A community is gearing up for their annual Christmas lights event tonight, despite this week’s ‘terrible news’ about another Post Office closure.

The build-up to the Southdown Lights Up fair has been overshadowed this week by the news that the local newsagent and Post Office will close days after Christmas.

The Co-Operative made the announcement last week after informing its staff, blaming poor trade.

But the show will go on and organiser Irene Russell, who runs Southdown Hardware store with her husband Paul, hopes people can put aside their worries for the evening.

She said: “The terrible news has dismayed the whole area, people are really in despair about it.

“Unfortunately I think it will people’s minds tonight, it’s overshadowed the event because everyone’s been talking about it.

“Hopefully we can try and forget about it for one night, there’s been a a great community effort for this as always so it should be fun still.”

Rain has greeted the 6pm switch on for the last three years but Irene has her fingers crossed today that the community will be granted some luck.

Santa will arrive for the evening around 6.30pm after the Harpenden Town Mayor Councillor Pat Kent switches on the lights.

A mountain bike display team will perform outside Harpenden Cycles on Southdown Road, headed by the owner David Wright and a BBQ will be cooking on the other side of the road outside the Brown Box café.

A choir from Grove Junior School will perform in the Methodist Church while a Christmas fair will take place in the Methodist Hall above Somerfield’s.

A fair and balloon modellers will be entertaining children throughout the evening.