Trader upset over fun night

THE annual evening of Christmas fun will be held a week later than usual in Hailsham this year, to the annoyance of at least one local shopkeeper.

At a meeting last week of the Christmas Festivities Committee which organises the annual late-night shopping celebrations there were rumours of some traders boycotting the event in protest.

However, chairman of the Hailsham and District Chamber of Commerce Robin Kempe said that neither he nor the chamber would be supporting such action and he urged shopkeepers to take part in the fun on December 20.

In a letter to committee chairman Cllr Nick Ellwood, shopkeeper Mr A Vinter, who is co-proprietor of Jingles Music Store in the High Street, expressed serious concerns about the way the date was chosen.

'You have singularly failed to understand the needs of the traders,' he said, 'who do so much to make this town the unique town that it is and have removed the chance for us to maximise our business at a time when we all need as much trade as possible.'

Mr Vintner also noted that there will be a separate late-night shopping event on Friday, December 13, arranged independently by the traders and without the added events planned for the following Friday.

He said: 'I do feel very strongly that the council has paid no notice of nor sought the advice of local traders who all have a tough time trading in Hailsham, and will probably not do as well this year as last year due to what I can only describe as the incompetence of the council and its committee.'

In reply, Cllr Ellwood asserted that date of December 20 was chosen by the committee in September, to avoid clashing with other local Christmas events on December 13.

'At no time were there any letters or verbal requests from traders in the town for the event to be set on a particular day or date,' he said. 'The traders have had nine months in which to suggest a date.

'I resent giving up my time to arrange this event, which is for the people of Hailsham as much as the traders, when I receive a letter of this tone from one of the traders.'

Chamber of commerce chairman Mr Kempe said: 'That letter contains the completely independent views of Mr Vinter, not of myself, the chamber or the traders in general.

'I would hope that shopkeepers in Hailsham will be making the most of both events, on December 13 and 20. I have no doubt that it will be good for them and good for the people of Hailsham.'