CHRISTMAS has been cancelled in Marlborough this year after the decision was made not to put up lights in the High Street or run the popular Spirit of Christmas event.
The Chamber of Commerce decided in January this year that it had no money in the kitty to put up Christmas illuminations and the town council was left holding the baby.
Now the committee which organises the Spirit of Christmas event has said that, because no- one else has come forward to help raise the necessary £15,000 to fund it, they have made the decision to pull out.
Derek Smithers, who was chairman of the event committee for the past two years, said the town could not expect the same people to do all the work year after year.
He said: "The committee has done an amazing amount of work to raise the necessary cash and then organise the event, but now they have come to the end of the line.
"We wrote to the Gazette earlier in the year warning that, if no-one else came forward to help, the event would not take place. We have not had a single reply.
"People are quick enough to complain if things aren't done properly, but they are not so eager to offer themselves as willing volunteers."
The Spirit of Christmas replaced the Victorian Evening, set up to complement the official switching on of the town's Christmas lights.
But, as there are no lights in the High Street this year, the event itself has become redundant.
Mr Smithers said that he and Malcolm Ward bore the large part of the burden of raising £15,000 to finance the event.
He said: "When we arranged for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to make an appearance that cost £800. Each steam engine we bring in costs £500 and street entertainers cost between £300 and £600 for the evening.
"It all mounts up."
Street closures for the evening of November 30, the proposed date of the event, had been acquired but now Kennet District Council has been told they willnot be required.
Mr Smithers said: "It is sad that it's finished.
"It was a lovely feeling on the night to see all the children enjoying themselves.
"It is still not too late to save it, but someone will have to come in very quickly to get it off the ground."
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