Day 4: Christmas in pics: more trees…!

 Day 4: Christmas Tree Festival

Lots of pics today as couldn’t choose just one! Tonight we went to the annual Christmas Tree festival at Holy Trinity Church, Cuckfield. It was one of those things where we thought we would just pop in, then an hour later I realised we were late picking up our eldest from the station as we had got so engrossed!

Parts of the church are from the thirteenth century, it has a beautiful painted ceiling and carved screen (appears in Pevsner for architecture fans!), then you add in 50 something decorated trees and it just comes alive. 

The trees are decorated by organisations, groups and businesses from the village and it is a wonderful example of what happens when a community comes together. Over the years the standard has risen as groups put extra effort in to their decorations, (I hesitate to say trying to out do each other!!) many being home made. They also have live music throughout the festival, from local musicians, the choir and schools.  It is just lovely, beautiful, heart warming, and really brings the community together, as well as encouraging people in to the church who might not usually come.

On top of that, on the way was a beautiful moon, which, with the floodlit church in front, looked like something out of a Victorian Christmas (yes, ok, I know they didn’t have floodlights…). My photo doesn’t really do it justice but it was just stunning….