An East Sussex pub famous for using around 20,000 Christmas lights in its annual decorations has decided to halve the number of lights it is using this year, due to rises in electricity costs.
The Marine Pub in Eastbourne has been managed by Phil and Ann Saunders for nearly 30 years. What started out as a friendly competition between two neighbouring pubs to see who could display the brightest lights, soon became an annual tradition and every year the Marine’s collection of lights and decorations would grow. The annual lighting display is said to attract customers from miles around.
In recent years, Phil and Ann would decorate the pub with around 20,000 multi-coloured lights and masses of baubles, tinsel and holly wreaths, all at a cost of around £600 per month in energy bills. The decorations would be put up with help from the pub regulars, who would be rewarded with a champagne breakfast.
However, due to recent increases in energy costs which has seen the bills nearly double, the Saunders have chosen to cut back on the amount of lights used to just 10,000.
Phil told Lighting, “It’s due to rising prices that we can’t continue to have the display as bright as we would have liked. We’ve been doing this for nearly thirty years and this is the first year we’ve decreased the number of lights used.”
