ORGANISERS of Tavistock's popular Dickensian evening have been given a Christmas present by the county's road managers.
South West Highways have told the town's chamber of commerce they intend to make no charge for road closures at this year's event which takes place tomorrow (Friday).
Janet Newell, chamber secretary, said: 'They contacted me and said as a one-off Millennium gesture they would be making no charge for the provision of road closure signs this year — it's very nice of them.'
The £360.25 fee is the major cost of staging Dickensian evening — earlier this year new owners of the Bedford Hotel, Warm Welcome Inns, offered to pick up the tab when the chamber ran into money-raising difficulties.
'The Bedford were going to pay our bills — there are obviously other expenses that they will be paying for but that was the largest single item,' said Mrs Newell.
The arrangements for the evening, which sees the streets packed with Christmas shoppers, are well in hand.
'The only thing I can't organise is the weather, but hopefully a good time will be had by all.
'We've got quite a lot of street vendors coming out for various charities and I hope most people will enter into the spirit and dress up.
'It really does seem that the town is pulling together, and if everybody does their bit, it makes it a good evening,' Mrs Newell said.
Tavistock Dickensian evening begins at 6pm, with free parking in town car parks from 4pm.