WHEN Nestl announced their £30,000 donation to York's Christmas lights appeal, it was nice to think that one of our largest businesses was giving something back to the community in the true goodwill spirit of Christmas.

However, now that the decorations are in place, it is obvious that it was just wishful thinking.

Davygate, Colliergate and Coney Street all have decorations spanning the street above our heads and each one carries a placard showing a different Nestle product logo. The branches of the huge tree which has just been put up in St. Helens Square are weighed down with what appear to be gifts, but are in fact giant Nestl chocolates.

In marketing terms £30,000 for blanket city centre advertising for six to eight weeks in a peak shopping period is a very good deal indeed. Especially when done covertly under the guise of a generous benefactor.

It's terrible, these are adverts not decorations, and adverts are ugly. No lights at all would be preferable.

Every year Christmas becomes a more economically-driven, commercialised event and Nestl and the authorities who have agreed to their terms have shown their understanding of the meaning of Christmas: celebrating the birth of the profit, and the worship of the holy pound sign.

Jason Rayner,

Wenlock Terrace,

Fulford Road, York.

Updated: 10:02 Thursday, November 25, 2004