Jane’s got a new saying for 2020 “You can have what you want – as long as you’re prepared to pay for it”. But before I get onto that… New computers what a kerfuffle. I’ve just had to ask Kevin to sort me out as it seems to want me to get a new office programme or something. No thank you. I couldn’t get rid of the message, so what you do without a Kevin I don’t know. I would be useless, so how do other people go on! One solution is West Fleetwood Community Computer Clinic, where the marvellous Dave Carlos and friends will sort you out for free.
You Can Have What You Want…
Anyway, onto the subject of today’s blog and how the town can of course have exactly what it wants. That is in the way of the ‘awful’ Christmas decorations that we’ve put up. That is according to some comments on Facebook. To say we are all disgusted is an understatement. These ‘decorations’ were made out of recycled plastic bottles and anything we could get our hands on. Just about for free, and any materials we needed were paid for out of our own pockets.
Most of us are pensioners who love their town and are sick of the apathy in Cleveleys every year when it comes to making the town festive. What is it that people don’t get, that you have to make people want to come here. You have to make it worth their while. With our small contribution and a lot of time and love, we got together and tried to make something out of nothing.
… as long as you’re prepared to pay for it
We know they’re not spectacular. But the only thing that will be is proper singing and dancing lights and they cost singing and dancing money.
We used recycled packaging material to make the bows on the bollards, which seems to have upset a lot of people. “Why aren’t they red?” “Is it for a wedding”, and all the rest. We had to work with what we had and spending a fair bit of money out of our own pockets to try and ‘do something’ that no one else will. Loads of time was spent doing it and as the High Street is long, how could we be expected to cover the whole of it? We should have to start at the beginning of the year!
In the face of adversity
One trader was even seen tearing an end off a bow up to blow his nose, although what he did with it then I don’t know. Talk about disrespectful! We spent 7 hours the Monday before we put them up, just putting the garlands together. Children from Northfold school helped out too.
But it seems that we are responsible for the weather being so bad – windy, gales, rain etc which has made some of the bows a bit dirty and blown. What can you say. As we passed on Friday, Jane and I heard a couple criticising them were they ‘supposed to be decorations’. So Jane said we’d made them and that next year they could come and help. To which the woman replied, ‘well we still think they are rubbish’.
To say we were unhappy with the comments is an understatement believe me, especially as we explained on Facebook that the gale force winds and rain had done the damage. Then there was ‘where’s the traditional red decorations’ that some people asked. We decided on a theme of white and gold, frost and snow as all our plastic was white and would have taken forever to paint.
Making them is priceless
When we were making them, I said that the complainers, whingers and moaners would come out in full force, and they did. But what we got out of making and putting up all these things is priceless in the friendship we have with each other. Sadly I would guess that a lot of these people can’t say the same. It was our first year of trying to do something without any money, just a lot of caring about our town and our willingness to work together and get something satisfying from it. It’s a shame these people don’t ask themselves how they would feel if they had spent countless hours, their own money and effort and then the weather to start, along with the criticism.
Carry on regardless
It doesn’t matter anyway, we’ll just carry on doing our own thing regardless. We’re also helping Christmas Cheer to raise money to buy new decorations for the town which obviously is going to cost a lot. The grant that Wyre Council provide to all local towns is handed over to one person to buy the tree and is out of control of the community. So I was busy selling raffle tickets while the gang were putting the decorations up. We will get there and maybe the moaners and critics will join in and help and see what they think then. Somehow I don’t think they will do you.
You can donate towards next years lights on our crowdfunding page at this link
On a brighter note, at the other end of the scale, a lot of people did defend the decorations and our collective hard work, which was really nice of them. At least they could appreciate that we’ve tried to do something when others don’t want to know. I’m sorry I’m moaning but it does get me rattled when some people just like to find fault with anything no matter what the subject. We had a lot of laughs and fun making them so that’s all that matters to us, it’s just water off a duck’s back!!
While you’re here…
Join me on social media – www.Facebook.com/groups/ChrissieBlogger and @ChrissiesBlog
See the homepage of the Visit Fylde Coast website for more of the latest updates.
Love the Fylde Coast? Sign up for your weekly email newsletter. Packed full of interesting things it arrives in your inbox all 52 weeks of the year.
- Join the Visit Fylde Coast Facebook Group
- Follow us on Twitter @visitFyldeCoast
