The volunteers who saved Christmas!

MELKSHAM Christmas Lights Group volunteers have been praised by the community for yet again lighting up the town in spectacular style.

As well as another dazzling Market Place lights display, this year’s display includes new string lighting through the town, and old motifs, dating back to the 1970s, that have been rebuilt and restored.

And again, the town’s display has been hailed as one of the best around.

Melksham’s mayor, cllr Pat Aves, told Melksham News, “Our Christmas lights display is such an important event in the town’s calendar – and this year’s display has been more important than ever after the year that we have had. It’s an opportunity to bring the community together to enjoy a feast of colours through the town.

“And this year’s display is, as usual, beautiful and stunning – it’s the best in the west by far! Other towns’ displays are okay – but ours is much, much better -we should be very proud. And the volunteers behind the display deserve so much praise – they work so hard to create something special for us all – thank you to them all.”

“Well done to everyone who helped to make our town look so beautiful again. Thank you all,” said one local resident.

“Fabulous as ever, actually it gets better every year. Well done,” added another resident.

“Thank you all for your hard work. Truly amazing,” said a local.

“Well done all involved. A lot of hard work, and it’s much appreciated, thank you,” said another.

“Fantastic, you do Melksham proud as always. We love them, Thank you so much,” said a local woman.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, this year’s switch-on event – which would normally attract thousands of people to the town – was cancelled.

Instead, the lights were switched on at the weekend during a small and un-publicised ceremony, with 13-month-old Tommy Weymouth – son of Melksham Christmas Lights Group volunteer Paul Weymouth – having the honour of pushing the button to turn them on.