MAKE a date in your diaries for the Crediton Parish Church Christmas Tree Festival which will be held between Thursday, December 7 and Sunday, December 10.

This year’s Festival is open 11am to 6pm on Thursday and Friday, from 10.30am to 7pm on the Saturday and from 11am to 5pm on the Sunday.

Admission will be FREE and there is disabled access and free car parking.

Refreshments will be available in the Boniface Centre Christmas Cracker Cafe from 10am to 4pm on the Thursday and Friday, from 10am to 5pm on the Saturday and from 2pm to 5pm on the Sunday.

There will be an exhibition of work by six photographers on display in the Boniface Centre during the Festival.

This year’s Festival will feature 76 trees decorated by community groups ranging from 3ft to 20ft. This fills the church with a spectacular display.

The North Creedy Choral Society will present a concert on Saturday, December 9 at 7.30pm, and this will include Bach’s “Sleeper’s Wake” and excerpts from Schutz’s “Christmas Story”, Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” and Handel’s “Messiah”, accompanied by a chamber orchestra and Nigel Guthrie on the organ.

To end the Festival on the Sunday, at 6pm, the Crediton Parish Church Choir will provide a seasonal concert. Tickets for both concerts will be available at the door.

The very popular and informative guided tours of the Governors’ Room will be conducted daily at 12 noon and tours of the Bell Tower will follow at 2pm daily.

Stella Stephens, the Crediton Christmas Tree Festival co-ordinator, said: “We are very pleased that so many people from around Crediton are volunteering in the cafe and stewarding for this community event. We are also particularly grateful to the Scouts, Brownies, Guides and Turning Tides for their support and assistance.

“We look forward to seeing all the trees decorated. We hope visitors will enjoy the Festival especially as St Boniface of Crediton is associated with the first Christmas tree.

If you require more information about the Festival or would like to purchase a tree at the end of the festival (without decorations) please speak to Stella at the Festival or email: [email protected] .

Alan Quick