I READ with interest the debate around the quality of Christmas decorations and trees in town centre shopping areas.

St Helens took a fair bit of stick, particularly the tree in Church Square, on social media and in some news reports.

This seemed a little harsh to me; it looked pretty nice when all lit up on an evening. Alright it wouldn’t win any awards but councils are in a tricky position with all the budget cuts they’ve faced.

Can they really justify spending loads on Christmas decorations?

It made me wonder about the best way of funding something like this. Would a business fund – where town centre traders contribute money collectively for festive decorations be a solution?

That may improve the quality but it wouldn’t be coming out of the public purse.

As I said, I don’t want to run St Helens down, I had some pleasant trips over Christmas. But I also visited some neighbouring areas over the festive season and I did feel as though they put us in the shade a little.

What’s the answer? Anyone know what other areas do?

Name and address submitted