The businesses responded magnificently after the council decided not to help the area celebrate the festive season, and would put up no cash for Christmas lights.
Winkworth’s got in touch with Crystal Palace Chamber Of Commerce to sponsor the Christmas lights. Calum Mason – director of Winkworth’s Crystal Palace branch on Westow Hill, said: “It was important to have the lights up here – especially because the Crystal Palace and Norwood Chamber of Commerce are running a window display competition based on the 12 days of Christmas. Not having any Christmas lights would have been miserable.
“The council aren’t going to help us. At the eleventh hour the council had said they were doing nothing. It was important to get something back,” Mason said.
The lights were installed at no charge by contractor Skanska UK.
Meanwhile tickets are now selling fast for the Christmas Race Pantomime held at the Upper Norwood Joint Library on Saturday December 8. Tickets are £2.50 for adults and £1 for children. The hour-long show starts at 3.30pm, and tickets can be booked through the library.
Finances at the Upper Norwood Library have been particularly tight because of cuts announced by joint funders Lambeth and Croydon councils. However after an approach to local businesses for sponsorship enough money was raised to ensure a much-loved family tradition in the area could continue.
The library would like to thank Anthony Chandler Associates Accountants on Church Road, Bennett Welch Solicitors on Westow Hill, Do South furniture and gifts shop in Westow Street, Link Metric web designers and Stan from Shinebright Window Cleaners.
“We often get neglected by the five boroughs who make up our neighbourhood,” said Robert Gibson, the chair of the Upper Norwood Library Campaign.
“But the local businesses’ response to provide Christmas lights and the pantomime, and the local musicians who recently held a benefit gig for the library, shows how we roll with the punches rather than buckle.”
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