Southampton's Bargate Christmas lights removed over damage fears (From Daily Echo)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
The Great Liners. A unique history of the great liners and cruise ships, both old and new. Click to buy online
Southampton's Bargate Christmas lights removed over damage fears
10:07am Friday 27th November 2009 in
More stories about: Bargate
-
- By Jenny Makin » Assistant News Editor
CHRISTMAS lights have been removed from Southampton’s historic Bargate over fears they could damage the monument in strong winds.
The fairy lights were draped across the top of the Bargate in time for last weekend’s big switch-on in the city centre.
But within an hour they had to be turned off, thought to be due to a power-related issue, as gusts of wind and torrential rain left them lashing against the stone.
Council chiefs and city centre management have now removed the twinkling lights altogether, plunging the landmark into darkness.
A structural survey is also being carried out on a towering Christmas tree perched on top of the Bargate to ensure it won’t harm the structure.
While that is being carried out the small twinkling lights on the tree as well as others attached to the lampposts have been switched off.
The string of lights dangling from the monument were removed on Tuesday.
It’s the first time fairy lights have been put up on the Bargate. They were paid for by the weekly market stall holders.
The tree was funded by Westquay Retail Park and will remain over the festive season if it’s deemed to be strong enough in bad weather.
Royston Smith, deputy leader of the council, said: “It’s much more important to protect one of Southampton’s ancient monuments than risk it being harmed by a bunch of fairy lights.
“Obviously we want lights in the city for people to enjoy, but in the end the potential damage outweighed that.”
The rest of the city centre’s lights are still on with no reported problems.
Comments(17)
Lone Ranger
says...
10:48am Fri 27 Nov 09
Quote:-The rest of the city centre’s lights are still on with no reported problems.
.
Are you reffering to the half dozen trees with scrawny lights on in the precinct.
.
Toally pathetic.
.
This councils "attempt" to add Xmas cheer is pathetic. Waste £80k of my/our money on a Spin Doctor to make them look good plus another £25k on a part time alcohol tsar to report back on the obvious.
.
Start puting the residents of this once geat city first instead of wasting money on trying to make youselves into something that you never will be...competant.
Northamboy
says...
10:48am Fri 27 Nov 09
but its ok to put a bar and cafe in it?
My View from the Hill
says...
11:33am Fri 27 Nov 09
Big Mac
says...
11:46am Fri 27 Nov 09
Paramjit Bahia
says...
11:49am Fri 27 Nov 09
There are plenty of lights in Bedford Place, and I haven't seen any buildings pulled down by those. Perhaps there is some different type of wind blowing in Bargate area, the destructive Tory hurricane.
baz2009
says...
12:03pm Fri 27 Nov 09
r and bournemouth have christmas lights and we cant.
R0X0R5
says...
12:26pm Fri 27 Nov 09
Jammy Donut
says...
12:33pm Fri 27 Nov 09
12:26pm Fri 27 Nov 09
It5 a c@5tl3 n0t and sur1v3d 2 w@r5 + stuff
Are you the new Tzar of booze control ?
stickymcglue
says...
12:50pm Fri 27 Nov 09
Sill I suppose they are the same council that gave the grand harbour hotel planning permission and failed to stop it was hideous , out of character and complete eye-sore.....
the next thing they will be allowing giant blue and yellow box-like retail structures to be built in a traffic jam hot spot... oh , they already have !!
LOL
Huffybear
says...
2:09pm Fri 27 Nov 09
Northamboy wrote:Thanks Northamboy, I thought I was going mad when I read this.
“It’s much more important to protect one of Southampton’s ancient monuments than risk it being harmed by a bunch of fairy lights"
but its ok to put a bar and cafe in it?
So no bar / cafe then ......... until we read the next set of headlines.
The many faces of Soton City Council!
soton1980
says...
6:08pm Fri 27 Nov 09
flower49
says...
9:49pm Fri 27 Nov 09
Northamboy wrote:Amen to that, why oh why do I keep reading every story with utter amazement and dismay? Let drunks urinate over it, smash glasses, fight and bang someones head on the walls, probably fix a dirty great bar sign above it,s walls, yes, thats ok but, fairy lights, no, give me strength.
“It’s much more important to protect one of Southampton’s ancient monuments than risk it being harmed by a bunch of fairy lights" but its ok to put a bar and cafe in it?
ben1203
says...
6:00pm Sun 29 Nov 09
ben1203
says...
6:08pm Sun 29 Nov 09
ben1203
says...
6:19pm Sun 29 Nov 09
when it comes to christmas you want to go into a city where you feel like it christmas, we dont get a white christmas so we need to make southampton a place that people will come because they want to see the amaseing xmas light. when i walk around southampton you dont get that feeling
southampton would make so much more money if the council just really put there heads together and thought of a way of doing this. if people come and theres nothing then they are less likely to spend money but if they are happy and feeling in the xmas spirit then they are happy and ralaxed they are more likely to do there xmas shopping. the amount of taxes we pay every year this should not even be issue. stop spending money on things that we dont need, like the two big bill boards that are powered you know the ones where the new police station will be. was it really needed for you to spend all that money ????
ben1203
says...
6:29pm Sun 29 Nov 09
it would only take one day to do, yes it would cost a bit of money but i think the southampton public desevre to see southampton really looking the part.
More Hampshire Heritage stories
- Film-makers set off on the history trail
- Most striking historic city symbol – Bar none
- Guess the year and the location
- Matchstick tribute to Titanic
- Thieves pick on wrong man in bid to grab garage’s takings
- Plummers – the pioneer of Southampton shopping
- Mystery of room 667
- Life, loves and losses of a retail magnate
- Daylight robbery - how the window tax left it's mark on Hampshire
- Southampton - Ancient but ever new
The Bargate when the lights were switched on
And the Bargate now
Most popular
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Le Tissier's Nose says...
10:34am Fri 27 Nov 09