With a little over a week left until the big day, it’s lovely to see the district adorned with beautiful festive displays and communities coming together for Christmas events and celebrations.
Sadly, I’ve been unable to get to as many events as I would have liked this year but have heard lots of positive things from friends and colleagues about how towns and villages are getting into the festive mood.
Last month we launched our annual Shop Local campaign in a bid to encourage residents to support our local retailers over the Christmas period and it’s been great to see our high streets buzzing with people shopping and celebrating and giving Rother’s economy a much-welcomed boost.
There is still time to pick up the final few presents – or all the presents if you shop better under pressure and leave it all until the last minute. Our high streets are full of wonderful, independent shops where you can pick up some truly unique and thoughtful gifts. With a couple of days of our free Christmas parking days left, if you time it right you might just be able to save a bit of money too.
No matter where you live, there is one certainty over the Christmas period – confusion over bin collection days! I’m sure I’m not alone in having to check the bin status of the most reliable neighbour on collection days.
But you can rid yourself of the uncertainty by viewing the waste and recycling collection calendars online and making a note of the Christmas changes, simply visit our ‘ ‘find my nearest‘ page and enter your postcode for the information.
Of course, if you have signed up for My Alerts it’s even easier as the changes to collections will be reflected in the weekly information you receive. If you want to sign up for My Alerts and make life a little easier, visit our My Alerts page and you’ll receive useful information and updates specific to your address.
With all the wrapping papers, cards, toy and food packaging, bottles and cans, our bins can get pretty full over the Christmas week and some may feel tempted to bag it all up and pop it in the general waste bin. Please don’t. It only takes a second to sort your rubbish which will help our collection crews and the environment by boosting recycling rates. We have a handy guide for how different items can be disposed of and how you can reduce your waste which you can fine on our rubbish and recycling pages.
Our staff have worked incredibly hard this year and are no doubt looking forward to a break. The Town Hall and phone lines will close at 4.30pm on Tuesday, December 24th and reopen at 9.30am on Thursday, January 2nd. In emergency situations you can report car and house alarms and dangerous structures or find help if you are homeless over the Christmas period by calling our careline on 0330 123 3517.
For many, Christmas is a time to celebrate and spend precious time with loved ones. But there are some in our community for whom Christmas can be lonely. Take time to check in on neighbours, family and friends over the festive break – that small act of kindness could make the world of difference. Merry Christmas!
Published: 13th December 2024
