Plans for festive sparkle

THE emphasis in this year's Christmas late-night shopping festival will be on expanding the action from the Devonshire Road switch-on ceremony out to every shopping street.

Bexhill Regeneration Partnership's town centre and tourism action group is organising street meetings next week in a bid to promote entertainment and activity across the centre when the Christmas decorations are lit on Friday, November 19.

This week action group sub-committee chairman Phil Morris and Brian Storkey of Bexhill Promotions Group appealed to traders to support the fund to enhance this year's lights and activities and to promote entertainment in each street.

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The aim is to attract 25 from each business. Donations made out to Making Bexhill Brighter should be sent to estate agents Abbott and Abbott in Devonshire Road.

The Observer is backing the campaign and, week-by-week, will be carrying the names of supporting businesses. This year's campaign slogan is Keeping Bexhill Brighter. Donors will be given Keeping Bexhill Brighter stickers to display in their windows.

Phil Morris said: "What we want to emphasize this year is that late-night shopping involves every shopping street in the town centre, not just Devonshire Road.

"We are trying to get some form of activity in every road."

Brian Storkey said: "We are hoping to get entertainment in every road. We will be booking professional entertainers but if any local bands, groups, carol-singers, amateur dramatic societies, dance schools and the like would like to put on entertainment I would be delighted if they would contact me on 730564.

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"This year's event clashes with Children In Need - that is both a minus and a plus. There is no reason why Children In Need events cannot add to the attractions on late-night shopping night while still raising money for charity."

Last year, late-night shopping drew an estimated 10,000 crowd to Devonshire Road for the switch-on ceremony and firework display.

But technical problems with securing safe fixings in ageing town centre brickwork meant that some roads were not fully lit until after the event.

This year, the organisers have changed contractors. New wall-plates will be replacing the last of the old eye-bolt fixings by the end of the month, spreading the load at the anchorage points.

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Phil Morris said: "We have new contractors this year. We will be in charge of it - and we intend to get it right." Both men praised the support given by Rother council.

Brian Storkey said: "Both in terms of co-operation and in up-grading the fixings and covering insurance and storage and the like Rother have been superb."

Phil Morris said: "We have done a major up-grade on the lights. The contractors are replacing many of the LEDS with brighter units which twinkle and flash."

Two light fixings were lost when the Grand Hotel burned down, leaving a gap in Sea Road's lights. Now a new pole will enable the gap to be filled.

A huge Christmas tree will dominate new-look Devonshire Square.