Here's a Christmas message from Mayor of Bridgwater Cllr Leigh Redman:

In November I was lucky enough to take up the role, as your town council we took the decision to share the Covid year between two Mayors by extending the term to 18 months, in my opening comment I made clear my intention to promote Bridgwater and the amazing community we have.

Each year the town council try to help promote our town, having to cancel our Snowflakes event was devastating to us, with no official turn on of the Christmas lights - it was incredible to see our online ‘pressing of the plunger’ become an internet buzz.

The bonus was getting some great worldwide coverage of Bridgwater with many TV showings and over three million views of the clip will help promote our town.

As we start to open up after lockdown two I will ask anyone that can, to shop local, our businesses have been impacted, as have we all, by this horrible virus.

Let us look forward to a better future, we have already seen how the community of Bridgwater has stepped up, and the amazing work our volunteers and traders have done, and continue to do, is wonderful.

Bridgwater Town Council has done its part, for example, how we were able to work with Government to secure the walk-through test centre, which is working well at the town hall and helping to reduce the need to travel for testing.

Now is a time for unity, I am so proud of Bridgwater and the people in every part of our community, please volunteer if you can.

Stay safe and follow the safety guidance, so that we can all play a part in ending coronavirus.

Have a very Covid safe Christmas and a better year in 2021.

Stay safe.