Plan for dazzling illuminations in Staindrop

COUNCILLORS have told Christmas lights volunteers not to hold back on their request for cash to put on a new display this year.

The Christmas light motifs that line the A688 have become an icon for those who travel through Staindrop during the festive season, but they have reached the end of their lifespan.

Now the village’s Christmas lights committee has come up with a crafty plan to replace the display.

Speaking during the last Staindrop Parish Council’s meeting, committee member Shelagh Stewart said they could not justify the cost of spending more money on the motifs.

She added: “So we thought we would branch wrap two more trees on the south side. And that’s proved to be far too expensive at £7,000 a tree.

“And we also have the upkeep of the two trees we already branch-wrap. Every three years you have to have it taken down because trees expand and grow – that is happening this year and it costs £2,500. To me it is dead money. Like the motifs, it was dead money.”

Another cost was the testing of the timers and the streetlight poles, she said.

Ms Stewart said advice from Durham County Council officers was to remove the timers and to put up new LED lights at the top of the 19 motif streetlight poles.

These are cheaper than the motifs, are more energy efficient and pole testing is not required to put them up.

Parish councillors suggested the Christmas lights committee be more ambitious and think about decorating even more poles through the village with LED lights.

They urged the committee to request more money from the council so that it can be discussed when the finance committee meets in September.

In addition to the new lights, the committee wants to create new static displays on the green. Ms Stewart said: “Sandra [May] came up with an alternative to the actual lights in putting some what I describe as tableau, under the trees. We identified some trees we could put them under.”

The committee members produced some prototypes of Santas, angels, toadstools, a Santa’s workshop and reindeer fashioned from logs.

Ms May said: “So you would have Rudolph with his red nose, then you would have a group of ordinary reindeer around Rudolph.

“They would all be screwed onto a board that would probably make it too heavy for anyone to tip over, or not easily taken away.

“Then, we could have a little Santa’s workshop and that would be fastened on a tree with cable ties.

“Then Santa would have some elves and a toadstool.”

On an unusually shaped tree outside of Gorst Hall, the committee hopes to put three angels, each of a different size perched on one of the branches. Ms May added: “They would all have different expressions on their face so they would be like cheeky little angels.”

A final idea is to have a memory tree on which people can place wooden stars with messages to loved ones they have lost. The stars would be given free of charge and people could take them down and keep them after Christmas.

The lights volunteers were congratulated by parish councillors on their ideas for the new village illuminations

Cllr Ed Chicken said: “I think it is fantastic. Everyone who drives through enjoys the display

“ I think it merits having lights on the tableaux. It is such a shame because they are superb but you aren't going to see them after the sun goes down.”