Many articles have wound me up over the years, but I’ve not had the urge to reply to an article of Mountain Scene before.  

This time I do, and feel compelled to reply to “Festive smestive?” (MS, Nov 10). By the way, the title was on a bit of a downer before the article even began.  

Originally from the UK and coming to Queenstown on a working holiday visa, I’ve now been in Queens­town for 10 years and have had the fortune to meet many travellers from all walks of life. From this point of view I strongly disagree with Destination Queenstown chief executive Tony Everitt’s comments: “It’s not an issue that comes up with visitors here.” It’s a huge issue.  

I remember my first Christmas here, as one of those visitors, and being very surprised by the lack of any hint of festiveness in the resort.  That sentiment has been raised every year since, by many people that I’ve met, be they travellers or locals. 

Being English, yes the UK shopping centres do seem to go a little overboard as Mountain Scene journalist Paul Taylor strongly suggests.  However, that is more a timing issue – it starts way too early, so as he says, “we buy more stuff” rather than celebrate that it is Christmas. 

But there is not a more Christmassy feeling in the world than buying that last-minute Christmas present on Christmas Eve with decorations in full flow and music playing throughout each shop (and by the way I love Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody). Who wouldn’t go on a Christmas shopping trip to New York if offered? 

I’m not religious and therefore do not go to Mass or follow the origins of Christmas. And I haven’t written a letter to Santa since I was seven, but do believe in the feeling that Christmas gives to people.  

Fortunately or unfortunately, dependent on your point of view, some of this feel-good factor that Christmas does bring is dependent on the outward display of festivities.  I believe this is one of the only failings of Queens­town because we suck at it. 

Yes, we have a star atop a huge tree that is nowhere near the town centre. But what gets more visits each year – the council offices tree, or the houses in Fernhill that have been decorated to the nines.  I remember over several years such houses featuring in Mountain Scene. 

We don’t have to go mad to make Queenstown feel like Christmas. A Christ­mas tree on the Village Green would allow a “turning on of the lights” ceremony, a huge event in cities and towns around the world. Decorations throughout The Mall, Camp Street and Shotover Street, which built up year on year, would help spread the costs and may even cajole other Queenstown business owners to join in. 

Just bear in mind that we do not fall in to the same trap and do it all too early. Remember the 12 days before 
Christmas? 

It doesn’t all have to be done at the same time but come on, Queenstown Lakes District Council, we have to start somewhere.  Every year we hear the question of Queenstown and its Christmasness or lack thereof. Surely just the fact that the question is raised each year suggests that there is something wrong?

Chris Marr is a UK native living in Queenstown for 10 years