THE annual Christmas tree festival weekend in St Decuman’s Church, Watchet, kicked off the town’s festive season in style.

A record 53 decorated trees were on display from Friday (November 29) through to Sunday and saw more than £4,300 raised for the 15th century church.

It was the 15th year of the festival, which started in 2008 but missed one year because of the Covid pandemic, and attracted hundreds of visitors.

The theme for this year’s trees was Christmas films, plays, and musicals and their interpretations.

Among the organisations which provided decorated trees was the town’s museum, Knights Templar Nursery, four Watchet Guiding units, three Scout groups from Watchet and four from Williton, the Phoenix Centre, carnival committee, Watchet Football Club under-eights, Danesfield School, Knights Templar School, the town’s mothers’ club, Elliot’s Touch charity, Butterfly Book Awards, and the Royal British Legion women’s section, some of them for the first time.

Watchet Rainbows also provided bacon baps and hot soup outside for visitors to raise funds for the group.

The trees will remain in the church throughout Advent and Christmas, and will be lit for all the services being held during that time.

The festival was followed by a Christingle service among the trees on the Sunday.