THE celebrations of Marlborough's 800th anniversary of receiving its Royal Charter are in the black, Mayor Graham Francis said this week.

Staging the events over the next ten days is costing the town £25,000.

Ever since the idea of the anniversary celebrations were first mooted more than four years ago there were concerns over the cost.

Initial plans for a memorial in the form of a piece of sculpture costing as much as £25,000 were dropped because there was no guarantee a sponsor could be found.

The 2004 Committee under the chairmanship of Coun Graham Francis, who is mayor for 2004-05, pressed ahead with less ambitious but nevertheless memorable celebrations.

There will be two permanent memorials in the form of plaques; one at Marlborough College where King John was staying in a hunting lodge when he granted the town charter in 1204 and one in the town hall.

The ten days of celebrations kick off today with a magic show, sponsored by the Gazette and Herald, in the town hall for three local schools, St Peter's Junior, St Mary's Infants and Preshute Primary.

Coun Francis was delighted that Marlborough recently named the most generous town in the county in a national newspaper survey had lived up to its reputation.

Instead of a deficit, the celebrations are currently almost £4,000 in the black.

Sadly, £800 had been saved because a replica of one of the country's first ever steam road cars The Enterprise, designed by Marlborough inventor Walter Hancock, was unable to attend because it had burst its boiler.

Coun Francis said: "The original Enterprise was the very first mechanically propelled vehicle to get up the hill out of Marlborough towards Hungerford on the A4 but unfortunately it has blown up."

The community play The Wheels of Time was the most expensive single item but it was completely covered by sponsorship, he said.

Trustees of the long defunct former Marlborough Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society (MADOS) had given £2,000 towards the production.

MADOS trustee Raymond White, one of the few surviving members of the society, will be playing the Duke of Buckingham in the street play that will be presented from a farm cart as it trundles along the High Street.

The entire £3,500 cost of the Marlborough Civil War re-enactment by the English Civil War Society June 19 and 20 has been sponsored by the Hills Group based in Marlborough.

The Sangster Group that owns Manton House stables has given £1,000 towards the cost of providing horses for the civil war scenes amd former county councillor Jack Ainslie has paid £800 for a PA system for the celebrations.

The biggest single outgoing is £6,900 to be paid to Kennet District Council to cover the cost of street closures on three occasions.

These are: from noon tomorrow until midnight on Saturday for the two Fairs Through the Ages; for the royal visit on June 18 and from 2pm on June 19 to 6pm on June 20 for to two re-enactments of the civil war battle.

Despite representations from the Marlborough district councillors Kennet decided not to waive the closure costs although £6,900 is a discounted sum.

Coun Francis said he was very grateful to the sponsors.

"I am pleased that Marlborough has lived up to its title of being the most generous town in the land," he said.