Will Bexhill have Xmas lights?

Meanwhile, chamber president Ainsley Gill assured members attending yesterday's annual meeting at the Cooden Beach Hotel had he will be writing to Rother to put the record straight.

The chamber was heavily criticised at the last Rother cabinet meeting when councillors were told it had declined to contribute to a 100,000 new Christmas lighting scheme.

Chamber minutes show that members had contributed five years ago via the former Town Centre Action Group to the previous 30,000 scheme.

This was was supposed to have a 10-year life.

The chamber made it clear three years ago that it had neither the cash nor the manpower to be involved in funding, erecting or maintaining the lights.

The president said the late-night promotion would go ahead but without the customary lighting switch-on ceremony.

Rother cabinet is recommending the council to go ahead with a lighting scheme funded by town taxpayers via the Bexhill Special Expenses charge added to Council Tax.

The president said of the planned chamber letter: "It is so that they are made aware. There will not be any barbed criticism.

"Hopefully, some lights will happen this year but we don't know what is going to happen."

In a review of the year, the president told the annual meeting that membership stood at about 140.

He said the chamber was keen to encourage more traders to become members and was preparing a recruitment campaign.

Among the year's highlights had been the recent Bexhill Achievers' Awards ceremony. The chamber had been co-organiser with the Bexhil Observer. With more than 400 people taking part, this had been an excellent event with even more award categories this year.

"It's an event that gets bigger and better. It's really an event that Bexhill can be proud of and the chamber can be proud of."

Chamber executive committee member Ilian Granville had co-hosted the event.

The Anglo-French Market the previous weekend had been one of the best ever, with many traders opening to take advantage of the influx of visitors.

The president thanked chamber communications officer Sue Spice for the months of hard work she had put into the event.

"The chamber sponsored the Bexhill Music Festival - again, another good event for the tow, held at the De La Warr Pavilion and very popular. I now understand that it is going to be an annual event.

"Our congratulations and thanks go to Tony Mansi, an ex-chamber president, for putting together this event."

The annual meeting preceded one of the chamber's regular business breakfasts and the president said these, which often featured a speaker, had becoming increasingly popular.

He thanked executive member James Kimber for hosting the chamber's successful barbecue at the Cooden Beach Hotel.

More information was now being sent to members by e-mail, including details of courses of use to the business community.

"This is another way in which the chamber works for you."

He said the chamber was still in contact with Rother and working towards the provision some form of tourist information centre for the because it knew how important this was to the local economy.

The chamber had been part of the pressure group which had successfully campaigned for the re-opening of the Marina public toilets, closed as Rother economy measure.

Looking to the year ahead, he pledged: "We will continue working for the visitor information centre. We will support Bexhill Music Festival and continue our involvement in Bexhill Achievers' Awards and the Anglo-French Market."

He congratulated committee member Sandra Melvin on the town's recent success in the South East in Bloom competition.

Treasurer Mark Finch said the chamber had ended the year with a 340 surplus - compared with the previous year's 3,000 deficit.

Income of 4,818 was made up almost entirely from members' subscriptions.

Significant savings had been made by e-mailing members instead of posting correspondence.