market were held separately this year.

The owner of Flowers by Florion, on Kirkgate, Mr Keith Stammers, said the lights were supposed to improve each year, but these were the same ones as last Christmas.

The town clerk, Mr Jim Hanrahan, said there were a few changes to the lights, but the council had spent the same amount as the previous year.

He said they planned to have a Christmas tree in the Market Place and light up the whole of the Town Hall this year, but ran out of time.

Mr Hanrahan said the Market Place was a difficult location to light with illuminations because it was such a large area.

He said next year the idea was to provide a fairytale appearance.

He said he thought it would cost about an extra £5,000.

The council originally had a three year contract with the company Lite, but this was extended for another year to cover this Christmas.

This means the contract for Christmas lights will be going out to tender.

Around the circuit

Appletongate: Four wall-mounted lights.

Barnbygate: Five wall-mounted lights.

Cartergate: Six wall-mounted lights, some of which were designed by schoolchildren during a competition last year.

Bridge Street: Three banner-style lights.

Market Place: Eleven wall-mounted lights and plain white lights on the town hall.

Stodman Street: Eight banner-style lights.

Castlegate: Six wall-mounted lights.

Plain white lighting stretches across the street on Middlegate and Kirkgate, creating a ceiling effect.