Kingsclere's first Christmas tree festival proves a hit

Held at St Mary’s Church, from Friday December 14 to Monday December 17, villagers showed their creativity and community spirit with 24 trees exhibited, of all shapes, sizes and colours, from the simple to the elaborate, and by organisations and individuals.
The entry from the Living Paintings, KIngsclere was decorated with brightly painted feely pictures of characters from favourite children’s books, which the charity supplies to blind and partially sighted children. The village walking group had made Christmas tree shaped decorations cut from ordnance survey maps, while the cricket club had red ball decorations and quotes about the great game hung on their tree.
“Most imaginative, perhaps, was the entry from the Kingsclere Health Centre – a drip stand festooned with tinsel and secured around a fitness hoop,” said Rev Lucy Thirtle, who added:
“Decorations included a stethoscope, blood pressure sleeve and empty medicine bottles and capsule packets, with red apple decorations providing the 5-a-day message.”
During the festival, there was a concert on Saturday December 15 with festive music by the Kingsclere Singers and a traditional carol service.
The festival raised £880, through raffle ticket, programme sales and refreshment sales and donations, for St Mary’s Keystone Project - for improvements to the church building, which dates from the 12th century/Norman times.