Fury as crowd left in dark at village’s festive lights night
COUNCIL LEADER’S APOLOGY FOR CHRISTMAS DISASTER
ANGRY villagers were left in the dark after their Christmas lights failed to turn on.
Around 2,000 people turned up for a ceremony to switch on the lights in Calverton on Saturday.
Mince pies were given away, a brass band played and almost 200 selection boxes were given out in St Wilfred’s Square as families awaited the lights at 4.20pm. But the lights never came on. Anne-marie Partridge, born and bred in Calverton, said people “were stood in the cold and dark like idiots”.
The leader of Gedling Borough Council has apologised and promised an investigation.
Anne-marie, 43, added: “People gave out selection boxes to children, and mince pies to anybody who wanted them.
“We have had children from the Manor Park Infant School singing Christmas Carols.
“And of course, we were just stood there in the cold and dark like idiots. The next thing is that the place just dispersed, the band left and it was quite obvious that no light was being turned on.
“There were official posters posted by our local council all over Facebook, and all around the village. There were a lot of children – it was quite cold as well.
“We were waiting for the switchon. And then it never happened.”
She added: “It is frustrating, it feels like Calverton has been left behind. We have seen photos from Arnold, everyone praising their switch-on event, and we could not even have a decorated Christmas tree.”
Calverton Parish Council chairman Councillor Andy Meads said the council had paid around £4,000 to Gedling Borough Council to light all the trees and lampposts in the village at a set time.
He added: “Just like every other year, we never thought anything different – we thought it will come to 4.20pm and the lights will turn on because that is what was booked.
“When we realised that they are not going to come on, me and other caretakers ran around all those trees to understand how the lights work.”
He added: “Everything else was great. “The only thing we relied on the Gedling Borough Council was for the lights to come on. “And they did not come on.” Councillor John Clarke, the leader of the borough council, apologised following the complaints. He said: “It is embarrassing. I apologise on behalf of the council.”
He said that the matter would be investigated further, and added: “They normally run quite smoothly – so for the lights not to be switched on as scheduled, that is really strange.”
We were just stood there in the cold and dark like idiots
Anne-marie Partridge