FOR A short while during the summer, it looked like Petersfield’s start to the festive season would be nothing more than a damp squib.

The Association of Petersfield Businesses, the group which had been organising the Christmas lights switch-on event for the last few years, disbanded, citing a lack of support from people in the town as the reason for shutting up shop.

After that news was confirmed, Petersfield was faced with having no festive lights switch-on event.

The switching-on would have been marked by nothing more than the lights contractor flicking on the switch for the display once workers had finished putting them up.

However, the Post wasn’t going to let this annual event die and, after an offer of help and financial support to Petersfield Town Council, which pays for the lights and the tree in The Square, the wheels were put in motion to form a new organising group ensuring there would still be an event to mark the switching on of the lights.

That event is taking place today (Friday) in The Square in Petersfield town centre from 5-7.30pm.

Post Series editor Graeme Moir said: “We didn’t want to let this event die. So many people turn out for it every year so for the town’s newspaper it was a case of offering our help and seeing if other groups in the town would be willing to lend a hand.

“The response was what I expected – Petersfield responded to the call to maintain something the community enjoys and that great sense of community the town has shone through yet again.

“I hope people enjoy the evening and that it is a fitting way to mark the start of the festive season in the town.”

Petersfield mayor Lesley Farrow has given the switch-on event her full support.

She said: “It would have been a shame if the town had missed out on celebrating the switching on of the lights – I am grateful for the Post stepping in with their support to continue the event.

“The lights going on are part of the build-up to Christmas in Petersfield every year and it will be nice to see them switched on.”