A message from the Mayor of Bradford on Avon, Cllr Simon McNeill-Ritchie
With the unprecedented and continuing events of this year, the Town Council is having to rethink the way we run the traditional Christmas Lights celebrations. Specifically, we need to balance the natural desire of our residents to celebrate the holiday period, and the importance to local businesses of attracting customers, with our responsibility for ensuring public safety as far as possible.
Firstly, rather than holding an event, the annual Christmas Lights Switch-On will take place, without fanfare, automatically at dusk on Friday 27 November.
In addition, the Town Council will host a Festive Fair in Westbury Garden on 28 November, Small Business Saturday, to encourage more people into the town and to shop local, further details of which will be announced soon, assuming Government Guidelines continue to permit such events at that time. If you would like to run a stall at the Festive Fayre, please complete an ‘expression of interest’ form at https://www.bradfordonavon.co.uk/expression-of-interest-boa-festive-fayre/
We will also be putting up large Christmas trees in Westbury Garden (kindly sponsored by Bradford on Avon Lions Club), the Tithe Barn (sponsored by the BoA Preservation Trust) and the ‘Giving Tree’ in Lamb Yard (sponsored by FirstPort).
As part of our COVID-19 recovery plans, the Town Council and local businesses recently launched the Shop Local Scheme:
We hope that the community will be encouraged to shop local and support our local shops at this critical time and that businesses will get involved and list any additional incentives they are offering on the Explore Bradford on Avon website (https://www.bradfordonavon.co.uk/boa-shop-locaI-card/offers-and-discounts).
For now, very best wishes and keep safe.
Cllr Simon McNeill-Ritchie
Mayor of Bradford on Avon and Chair of Town Development Committee