THE lights went on in Darwen and even though we only had half of our normal display, they still look as good as the first time we saw them.

The Lantern Walk arranged by the market managers was superb and the market stallholders looked magnificent in their Christmas attire.

The children's faces melted everyone's hearts with their expectation of Christmas coming soon.

The fireworks were wonderful and the street entertainers made us smile.

Even though we in Darwen are having to put up with a lot of disruption at the moment, we still make the best of what we had.

Hopefully, this time next year all will be sorted and we will be able to have a Christmas that we can talk about for years to come.

Let's get behind our local markets and shops this Christmas and not make them suffer just because of a bit of inconvenience.

Christmas is a time of good cheer so let's raise a glass to all those who made the switch on' such a good time for all the children who attended because it was all done for them, who still believe in Father Christmas.

TRACY JONES, Somerset Avenue, Darwen.