FOR a number of years a small group of volunteers has served as members of the Tintagel Christmas lights committee.

They have done a fantastic job organising and arranging the Christmas lights displays and switch-ons and holding successful fundraising events to top up the funding from the Tintagel Parish Council, meaning Tintagel has been able to enjoy some wonderful displays and switch-on evenings.

However, despite their hard work during 2017, Tintagel sadly did not have its usual Christmas lights display and switch-on evening.

The chairman of the Tintagel Parish Council stated that this was due to the services of a suitably qualified electrician not being secured to install the light displays and that a decision was made by the parish council and lights committee not to install the Christmas lights in 2017.

The parish council did, however, arrange a small display and Christmas tree in Trevena Square and a few parishioners got together and organised a walk from the visitors’ centre to Trevena Square for a switch-on.

Afterwards, Charlie’s Café treated everyone to mulled wine and mince pies and arranged for mother and Father Christmas to visit with sweets for the children.

The Tintagel Christmas lights committee annual general meeting was held in February this year. It was very well attended and the new Tintagel Christmas lights committee was formed. Jane Avis is chairman, Lyndsay Linn is secretary and Deborah Walking is treasurer, and they feel very fortunate to have a lot of members on this new committee.

The committee’s first fundraising event was in March — a curry evening in the old school rooms. Tickets sold out very quickly and it was a great evening with delicious food enjoyed by all.

Over £800 was raised.

The most recent fundraising event was a cake sale held on Saturday, May 5 in the King Arthur’s Arms’ awning. An amazing number of lovely homemade cakes were donated, which were snapped up very quickly. Over £300 was raised.

The committee will be holding other fundraising events throughout the year and details of these, plus details of the new committee, can be found on the Facebook page, Tintagel Christmas Lights.

The 2018 Tintagel Christmas lights switch-on will be held on Saturday, December 1, with craft stalls, fun fair rides, music, visits from mother and Father Christmas, and much more.

To join the new Tintagel Christmas lights committee, or to present fundraising ideas, host a fundraising event or help at events, email [email protected] or contact the committee via their Facebook page.

They would like to involve as many local people and businesses as possible to help light up Tintagel this Christmas.