A famous festive lights display in Stourbridge faces an uncertain future with residents yet to decide if the popular event will go ahead this year.
The display at Leonard Road, Wollaston, has proved a hit with families from across the UK for years raising thousands of pounds for charity in the process.
But residents today said they had not even talked about staging the event this year let alone started preparations.
In previous years, householders have already started the major task of putting up the thousands of Christmas lights in time for the traditional switch-on ceremony on December 1.
Last year’s event got off to a rocky start when a row broke out about unwanted food vendors setting up in the street.
Residents accused the sellers of trying to make money from the popular charitable event and switched off their lights in protest on the first two nights.
Discussions
Volunteer collectors from Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital, where the money raised was donated, turned over their duties to residents because of the situation.
The event raised £21,523 - down from £40,000 the year before and £47,000 in 2004.
Resident Sue Buckley stressed no final decision had yet been made on whether the event was going ahead or not but confirmed no discussions had yet taken place.
“We’ve not really talked about the lights display this year,” she said.
“People who took part in previous years have moved and a lot of houses have changed hands over the past year. To be honest the decision has not been made.”
The display has been running for more than a decade after other residents in the street joined in the tradition started by residents Harry and Glenis Shaw.
Thousands of visitors flock to the street annually and £100,000 has been raised in the last three years for the Georgina leukaemia unit at Russells Hall.
By Lee Watton
Popular stories:
Share this article:
What are these?