IN 2014 Brownies will be 100 years old! The Brownies in Peebles decided to celebrate the Big Brownie Birthday by sponsoring 100 yellow Christmas light bulbs. The bulbs were taken along to Brownie pack meetings and the girls carefully drew trefoils, the symbol of the Girl Guide movement, on all of them.

Peebles Christmas Lights Association is very grateful to receive the sponsorship money of £200 from the Brownies, which included a £50 donation from the Trefoil Guild. All the money raised will be used to repair, replace and improve the Christmas lights in the town.

There was great disappointment when the Christmas market had to be cancelled on the Switch On Night because of the difficult weather conditions, and the Lights Association lost substantial income from the hire of the stalls. Consequently the donation from the Brownies is even more significant and very much appreciated.

The decision to cancel the Christmas Market and the funfair was taken very reluctantly by the Lights Association at an emergency meeting at lunchtime that horrible windy day, and in consultation with Scottish Borders Council.

SBC confirmed that they did not have the manpower available to deliver the barriers and close Peebles High Street as their staff were understandably preoccupied with clearing the roads throughout the region of fallen trees and other debris. It was important that stallholders from as far away as Edinburgh and Hawick were alerted in good time so they did not set forth on pointless journeys, and to prevent the funfair leaving its base in Glasgow.

In order to close the High Street for the market the Lights Association have to submit an application for Road Closure in good time to SBC.

We also have to apply for a Market Operators Licence, and the owner of the funfair has to apply for a specific Entertainment Licence for the event. The paperwork takes a considerable amount of time as well as, of course, the preparation of the Health and Safety Risk Assessment.

Prior to the Switch On Night each shop in the High Street was given a programme for the Switch On Night, and each taxi company was individually notified of the plans to close the street, as well as First bus company.

Peebles Bell Ringers had made themselves available for that particular date as well as Peebles Silver Band, Peebles Ex-Servicemen’s Pipe Band, and Inchorus. It was wonderful that each group came out on the night, despite the freezing cold conditions. There were hundreds of townsfolk to see Beltane Queen Rianna Sterricks switch on the lights, ably assisted by Santa. Keith Lomas was once again a great Master of Ceremonies and led everyone in an enthusiastic countdown and, hey presto, the lights came on to many expressions of 'wow!’ In last week’s article in the Peeblesshire News it was reported that some shopkeepers would have liked the event to have been rescheduled. Perhaps by detailing above the amount of work involved prior to the Switch On Night it is clear that simply 'rescheduling’ the celebrations was not an option.

Peebles Christmas Lights Committee is grateful to everyone who helped in any way: by fundraising, donating, giving their time to put up the lights, and providing entertainment. The evening was a lot of fun and very special despite the consequences of the stormy weather.

I am, etc.

Anne Snoddy, Secretary Peebles Christmas Lights Association