Festival safe despite TIC closure

CHRISTMAS in Bradford on Avon will go ahead as planned, despite the shock closure of the town’s Tourist Inform-ation Centre, according to the Chamber of Commerce.

The Festival of Christmas will carry on despite the loss of £1,000 pledged for the event by the town council, which was returned to council coffers after the TIC’s collapse.

This week Pavilion Café owner Andrew Allen, along with former TIC volunteers, stepped in to save the town’s charity Christmas card shop.

It is now being run from a temporary shed next to the café, which will also be used as Santa’s grotto during the Festival of Christmas.

The Cards for Good Causes pop-up shop on St Margaret’s Street was run by the TIC but Mr Allen said he felt it was vital that it continued, because tourism was crucial to the town.

He said: “I wanted to help because it is something that people expect to be here and all the volunteers were behind us. The response has been really positive.”

Volunteers at the pop-up shop in the TIC were told on October 24 it would be closing immediately, but less than a week later it was up and running again.

The card shop has been in the town every Christmas since 1998.

June Harrison, who was a volunteer at the tourist information centre, said she was shocked at the closure of both the TIC and the card shop.

She said: “Most of us were disappointed and volunteers didn’t know until the last minute. I was told by email – I think everyone was. We are rather saddened because you make a lot of friends here.”

It is not yet known what will happen to the shop next year. Anyone interested in volunteering should call Louise Johnson on 01985 214389.

The Festival of Christmas begins on November 21 with the town’s lights switch-on, and includes carol singing, festive fairs and a festival featuring Christmas trees decorated by town organisations at Holy Trinity Church.

Bradford on Avon Tourism Association and Chamber of Commerce both declined to comment on the TIC closure when contacted by the Wiltshire Times this week.