Crying Wolf Again?

OK, so you've heard it all before. Is this the 3rd or 4th year running that the lights won't be going on?

Sadly this year, things are just a bit different. As I write, the lights belong to the Biggleswade Chamber of Trade. At the Chamber of Trade AGM on Monday 13th July, the executive announced they would not be running the Christmas Lights in 2009!

Fortunately, a handful of shop and pub owneres were present at the meeting, along with one Town Council member. Thankfully, a last minute reprieve was arranged, and the conditions are this....

If £5,000 can be raised before 1st September 2009, the Biggleswade Town Council will match funds and the combined money raised of £10,000 (yes a whopping £10,000 to get the lights up each year!), and the lights can be saved.

What next? Well it seems that with the excecption of a few very loyal shops, pubs and businesses, that the lights will need to be financially supported by the general public.

Should we debate "Who should pay?", well we could, but there's no time. If you want the lights, the question is, "Would you pay?" Many people have asked themselves that question, and thankfully the pledges are starting to trickle in.

Contact pledge@biggleswade-lights.org
or check out our face book Cause and Fan pages (see links below) for updates on progress so far.