Appeal launched to help keep Buckie Christmas lights displays shining after storm battering
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
BUCKIE'S Christmas lights team are appealing for help after Storm Arwen wrought appalling damage on the festive displays.
The volunteer team could only watch on in horror on November 26 as the high winds tore through the lights, which had only been switched on the previous Saturday. The Christmas tree in Cluny Square also had to be taken down after sustaining damage.
In its wake Storm Arwen has left the Christmas Lights Committee with unprecedented repair bills, with many of the displays wrecked beyond saving. Some lights literally crumbled in the volunteers' hands as they were taken down, such was the battering they had received, while others were white with encrusted salt.
The team are still assessing the damage to the lights and, ominously, the repair bill could well climb further.
Lights committee chairman Adam Murray said: "We're still evaluating the damage and getting quotes but it's not looking good.
"At the moment we're looking at at least £8500 for the lights and that's not counting what it'll take to sort the Christmas tree – assuming it can be sorted. Our normal repair bills in a year are about £500 or £600, we've never had anything like this before.
"About 20 of the just short of 100 lights displays are damaged. In all my years as a volunteer with the Christmas lights I've never seen damage like this.
"We're looking to do some fund-raisers later in the near but we're also hoping local people and businesses will help us keep the best Christmas lights display in the north-east going."
The committee rely entirely on the generosity of the public to fund the stunning light displays which bring festive cheer to the centre of Buckie. However, last year's fund-raising efforts were hit by the Covid regulations.
Donations can be made via Paypal using the friends and family option at Buckiechristmaskracker@hotmail.com
To make donations by bank transfer, cash or cheque message the Buckie Christmas kracker Facebook page for details.
All donors will remain anonymous
