Town Centre Manager Column

Remembrance.
Well done Spalding!
I attended my first Spalding Remembrance Service and Parade on Sunday in Ayscoughfee Gardens and was greatly impressed with the organisation of the event and the fantastic attendance, especially the large number of young people that turned out.
It is extremely important that the country and we as a community continue to commemorate the loss of those that gave their lives, so that we may live in peace and freedom.

Christmas Lights Switch On.
This coming Saturday sees the Spalding Christmas Lights Switch-on event, which includes the Schools’ Choir and Tulip Queen competitions, yours truly is amongst a hosts of local talent lined up to entertain you.
Santa Claus will also be present in the town centre, courtesy of the South Holland Rotary Club and the whole event is being organised by Tulip Radio and Spalding Chamber of Commerce, supported by South Holland District Council.

Christmas Market.
This year’s Christmas Market will again take place in the town centre on Sunday, November 29. Ayscoughfee Hall is also running a Winter Fair over the Saturday and Sunday and as well as market stalls there will be street food vendors, a fun fair in the Sheep Market Car Park and a brass band playing carols.
Stalls and pitches are still available from as little as £25, so if you are interested, please contact me on 01776 766 729.
Please come and support your Christmas Market!

Buy Local.
I cannot stress enough the need for people to purchase a proportion of their Christmas spend in local shops.
Buying locally, in particular from independent shops, gives these retail businesses the confidence to invest in shop refurbishment, develop their offer and to employ more staff and to keep those that they already employ.
Generally people don’t like losing shops and services locally, but don’t equate this to how they spend their money.
This is not rocket science; shop owners rent premises, hire staff and purchase goods at wholesale prices and sells them on to you for a modest profit.
If you ignore the local shops and purchase all your requirements on-line or from an out of town shopping centre, your local shops will close, people will lose their jobs and the town centre as we know it, will die.

A monthly column by Spalding Town Centre Manager Dennis Hannant