CREDITON Parish Church will host its next Christmas Tree Festival from Thursday, December 1 to Sunday, December 4.

It will open from 11am to 6pm each day.

There will be refreshments in the Boniface Centre - light lunches (soup and sandwiches), cakes and mince pies from 10am to 4.30pm on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2pm to 4.30pm on the Sunday.

There are 70 trees booked to be decorated by a wide variety of local schools, pre-school groups, Rainbows and Scouts etc, local charities, churches and businesses.

Bridge Books will be in the Boniface Centre while the shop and bric-a-brac stalls can be found in the church.

The Festival is a spectacular, colourful event to which everyone is invited and which visitors often comment, signals the start of their Christmas.

This year there will be two concerts to enjoy - on Thursday, December 1 at 7.30pm, the Ad Hoc Singers will give a concert in aid of Hospiscare while the North Creedy Choral Society has been busy rehearsing for its concert at 7.30pm on Saturday, December 3, when it will be singing the first cantata from JS Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio”, movements from Handel’s “Messiah”, relating to the Advent season and there will be a variety of carols for audience participation.

The Festival raises funds for the repair and maintenance of the church building - vital for this Grade One listed Major Parish Church.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

There are many different jobs to undertake before, during and just after the Festival and anyone who would be prepared to help with this is invited to do so.

A couple of hours or more would be much appreciated.

There are boards on display in church to help with stewarding to greet the visitors and in the cafe. Just book your slot!

For information about other tasks, including setting out the trees, watering them each evening or providing First Aid cover, please telephone Anne Jerman on 01363 772865.