What a night! (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

What a night!

9:44am Thursday 11th December 2008

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Last week’s late night shopping event in Clacton was a wonderful event.

And for once, we are not being sarcastic.

The streets were packed with people (none of them rioting), the weather stayed reasonably clement-ine (see what we did there?), there was bonhomie all round. Even the Christmas lights worked.

The music and spirit of Christmas, or spirits of a different sort, got some people dancing, the only animals in the town centre on display were reindeer, not human ones fuelled by countless pints, and police reported a quiet evening.

It just went to show what can be achieved when a few people get together and decide to do something.

It is worth stressing that the lights were paid for by people from the town, the event was largely organised by volunteers with the support of local authorities and it proves what can be done when people decide to band together and do something for the town.

It was nice to see the shops were busy (even though they will not thank me for pointing out most of the major national stores did not feel able to contribute to the lights appeal) and it was nice to see the new town centre acting as a centre piece for a celebration.

It is not too difficult to picture a similar scene on a balmy summer evening with bands playing music in the square with a French market stretching up the street peut-etre?

Let’ s go mad! We can picture an informal Shakespeare production while people wander round in fancy dress and browse antiques stalls, comedians even or magicians....

Lordy. We can see it now, three or four special summer evenings which would please locals, draw in tourists and generate revenue!

It would help regenerate the town. Let’s go completely bonkers and suggest even the fountain might work.

And what is there to stop this regeneration happening...

We have a council with the best interests of the community at heart. We have a regeneration company. We have countless public bodies funded by the public purse and countless people on the public pay roll.

Surely it is not beyond the bounds of possibility for one of these groups to grasp the bull by the horns and try to get something sorted....

We will wait and see.

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