Cumbria flooding: Ambleside Christmas lights switch-on cancelled (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cumbria flooding: Ambleside Christmas lights switch-on cancelled

11:38am Friday 20th November 2009

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ORGANISERS of Ambleside’s community Christmas lights have “reluctantly” been forced to cancel the event because of the floods.

Thousands of people converge on the town each year to see Santa arrive by Windermere Lakes steamer and the lake shore is flooded with light from lanterns made by visitors.

But with Rothay Park submerged in water members of the Christmas lights committee at first agreed to put off tomorrow night’s firework finale.

They were then contacted by Windermere Lakes Cruises to say that there would be no sailings because of the high levels of water in Windermere.

“it would have been half the event it was. We would not have had the crowds,” said Ambleside Community Christmas Lights secretary Fiona Sparrow.

“The weather forecast for tomorrow does not encourage us.

"It’s heartbreaking because we have been working all year.”

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