I do make it a point that I go twice to Gozo for my holidays, once in summer, where I spend a whole month, then again for about 10 days during Christmastime.

During summer, I really enjoy all the feasts that go on in each different village. A lot of effort and time is volunteered by local villagers to make their respective feast one of the greatest on the island.

During Christmastime, every village in Gozo also makes the place look absolutely beautiful with the colour displays of different lights put up by residents and councils alike. In fact every council takes pride in decorating their main street/square with beautiful lighted decorations. Every council in Gozo, that is, with the exception of Sannat.

In Sannat they simply lit up half a dozen coloured bulbs around the balcony of the police station which doubles up as the council house. Is that how much respect the Sannat council has for its own residents? It must have been a proper embarrassment for the locals to see all the other villages well decorated and all Sannat could offer is a miserable few bulbs on their balcony, plus a wooden crib with no lights by the side of the church.

I honestly hope that the Sannatins will stop wearing blinkers and remember Christmas 2008 come the local election next June.