Let's roll ... to Christmas Festival 2003

The best Christmas lights in the area and Saturday's crowd-pulling Festival have seen Bexhill go from the butt of all jokes last year to the envy of the south east.

The hard work is paying off for traders who spent months making sure this Christmas is not a repeat of last year. Many are reporting record takings with curious Bexhillians flocking to the newly-illuminated town centre for their Christmas shopping rather than going out of town.

And next year's going to be even better.

"We're on a roll!" said Brian Storkey of Bexhill Promotions Group, summing-up town feeling.

He revealed that:

*ALREADY talks have been opened with festive lights designers and manufacturers Blachere Wonderland to extend the system for next Christmas

*ALREADY planning has begun and a date set for an even bigger and better Christmas Festival in 2003

Mr Storkey said: "We have had so many good things all at once what with the switch-on of the festive lights and now the Christmas Festival.

"I think the whole town is really quite proud of it now."

Next year's plan is to complete the "box" of lights encapsulating the town centre by filling in the present dark areas along Marina and in Devonshire Square.

Saturday, December 6, 2003 has been set as the date for next year's Christmas Festival with the switch-on of the lights scheduled for two weeks before that.

Mr Storkey said: "We have had nothing but thoroughly good comments from other towns about the festive lights. People who came over from Hastings to take part in the festivities were telling their friends to come over and see Bexhill's lights.

"Everyone was coming up to us and saying how good they are."